Oh go Keto yourself...A 30 day keto experiment

[porthardy]

Hey All!

My name is PortHardy and I am a Carb and Sugar Addict.. Today will be my first day being clean in a looooooooong time.

A little bit about me: Im going to be 30 in Feb. Been obese/overweight most of my life. Struggled on many diets..tried em all i think. Nothing worked long term and i hit my breaking point in 2013 when i balooned to 320lbs after the birth of my dd in 2012. Decided enough was enough and ran to Mx and got VSG weight loss surgery. The result- went from 320 down to 220 before i began cheating the system and eating lots of bad stuff. Weight loss surgery changs your stomach size..not your brain. I was and still am a compulsive eater who craves craves crave bread products and sugar. I needed to join OA and get control of my mind. It helped. I stopped emotional eating and learned self acceptance but still craved carbs and bread.. Turns out i have a severe gluten intolerance..It makes me sick and yet my body craves it. I crave a loaf of bread..weird. Anyway.. Somtime during my OA stint, i started drinking shakes from an expensive health company and got my weight down to 220 again but then Christmas came and buh bye diet. So here i am at 238.8 and bursting out of my 16s pants.

So why keto? Well..i am an avid researcher and I have always known that i boarder the type 2 diabetic line and have insulin resistnce. I know that in less i cut out all carbs, i crave them badly and i have a haunch that i possibly have some male pattern hair growth going on which i attribute to an increase in excess hormone testosterone..So being the researcher i am..i decided to search for natural solutions to hormone imbalances and diabetic issues and discovered that many Drs advocate Keto for not only weight loss but a reduction in blood sugar, cravings,IR, gluten intolerance and whaddaya know..even a decrease in excess hormone testosterone which is caused by...IR and elevated blood sugar.

So...here i am... Now..here is the thing...Right now i am calling it the Ketp experiment. I have heard many people have great success on keto and can live life by it...but i have also successfully lost weight counting calories only..So my experiment is to determine a few things:

1) Is it sustainable ?
2) Is weight loss quicker than low cal doeting or equal to?
3) Will it slow down male pattern hair growth?
4) Will it eliminate cravings for bread?

In the next 30 days i hope to find out. So here's to 30 days of Keto(raises diet pop) Cheers!

[Little Me]

Hi PortHardy, I wish you all the success in the world. You've got the right attitude!

I can answer 3 of your 4 questions.

1. Yes.
2. Yes. (and with very little hunger, unlike low cal)
3. No idea.
4. Yes. I used to have to avoid the bakery aisle in the market, the smells were too much, now bread smells like sawdust to me.

Suggest you read Wheat Belly Total Health by William Davis MD...this was a life-changer for me.

Hang in there, at the end of your first week you'll be saying WOW already, and at the end of your experiment month you'll be riding that horse all the way to the finish line. Yee-ha!

[Little Me]

PS: Protein Power is an excellent plan and Dr. Eades has a wealth of information on his website.

[MickiSue]

My answers are the same as Little Me.

And, to answer your unasked question: No, you can't go back to eating bread and sugar. But you can't do that, anyway, can you?

What you can do is continue to eat in a way that is delicious, that is SATISFYING, and that will make you so healthy and full of energy that you will shock yourself.

A word of warning: the first few days can be tough. Keto flu isn't something that everyone deals with, but if you do, it's not fun. Drinking plenty of water, and getting in your salt will help.

Welcome, and welcome to a new way of life!

[Neanderpam]

Welcome! I started with Protein Power (the original) in 1999 and lost 113 pounds... and then went to doing more of a Atkins/Ketogenic and lost the rest of my overweight. Can't tell you if it's 'sustainable'.. I've only been maintaining for 13 years. :)

I don't have a craving for bread anymore (serious Celiac disease and five other AU diseases), no craving for sugar/starch bread etc. UNLESS I eat something 'off plan' (and for ME, personally, that would maybe be some fruit.. might 'trigger' me.. but I don't 'rise to the call'.. why would I? This way of eating doesn't work if you aren't doing it. :)

As far as 'how fast it works'.. well, that depends on the individual. I felt so much better eating this way, and SO many people 'noticed' that I went back to school in my 'golden years' and became a Cert. Nutritionist.. I only teach low carb/ketogenic (I'm disabled/retired.. therefore this is a volunteer outreach to those who cannot have WLS for one reason or another...so far, out of 22, only three dropped out and didn't want to give up sugar, and 10 no longer feel they 'need' WLS.. they have a handle on it.. the rest are 'ongoing weight loss'.

I do see PCOS clients.. and this reduces insulin resistance, which can, in some cases, change hair growth/loss a bit.

I hope you stick with it.. I hope you far surpass my '13 years of sustainability'.. I'd say 'best of luck' but it's not about 'luck'.. it's about just changing how you eat. :)

[JEY100]

Welcome,
Protein Power is a good plan, and I love Dr Eades writings ( https://proteinpower.com/drmike/2014/01/05/help-low-carb-dieters/) but as Pam indicated it is not Ketogenic. Starting at 20g total carbs and restricted protein may help stop your sugar and carb cravings faster. Dr Westman says he knows when patients are in "ketosis", they are not hungry.

Many doctors add Metformin for PCOS to help with both the hair growth and IR. There are some other anti-androgens also prescribed, the pill, etc. But your first line of defense is nutrition. No sugar, no starch at all. Even at 6', probably 80g protein or less.

http://womenshealth.gov/publications/our-publications/fact-sheet/polycystic-ovary-syndrome.html

There are some good links to Dr Fox's articles on PCOS in that forum.
http://forum.lowcarber.org/forumdisplay.php?f=46

And lastly, my personal advice, put down that diet soda! All artificial sweeteners only fuel your taste for sweets. Much harder to do LC with that sweetness never followed by calories. Here's a more balanc d view, but I am firmly on the side that they cause cravings for sweet. http://authoritynutrition.com/artificial-sweeteners-and-weight-gain/

All the best,

[porthardy]

Thank you everyone for the helpful advice and warm welcome.. I have made it to Day 2 successfully.. Kept my Net carb count to 12 yesterday..focussed on eating protein.

Protein power plan is not Ketosis? Oh...thats weird...i totally thought it did induce ketosis.. hmm..going to have to do some reading.

Yes..i was on Metformin in the past...unfortunately it caused severe GI upset..so they switched me to glucophage...but that too caused some gi upset...so not sure as far as another alternative.

Yes i find if i drink diet coke or any diet dark cola..i crave more..but if i drink diet gingerale i dont..its like he bitterness of the ginger counteracts the sweet taste and just tastes more bittery gingery..

Onto Day 2 today...I did get a good size headache yesterday but tried some homemade bone broth with lots of salt and that helped.

[JEY100]

A bit of semantics, both a VLC like PP and a ketogenic would get you to the health improvements you seek.

http://www.tuitnutrition.com/2015/07/stop-saying-ketogenic.html

[porthardy]

Wow !! Good article...totally puts things in perspective..Guess im not keto experimenting...im low carb experimenting lol

[porthardy]

Well day 3 here on this experiment.. Have kept my net carbs way below 20 and i have not lost a single pound according to the scale. Now naturally at this point i would say screw it and quit but since i commited to 30 days...i have 27 to go..

Hard to believe that i havent lost a single pound.. I mean...im eating around 1200 cals and averaging 12 net carbs a day and eating protein at every meal that is lean and have not touched a lick of sugar or fruit or gluten of any kind...no low carb frankenfoods either...and nothing!! nada! zip!

I wonder if i need to measure my progress by a pair of pants instead??

[jamesriske]

3 days is not long enough, my friend. You have to put your body into a state of ketosis (burning fat for energy instead of glucose). You'll reach that if you are careful about what you eat at about the 4 or 5 days, then you'll start to lose weight.

Take it seriously and get yourself a ketone blood test meter and use it:

http://www.dietdoctor.com/a-new-toy-measuring-blood-ketones

I tested mine this morning and I'm at 1.3

At your weight, you should lose about 6 pounds the first two weeks. Stop weighing yourself every day. You're in this for life if you want to improve your health, weigh yourself once a week and even after you lose the weight, you will continue this way of eating because it is natural and healthy.

It's going to be the hardest the first two or three weeks, you'll get headaches and feel fatigued. Since you describe yourself as a carb and sugar addict you'll probably feel like crap until you rid your body of all that junk and overcome your cravings and need for sugar and junk carbs. Once you do, you'll feel a lot better and you won't crave sugar or carbs anymore.

Stop counting calories. Calories don't matter. Eat all the calories and fat you want but limit the carbs to 20 a day and make them good carbs. Salad for example. (make sure you use a no sugar, no carb dressing). You do that and you will loose weight, you will break your addiction, you will improve your health and you will never feel hungry again. Ever.

But you have to make it through these first few weeks. And you have to be strict and vigilant, there's no cheating on Atkins.

Good luck.

I'm in my fourth month and lost 28 pounds.

[JEY100]

Agree with what James wrote except for the blood ketone meter. Not necessary, if you are in ketosis, you are not hungry and have lost cravings. None of the three ways to measure ketosis are that helpful And they are expensive.

Would add that you have some serious health issues and sometimes your body needs to heal first. Everyone's path will be different and you have a long journey ahead, learn why this way of eating is healthy for you, reverse your IR and improve pcos. Don't worry about the scale...we are 65 % water and there is a 4-5 pound "grey zone" of water weight that can change for no reason. Using "pants" instead of a scale seems a good idea for you.

[MickiSue]

...OTOH, if you want to weigh every day, go ahead. Just keep in mind that even during periods of active losing, your weight will go up and down, day by day.

What many find, once the health issues start to heal, is that there will be a period of no loss, followed by a 1 or 2 pound drop. Then the weight fluctuates back and forth ABOVE that low weight. Eventually, it finds a new, lower low, and then fluctuates, all over again, just a little lower.

[Neanderpam]

Not to 'discourage' you.. but 'net carbs' didn't and doesn't 'work' for me. I'm THAT insulin resistant. So far, it hasn't worked for 16 out of 23 of my clients (the 15 that are female..and one lady who's only 40 pounds from goal now, having lost over 113 pounds).

So.. I got used to using 'gross carb count' because I could eat SO MANY veggies and try and 'trick it down to subtracting fiber' (which you don't need if you're getting enough fat IMHO).. and I would get into ketosis..but diet pop would then bring on cravings.. net carbs doesn't work for everyone.

I lost BIG the first two weeks (because I was big).. but during my two years of losing my overweight.. well.. it was an 'up and down' deal.. but I will tell you one thing.. EVERY TIME I hit a stall (and a 'stall' with LC is a full six weeks with NO change on scale OR change in losing inches.. so start measuring if you haven't, and sorry if I missed where you said) if I dropped dairy for a week or so, my loss would start back up. Seems the hormones in dairy just kind of stalled me out. It doesn't now at goal.

I think you have your head on straight and will do VERY well.. just don't try and rush it.. enjoy your progress.. after all.. if you slow and enjoy the ride.. you'll stay on the tracks.

[jessdamess]

Who is it here that says?
Consistency + Time = Success

I've been keto for over 1.5 years now and have lost 102lb.
Gained a few back over the holidays...due to stress-eating and a holiday carb-cheat. But it's going back down.
Sometimes I have lost fast. And then you get a period where your body does a lot of healing and rearranging and you will lose inches, but no weight. My record stall was 3 months. But I lost a size in clothing during that time.

Consistency
Persistence
Time

And during times where the scale was not cooperating, I looked at that as an opportunity to practice good healthy habits and "maintenance." Cementing these skills makes it more likely you will keep the weight off long term. Because this is a lifestyle, not just a diet. And if you approach it that way, every day you are on-plan, you are winning.

Make sure you keep your electrolytes up. Sodium (3,000-5,000mg), potassium (try to get as close to 2,000 as you can), and magnesium (300-400mg). Your kidneys excrete more when in ketosis when you are low-carb, which mean you have less on hand to work with, thus the need to replenish them more often. Letting them get low will cause fatigue, headaches, and a feeling of being run-down. Supplementing sodium and potassium (besides in foods) is best done with table salt (or sea salt) and potassium salt (Lite Salt or NuSalt). Magnesium can be gotten from foods, but also supplemented through a pill containing either magnesium glycinate, citrate, or malate. Those are the best absorbed, though magnesium oxide works okay for some in a pinch.

Focus on:
Keeping carbs below your limit.
Keeping protein in the proper range.
Eating the rest as fat. Yummy yummy fat!
And being consistent, meal by meal, day by day.

You can ABOLUTELY change your life for the better. I realized very early on, as the benefits of weight loss and quality diet manifested themselves, that I was not LIVING before at all.

The bad news is that YOU are the only person who can improve your health and life.
The good news is that YOU, and no one else, CAN improve your health and life. You have that power.

Wishing you success. :)

[porthardy]

Day 5 here...and i am getting so discouraged..ive only moved from 238.4 to 237.4 in 5 days. I just dont understand the slow weight loss.. Usually regardless of what diet it is, I lose on average 7 pounds in the first week and granted its water weight but at least its encouraging... to see such a low # makes me feel like my efforts are for nothing :'(

[Just Jo]

Who is it here that says?
Consistency + Time = SuccessCMCM (Carole) has had that on her signature line as long as I've known her! :thup:You can ABOLUTELY change your life for the better. I realized very early on, as the benefits of weight loss and quality diet manifested themselves, that I was not LIVING before at all.

The bad news is that YOU are the only person who can improve your health and life.
The good news is that YOU, and no one else, CAN improve your health and life. You have that power.I agree 100%!

Remember it's Stay OP (On Plan) 100% today and let tomorrow take care of itself! :agree:

I'm exactly like Pam, a carb is a carb is a carb to me, NET or otherwise. So I count every blessed single one!

We just have to find what works for us, what we are willing to sacrifice (food-wise) both in losing the weight and in maintenance!

Wishing you much success on your journey to a Healthier YOU! :cheer:

[Just Jo]

Day 5 here...and i am getting so discouraged..ive only moved from 238.4 to 237.4 in 5 days. I just dont understand the slow weight loss.. Usually regardless of what diet it is, I lose on average 7 pounds in the first week and granted its water weight but at least its encouraging... to see such a low # makes me feel like my efforts are for nothing :'(Don't let it discourage you... maybe post what you are eating and those following your LC WOE can help spot anything that maybe an issue in preventing your weight loss??

[bluesinger]

Jess said it all ~ and perfectly.

The only thing I can add is that how our bodies work is a mystery, and every BODY is different. LC isn't really one-size-fits-all. Commit and study and use the rules as a structure inside which you find what works for you.

One last thing: Statistics show that weight loss for men is 1 Million times easier than weight loss for women, so please don't compare your pounds lost with that of others, especially of the male persuasion. :agree:

We're with you!
g

[Kristine]

Hi and welcome. :wave:

First off - it's a bummer that the weight doesn't just fall off you, but you have the cards stacked against you, unfortunately. You are insulin-resistant and likely have PCOS. You can't fix years and years of screwed-up hormones in 5 days. Have you seen a doctor for it? I think someone already mentioned that Metformin could be a good option for you.

My hormones were a mess when I started. I had something resembling PCOS triggered by depo-provera. Likewise with me, the weight didn't just magically fall off me - but reining in my appetite (or should I call it sugar addiction?) was the most critical factor for me, I think. I remember the taste of real scrambled eggs cooked in butter, and it was a massive a-ha time for me. "So I can eat real fat and protein, be full, and I'm not going to blow up like a balloon? Sweet."

If you're getting down about it, maybe you're not enjoying your food enough, or maybe not getting enough of it. :idea: It shouldn't seem like a colossal effort. Fact: gluten binds with your opioid receptors. You are addicted. And if you feel sad and deprived, it's likely the addiction talking. This is a huge reason why I advocate eating to fullness, as long as you're keeping the carbs below 20, at least at first. It's why Dr Atkins and other docs wrote their plans that way. Get yourself over the physiological and emotional factors first, then start mucking around with micro-managing numbers. Compliance trumps everything. Do what you have to do to stay compliant, at least at first. White-knuckling and being miserable with calorie-counting = failure, in my mind.

Best of luck finding something that works for you.

[MickiSue]

One more thought: I believe that you are doing low carb and low fat? That didn't work for me. I needed to add fat to my WOE in order to speed up the weight loss above a few ounces a month.

As I had lost 4 pounds in five YEARS doing moderate carb, low fat, I wasn't complaining, but I did want to get to goal before I hit 90, you know?

Adding fat had the advantage for me of significantly lessening my appetite. I eat a good, high fat breakfast, and really, I'm not hungry till dinnertime.

[JEY100]

You have great advice from everyone, esp. Kristine's about hormones. Speaking of which, could they be factoring into your weight this week? But that is only short term, let's go back to to what you wrote on your post...

i decided to search for natural solutions to hormone imbalances and diabetic issues and discovered that many Drs advocate Keto for not only weight loss but a reduction in blood sugar, cravings,IR, gluten intolerance and whaddaya know..even a decrease in excess hormone testosterone which is caused by...IR and elevated blood sugar.

How about tracking your symptoms this month? You should have a glucose meter, start taking blood sugar before and after meals to track improvements in general, and learn your reaction to specific foods. Like this:
http://chriskresser.com/how-to-prevent-diabetes-and-heart-disease-for-16/
Note how strong your carb cravings were before starting, and how each day goes since. Emotional balance, skin conditions, any facial hair reduction, even hormone levels if you are working with a doctor...in other words track the reasons you wanted to do VLC.
Like this, or make your own, or write in the note section of tracking apps. http://drdavidludwig.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/The-Trackers-Ludwig.pdf

You can note weight daily and create a moving average, but your health improvements should be your primary focus this month.

[porthardy]

well day 6 has come and gone...as per suggestion I have upp'd the cals to around 12-1300 ..I usually eat at 1000 a day..Reason being- I had 80% of my stomach removed which means i dont need to eat as much to be full.. Since starting i have noticed a drop in my cravings and hunger. I used to wake up ravenous and used to crave sugar like i was jonesing for a hit of sugar or bread.. I have been able to stay 100% on plan despite my discouragement.. I commited to a 31 low carb experiment and onto day 7 i go..

[JEY100]

Great news that the sugar cravings have reduced. Notice any other symptom improvement the first week. You can also start a journal here to record progress. http://forum.lowcarber.org/forumdisplay.php?f=36

[porthardy]

Well day 8 now and the scale wooshed yesterday. Startig weight at beginning of week was 239.8 and weight today is now 234.8 so its moving in the right direction. It actually has appeared to move on the days ive upped my calories and not watched my fat intake as much. Is there a reason why one must eat fat to lose fat on a low carb diet?

[JEY100]

Great news! See, not to worry, especially about little day to day movement. They could mean nothing but a water weight shift, remember the four pounds "grey zone " of water. i mentioned averaging your daily weights if you can't give up the scale. There is a free app called Happy Scale to do it..or just use the pants method.

Though there are other ways to lose weight, the body works better eating some fat on a low carb diet.
A simple explanation from Dr Volek: http://www.examiner.com/article/nutrition-expert-explains-why-low-carb-ketogenic-diet-works-for-weight-loss

However, while you need to eat fat, you do not have to force some magic macro ratio to start. No one can tell how much fat is coming from their body stores.
A good article and graph here of fat loss over the four phases:
https://lowcarbrn.wordpress.com/2015/10/28/dont-force-the-fat/

[MickiSue]

Congratulations! and what Janet said is true: I have yet to write down ratios. I am liberal with fats, but don't measure. The only thing I actually count is the carbs.

If I keep them below 20 net (whole food net carbs, not Atkins bars and that sort of garbage) and eat good proteins and plenty of fat, I lose.

The best part is that you'll find that your appetite shrinks. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks is now breakfast, occasional small snack (single) and dinner, with no hunger in between.

[GreekRibs]

Hang in there, Pothardy, and keep reading books and staying on plan. Read some of the success stories on here and you will have hope. At the beginning, it can seem so daunting, but keep telling yourself "all I have is this one day to make choices" and then do it all over again tomorrow.
Planning properly, like having the right foods at home and/or work is super important for success. You can do it!!

[porthardy]

Well ive kind of lost track of how many days its been..i stopped counting and just decided to move forward no matter what. Im close to 2 weeks down.
Today my scale went down to 232.2 so thats good news..it keeps going down which is what i want.

Ive tried out a few new recipes. Made homemade keto vanilla ice cream..its delicious and at 4 net carbs for 1 cup...not bad. I eat only half a scoop though cause eating tons and tons of fat in the form of cream makes me have an almost gallbladder like attack- i say almost because i have no gallbladder and yet i still get attacks.

I also made Zucchini noodles the past 2 nights with prawns and 1/4 cup no sugar no gluten low carb alfredo..it was good☺

I have managed to fail 6 different bread recipes..namely the psyllium husk bread recipes floating around the net. It a shame cause i wanted somthing close to bread but at the same time..psyllium sits like a brick in my stomach so maybe its better not to anyway.

As far as changes go..i noticed that i dont crave carbs as much and i dont have an appetite. I dont eat as often as i used to. Its nice. The other night we had 2 friends over and it was a gong show. They ate in one sititng:

- 1/2 pizza each
- 2 cups pulled pork each
- 4 slices gluten free bread each
-1/2 bag of tater tots each
-2 psyllium wraps each(that i made at home)
-1/2 bottle of orange juice each
-1 whole can of sliced peaches each w/ 1/2 cup of non dairy whipped coconut milk

While they prepared and ate all that at our house..i made myself 9 cooked prawns with some crushed freshed garlic. For dessert i had 1.25 cups of thawed strawberries with 1/2 cup of homemade sugar free low carb whip cream and i could only eat half so my husband ate the other half.

At the end of the meal..my one friends stomach was sticking out like it was pregnent and he was complaining of feeling sick. This guy knows how to eat lots..whats crazy is that his Asian girlfriend can eat the same amount as him. The only difference is that he doesnt gain a pound but she does. Im terribly worried for her as they have only been together for less than a month and she is gaining weight.

My husband in comparison is 140 pounds soaking wet with a skinny build but tall. He can eat lots but not even close to how much they each ate. We were in shock. I mean the cost of groceries..because everything they eat has to be gluten and dairy free..its like woah! We only have one grocery store cause we live in a small town and we are limited to what we have available to us.

Its funny though..looking at them eat like that..reminded me of the time when i would sit down and eat 6 mcdonalds cheeseburgers and a large coke and fries in a sitting. Or how i would consume 1 litre of ice cream plus a large bag of ketchup chios and 6 chocolate bars. I used to be able to eat unlimmited quantities. Its how i got so large. I was a compulsive binge eater with a serious problem. I could eat and NEVER get full..it was like an anomally. My brain never registered info from my stomach that i was full. Its why i had weight loss surgery to remove 80% of my stomach. My stomach would overproduce the hunger hormone grehlin while underproducing the leptin hormone-which says your full. So when they removed 80% of my stomach..it included the grehlin secreting site in the stomach. Now only my hypothalmous in the brain sends hunger signals..so the signal isnt as strong.. It definitly worked in reducing my ability to eat a lot at one sitting so people ask "how do you gain weight then?" Well..its quite simple..take cookies crackers and chips..stick them in a blender and blend them up.. What kind of volume is left? You went from having a full blender to having a 1/4 full blender of powdered food. Its the same with the stomach..It grinds and chews and blends your food. Things that can easily be powdered and broken down quickly..reduce in volume in the stomach quickly so your not as full..but meat and veggies and fruit take a long time to process..so you stay full longer..

Im truly thankful for the surgery and i lost a lot along the way..but it wasnt easy..its not a quick fix..and you still have to deal with the reality of your choices.. Im just glad im getting back to making better choicesand im happy this low carb experiment is working so well..

PS- Still havent seen improvement in reductionof facial hair yet..

[msmum1977]

I had very tough insulin resisitance as a teenager, and hormone/PCOS issues as a 20-something, complete with facial hair. Sad to say, it doesn't ever 'reduce' and I've done a couple serious stints in low carb (years at a time, continuously tweaking, mostly recently restarting and sticking to it since the fall of 2014). Once that hair is there, it needs to be taken off via plucking, waxing or the such, or if looking for something permanent, laser or electrolsys. it doesn't reduce or go away. :( :( That has been my experience.

Sorry, don't mean to discourage you. You said you had the gastric surgery, and I'm sure you are on a ton of supplements, but I would point out that you especially want to be supplementing extra magnesium and Vitamin D. In larger amounts than you think you need. Magnesium helps you "go #2" which is problematic for many gastric patients, as well as a low carb issue. And it helps DRAMATICALLY with cravings for sugar and starch. Vitamin D, among many other benefits, gives me energy and improves mood which helps you stay positive and on track.

For myself, I am obese woman who has struggled with insulin resistance and hormone issues most of my life. My thyroid doesn't work either. I am gluten intolerant as well with several joint issues. Two other supplements I take are tumeric, to help reduce overall inflammation (and help with pain levels on my knees), and Vitex (chaste berry), which I find really helped align my female hormones, keep my cycles on track, and decrease PMS symptoms.

When it came to weight loss though - the single most factor that contributed thus far has been dumping dairy from my diet. Dairy can be insulinogenic, and this has been my experience. Once I cut it out of my diet I saw the scale start to move. There have been fits and spurts of course, but prior to that I couldn't seem to lose weight to 'save my life'.

If you do cut out dairy, because of the bypass be sure to eat other foods that are high in calcium and supplement as well. Chia seeds and unsweetened almond milk are two that I can think of off the top of my head which have high calcium counts but are dairy free.

Also, not to be a downer again, but some low carb followers really need to reign in artificial sweeteners as they cause cravings, and stall weight loss and many have a response akin to sugar when eating them. I quit soda myself about 7 years ago, moved to club soda. I do occasionally drink diet coke, but it is few and far between now.

I know it does seem strict, but these were the experiences that helped me.
Hope this info finds you well, and the very best of luck on your journey. We all know the struggle. :)

[JEY100]

Good information about gallbladder and LC in this article and its comments. http://www.dietdoctor.com/gallstones-and-low-carb

One of your goals was to conquer your sugar addicition and cravings for bread. My suggestion would be not to make any fake LC versions of them, dont waste your time with psyllium or any other type of bread. Wrap sandwiches in lettuce, stick with berries for dessert if you need it. Real Food. Have more meat and veg if hungry.

There are threads in the PCOS forum about hair growth, how long it takes for improvement: http://forum.lowcarber.org/forumdisplay.php?f=46

[porthardy]

Hey there,

I should have been more clear..i didnt have gastric bypass.. I had a Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy. They remove 80% of your actual stomach..not your intestines. There is also no re-routing the intestines and no mal-absorption issues..The stomach is simply cut..they remove excess stomach and sew together whats remaining. I dont actually take any supplements except a b12 complex and 1000 iui vid d and multi gummy. oh and i have a leg up on the big "C". I used to suffer from chronic constipation but since having my gallbladder removed..i no longer have bathroom issues

Crappy deal about the hair growth issue...

[porthardy]

Good Morning..Day 10 here..Officially down 10 pounds..i wonder if its all water or not??? Scale dropped again from 232.0 to 230.4 Guess im making up for a slow loss early in the game. Kinda freaks me out to see it jump that quick..Usually its people who are sick that lose weight quick..

Well dreaded TOM arrived 8 days late..hope its diet related more than anything..Have terrbile cramps that put me in bed all day.. Good news though- No cravings even during TOM. Bad news is- Everytime i get my monthly cycle, my heart beats irregularily-skips a beat and i have chest pain that comes and goes..but only during TOM. I also felt super faint yesterday..always feel like im going to pass out during TOM. Get very lightheaded.. So.. yesterday i went back to adding a cup of broth into my diet to try and see if its a sodium issue from the diet. I felt better..so im thinking it was low sodium..

Off to the vampires today-Err i mean the lab..to get bloodwork done..