I joined this forum in 2010 to read the research and media section after starting the
New Atkins for a New You version of low carb. Over the years I participated in many topic threads but never started a journal or wrote a success story. Now more than a decade later, there finally is a success story to share. I not only met my original goal of 160 pounds, but now weigh 150, a 22 BMI, a total weight loss of 75 pounds … and at 70 years old. Scale weight wasn’t my only goal, but as a cancer survivor, an ideal BMI while eating nutrient dense foods was.
On a very low carb/keto diet, my weight decreased from 225 to 169.The "after photo" on the right was taken in 2012, the top end of healthy BMI range, but never reached my original goal of 160. Briefly touched 165 … twice, then regained and lost again, yo-yoing many times for 10 years, usually between my "new goal" of 169 and 185. I had tried every version of low carb; eating 20 g total carb keto, fasting, carnivore, paleo, and more. If near "maintenance", I would add fat and keep carbs to 20g as advised, but then would regain. So I remained "stalled" half way to goal weight.
Over the past ten years, my blood sugar, though stable, increased due to adaptive glucose sparing. Minor "low thyroid" symptoms; thinning hair, brittle nails, fatigue, joint aches bothered me, but I was getting older. Then last year, restarting at 188 pounds, focusing on the nutrient density of food, increasing net carbs, protein, fiber and micronutrients, increasing satiety per calorie, and finding a fasting window based on my blood glucose levels, I surpassed all my health goals. Symptoms of "low thyroid" disappeared after losing excess weight by obtaining more vitamins and minerals from more fermented dairy, seafood, and vegetables and digestion improved, possibly from healthier gut flora. Blood glucose range is now back to normal and my metabolic flexibility increased. Eating lower fat proteins and more high fiber, high nutrient vegetables results in more satiety at a lower calorie intake. "The best-kept weight-loss secret is simple: If you want to lose fat, you need to control your appetite by finding a way to get more nutrients per calorie from the food you consume!” (Marty Kendall, article linked below). That is adequate protein without excess energy from fat and carbs.
Why do so few nutritionists actually write about nutrition? Before taking electrolytes, immune boosters or having complex thyroid tests, optimize the intake of foods that provide potassium, magnesium, selenium, iodine, niacin, vitamins A,C,D,K and 30 other nutrients. Reduce the fat in meals to focus more on protein and get enough essential nutrients that may benefit your health conditions, bone strength, reduce easy bruising and not worry over "carb creep" from an extra cup of vegetables, even carrots, tubers and fruit. It took a decade for me to find the solution to my "stall" on low carb; Dr Ted Naiman's
P:E Diet and Marty Kendall's
Optimising Nutrition. All 11 nutrients that benefit thyroid function, and the nutrients to improve other common disorders, are in MartyKendall's article "What is Nutrient Density?
https://optimisingnutrition.com/nut...101/#more-12093
My macro targets for active weight loss are 15-20% (around 50g) non-fiber net carbs of nutrient dense foods (vegetables, fruit, tubers) and about 40% lean protein (protein goal is 145 g based on my ideal weight including more seafood and dairy). That's still low carb in the "real world", but higher carb, higher fiber, higher protein and lower fat than most of the popular "keto" and low carb plans discussed on this forum. DietDoctor
https://www.dietdoctor.com/ has many new practical guides to these foods, links below. Foods still eliminated are sugar, grains, and refined fats, though now with better metabolic flexibility, having those on occasion does not derail me. "People following a low carb diet typically get less magnesium, potassium, folate, calcium, Vitamins A, C and K1, while they will be getting plenty of vitamin B12 and amino acids" as in analysis above. By analyzing my diet with Nutrient Optimiser, I was also low on Selenium and Zinc, two of the 11 nutrients important for thyroid health. Very low carb continues to work for some, but if older, with a history of obesity, and you haven’t reached an optimal goal weight, after increasing protein and lowering fat, also evaluate the nutrition in the food list you are using. [In the comments following this story are lists of some of the specific foods I eat]. After 10 years of yo-yoing with low carb, here’s how I finally found success:
Julia's one year of Data-Driven Fasting:
https://optimisingnutrition.com/jul...driven-fasting/
Julia's 18 months of Data-Driven Fasting:
https://optimisingnutrition.com/jul...driven-fasting/
April 2022 DDF, Julia maintaining without tracking or measuring.
https://optimisingnutrition.com/dat...l-2022-results/
Dr Ted Naiman's
The P:E Diet:
https://forum.lowcarber.org/showthread.php?t=483930
The P:E Diet in one calculator:
https://www.proteinpercent.com/
Dr. Ted Naiman's website:
https://tednaiman.com/
Marty Kendall's Blog:
https://optimisingnutrition.com/blog/
Marty Kendall's Optimising Nutrition Community, join free:
https://members.optimisingnutrition...YzLViZ3fNO8bMBJ
More here at Marty Kendall's Data Driven Fasting:
https://forum.lowcarber.org/showthread.php?t=484792
The DDF app is now free as well, joining a challenge for daily support has a modest fee for one month of daily lessons and Live Q&A.
Big, Fat Keto Lies book summary:
https://optimisingnutrition.com/big...s-introduction/
DietDoctor, the world's largest low carb resource, has updated its excellent low carb advice to add Higher Satiety.
https://www.dietdoctor.com/higher-s...ating-lifestyle
Top 10 Tasty ways to Eat more Protein and less Fat:
https://www.dietdoctor.com/high-protein/top-10-ways
With new High Protein guides from DietDoctor:
https://forum.lowcarber.org/showthread.php?t=484926
Thank you to LowCarbers, WereBear, for her profound quote used at the end of Marty's article, to Jean, cotonpal, for showing us the nutrient dense way and Key Tones for starting the high protein Ted Naiman thread.
November 2021, 150 pounds
A Decade on Low Carb…How I finally reached goal
