Hello Everyone,

I'm sure this post will be long but bear with me and my story and how I came to be sitting here posting on this forum for the first time.

I will turn 50 this year. I am 5'9" and weigh 256 lbs as of this morning which is actually a good thing because last Thursday I weighed 258.6. My highest weight ever was 278 lbs about 3 years ago. I am married to my husband of 28 years and we have 3 grown children, two of which still live at home and are both very overweight (ages 19 & 22). My husband has never had a weight issue until the last few years and he has fluctuated between 10-30 lbs extra over that time.

I have been overweight since about age 5 so roughly 45 years of gains and losses and more "diets" than I would even like to admit to. With a few of them I actually did lose weight but gained it all back shortly after hitting my goal and then I'd start all over again.

About six years ago I was diagnosed insulin resistant. A few months later I went on the Atkins plan and went the no-carb route. The weight started melting off and I felt really good. Three months into my new found way of eating I developed bleeding in one kidney. That brought on a very lengthy and painful round of all kinds of tests including a very invasive kidney biopsy. I think I had five specialists I was seeing at that point all of whom were trying to figure out why my kidney kept bleeding. Of course I told all of the doctors I was on a no-carb plan and of course they all gave me a hard time about how dangerous that is.

When all the tests came back negative and all those specialists were stumped to explain why my kidney kept bleeding, they all basically started pointing their finger at my no-carb eating. They blamed it on too much protein and told me that the fat in my diet was going to give me heart disease (which has been the biggest cause of death in my family members by the way).

Well, I believed them. They are specialists right? So I began eating carbs again and in a flash, I put all the weight back on and then some and after about a month my kidney stopped bleeding. All the doctors were like "see? we told you so!".

From that point on I was convinced carbs were good but two key things happened to me after that. One, my kidney bled twice more over the next two years for about 2 months both times and within two years of being diagnosed as insulin resistant I had full blown Type II diabetes. But hey, the docs said to eat carbs so I did and didn't think twice about it. I had numerous friends go low-carb over the years since my experience and I told every single one of them how bad it was for the kidneys and that eating like that would kill them just as suredly as a high fat diet would. Again, I was going off of what the experts had told me.

Fast forward to 2010. By June of last year I weighed 264 pounds and still didn't have my blood sugars under good control (A1c of 7.1). I was on a statin for cholesterol, two diabetes drugs, and two high blood pressure drugs and was miserable and my whole body hurt all the time. I felt like I was 100 years old and just getting through a day was a drag on my energy.

So I decided to change my eating habits and commit to eating clean, whole foods that were low fat, lean protein and high fiber. Sound familiar? That led me to join WeightWatchers for like the 6th time but this time I stuck with it and tracked my points and bought everything fat free and ate all kinds of "healthy" whole grain products. I was completely frustrated the entire time from June until January of this year. I would sometimes lose but then gain some back and at one point was stuck at the same weight for 3 months.

Through it all everyone on the WW site told me "it's okay, it's normal to plateau for long periods of time" or "you just need to exercise more" or "are you sure you're tracking all your points??". I know they meant well and wanted to be supportive but I just knew something was wrong. How could I work this hard at changing my lifestyle and still no payoff in terms of weight. I certainly felt better than I had when I started but where was the weight loss? Why were my blood sugar levels still up and down like a seesaw? Why do I still have high cholesterol, triglycerides and high blood pressure?

By January of this year I realized that after 6 months of change and effort I had lost a total of 5.4 pounds! The realization just crushed me. I convinced myself that I was destined to be fat forever because I can honestly say I didn't know what else to do. But having nothing left in my arsonal to try I decided I just had to exercise more and eat less so two weeks ago that's exactly what I did. I ate a few less points and upped my exercise and when weigh-in day came I was hoping for a 2lb loss. I jumped on the scale and to my horror, I had gained 4lbs over that week. That just broke me.

The very next day I came home from work and there on the table was the latest issue of Reader's Digest and right there on the front cover was the article labeled "Eat This, Lose Weight - The New Science of Dieting". I couldn't read it fast enough and the whole article was based on science journalist Gary Taubes. The whole jist of the article was low-carb eating.

Well nothing I had done in the last 5 years had worked so I started to reconsider low-carb eating which led me to Amazon.com which led me to purchase a new book by Dr. Jonny Bowden called "Low Carb Living". I got the book last week and nearly read the whole thing in one night. It was the most fascinating book on the subject I've read to date and best of all...it made complete sense to me. I suddenly understood why I can't get this weight off and that I'm really not different than everyone else, just uneducated on how carbs affect my whole body!

That was it for me. On Thursday last week I cut my carb intake way back and now it's Monday and already some amazing things have happened.
1. I couldn't resist and weighed myself this morning. Down 2.5 lbs in 4 days. That is nearly half of what I lost in total after 6 months on WW's.

2. I already feel more energized. I haven't wanted an afternoon nap since Thursday!

3. My blood sugars are evening out and staying within a much tighter range.

4. I feel like the fog is gone from inside my head. I feel more alert and overall more happy in general.

5. I am actually eating less than I was when counting points...and without hunger!

So here I am on this forum. I can already tell that I am not going to get the support and information I need on the WW's site. I'm not knocking WW's. It does work for some people but clearly I'm not one of them. I'm seriously thinking about dropping my membership because I suddenly find their whole message counterintuitive to what I now know I need to do.

What I need is information, like-minded people to share information with and learn from and I need support. And I think this is a good place to start after reading many posts on here. What I don't need are nay-sayers telling me how fat is going to kill me.

I am not, at least at this point following any particular plan. I am counting carbs and aiming to stay under 30 grams per day. I haven't had time to explore the available plans out there. All I know is I had to cut my carb intake immediately.

So here I go down this new path to health and wellness. I am scheduled to visit the doctor on Wednesday this week to get my latest A1c, cholesterol, etc,. numbers which is good because it will give me a recent benchmark to track my progress.

If you got to the end of this post, thank you for hearing my story. I know mine is not that much different than so many others but I think everyone has something unique to add to the discussion just by telling their story. We all learn from our own experiences and the experiences of others right? And a whole lot of good information is good too!

Best of all...I now know I'm not crazy and there really is a reason for all this frustration and bad health I've been going through!

Okay Patina,Let me start off by saying that your post was excellent and I'm very glad you took the time to give a detailed background..It helps everyone to know where your attitude and desires are..I am 44 and hypothyroid..I am a carb addict and managed to get to a max weight of 531 due to these two problems..I developed congestive heart failure,lymphedema,type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure from this amount of weight..I started atkins in Dec.2009 and by June 2010 was at 469lbs..However I moved to Oregon in July and ate whatever I wanted that month..When I weighed at the doctor's office on Aug 3rd I was 501lbs..30lbs gained in a single month by eating carbs..So I decided to get strict and dived into researching proper diet and nutrition..I found the Paleo/Carnivore WOE to be most scientifically sound and with the most results for its members..I have been eating this way since august and at 452lbs,with lowered blood sugars and with such a reduction in my blood pressure ,I am totally off the medication...Once I was taking ten medications,I now am down to two..2mg of glimeperide for sugar,and 300mcg of synthroid for hypothyroidism...Here are some links to websites with information you need to educate yourself and your family,plus to motivate and encourage you...Good Luck!!

Mark's Daily Apple

PaNu

Loren Cordain's Paleo website

Welcome Patina!
I DID read your whole post, wanted to cheer you on! Though our weight highs and lows are different, it's all relative...I share your inability to process carbohydrates, the foods I crave are the foods I am most sensitive to. I have been 210. I have spent most of my 5'7" frame hanging out at arund 175. I am 55. This past year made a vow to get healthier, researched like crazy the low carb phenomena and food manufacturng industry (a form of aversion therapy? haha) in the hopes of reinforcing my resolve. I went forward and back, I had many "choice" (not "cheat") days and you can see my stats after almost a year improved. The holidays brought too many "choice" days, and feeling I had for once since high school, some "wiggle room", I got away with a few weeks of unchecked carb indulgences. Now I have to tell you that my metabolism helped me "get away with" only a couple pounds weight gain which I accepted but I do not feel "on top of my game", am inching up, know I have gotten back on the sugar/carb train and don't want to be carried to THAT UGLY PLACE destination again! It's HARD to shift gears, I am in recovery from alcohol (17 years) and alcoholics have issues with sugar metabolizing BIG TIME! So, I have been back on this forum for my "medicine", low carb cookbooks back out, low carb desserts in fridge (only way I can wean off!) and I hope to switch back to the direction that leads to a healthier destination. I had no health issues with low/no carbing and my Dr. was pleased with my stats...I know I was lucky to "only" have high blood pressure and I was able to go off meds after a couple months into low carbing. My, my, that is certainly enough about me, I think most of our long posting is for US to see ourselves...it helps with the resolve...I wish you peaceful, patient courage and good health, feel free to stay in touch! Kind regards, Kimberleigh

Welcome and thanks for sharing your story. You sound like a good candidate for success.

I hadn't heard of this Johnny Bowden guy before, but his book looks like it might an interesting one for beginners, as it apparently breaks down and reviews many different lowcarb approaches. Could be useful for people trying to decide which route to take.

I can honestly say that in over a decade of hanging around online lowcarb sites, this is the first 'bleeding kidney' story I've heard. But that must have been terrifying, so congrats on taking another look at lowcarb. Did they ever come up with an alternate theory?

Patina (what a great screen name!), you are not crazy. I read your post and thought "yup...oh yeah...for sure". I am a lifetime member of WW and I look back on that time as being months of torture by craving.
Hang in there! This is an awesome place for daily support and information -- so much better than going to piggy parade every week.
It's nice that you've joined us!

I think you are off to an excellent start, and I fully believe you can do it!

Glad you are here!

Hi Thomas,

Thanks so much for responding to my post. Even though I've done low carb before I feel like a total newbie at it because it's been a long time and I've let the doctors play with my head a lot over this whole subject.

It is really frightening to me to begin to see how badly damaging what we put in our bodies can be if what we put in is the wrong stuff. Apparently you and I are both testimonials to that fact!

I too have been a carb addict, in fact that's what my mother raised us on. Carbs and hamburger. I don't think I ever ate a salad until my mid-teens because it was never offered to us as kids. But we had plenty of pancakes, french toast, sugar cereals, PB & J sandwiches, ding dongs, oreos and much more to feast on. Obviously I was doomed to end up like I am now.

But I whole heartedly believe that given the right incentives and the right information even die-hard carb cravers like ourselves can overcome the addiction and get our sense of well being back.

Your understanding and experience is much appreciated!!

Thanks for the response. I think you're exactly right that long posts are for ourselves. I know just getting it all out of my head certainly helps me sort through what is in my head! lol

But I also think this is such a personal journey for everyone that commits to making life changes and when we do what feels like near impossible feats, we want to tell everyone!

Your support is appreciated and much needed at this point. Thank you!

What I found useful in the Bowden book is his explanations of what is happening when we ingest sugar/carbs. It's scientific yet he explains it in a way that anyone can understand using simple analogies at times to explain complex events going on within us.

As for my kidney...I never got an answer that made sense. My urologist at the time even presented my case to a board she was on which dealt with unusual and challenging cases to get their input. Stumped all of them! What caused the bleeding was a burst capillary (possibly more than one) but what stumped them was why did it burst and why did it keep bleeding. It's been 3+ years since the last time it started up so I'm obviously hoping what ever caused it no longer happening and making the changes I've made and are now making can only help ...at least that's the way I look at it.

Thanks Syrah! Yeah I'm still on the fence over what to do about the whole WW's thing. I know it's not the plan for me "as is" but I do see value in tracking points and I certainly have met some really wonderful, supportive people along the way. I have met many people for whom the plan has been a lifesaver to them and they can't say enough good things about it and I think that's wonderful that they found their answer. It just isn't the answer for me.

Thanks MandaSue. Your faith in my resolve is appreciated but...more importantly "I" know I can do this because not doing it is not a good picture of my future!

Welcome Patina. Your certanily are in the right place to get wonderful information and support. Thank you for your story.
I am very fortunate that my regular doctor is a beliver in lc. At my last check up my weight came up and he said, "just lower your carbs and get more exercise, it realy is the carbs that cause you to gain." Of course its a little more complex than that but its great to know he believes what I do.
You hang in there and stay on track and I am sure you will have great success. I will be keeping tabs on you because I want to know of your progress.

Tammie

...yeah, it was Taubes that got me here too. I heard his book is being published soon, in an easier read version. The first had high jargon and data.

I haven't read any of the other responses, so hopefully I don't repeat. Did ANYONE ever find out what was going on with your kidney?
A word of caution on the cholesterol medication...my colleague's sister had liver failure that is now believed to be from the doctors not monitoring her well enough while on the med.
My Hubby was diagnosed with diabetes 2+ yrs ago and he retains his doctors beliefs to this day. That everyone HAS to have carbs and that he really needs to watch his cholesterol. Ugh!
I recall being nervous to start low carb, because I really am helpless around sweets. I could eat 4 slices of toast with eggs and want more. So, when I bit the bullet and was on day 5 or 7, I just wanted to cry because the hold of my cravings over me was gone. So gone.
So, I understand....and good luck to you.

It was published last month:

http://www.amazon.com/Why-We-Get-Fa...96007845&sr=8-1

I found it repetitive in spots but I think I understand why he did it that way.

Back in about October I quit taking the statin drug I was on. Not because I had good cholesterol numbers but because it was causing me all sorts of muscle soreness. I had days I could barely walk first thing in the morning. I refuse at this point to use any cholesterol medication.

I see my doctor today so it will be interesting to see her reaction when I tell her I've gone back to low carb. I suspect she will not be happy about it and I will get the lecture (just like your husband's doc) about how I must eat enough carbs and cut the fat. <sigh> That's okay though, I'll just listen to her schtick and then go home and keep doing what I'm doing.

As for my kidney..I did post a followup on it above. I wrote:

"As for my kidney...I never got an answer that made sense. My urologist at the time even presented my case to a board she was on which dealt with unusual and challenging cases to get their input. Stumped all of them! What caused the bleeding was a burst capillary (possibly more than one) but what stumped them was why did it burst and why did it keep bleeding. It's been 3+ years since the last time it started up so I'm obviously hoping what ever caused it no longer happening and making the changes I've made and are now making can only help ...at least that's the way I look at it."