BEFORE LOW CARB: Fear of XXXXXXXL Pants

The Last Post Got the Ol' Artistic Juices Flowin...

I know, I know. "Keep your day job", you are thinking!

Leonardo DaVinci I am not!

But I thought that the last post wasn't complete without perhaps an additional drawing of a similar phobia I hope to conquer at some point in the future. I am not quite there yet, but at least there is hope....

Fear of breaking flimsy chairs....

Sigh...

I guess I will leave off here. I am tempted to do "Fear of Splitting One's Pants While Tying One's Shoes", but this is a family rated blogsite, and that is a little over the top (or under the bottom) anyhow....

Forward Progress! Steady As She Goes!

Well, I finally got past 352.0 this morning. Seems like the past few weeks I have been bouncing against barriers to my progress. I will be 352.0 for two mornings in a row, then BLOOOOP on up to 356 or 354.8 for no apparent reason. It is frustrating as I am staying low carb, avoiding all the evil-nastybad-awful things but my body is still doing odd things.

This morning I was down to 351.2 lbs. Lowest weight ever for me in "Who Knows How Long?". I gotta tell ya, it felt GREAT to see those numbers. I am waiting to break through below 350.0 lbs, but it isn't coming as fast and as easy as it did a couple of months ago.

One friendly reader surmised that perhaps I need to up my carbs, just a little. She may have something there. I have been keeping pretty tight control over them, trying to not let them get outa control and into "dropping out of ketosis-land". Still I am seeing forward progress overall, and that is the main thing!!

I checked my blood pressure last weekend for the first time since I started this way of eating and living. I was at 128 over something in the 90's on my best reading. While that may not be great for many folks, for me it is wonderful! I knew it had to be lower, but it was nice to see it for myself. I have run from the high 130's through as high as 160 on the top number in the past (the higher numbers if I took cold meds, or was under mega-stress, which happens occasionally). The bottom number has been in the mid-to-high 90's and maybe 80's at it's best.

I have had so many benefits since I started eating this way. I don't get all jittery if my blood sugar drops too low anymore, or sleepy and drowsy headed if I eat alot. Blood sugar is really steady and I feel great since gluconeogenesis provides the blood sugar it's supply. It is so regulated to the amount I need to feel good!

Also I have not had to take Prilosec or Alka Seltzer (sorry antacid manufacturers) as I no longer am having reflux, acid shoot up my esophagus, or any of the stomach acid problems I had before! I was one of the Alka Seltzer companies biggest customers I am sure - probably have to lay off a few thousand workers on their assembly lines now. Sure feel sorry about all that!

I also had to go out and purchase a tool to drill some new holes in my belts, as I had gone down well past the end of them and they were getting loose on me. THAT IS A WONDERFUL FEELING!!!! I want to keep one of my belts as I drill hole after hole to be able to see myself how far I have come as I lose down to lower inches and pounds.

And one other new and exciting thing happened... my wife had to make a "ring snuggy" for me out of some tape, as my wedding band was about flying off my hand every time I moved it to do something. THAT IS ALSO A WONDERFUL FEELING!!! Even my fingers are getting a little smaller, tho the cold weather is also a factor I am sure. Still, I haven't had THAT particular problem before!

Thanks to all how stop by here to check on me and see how I am doing! I AM DOING GREAT! I am loving life and living well on my low carb life. I am about to the point when people are starting to notice at work a little bit. I had my first question asking if I was losing weight from a coworker the other day. It was nice since I had lost around 50 lbs by that point, and you would think surely ***someone*** would notice my shirts getting baggier, my belt pulled tighter, my neck shrinking inside my collar, etc.

But being so heavy at the start (and still being really heavy) it will probably take even a while longer still for most folks to notice. I am OK with that. It gives me something to look forward to!

The Ever Enthusiastic Jimmy Moore!

One of the first really great places I found on the Net dealing with the low carb diet and life was Jimmy Moore's "Livinlavidalowcarb" web site, podcast, and blog. Jimmy is really a super low carb success story and evangelist of sorts. Jimmy lost over 180 lbs on the low carb lifestyle and has maintainted his weight loss ever since.

And Jimmy has been sharing tons of useful and practical information gleemed from the Internet, medical studies, and he points you to different low carb resources - recipes, products, weight loss plans, personal stories, anecdotes and advice, and healthy doses of his opinions (filled with infectious levels of enthusiasm and energy)!

Jimmy strikes me as a "regular guy" (which is very refreshing) who has found this wonderful secret to weight loss and living and can hardly contain himself as he finds one new and exciting thing after another to share with his readers and listeners. Jimmy has written a book about his weight loss journey called "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb" (ISBN# 1591138043). He sells the book online at his blog and even provides a free chapter from his book that you can download and read!

While his site is a little bit focussed on pumping up various low carb products, diets, etc. (as are many of the other low carb commercial sites out there like Atkins, South Beach and many others), regular folks will enjoy the many resources that can be found by reading the many postings and links off his website and will learn much. His positive attitude is absolutely contagious and he will help you get motivated to learn about and try this low carb lifestyle.

And Jimmy is living, walking proof that it works! I highly recommend that anyone interested in learning about the low carb lifestyle give Jimmy a look and a listen!


Links:

Jimmy's Blog:
http://livinlavidalocarb.blogspot.com

His Podcast and Internet Streaming Audio "Radio" Show:
http://www.thelivinlowcarbshow.com/

To Learn About his Book (Success Story):
http://www.booklocker.com/books/2183.html

Links to a chapter of his book:
http://livinlavidalocarb.blogspot.com/2005/10/get-free-chapter-of-livin-la-vida-low.html

His Low Carb Links Site:
http://lowcarblinks.blogspot.com/