I hopped on my trusty digital scale this afternoon. I knew I was getting close, but I was determined to wait until I hit the zeroes after the decimal point. I’ve lost 50 pounds since January 3rd of this year!

Just a few notes (I’m incapable of being brief or quick…so I won’t overpromise in that regard) about things I’ve learned since switching to low-carb eating:

  • Portion control still matters. It’s unwise to be a pig, even if you don’t have to sit and count every calorie anymore.
  • It’s the carbs more than the calories. I generally try to stick to 20-25 net carbs a day. Net carbs are total carbs minus dietary fiber (because fiber is too large to be absorbed in the intestines…so it just passes thru the system, and therefore, doesn’t “count”) and sugars alcohols. Sugar alcohols are artificial sweeteners like aspartame, sucralose (Splenda), stevia and erythritol. These apparently don’t cause a major insulin response in your system. They probably aren’t the best things to eat (some folks can’t tolerate them well anyway), but they do make the journey more pleasurable
  • Low-carb bread is quite good. I eat Smart Carb #1 from the Julian Bakery (1 net carb per slice…made from durum wheat instead of semolina. Very little insulin reaction.) I eat several slices a day, always toasted and with butter or peanut butter. And usually with some Polaner’s sugar-free jelly. Tasty stuff!
  • QuestBars rock. 4 net carbs. I usually eat one a day. Fills me up for hours. And they taste great.
  • Drink a lot. I usually prefer either SoBe Fuji Apple Pear (stevia and erythritol) or Big K (diet black cherry soda…aspartame, but no caffeine).
  • Stop thinking low-fat. If it says low-fat, I go the other direction.
  • Look for sugar-free and diet options. Sometimes one is better than the other. You are looking for the lowest net carbs on the Nutrition Facts label…not just a magic phrase.
  • I like eggs. Usually eating 2-3 a day. Cheese. Flavoring with some onions and mushrooms here and there. Kroger has great sugar-free parfaits next to the Jello and pudding (ZERO net carbs…) and I blow through probably a half-dozen of those a day. Snack Pack sugar-free pudding is 4-5 net carbs. Tastier when cold.
  • Beef, chicken, ham, sausage. Cottage cheese.
  • Fat fills you up. Protein keeps your blood sugar stable. Use non-starchy veggies as fillers, and non-sugary fruits as garnishment.

I’m down to 50% of my blood pressure meds. Completely off Zocor and an anti-depressant. My cholesterol is great. I’ve also been tested lately for cortisol levels and gluten tolerance. Doing fine on both.

I continue to listen to virtually every episode of Jimmy Moore’s Livin La Vida Low Carb (I know, I wouldn’t have chosen the name either…and I’m not sure Jimmy would if he had it to do over again!) and his new podcast, Low Carb Conversations. Also, Dana Carpender’s podcast. All are very helpful and encouraging. Great recipe ideas (I’m no cook, but I’ll play around with stuff anyway) and it’s just refreshing to hear something reinforced other than the standard food pyramid/low-fat advice.

I’ve wandered back over toward standard low-carb again (not eating as many beans…and I’ve given up the slow-carb “cheat day” for the time being).

That’s all for now, folks!