My health journey: Chris 

Summary of my Low-Carb Diet experience:

It is more a “way of life” than a diet, and has produced astonishing results for me, as per the following details…

• Weight at beginning of diet was 122kg. Five months later, weight had dropped to 97kg.
• Over that time I lost 13cm around the belly.
• In the same period blood pressure dropped from around 150-160/75 to 120-130/62.
• Before commencing the diet, I was taking rapid acting insulin, 14 units before breakfast and 18 units before evening meal. I was also taking 60 units of optisulin at night. Within 17 days I was not taking any insulin at all, yet my morning blood sugars were around 6.
• HbA1c dropped from 7.3% to 5.5%
• Cholesterol dropped from 4.9mmol/L to 3.3mmol/L
• Triglycerides dropped from 8.6mmol/L to 1.8mmol/L
• In short, all blood test results improved, to the delight of 3 doctors.
• With the drop in weight, my sleep apnoea vastly improved and if I slept without the C-PAP machine, I didn’t snore.
• The weight loss made me feel so much better in myself and I had more energy and could move around more easily. I could also get into clothes that I had not been able to wear for a long time. All positive.

Long Term Results:

• It is now 17 months since I started the diet.
• I have been a bit naughty and strayed at times. My weight has increased by 3 kg from its lowest point and I need to get that down again. I have to go back to the basic diet.
• Most disturbing for me is that my blood sugars are going up and if I don’t get back on to a strict diet again, I will find myself back on insulin, which I desperately want to avoid. If one is a diabetic, there are no short cuts. Maybe non-diabetics can cheat from time to time but beware, that cheating creeps up on you and you suddenly find yourself off the diet.

Interested in trying the Low-Carb Diet? If so, better note the following: 

• The diet achieves wonderful results but requires determination and commitment. If you are only half-hearted about trying it, don’t bother.
• I have met several other people who were impressed with my weight loss and the overall results and wanted to try it for themselves but none lasted more than 3 weeks. They said it was “too hard”.
• I am a diabetic and love sweet goodies, pastries, milk, pasta, breakfast cereals, potatoes and other root veggies, etc. but they are all off the menu. My wife does not want to follow the diet, so I either cook two meals each night or cook something extra on the side with carbs for my wife.

Yes, substitutes are available for low-carb cooking – lots of them, and I use many, but they are expensive and the end result, while edible, does not taste the same as the original. Low-carb scones are not as nice as real scones, nor the pizza crust, nor the donuts, etc. Almond flour or coconut flour just tastes differently.