Cheers

10 Surprises Learned Eating Low Carb for a Year

Shelley

The end of January 2020 marked the beginning of our journey to a life without Tostitos and savory beer. I was the queen of nightly eating Tostitos rinsed down with a hoppy beer, and Mr. was the king of watching his queen devour the chips while he sipped on a dark and rich tasting beer.

There may have been pizza, burgers and fries devoured too. But we gave ’em up.

In case you haven’t caught onto what Mr. and I gave up, I’ll give you a clue it begins with ‘C’ and ends with ‘S’.

Chips, cakes, cold-brews, canned beers, cookies, and so much more. Out it all went into the garbage can. Must remove temptations!

If it contained added chemicals, seed oils, and added sugars, or was processed and sold in a box, or bleached before packaging, we ditched it all and recycled the containers.

We went in all cold-turkey as we gave up added sugars, and added carbohydrates.

Yes, in 2020 we said goodbye to foods that contained, the unfriendly, non-fiber filled:

CARBS

And, damn, we’re mighty proud of ourselves and our accomplishments. We haven’t looked back since. It’s been quite the journey to this satiating lifestyle with restorative health benefits.

Twice (or maybe 3 times?) in 2020, we tried carbs again – a summer trip to the winery or pub for a burger and fries, and then at Christmas dinner and the following day we binged on cookies as we watched a marathon of A Christmas Story. Sugar buzzed our way to napping too.

We felt like crap the day after, and gladly fasted our way back into fat-adapted mode.

In retrospect, 2020 was the perfect year to start a low carb, healthy fat way of eating. Kind of like it would’ve been a perfect year to let your hair go gray. If you’ve done neither, you’ve missed out. It’s easy to hide out and experiment when no one else is looking at you in public. Or judging you for your choices. But, looking at the forecast of the ‘new’ administration, 2021 might just be the second chance you’ve been looking for? The jury is still out on what this year will bring, I think?

10 Surprises of Keto

  1. No hangry moments – we’re rarely ‘hungry’. We can fast for 16-24-36 hours without issue.
  2. Age spots on my face have faded and disappeared.
  3. Poop doesn’t stink. Seriously – there’s no need for Febreze as we empty our bowels with ease.
  4. Body aches are minimal, bye-bye inflammation due to metabolic diseases of (pre) diabetes and high-blood pressure.
  5. Hair and finger/toe nails grow like crazy.
  6. Less ear-wax. Not sure why? But yeah, there’s definitely less need for clearing the ears.
  7. Easiest way to lose and maintain a healthy weight. (Mr. lost 25 pounds and I lost 10 and we’ve both kept it off without any issues).
  8. Blood sugars and blood pressures are normal and no medication needed. We do take daily supplements, though.
  9. Sinuses are clear and we haven’t been sick with the ‘virus’.
  10. We have daylong energy and get nightly restful sleep.

While our Keto journey has had its ups and downs, its mostly been ups. We’ve experimented a lot, which has been fun, and we will continue to do so in 2021.

We’ve tried air frying, steaming, and smoking our foods. Mr. has found the need to buy more cooking tools…

At the end our first full year of eating Keto friendly meals, we’re pleasantly surprised how we’ve gotten into such a groove of eating this way. We’re convinced our decision to try it out in the beginning of 2020 was a positive choice and that we’ll carry on with it in 2021.

Suggested Reading:

Cheers to you and your health! May it help you beat the odds against the viruses!

Post Inspiration – Linda G. Hill’s Stream of Consciousness Saturday – Your prompt for #JusJoJan and Stream of Consciousness Saturday is: “the beginning, the end.” Write about the beginning of something and the end of  something. Bonus points if your first sentence contains “the end” and your last sentence contains “the beginning.” <– Read that again. Have fun!

PS – Can you believe that the end of January 2021 is already here? What did you learn about in the last year that you’re proud of and will carry on in 2021?

Published by Shelley

Letting my quirk out one post at a time.

46 thoughts on “10 Surprises Learned Eating Low Carb for a Year”

  1. Wow, you are strong, grasshopper. No cookies? No chips? No PIZZA?!?!?! I admire your ability to do this, I think cold turkey is the only way. What supplements do you take?

    1. LOL – once we got over the carb cravings it was easy to pass those items up. We do make a low carb pizza occasionally, so we’re not missing much. And I have resorted to Siete Chips for the crunch factor I loved about Tostitos. All low-carb options.
      We take the ones that everyone should take – magnesium, Vitamin D3 + K2, Zinc, and Fish Oil. We probably should take Vit C too, but haven’t found one locally that doesn’t have ascorbic acid in it.

        1. I love that you catch my typos – I meant Vitamin C that has JUST ascorbic acid, no fillers, and other stuff. Thank you for commenting that so I could correct it!

      2. I went on a no sugar, more veggie diet and after 2 weeks felt great. Impossible, however, to keep it up. I’m OK with the less sugar part but the constant, constant chopping of the vegetables and complicated recipes put an end to it. I’m back on a Mediterranean Diet which seems to suit me. Still no sugar, still plenty of veggies, but throw in Friday home made pizza night, and Sunday pasta meals and I’m back in heaven. I don’t think I could go without carbs. They are part of my DNA.
        Kudos to you and your husband for being so vigilant and strong for sticking to a diet for a whole year. WOW!!!!

        1. I think skipping as much sugar and processed carbs is the key. We just live in an area where it is easier to eat the low carb, high fat, than the Mediterranean format – fresh veggies or safe to eat veggies/fruit without GMO or organic are REALLY expensive and tend to go bad on the delivery truck. We found alternatives to pasta that we’ve tried, but really aren’t impressed. We have pizza night too – but with a low carb crust.
          You have found a way to eat healthy, that’s what counts! Cheers to you too!

          1. Shelley, I switched to organic coconut sugar and have noticed a difference. I very rarely have the white stuff anymore. The lower glycemic coconut sugar is expensive (almost $6 for 1.5 pounds,ouch!) but worth it.

          2. That’s great – we haven’t tried that sugar, but in the rare instances where we do a sugar, it’s Monk Fruit or something like that.

    1. Thanks John! It was tough at first, but once you get into fat burning mode, those carby things aren’t appealing anymore! 😉

  3. Hi Shelley!
    Clay & I went back on Keto in October. Boy, you ate not kidding! Although we hadn’t been back on Keto for all that long, we did break the diet for 2 weeks during Christmas with both traveling to see some of our kids in Oklahoma then hurrying back to host Christmas for the others who traveled to spend the holidays with us. Eating those same old things of before plus all the holiday treats, we’re soooo good going in BUT horrible once inside. Our tummies were so upset, bowrls in revolt and just felt sick and miserable afterward.
    Before I went on keto the 1st time, I had years of gastrointestinal issues so bad that I was repeated screened for cancer. I had GERD so bad that it’s cause damage so bad that I’ll deal with issues from now on. About 2 weeks into Keto, my gastrointestinal issues just stopped!!!!
    It was a miracle! My colon cancer screenings were due to blood loss and every issue just stopped! Heartburn so bad that I carried the largest jar I could find of TUMS in my purse and one by the bed and ate them like candy……heart burn and GERD also just stopped!
    During the break during the holidays, symptoms began again. Although, I only gained 2lbs and quickly shed them upon return to diet.
    I have lost 20lbs. Yippee! Age spots haven’t left me yet but you have me hopeful!
    And, I feel great!
    While on the topic of weight loss and taking back our lives, can I share with you my daughters story? After a lifetime of struggle being morbidly obese, my daughter took control of her life and health. She’s gone from 386 to 140 in 3 years. She was recently featured on the web series “Brand New Me” and it was filmed here at my house. I’m also in it briefly. It’s only 5mins long but I’d love to share it with you.

    https://youtu.be/GLm6q_RT8Ws

    1. WOW – Laura, that’s quite the testimony, thank you for sharing. I was like you, had early signs of GERD that were bothersome. And Keto has taken that all away!
      Yes, thank you for sharing your daughter’s story too. How wonderful that she is doing so well and that she could share her story with others!! I’ll watch it today!!!

      1. Awww…thank you Shelley! Please let me know your thoughts if you get to watch it. I’m so glad we are sharing this common journey. It’s inspiring, fortifying and supported to go through with others. 💕

        1. You’re welcome. I did watch it. WOW – she’s a fighter and she’s doing so great with her journey. You’re right to be so proud of her. It is important for us to support healthier lifestyles – goodness knows the Standard American Diet falls very short in doing so! xx

  4. Yay you guys! I have not found that my hair has grown, rather the opposite but everything else rings true for me too. I am still down 70 pounds and am determined to lose the last 30 this year!

    1. Yay, congratulations! You’ll meet that goal. Did you see Laura’s post, and the link to her daughter’s story. I don’t know that she’s doing Keto, but she’s definitely doing something that is helping her lose weight.
      We discovered the hair growth thing through my brother and Mr. I noticed that early last year they both looked like their hairlines were really receding. They both lost a lot of hair (as is common when going through a major life change, especially in diets), but now there is new hair growing in those spots, my brother’s hair grew back darker and thicker. It’s quite a surprise. I can feel new hair growing on my head, and my eyebrows are growing back too. Interesting stuff!

  5. Good on you two for being so good. From what you have written, I appear to be doing this in a fashion anyway. Always fresh veges and fruit, very little processed food, not much salt and meat a few times a week. Keep up the good work but don’t fade too fast 🙂

    1. Thanks, Brian, we appreciate your encouragement – we don’t limit salt or meat, we eat veggies and some fruit daily, our favorite fruits are olives, avocados, and berries. Australia has some great leaders in the Low Carb Down Under group that we researched early on in our journey.

  7. So interesting that you wrote this because I’ve been toying in the back of my mind about trying something like this. I don’t know if my husband would go along, but I might be able to convince him to give it a go for, say, a month (would that be long enough to notice any differences?). Any books that you’d recommend to read for inspiration and/or recipes?

    I have taken advantage of this time to let my natural hair color grow out – although it’s more light brown than gray. I also stopped getting gel manicures and my nails have been surprisingly strong after the initial grow-out of the damage the gel process does. Even after we can visit salons again, I think I’ll keep my natural color and nails.

    1. Thanks for sharing your thoughts! Funny you mention your husband maybe being opposed. Mr. was not happy when I told him I was going to do it even if he didn’t want to. He’s now a huge advocate and loves the recipes he’s been able to make. After a year of experimenting and researching, I’d say that the book I suggested is really the easiest to absorb and follow. Dr. Westman is an expert who has treated people with the diet for decades. Dr. Mercola is good too. So is the website DietDoctor.com. We love the recipes from LowCarbYum.com.
      I’m with you on the all natural route. That has been about the only blessing of this past year – we’ve ditched so much stuff, chemicals, etc. I read an article this morning that we’ll be able to open up the country by 4/1/2021. 🙂

  8. It is hard to believe that we are at the end of January. It sounds like you and the Mr have had an interesting journey. I’m happy for you.

    1. Thanks, Dan. Yes, can you believe a whole year has flown by, and another month since I wrote the post? WTH has time gone?! I look forward to the days when they don’t blur together as much as they have been doing.

  9. I congratulate you on this radical change.
    Having done the same earlier, undeniably the health effects were immediate, for example: reduced weight and lowered blood pressure.
    My greatest satisfaction was to note that emptying the cupboards paradoxically leads to a drastic reduction in waste. The trash can only come out once in a while. The plastic of packaging has disappeared, in favor of glass and paper of reusable, recyclable packaging.
    Suggestion, next step: how about a chicke, turkey coop in the garden?
    But having, since the health crisis, a lot of work outside, these tasks are carried out very slowlyto my despair .

    1. Hi Anne, thank you for sharing your thoughts. Yes, you’re correct, those are the immediate positive changes from the diet.
      That’s an excellent point about waste. I agree – we have less garbage and we only eat twice a day, sometimes once a day.
      We have talked about chickens but fear that they wouldn’t last too long. We have multiple predators who would likely pick them off, fox, wolves, badgers (not sure if they would eat them?), owls, hawks, and eagles.
      I too look forward to the days of being outside again! xx

  10. Great post. After doing every diet ever invented I went on HFLC six years ago. I’ve never looked back not because of the 12 kg weight loss but because food is now a pleasure and hunger is never an issue. And yes, if I cheat I feel dreadful the next day so cheating hardly ever happens now. I do eat some carbs – the good ones. Junk food is totally out.

    1. Thank you for sharing your story. I agree 100% with everything you said!! 🙂 Congrats on taking your health into your own hands and for succeeding.

  12. Clear sinuses is a big one for me! I know I should probably also cut out dairy for that–congestion, post nasal you-know. But, while I could give up carbs, I couldn’t live without cheese! I’m so impressed with your success–and grit in sticking to it. I didn’t know your husband lost 25 pounds!? How about cholesterol–did your numbers stay the same or get lower?

    1. The carbs were causing the sinus issues for Mr. and my brother. Once we ditched all of those, neither one has been sick or had nasal issues. I used to have slight GERD feelings after eating carbs too. That’s gone as well. We eat cheese every day … there are healthy fat versions we love and are acceptable for the diet.
      Yes, Mr. lost 25 pounds. When he went in for his physical his doctor said, “Wow, you’ve lost weight, did you do that on purpose because it is so rare to see that during the pandemic, most have gained that much?!”
      Yes, his blood work was WAY better too. I haven’t been to my doctor, I cancelled the appointment until later this summer. I suspect it’ll be just fine. Cholesterol levels are affected by metabolic syndrome and poor diet (likely prediabetes). It’s the ratio of Triglycerides to HDL that matters. It’s best to be 1 or less, that’s the key for reducing heart attack risks. Using fat for fuel helps those numbers as well. It’s quite fascinating to us anyhow. 😉

      1. It’s so great for you two! And, yes, I’m afraid many gained a little during the pandemic. Only thing that’s been keeping me fit (and sane) is my LONG walks. My doctor says I have perfect cholesterol–I’m sure it’s just genetic–but it’s nice to be really good at something. Ha! Wouldn’t want to mess with success; however, the sinus/postnasal drip/allergies issue I have is especially annoying now that I’m singing more. So I am wondering if it’s a food allergy. Might try no carbs for a week and see!

        1. Thank you for the encouragement. Yay for perfect cholesterol!! Your walking is contributing to that no doubt (as well as great genes!).
          I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised if you find the source of a food allergy. No carbs for 2 weeks would help. 🙂

  13. An interesting review. We’ve lost weight this last year just by never going out to eat. I cannot imagine going without carbs, but if’n that works for you I’m all for you doing that. I look forward to reading about your evaluation at year 2.

    1. Thank you, Ally, I appreciate hearing your thoughts. Yes, avoiding the nasty seed oil-cooked food from restaurants does help keep weight off. We eat maybe 25-50 carbs a day and never feel hungry, it’s quite fascinating to us.
      Thank you for the encouragement to get to year 2. Enjoy your favorite carbs (the healthy ones!) 🙂

  14. Good for you Shelley – I have not gone back to the salon for a haircut nor highlights. I preferred the highlights, but due to COVID, I did not return and just decided to let the grow out altogether. She sometimes send me home looking like a tiger once I went to lowlights as well as highlights. I will have to go for another haircut eventually as I just did the bottom and didn’t touch the layers. Good for you with the great and tasty meals and healthy and nutritious as well. Keep up the good work.

    1. Thank you for sharing your thoughts, Linda. Hopefully you’ll be able to go to the salon soon. I tried highlights once and hated them because it took forever in the salon, and it’s way too much upkeep for me. I do need to cut my hair again someday – it’s really long.
      Thanks – we’re enjoying our meals, they are a highlight to the boring lock-down world. 😉

      1. I have not been for highlights now since October 2019 Shelley – they are mostly grown out and I don’t like how it looks but am not ready to go back yet. I have to cut my hair again too. I’m not good at cutting it and just lopping off the bottom layer, not messing with the other long layers. I do need a professional cut. Glad you are still enjoying your food that Mister prepares … I agree, we have to have something to look forward too in this boring lock-down world.

  15. Hi Shelly I’ve been AWOL for awhile but am trying to catch up with my favorite bloggers. Wow, you and Mr. are an inspiration. We’ve tried to eat healthier but always slip back into our old ways. Food habits are hard to break. Sounds like it’s worth it for health benefits. Would certainly love to get a good nights sleep one of these days.

    1. Hi Geanie – the AWOL status is my go-to of late too. There’s just something holding me back that I haven’t quite figured out. I appreciate you stopping by to share your thoughts. I hope you’ve found some good sleep while you’ve been AWOL. Thanks for stopping by – I’ll see you at your blog soon! xx

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