It’s been a while since I’ve shared some e-mails from my readers and there’s been some really good ones as of late. So let’s just hop right into them and let you see what’s on the minds of your fellow “Livin’ La Vida Low-Carb” blog readers. ENJOY!
Hi Jimmy,
First I want to thank you for the low-carb podcasts. I absolutely love them. I’m expecting a new one today. Can’t wait!
I’m in the computer business and have no medical background. I’m just very interested in food & health. In the store the other day I read in one of the two big health magazines here in Sweden that a recent study shows that eating more than 7 eggs a week is not good for you. I think you actually mentioned this study in a podcast of yours.
I know that there is no way this can be true and I’m very dissapointed in this magazine’s food “expert” writing this. People trust what they read in these magazines. It’s so sad. So I figured that this has to stop somehow. But how?
What if these experts and the general non-medical population (like you and me) could read other experts’ comments of these studies in a central location, some kind of database or website. Then this
magazine could refer to that database when it refers to a study. People would then be able to read experts’ comments on the study and decide for themselves if there’s any truth behind it. Perhaps the magazine wouldn’t even write about this study if its food experts could read comments from Dr. Eades that says that because of this and this and this, this study really doesn’t show anything.
You have quite many contacts I’ve understood by your blog and podcasts. Do you know if such a database of studies exist where people can write their comments? If not, do you think it would be possible to create something like that? For it to be successful these experts like Eades, Taubes, James Carlson, etc. must be willing to do some commenting.
I recently asked some of the low-carb doctors in Sweden (I believe you know Annika Dahlqvist), but they thought it would be too much work, they already have lots to do to convince people about low-carb. So I thought that it’s probably a better idea if this was an international project. Much more people can comment on the studies they read.
Are you aware of a project of this kind? What do you think about it? Thanks again for the awesome podcasts. I listen to one every day.
What a fabulous idea! But like Dr. Dahlqvist and the other low-carb experts in Sweden said, it would be a HUGE undertaking. I’m not saying it wouldn’t be worth the time and effort to do it, I’m just saying it would be very laborious and would require someone to stay on top of it constantly to assimilate the information about the studies and then to get the “experts” to weigh in. I try to do that from time to time at my blog when new research presents itself, but having a database web site for just this purpose is something much bigger than I could ever imagine doing. It’s a great concept, but would require the need for some major sponsorship dollars to make it worth the time of anyone who decides to do it. THANK YOU again for the suggestion!
Hi Jimmy,
I found your blog when I was looking for motivation to lose weight. I am a 55-year-old woman who has struggled with morbid obesity since my teens. Each year I gained weight and every time I dieted I would lose weight and gain it back plus more. I have a 26 year old son, I’ve never been married and when I was 32 my life was transformed by Jesus. So…I’ve been a Christian almost 24 years, I have a job I love, a healthy growing church, great friends, and I wish I could say that my faith has enabled me to be more disciplined and lose weight.
On April 18, 2008, I started the Atkins diet and because of your web site and others like it I was very motivated. I’ve lost approximately 30 pounds, and I know eating low-carb is for life. My son is also gaining weight and is now over 400 pounds. The best thing I can do for him is to be an example–that has really helped me to stay motivated.
I’ve certainly not been 100% low-carb since April, but I have avoided sugar and flour and all the high carb foods that have been my downfall. I listened to your interview with Dr. Atkins’ former nurse and that was extremely helpful. Thank you for your commitment to the low carb lifestyle–you are a blessing.
Awwww, what a blessing your e-mail was to me! Hold tight to your faith in Jesus and let Him give you the strength to keep going when times get tough. YOU CAN DO THIS and I pray that you will experience all the benefits that livin’ la vida low-carb has to offer you for many years to come.
I am really interested in trying a low carb, lifelong diet after reading your blog and others. I hear people say low-ccarb makes you irritable and tired all the time but others say they feel great and have much more energy. Do you find most people’s energy level increase and mood improves in time on a low carb diet? I am on my feet all day and have wife and 3 kids, so I need energy. I find though eating too much carbs does not make me feel good and of course has caused me to gain weight. Thanks for your blog.
GRRRR…what did you say?! I’m so irritable from this low-carb diet right now I can’t even think straight. Hee hee! Sorry, couldn’t resist! Actually, I blogged about whether the Atkins diet is an invigorator or deflator a couple of years back, so check out what I wrote in that post as well as this post from the early days of my blog about depression and tingling from being on low-carb. But I’ve never understood this claim that livin’ la vida low-carb makes people moody or grouchy–that’s what low-FAT living did to me and I’m sure nobody wanted to be around me when I was livin’ la vida low-fat for that very reason! If anything, getting rid of the sugar/carb cravings energized me like I’ve never seen before which will gave me a much more happy and positive outlook about life. And the research shows that consuming fat improves your mental health, so keep eating your high-fat, low-carb diet–and DON’T WORRY, BE HAPPY with livin’ la vida low-carb, baby!
Jimmy, I’ve tried Atkins several times, but failed miserably. I’m a truck driver, and I’m 376 pounds at 6 feet tall–WAY too fat! I’ve actually introduced resistance training and I’ve managed to feel so much better just from the “weight training.” But even though I’ve lost a pant size, I’ve gained 10 pounds. So, I’ve gotta do the diet. I simply have to or I’m gonna wind up checking out sooner than I I’d like to!
How can I control my hunger if the only unlimited food I’m allowed is meat? Whatever it is, it has to be coldcuts–my company won’t let me put anything more than a cooler in my truck. It’ll store meat and cheese, but not indefinitely. Also, I’ve tried the little plug in portable stove thingies and they suck (it took 90 minutes to brown a hot dog!).
So, I’m a member of the unhealthiest occupation in America, I have a completely staggered schedule, with irregular sleep patterns and work patterns, and I have extremely limited storage choices for food. Also, the lack of activity lends itself to “boredom eating.” You’ve been at this a while so, any ideas?
What a story! THANKS for sharing your concerns about being a truck driver who is livin’ la vida low-carb. And there are certainly some other “travel” foods you can consider taking with you on the road that may or may not require any refrigeration or cooking. Things like pork rinds, pepperoni slices, string cheese, almonds or macadamia nuts, sunflower seeds, Atkins bars, and sugar-free low-carb chocolates just to name a few. You can get even more snack ideas by checking out the wide selection of low-carb products available from my friends at CarbSmart.com. It’s certainly best to eat real foods as much as possible, but these can certainly get you out of a pinch and prevent you from eating something you shouldn’t when you’re on the road. Happy trails, buddy, and keep at it! You’ll do GREAT!!!
I wrote you a couple of weeks ago wondering about your personal trainer and what kind of diet he is recommending for you with regards to adding more carbs. After having my own blood sugar being “high end” normal, I’ve decided to go back to doing the Body-For-Life program but changing the nutrition aspect to a low-carb one as I had done previously. I began yesterday.
I checked your blog and your low blood sugar issues have me so very interested because I have just purchased 2 books by Dr. Bernstein, one on controlling sugar and the other a low carb diet book for diabetics as an attempt to learn more about my own high blood sugar levels.
I wanted to thank you for posting your struggles with blood sugar. Low carb, fitness and being a healthy weight are all great but sometimes it’s the stuff that goes on on the inside that needs correcting also and when your doing all the “right” things and it doesn’t go the “right” way, trying to figure out what went wrong can be frustrating. I hope you are able to find out what is going on and hope you are not worrying too much about it. Also your slight weight gain could be a result of more muscle?
THANKS for your concern about my situation. While it is still a mystery with my bewildering blood sugar issues this year along with a slight weight gain despite doing everything right, I am not at all discouraged. I’m healthier than I’ve ever been despite these issues and we are taking a pro-active approach to dealing with these things. Most people tend to throw in the towel when they don’t see results the way they think they should. This is so shortsighted because the benefits of livin’ la vida low-carb are so much more than mere weight loss in a set period of time. Yes, some of my nearly 30-pound weight gain is indeed muscle and we’re working on figuring out what the rest of it is. Best wishes to you as you continue your journey to better health!
Hi Jimmy,
Imagine that, I found you via another low-carb web site and what do you know–you are from Spartanburg and I am a few miles over in Travelers Rest, SC. You are such an inspiration to me. I have decided to give myself a year to lose a substantial amount of the 130 pounds I have to lose before considering gastric bypass. I am 3 months into it with 20 pounds lost so far. I’m trying to stay strong during this pesky plateau. Thanks for blogging your experiences.
What a small world! I’m always happy to hear from people here in the Upstate of South Carolina where I live and it’s funny how so many of you “find” me in the most precarious ways. I’ve been to Traveler’s Rest only one time–to be an extra in George Clooney’s “Leatherheads” movie last year. What an experience that was! I hope to put together a low-carb meet-up in Greenville, SC sometime soon for all my “Livin’ La Vida Low-Carb” readers in my own backyard to gather together in one place. Keep checking my blog for information about that coming up before the year is over. THANK YOU for being here!
Jimmy,
I’m really frustrated with your blog!!
Every time I read one of your blog entries you provide excellent, informative links that lead to more excellent informative links and the next thing I know, I’ve been reading your blog forever. LOL! Not a bad thing, except that I don’t get any work done.
Today, for example, I’m not sure which article it is, but I ended up at your Sugar is Rat Poison entry. If you still have a copy of that study and don’t mind sharing it, I would love to see it–perhaps I can utilize the technique for my diet and smoking habit.
Thanks sooooo much for ALL you do! Blog, podcasts, menus, and now the low carb doctor finder–Incredible!
THANK YOU for your kind words about the work I am doing here at “Livin’ La Vida Low-Carb.” I try to pack a lot of information into everything I do so it will benefit people who may have missed some content when I originally wrote it. With nearly 2500 blog posts over the past three plus years, it’s a lot to take in. But I appreciate that you find it useful in your own pursuit of a healthy lifestyle change. As for that study by Elizabeth Loftus, feel free to CLICK HERE and write to her directly for a copy of the paper. I know she’d be delighted to provide it to you. THANKS again for your enthusiasm for low-carb living!
I caught a post in your blog when I Googled this morning, concerning some minor weight gain after you started weight lifting. I actually used to bodybuild back in the 90s (noncompetitive) up until 2001. I can tell you that my own NON-low carb experience while utilizing creatine was VERY similar to yours!
In 1998, I was 205 pounds at 4% body fat! I’d decided I’d cut up enough and wanted to really pack on muscle. So, I did a couple of things that, in retrospect, I regret: 1) I andro-stacked. That’s using (then available legally) Androstene, DHEA, and Tribulus Terrestris to increase testosterone levels. 2) I used creatine.
I went from a blood pressure of 114/74 (low) to 141/95 in a month! My doctor (who blew her top when I told her what I was doing) advised me to stop all of them, especially creatine. Available literature (at the time) stated that creatine worked by storing sugar (in water) in the muscles in the form of glycogen (perhaps glucose–I’m getting old, memory’s going). This causes the muscles to swell, thereby increasing lean body measurements and weight.
However, endocrinologically speaking, I’ve never been the same since. I shot up from 205 pounds with 4% body fat to 227 pounds with 6% in that same month and dieting went from being difficult to
nerve-wracking. What really caused this to happen is unknown, but I used the creatine a lot longer than any of that other stuff.
I don’t know if any of that helps, but your weight gain stuff, and weird endocrinology seems to be pretty common in the bodybuilding community wherein they’ve cut out carbs in the last phase of competition training for decades. I’ve met lots of bodybuilders with similar concerns as yours.
How very interesting! It does seem odd to me that I’ve been virtually “stuck” at the weight I am at give or take a few pounds for seven months and counting now. What is it about creatine that would hang on for this long? You’d think that stuff would be flushed out of my system by now, but apparently it is still making some sort of an impact on me–possibly even bringing on this insulin/blood sugar problem I’m currently dealing with. It’s a real mystery to all of the low-carb expert friends I’ve talked to about it, but I appreciate the perspective you shared.
Just finished watching your YouTube video “10 Tips For Getting Started On Low-Carb Living.” Thanks so much for sharing your experiences with us. I am going to purchase Dr. Atkins’ New Diet Revolution book and read it from cover to cover as you suggested. The tips you provided in your video are just what I needed to encourage me to take the journey to low carb dieting and learn how to properly fuel my body. My husband is diabetic, and both of us along with two out of my three sons need to lose weight. I see a light at the end of the tunnel with your guidance, you have inspired me to try livin’ the low-carb life. We will keep you posted.
Oh, that’s just so incredibly awesome!!! When Christine and I decided to start making YouTube videos about healthy low-carb living, this was exactly why we did it–to share positive experiences and tips on integrating this way of eating into a normal person’s life demonstrating how to do it in a fun and engaging way. I’m so thrilled to hear you are educating yourself further about livin’ la vida low-carb and it will reap dividends for you and your family for many years to come. KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK and let me know how I can help!
I have been watching your YouTube videos and have a question about Atkins. How much weight did you lose each week on Atkins? I have been on Induction for 4 weeks now and have been doing all the right things, drinking water, consuming 20g carbs a day but have only lost 17 pounds. I feel that this is very slow from what I have heard. I am 264 pounds and 6 feet tall, so I should be losing more weight than this, right?
You’ve ONLY lost 17 pounds?! ONLY?!?!?! Are you serious? There would be people who would KILL to lose that much weight on ANY diet, so don’t sweat it. Especially since you are merely 264 pounds, 17 pounds is a VERY big percentage in just your first month of low-carbing.
When I started at 410 pounds, I lost 30 pounds in my first month, but I had a lot to lose. You’re doing FABULOUS losing at a clip of over 4 pounds a week in the early going. Let me tell you…it WILL slow down some more, but don’t let that get you discouraged. Remember, you are doing this for your HEALTH first and foremost and the weight loss is merely a side effect of that healthy living.
Don’t be too hard on yourself and ENJOY this ride. This is a lifelong journey to the most incredible person you can possibly be. Yes, we all want to be there yesterday, but this is a process that takes time and requires realistic expectations. Don’t rush it and then you’ll reap the long-term benefits of livin’ la vida low-carb! KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK!!!
Jimmy,
I watched your YouTube video on gluconeogenesis and I have a question. How do you recommend lowering your protein intake? Do you replace some of the meat you eat with vegetables or just add more fat? I’m doing a general low-carb plan with around 20-40g net carbs a day. I do well for the first couple of weeks and then I don’t lose much after that. I’m wondering if I’m eating too much protein? I don’t really know in what ways to lower my protein to play around with this.
Let me caution you about limiting your protein intake to an unreasonable level. But you are exactly right…many people don’t know about gluconeogenesis and how consuming protein provides glucose (sugar/carbs) for the body to use as energy through the liver. If you are concerned about eating too much protein, then replacing it with fat is the logical first choice. You can add fat to a meal using butter, coconut oil, avocado oil, olive oil, nuts–anything with a high fat content. Of course, getting higher-fat cuts of meat (I try to find at least 75/25 ground beef when I can and try to avoid lean meats like chicken until I drench it in fat) helps. Eating green leafy and non-starchy veggies will increase your carb intake, but not so prohibitively that you should avoid it. Don’t give up on your plan when the scale stops moving, though. Everyone has an individualized response to the low-carb lifestyle and it may take some time for your body to adjust to being a fat-burning machine from a carb-burning one. Stay focused and do those things that have worked for others. Your body will soon catch up!
i am convinced that low carb is the way to go, but i crave bread and sweets, it’s why Atkins always fails me. Now that you have the bars and other great stuff is out there i need to try again. i have less than a year to shed 85 pounds. I just want to be under 200 pounds. is that too much to ask for before i die? why do people like us have to struggle while others eat what they want, when they want. please help me, i am a parent of a disabled child, my second husband just left me. i spend so much time trying to please others, i have no idea how to take care of myself, my body or how to stay motivated. if you are a real person and know how it is to want to lose weight or die, then please respond. i truly do not believe i can lose more than 40 pounds or keep the weight off.
THANK YOU so much for writing and I appreciate your honesty about how you feel right now. You’ve been through more tragic experiences that many people go through in a lifetime and I’m so proud of you for staying strong and being willing to triumph over the challenges that life has brought you.
Low-carb is indeed the way to go for vibrant health and weight loss, but it does come with a very short, temporary period of time when your body must adjust from being a carb-burning fuel source to a fat-burning one. This can have you craving bread and sweets for a few days or at worst a couple of weeks.
But then something amazing happens–those cravings and bad symptoms suddenly clear, you feel energized and better than ever, and it’s then when you realize that this isn’t just some diet plan that’s gonna help you lose weight so you can get back to eating the way you used to. Nope, this is a permanent and healthy lifestyle change that will transform your life completely where you’ll never want to have bread, sweets, or anything else. It sound crazy, but it’s so true and I hope you will join me on this journey to experience it yourself.
If you need to lose 85 pounds in one year, then make that your goal and start doing it today. Has a doctor told you to lose weight or you will die? I’m so sorry you are going through all of this right now and it is frustrating to see others seemingly getting away with whatever they want without any consequence. But you can’t compare yourself to others because they are who they are and you are who you are. Nothing can change that.
Your pain seems to be what is driving you to eat the high-carb foods right now. Women like yourself who give, give, and give until there’s nothing left deserve to be taken care of, too. That’s why I was so pleased to meet a woman by the name of Karly Pitman from First Ourselves who did a fabulous podcast interview with me earlier this year about people like YOU she wants to help.
Her web site is FirstOurselves.com and I have copied her in on this e-mail to help you as you go through this right now. She can help you, so I’ll make sure she e-mails you soon. Karly is one truly remarkable woman who overcame some big obstacles in her life to become the radiant person she is today–she’ll do the same for you, too!
Hopefully by now you realize I am a real person who cares about the people who read my blog. I believe in you and KNOW without a shadow of a doubt that if you commit to doing this the right way, learning what you need to know, applying that knowledge to your life and then DOING IT, then you can’t hep but be the success you deserve to be. NEVER GIVE UP!!! YOU CAN DO THIS!!!
I encourage you to watch my YouTube videos, listen to my podcasts, read my blogs, and get your hands on anything about livin’ la vida low-carb that you can so you have the tools you need to do this the right way. Go to LivinLaVidaLowCarb.com for links to all of these resources. You are not alone. There are a lot of people cheering you on to great success.
Dear Jimmy,
OMG! I can’t believe what I am hearing and seeing about Kimmer. What is going on? I realize this is now a year later, but I am just now reading about it. I have been a follower of Kimmer’s for years. now ever since the Low-Carb Friends boards. I am also a member of her Kimkins site. Is this true? Is she the obese person in those pics. What?! I am speechless. We were all fouled big time.
Yep, it’s all true! Heidi Diaz (Kimmer) has bamboozled a lot of people (myself included!), but now she is paying for it in the form of a class action lawsuit that will lower the boom on her head for all the pain she has inflicted on people. Remember the Woman’s World magazine cover story? They’ve now denounced it and this scam was exposed on national television when it was the feature story on FOX-TV’s “The Morning Show with Mike and Juliet” last Fall. Wanna hear how bad she scammed people in her own words? Check out this podcast I put together from my interview with her in June 2007 where she flat-out lied about her weight and so much more. This will truly open the eyes of anyone who is still caught up in Kimmer’s spell. Oh, and remember the cover girl on that Woman’s World magazine article? Her name is Christin Sherburne and she came out strongly against Kimkins and Heidi Diaz shortly before the obese pics of her surfaced. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but reality is reality. I cannot fathom why anyone would still be giving this woman the time of day. If you need a community to join to support you in your low-carb lifestyle, then you are cordially invited to join my FREE forum at “Livin’ La Vida Low-Carb Discussion.”
Just lookin’ around on the Internet for info on Atkins. I just started last week and wanted to find info on what to expect to lose. I came across your profile and wanted to say congratulations on your 180 pounds lost…WOW! I just hope to lose at least 50, preferably 60 pounds.
But, what really prompted me to write this little note was your favorite music. I know all of those artists and LOVE them, too! Third Day is actually my all time favorite and I was blessed to see them in concert at a music festival I went to in Illinois several years ago. You can see they truly have a heart for Jesus!
Just wanted to say, God bless you and your wife. If you have a chance to slip me in your prayers for my weight loss journey, I’d appreciate it. I feel like I have a long row to hoe ahead of me (and when it comes to weight loss, I am extremely impatient). My love of carb-filled foods…mostly chips, pasta and potatoes, but thankfully not so much the refined sugar, is going to make this tough!
Well God bless you! I used to work in the Christian music industry way back in the 1990s as a radio disc jockey and music buyer for a chain of retail stores in Virginia which is how I got so interested in the various artists. I was saddened to hear about the tragedy that happened to Steven Curtis Chapman and his family recently. We will definitely be praying for you in this low-carb journey you are taking and encourage you to keep your head up and NEVER GIVE UP!
Hi, Jimmy,
I’m new to the iPod world and am thoroughly enjoying your podcasts—I’ve been a believer in the low-carb lifestyle since Dr. Atkins’ book first came out back in the 70’s. I just FEEL so much better without sugar or white carbs. Once in a while I forget, and then need to get back on the bandwagon.
Anyway, I’m reading the book Loving Frank by Nancy Horan, and thought you’d be interested in the following tidbit about Frank Lloyd Wright’s mother.
“Mamah was making bread and pies when Frank’s mother appeared in the kitchen. She landed a long cold stare on Mamah when she saw her rolling out crust. Anna didn’t believe in sugar except as it could be used in some home remedy, cough syrup, perhaps. She had expressed more than once the notion that ‘people’ harmed others’ health by baking pies and cakes.”
–Page 219 bottom, 2008 Ballantine Books Trade Paperback Edition
Now that’s too cool! If livin’ la vida low-carb was good enough for Frank Lloyd Wright’s Mamah, then it should be alright for the rest of us, huh? She was WAY ahead of her time on that advice no doubt. THANK YOU for sharing!
Hi Jimmy,
I found your web site and blog last night. I am proud of your success. May I ask, why did you choose Atkins over South Beach or Sugar Busters? I am currently at 320 and looking to start the low-carb lifestyle.
What a fabulous question and I get this a lot. When I set out to find a way of eating that would work for me, it had to include lots of foods that I do enjoy if I was gonna sacrifice eating sugar, bread, cakes, cookies, and pies. So Atkins allowed me to consume full-fat versions of meats, cheeses, and nuts along with delicious full-fat versions of dressings like Ranch and mayonnaise. All of these were taboo on all the other low-fat diets I’d been on, so this was a no-brainer. Plus, I was given a copy of Dr. Atkins’ New Diet Revolution by my in-laws, so access to information about the Atkins diet was more readily available to me than those other plans. In the end, I think I made a pretty good choice. 
I ordered 4 12-packs of ChocoPerfection bars at the end of 2007, and have slowly eaten them over the past 7 months or so. I can only eat a few pieces per day or I get gas. But the taste is phenomenal. HOWEVER…there is something about these bars that makes me lose weight. AND A LOT OF IT. And it’s not just because they’re low in carbs. There is something that lowers my appetite and changes my cravings.
Just to be clear–this is a GOOD thing! I know it’s not the cocoa or erythritol because I had consumed them for almost a year before with no effect on my (always high) appetite. Oligofructose seems to be the key. I Googled “oligofructose weight loss” and found a Belgian study on rats and then on humans that said that appetite lowered through some complex changes in intestinal peptides. I lost a lot of weight (~30 lbs over a couple of months), wondering what the hell was going on. When I eased up on the chocolate, my weight stabilized and slowly crept up.
I read elsewhere online that oligofructose increases bifidobacterium levels in the gut, and high levels of bifidobacterium are related to lower bodyfat. I do think there is a connection that the science will vindicate soon. In the meantime, I just ordered more ChocoPerfection. Not a fan of raspberry myself, Jimmy–otherwise, I would’ve tried yours as well.
THANKS for sharing your anecdotal feedback about the ChocoPerfection bars. Ever since I first tried these low-carb chocolate bars for myself in January 2006, I’ve been hooked, too. That’s one of the reasons I had them create the “Livin’ La Vida Low-Carb” Dark Chocolate Raspberry Bar for me this year and it’s even more healthy for you giving you all the goodness from ChocoPerfection bars with some coconut oil, too. I’ve also blogged about how oligofructose, aka chickory root, also has been shown to cut down on infections as well. The medicinal properties of this low-carb sweetening agent are indeed only just now being discovered and I appreciate you sharing!
Jimmy,
Starting about 10-15 years ago, I noticed that I got hungry quickly after eating refined carbs or sugary foods. This developed into getting shaky/anxious after eating these foods. I eventually made the connection with my eating and my symptoms. After I got to about 100 pounds overweight, I went to my doctor and she said I should see and endocrinologist. When I went to the endocrinologist, he suggested that “you should eat a few less carbs.” I asked him if a low-carb diet would be appropriate and he indicated that was an option, but that I would probably find it too restrictive. That week I started the Atkins diet and within no time I dropped 50+ pounds. The next 15 pounds came off painfully slow with significant calorie restriction. The lowest I ever got was 215 lbs which was still about 30+ pounds overweight.
Initially when I began low-carb I found that symptoms improved substantially but I later found that they were not gone for good even if I avoided high-carb foods. I found that artificial sweeteners caused the same issues as well and decided to start avoiding those. I thought I would have the problem licked and then found that a breakfast of lean protein and some low-carb veggies caused the same symptoms. I decided to ramp up the amount of fat in my diet and to not overconsume protein and nearly completely avoid veggies except in the evening when I eat very small portions of low-carb veggies. Things have improved a bit, but I still frequently get the “low blood sugar” symptoms I have had in the past, shakiness, anxiousness, cold sweats.
Despite all the times that I experience these symptoms, their frequency is inconsistent. Sometimes I can go 5-8 hours without eating, other times I develop symptoms within minutes of eating. To mitigate the symptoms, I have learned to eat my meals very slowly with most of them lasting at least a half hour. This seems to help some. I also keep high protein/high fat snacks handy whenever I get hungry.
Sorry if I have gone on and on, but this is really driving me insane now and I am looking for anyone to help me understand what’s going on. I recently began pursuing this with my new doctor and her initial advice was eat 6-7 times a day and eat “a little bit of everything” such as granola bars etc. I will humor her in terms of eating with greater frequency (as my appetite demands) but I will not eat grain/sugar based foods.
Any thoughts or advice? I used to think this was just plain old reactive hypoglycemia, but since the symptoms don’t seem to diminish with the absence of carbohydrates, I suspect there is something more going on. Thanks for being there for all of us and for being our champion. I think my favorite posts of the recent past are the ones where you have focused on the cholesterol issue and “Doc” who called you a “dead man walking” along with Dr. Westman’s reply which has gone unanswered.
I would like it if you found it appropriate to share this with your readers as a way to reach out to others who may be suffering as I am. Sometimes it feels really lonely and depressing dealing with this, but I try to offset that with learning more about when/why/how this is happening and what I can do about it.
Sounds like you and I have a lot in common right now with our low-carb lifestyle. As you requested, I’m putting this out there for everyone to read and respond to. Thoughts on this reader’s situation everyone?
I got a boatload more e-mails to share with you, but this post has gotten to be very long already. I’ll save them for another day, but please keep sending me your feedback anytime at livinlowcarbman@charter.net. It’s always GREAT to hear from my readers, answer your questions to the best of my ability, and provide you encouragement as you keep on livin’ la vida low-carb. THANK YOU for reading “Livin’ La Vida Low-Carb!”
