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Annals of Maintenance



 
 
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  #1  
Old April 18th, 2005, 09:55 PM
Jenny
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Default Annals of Maintenance

It's been a while since I stopped by, so I thought I'd check in and
share what's been going on with my low carb journey, since many of the
regulars here have known me for quite a while. I first started low
carbing in 1998 when diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. I weighed about 160
back then and got down to 150 where I stalled for a couple years.

After regaining the weight during a year off low carb I started low
carbing again, and with the help of a drug that seemed to control my
insulin resistance, I reached my goal weight of 145 lbs in the late
spring of 2003. I then dropped down to 137 over the next couple months
after stopping Estrogen replacement therapy. When I resumed taking
estrogen my weight stabilized at 142 lbs. At that weight I was wearing
Junior jeans and looked better than any old lady my age had a right to,
so I was happy.

However, in early 2004 while still low carbing, I started gaining weight
despite sticking to the same low carb regimen I'd been on and exercising
daily. An endocrinologist verified that I tested with very high fasting
insulin and higher than normal blood sugar (a sign of insulin
resistance). She put me on Metformin (1500 mg a day) which knocked my
weight right back down to 142--without dieting--, improved my blood
sugar response slightly. Best of all, it allowed me to eat a much wider
range of foods and a higher amount of carbs without regaining any weight.

This delightful state persisted for a year. I was able to eat things
with no problems that before I could never eat without experiencing
hunger, weight gain or a blood sugar rise.

Last November, I added DHEA (5 mg a day) and chromium picolinate to my
regimen and saw my erstwhile diabetic blood sugar get so normal it was
like a miracle. No hunger, no dangerous blood sugar spikes and no
obsessing about everything I ate. Pure heaven.

Last month, though, I suddenly gained 6 lbs within 3 weeks which seems
to be connected with stopping a drug (Zetia) I'd been taking for my
cholesterol. Apparently it had shut off my natural estrogen production,
which caused a bunch of side effects. It also did really weird things to
my vision and my ophthalmologist suggested I stop taking it to see if
these effects got better.

Since I started gaining the weight a few days after I stopped the Zetia
I assume that's the trigger. Since I also stopped having the miserable
symptoms of low estrogen and persistent visual afterimages, it seems
pretty clear that the Zetia was messing with my hormones. I assume that
a newly raised estrogen level is what caused the very sudden weight
gain, especially since I had water gain and the kind of soreness you get
with female hormones.

The weight gain didn't go away though and my blood pressure started
rising. So I went back on a strict low carb regimen again to knock off
a couple pounds and get the water back into balance.

I'm at 145 right now after four days of eating about 20 grams and my
blood pressure is normal again. For now, I am mostly focusing on
limiting the carbs and keeping calories low rather than eating "free"
low carb foods which push up calories.

Since for the past year I have been able to eat significantly more
calories than before without gaining, I am hoping that my metabolism,
which had definitely slowed down to "hibernation mode" while strictly
limiting calories and carbs is perkier and will respond better to
cutting carbs and calories.

So that's the update. It's heading into 7 years since I started low
carbing and I'm living proof that you can maintain a weight loss long
term. BUT it does require constant adjustments, and if you have insulin
resistance, as I do, as you get older, you will have to tweak and
twiddle to find ways to fight it. Diet alone worked for a while, but
then it didn't, now the drugs and DHEA are helping, but eventually they
may fail and I'll have to find new approaches.

So the "adventure" continues.

--Jenny
  #2  
Old April 18th, 2005, 10:40 PM
Nicky
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Posts: n/a
Default


"Jenny" wrote in message
...
So that's the update. It's heading into 7 years since I started low
carbing and I'm living proof that you can maintain a weight loss long
term. BUT it does require constant adjustments, and if you have insulin
resistance, as I do, as you get older, you will have to tweak and twiddle
to find ways to fight it. Diet alone worked for a while, but then it
didn't, now the drugs and DHEA are helping, but eventually they may fail
and I'll have to find new approaches.

So the "adventure" continues.


Long may you continue to outwit it : ) I was on your website just a little
while ago, always an informative read.

Nicky.

--
A1c 10.5/4.5/6 Weight 95/76/72Kg
1g Metformin, 100ug Thyroxine
T2 DX 05/2004


  #4  
Old April 19th, 2005, 03:26 AM
Cubit
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Default


"Jenny" wrote in message
...

I've been curious about DHEA, but did not want to try it. It is a hormone?

Did it have an effect on your energy, mood, or memory?


  #5  
Old April 19th, 2005, 07:09 AM
Marengo
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Default

Jenny wrote:
|| It's been a while since I stopped by, so I thought I'd check in and
|| share what's been going on with my low carb journey, since many of
|| the regulars here have known me for quite a while. I first started
|| low carbing in 1998 when diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. I weighed
|| about 160 back then and got down to 150 where I stalled for a couple
|| years.
||
|| After regaining the weight during a year off low carb I started low
|| carbing again, and with the help of a drug that seemed to control my
|| insulin resistance, I reached my goal weight of 145 lbs in the late
|| spring of 2003. I then dropped down to 137 over the next couple
|| months after stopping Estrogen replacement therapy. When I resumed
|| taking estrogen my weight stabilized at 142 lbs. At that weight I
|| was wearing Junior jeans and looked better than any old lady my age
|| had a right to, so I was happy.
||
|| However, in early 2004 while still low carbing, I started gaining
|| weight despite sticking to the same low carb regimen I'd been on and
|| exercising daily. An endocrinologist verified that I tested with
|| very high fasting insulin and higher than normal blood sugar (a sign
|| of insulin resistance). She put me on Metformin (1500 mg a day)
|| which knocked my weight right back down to 142--without dieting--,
|| improved my blood sugar response slightly. Best of all, it allowed
|| me to eat a much wider range of foods and a higher amount of carbs
|| without regaining any weight.
||
|| This delightful state persisted for a year. I was able to eat things
|| with no problems that before I could never eat without experiencing
|| hunger, weight gain or a blood sugar rise.
||
|| Last November, I added DHEA (5 mg a day) and chromium picolinate to
|| my regimen and saw my erstwhile diabetic blood sugar get so normal
|| it was like a miracle. No hunger, no dangerous blood sugar spikes
|| and no obsessing about everything I ate. Pure heaven.
||
|| Last month, though, I suddenly gained 6 lbs within 3 weeks which
|| seems to be connected with stopping a drug (Zetia) I'd been taking
|| for my cholesterol. Apparently it had shut off my natural estrogen
|| production, which caused a bunch of side effects. It also did really
|| weird things to my vision and my ophthalmologist suggested I stop
|| taking it to see if these effects got better.
||
|| Since I started gaining the weight a few days after I stopped the
|| Zetia I assume that's the trigger. Since I also stopped having the
|| miserable symptoms of low estrogen and persistent visual
|| afterimages, it seems pretty clear that the Zetia was messing with
|| my hormones. I assume that a newly raised estrogen level is what
|| caused the very sudden weight gain, especially since I had water
|| gain and the kind of soreness you get with female hormones.
||
|| The weight gain didn't go away though and my blood pressure started
|| rising. So I went back on a strict low carb regimen again to knock
|| off a couple pounds and get the water back into balance.
||
|| I'm at 145 right now after four days of eating about 20 grams and my
|| blood pressure is normal again. For now, I am mostly focusing on
|| limiting the carbs and keeping calories low rather than eating "free"
|| low carb foods which push up calories.
||
|| Since for the past year I have been able to eat significantly more
|| calories than before without gaining, I am hoping that my
|| metabolism, which had definitely slowed down to "hibernation mode"
|| while strictly limiting calories and carbs is perkier and will
|| respond better to cutting carbs and calories.
||
|| So that's the update. It's heading into 7 years since I started low
|| carbing and I'm living proof that you can maintain a weight loss long
|| term. BUT it does require constant adjustments, and if you have
|| insulin resistance, as I do, as you get older, you will have to
|| tweak and twiddle to find ways to fight it. Diet alone worked for a
|| while, but then it didn't, now the drugs and DHEA are helping, but
|| eventually they may fail and I'll have to find new approaches.
||
|| So the "adventure" continues.
||
|| --Jenny

Hi Jenny,

Thanks for the update. I was just thinking about you yesterday; we hadn't
heard from you in a while.

My weight is creeping upward the past couple of months; I have to buckle
down again. As you know, I've managed to control my T2 diabetes solely with
a low-carb diet, a d I don't want it to get out of control again. As you
said, low-carb eating -- as well as diabetes control -- is a lifetime of
tweaking and adjusting, always paying attention to what we eat. The
alternative though -- not having that lifetime -- makes it well worth it
IMO!

--
Peter
Website: http://users.thelink.net/marengo


  #6  
Old April 19th, 2005, 03:28 PM
Mark McArthey
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

"Jenny" wrote in message
...

I've been curious about DHEA, but did not want to try it. It is a
hormone?

Did it have an effect on your energy, mood, or memory?


The thing I find curious regarding DHEA is that, like anything I suppose,
there's conflicting reports. It seems that the claims for weight loss are
directly related to its ability to improving insulin sensitivity. In the
same reports, though, I can see things about heart palpitations, and issues
of genderization (men displaying women's traits, and vice versa). I read,
though, that for people that have low insulin sensitivity to begin with, the
DHEA can be counter-effective and cause problems like those listed. The
recommendation was to get your insulin levels under control before beginning
any regimen of DHEA or the equivalent. I wonder how many of these reports
also focused on diet along with supplementation?

Just some thoughts,
Mark


  #7  
Old April 19th, 2005, 03:52 PM
Jenny
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Posts: n/a
Default

Cubit wrote:
I've been curious about DHEA, but did not want to try it. It is a hormone?

Did it have an effect on your energy, mood, or memory?


Cubit,

I tend to avoid posting about the DHEA because I get so enthusiastic I
sound like a spammer. But the fact is that in my own particular case,
DHEA had a phenomenally positive effect on my energy, mood and memory.
I've had a lot of trouble with exhaustion and poor memory. I started
this stuff in November, in mid December I got a burst of energy and
started on a programming project. By the end of March I'd written and
debugged some 35,000 lines of code after putting in many weeks of 12
hour working days. I doubt I'd have had the energy or memory capability
to design and write anything this complex without it. It also does
wonderful things for my usually painful back. And it normalizes my blood
sugar.

I started taking DHEA because some research published in JAMA suggested
it reduced insulin resistance in both men and women. Some recent
research I've read also suggests that it is extremely helpful for
people with deficient adrenal hormone production and that it is as
effective for people with depression as the SSRIs (though in doses FAR
higher than what I'm taking.)

However, if you are a male under 40 or have a family history of prostate
cancer, it is NOT recommended as in men it may boost testosterone rather
than cortisol and the other adrenal hormones.


  #8  
Old April 19th, 2005, 03:56 PM
Jenny
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Posts: n/a
Default

Marengo wrote:

My weight is creeping upward the past couple of months; I have to buckle
down again. As you know, I've managed to control my T2 diabetes solely with
a low-carb diet, a d I don't want it to get out of control again. As you
said, low-carb eating -- as well as diabetes control -- is a lifetime of
tweaking and adjusting, always paying attention to what we eat. The
alternative though -- not having that lifetime -- makes it well worth it
IMO!

Peter,

Like you, I controlled the blood sugar for many years without drugs and
had a very strong anti-drug orientation. However, my research suggest
that metformin which has been on the market for decades in Europe is
safe and my year on it hasn't given me any reason to doubt this. It's
cheap too, which is a refreshing change from most pharmaceuticals.

If low carbing looses its ability to control your blood sugars and/or
weight, I'd recommend trying the extended release form along with a diet
of no more than 100 grams a day of carb and seeing how it goes. Dr.
Bernstein's endorsement of it as very helpful for people with Type 2 was
one reason I gave it a try.
  #9  
Old April 20th, 2005, 10:13 PM
Daniel Hoffmeister
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Default

Jenny wrote:
It's been a while since I stopped by, so I thought I'd check in and
share what's been going on with my low carb journey, since many of the
regulars here have known me for quite a while.

.....

So the "adventure" continues.


Nice to hear from you. I know you serve as an inspiration to many of us.

After only a couple of months at maintenance, I can tell that it takes
about the same level of vigilance as actively dieting.

In a way, I think that my long, slow weight loss gives me an advantage.
I learned a great deal about what I can eat and what I can't and how my
body reacts to various levels of food and activity. I also had plenty of
time for the requisite attitude adjustments!

I know from family and friends that many medications can throw a serious
wrench in the the diet works. It can make maintenance a lot harder, too.

Dan
325/189/190
Atkins since 1/1/02 (yeah, it was a New Year's Resolution)
Besetting sins: good beer, German bread, and Krispy Kremes


  #10  
Old April 21st, 2005, 06:00 AM
Aramanth Dawe
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Default

Great to hear from you, Jenny. You've done *such* a great job on
working out what and how to get your body to respond (and I know how
hard that can be, and has been). It's good to hear that you're
continuing your success story.

Aramanth
(grabbing a few minutes on-line as a break from getting packed for our
family vacation starting TOMORROW - will I ever be ready in time?????)
 




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