So I am not the weight-loss poster child of LCHF

I wish I was the poster child for LCHF weight-loss, but I am not.

I've kept on struggling with my weight not losing big chunks, but slowly whittled away about 5kg and then for most of the past 18 months have either plateaued or lost a bit of weight. For about a month earlier this year I reached my goal. Overall I've lost enough weight and maintained the weight-loss to feel good about myself, but not enough to be the success story of the year in that department. I do however feel great and healthy for the first time in 20 years. I feel energized, awake, no blood sugar issues, healthy and I have a general sense of physical well-being that perhaps I never even realized was missing until I got it "back". None of those nasty tummy cramps after eating, no more postprandial narcolepsy and most importantly: not a singly hypoglycemic event in 18 months, basically since the day I ditched carbs and sugar. It also revolutionized my running. I hated GU et al in my carbo-loading days. Now I run a marathon on a good breakfast (egg and avocado) and water. Eating heaps of food before a race is not a requirement, I can just decide to run and I go. I carry almost nothing with me when I run, it's so comfortable. So weight-loss wise it's been okay - I did not pick up weight and occasionally lost some, most of time I was rock steady and stable. I did not look as great as some of my Banting friends - the same people whom I convinced into eating this way...but I shouldered it bravely and admitted to myself that even though I don't cheat with carbs, we don't always stick with the principle of "eat only when hungry", mostly because I LOVE eating and cooking and baking. I am also a stress eater and I have I mentioned, I LOVE food. My LCHF foodie addiction also contributes for sure, I so enjoy baking. The challenge and adventure to create something special really gives me a kick and having a challenge like LC cooking is just too much fun to skip. Then there is the dairy thing; I am definitely sensitive to dairy, so when I eat cheese and have milk in my coffee, my weight-loss stalls. Thus the odds are a bit stacked, and I know I am not the only one. I've read and re-read all the "Top reasons why you are not losing weight on Banting/LCHF" articles and really understand the issues. These challenges do not change my opinion on this way of eating - this is not a diet, it's a lifestyle. A lifestyle I've selected based on my own investigation into the available research. I am convinced and remain convinced.The health benefits are too overwhelming and everything I've read about the benefits of LC eating when suffering from autoimmune afflictions convinced me long before I realized that this is a way to control my weight as well.

And so why am I not a happy camper? Why am I miserable and thinking enviously about my thin Banting friends? I've recently hit a bit of a bump in the road. I got injured and I've picked up weight for the first time.

Two months ago my GP stated categorically that my thyroid medication dose is too high - after a blood test. I've been on the same dose for many years and after being "forced" earlier this year by Discovery to change from Eltroxin to Euthyrox, I did feel a bit more hyper than I should, probably the new molecule being more efficient than the older Eltroxin one or just the body responding slightly differently. Who knows... I did experience an elevated heart rate and thus conceded to the doctor. So we reduced the dose by 50%, based on my weight and height, I was not in the normal distribution for dosages according to Doc; that is to maintain the thyroid levels within the normal distribution (If you know me at all you should hear Grrrr, and lots of question marks flying around). But, nothing happened. I did not feel suddenly significantly deprived nor did I have the aches and pains I usually get when my dosage is too low, but I noticed something odd on the scale. Scope (weight) creep. At first it was just a small drift and I could deal with it and I attributed it more to nervous eating prior to the Comrades than to the dosage change. However, in the last two weeks, I've finally caught up with myself (after getting injured and having to make sure I adjust my calorie intake now that I cannot run) and I've realized in desperation that what had been "creep" has not become a mountain of fat. I've picked up 3 kg in 2 months, without significantly changing my lifestyle. Most of it in the past 3 weeks. I felt like the magic carpet ride came to an end too abruptly. No, not this again. I am so tired of battling the bulge. Can't I just get on free ride? Sigh. And I picked up my pieces and here I am ... back on track. Tracking my food and re-reading the important principles and just generally reminding myself how to do this right.

I am seriously monitoring my intake (via www.fatsecret.co.za) and balancing my Fat-Carbs-Protein intake carefully. I am also checking my blood ketones (expensive as it is) - this tool I found to be the most useful way to track my progress - getting myself into serious ketosis is the aim. I am also trying to calibrate the breathalyzer "Ketonix" instrument relative to the blood ketones to see if it could be a cheaper way to track ketone levels on a daily basis. Feedback to follow.....

There are a lot of books out there about autoimmune disease and paleo or low-carb diets and I wish I'd known about this stuff 18 years ago when I started having issues. I have no thyroid at all now, thus my issues are on going. In a sense I cannot be "cured" because I have no thyroid to fix. However, I still benefit from the health improvements associated with eating like this. I've felt it and seen too much benefit and do not wish to change my lifestyle. I don't find it hard to stick to this way of eating and it has truly become a lifestyle, with very little feeling of "deprivation". Unlike all other eating plans I've tried.

After all of that, it's hard to suddenly feel fat again. I've consciously aimed my focus on tracking my diet, my weight, my ketosis et al, to keep myself positive. The weight issue together with the uncertainty re my dose is disconcerting, and I cannot run yet with an injury lingering. I am not in a good head space at all and I know it's related to the lack of exercise, but I am pushing through this, just like I do when I race a marathon. Focusing on each milestone, step-by-step. 

Focus, measure, commit, patience.