quote:

Originally posted by Chowser:
Went for my usual 3 month visit on Friday. Bad news. Everything's good except my A1C keeps climbing (I'm a type ii). Doc didn't care that I'm down to 204# from 215# three months ago and my pants are down from 38 to 34. He says I need to do more. So I'm going to cut carbs drastically for the next three months. I've cut out all pasta and will drastically limit my rice intake and see if it helps.

And yes, I need to work out more. This weekend I got winded chasing a car. Halfway through it I was like why am I chasing a car on foot??? I know where the guy lives!

If you like carbs but want to replace them, try spaghetti squash or "noodling" Zucchini and treating it like a starch. Mentally it works.

Cauliflower "Rice" as well. Just season it a lot and it is a fine substitute, even my kids eat it.

Yup. Had my first cauliflower rice this week as a "bed" for a shredded chicken dish with veggies and sauce. Worked great. My daughter tells me that riced brocolli is available as well, and it has more flavor than the cauliflower but serves the same role.

quote:

Originally posted by Chowser:
Went for my usual 3 month visit on Friday. Bad news. Everything's good except my A1C keeps climbing (I'm a type ii). Doc didn't care that I'm down to 204# from 215# three months ago and my pants are down from 38 to 34. He says I need to do more. So I'm going to cut carbs drastically for the next three months. I've cut out all pasta and will drastically limit my rice intake and see if it helps.

And yes, I need to work out more. This weekend I got winded chasing a car. Halfway through it I was like why am I chasing a car on foot??? I know where the guy lives!

I don't know how bad your a1c is but I now that there are hidden sugars in everyday life that make it difficult control.

Things like low fiber fruit is a notorious diabetic problem. We were raised to believe fruits are healthy, and they are compared to refined sugar, but they are still bad for you if you are diabetic. Any packaged food will have some form of sugar simply because they know people like the taste. Stuff like teriyaki sauce for example, it takes so much to make a flavor difference that what seemed like a harmless amount of sugar turned into something that your medications can't control.

I'm sure you already know about this, but I mention it because even though I knew that some things were not healthy, I figured they were "healthier" or just "trace amounts of unhealthy" which accumulates over time to be the straw that breaks the a1c's back.

I brought my a1c from a consistent high 10's to consistent low 5's by sticking with high fiber vegetables and fruit, broccoli and strawberries for example.

Thanks for the suggestions guys. It should help. My a1c wasn't too bad. It was low 6 last year, and this year I'm starting at 7.4.

I'm actually starting several smaller meals throughout the day instead of my usual 2 meals a day (work hours suck). I did the protein diet last time but it wasn't good for my gout. I've cut out all alcohol as well so that should help as well. My goal is to get back to 190# and an A1C closer to 6.0.

Chowser - you may find some of this info on improving insulin sesitivity helpful: https://www.marksdailyapple.co...insulin-sensitivity/

Down 65!

Woo Hoo... Got another 36 to go.

Nice! Keep it up!

Read with interest. Questions:

1) where does diet soda land in all this? Not ideal but better than soda? Stay away?

2) Leaving insulin and fat burning aside, I perceive that I (not being a morning person) think better and faster if I've had some protein (fried eggs) and coffee (usually black but maybe some drops of cream if the coffee isn't good) in the morning. Like I can think through branch predictions more comprehensively and quickly (exception handling and scenarios are important to me). If true, how do I balance fasting until noon vs the need for think?

konata88, Chowser:

I hit a plateau last month at 60lbs lost. Almost all of that was high fat/moderate protein/low-now sugar/carbs. Easy peasy. Never hungry. I still want to drop another 15 or so. I'm at 172 and would like to be at or right below 160. I'm 5'4 for reference (and used to weigh 234.6 ) I'm the lightest I've been since I was 19.

I started doing some intermittent fasting to break the plateau. Most days I'm off work I eat with my wife at around 6-9pm, and then don't eat until the next evening. So about 20 hours fasting/4 hour eating window.

During my work week I'm trying to do 48 hours of fasting. I find it very easy because of how busy we are.

The information available from studies indicates that this is better for cognitive function, and at around 18 hours your cells start to eliminate weaker/bad cells. I'd recommend researching it a bit and seeing what you think. Last week was my first work-week of doing it, and I could feel a difference in mental clarity. And my job is demanding, babysitting a shift in a patrol division that runs 2,400+ calls a month.

konata88, Diet soda is full of chemicals. I limit my intake, EXCEPT--I had become dependent on sugar-free Redbulls, working 3rd shift with a life outside of it. 16-24 ounces a day. I realized how bad it was last week and I've sworn them off for a bit, trying to rely on coffee. But I really don't like coffee, and I love Redbull. Additionally, black coffee during fasting is supposed to enhance the benefits.

Otherwise I may have a diet pepsi every few days, or something else with artificial sweetener (the ICE flavored sparkling waters for example--also full of chemicals). I get bored with water.

I try to keep my carbs below 20grams a day, and my sugar intake at zero or as close to it as I can. Today is a regular eating day, since I go in to work for the next three nights this evening and plan to fast until Tuesday evening at the earliest.

I woke up and had 5 pieces of bacon (not sugar cured), 4 eggs with cream cheese and shredded cheddar, and a pot of coffee with a little sweetener, cream, and a touch of powdered dark, dark chocolate and a dollop of coconut oil.



And Chowser, what are you doing dude!! Chasing cars? On foot? You're doing it wrong

Yeah I know, they gave me a car, not running shoes.

I’m 5’11” and down to 194 and have hit a plateau. I’m going to start intermittent fasting and more excerise. I need to work on my legs. Took a couple of tries to kick in a door recently.

I’m due to check my A1C again at the end of the month so here’s hoping it’s at 7 or less. I bought some new uniform pants and shirts last week and felt good since I went down a size to 34 pants and large shirts instead of 38 and xl. .

I'm holding at 230, so up from my last posting, but it's "winter weight," and I'm looking forward to the spring. I'd like to be as close as possible to 200 by the fall, we'll see.

I avoid "diet" anything, particularly anything with 0 calories that isn't water. Diet soda is awful for you, and any of those "energy drinks" are even worse.

If you're going to have a soda, have a regular one. My understanding, particularly of diet soda, is that it confuses your body, in essence. Beyond the "chemicals are bad" part, how your body knows it is satiated is thrown by "diet" stuff.

I know people call eating once a day "intermittent fasting," but I don't buy it. Humans have been around a long time, and I don't think we've been eating three meals a day all that long.

At this point it feels natural, and I wake up alert in the morning and can work steadily all day. Eat dinner with the fam somewhere between 6-8, and that's it.

The way we've all been programmed with 3 meals, obviously can work, but the reason you're stuck on it is the glucose spikes and slumps. I know a lot of people experience an afternoon "crash," and I tried for a long time to eat something for lunch that would prevent it, and I'm thrilled I don't eat lunch anymore. Both for the cost, and the steady energy.

Frankly, one meal a day makes a lot of things easier, chief among them watching calories. The other thing is that it's not too hard to make a half decent meal for that one meal. The only thing hemming me in on that is a 5 year old, so I have to cook at least one thing I know he'll eat. Which is even sometimes vegetables. I do a not-spicy mexican rice variant he loves, among other things.

He's getting psyched about biking, which will be great because I love biking, have always hated running. I've been teaching him how to hit the heavy bag in the basement, and we may go to BJJ together soon.

Okay, diet soda bad.

I don't really drink soda but sometimes I get a craving for Dr. Pepper or Root Beer. I'll splurge and opt for the regular version then.

If you have any doubt, try the diet next to the normal of just about anything. Just take the calorie hit and enjoy it.

Do you like ginger beer? There are great ginger beers out there, alcoholic, that pack some flavor.

I hope to get down to my original weight, 7lbs, 8oz.


I've spent the last two months floating back and forth between 230-235. But I've been 280 most of the last 15, possibly 20 years. I've "plateaued" I guess, but considering I'm spending 18 hours a day sitting on my ass and the rest sleeping, I suppose I can't complain. Went from low carbs to a week of no carbs this past. I think I'll work that into some sort of rotation. If nothing else it helps breaks up the diet, am interesting change of pace.

quote:

Originally posted by konata88:
Okay, diet soda bad.

I don't really drink soda but sometimes I get a craving for Dr. Pepper or Root Beer. I'll splurge and opt for the regular version then.

Zevia is a little pricey and addictive but is a good option.

quote:

Originally posted by SigSentry:

quote:

Originally posted by konata88:
Okay, diet soda bad.

I don't really drink soda but sometimes I get a craving for Dr. Pepper or Root Beer. I'll splurge and opt for the regular version then.

Zevia is a little pricey and addictive but is a good option.

Zevia is good and there are a lot of flavors to choose from.

I never had a problem with my weight before. I stayed within 5 lbs of the weight that I got out of Marine Boot Camp with in 1966, even after I retired.

Then two years ago I quit smoking. I'm active & don't sit around, but I jumped over 20 lbs in a couple months & stayed there. Jan 1st I quit eating candy, cookies & ice cream, (Things that I've always loved & gouged on my entire life), and I lost 13 lbs.

I don't miss the beer gut or the love handles, but I sure do miss my afternoon snacks & my ice cream!

quote:

Originally posted by konata88:
Read with interest. Questions:

1) where does diet soda land in all this? Not ideal but better than soda? Stay away?

2) Leaving insulin and fat burning aside, I perceive that I (not being a morning person) think better and faster if I've had some protein (fried eggs) and coffee (usually black but maybe some drops of cream if the coffee isn't good) in the morning. Like I can think through branch predictions more comprehensively and quickly (exception handling and scenarios are important to me). If true, how do I balance fasting until noon vs the need for think?

Try Virgil’s soft drinks. They are sweetened with stevia and monk fruit. Both have been shown to not effect blood sugar or insulin levels.

First out of town trip on Keto this past weekend. Did fine. Even had a couple of Corona lights. Stayed in Ketosis the entire time. Didn’t fast, didn’t count, just ordered no/low carb foods. It was a baseball tourney and having a couple of Keto friendly snacks and plenty of water made it effortless.

I’ve lost 30, kinda hit a plateau that I’m not sweating as I’m building a new house, working my tail off, one kid starting tee ball and another doing travel baseball. The time change will give me a little daylight to work with on my bike.