Lost 103 Lbs and not done yet
 

I'm an odd bird of sorts. 64 yo widower and very fortunate in many ways. My health is, according to my pcp, surprisingly good considering my history of poor diet and smoking. I met the covid thing head on. When it hit I had 4 comorbidities. Obesity, hypertension, pre-diabetes, and copd (which quitting smoking allowed me to not need to reach for my inhaler).
15 months ago I weighed 269 lbs, was prescribed a 4th blood pressure med, and doc talked to me about insulin. Also told me I wouldn't fare well if I caught covid. a1c was ~ 6.5 iirc. So I told him to give me 3 months.

Fast forward to March 3rd of this year, I weighed 176, have my blood pressure in the low normal range for the first time in decades, and my a1c was 5.2. Lower than docs lol. He took me off all but 1 bp med and told me I could stop taking metformin. This morning I weighed 166. Two more pounds and I'm out of the overweight range.

So yes, in a way I turned covid into a positive thing. Made me do my research and beat 3 of 4 comorbidities. Whole foods, exercise, and tossing the smokes. And meticulous study and application of glycemic index and glycemic load of foods. If it raises my blood glucose over 125, I stop eating it. Works.

I was struggling to lose my visceral fat, so I bought a bike. Now it's melting away. I've gone from size 48 pants and 3X shirts to 32 pants and medium shirts. Did it safe too. Lost a safe rate of less than two pounds a week. Oh, forgot to mention my cholesterol and triglycerides were sky high when I started. Now both are normal range.

Doc told me I don't need to lose more weight but my goal is to fit into size 30 pants. Should make it by July 4th easily.

I feel fantastic and my 1 hr rides are my new fave exercise.

So nice to hear this... BRAVO!!!

absolutely awesome. BRAVO

Good work! I'm five years older. Freshman year in college I was drinking beer (newly legal), partying and climbing to lifetime weight highs. (Just over 165 but in my worst condition.) I heard the quiet voice saying that I should never weigh more than 165, that my body simply could not handle it and stay healthy. I actually heard it. Haven't crossed that line since. I start dieting at 160.

Had I not heard that little voice, I might well have followed a path similar to yours and I don't know if I'd find my way back. Never smoked - blessed with a very strong family - but I had a brush with opioids in high school and had someone looking after me. That was at my deepest depression and had things gone differently ...

So, welcome back to the light and healthy! Hang around!

Wow. What a great story.

Good on ya, Always nice to se such a post. It takes big commitment to remove so much of ones self.

Hurray for you and cycling!

125 is not that high.

Do you limit the total grams of carbs per day?

I was able to keep my blood sugar down only by being on a ketogenic diet with 50-100 grams max per day of carbs and only low GI ones. If I rode a lot, I would eat upwards of 100 grams of carbs but if not riding, I kept it to 50 grams. I only lost 64 pounds in several months and 82 lbs total over a year.....I guess close to 10 years ago. I need to drop a few now.

How many times per day to you measure sugar? The finger sticks are a pain. Or, did you just learn what foods not to eat?

Well done...

Charlie Ky Outstanding!

Yes, 125 is kind of strict/extreme. My doctor said as much, but told me it was fine if I wanted to run with it. It works, and that's all I care about.

As far as net carbs I shoot for 60-70 grams a day. I'm not that strict on it though. I'm sure some days I may wind up eating more. I've never noticed any signs of ketosis. My doctor said I'm not a good candidate for a Keto diet so I just said ok without asking why. My body tells me if I'm not getting enough carbs and my scale tells me if I'm getting too many lol.

My glucose routine was checking my fasting number in the morning, which at first was way too high. Talking 130 avg. Also my daily avg was in the 120's. I was waking every morning with my toes numb and tingling.

I started eating foods individually and checking my blood glucose before and after I ate them. About a half hour before I ate them I would take 500 mg of metformin with at least 8 oz of water. They were non-extended release so I split them in 4's so they would dissolve faster. Then I'd check my bg after I ate the food. Usually around 45 minutes to and hour and a half after I ate. Reading over 125-128 ? That food went on the no eat list.

I was checking my bg after before and after every meal for months. Even if I ate a few berries for a snack. My fingers never got sore because I just used a different finger forever reading.

So yes, my method identified what foods I could eat and not eat and the past 5 months or so, most days I just checked my fasting bg. And if I feel a little tired I'll check to make sure it's not too low. For me, it seems 82-83 is always the number when I'm feeling sluggish.
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My numbness in my toes didn't take long to subside after I started eating right and nowadays my fasting bg is in the 90's. Daily avg is 100 or less.

One thing I tried was taking Berberine with my metaformin. After a couple of days doing so My bg numbers went down even on low glycemic load meals. I was taking 500 mg of metformin three times a day. The past week I've been taking only 250 mg of metformin three times a day and a berberine capsule with the metaformin if I eat a higher carb food like black beans. So far so good. I think beginning today I will taper off the metaformin and continue to take the berberine twice a day.

My staple foods : blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, oranges, wild caught Alaskan pink salmon, dark chocolate 88% cocoa, natural peanut butter with no salt or sugar added, leafy green veggies, chicken breast, black beans, quinoa, lentils, boiled eggs, an Atkins shake one or two a day, brussel sprouts, broccoli, whole husk psyllium two or three times a day, Kool-Aid sweetened with erythritol, three or four cups of coffee a day, spinach, salad with tomatoes, lettuce, mushrooms, celery, with shredded cheese thrown in occasionally. I also eat edamame pasta and black bean spaghetti. I put a minimal amount of olive oil on the pasta and some Parmesan Romano cheese. I drink quite a bit of unsweetened almond milk. Beet juice, just a around 12 oz a week, ~ a couple of ounces a day. Low sodium veggie juice, just a swing or two 3-4 time a day. And water of course.

Good luck on shedding a few pounds. If you are like me, riding makes it easier. My visceral fat is stubborn but riding is chopping it away. Finally.

Thanks for all the congrats everyone. Just takes a little research and diligence !

Congrats. That is good work!

Thank you for sharing those details.

My problem is my italian wife who loves pasta, potatoes and pizza or my lack of will.

I used to start the day with a double espresso and coconut oil before going to work. Rarely ate breakfast but if I did it was eggs. The client company (big Pharma) had an unbelievable cafeteria and I would make a mixed vegetable salad out of either arugula or spinach as a foundation. No snacks. Dinner would be a protein, salad, and either a vegetable or maybe a sweet potato. All of my riding was pretty slow and easy but lots of miles. I lost 5 pounds of fat in a good week. I don't need to go so drastic now. I am riding 15 hours a week and the weight is not coming down, so, I have to try something and I like your approach. I have a couple meters, just need to buy the strips and probably a battery. Maybe I am starting to get diabetes, my feet tingle.

Yes, do start checking your blood glucose before and after your meals. You'll soon identify which foods spike your blood glucose too much. If your meter is over 4-5 years old you may consider a new one. Mine is a Reli On Premier Classic. Very inexpensive at Walmart as are the strips and lancets. I took mine with me on an office visit and compared the reading to my doctor's meter and it's accurate.

As far as pasta, check out this black bean spaghetti nutrient label...

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...f2e33971fc.jpg
Your looking at ~ 9 grams of net carbs per serving. (Total grams carbs minus grams fiber)


The glycemic index of black beans is 30.
30 (GI) x 9 (net carbs) / 100 = 2.7 (glycemic load)

A glycemic load of less than 10 is the target. 2.7 is excellent.

Edamame pasta is great as well. Both are high nutrients and can be prepared in 15 minutes or less.

Anyhow, go ahead and start checking your blood glucose. If it's diabetes related get to work !

With something so low in carbs, high in fiber, and high in protein, it's simple to add it to mostly vegetables and end up with a nutritious dish. Even if one doesn't add separate meat/fish.

Haven't seen any such, in the markets, but I'll certainly be looking. Mostly do lentils, myself, instead of beans, rice or pasta. And spaghatti is rare. But I'd certainly occasionally do this black bean spaghetti, with a nutrient profile like that.

BTW, what's the brand name on that one?

I'm stunned. What you did is amazing. Congratulations. And, I sit here *****ing 'cause I can't lose 10 lbs. Damn.

Congratulations on the amazing accomplishments. Takes a lot of conviction and discipline.

Explore Cuisine is the black bean. Starpoint Farms is the edamame brand I use.

I get mine at Kroger. Most decent health food stores probably have them.

Congratulations, I'm glad for your health. Yes, whole foods are one of the secret ingedients to maintaining a prefered weight and experiencing good health.

Excellent job!!!!!!! Congrats to you! Real Food and bikes! perfect combo

Unbelievable dedication with such high payoffs. You are truly a role model.

You need more bikes.

So I'm curious ... what advice would you give to someone else in the same position you were in? I know everyone is different and there is no magic bullet ... just wondering what you think.

Incredible! My hearty compliments. Keep up the good work.