Mike from Toronto

[mikepo]

Hi.

I started low carb this summer after watching from Fat to Skinny fast and easy by Doug Varrieur. I bought his e-book, read all his videos and news appearances. From there I learned about Fathead, and read alot of his blog. Then I found Fathead's blog, and a few weeks ago bought his movie and thoroughly enjoyed it. I also found Jimmy Moore from Tom's site, and soon downloaded and listened to most of his podcasts.

Now I listen to Carbohydrates Can Kill by Dr Su, Underground Wellness by Sean Croxton, Our Natural Life by the Paynes.

When I started lowcarbing I encountered fierce persecution and lively arguments from my parents, wife and their family.

My wife is a registered nurse and thought this diet would eventually kill me, damage my kidneys, liver, give me gout, clog my arteries and give me a heart attack, colon cancer and gout.

However, I did convince her through our conversations and most remarkably through Fathead where she learned that all the training she got about nutrition was false.

Through Fathead I also convinced her brother as well.

She is starting to cut out the sugar from her life, and she is eating more protein and fat but hasn't cut out the carbs yet. She is addicted to Carbs.

I started out at 229, I got down to 217 through a low calories diet and lost the rest from low carbing.

I was stuck at 203 for a long time, but through excercise got unstuck and now am at 198.

I take Vitamin D supplements usually 10,000, potassium, a little extra salt, 2G fish oil and 500 mg magnesium.

[146pounds]

I've been on Atkins since 2004. Mind you, on again off again. But I've never really gone past my highest weight since doing this diet. I've always somewhat stuck to high protein and low carb. Overall, I would have to say that I've been able to manage my weight on this diet...I too am a RN. My liver function is fine. As long as you make it back if you fall off...you may have the key to long term weight solutions

[Mama Sebo]

Hi Mike, welcome to the site. Looks like you've done alot of research and already have the experience of articulating what you are doing and, not just arguing, but actually convincing others! Are you going to start a journal here? Then we can visit you...

[mstares]

Toronto has a couple of great low carb grocery stores! 170 Esna Park Drive in Markham is a lovely little store. I was there this past week while visiting T-Dot. Unfortunately most of my shopping from there has to be done online. Good luck to you, sounds like you are well prepared to stick to low carbing!
Margaret

[Fat Freddy]

I'm massively impressed by the resources you've coralled to understand what you're doing. This means you're going to succeed, and those last 20lbs will be gone in weeks.

Best of luck with it!

[kaylakala]

HI!! I had to deal with a lot of negatives when I first went on it several years ago.

Last trip to the Doctor (to ask if I could drop one of my bp meds after dropping over 10lbs) He asked what diet was I using. I braced myself and told him low carb. He was sooo happy. He's been on it for over 10 years himself and has perfect bloodwork. I was so relieved !!He says if I keep it up I"ll get off the bp meds completely.
Congrats to you!!

[Kristine]

Hi and welcome. :wave: There seems to be quite a few Torontonians around lately.

Isn't it funny how simply the words "low carb" or "Atkins" will make people think you're going to kill yourself? Yet I bet if you would have simply said "I'm just watching what I'm eating" and your family would have seen you eating salads, omelets, meats and vegetables; no one would have said boo. :rolleyes:

[mikepo]

I've been on Atkins since 2004. Mind you, on again off again. But I've never really gone past my highest weight since doing this diet. I've always somewhat stuck to high protein and low carb. Overall, I would have to say that I've been able to manage my weight on this diet...I too am a RN. My liver function is fine. As long as you make it back if you fall off...you may have the key to long term weight solutions

My wife is an RN, I run a small business.

I had my Creatinine measured my eGFR. ALT measured as well and Urate (Uric acid.

[mikepo]

Toronto has a couple of great low carb grocery stores! 170 Esna Park Drive in Markham is a lovely little store. I was there this past week while visiting T-Dot. Unfortunately most of my shopping from there has to be done online. Good luck to you, sounds like you are well prepared to stick to low carbing!
Margaret

There is also low carb canada that just opemed a retail store at Birchmount and Eglinton.

[mikepo]

Hi Mike, welcome to the site. Looks like you've done alot of research and already have the experience of articulating what you are doing and, not just arguing, but actually convincing others! Are you going to start a journal here? Then we can visit you...

Thanks. If one really wants to learn alot I would suggest listening to Livin La Vida Low Carb podcasts.

I'll think about writing a journal.

Doing a lot of research has helped me to stay motivated while nearly everyone around me was condemning the diet.

[mikepo]

I'm massively impressed by the resources you've coralled to understand what you're doing. This means you're going to succeed, and those last 20lbs will be gone in weeks.

Best of luck with it!

Thanks,

those last twenty pounds are very hard to lose. I keep stalling, first at 203, now I'm stuck between 198-200.

I'm trying to implement Hutchinson's suggestions about Fish Oil and Magnesium. But so far I'm still stuck.

[mikepo]

Hi and welcome. :wave: There seems to be quite a few Torontonians around lately.

Isn't it funny how simply the words "low carb" or "Atkins" will make people think you're going to kill yourself? Yet I bet if you would have simply said "I'm just watching what I'm eating" and your family would have seen you eating salads, omelets, meats and vegetables; no one would have said boo. :rolleyes:

They would have noticed that I wouldn't eat bread, pasta. I was a pastaholic before. But after a little while on the diet I never crave pasta.

It did take a long time though to convince myself that Sat fat is actually good for you and not harmful.

[mikepo]

My cholesterol was 6.4umol/l eating a "healthy diet" of high fibre breakfast cereal, often having egg sandwiches at lunch or other items and bread, pasta, meat or fish along with potatoes, or rice with dinner. Plenty of fruit including grapefruit, oranges, apples.

Now after 6 months of low carbing I lowered my cholesterol to 5.51 (still above the "desired" amount, but interesting unlike my family who thought I would raise my cholesterol, or shoot it sky high it was lowered, they were impressed.

My triglycerides went from 0.4 to 0.35, my HDL went from 1.51 to 1.64. My LDL calculated went from 4.2 to 3.4.

My Fasting blood glucose was 4.4 and my vitamin D was 185.

So in conclusion, even though my cholesterol panel was very good althougjh high (which I think is actually a sign of excellent health) it went lower and improved by low carbing.