Very Long Introduction


(I Am The Egg Man ku-ku-kachoo) #1

I am mid 50s, male, morbidly obese and T2D. It doesn’t look like I have a lot of peers here, but a few who have successfully improved from my state.

Maybe, like me, they’ve been reading mostly?

Around the beginning of June 2018, I weighed 495 lbs and am/was about 6’2. I say “am/was” because my height would drop as each day progressed… Tall in the morning, shorter by night. I was still pretty mobile, but feeling the load more every day.

Type 2 diabetic but somewhat controlled by oral meds. Same is true of my blood pressure.

I read up on keto and started after about 3-4 days of educating myself.
I set my net carbs limit at 35g/day but tapered down to 20g/day where i am now.
I allowed up to 175g/day protein but tapered to 90-120g/day where i am now.
The rest of my calories came from fats like coconut/olive oil for cooking, avocados, homemade mayo, some butter, etc. My calories per day started at 3200 and have tapered down since then.

I stay under on carbs, hit my proteins, and eat fats to satiety, so my calories per day might be as high as 2600 or as low as 1600.

I don’t use sweeteners much and don’t use fat bombs. Nothing against them… I just like food better. :grinning:

I eat when I’m hungry to start the day, so I may eat at 7am or I might eat first at 2pm. After that, I avoid snacking and eat meals abt 4-6 hours apart. I might eat OMAD or 3 meals depending on hunger and activity level.

Scale victories: Down 60+ lbs and LOTS of inches.

NSV: Energy. Stamina. No cravings. Control
of my eating. Clothes are baggy. I fit in restaurant booths again. Sleeping better. Lowered a1c from 7.7 to 5.9. Rest heart rate dropped from low 70s to low 60s. Occasionally lowered blood pressure. Mental clarity. Flexibilty. This list goes on…

Side note: I have found eating at restaurants to be easy peasy. Most have great options, from fast food to fine dining.

I love this WOE/WOL and truly appreciate all of you for sharing your learnings and support to others like me. It DOES make a difference… Even if some of us sit quietly and lurk.


#2

Congrats on both the scale and non scale victories! And welcome :smile:


(Chelsea Barnett) #3

Way to go! Losing 60 lbs is a big deal. And the non scale victories are amazing too. :slight_smile: keep up the good work. I started keto about a month and a half ago and I am in love. I love how much better I feel physically and mentally.


(Nathan Toben) #4

Wow. Just wow. Your patience + discipline is at a level I hope to achieve. And the tone in your writing sounds even and clear. Thank you for sharing and welcome.


(I Am The Egg Man ku-ku-kachoo) #5

Thanks for the welcome!

For me, this started with someone suggesting I watch The Magic Pill. Since then, it’s been easy to try. I don’t know WHAT the absolute truth is, but I am SURE some form of keto is part of the solution.

It’s like a machine with dials though… I just need to figure out the right combination


#6

Way to go! Your scale victories and non scale victories are truly inspiring.

I read your post 3 times, because I was so impressed. Keep up that magnificent work.


(Jane) #7

Welcome!

I look forward to hearing about your NSV’s and your continued weight loss also. You are off to an amazing start!


#8

Don, thanks for sharing your progress. That’s amazing!

Also, thanks for sharing your NSV’s. Those are important too. It’ easy to get stuck on watching the scale and nothing else. I think I would gladly gain the weight back if I knew my health was still good. Fortunately, with keto, weight loss is part of the package. :smile:


(I Am The Egg Man ku-ku-kachoo) #9

Darren, I really try to focus on NSVs. The reality is that I don’t hate the number on the scale…

I hate that I can’t climb a steep hill, that I avoid flimsy lawn furniture, that I sweat too much, that my feet have started to feel tingly, that when I wash my feet in the shower my butt sticks to the shower curtain, etc etc etc.

I may be down 60+ pounds in 10 weeks, but ALL of those things I just listed are still problems… They’re better, but they persist.

I will grind forward not to hit a target weight, but to improve as many of these things as I can affect.


#10

That’s a great attitude you have, Don.

I remember when I started taking showers unimpeded. I feel like I’m dancing around the bathroom! :wink:


(Debi) #11

WOW amazing!! You go!!! I am so impressed!!!

As someone who has tendencies to over doing foods ( I gave up sugar 6 yrs ago, and this is day 4 of keto ( but am a vegan - yeah I know hard, but it is a thing) and me giving up carbs. Best piece of advice I can give you is never allow the lies your brain will tell you from time to time about…

"youve got this, it has been X amount of time, you could have a slice of cake ( or whatever your weakness is) "

those thoughts, I gave up sugar ( all sugar, no sweeteners, I did still eat fruit) 6 years ago and those thoughts still blindside me from time to time. Never a craving, just a lie. Once you slay a demon, never give it an inch of room to get back in :slight_smile:


(I Am The Egg Man ku-ku-kachoo) #12

Thanks Debi!
One of the best parts of this WOL, which sets it apart from the diets I’ve tried, is the way my cravings and my “mindless snacking” have diminished.
I eat when I need fuel now.
Occasionally, I have a sweet tooth so i indulge in a piece of dark chocolate, but that’s been infrequent… 2 or 3x at most.

Thankfully I am a slave to savory, not sweet.


(Randy) #13

Other than the fact that I was lucky enough to only be pre-diabetic when I started keto, we were essentially in the same boat.

March 2017: 52 yrs old, 440 lbs, HbA1c 6.0. Blood pressure 130/80 to 140/85 on average.

August 2018: 53 yrs old, 302 lbs, HbA1c 5.5 (in Feb. More bloodwork in Sept), Blood pressure 110/70 to 130/80. on avg.

Congrats on your progress, and stay the course!!!

KCKO!


(I Am The Egg Man ku-ku-kachoo) #14

Fantastic Randy!

Yours is a story I’d love to hear more abt. You have been here, pushed through, and persevered. I need a storyline like that to keep me forging ahead when the inevitable slowdowns (or “gasp”) stalls occur.

I know from past experience that I am fortunate in that weight CAN come off easily. I also know that will change in time.


(Valerie J Smith) #15

Well done. Thank you for sharing. You are inspiring. I hope you continue as well as you have. I look forward to hearing from you again.


(I Am The Egg Man ku-ku-kachoo) #16

Thanks Val. I will try to stay connected here. I have a long journey ahead, so there’s the POTENTIAL for a helluva comeback story. :grinning:


(cheryl) #17

Off to an amazing start , take lots of pictures and measure sometimes so you can see your progress in several different ways. Keep up the great work.


(Dee) #18

Congratulations and Welcome. Scale victories are nice but for me it’s the NSV that mean the most.


(8 year Ketogenic Veteran) #19

TL;DR
I am 54 years old and 4 years ago I was morbidly obese and type 2 diabetic. The only thing we don’t have in common is I am not male.

There are many many like you in here including the two men who started this forum, Carl Franklin and Richard Morris. @carl @richard

Both in their 50s both lost 80 to 100 lb, both reversed their type 2 diabetes. Have you listened to their podcast the 2 keto dudes?

Start with episode 1.
It Chronicles Carl’s journey into ketosis and reversing his type 2 diabetes.
My story is episode #21.


(Maria) #20

Nice to meet you Don, I’m in my 50’s. You are doing awesome!:smiley: