Active Low-Carber Forums - View Single Post - A Decade on Low Carb…How I finally reached goal

Another update! On August 6th, 13 years on Low Carb, 3 years eating higher protein, more high fiber, nutrient dense vegetables, low-fat dairy. I haven’t tracked closely, but am likely still eating 40%P,40%F and 20% net carbs. Maintaining a 22 BMI has been easy with this version of lower carb.

Julia’s Journey to Wellness: A Three-Year Success Story

https://optimisingnutrition.com/jul...three-years-on/

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What’s Your Why?
At age 72, my “why” is to reduce my risk of chronic diseases (see BMI for Health & Longevity and How to Achieve It). Marty’s programs and information make that easier.

My deep dive into health and nutrition started in 2006 after treatment for breast cancer. Today, I’m motivated to remain healthy to minimise my risk of recurrence.

What Surprised You?
At my heaviest, I was 225 lbs. After a few years of being near vegetarian, I read Taubes’ Good Calories, Bad Calories and then The New Atkins for a New You and switched to a very low-carb diet in 2010. Back then, I was super active on the low-carb forums, learning everything I could and helping others on their journey.

Slashing my carbs helped me lose weight, but I stalled out at 188 lbs. But with Data-Driven Fasting — which uses your glucose to guide when you eat — and the Macros Masterclass — which showed me the importance of prioritising protein to boost satiety — I was able to reach my goal of 150 lbs in 12 months.

The most surprising long-term result for me has been that my weight has easily stayed around the 150-155 range, a 22 BMI, a weight not seen since the 1980s. When you focus on nourishing your body, it’s not a constant struggle to maintain a healthy weight like previous low-calorie or very low-carb diets were.

In the Macros Masterclass and Micros Masterclass, we create a personalised list of 30 foods and meals optimised for satiety and nutrient density. I found I was not getting enough calcium — which is a critical satiety factor — and a range of other vitamins and minerals.

I now eat a dairy-based snack/meal and a large salad or stir fry with higher protein and optimal micronutrients daily to ensure I give my body what it needs. Every day I strive to nourish my body to proactively manage my appetite and hunger.

Prioritising Protein
The Optimising Nutrition classes include advice to start the day with healthy protein and micronutrients appropriate to your diet. This has been immensely helpful in both my weight loss and maintenance phases.

I continue to eat a lower-carb diet but made permanent habit changes to include more nutritious foods. I no longer fear that nutritious foods that contain happen to contain some carbs will make me fat. This has enabled me to dial back the dietary fat and achieve a more balanced diet at the micronutrient level.

The Optimising Nutrition resources make it simple to find high satiety per calorie foods with graphic food lists or one of their 1400+ NutriBooster recipes.

I now enjoy feasting around holidays without guilt. I know how to get back on track easily.

Hunger Training
“Training your hunger” was the most powerful aspect of the DDF program for me.

I found, for me, the ideal ‘eating’ window is around eight hours, eating two nutrient-dense meals and a snack.

Using my glucose meter as a fuel gauge is still useful occasionally, but after three years, I know when I am truly hungry. In the past, arbitrary advice to do extended fasts, fast for longer or only eat once a day would have left me short of protein and other nutrients critical for bone health and satiety, not to mention overeating due to the extreme hunger it would lead to later.

I think this is why many women in my position stall out with very low-carb, keto or extended fasting — they’re just not getting enough protein to maintain their lean mass. The body increases your appetite for protein, but when they eat, they eat more than they need because they’re not prioritising adequate protein (see Menopausal Weight Gain: The Problem and Solution Explained).

Foods Lists
In the past few months, Optimising Nutrition has simplified its lists of satiating foods using attractive graphics ranking the best higher satiety, nutrient-dense food choices.

Menopausal Weight Loss: Quickstart Guide

https://optimisingnutrition.com/men...ickstart-guide/

There are a few other new Short Guides that are very useful.

Did Diet X Fail You?

Welcome to Optimizing mNutrition, where you will find a home with thousands of others who have been failed by numerous diets and are now thriving! We’ve been on a data-driven quest to understand why so many dietary approaches work, until they don’t, whether that be fasting, keto, low carb, carnivore, plant-based, or calorie counting.

https://optimisingnutrition.com/did...you/#more-41901

Insulin Resistance, Pre-Diabetes and Diabetes Management: Quickstart Guide

We Understand! My quest to optimise nutrition began after Moni and I got married, and we started thinking about having kids.~ We knew we needed to get her Type-1 Diabetes under control somehow to avoid the extensive list of complications accompanying diabetic pregnancies. ~ But despite decades of visits to endocrinologists, nutritionists, and diabetes educators, none of the numerous experts could give her clear answers about what to eat or how to optimise her blood glucose levels.~
Read moreInsulin Resistance, Pre-Diabetes and Diabetes Management: Quickstart Guide

https://optimisingnutrition.com/ins...ickstart-guide/

Key to now understanding Insulin Resistance:

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For people with insulin resistance or Type-2 Diabetes, reducing carbs to stabilise blood glucose is only the first step. This allows them to get off the blood glucose rollercoaster to stabilise their sugars and thus reduce their insulin doses and compensatory cravings. However, it’s merely symptom management unless they address the root cause—excess energy intake that’s pushed someone over their Personal Fat Threshold.