Gwen F.

I was diagnosed with high cholesterol a couple of years ago, and was put on a statin drug. While I was on it, I was fatigued and “draggy” all the time…I even woke up fatigued! Anyway, after hearing about the side effects of statins last year, I quit taking it. I changed my diet to vegan, hoping to become healthier and lose some weight. I lost 3 or 4 pounds and that was it. After several months of eating vegan, I had to have my cholesterol and triglyceride levels checked for my health insurance. Imagine my shock when I was told that my triglyceride level was over 300, and my total cholesterol was 200!
On Memorial Day 2014, I made changes to my diet. I was particularly interested in the connection between high blood sugar and dementia, and that fasting blood sugar should be no higher than the low 90s for optimum brain function, so I decided to also keep track of my blood sugar levels. On day one of my grain-free eating, my fasting blood sugar was 116! For the next few days, my fasting blood sugar ranged between 103-108. The following week, it dropped down to the 90s, and I started to think, “That’s more like it!” Now, my fasting blood sugar levels are consistently in the 70’s!
I was so pleased to see the weight begin to drop off. I have struggled with my weight throughout my adult life, even when I tried to eat healthy, and I was a believer in “healthy whole grains.” Imagine my shock to find out that whole wheat bread has a higher glycemic level than a Snickers candy bar! I grew up on white bread, and believed that switching to whole wheat was the healthier choice.
The first month of eating grain-free, low carb, and high fat, I saw my weight drop 10 pounds. After that first month, the weight loss slowed, but I was still consistently dropping around 4-5 pounds a month. I figured that I didn’t gain it all at once, so I just needed to be patient, and let my body do its thing, I just needed to be consistent with my new way of eating. I did hit a plateau during the month of October, and didn’t lose any weight, but I just figured that my body was making the adjustments that it needed to make, and I continued my new way of eating. This month, I’ve dropped another 5 lbs. Now, six months later, I have lost a total of 32 lbs., 8 inches around my waist, and I am down to a size 4 pants! I weigh what I weighed when I got married, 34 years ago! I would like to lose 8 more lbs. and then I would weigh what I weighed in high school! But I’m totally happy with where I am today!
Now, what about the other aspects of this way of eating for me? I feel like I’ve set the clock back 20 years! I have more energy than I remember having in a long time. I’m sleeping better, and I wake up feeling refreshed. My brain fog is gone, my thoughts are clearer, and I’m not as forgetful. I’m not dealing with my stomach bloating after I eat. My mood is better, and I generally feel happier with my life. My husband and I have started taking ballroom dancing classes, and I walk my dog regularly (good for both him and me).