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  #1   ^
Old Thu, Jan-23-20, 22:06
mikec35 mikec35 is offline
New Member
Posts: 13
 
Plan: Atkins
Stats: 328/266.8/230 Male 71
BF:
Progress: 62%
Default On again, off again, on again

Hello all. I just found this place. I have started low carb again, for probably the 7th, 8th, 9th time?? I am past the initial startup trouble I typically face when I first start and get near the end of the first or second day then I fail, thinking I will start again tomorrow and tomorrow isn't tomorrow. I've realized I am getting older and I can't continue on my current path. I have a good reason to lose the weight now. I need a total knee replacement. I have to lose 30 pounds so the Doctor will do the surgery. I've got a timeline planned out. My insurance year starts June 1 and a knee replacement will make me hit my out of pocket limit so I am going to put it off until the new year that way all other medical will be free for the remainder of the year. I figure the weight loss will make it easier on my joints in the meantime. Hoping to find some ideas and inspiration here. Thanks for any advice and direction.
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  #2   ^
Old Fri, Jan-24-20, 00:15
Grav Grav is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 1,469
 
Plan: Banting
Stats: 302/187/187 Male 175cm
BF:
Progress: 100%
Location: New Zealand
Default

Hi Mike, welcome to the forum.

It's good that you have a tangible, practical reason to want to lose the weight. Those are the best sorts of reasons, I'm told. You "know your why," as they say. For me five years ago, I was over 300 pounds, battling chronic inflammation and perhaps worst of all, chest pain. I imagine that knee trouble isn't much fun, either. As unpleasant as it is to experience at the time, pain can be a powerful motivator.

You mention that you've started low carb before a few times. How far along did you get each time? Was it just a few months, weeks, days before the wheels fell off? What sort of issues tended to get in the way of things in the past? How do you plan to deal with those same sorts of issues this time around?

I suppose I'm lucky in the sense that I "made it" on my first go, but I had 30+ years worth of obesity to get through first as well, so I had my fair share of suffering along the way.

If you're looking for inspiration, maybe start off with the success stories section of the forum and branch out from there. Mine's there somewhere as well. Been weight stable in the 180s now for 3 years so far, and counting.

Make yourself at home, and good luck with the journey!
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  #3   ^
Old Fri, Jan-24-20, 07:36
bkloots's Avatar
bkloots bkloots is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 10,147
 
Plan: LC--Atkins
Stats: 195/162/150 Female 62in
BF:
Progress: 73%
Location: Kansas City, MO
Default

Hello, Mike. You've found your way to one of the best resources in your weight management strategy. Bookmark it. Show up every day. Click on the threads of basic information (often at the top of various Forums), and join the conversation.

You've already heard from Grav, and there are many other men here. Men and women have somewhat different issues, so it's good to have a male perspective.

Somewhere there's information about starting your own Journal. I recommend it.

Best wishes.
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  #4   ^
Old Fri, Jan-24-20, 07:36
mikec35 mikec35 is offline
New Member
Posts: 13
 
Plan: Atkins
Stats: 328/266.8/230 Male 71
BF:
Progress: 62%
Default

Grav, thanks for the welcome.

I first did Atkins in 2005 and lost 50 pounds in about 6 months. I felt great, I was walking daily. I was really strict on my carb intake, I didn't veer far from 25 carbs a day for 6 months, although I took the weekly cheat meal to a cheat day once a week and the diet still worked! I fell off the wagon when my Mom went into a coma and I spent 3 months going to the hospital for (4) 15 minute visits each day. It was very difficult to stay the course on the diet when you were starving and eating hospital food and snacks, plus I really didn't have the time to continue on with my walks. She is doing well now, thank God, but she still has a host of digestive issues and takes a lot of meds.

Since 2005 I have tried and failed multiple times. I have had psoriatic arthritis since I was 20, now almost 53. The pain I feel throughout my body makes it really difficult to exercise. I have often thought (and know) that weight loss will help my joint pain and inflammation but its so hard when you are inactive. I travel for work and am given a generous food allowance which is both positive and negative- enough to eat healthy, enough to eat bad.

I'm committed to losing the weight now. I've made Dr appointments in a few weeks to see my knee doc, my rheumatologist and a new Primary doctor for a full physical. I'm motivated for the short term as to not be embarrassed by my weight at these doctor visits over the next 2 months plus long term to have my knee replaced. I'm tired of being inactive, in pain and overweight.
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  #5   ^
Old Fri, Jan-24-20, 10:17
thud123's Avatar
thud123 thud123 is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 7,422
 
Plan: P:E=>1 (Q3-22)
Stats: 168/100/82 Male 182cm
BF:
Progress: 79%
Default

Welcome. The good part about low carb medical treatment is that it's free. You just need to take the medicine every day.
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  #6   ^
Old Fri, Jan-24-20, 13:24
Grav Grav is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 1,469
 
Plan: Banting
Stats: 302/187/187 Male 175cm
BF:
Progress: 100%
Location: New Zealand
Default

Mike, I wouldn't worry about the exercise too much at this stage. Unless you're a serious professional athlete, active exercise generally only makes up a tiny proportion of Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE). I know that the vast majority of my own weight loss came from the low carb diet and not the walking to work, because I started my walking six months earlier, and it hardly made a difference on its own at all.

It's also worth knowing that there is evidence out there to suggest that a low carb diet can actually speed up one's metabolism. This study by David Ludwig's team demonstrates passive benefits of up to a couple of hundred extra calories burned per day, purely by virtue of reduced carbs in the diet.

So yeah, there's plenty of benefit to be gained from the diet alone. I'd let the exercise take care of itself. If you're anything like me, you'll start moving more once it starts to feel easier for you to be moving more.
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  #7   ^
Old Fri, Jan-24-20, 16:12
bkloots's Avatar
bkloots bkloots is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 10,147
 
Plan: LC--Atkins
Stats: 195/162/150 Female 62in
BF:
Progress: 73%
Location: Kansas City, MO
Default

Mike, this is kind of off-the-wall, and counts as questionable advice from a stranger. But...

I've just reconnected with one of Dr. Atkins's early books--1998--called The Vita-Nutrient Solution. Part of his shtick was using supplementation to boost the body's own healing properties nutritionally.

I don't know what psoriatic arthritis is, but I bet you've tried everything the doctor(s) have ordered so far. Couldn't hurt to look into what Dr. Atkins had to say. He was almost criminalized for advocating low-carbohydrate diets, and died before they became almost mainstream. Might be method in his nutritional "madness" as well.

Hoping the best for you.
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  #8   ^
Old Fri, Jan-24-20, 18:26
mikec35 mikec35 is offline
New Member
Posts: 13
 
Plan: Atkins
Stats: 328/266.8/230 Male 71
BF:
Progress: 62%
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by bkloots
Mike, this is kind of off-the-wall, and counts as questionable advice from a stranger. But...

I've just reconnected with one of Dr. Atkins's early books--1998--called The Vita-Nutrient Solution. Part of his shtick was using supplementation to boost the body's own healing properties nutritionally.

I don't know what psoriatic arthritis is, but I bet you've tried everything the doctor(s) have ordered so far. Couldn't hurt to look into what Dr. Atkins had to say. He was almost criminalized for advocating low-carbohydrate diets, and died before they became almost mainstream. Might be method in his nutritional "madness" as well.

Hoping the best for you.



I think I may have that book, I'll have to check. I've tried supplements, currently take a multi vitamin, Mega Red Krill oil and biotin.

Psoriatic arthritis is kinda like rheumatoid arthritis except it can affect the tendons and eyes in addition to bones and joints. It sometimes doesn't affect the same joints on both sides of the body like rheumatoid arthritis usually does. Psoriatic arthritis can also cause back pain and stiffness and silver looking scales or skin patches. Fortunately I take Humira and it keeps my skin at bay and helps my arthritis, probably 90% better than without taking it.

I really need to find the low carb / low inflammation foods.

Thank you
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  #9   ^
Old Fri, Jan-24-20, 18:33
mikec35 mikec35 is offline
New Member
Posts: 13
 
Plan: Atkins
Stats: 328/266.8/230 Male 71
BF:
Progress: 62%
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Grav
Mike, I wouldn't worry about the exercise too much at this stage. Unless you're a serious professional athlete, active exercise generally only makes up a tiny proportion of Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE). I know that the vast majority of my own weight loss came from the low carb diet and not the walking to work, because I started my walking six months earlier, and it hardly made a difference on its own at all.

It's also worth knowing that there is evidence out there to suggest that a low carb diet can actually speed up one's metabolism. This study by David Ludwig's team demonstrates passive benefits of up to a couple of hundred extra calories burned per day, purely by virtue of reduced carbs in the diet.

So yeah, there's plenty of benefit to be gained from the diet alone. I'd let the exercise take care of itself. If you're anything like me, you'll start moving more once it starts to feel easier for you to be moving more.


I have a recumbent exercise bike and a some weights. I can do 20-30 minutes on the exercise bike if I don't fully extend my knees. I can also use dumbbells. I just can't spend much time on my feet. Fortunately I don't have to spend a lot of time on my feet for work but not being able to spend all day in the garage is killing me.
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  #10   ^
Old Sat, Jan-25-20, 07:52
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 Mike!

There are a few success stories on DietDoctor: https://www.dietdoctor.com/?s=psoriatic+arthritis

Also a great three part link to CrownMD on Chronic Pain:
https://www.dietdoctor.com/is-a-ket...l-pain-reliever This is "sciencey" but a great explanation how a very low carb diet can improve joint pain before there is much weight loss. I noticed my knees better after three weeks...but it never made sense until this explanation.

Also right here there are two sections; on General health
https://forum.lowcarber.org/forumdisplay.php?f=10

and Fibro, etc. that have info: https://forum.lowcarber.org/forumdisplay.php?f=47
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  #11   ^
Old Sat, Jan-25-20, 12:39
WereBear's Avatar
WereBear WereBear is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 14,606
 
Plan: EpiPaleo/Primal/LowOx
Stats: 220/125/150 Female 67
BF:
Progress: 136%
Location: USA
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by mikec35
Fortunately I take Humira and it keeps my skin at bay and helps my arthritis, probably 90% better than without taking it.

I really need to find the low carb / low inflammation foods.


I had stress-induced psoriasis issues and when a fresh load of stress got dropped on the pickup bed last year, I fell off the low carb wagon and got a red and swollen joint and the feeling that my internal organs were liquifying.

Not fun at all.

The steroids had stopped working and drugs like Humira were my next step. But they work by suppressing the immune system. The longer you do that, the more you are rolling the dice about long-term health.

So almost exactly a year ago, I fasted for three days, went totally Carnivore for over three weeks, and then added in new foods ONE AT A TIME, staying under 20 carbs for almost all of that time.

A year later I've lost 40 pounds, put all my autoimmune into remission, almost healed the worst of the skin, and my affected joint is fine again. Zero prescription meds.

The experiment continues. For me, while carbs need to stay low, it's more like which carbs, not how many. I know when I screw up and how to fix it, and I'm sticking with it for all the other benefits, too.

Don't sell this method short. I found the Wahls Protocol a valuable approach, which I tweaked as I discovered a long list of foods that my body thinks are poison.

Now I think they are poison for me.
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  #12   ^
Old Tue, Mar-03-20, 12:05
calk1975 calk1975 is offline
New Member
Posts: 4
 
Plan: Atkins
Stats: 173/169.4/125 Female 64inches
BF:
Progress: 7%
Default

Hey Mike!

Checking in to see how you're doing.

Have you been able to get back to walking some? How has managing the carb intake going?

~Erin
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  #13   ^
Old Wed, Mar-04-20, 10:58
Bangle Bangle is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 358
 
Plan: Atkins, Dr. Westman
Stats: 267/167/145 Female 5'4"
BF:
Progress: 82%
Default

Hello Mike,

Knee and foot pain is what started me on my latest weight loss journey. I have lost 90 pounds (slowly over a few years) and I can tell you that the relief to your knees and feet is tremendous. I too need a knee replacement but keep putting it off

Due to knee pain I can't walk very far or use a treadmill easily, so I used a recumbent bike at rehab and am thinking about purchasing one for home - or the Teeter Freestep which is supposed to be better for knees. However, I lost weight without exercising. The exercising is more for your total health, not particularly weight loss.

I wish you the best. I think most of us started this diet a few times before something made us realize that we had to stay with it. You may be at that point now, and that is great. Just keep it simple....meat and veggies, eggs, cheese.

You got this!
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