Low carb-ing for a year to loose 100 lb. page

[KestrelSF]

I've been lurking here for a couple of weeks and thought I'd finally post.


I've been on a pretty strict low carb diet for over a year now. I started in December of 2008. The shocker for me was trying to fit into any dress pants for the company Christmas party. I guess I had just been stretching out the regular clothes I wore. I'd been big for a while, but I got even bigger after I had been hospitalized when my pancreas was damaged and ruptured after gall stone surgery. I guess I was making up for lost time after not eating for over a month! Between that, being at home for a while recovering AND a new convenience store opening up close by that stocked just your usual junk, I managed to almost get to 300 lb.. When I couldn't get into the pants for the party, I went shopping and discovered I could no longer even fit into a 44, which is about the largest size you'll find in a regular store. Having to buy size 50! pants at the XL store was really the moment that motivated me that I needed a serious change.



The diet I used was one I had used before when going to a weight loss center. Breakfast was a frozen berry and protein smoothie and a piece of sliced cheese on diet bread. I'd usually do a banana or apple for lunch and then a serving of meat with veggies and some more fruit for dinner. This worked fairly well until about 190 or so. I started cutting out some of the fruit and got down to 170. A few weeks ago, as I started exploring the whole primal thing, I cut out the cheese and slice of bread and added flax seed meal to my smoothie instead. They were actually the only non-primal things I was eating.





My diet now consists of a smoothie in the morning: 1 c strawberry, egg protein powder, green veggie powder, sea weed powder, flaxseed meal, multivitamin powder and Yerba Mate tea. Then for dinner, a salmon patty, tuna steak or turkey burger and steamed broccoli or asparagus.


At 160 now, and finally feeling like I've fully recovered from a pancreas going BOOM and 3 months in hospital, I'm starting to explore getting way more active. I've started taking walks but want to start doing other things like lifting heavy things or maybe Yoga (although yoga people can be sorta annoying here in San Francisco).





So as you can see, I've got a lot of work left to do.


My main concern now is transitioning to a higher calorie diet, maintaining weight, and putting on some muscle. I know I can't keep eating as low calorie as I am now. I'm betting that transitioning to a regular primal diet is my best bet to getting into a good maintenance routine.


So anyway, that's my progress so far. I hope to be able to feel confident enough soon to post a, gasp, shirtless pic!

[john_e_turner_ii]

Wow, that's quite a transformation. Congratulations on your weight loss. It's time to start lifting weights and filling out that new body with some solid muscle. Weight training will help you maintain your weight loss more easily for the long term.

[Zophie]

Wow You look awesome! Great job!

[Queen of the Jungle]

Wow!! I am very impressed!


As for transitioning to a higher calorie diet, just start by adding fat and maybe upping the protein (while keeping the carbs low). Theoretically, once you are at maintenance, the fat you eat should not make you gain. Some people have screwed up metabolisms, and find that they gain when they increase the fat, even if the carbs are low. And other people find that they can eat as much as they want of the fat and protein without weight gain, as long as they keep the carbs sufficiently low. You will have to do some fine tuning and tweaking, and it can take some patience while you get the whole maintenance thing going smoothly!


So, with a damaged pancreas, do you have to take insulin? Or has it all healed up, with full function?


I'll be waiting for that shirtless pic!

[thehallowprince]

I just started and so I hope I will soon be uploading a before and after picture myself!


CONGRATS!

[chocolatechip69]

Oh, bummer. I can't view the pics from work

100lb. WOW! That's amazing.


You are completely right about having to start upping your calories though. You can not afford starving your body any longer if you want this weight-loss to maintain and you overall health to continue to improve.


You will find a ton of great info on this site that will help you transition into primal style of eating and exercising, but feel free to ask nice people here if you need some quick answers.


Can I just make a comment about your morning protein shakes though? It seems like you are taking in way too much oxidized product with all of those shakes being that your drink them on a regular basis. Dry egg-white powder is an oxidized product and is not good for you in large quantities.

How about some eggs scrambled in butter? You get the real protein that no one tempered with in the process and you get a chance to up your fat intake.

[cyberaly]

Thank you for posting your journey! That is really inspiring...

[KestrelSF]

@ Zophie: I've been advised by a really good herbalist I see to get my thyroid checked with a blood test. As far as the pancreas, they keep testing me for diabetes because with as much damage as my pancreas took, I have at least a 50/50 chance of developing it. Yet another reason for eliminate sugars.

[KestrelSF]

@chocolatechip6: Well, I had been doing whey protein but recently switched to egg protein. I'm not sure one has a clear advantage over the other. For me, it is a pretty quick easy way to get a lot of bang for my buck in the mornings, with everything in the smoothie.


I'm still trying to wrap my head around the higher fat intake. Like a lot of people I've still got the fat=bad notion in my head!

[BarbeyGirl]

Awesome! Sounds like you're thinking down exactly the right track, regarding adding calories (fat and protein, not carbs) and doing some strength work to build muscle -- and keep that metabolism fueled. Nice!