Hi,
Never had out of control weight problems until mid 40's. I found myself in a weight gain free for all. I successfully lost weight on the South Beach Diet, 35 pounds. I also found I had a serious intolerance to Sucralose and Sugar Alcohols. I think if I would have stuck to the basics instead of searching for those food unicorns it would have been a WOL. Instead I spent significant time searching for low carb chips and low carb chocolate treats and trying to concoct my own. Eating some of those things was my downfall. That intolerance to sugar alcohols got worse to the point where I felt like I had a 10 lb bowling ball filled with firecrackers lodged in my abdomen. I switched to lots of activity and just "watching what I ate." You know how that goes, so at 177-178 pounds, groaning knees, and a feeling of lumbering vs walking, I had enough of watching. My daughter is a dietician and suggested I get an Instapot and cook at home. I bought one with a few low carb cookbooks with meal plans, nutrition information, and calorie guidelines. I have stuck to my low carb meal plans in the 1200-1400 calorie range and in 8 days lost 5 pounds. I so far have stuck to the 30-40 gram of carbs per day and I feel it. I have a chemical taste in my mouth, very dry mouth, and thirsty all the time. I did not originally intend for Ketosis to happen but it seems to have kicked in as my plan is pretty low carb. I think accountability and support are important so that is why I'm here.