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Old September 27th, 2012, 10:36 PM posted to alt.support.diet.low-carb
Doug Freyburger
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Posts: 1,866
Default Weight loss is just the start!

Dogman quoted:

http://www.wheatbellyblog.com/2012/0...ust-the-start/

"In the month since I started, I’ve lost twelve pounds so far. The
most remarkable thing for me, though–-and I wasn’t really expecting
it–-is that after the first week of being completely grain-free, I
have not had a single headache of any kind, and I have been a migraine
sufferer since my teens. For the first time in years, I did not refill
my prescription for Imitrex.


I started Atkins in 1999 using the yellow cover 1993 edition just before
the blue cover 1999 edition came out. In it I read his claims that low
carbing stops migraines. At the time I'd been getting a debilitating
migraine every few months much of my adult life. Many had them far more
often so I'd considered myself lucky on that count. I also dismissed
his claims as marketing hype. But sure enough since the day I started
I've had exactly one debilitating migraine and that was a month of high
stress work living out of junk food vending machines. These days my
adherence to low carb is very poor so most of my weight is back but the
lessons I learned have resulted in several other health improvements
that appear permanent. Not getting migraines is one of those
improvements.

"If stopping wheat had done nothing for me but get rid of the
migraines, it would be worth it for that alone.


The one migraine I've had since 1999 was during a month I probably
managed to stay wheat free even though I ate mostly junk food. Low
wheat at least. For me at least the trigger was something other than
wheat specifically. I ate a ton of potato chips and fritos that month.
Ugh.

But my chronic
annoying post-nasal drip and constant allergy symptoms have also
disappeared; I’ve stopped needing a nap in the middle of the day; I’ve
stopped having any food cravings. I have also been able to stop taking
omeprazole for GERD–-no digestion problems whatsoever now. My energy
levels are much higher throughout the day, and a lot of small daily
aches and pains–-especially arthritis in my hands and fingers–-have
disappeared."


For me the allergy symptoms were mostly related to wheat. So specific
my symptoms are triggered by kanut and spelt but not by rye, barly or
oats. The cravings for me were a mix of binge being one of my wheat
symptoms and lack of cravings from low carb but it took a lot of self
experimentation to figure that out. The best known way to reduce
arthritis pains is paleo that combines wheat free with mildly low carb.

"I’ve read some criticisms from various sources of Dr. Davis’s book,
but I am not a scientist and for me, the proof is, as they say, in the
milk-free pudding: I’ve never tried any eating plan or diet that has
truly made the kind of remarkable improvement in my health and
well-being that this one has, and it was reading Wheat Belly that
inspired me to give it a try.

"To any skeptics I would simply say, it’s a simple enough experiment.
Try it for a couple of weeks. See what happens."


It does work, but I do note that for me different details worked for
different reasons. Atkins has two widely different aspects - using
carbs as a tool and an eliminate-and-challenge system. Few follow the
instructions to that level so simpler shotgun methods work for more
people.