Hi All,

I've been lurking here for a few weeks and reading like crazy! What a wonderful smart and supportive group!

I lost 75+ lbs in 2000-2001, started as low calorie and eventually I gave up the white stuff as a way to cut more calories. I forced myself to walk an hour a day (no matter what other exercise I might have had in the day). I maintained pretty well for a couple of years, but managed to trash my adrenals and thyroid. i remember being so tired that I would be crying as I put on my walking shoes. The doctor who helped me regain my health told me that low carb would help out with all my issues (I whined that I had gained back 15 lbs). He told me that every time I've seen him in the last 14 years. I would nod and say "yes, I know", but I didn't really know, since I had never really "done" low carb.

Fast forward to 2011...lots of appointments for lots of dental work so lots of pudding,sugary yogurt and soft food like noodles, rice and potatoes. Then multiple attacks of diverticulitis...more pudding, noodles, mashed potatoes. Diet stays junky and weight creeps up. Then in 2017 after two years of good health and weight being pretty good (still higher than I wanted to be), more attacks of diverticulitis, so many months of carbs and very little veg. Suddenly I was knocking on door of 180 with both of my kids getting married this fall. My early Feb physical had the doctor calling me with high cholesterol numbers (trigs were good). She said "eat low fat." I answered that I needed got get away from sugar and she said "no, I'm talking about fat here." I answered that "for me" it was sugar. I knew that all the times I'd done low fat, my numbers wouldn't budge, but when I got rid of sugar in 2001, my numbers were good. She said "we'll check again in 6 months" and her voice sounded like she fully expected nothing would change and I'd get a Rx for a statin.

I ate some of my favorites at the office Fat Tuesday food day and starting on 2/14 (!Valentine's Day!) I had no sugar, no bread, no pasta, no potatoes, no rice. I was so used to having a snack or two in the day that I bagged up 10 almonds and ate 3 or 4 at a time for a snack. I also jumped off the fear cliff and ate salads (I had not eaten fresh veg in 8+ months because of diverticulitis fear). Within a couple of weeks (after I got thru the low carb flu), I suddenly noticed that my joints no longer hurt. I went looking online to see if that wonderful development was because of the change in eating. I found this forum and the huge wealth of information here.

I found out that low carb eating is not just cutting calories by skipping the bread, sweets, rice and potatoes...rather, it is about how food is processed within the body!!! What an epiphany!

So nice not to starve myself, but rather prepare wonderful enjoyable food and eat to satiety (but not be stuffed, because the food is rich and it is easy to not overeat) and not be hungry again for hours!! AND lose weight! AND have energy! Yeah, butter, coconut oil and bacon fat!!! I was already eating those things, but thought I had to cut them out to loose weight; now I use more!

The only thing I've "given up" that I didn't give up in 2000-2001 is beans; I learned here that they are pretty carby. But I've gained so much more...in learning that consuming fat is key and starving is neither desired or necessary.

I was hopeful that this WOE would keep me from having any further bouts of diverticulitis (since inflammation seems to be such a big part of it), but today I've been feeling the symptoms of the beginning of another infection. Last time my gastro doc said, "next time you get this you should probably have the surgery." Normally a bout would cause me to drink apple juice, eat mac and cheese, noodle soup, pudding, crackers, mashed potatoes for weeks. I won't do that this time! I'm drinking broth and if it really develops, I will stick with full fat yogurt, broth, eggs, cheese, tuna, chicken for a time then add mashed cauliflower, and well-cooked veggie soups, etc. I won't let this dreadful disease derail my overall health! As far as I am concerned sugar and wheat are poison and I won't consume poison!

Thanks to all who share their stories, struggles and wisdom here. Know that you've made a difference for at least one person!

Donna