What an interesting Journey this is turning into!

Criminy. I had no idea how many iterations and versions there were of the low carb lifestyle until I checked in at Borders the other day. Wow.

I came home with a stack of books! Most of them on the recommended reading list by Jonny Bowden. Why didn't I just go to the library? Because I want cutting edge, recent edition stuff. I found one book particularly fascinating: The Leptin Boost Diet: Unleash Your Fat-Controlling Hormones for Maximum Weight Loss by Scott Isaacs.

Also on the must-read this weekend list is Eat Fat, Lose Fat: The Healthy Alternative to Trans Fats by Dr. Mary Enig and Sally Fallon; The Protein Power Lifeplan by Drs. Eades; and The Fat Flush Foods by Ann Louise Gittleman.

I'm sort of transitioning over to the principles of Eat Fat to Lose Fat by Enig, because I've seen her name come up so many times in my cholesterol research, and now about dietary fats. The work she has done is amazing. I'm also using a lot of the principles of Protein Power, keeping the next few weeks very low carb, and as natural as possible. No processed or frankenfoods. Organic as much as I can.

Here's why I feel it's so important to research all this dietary/nutrition information.

A bit of history: I was developing some gallbladder symptoms mid-week, and it scared me. You see, I had a lot of problems last winter. My family doctor told me last October, "It's time for your first colonoscopy, Steph". Oh ICK, I thought. I'm not the greatest patient in the world, and I really didn't think I needed it. But I went through with it once they assured me that I wouldn't remember a thing about it afterward.

Well.....thank goodness I did. They found cancer. Thank God, they caught it early. After a few biopsies and some minor surgery, along with some super nutritional dietary changes (I began taking every supplement I read about that had anti-cancer properties and went on an ESSIAC protocol as well), and a HUGE amount of prayer, and I was declared cancer-free the end of Feb, 2007.

Along the way they also figured out (by doing an endoscopy at the other end) that I not only have GERD, but have apparently had it long enough to develop something called Barrett's Esophagus.

More good news: They found I had a dilated biliary duct (pancreas), and when they checked it further with a test called an ERCP, the dye went astray and caused nearly instant severe pancreatitis. That landed me in the hospital sick as a dog for 4 days.

So...when my belly hurts, I pay close attention nowadays :-) I learned the hard and scary way that it's not a good idea to ignore your health (even when you think you feel fine). Preventive medicine has come a long way. I told everyone I certainly don't mind being the Preventive Medicine Posterchild!

Something I learned in my reading is that low fat diets can provoke the formation of gallstones. I don't need that. I also had basically stalled out on the weightloss. So that was getting to me. I was hungry all the time--not a happy place :-(

So, it's time to find an eating plan that works with my own particular metabolism and health issues. It's actually a fascinating journey.

Maybe best of all, I dropped another pound today, and the belly pains are gone along with the gnawing hunger!! Time will tell.

Have a great weekend :-D It's cool outside here in Ohio, amazingly so for mid-July. We're loving it!

Weight of the Evidence - Highly Recommended Reading

This is one of the best and most informative of the Low Carb blogs I have run across yet:

Weight of The Evidence

Things that make you go "Hmmmmm....."

Holy Toledo!!
Yesterday and today have been very eye-opening days for me, information wise, in the world of internet low carb lifestyles. I mean, I knew there were various plans out there and there is no such thing as a One Size Fits All type of low carb WOE. But - YIKES - the drama! The accusations, the vitriol!

Yesterday, I read with considerable dismay about the attacks on Jimmy Moore(http://livinlavidalocarb.blogspot.com/) with regard to his support of the Kimkins diet. I began to search for more information. The more I looked, the uglier it got.

Just a few examples:

Slamboard - Kimkins Diet {ok...this one freaks me out =8-O
The Storm over Kimmer/Kimkins Diet Episode 69
Cleochatra's Blog (July 16)

I refuse (at this moment) to take sides. I just don't know enough to have what I consider a truly informed opinion. Yes, I'm still enrolled at the Kimkins site. I also now belong to several other low-carb discussion forums. I'm reading about a book a day on the topic; just about anything I can get my hands on. After all, this is MY LIFE. My health, my weight is on the line here. I can't afford any mistakes...well, not many.

There are others far more experienced and more qualified to enter the fray than I am. For now, I'll just keep a watchful eye and open mind, and keep on low carbin' my way to healthier weight and waistline.

(In case you're wondering....I'm probably transitioning to Protein Power or maybe good old Atkins. And I'm down another pound!)

Have a great day :-) And don't let the drama get ya down!

Yes Indeedy - Pure Protein Works!

I've been struggling a bit in the past couple weeks with the weight not coming off as quickly as I would like. I decided yesterday (July 16) to "kick it up a notch" and try straight protein for the next few days, get into ketosis again and see what happens.

Well.....I'm down a whole lb. on the scale this morning. Finally!

I tell you, you sure learn a lot about yourself when you take on a challenge like serious weightloss.

The last program I worked successfully was Body For Life. Now that's a program that flat out works, too. Unfortunately, in the middle of my second 12 week challenge (yes, I actually did 2 official BFL Challenges back in 2001!) I had minor surgery followed by a major surgery (hysterectomy) and that put a halt to the BFL workouts. No sooner was I ready to start back with doctor's permission, I tore my right rotator cuff and so...forgeddaboudit again :-(

After all that, I let myself get lazy with my eating and exercise programs. Shame on me.

But hey, no sense whining about it, right? Get back on the horse and make it work, that's what I'm doing.

Later..... :-) Have a great Tuesday!

Welcome to "Living Low Carb and Lovin' It!"

Here's the first in a series of blogs that will be all about, as they say.....the journey of a thousand steps....

I discovered low carb eating oh, about 5 weeks ago. It's working so well for me that I want to share this journey with others who might be interested.

I've been keeping a daily journal on a free online program called FITDAY. Fitday is a wonderful tool to help you track everything you eat, breaking it down into calories, fat grams, carbohydrate grams, and protein grams. You can also enter your exercise or daily calorie expenditure, see reports on your progress, etc. All for free! You can also purchase a version of Fitday that will do even more for you. I highly recommend it!

I'm following a diet called Kimkins. I hit an all-time high of 200 lbs back in mid-June, and said that's enough - not acceptable! I had seen the Women's World magazine article that featured the Kimkins diet, and said, I think I will try it.

10 days and 10 lbs later, I knew I was onto something.

(For your information, that slightly silly-sounding name is what some folks on a low-carb eating forum dubbed a weightloss program loosely based on Stillman's and Atkins, developed by a lady who used the forum siggie "Kimmer").

There's a lot to learn about this new way of eating, commonly abbreviated to "WOE". I'm still learning all I can about low carb lifestyles (there are many: Atkins, South Beach, Protein Power, Kimkins, Stillman's and more). The more I learn about the low carb way of eating, and how my body reacts to the variations I throw at it, the more I will be able to share here. My hope is to help others along the way. Welcome!!