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  #1   ^
Old Mon, May-28-18, 20:57
BeachDonna BeachDonna is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 418
 
Plan: no specific plan
Stats: 177/141/147 Female 65 inches
BF:
Progress: 120%
Default BeachDonna is healthier!

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
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  #2   ^
Old Mon, May-28-18, 21:16
Meme#1's Avatar
Meme#1 Meme#1 is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 12,456
 
Plan: Atkins DANDR
Stats: 210/194/160 Female 5'4"
BF:
Progress: 32%
Location: Texas
Default

Hi Donna and welcome!
I have the same condition as you and thought you might find this article interesting.
http://forum.lowcarber.org/showthread.php?t=480371
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  #3   ^
Old Tue, May-29-18, 03:28
JEY100's Avatar
JEY100 JEY100 is online now
Posts: 13,370
 
Plan: P:E/DDF
Stats: 225/150/169 Female 5' 9"
BF:45%/28%/25%
Progress: 134%
Location: NC
Default

Welcome Donna
Thank you for that helpful introduction and kind words about this forum.

Hey Meme, did you mean to link this recent thread?
http://forum.lowcarber.org/showthread.php?t=479342

DietDoctor has quite a few stories on general digestive issues, and these two specifically on diverticulitis. Bone broth is a key to healing in one.
https://www.dietdoctor.com/?s=Diverticulitis+

All the best,
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  #4   ^
Old Tue, May-29-18, 03:53
SilverEm SilverEm is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 1,081
 
Plan: LC RPAH/FailSafe
Stats: 137/136/136 Female 67"
BF:
Progress: 100%
Location: Maintenance since 2001
Default

Hi, Donna. Welcome! It's nice to have you here.
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  #5   ^
Old Mon, Jul-02-18, 21:18
BeachDonna BeachDonna is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 418
 
Plan: no specific plan
Stats: 177/141/147 Female 65 inches
BF:
Progress: 120%
Default

Update:
Returned late yesterday from 4 weeks of vacation (I retired on 5/31 and headed to the beach on 6/2). I lost 5 lbs on vacation; I likely would have lost a bit more had I not snacked on shelled sunflower seeds so often (mistakenly thought they were lowish carb, but not the way I consumed them!).

I now have a BMI in the normal range!!!!

I also discovered two wonderful recipes from this forum Deep Dish Quiche Pizza and Mock Danish. Both are wonderful and DH even loves both.

I checked in and read new posts on the forum everyday and, again, I must thank all who contribute here. Your advice, knowledge, struggles, and successes are so very helpful and appreciated.

Have fun!
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  #6   ^
Old Mon, Jul-02-18, 21:32
Meme#1's Avatar
Meme#1 Meme#1 is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 12,456
 
Plan: Atkins DANDR
Stats: 210/194/160 Female 5'4"
BF:
Progress: 32%
Location: Texas
Default

When I was in high school, my friend and I would go on sunflower seed diets and drive our mothers crazy filling the ashtrays with shells...
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  #7   ^
Old Tue, Jul-17-18, 09:13
BeachDonna BeachDonna is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 418
 
Plan: no specific plan
Stats: 177/141/147 Female 65 inches
BF:
Progress: 120%
Default

Update: As of this morning, I'm down 30 lbs at 147, which is the goal I put in my profile. I am going to keep up with the same WOE and see where that takes me. I can see at least 5 lbs that I'd like to be rid of, so this will either be maintenance or I'll keep losing; either way I'm not changing what has been working so well.

In my weight log (kept in Notes on my phone), I wrote of these changes after the first 100 days (in late May):
1. Joints stopped hurting within the first two weeks!
2. Rings fit.
3. The two pairs of pants that I could wear (with a rubber band at the button for extra room) have become really loose.
4. Shirts look better.
5. I don't need snacks.
6. No more "hangry" attacks (this has always been a biggie!).

As of today, 153 days of low carb eating here are more reasons to be happy:
1. Shopping for dresses for upcoming weddings (my daughter and my son are both getting married this fall) has been FUN!
2. I've donated the two pairs of pants I could wear, because they were way too big. In fact I donated a LOT of stuff because it was too big.
3. It is so nice to be able to go about life without worrying about when I get to eat again. I can get hungry (i.e. feel empty tummy) and not get that sick I've-gotta-eat-now feeling. And even when I do eat after quite a number of hours (either late breakfast or late lunch, etc.) I don't gobble down too much food, because I don't feel like I'm starving. Really quite amazing.

Have a great low carb day!
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  #8   ^
Old Wed, Jul-18-18, 03:41
JEY100's Avatar
JEY100 JEY100 is online now
Posts: 13,370
 
Plan: P:E/DDF
Stats: 225/150/169 Female 5' 9"
BF:45%/28%/25%
Progress: 134%
Location: NC
Default

What a terrific update! It would make a good success story here.
Wonderful that you noted all those non scale victories.
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  #9   ^
Old Wed, Feb-13-19, 10:57
BeachDonna BeachDonna is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 418
 
Plan: no specific plan
Stats: 177/141/147 Female 65 inches
BF:
Progress: 120%
Default

Update:
Tomorrow is the one year anniversary of the start of my low carb WOE. I haven’t weighed since Friday (2/8) because we moved 1200 miles (to da beach) and I threw out my scale since it was dying and the car was full. I’ll go with Friday’s weight, 141; that means I weight 36 lbs less than last Valentine’s Day.

I enjoy this WOE (what’s not to love about meat, cheese, cream, butter and green vegs?) I can treat myself with mug muffin, my recipe low carb ice cream, mock danish, or my recipe low carb cheesecake (all made with Swerve) I didn’t have any of these sweet treats until about 4 months in; by that point my cravings were gone and everything tasted sweet, so I can eat just a bit of a low carb treat and not go off the deep end.

I don’t eat sugar, grains, potatoes, and almost no beans or carrots. I cook with coconut oil and butter. I use heavy cream, sour cream and cream cheese. I eat eggs, meat, cheese and green veg. If I want a sweet I make something delightful. Keeping it good keeps it easy.

Thanks for this forum!
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  #10   ^
Old Wed, Feb-13-19, 12:21
JEY100's Avatar
JEY100 JEY100 is online now
Posts: 13,370
 
Plan: P:E/DDF
Stats: 225/150/169 Female 5' 9"
BF:45%/28%/25%
Progress: 134%
Location: NC
Default

What a wonderful Ketoversary post! Under goal weight, now living at the beach, and with a new beach beautiful body. I'm with you on the menu, when people say eating LC is too boring, or whatever, it does not compute.
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  #11   ^
Old Thu, Feb-14-19, 23:18
bevangel's Avatar
bevangel bevangel is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 2,312
 
Plan: modified adkins (sort of)
Stats: 265/176/167 Female 68.5 inches
BF:
Progress: 91%
Location: Austin, TX
Default

Congratulations on your weight loss and getting healthier!

Is your doctor still after you about your cholesterol numbers? LDL does sometimes rise while one is actively losing weight. You might want to google the Feldman protocol and cholesterol.

And, because there are other sufferers out there who wonder about how low carb will affect them... any more trouble with diverticulitis or is that all just a distant memory?
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  #12   ^
Old Fri, Feb-15-19, 10:17
BeachDonna BeachDonna is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 418
 
Plan: no specific plan
Stats: 177/141/147 Female 65 inches
BF:
Progress: 120%
Default

Cholesterol? Haven’t checked.
Diverticulitis? I believe staying away from grain has helped tremendously. The episode I was worried about in May never developed. I ate cornmeal breaded catfish in November (allowed myself this favorite food on a trip to Nashville) and was thinking a bout was coming on the next morning, but it never developed. That was the first grain I’d had since the spring and the last Ive had since. I believe grains are so inflammatory to me as to be poison. While I know diverticulitis could come back (I once went two years between bouts) I believe I’m healthier without the grains.

Thanks for asking!

Live well.
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