Desperate to lose

[jeff-az]

Hello,

I am a 50 year old male who weighs 275-280 and has weighed that much for several years. I was recently diagnosed with sleep apnea and that helps explain the weight gain over the years and my inability to lose any weight recently. I'm using CPAP for the apnea but I realize that I need to diet and do it sooner rather than later. After researching that Atkins diet and low-carb dieting in general I see that this diet makes a lot of sense to me. For the last year or two I have been eating cereal or fruit for breakfast and fruit for lunch and snacks, and salads or stir-fry for dinner, thinking I was eating low calorie food and that would melt the pounds away. Now I see I was eating all the wrong food. It explains why I haven't lost weight, in fact I am gaining weight on this 'diet'.

Beginning January first, I will be on a low-carb diet. I have ordered the Atkins book and low-carb recipe books. I bought a BowFlex and a NordicTrack bike years ago and never used them much. This time around they will become daily exercise machines. I am committed to losing 80lbs in the next 12 months as well as building some muscle and just getting back into shape. Years ago I could eat anything and everything and not gain an ounce but today my metabolism is so screwed up...

It was strange going to the grocery store the other day and buying real butter and regular mayo and upon coming home I threw away the margarine and lite mayo. It's amazing to me that low calorie foods have way more carbs, seems like it's one or the other and for me it's going to be low carbs.

I have two questions nagging me right now, and I'm sure others will pop up as I progress.

1st:

I realize that caffeine is out and I have no problem with that since I already drink decaf coffee and rarely drink any soda and when I do it's decaf soda. Is coffee itself bad or is it just the caffeine that makes it bad. Can I still drink my decaf coffee?

2nd:
I'm very new to dieting so this may seem to be a silly question to others, but what does a low carb high protein diet do to your cholesterol level? I've read about the meat and eggs fast and it seems like you're really loading up on cholesterol. My cholesterol level is normal I'm told and I don't want to see it increase.

Thanks for any answers to my questions, and I just have to say it's good to be here.

Jeff

[Blondie888]

Hi and Welcome, Jeff! For Question 1, Atkins says to try to limit decaf coffee to about 2 cups/day. Caffeine can mess with your blood sugar, so it's best avoided. I still drink regular coffee and tea, though. It affects people differently. Adding creamer and sweetener to your decaf can add carbs, and same with diet soda, so it's good to keep an eye on that. I'm not sure with question 2, but I know people on here have actually improved their readings. Good luck with everything!

[TarHeel]

Hi Jeff, and welcome:

After 6 months of low carb eating, my doctor reduced my cholesterol and blood pressure medications by half. After a year, he took me off of them completely. I suspect some (or even most) of the vastly improved readings had to do with weight loss itself, but the lc diet obviously didn't hurt.

From what I have read here (for almost three years) more people had improved cholesterol levels on lc than the other way around. I hope that will be true for you as well.

I seldom drink coffee or diet soda, and haven't for years, by personal preference, so can't address the caffeine issue.

It seems that the people who do best on lc (or probably low fat as well) are those who really change their eating habits....rather than thinking they are going to eat this way until they lose a certain amount of weight.

Enjoy your full fat mayonnaise!

Kay