Gaining Stunning Health Improvements Because Of Low-Carb Living

It is always important for us to share about people who are gaining stunning health improvements because of low-carb living. For all the talk about low-carb diets that happens, the subject is generally exclusively focused on weight loss while bemoaning the long-term health effects of this way of eating. But it's hard to argue with real life stories of positive changes.

That's why I am always interested in hearing YOUR low-carb weight loss and health improvement stories so I can feature them at my blog. You'll recall a couple of months back I penned the post "Testimonies Of Real Life Stories Of Low-Carb Transformation" with a few of these stories. Now today I have a lot more encouraging health stories of livin' la vida low-carb to uplift you and get you excited about this amazing way of eating.

Hi Jimmy,

I have been low carbing for about 6 months now (you linked to my blog at one point – thanks!) and just got my cholesterol numbers checked, and compared them to last year.

Last Year
Total: 187
HDL: 103
LDL: 65
Triglyceride: 94

This year
Total: 217
HDL: 97
LDL: 107
Triglyceride: 67

Of course, my doctor told me since my total is over 200 and my LDL is over 100, I should eat less saturated fat, and get tested again in a year. I didn’t have a breakdown of my LDL to tell me what size my LDL particles were. I’m wondering if I should have this done. Also, I’m not sure if my HDL going down is bad, or unimportant.

But I was happy to see my triglycerides down, even though they weren’t terrible before. I feel like I was pretty healthy when I wasn’t low-carb, but now I’ve gotten healthier. I definitely feel better overall! I haven’t lost any weight since I started, but I’ve been lifting weights for the past 2 years and I think I’ve gained muscle, so perhaps I’ve lost fat. But my triglycerides going down tells me I’m doing something right!

The only thing I’ve noticed is now that I am low-carb, I never really feel hungry, which is good, but my face and neck does start to tingle if I haven’t eaten in a few hours. Have you ever experienced that? I’ve had my thyroid tested and they said my levels were normal. So that’s the only disconcerting thing I’ve noticed after going low carb.

Love your blog!!!
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Hi Jimmy,

This article was on the front page of Yahoo this morning and I thought it was good. I read your blog everyday and am inspired by you. I am down 24 pounds livin' la vida low-carb. I still have 64 pounds to go but I know this is the way to do it. My boot camp exercise class instructor is blown away by my progress.

Have a great weekend!
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This is the first time I send an email to a blog and I cannot thank you enough for your blogs and YouTube videos. They have helped me tremendously to keep going on my weight loss. I have been doing Atkins for a little more than two months and I have lost so far a total of 50 lbs. I now weigh 316. I have 121 more lbs. to go. Please continue what you do and thank you for being around.
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Jimmy,

You have really helped me. After being on low-carb for only 6 days I already feel so much better. I am not lying around in a fog, depressed and feeling hopeless. I am diabetic and my blood sugar had been pretty bad but now it hasn't been over 100 since my 2nd day. Also, I take water pills twice a day because my legs and feet swell so much that every step gives me excruciating pain. Now, my legs have not been swollen in 3 days, I can walk so much better!! and I stopped taking the water pills (don't worry, under Dr. supervision).

I was able to walk to the family room and sing karaoke with my children. This might sound like a small thing, but I couldn't walk more than 50 feet and haven't been to the family room in months! Anyway, could these changes REALLY be because of the low carbs? I am soooo excited!!! Thank you Jimmy. You are a blessing.
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I work in health care and the other day a coworker (nurse) offered me a "healthy" whole wheat bagel. I politely said no and proceeded to eat my hard boiled egg. She asked why not? I said "I don't eat wheat products." She said "oh my god, you are not one of those weirdos that does low-carb are you?" I said "yes i am, thank you very much." From that point she proceeded to lecture me about the evils of ketosis and how I am ruining my kidneys and health.

I took a good look at this woman and she was overweight. She had the overextended belly and puffy face that I used to have before i went low carb. Dark circles under her eyes and thin dull hair and dry skin. She continued to lecture me as i ate my hard boiled egg. I finally grew weary of her comments and offered her an egg. I told her that the fat from the egg was good for her dull skin and the protien would help her thinning lifeless hair. She sad that "Well, honey you are considerably younger than I am. How old are you 30? At my age 42 this is as good as it gets." I told her I was 44. She got up and left.

This is the typical response i get from people who consider themselves educated.
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Hi Jimmy,

I gave up yo-yo dieting over 7 years ago, and have been living the low-carb lifestyle ever since. I went from a size 14 to a size 6 and have been that size for 7 years. I still have to maintain at a pretty low level of carbs. I enjoy every meal that I eat, and when I had my cholesterol level checked, my doctors told me that my cholesterol is perfect. Before low-carb, I had quite a problem with it.

I was terribly disappointed when the FDA and ADA did not acknowledge the effectiveness of low-carb living. But, I am very thankful for sites like yours where I can feel connected with people who understand the truth, and have been doing the LC plan long term.

My daughter who is 25 has been doing the diet with me for several years, and she is also very healthy and a size zero. Thanks for having the web site. I am going to be exploring it a lot this summer while I am on vacation. (I am a teacher, and during the school year, I am usually buried!).
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Howdy Jimmy,

I got my first lab work for the year. This is after stopping all medications and going on the Atkins diet. This was my New Year's Resolution. I went in to see my doctor to get the lab results. This is a pet peeve of mine. People should be able to get their own lab work! Why do we have to make a doctor appointment to get a lab order? I should be able to write my own lab order. I just want to see my numbers and how I am doing.

The nurse said; "any change in medication?" I said; "yes I don't take any, that's a change!". The nurse said; "I'll say!". I should have said, I don't take that crap any more, it was doing more harm than good. It was also costing me a lot of money and making the Pharmaceutical companies rich.

I think the doctor was really pissed when he realized I stopped the medications he prescribed, but what could he say? My numbers were great! My A1C is 5.4! It has never been this low. This is low for someone without diabetes. Diabetics are considered great if you are under 7. Dr Atkins has cured my Diabetes! Thank you so much.

My Blood pressure is also lower than it has ever been. My cholesterol is good. My weight is 155. I still have more to lose for my target weight of 150. The doctor did begrudgedly admit my numbers were great. He had nothing good to say about losing over 30 pounds. So in his book I guess losing weight did not help improve my health. I think it did. I think the weight loss is the biggest factor in improving my health.

Now get this. My doctor still thinks I need medication! For what? I guess that's all they know how to do. He said the Avapro( blood pressure medication ) does more for you than just lower your blood pressure, it also protects your kidneys. What??? First off this crap did not lower my blood pressure! So what the hell was it doing for my kidneys?! I brought my blood pressure down into the normal range with diet and exercise.

I am sure he would also say the Statins do more for you than lower your cholesterol. Hell in my book they don't even do that! He could not bring himself to say, Wow you're doing great! How did you do it? He didn't say it and doesn't want to. He doesn't want to know how I improved my health. Being a doctor you would think he would. He refused to say; You are much healthier today than you were the last time I saw you. He won't
say this but my numbers say it loud and clear.

I need help in finding a low carb doctor( your new blog )in my area! I live in Maryland, the DC suburbs This is serious It is a matter of life and death. My doctor is trying to kill me!
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Hey Jimmy,

I just wanted to update and let you know I am still going strong. I am now 48 pounds from my weight loss goal, and super excited!!! I have to credit you, and SparkPeople for my success. Without the information, education, and support, I would have given up long long ago! I have had some ups and downs, and not lost as much as I would have liked to, but the main thing is we can never give up! This is a life long journey, not a short trip around the park.
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The most important thing I have learned over the past year is that I must watch the amount of my intake as well as what I eat. In brief, what Mike Eades asserts is that you can eat all the low-carb food you want and not gain weight. But to lose weight, you must eat only low-carb and create a caloric deficit as well. I can live with that as long as I get results.

So I'm at 226.4 today. My all-time high back in 2003 was 262. Never give up!
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I have been on the Atkins diet since November 21, 2007 and in the first week I lost 23 pounds. Huge weight loss. Then after I have been losing weight. I have lost a whopping 97 pounds in 9 months. I couldn't be happier. I have three children and with each child the weight just kept piling on over the years. I wanted to look good in swimsuit to. I love the new look. I have read so any things on the Internet about how it is bad. But when I was on a fat-free diet I starved to death.

With this diet I get less and I do watch my fat intake. But no carbs for 3 weeks then I allow myself 12 carbs every three weeks, it has changed my whole life, as I'm sure it has changed yours. I feel so great when I get out of bed. And when i see people eating chocolate or whatever it does not bother me. People don't understand this diet, they think that people on this diet eat a tub of butter, that certainly is not the case. Once you are on it you tend to change eating habits and get better with the diet.

But this diet is for me finally there is a diet that is suited for me. And I don't miss any of the food I once ate. I have lost 8 pants sizes my husband can't keep his hands off me!! So I know that you are just glowing with your weight loss. It changes your life.

Thank you for your story. Glad to know there are more people that this diet has changed.
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I am 58 years old and have used low carb eating over the years. I have always had success when eating this way, I always felt better etc. However unfortunately I listened to the experts and in my efforts to be healthy I went to a diet of high grain, granola, fruits, and low fat. My health progressively worsened, physicians told me to eat less – you know the routine.

At 56 I discovered that I had type 2 diabetes, my sugar was over 600, every vital reading was out of the norm. If it should have been high it was low and vice a versa. At a visit with my physician he sadly informed me that he could not give me any medicines, but insulin, due to my readings, but that somehow we had to get the sugar under control.

I chose not to go on insulin, but began a systematic diary of my sugar readings before and after meals, and after 2 weeks it was painfully obvious that sugar, starches, fruit juices, etc were the culprit. I began following a low carb way of eating and today my HbA1c is 5.0, all my other readings are now normal. Weight loss has also been a wonderful side effect that I have received also.
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My doctor has been trying to push Lipitor, Crestor, etc. on me for the past 4 months, due to my "hereditary" cholesterol. (She doesn't look at my ratio, just my total cholesterol.) I'm never taking a statin! I'm going to prove to her that I can lower it on my own. I am Type 2 diabetic, following a very low-carb diet, exercising daily, my blood pressure is normal, my blood sugars are normal, and my lipid profile gets better and better every time I have lab work done. No statins for me! Ever!
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Dear Jimmy,

I am a walking talking experiment for the effects of alcohol consumption while watching my weight. For the last two weeks I have omitted alcohol during the week days. I loved a few glasses of wine while cooking. I am a Pilates instructor. Very fit. I also incorporate 120 minutes of cardio each week and some weight training.
I was feeling bloated at times as well as the last inch of fat covering my six pack wasn't moving. I went on the scale and to my astonishment I lost 2 pounds after two
weeks. I am very careful about what I eat. My six pack is showing through nicely. It has made a difference. I kept wondering if it was in fact the alcohol, but I kept counting it in terms of my total calories for the day, and not aware of the fact that it stalls fat burning. Thanks for your site.
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Dear Jimmy,

I emailed you about 5 weeks ago due to extreme weight loss frustration. I do have some good news. Since my first email to you when I gained the four lbs., I lost the four lbs. plus 2 more lbs. Prior to that I was up and down 2 lbs., the same, rotten 2 lbs. and I felt like I was trapped in a cage.

What I have done is to try out some stuff you recommended on your site as well as what I read from other people. First, I stick to 18/19 carbs per day, period. Second, I have really cut out dairy (read: cheese), although I still have some cream in my coffee :). I also have INCREASED my fat intake. I really think this is helping me a
lot. I no longer feel guilty to add some mayo to a lettuce "sandwich" or butter to my veggies. I now eat macadamia nuts or deviled eggs for dessert instead of "low-carb" treats which I think mess me up. I try to stick with the same foods that I know work for me. If I add something and I gain or stall, I make a note of it & cut it out.

One "biggie" for me was going under 170 lbs. I had done it several months ago only to become very sad when I went over again. Happily, I am now down to 168. I am trying to be very, very careful. Amazing how that stupid scale can make or break your day!!!

Hope your success is continuing as well. Thank you for your kind words.

Got a low-carb weight loss or health improvement story to share with me? Send an e-mail to livinlowcarbman@charter.net. Let's show this world the awesome results we KNOW that livin' la vida low-carb can produce.