Sizzlin' September

(Liz ) #41

I understood from early on that I was a carb addict and really took to Atkins. I lost 60 pounds initially. But until I discovered Jason Fung I didn’t understand that Insulin was the driver of my issues so I really did stumble in the dark there for many years and experienced stalls and moderate regain and cravings and all that. Keto and IF/EF have been my saving grace. I don’t know too many people IRL who want to adopt my lifestyle though, so I’m glad to have this forum where everyone “gets” me :wink:

#42

Oh yes! I do get you, and this IS a great forum. I just stumbled upon Fung and etc after having researched keto, Dr Peter Attia, Stephen Finney and etc. and then finding this youtube video from the BBC about IF, and I was hooked. I’m a research junkie, for sure!

My husband who has no desire to Keto is even doing IF, about 16:8 I’d say. He’s lost about 20 lbs in the last 4 months! He really likes it now and is much more supportive of my efforts as well.

I know the IF/EF is what will really get me to a healthier place, and meanwhile I admit the carb addiction, but still hold onto the fond memories at this point. It is so difficult to be rid of, or at least for me.

Thanks for your enthusiasm and candor :slight_smile:

(Khara) #43

Liz, Try some different brewing methods! I was a coffee with cream and sugar addict for years. Then I went low carb and managed to successfully cut out the sugar. A few months back our coffee pot stopped working. It was only about a year since the previous one had stopped working. I was so ticked off about products “no longer lasting like they did when my grandparents lived” that I refused to buy another one. I went to the garage and dug out an old camping percolator. The coffee tasted fantastic! Much better flavor than with the coffee pot and I’m wondering if it’s due to the lack of plastic. Then, after talking this up so much, a family member gave me a French press (AeroPress). The coffee made with this tastes even better!! We still use the percolator when we want a big pot of coffee But I now mostly drink French press coffee and I actually enjoy it black. I’m able to have cream just during my non fasted hours. I know that the brand and type of coffee also makes a big difference but I haven’t gotten to where I’ve found the perfect one. We mostly drink the cheap store-brand stuff and occasionally try a fancy one.

(Liz ) #44

Thanks for the tips! I’ve actually been cold brewing my coffee because it’s a much mellower taste without the bitterness, but I honestly think it’s just me, I’m also one of those people that thinks cilantro tastes like soap/dirt so I’m guessing it might be related? But I will try a French press because, looks so cool LOL

(Khara) #45

Ya. I did the cold brew too for a while. I gravitated back away from it I think due to lack of patience and pre-planning and the little bit of flavor improvement wasnt quite enough to be worth it. I did not drink it black but did like it better than brewed with cream. Cilantro is interesting. I’m one of those people that finds brussel sprouts pungent and bitter. I hope you like the coffee if you try it! I’m actually quite proud I’m able to drink it black now!

(Liz ) #46

Ok if you’ve tried cold brew & can drink French press black I’m definitely gonna try it!

(Jim Russell) #47

I’m going to have to try that. I find fasting when I’m working pretty easy. It makes sense that is easier to fast when you are supposed to be asleep.

I’m lucky in that one of my coworkers is also a nutrition and health geek and so is my manager. We talk a lot about keto and fasting and stuff. We’ve just started to talk about how the night shift is affecting us. It’s not pretty.

#48

Hey, I made it! Whew, I’m still fasting and it’s been 36 hours.

It was definitely easier fro me when I wasn’t working this time. Funny (not really) how the stress can make such a difference in my ability to “stay the course”.

Relaxing at home, puttering around with lots of things to keep me busy AND happy made all the difference in my compliance with a fast. If all continues the same way today, I may be able to make it through until Sunday morning. But, I won’t allow it to become a big concern either, because that doesn’t work. After all, the idea is healing, not torture :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

#49

Just thought I’d post this reference, update. I’ve been fasted now since about 8:30-9PM on Tuesday night, so almost 48 hours. My BG right now is 81 and blood ketones are just squeaking into nutritional ketosis at 0.5.
Metabolic syndrome…hyperinsulinemia…ugh.

(Doug) #50

Indeed, Helewisa, but those numbers show that things are working and going in the right direction for you - you are burning fat and getting a handle on insulin and blood sugar levels. :slightly_smiling_face:

#51

Doug, thank you so much for this comment. I have such crazy struggles with the head games.

I have such an incredible carb addiction and at this time I am not willing to go without dairy or artificial sweeteners (mostly I use 100% Stevia which is natural, and erythritol) like some sucralose.

I read, and know that these things could be making it harder, but if I cannot make this WOE feel like something I can stick with, it will never work in the long run.

As I said somewhere here (forums) I tried Keto a couple of years ago but was not as educated about a lot of the more important points of maintaining ketosis, and I really didn’t suspect the prediabetes either.

Anyway, thanks again for the boost, I need it. Today I will break my fast at about 92 hours and then try again to really control the protein intake. I think that bit makes it even that much harder for me…I LOVE meat…and cheese. 60-65g of protein can add up pretty quickly.

I really want to invest in one of the Ketonix breath-ketone testers. In the long run it will be well worth it. My FBG right now is 79 and blood ketones are registering 2.6 on my NovaMax. Woo-hoo, deep into ketosis. This is encouraging too, reminding me to keep that protein lower, carbs under 20g and enjoy the fat :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

I’m guessing the scale hasn’t budged much, and my clothes don’t feel much different since Tuesday, but I don’t mind. It’s the slow and STEADY part I’d like to become comfortable with for now.

OK, enough rambling…thanks for the pep talk! And BTW, how often do you notice your blood ketones go below that “magical” 0.5?

(Doug) #52

Not much help on ketones, Helewisa. Have never tested myself. Despite decades of prediabetes and full-fledged Type 2 earlier this year, keto eating and fasting worked for me quickly - I did start losing weight and burning fat. I’m sure I was and still am insulin resistant to some degree, but I’ve felt decently good during fasts. Perhaps a long history of skipping breakfast and lunch helped me.

I wouldn’t mind a breath-tester, but get tired very quickly of the finger-pricking for blood tests. I’m just a wimp, there. My first couple fasts did not take my blood glucose under 100, then it started going lower, and I quit testing. Your 81 then 79 look quite good to me.

You are absolutely right that we have to find a program we can stick with. The “slow and steady” part is important, even just for amounts of time going by with our blood sugar in a healthy range. If we feel too deprived (regardless of any cold logic), then it will eventually be too much of a struggle.

There’s been a lot of talk about dairy around here, lately. While some people have to cut it out, if it’s not a problem for a given individual, then it’s a great source of healthy fat and complete protein.

#53

Oh how I hope that it isn’t a problem…I don’t even want to try eliminating dairy just now. I suppose time will tell.

The sticking fingers does grow old quickly! Thus the breath-tester, but it is fairly expensive, over $200 I believe. How long have you been Keto? I think it was earlier this year you began is that correct?

The fasting is definitely a big benefit and I believe the more powerful tool for combating insulin resistance. But without eating a ketogenic diet as well, I think it would really be an uphill battle. The health implications from NOT following this WOE and IF/EF are pretty compelling. I just need to remind myself from time to time of how far I have gone toward T2DM. heck, for all I know, I may have had a diagnosis of such if I had bothered to spend the cash on an HgA1C. I would still like to get a fasting insulin level test, after a good night’s sleep perhaps and when I can find an inexpensive lab, huh!

(Doug) #54

Exactly. For one thing, the tie between higher blood sugar and Alzheimer’s Disease/dementia is increasingly strong, and with the ‘Baby Boomers’ getting on in age, I’m betting on an epidemic, given most of our diets over the past 50 or 60 years…

My big change was on April 11, this year - got a call from my doctor’s office after my annual checkup, said I was now diabetic, had to get new medications, a tester and test strips, start testing twice a day, every other day. Ugh.

I didn’t know what “recovery” there could be, then, and thank goodness that keto and fasting makes such a difference. I pictured increasing medication, followed by insulin injection, gradual loss of blood sugar control, trying different insulin formulations, increased dosages, etc. - a bad road.

There are too many days where I just eat whatever, just like the “old days” even though I know it’s almost surely doing further harm and making me miss out on some healing time. Drinking with my co-workers and eating carbs at family functions is almost all of it. I do usually manage to keep it to one meal a day, and lean toward the better side, sometimes, i.e. choosing from the cheese and meat plates, the above-ground vegetables, while bypassing the potato chips.

I’ve rationalized it all thus far, thinking that I throw in enough fast days, and many totally strict keto days, like just meat and green vegetables, or pork rinds and cheese, or just a can of tuna or a couple of sardines. Head games, as you say, Helewisa.

#55

You said it, the Alzheimer’s dementia is a great fear for many of us as well, and the links are there. Ee-gads! I took care of my aunt-in-law for more than 5 years, she was totaly dependent and it was so sad to see her in that hollow shell, wondering what went on inside…if anything? God bless her, she was so quiet and easy going compared to many who suffer from this horrible disease.

April 11, wonderful day. Kind of like a new birthday really! I understand the desire to join in and eat what everyone else is eating and wonder how long I will hold out, or if I will be a Keto warrior who finds this WOE to be just right at some point. For now it is so new and so many changes are required it is a slow road with a lot of bumps along the way.

I agree that you are likely to still find significant healing (perhaps at a slower rate) even with some bad days, and as long as they are fewer and further between, along with plenty of good fasting periods included.

For now, I am afraid that cheating would derail me, and I need to be on firmer ground before I “allow” for such. Perhaps at my little sister’s wedding in March? Or my son’s wedding next August?!

Meanwhile, I caved in to eating at noon today. I decided to try making a good keto bread for later when what in the back of the fridge did I spy? Ah, but the little container of Keto chocolate ganache that I made last Tuesday! My rationalization was that this would be a great way to test my response to the combination of artificial(sucralose) and natural(stevia) sweeteners as well as dairy with a 2 hour postprandial BG test. Right?! Sure :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

I’ll update that around 2 PM for ha-has.

(Doug) #56

Yes, so sad… My dad’s parents both had Alzheimer’s in the end, long-lived people, my grandfather living to 97, my grandmother to 100. Grandpa was in a nursing home, and he was still a big, strong guy - there were times he’d take other people’s food…

#57

Hi guys and gals. Somehow I didn’t know you had a September thread going - I must have logged in at the wrong times in between helping the kids with school this week; it didn’t show up on the sidebar! Thanks for getting it going again @irishred. Great job everyone, keep it up!

I did a 68 hour fast the past couple days, trying to claw back down on my bg after doing a glucose/insulin tolerance test a week ago today. The highest number I saw during the test was 435, which caused my doctor to tell the lab to keep me there while they checked my electrolytes to makes sure I didn’t experience ketoacidosis in case I was type I instead of type 2 diabetic. I still haven’t gotten the results of the glucose and insulin pattern, but my doctor figures I must be type 2 since I didn’t have ketoacidosis at the high blood glucose level.

This fast me brought my bg down to 204 by the end. Broke the fast yesterday evening, and today my morning number is 290. Things are even more messed up than usual right now. The plan this week is to fast M-W-F, and have just morning coffee and one meal later in the day on Tuesday and Thursday. Weekend probably similar to Tuesday and Thursday, not sure yet. This Tuesday I have my first official doctor appointment with this doctor. Hopefully she’ll have some results to discuss with me from many tests she had me do, and I may have some interesting tales to tell as we try to figure out how to reverse my stubborn diabetes.

All the best everyone!

#58

So, at 11:56 BG was 70 and 2 hrs postprandial, having eaten about 2-3 T of keto chocolate ganache (stevia/sucralose, HWC and Baker’s chocolate) BG now at 75. This is awesome right? Oh please tell me I can eat all of these things I want to…perhaps it’s just that protein issue and being conscious of carbs? I hope so!

(Doug) #59

70 to 75 is awesome indeed. :slightly_smiling_face:

(Doug) #60

Good luck, Darcy. Fingers crossed for you, there. Let us know what conclusions are made from the glucose/insulin tolerance test.