GETTING SERIOUS

 Hello Everyone,

 I talked previously about my weight loss and health journey starting in 2020. Well, that's not entirely true. I tried off and on cutting out sugar but never controlled my portions.  That pushed my weight up an additional 20 lbs.

I go see my doctor every three months because of being on pain management due to my disability.  In January of 2021 I couldn't believe that my weight had sky rocketed to 258 lbs!!!  How did this happen?  Was I really that lackadaisical about what I ate? Yes I was and I was in denial about it.  

Oh, I justified what I did. I can't walk very well so exercise was too hard, you only live once so eat the cake, my husband doesn't mind so enjoy yourself.  What a load of BS.  I had to get real and do it fast before I gained any more weight. 

We use to go out for lunch every Friday and get Mexican. We would have lunch and I ate the whole thing.  Then we would order a to-go plate for dinner so that I "didn't have to cook that night" blah!! I can't even imagine how many calories I was taking in and worse yet I let my husband do the same thing and he was type 2 diabetic, high blood pressure and high cholesterol!! We clearly had blinders on.

That weigh in at the doctor kept needling me and I started to pay attention to how much of my mobility I was losing.  Doing simple things was becoming hard like doing the dishes, cooking, getting in and out of the shower and going to the bathroom. It was really awful if I had to use a public restroom as I could not twist or bend very well at all.  I could not pick anything up if it fell on the floor.

 House cleaning was almost impossible. It would take me half a day to clean the bathroom and then I would be bed bound or in the recliner the rest of the day. Getting in and out of our vehicle was ruff to say the least.

I started watching videos about weight loss. I studied everything from portion control, veganism to finally a carnivore diet.  Some similarities I found between them all were cutting out processed food, sugar and not drinking your calories. I started with not drinking calories, cutting sugar and processed food.

February 7th 2021 was when I got serious and have never looked back.

God Bless you all.

Rock on carnivores!!

DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE

 Hello Everyone,

I talked in my last blog about eating off plan for my birthday and how the food affected me.  I thought that I would have lost the weight gain ( inflammation) by the end of the week.  I was well on my way than this happened....

Having had those treats awakened my cravings in my brain.  I was doing pretty good at first beating them back.  Then came Thursday. We had a full day of running around going to the doctor, tire store and the Jiffy Lube.  The Jiffy Lube would be my downfall for the week. 

Now how could Jiffy Lube be my downfall you ask?  It was the Sonic next door that got me.  Normally I would fast and not eat till we got home but it was almost 2 pm and my hubby was hungry so I said let's go.  It seemed harmless as we were waiting for our truck to be serviced.  I should have known better.  Actually, I did know better but ate there anyhow.

We each got a double bacon cheeseburger tater tots and a coke zero.  Like that coke zero made it better. At least it didn't hurt.  Now we did not sit there and eat the burgers only the tater tots.  We saved the burgers for dinner. I only ate 1400 cal that day but the scale showed 4 lbs up the next morning.  I knew I would have bloat and decided to step on the scale  anyway and face the music.

Cravings are a nasty little beast that fills your mind with you really want this or that.  Go ahead you already ate that  burger so might as well have other snacks too.  Temptations like to hold on to some of us like grim death.  I realize some people can deal with food cravings pretty well.  I am not one of them.  Now I feel like I need to white knuckle it through and stay a strict carnivore to get past these cravings.  

I find that staying away from carbs, sugar and processed foods quells the cravings and hot flashes.  Yep, I had some of those since I ate that burger and tater tots.  They always come at night and disrupt my sleep which in turn caused the inflammation to hang on.  

How do we get past the cravings?  First thing is to acknowledge that is what it is.  Am I really hungry or am I bored, mindless eating or bad habits.  We all have different ways of coping with cravings.  Don't have the food in the house that tempts you.  Drink water to fill you up better yet, eat a hard boiled egg or two with that water and it will fill you up. Take a walk do a craft ,call a friend.  Prayer is powerful.  

Jesus fasted in the desert for 40 days and nights when satan came and tempted him right away with food.  Now Jesus being The God the Son stood against satan and he could not prevail because He stood on the Word of God.  We can do that too.

1 Corinthians 10:13

No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will  not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with temptation will also make the way of escape, that you maybe able to bear it.

Am I going to get past this? Yes!! Will I be tempted again. Absolutely!  Can I be an overcomer and not give in to temptation. With God as my Shepherd I can because He is faithful to make a way to escape it. 

God Bless you all and remember Jesus is Lord, God is in control and only Him do we serve.

Rock on Carnivores!!

LET'S TALK ABOUT THE WEEKEND

 Hello Everyone,

This past weekend was my birthday !!  I want to talk about what I ate and how it negatively affected me. Yes, I gained a few pounds. by pounds I mean 5 lbs.

It might sound like I really pigged out for my birthday.  Actually, I didn't.  I had inflammation from the food I ate. What is inflammation?

Inflammation can be weight gain due to insulin resistance and leptin resistance. Inflammation can impair the body's ability to process insulin, which leads to higher glucose levels in the liver.  What can cause this process to happen.  The answer is simple sugar and carbohydrates.

Some people who are insulin resistant develop Type 2 diabetes or can be menopausal. Other things it can lead to are higher cortisol levels which can be linked to belly fat. Cortisol is a hormone that regulates stress response in your body. This can be useful for fight or flight but too much leads to weight gain.

Processed foods , sugars and carbs are a definite culprit for higher cortisol, inflammation and weight gain along with lack of sleep and exercise.

Back to what I ate this weekend.  I am or was down 74 lbs.  So, I thought I could have some cheat foods and be ok.  I really only had two cheat foods some corn chips and cashews.  The rest of the food was carnivore but I did have more dairy than usual. 

Now, I knew these foods would have a negative effect on me. So, why did I eat them? I wanted to. I did enjoy them and had a good birthday weekend.  Today I face the consequences of my actions. I gained 5 lbs!!!  

Sounds like I binged but I didn't. I am not shocked at being fluffy today.  I didn't even eat excess sugar or carbs.  Any carbs or sugars affect me like this. Everyone is affected differently by these foods.  Some people can eat 20-50 carbs and have no inflammation. Others can eat fruits and vegetables and have dairy and not react.  I am not one of those people.

How do I know that this is inflammation?  Experience with these foods and elimination diet like a carnivor has helped me to hash that information out. Being menopausal has made me sensitive to carbs and sugar. I have found, over the past 2 years that if I eliminate carbs and sugar my hot flashes greatly diminished.   Yes, I had night sweats from eating that food over the weekend. Not to mention my gastroparesis acting up.

I am back to strict carnivore and will lose that 5 lbs by the end of the week.  Do I regret eating those foods? Yes and no. No I enjoyed something I haven't had in a year. Yes because of the results and now it has stalled my weight loss for a week or two.  

I made a choice and now I have to live with it. Will I do it again? I like to think not but in a year I might say lets see what happens.  None of us are perfect but don't let that keep you from getting up and going forward.

Rock on carnivores.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Hello everyone,

A couple of days ago was my birthday!!!  62 years young and I must say I don't feel 62. 

Reflecting back on this year was a good one. My youngest grandchild turned 1 and I was able to spend some time with the other Grandchildren over Christmas.  We have 7 Grandchildren in total and we feel truly blessed.

I got  what I really wanted for my Birthday. Phone calls from all the kids and spoke to the Grandchildren.  What more could I want. My youngest daughter came over this weekend with a gift really for both of us.  A tomahawk steak!!  Perfect gift for a carnivore!!

My husband had to undergo skin cancer surgery during this time around his eye.  Now, carnivore is not a cure but I believe it is helping with his recovery.  The lack of sugar and processed foods, which can feed cancer, made the tumor removal quick and easy.  We are blessed to have an ocular plastic surgeon near us who did an amazing repair job.   The Lord truly blessed us with this surgeon as he is the only one in 4 states and is only 20 minutes from us. 

Because of my husbands surgery we ate mostly soft foods.  So the tomahawk steak will have to wait for later.  It is easy to stay on track even when bumps in the road come along. We have been enjoying hamburgers,  canned beef and chicken from the local German Baptist who brought it in from the Amish.   So good and in its own broth.

I hope everyone is staying warm during this cold season and enjoy your loved ones.

Rock on carnivores!!

IBS AND GASTROPARESIS

Hello everyone,

In this blog I am going to talk about my stomach issues that have had a negative impact on my health.

Over the years and I mean years, I developed IBS.  We all know about a sluggish gut and how uncomfortable, even painful it can be.  Along with this I began having terrible stomach issues.  I started having trouble keeping food down even horrible pain in my stomach which left me bed ridden.  

I had all the usual tests done upper and lower GI, colonoscopy.  Even had my stomach scoped.  They would find a polyp but not much else.  In 2009 it was so bad I even had my gall bladder removed because it was a little sluggish.  I am now sorry I did that.  Still the pain and illness continued.

Doctors were stumped.  In all fairness I think it was partially due to the fact we were not living in one place for very long.  My husband's job moved us around and when he retired in 2010 we moved onto a boat and lived along the coast line of the Gulf of Mexico for 10 1/2 years. The adventures were irreplaceable but not having a regular doctor prolonged my issues. 

We are off the boat and live centrally to all our children. Now, we have had the same doctors for about 5 years now.  Somewhere between 2020 and 2021 I addressed my stomach issues again with my doctors.  It had gotten so severe that I could not eat or tolerate the pain. I finally was referred to a GI doctor who set up a nuclear test for me. 

Finally a diagnosis!!!!  I have level 2 gastroparesis.  What is that you asked? I asked the same thing.  Never heard of it.  It is nerve damage to your stomach.  Normally, after a meal your stomach will move the food out to your small intestines in about 2-3 hours.  In my case after 2-3 hours almost 50% of the food is still in my stomach.  There are 4 levels of gastropaesis I am at level 2. The excess food sat in my stomach and basically rotted causing pain in my stomach lining. Every time I ate I only added to the problem.

I have medication that helps with my stomach's motility and excess acid.  Doing much better these day's.  During this time I was trying to clean up my diet and help my gut issues.  My youngest daughter is vegan and encouraged me to try it.  So, I did but I continued to be sick and vomiting. I discovered that fiber was not my friend. Neither were nuts or any processed foods.

Eventually, I landed on the carnivore diet and I am doing much better.  Did the carnivore diet heal me. In this instance no.  Some things are permanent and gastroparesis is one of them.  

How did I get this condition?  The doctors don't know as I don't have any of the markers that lead to this. I was never a diabetic or was insulin resistant.  But here I am. The carnivore diet has helped along with my medication.  

Being a carnivore has also resolved my IBS.  The bathroom is no longer an issue for me and I don't take laxatives any more.  Now, let me be clear this all didn't happen over night.  It took me about a year to start feeling better.  You have to stay the course to see the change.  

Rock on carnivores!!!

SUGAR!!

Hello Everyone,

Last time I talked about my why and my first step on my journey.  I gave up sugar.  I really thought this would be easy and that I would knock it out of the park.  WRONG!!!

At this time I was not yet a carnivore.  I was trying things out to see what would work for me.  I diligently kept sugar out of my diet.  I eliminated the usual suspects like candy, baked goods, breads and so forth. 

 I even gave up coffee and soda for a while and drank only water.  That did not last.  I focused on whole foods but like a lot of people I had my challenges.

After about two weeks of no sugar I experienced what I could only describe as withdrawals.  I was sitting at home working and all of the sudden I got uncontrollable shakes.  I felt sick and weak.  I immediately went to bed and stayed there for a good 24 hours.   I don't remember eating or drinking, I am sure I did and I soon was able to get back up and around.  I was slow for a day or two when I was back to normal.

I didn't realize that sugar was such a strong drug.  It's addictive powers are now clear to me.   Here all this time I thought I was in control but really sugar and processed foods controlled me.  How many people have fallen into the same trap?

At this time we were opening and running a food bank for our local area.  So, being busy was an understatement.  It was very rewarding and many people were helped .

Matthew 25:40 Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My Brethren, you did it to Me.

 Physically I couldn't keep up because of my limitations due to my disability.  After a year I had to hand it off.  Being around all the foods and baked goods were very tempting 

I had been sugar free for a couple of months when a kind volunteer brought in cookies for us to have.  I was not able to say no thank you so I ate one maybe two. 

 What a jolt my body and nervous system had to that sugar!!!   It felt like an electrical shock ran through me!!  I wonder if that is how drug addicts feel, I don't really want to know. 

I rocked on with my journey.  Struggling back and forth working diligently to beat my sugar and food addiction. 

THIS IS MY WHY.....

Hello everyone,  

                         

I am starting this blog to record my and my husbands journey to better health. I am not a medical professional, trainer or teacher. I am just one of many who have reclaimed their health eating carnivore. Let me start with where it all began.

I was a single Mom for a while before meeting my husband of 27 years. We raised 4 children together and now have 7 grandchildren. What a blessing!! 

It says in Psalm 127:3-5 Behold, children are a heritage from The Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward. Like arrows in the hand of the warrior, so are the children of your youth. Happy is the man who has his quiver full.

 Proverbs 17:16 Children's children are the crown of old men. So, as you can see we are full of blessings. 

I was a single Mom for a while and worked to support my family. The Lord provided me with a job in a factory that enabled me to feed, clothe and house our little family. After I met and married my husband I continued to work, as many couples do.

 The job I did was heavy manual labor in a tire factory.  I did not mind it as I was fit and healthy. Then in the year 2000 an accident occurred at work that changed me physically forever. I was hit in my back by a piece of equipment that weighted a few hundred pounds. The resulting injury left me with 3 back surgeries and permanent nerve damage. 

Now, don't fret for me I can still walk with the aide of a cane and live a good life. That job, obviously, came to an end. That was when my weight gain began.

 I slowly put on 100 pounds over the next 20 years. Oh, I did notice it and at times and tried to lose it but, to no avail. I explained it away saying it wasn't my fault. I can't get around or exercise like I used to.  

I even justified my over eating with "you live life once enjoy it". I let myself slip into complacency of how it is so I ignored my weight gain and went about my life.

 I was 38 when the injury occurred, My youth helped me with mobility and stamina. As time marched forward things began to change. Taking care of myself became more difficult. Getting in and out of a chair, climbing stairs and doing household chores were harder.

 My husband, who views me through the lens of love, never complained and was always there to lend a hand. He still is. Thank You Lord for being equally yoked with him.

In 2020 my health took a downward turn. I needed help getting up. I struggled with the bathroom, getting dressed and getting in and out of the car among other things. At this time I had turned 60 years old.

 We were sitting at our kitchen table and I was pondering my condition. I looked across the table at my husband a realized he was older too. He also gained weight and had underlying health issues. How could I expect him to be helping me move about as we both aged. I was being selfish all for food.

 I prayed to The Lord my God about it and decided to start with small changes. What change could I make that I would sustain?  For one, I decided to eliminate sugar from my diet. So, I started there and many changes followed.  

Follow along with our story about improving our health. It was easier than we thought and sustainable. The positive and quick health results surprised us.