Losing weight long term on LCHF

February 5 2014 by in Success stories

Before and after

Does LCHF work long-term? I received an e-mail from Ramsey, who knows for sure:

The E-mail

Hey There Doc,

First, let me start by saying I’m a very big fan of what you have been doing these past years. My name is Ramsey, I’m 26 years old and have been LCHF for about 6 years now. I have always been an athlete, but it appeared as if my body didn’t receive the memo. I simply ate like a giant Panda (kinda looked like one too). One day while looking in the mirror, I said to myself “why are you fat? You play countless sports and are in great shape”. It then dawned on me, DIET! From that point on I started cutting the carbs and eating real food. I’m pleased to say that I have gone from roughly 250 lbs (113 kg) to 163 lbs (74 kg)!!! I’ve maintained this weight off for 6 years now, and the amount of activity I do is drastically less, due to sports injuries. I am no more special than anyone else – if I can do it, so can you!

Good luck, friends.

-Ramsey

Grreen

Congratulations, Ramsey!

Do you have a success story you want to share on this blog? Send it (photos appreciated) to andreas@dietdoctor.com. Let me know if it’s OK to publish your photo and name or if you’d rather remain anonymous.

LCHF for Beginners

How to Lose Weight

57 comments

Top comments

Reply to comment #1 by Robert
Ramsey
February 5 2014 7
Hi Robert,

The initial weight-loss took approximately 1 year.

Replies: #17, #39

Read more →
Ramsey
February 7 2014 6
Disclaimer: The following results and experiences are that of my own and pertain to my genetic disposition, lifestyle and eating habits. Everyone is different and different Micro/Macro nutrients may be applied based on lifestyle, goals and genes. Always stay true to the scientific method and question all literature, do not be biased, it will only back-track us.

That being stated, let's get to the questions: =)

#1 How often and how much do you eat?

Given my current lifestyle (Musician working nights) I live out of hotels traveling the world. When I'm on vacation my body composition actually improves being that I prepare all of my food. Working in hotels can be very good, but at times, very bad. Good in the sense that I have sometimes have access to quality food and as much as I want, FREE! Bad in the sense that at times, I have no say in the type or quality of the food that is offered to me. kind of an oxymoron.

-When on vacation: I typically fast after waking up for a few hours 2-3, from there I cook some bacon in butter and add cheese and eggs. After that I'll usually eat some sort of meat with veggies in the evening. In between I may have some nuts or make my favorite drink (Avocado, heavy cream, blueberries, cinnamon and nutmeg, DELICIOUS!

-While at work: I usually wake up early to get to the buffet (2:30 pm), being that dinner is a la carte and will not have access to food after work, 2am. I typically stick to the meats (chicken, lamb, brain, pork, liver) and cheeses, as well as heavy cream sauces. I enjoy broccoli/cauliflower casseroles (no potatoes, just cheeses/butter/cream). I always have my coffee with butter/heavy cream and I drink a ton of sparkling water, because it makes my tummy feel funny. ;)

#2 what do you eat and what do you not eat?

-I am not perfect and occasionally fall into temptation and enjoy life. That being said here are foods I try to avoid: Grains, legumes, artificial sweeteners or anything that is sweet for that matter, fruit (exception of berries, lime, lemon) and most tubers (Although i'm not against them).

-Foods I eat: Meats, nuts/seeds, high fat dairy, vegetables growing above ground.

#3 how often do you train and what do you train?

-Once upon a time I was a decent athlete, playing Football, Wresting and fighting MMA. Due to injuries (Torn ACL and Meniscus, broken nose) I am a lot more restricted in what I can do. As of now, i simply do calisthenics, specifically (Convict Conditioning, mixed with gymnastic movements and just being a kid at heart and moving around randomly anywhere I'm at. I do not do cardio (unless you count me sliding on stage while I shake my toosh. =)

#4 Did you have any issues with loose skin?

-I do not have issues with loose skin, hover there is a little bit of give to it given how heavy I once was.

#5 how long did it take before you started to see your abs?

-That came at about the 6 month mark.

#6 Did you keep track of your body fat %?

-I once did, I believe the lowest I achieved was 12 %.

#7 Do you know you body fat % now?

-I could not tell you today, but I feel more muscular based on my calisthenics, i would guess around 10 %.

#8 How tall are you?

- 5'10

To sum it up, I basically follow what the good doctor has said. We are constantly learning and finding out new things, let's just be open and question it without cult-type bias. What works for me may not work for you, and vice versa. Take into consideration all of the environmental variables (diet, stress, sleep, genetics, goals etc..)

Good luck all, if you're on this site then you are already a step ahead of the game.

Nap time,

-Ramsey

Replies: #42, #44

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All comments

1
Robert
February 5 2014
I wonder how long it took initially to lose all the weight? He says he has maintained it for 6 years so it must have been rather quick.

Reply: #2
2
Reply to comment #1 by Robert
Ramsey
February 5 2014 7
Hi Robert,

The initial weight-loss took approximately 1 year.

Replies: #17, #39
3
Gigi
February 5 2014 1
Wow, this is so cool! Congratulations, Ramsey!

I have a question for all of you "LCHF's" out there:
I've been on a moderate LCHF since new year, and I feel great about it, though I haven't really lost any weight yet (I'm 30 kg.s overweight, so I really have to get rid of some pounds!) Today my husband told me (in a very gentle way!) that my breath has become bad, very sharp and acetone-ish. I received the message with mixed feelings because I see it as a sign of my body being in ketose, although the bad smell of course is.. bad.
I would like to hear if any of you have experiences in such kind of "delayed" weightloss, or did you all just drop lots of pounds from day one?

Replies: #4, #10, #43
4
Reply to comment #3 by Gigi
Galina L.
February 5 2014 1
Gigi,
The dietdoctor blog does not contain enough of information about how to loose weight on a LC diet, rather is trying to get people interested in a such style of eating. Go to a Dr.Eades blog (http://www.proteinpower.com/drmike/low-carb-diets/help-low-carb-dieters/), who had been treating people with a LC diet for 15 years. I remember he was describing one of his patients who complained she was not loosing weight, and her food diary revealed she was eating 5000 calories a day.Check his archives, especially on the subject of ketosis. Being in Ketosis is not the guarantee that you loose weight if you eat too much. It is hard to gain weight in ketosis, it controls your appetite, but there is a room for a discipline, especially for middle-aged females. My own advice - do not snack on any food between meals, if hungry, drink green tea with lemon, eat max of 3, better 2 meals a day, strictly limit amount of nuts to 1oz a day, do not make any LC deserts except for special occasions (berries with heavy cream or a mascarpone cheese is a desert), limit heavy cream to the reasonable amount in your one cup of morning coffee, do not eat at least 4 hours before going to bed, limit cheese.
5
Dale
February 5 2014 3
re:-- Apparently you haven't read enough of The Diet Doctor blog if you don't think it has enough information. It's got plenty of info. I like Dr. Eades blog too, but you have to search out stuff on his blog also, just like you do any blog. Here is the link on The diet Doctor blog with info about how to do a high fat/low carb diet.

http://www.dietdoctor.com/lchf
6
Little Flower
February 5 2014 1
I totally agree with Dale's post. There is enough free information in the doc's low carb high fat section to save you a ton of money in books that are not even half as good. Plus he has great tips if you're having trouble losing weight. For me, the dairy had to go...(as the doc mentions minimizing it - I just totally eliminated it.). Not only does it make weight loss easier, but my sinus problems cleared up!
7
RANDOMORCHID
February 5 2014
Hi there, I'm very new to LCHF, and I'm a bit scared to start if I'm honest! Can someone put up some menu examples to help me? My goal is, of course to lose weight! I'd be really grateful. I think I need to ease myself in slowly if you know what I mean??
Thanks in advance!

Replies: #11, #13
8
Galina L.
February 5 2014
@Dale, Little Flower,
I have read enough of Dr.Andreas blog, and every time when there is some story about an astonishing success, there are also comments of frustrated people who have none of that and beg for a help from other LCarbers. I even left my own comment with a suggestion that Dr.team would create some clear link to the posts with helpful tips. You don't have to dig hard into the proteinpower.com blog, there are clearly on the side links to posts like "metabolism and ketosis" and "Tips how to start and re-start a LC diet".
Instead of jumping to declare that everything is just fine and perfect enough, I suggest you would rather join my voice and ask Dr. to make things easier to find for the people who need help. It would be more useful. I am sure Dr.Andreas doesn't need blind loyalty, and his goal is helping people , and telling him what can be improved is helpful.

Reply: #24
9
Adrian
February 5 2014
Unfortunately I asked Dr Andreas several questions about everything related to LCHF and he didn't answer any of those :(
10
Reply to comment #3 by Gigi
Lori Miller
February 5 2014
Gigi, Jenny Ruhl says that ketone breath is a sign of too much protein. We've lived in a low-fat world so long that anything else seems high fat. It really isn't. If you need truly high-fat recipes, look for keto recipes or download The Fat Fast Cookbook for a few dollars. You could also try eliminating dairy like yogurt, cheese and half-and-half since it raises insulin.

I didn't start a LC diet to lose weight, but 20 pounds fell off of me without any effort.

Reply: #12
11
Reply to comment #7 by RANDOMORCHID
Zepp
February 5 2014 1
Here some links, to get you started.

http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/lowcarb101/a/firstweek.htm

http://authoritynutrition.com/low-carb-diet-meal-plan-and-menu/
12
Reply to comment #10 by Lori Miller
Zepp
February 5 2014
To much protein is Dragon breath.. it smells amonia.

Ketobreath smells aceton.

"No More Ketobreath!"

http://www.phlaunt.com/lowcarb/19063904.php
13
Reply to comment #7 by RANDOMORCHID
Lori Miller
February 5 2014
I've never made up a menu in four years on LC, but I've posted pictures of my LC groceries. One thing I like about LC is that it's so easy to cook.

http://relievemypain.blogspot.com/2013/01/what-can-i-eat-on-low-carb-...
14
Jan
February 6 2014
I've been living the LC lifestyle for over five years now and it suits me fine. Cooking doesn't have to be involved, in fact simple is often best. Something like:

Scrambled eggs, with ham and mushrooms to start the day.

Some grated cheese with a salad at lunch.

Lovely chicken thighs cooked in their skins with a selection of non starchy vegetables e.g. broccoli, mashed swede, cabbage. With blueberries and double cream for dessert.

If you want some ideas look at http://lowcarbdietsandrecipes.blogspot.co.uk/
15
Modesty
February 6 2014 2
Some more inspiration for recipes - http://lowcarbhealthyfat.com/recipes/
16
Sophie
February 6 2014
Congrads Ransey!!!
17
Reply to comment #2 by Ramsey
sten
February 6 2014 1
Ramsey, well done to start and stick with it for so long!
You may be able to answer a question that is important for many:
Older people with metabolic syndrome -often overweight or with larger waist, sometimes diabetes-2 or close to it - often get high morning blood sugar after more than a year on low carb eating. The worse "metabolic syndrome the worse morning sugar", ALSO on low carb, at least after a year or more.

Some think this is "natural" on low carb and others (me for one) think it is due to remaining insulin resistance or "metabolic syndrome", manifesting in remaining visceral fat that is the cause of poor blood sugar regulation.

Clearly you have lost all the visceral fat and been many years on LCHF.
Do you know what your fasting blood sugar is?
Thanks for posting!

Reply: #19
18
Galina L.
February 6 2014
I wouldn't advice to the people who are trying to loose weight but can't ,to eat anything with a whipped cream except for rare occasions.
19
Reply to comment #17 by sten
Ramsey
February 6 2014
Sten,

I'm regret to inform you that I do not know my resting blood sugar. However, I'd be happy to answer another question you may have. =)

Replies: #25, #30
20
LC Guy
February 6 2014
Gigi,

I've LCHF'd on and off for years, and at the beginning of the ketogenic adjustment, there will be some days and even weeks where my breath smells bad. After the adjustment, which may different for you than it is for me, will adjust to a level that is just fine.

I spray a 3% food grade H202 into my mouth several times a day and that helps for those around me.

Drink lots of water!

LC Guy
21
LC Guy
February 6 2014 1
Ramsey,

WTG!! You've given me the confidence to quit the carb/no carb rollercoaster ride!

LC Guy
22
christine cronau
February 6 2014
Hi Ramsey, congratulations! I would love to share your story in my next book, especially since you have had the weight off for so long, and such a brilliant transformation. I am the LCHF author in Australia. Anyway, if you are interested, can you personal message me on facebook?
https://www.facebook.com/ChristineCronau
23
Garry
February 6 2014 1
I have been following the Paleo/Primal lifestyle for a year now and lost 27kg. The first 16kg in the initial 3 months. The best news is I no longer use any injected insulin from using for 4 times a day for the last 12 years. I am having so much fun I started a website .Please check it out http://paleoliving.co.za/
24
Reply to comment #8 by Galina L.
Dr. Andreas Eenfeldt, MD Team Diet Doctor
February 6 2014 2

Instead of jumping to declare that everything is just fine and perfect enough, I suggest you would rather join my voice and ask Dr. to make things easier to find for the people who need help. It would be more useful. I am sure Dr.Andreas doesn't need blind loyalty, and his goal is helping people , and telling him what can be improved is helpful.

You're absolutely right and I'm grateful for any feedback about what could be improved. It's very helpful for me.

Many of your good tips for losing weight are already covered here but there's absolutely room for improvement and there's still a few important pieces of the puzzle left.
http://www.dietdoctor.com/how-to-lose-weight

Reply: #33
25
Reply to comment #19 by Ramsey
Jonas A
February 6 2014

Sten,I'm regret to inform you that I do not know my resting blood sugar. However, I'd be happy to answer another question you may have. =)

1) How often and how much do you eat?
2) what do you eat and what do you not eat?
3) how often do you train and what do you train?

Best regards Jonas A
26
Gigi
February 6 2014
Thank you all for your kind replies!
I follow several blogs about the topic, so I guess I'll just have to find my own path in all this. I really think it's a bit of a jungle and it disappoints me, because everybody talks about how easy and simple LCHF is; I don't think it is that simple, but it might just be me who's tending to theorise things into atoms! ;) However, you all gave me some very useful advices and links.
Thanks again, folks!

Reply: #28
27
Sol y Sombra
February 6 2014
Gigi, first of all make sure you are strictly low-carbing. You say you have been on a moderate LCHF diet. What does "moderate" mean to you? The solution to your problem may lie in the amount of carbs you consume - you may have to restrict that to, say, under 50 grams/day or under 20. So start by keeping a diary of all the food you eat (fitday.com is a good place to track your intake) and reduce the amount of carbs you consume. That's where I would start, if I were you.

Secondly, do track your protein intake too. You may need to cut back on the protein and increase your fat consumption. I would aim for over 65% fat in my meals.

As for specific food groups, dairy may have to go. If you consume a lot of it, do try to cut back.

Nuts may also have to go, as may berries and all fruit.

If you regularly use sweeteners, I would recommend you quit those too.

Best of luck to you! I hope you soon find your way to the best LCHF plan for you and manage to get rid of the excess weight!
28
Reply to comment #26 by Gigi
PatrickP
February 6 2014 1
Gigi, you shouldn't be looking for a guru and you shouldn't fall into the trap of thinking it has to be complex. Just learn the principles and apply them to your diet. The good news is that the principles are simple. Low carb. High fat. Remove grains and sugar from your diet and eat more fat.

I have staple foods on hand at all times. Eggs, cream, coconut milk, avocados, macadamia nuts, vegetables of every kind, ground meats, bacon, grass fed butter, coconut oil, canned salmon, berries, etc.

Just chop some vegetables and scrample some eggs. Fry a couple hamburger patties and eat them with steamed vegetables and butter. Bbq a steak. Bake a chicken.

I suggest Googling paleo recipes and then experiment. Find four or five simple recipes that you really like then eat those until you get sick of them. Then find some more. You'll start to figure out the types of ingredients you should always have on hand and you'll understand the principles innately.
29
Sol y Sombra
February 6 2014
One more thing, Gigi: you say have been on a moderate LCHF diet since New Year. That means you have only been doing this for just over a month. Your body may just need more time to adjust. Be patient!

By the way, did you take your measurements, before you started? It is often the case with LCHF that waist circumference and other measurements start decreasing, before the scale starts moving.

Anyway, clean up your diet. Meat, eggs and veggies, olive oil, butter, coconut oil and lard are your best friends.

Once again, good luck!
30
Reply to comment #19 by Ramsey
sten
February 6 2014
If you go to a doctor for a routine check the standard blood test includes
blood sugar and you are told to not eat until after the tests in the morning.
You will probably have absolutely excellent values on all counts !
You can always get in touch with someone in your area with diabetes and
do a finger prick test.
31
John
February 6 2014
Hi Ramsey,

Well done you have done great, could you tell us what a you eat on a typical day.
And do you exercise everyday.

thanks
32
Gigi
February 6 2014
@Sol y Sombra and PatrickP:
You guys rock - thank you so much for your support and advices!

@Sol y Sombra: I'd hate to sound negative but all this stuff about counting grams/day is a part of the reason why I think it's not that simple. Also because I experience a lot of divergent advices like I should cut down the dairies, others would say, that I should cut down the proteins and others again would say that I should cut down vegetables because of their cotents of carbs; it's all those divergent informations that makes my head spin! I really don't eat any fruits or berries, neither any sweeteners and only a few nuts. But I'll take your advice and make a dairy and by that make a more structured approach to the subject! And thanks for your words about being patient - that's exactly what I needed to hear, because one gets the impression that everyone else had kind of immediately weightloss!

@PatrickP: I'll try my best to adapt your not-complex-view at this subject. In the beginning I also considered it as being simple, but I guess it's a question of being more patient. The reason why I haven't given up yet is that I feel great with this food in general, so I really want to believe in it. Your advice about using four or five recipies until I get sick of them sounds a lot like my way, whether I eat LCHF or not, haha! :)
33
Reply to comment #24 by Doc
Galina L.
February 6 2014
Thank you, doc, for your response. It is easy for me now to see the " how to loose weight" material and to point on it for the desperate dieters. I suggest, you would put more emphasis in your recommendations on the fact that it is still possible to overeat even LC foods, even though most people report their appetite to be self-regulated when carbs are restricted. V. Steffanson lost only 2-3 lb during the year of his only meat diet (he didn't have a goal to loose weigh), Eskimos were even not in ketosis unless fasted (http://www.jbc.org/content/80/2/461.full.pdf+html), and many travelers reported middle-aged females of Inuits and Eskimos being overweight.
One of commentators suggested a fitday.com to be used occasionally to get a reality check about what is going on with the diet a person follow, but it doesn't produce a weigh-loss.
34
murray
February 6 2014
It seems to me that LCHF itself is as simple as diets get. What is not so simple is troubleshooting what is happening when it does not result in reduction of body fat or results in increased body fat or other undesirable symptoms. Adapting Tolstoy: "Happy metabolisms are all alike; every unhappy metabolism is unhappy in its own way." Difficulty with LCHF may be due to undermining LCHF with hidden sources of sugar (such that one was not really eating LCHF), or it may be due to personal metabolic quirks or injury, that either have to adapt with time or require some other workaround. It helps to see how other people overcome similar quirks or injuries, but at the end of it all, one might be a pioneer, or LCHF might not be suitable.

I would distinguish trying to reduce body fat with LCHF and not gaining body fat. In my experience, so long as carbs are low and protein modest, the number of calories does not matter so long as one is not trying to reduce body fat. My experience is that I can eat virtually unlimited fat and not gain body fat on LCHF. Sam Feltham reports similar experience (http://live.smashthefat.com/category/food/5000-calorie-challenge/).
35
The Southerner
February 7 2014
I'm not sure if this is the right platform to bring this up but nevertheless ... I'm a food addict and have reactive hypoglycaemia (while also being an alcoholic in recovery and a sugar addict in recovery) - if you like labels! For me there is no satiety - I will eat myself sick if I'm not disciplined. This LCHF way of eating is miraculous for me - as long as I stay under my estimated daily calorie requirement. I hold out hope that my body/mind will know satiety at some point in my life – but I don’t care if it doesn’t.

I don't know what the answer to the calories in = calories out equation is. I do know that if I estimate my daily calorie requirements (http://www.exrx.net/Calculators/CalRequire.html) - decide on how many calories in deficit I wish to be - then work out my macronutrient amounts in in grams and calories (while keeping carbohydrate under 20g/day) then I am in a win-win situation.

If the calories in = calories out hypothesis is true then I am in a deficit and lose weight without hunger. If the alternative hypothesis that I can eat as much as I like (in ketosis) is true then I lose weight without hunger! I eat along the Overeaters Anonymous path – though I eat 4 “square meals” a day – each with up to 30g of protein, up to 30g of fat and minimal carbs. This equals approximately 1560 calories consumed (+ minimal carbs) per day – which is well under my 2048 calories per day BMR.

My heartfelt thanks to the Diet Doctor and to all the other souls involved with this diet. God bless you all.
36
Galina L.
February 7 2014
Murray,
most cases when somebody can't loose weight involve middle-aged females. Others report their weigh loss happens without much effort while their food choices fit the LCHF criteria til they reach a healthy weight. Sometimes I think that older females just fight the harder battle in order to be at the weight which is unnatural for their age. From the natural selection perspective we shouldn't give misleading signals about our youth and fertility to other people. I want to look and feel good regardless of what nature has in mind for me, but it involves much more effort.
37
Sol y Sombra
February 7 2014 1
Gigi, you don't really need to count and track much. You can start by simply sticking to a strict LCHF plan and see where that takes you. If you haven't lost anything a couple more months from now, then I would advise you to start tracking your intake just to make sure you are doing everything right. You don't need to log in your food every day for months on end. Just for a couple of days or weeks, until you get the hang of this.

In practical terms:
1) Base your meals on meat, eggs and vegetables.
2) Cook with butter, extra virgin olive oil, lard or extra virgin coconut oil. Use enough fat so your food is tasty and not dry. You don't need to overdo it with your fats, just make sure you are not eating low-fat.
3) Eat some cheese and/or Greek yogurt and/or cream, but do not base your meals on dairy products.
4) Don't eat more than a handful of nuts a day.
5) Try not to eat too many meals - 2 or 3 a day is best. Eat when hungry, stop when full.

These are the basics. Since it's only been a month you've been doing LCHF, give it more time. You don't need to be too restrictive in the beginning (this is my opinion). Don't cut the dairy just yet. Just make sure you are not eating too much of it.

Once again, best of luck!

Reply: #38
38
Reply to comment #37 by Sol y Sombra
Gigi
February 7 2014
Thank you very much for these guidelines. I do think I follow most of them quite well, but I might very well benefit from considering the amount of dairies and the general size of meals; LCHF-food tastes so damn good that it's sometimes difficult not to over eat! Thanks a lot for your support! ;)

Reply: #40
39
Reply to comment #2 by Ramsey
Logan
February 7 2014
Hi Ramsey,

Did you have any issues with loose skin?

If so, what did you do to address those issues?

If not, how long did it take before you started to see your abs?

Did you keep track of your body fat %?

Do you know you body fat % now?

How tall are you?
40
Reply to comment #38 by Gigi
Logan
February 7 2014 1
I had to cut out all dairy before I started to lose. (I also lost the constipation issue when I cut out the cheese too)

Also, if you're not getting all your fatty meat from the butcher's section be aware that most prepared meat has added sugar in it: lunch meats, sausages, bacon, beef sticks, can't even trust steaks at a restaurant. Oh and scrambled eggs from restaurants also usually have milk added to them.
41
Ramsey
February 7 2014 6
Disclaimer: The following results and experiences are that of my own and pertain to my genetic disposition, lifestyle and eating habits. Everyone is different and different Micro/Macro nutrients may be applied based on lifestyle, goals and genes. Always stay true to the scientific method and question all literature, do not be biased, it will only back-track us.

That being stated, let's get to the questions: =)

#1 How often and how much do you eat?

Given my current lifestyle (Musician working nights) I live out of hotels traveling the world. When I'm on vacation my body composition actually improves being that I prepare all of my food. Working in hotels can be very good, but at times, very bad. Good in the sense that I have sometimes have access to quality food and as much as I want, FREE! Bad in the sense that at times, I have no say in the type or quality of the food that is offered to me. kind of an oxymoron.

-When on vacation: I typically fast after waking up for a few hours 2-3, from there I cook some bacon in butter and add cheese and eggs. After that I'll usually eat some sort of meat with veggies in the evening. In between I may have some nuts or make my favorite drink (Avocado, heavy cream, blueberries, cinnamon and nutmeg, DELICIOUS!

-While at work: I usually wake up early to get to the buffet (2:30 pm), being that dinner is a la carte and will not have access to food after work, 2am. I typically stick to the meats (chicken, lamb, brain, pork, liver) and cheeses, as well as heavy cream sauces. I enjoy broccoli/cauliflower casseroles (no potatoes, just cheeses/butter/cream). I always have my coffee with butter/heavy cream and I drink a ton of sparkling water, because it makes my tummy feel funny. ;)

#2 what do you eat and what do you not eat?

-I am not perfect and occasionally fall into temptation and enjoy life. That being said here are foods I try to avoid: Grains, legumes, artificial sweeteners or anything that is sweet for that matter, fruit (exception of berries, lime, lemon) and most tubers (Although i'm not against them).

-Foods I eat: Meats, nuts/seeds, high fat dairy, vegetables growing above ground.

#3 how often do you train and what do you train?

-Once upon a time I was a decent athlete, playing Football, Wresting and fighting MMA. Due to injuries (Torn ACL and Meniscus, broken nose) I am a lot more restricted in what I can do. As of now, i simply do calisthenics, specifically (Convict Conditioning, mixed with gymnastic movements and just being a kid at heart and moving around randomly anywhere I'm at. I do not do cardio (unless you count me sliding on stage while I shake my toosh. =)

#4 Did you have any issues with loose skin?

-I do not have issues with loose skin, hover there is a little bit of give to it given how heavy I once was.

#5 how long did it take before you started to see your abs?

-That came at about the 6 month mark.

#6 Did you keep track of your body fat %?

-I once did, I believe the lowest I achieved was 12 %.

#7 Do you know you body fat % now?

-I could not tell you today, but I feel more muscular based on my calisthenics, i would guess around 10 %.

#8 How tall are you?

- 5'10

To sum it up, I basically follow what the good doctor has said. We are constantly learning and finding out new things, let's just be open and question it without cult-type bias. What works for me may not work for you, and vice versa. Take into consideration all of the environmental variables (diet, stress, sleep, genetics, goals etc..)

Good luck all, if you're on this site then you are already a step ahead of the game.

Nap time,

-Ramsey

Replies: #42, #44
42
Reply to comment #41 by Ramsey
murray
February 7 2014 1
"my favorite drink (Avocado, heavy cream, blueberries, cinnamon and nutmeg, DELICIOUS!"

two thumbs up!
43
Reply to comment #3 by Gigi
MJ
February 8 2014
Gigi, I too have had my ups and downs with LCHF. I experienced initial weight loss quickly, and have hit plateaus periodically since then. I have long-term Type 2 diabetes (poor control for many years)/metabolic syndrome, and find that as soon as I allow carbs to start creeping back in I stop losing weight and lose tight control of my blood sugar. The only thing that works for me is strict limitation of carbs. I use the Duke U No Sugar, No Starch diet (the same one in the back of Taubes' Why We Get Fat book) to get/stay on track.

http://www.fitintegrity.com/uploads/9/5/1/6/9516119/no_sugar_no_starc...

Have lost 70 pounds and counting...hubby has lost about 170!

Hope that's helpful.
44
Reply to comment #41 by Ramsey
Jonas A
February 8 2014
Thank you Ramsey for sharing your road to a better life!
1 comment removed
46
Gigi
February 8 2014
@Logan:
Something really tells me that I'll have to cut back on the dairies! ;)
Thanks a lot for your tip about prepared meat and scrambled eggs from restaurants. After starting on LCHF I'm getting really good at reading the list of ingredients in any kind of food, and one really gets surprised sometimes; like that I found out that grated cheese (ready-made) has flour added as a anticaking ingredient.. I just never thougt of it as anything else but.. cheese, so one learns to be quite aware of ingredients!
47
Gigi
February 8 2014
@MJ:
Thank you very much for both the link and your amazing story! I don't even have any health issues to deal with like you, so you inspire me to think that I can do it, if you can do it. Both you and your hubby really rocks - it's so cool to hear about your weight loss and I'll definitely keep it in mind as a big inspiration! ;)
48
Anita
February 8 2014
I found the following on the Amazon website: The Low Carb High Fat Cookbook: 100 Recipes to Lose Weight and Feel Great. I've tried quite a few of the recipes - they're great!
49
Henri
February 22 2014
Thank you
Juicing For Fat Loss " recipes" can help you to loss weight fast watch free video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGC8uVQDmSU
50
Connor
February 23 2014
I first decided to LCHF in June 2013 because i wanted to lose weight. I dropped all manner of wheat products and anything that raised blood sugar and went from 83kgs to 76kgs, doesnt sound like much i know, but in mid 2011 i accidentally gave up beer and back then i weighed 95kgs. Other benefits ive noticed include better sleep, eliminated pain from heart burn, trigs/HDL ratio down to 1.1 from 3.2, smoother skin, sharper thinking, improved memory, average blood pressure reduced to 120/75 from 140/90, much calmer. I wish i knew about this many years ago. i look back to 8 months ago and worried about how i needed to shed the kilos but now i am happy to have picked up the other health benefits because i "didnt see them coming". Im not saying it could work for everyone but LCHF has definitely worked for me and i feel that if i go back to what i knew before, my health problems will return. Give it a one month try, you have nothing to lose, umm except the weight!
51
Frank
February 23 2014
Ramsey, I like what you said about variation in results based on genes. It looks like you lost ~90 pounds in a year. I've been doing LCHF for almost two years and have only lost ~40. Maybe I'm just an anomaly, but I think I would've been saved a lot of frustration if the LC guru-sites would be a little more open about the fact that not everyone gets miraculous results like yours (almost 2 pounds per week!).
52
Beatrice
March 5 2014
Amazing transformation!! GOOD WORK! :D
53
Andrew
July 3 2014
Great weight loss!

It is amazing at just how effective low carbohydrate, high fat living actually is for losing weight. I run a small blog and have had some wonderful success for myself as well as for people I help out.

Some people come looking for a quick fix but I always teach then that health doesn't come quickly, but it does come if you feed the body the right foods and put it to work. (You can take a look at my paleo focused blog here if you like : http://thepaleodiet.co.za)

I think that the more people who try LCHF eating the better equipped we will all be at dealing with health issues. Perhaps we will even be able to beat many serious diseases once we have allowed enough healing to occur.

Viva LCHF!
:)
Andrew
54
wired_kiwi
July 14 2014
I have been doing the LCHF diet for around 3 mnths. I am 49 years old. Initially I lost a few kilos. I workout hard at the gym and over the last 6 weeks I have lost half a kilo, 2.04% body fat and 6cm off my waist. It works. I eat quite a bit of cream, lots of meat, veges, coconut cream etc. I have never felt better.
55
Mimi
December 5 2014
Congrats Ramsey! Thats great achievement.
Have a question for you guys. Have read all your advices as I cannot figure out this problem.
Am a Personal Trainer and strongly believe in LCHF since am type1 diabetic and it suits me well.
Have an overweight woman with hypertrnsion (she is on med). I put her on LCHF since August 2014 but i dont see much change in her. She lost a bit of weight and drop 1dress size since. However, lately her measurements going up!! She gives me her weekly food diary (and hopefully she is honest with it), there is nothing like bread, pasta, refined things.. She usually eats for breakfast:1 handfull of blackberry with 2 tablespoon of greek yogurt and flaxeed. Rest of the day, she has salad with ham or eggs and 1/2 avocado. Dinner mainly chicken/beef with vegs. Rarely snack during the day (at odds time,she will have a small handfull of nuts). She said she used butter/coconut oil to cook.Drink only 1cup of tea with milk and occasionally a cofffee on the weekend. Her food looks good to me, but she's not making the progress..
She doesnt eat fish as she does not like it, and once a month she has 1-2glasses of wine (occasion/events)
There are food that I try to remove from her like too much tomato, parsnip (which is high in carbs) and carrots but she keeps eating them..
So just wondering if this can affect her? She trains 2x a week with me but has not been consistent lately.
Am scratching my head to figure out.. Most of my other clients, the results are immediate, but on that particular case I am lost.
She wants to lose the weight and be off her blood pressure meds.
Sorry for long post..hope somebody can help. Thanks guys

Replies: #56, #57
56
Reply to comment #55 by Mimi
Galina L.
December 5 2014
I wonder about her blood sugar levels. It is often the case people with a high blood pressure had BS abnormalities. May be she needs Medformine.
57
Reply to comment #55 by Mimi
sten
December 5 2014
Since she is on meds for high blood pressure her doc may well have given her statins also, "in prevention", although this could have the opposite effect long term and also just stop weight loss.
Cause: Statins raise blood sugar, then also insulin and the whole spiral causing not only diabetes 2 but of course also rather weight gain than weight loss, apart from the damage high blood sugar initself does by causing inflammation in blood vessel walls, which build plaque, the "root cause" that statins are marketed to prevent... Crazy world allright.

A class law suit against against Pfizer is now being prepared. Subject matter: the statin causing high blood sugar and diabetes! Pfizer knew but warned too late for the side effect. Now a warning label is mandatory in the US.

But on low carb, no cholesterol medication is ever required judging from that only small LDL particles participate in plaqued formation. Small LDL are caused by high triglycerides caused by high (fast) carb intake and/or high blood sugar.
Otherwise protein restriction at end of days and measure mornig blood sugar and keep it below 5.5 (100). As Galina says metformin may help, but some standard vinegar on evening salads may have similar effect. And salads today come far too often with sugar laden dressings that must be 100% avoided. Also they are often made from questionable omega 6 oils....

Here easy read about the Pfizer lawsuit : http://www.drugwatch.com/lipitor/lawsuit/

Reply: #58
58
Reply to comment #57 by sten
Mimi
December 6 2014
Thanks for the info.
No she's not on statin, only on blood pressure meds twice a day. She told me when she started that everything was good with all her blood work but I doubt it.
I asked her to have another full blood work done with full thyroid, liver, kidney, cholesterol (especially the small density LDL), diabetes. Not done as yet.

Will check if she can get a blood sugar monitor to check hers in the morning.
thanks for the link regarding pfizer lawsuit. I am aware of statins and unfortunately, doctors and hospital keep pushing you to take them!!

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