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| Christmas Eve 2015 |
Today is Day 85
Weight goal - 137.2 or lower
Actual weight - 135 - NEW LOW
Blood glucose goal - 77 or lower
Actual blood glucose - 57
Today is a Feast Day!
For me, that means a ketogenic diet - high fat, moderate protein and very low carb. Each day, I will weigh in, check my fasting blood glucose, find out if I will feast or fast that day, update my charts and post them here on the big blog. I'm posting every day to motivate myself not to give up, and if I think that anyone is looking at this, it will help to keep me accountable.
GOAL! GOAL! GOAL!
I have not only reached my goal, I have surpassed it! The original goal was 136 pounds, and this morning I weighed in at 135 pounds. This is after a two-day fast, so I know that I will bounce back up a little after eating LIKE A BOSS today, but that's okay. I still have several days to go before my results are official.
I cannot believe that I have lost 19 pounds in the past three months! Why, oh, why didn't I do this sooner? I had been thinking about it for years and just never pulled the trigger. I'm so glad I did!
And fasting blood glucose of 57! This fasting is no doubt doing wonders for my insulin sensitivity.
You might think that 57 is hypoglycemic, but it only is a problem if you have the following symptoms, which I do not have this morning, even with a FBG of 57:
You might think that 57 is hypoglycemic, but it only is a problem if you have the following symptoms, which I do not have this morning, even with a FBG of 57:
Hypoglycemia (Low Blood Glucose)
Hypoglycemia is a condition characterized by abnormally low blood glucose (blood sugar) levels, usually less than 70 mg/dl. However, it is important to talk to your health care provider about your individual blood glucose targets, and what level is too low for you.Hypoglycemia may also be referred to as an insulin reaction, or insulin shock.
Hypoglycemic symptoms are important clues that you have low blood glucose. Each person's reaction to hypoglycemia is different, so it's important that you learn your own signs and symptoms when your blood glucose is low.
The only sure way to know whether you are experiencing hypoglycemia is to check your blood glucose, if possible. If you are experiencing symptoms and you are unable to check your blood glucose for any reason, treat the hypoglycemia. Severe hypoglycemia has the potential to cause accidents, injuries, coma, and death.
Signs and Symptoms of Hypoglycemia (happen quickly)
- Shakiness
- Nervousness or anxiety
- Sweating, chills and clamminess
- Irritability or impatience
- Confusion, including delirium
- Rapid/fast heartbeat
- Lightheadedness or dizziness
- Hunger and nausea
- Sleepiness
- Blurred/impaired vision
- Tingling or numbness in the lips or tongue
- Headaches
- Weakness or fatigue
- Anger, stubbornness, or sadness
- Lack of coordination
- Nightmares or crying out during sleep
- Seizures
- Unconsciousness
84 DAYS DOWN AND 7 DAYS TO GO
53 FEAST DAYS AND 30 FAST DAYS - FASTING 38% OF THE DAYS
19 POUNDS GONE AND 0 POUNDS TO GO
106% OF THE WAY TO MY GOAL AFTER 93% OF THE DAYS
7-DAY AVERAGE WEIGHT - 138.7
7-DAY AVERAGE FASTING BLOOD GLUCOSE - 70
I
made a few charts to track my progress. The grey lines are my long
term goals. The blue lines are my actual results. The orange lines are
my 7-day averages. The
last chart is a little heat map to show at a glance how often I have
actually had to fast to achieve the results I am after. Click on any chart or photo to enlarge it.
To find out more about this challenge - the rules and how it started - click here.
I have been a long time reader of your blog and as far as I am concerned you do everything like a BOSS!!! Thank you for sharing yet another journey with us.
ReplyDeleteThat being said, I have a couple of questions for you. First, when you say broth, is this homemade broth or are you buying something prepared?
Second question, what if any HRT are you still doing? I know you were at one time on thyroid, estridiol, progesterone and getting testosterone pellets.
Thanks Rebecca and congratulations on the great results!
Stephanie
Hi, Stephanie! Nice to hear from you!
DeleteI sometimes make my own bone broth, but for the challenge, I have been drinking Swanson's chicken or beef broth. I need to save up some more bones to make my own!
Currently, I am doing no hormone replacement therapy of any kind. It's just so darn expensive, and when I started again a year or so ago, I found out that my insurance company will no longer kick in for it. So, between buying the hormones and paying for doctor visits and lab tests, it was going to be hundreds of dollars per month, and I just can't afford it.
I'm doing pretty well in that area, except that I have been having hot flashes (every 30 minutes or so around the clock)and insomnia. I felt like I was going to die from those things, but lately, the hot flashes have become less frequent and less severe, and I started taking magnesium and potassium again right before bed and my sleep is much improved, maybe waking up once in the night and then falling back asleep quickly. Until I started the supplements, it took hours to fall asleep, and I would wake up 20 minutes later and be up for another hour or so before falling back to sleep. I was literally getting around three hours of sound sleep per night, and this went on for a couple of years. I am so much happier now that I can sleep!
How are YOU doing? Anything new that you are trying currently?
Rebecca
Wow, going off of the hormones doesn't sound like fun! Glad you are more stabilized, I think I will keep my HRT (estridiol patches and progesterone pills) for a while longer.
DeleteI tried a few rounds of HCG in 2014-2015, it worked great for weight loss but I could not get my weight to stabilize and have gained it all back.
I am going to try incorporating some fasting but have had a bit of life turmoil the last few months so I am only contemplating the act of fasting for now.
Like you, having to micromanage my food intake does not seem sustainable as a lifestyle and I refuse to do it. I will have to try a test day of fasting to see if I think I can follow through.
Thanks your all of your posts,
Stephanie
I also tried a round of hCG a few years ago. Yes, I lost the weight, but put it all back on again pretty quickly, even though I was eating LCHF. I won't do it again.
DeleteAs far as you trying fasting, allow me to quote Yoda: Do or do not. There is no try.
If you are afraid you would get hungry, don't fear that. You will get hungry. So what? Hunger is not the end of the world, and after 20 minutes or so, you get over it for the next few hours. If you were stuck in traffic, you would not suffer that much if you could not eat, so don't worry that you will be hungry. You will. But it will pass. And the longer you do it, you body becomes acclimated to it and then you don't even really get hungry.
Rebecca
HOLY CRAP!!!! (That was my thought when I saw your weight :-) I really thought this last week was going to be an especially frustrating one for you. I am so glad I was wrong!! Congratulations, Rebecca! I know you must be over the moon happy today!
ReplyDeleteHigh fives from Arkansas!!
Tracy
Thanks, Tracy! I appreciate your support! Rebecca
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