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So I currently weigh 230 lbs and need to be 185 lbs within a year. It is a major goal of mine. Doctor says I can do it safely and recommends a paleo or keto diet. I am prediabetic, bordering on diabetic. Blood sugar is regularly about 135 in the morning. A1C is 5.7. Also I have high blood pressure.
I work 50 hours a week, so I can only really cook on Sundays. So I want to make dinners to last all week. Obviously I will change week to week, for variety and ensuring I get all micronutrients.
-Breakfast: 16 oz Bulletproof coffee (MCT oil, unsalted grass fed butter, and collagen protein). 0-1g carbs
-Lunch: 2 scrambled pasture raised eggs on a Trader Joes low carb wrap (3g net carbs). Will add diced organic ham and cheese, and salsa for extra flavor and protein. Side of veggies that I will cook on Sunday and portion out (string beans, broccoli, cauliflower or a mix, tossed in ghee or olive oil). On other days, I'll likely eat a turkey wrap with swiss cheese, lettuce and tomatoes). 20g net carbs total.
-Dinner: I plan to make 4 quarts of soup on Sunday which I will portion out throughout the week. Soup will be bone-broth based, with some peas and carrots OR onions, carrots, and celery, and chicken or beef. No rice or noodles, but I will be getting some carbs from the carrots and peas. 25g net carbs. Plus,
Side salad with tomatoes, cheese, artichokes, kalamata olives, and olive/avocado dressing with balsamic vinegar. 15 g net carbs
I plan to do a 16 hour per day carb fast (8pm to 12 pm next day), and then I expect these meals to contain 50-75g total carbs per day. Also, everything I buy is organic so nothing here is cured or with artificial flavors/preservatives.
I drink no soda, diet or otherwise. No juice. Just water sweetened with lemon, or stevia.
Does this seem realistic to lose 45 lbs in 1 year? Its about a lb a week or so. I will also likely go to the gym or at least walk 1/2 hour a day, 4 days a week.
It seems like you could easily lose that 45 pounds in 6 months instead of a year. Which means - you could also easily add a piece of citrus fruit or a half cup of fresh berries every day to get the vitamin C I'm not seeing anywhere in your menu. Except for the tomato in your salad, and that vitamin C would be negligible. Half a grapefruit - would give you the C plus plenty of natural fiber. Or a tangerine, or tangelo, or even a valencia orange. Or a half cup of mixed berries. Yes it's carbs and sugar. But it's also healthful, and not over the top if you're not ACTUALLY diabetic. In fact, a half cup of mixed berries with a 1/4 teaspoon of UNsweetened cocoa powder sprinkled on top is delicious and healthful. I also recommend putting 1/2 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder in your coffee, if you drink coffee.
So I currently weigh 230 lbs and need to be 185 lbs within a year. It is a major goal of mine. Doctor says I can do it safely and recommends a paleo or keto diet. I am prediabetic, bordering on diabetic. Blood sugar is regularly about 135 in the morning. A1C is 5.7. Also I have high blood pressure.
I work 50 hours a week, so I can only really cook on Sundays. So I want to make dinners to last all week. Obviously I will change week to week, for variety and ensuring I get all micronutrients.
-Breakfast: 16 oz Bulletproof coffee (MCT oil, unsalted grass fed butter, and collagen protein). 0-1g carbs
-Lunch: 2 scrambled pasture raised eggs on a Trader Joes low carb wrap (3g net carbs). Will add diced organic ham and cheese, and salsa for extra flavor and protein. Side of veggies that I will cook on Sunday and portion out (string beans, broccoli, cauliflower or a mix, tossed in ghee or olive oil). On other days, I'll likely eat a turkey wrap with swiss cheese, lettuce and tomatoes). 20g net carbs total.
-Dinner: I plan to make 4 quarts of soup on Sunday which I will portion out throughout the week. Soup will be bone-broth based, with some peas and carrots OR onions, carrots, and celery, and chicken or beef. No rice or noodles, but I will be getting some carbs from the carrots and peas. 25g net carbs. Plus,
Side salad with tomatoes, cheese, artichokes, kalamata olives, and olive/avocado dressing with balsamic vinegar. 15 g net carbs
I plan to do a 16 hour per day carb fast (8pm to 12 pm next day), and then I expect these meals to contain 50-75g total carbs per day. Also, everything I buy is organic so nothing here is cured or with artificial flavors/preservatives.
I drink no soda, diet or otherwise. No juice. Just water sweetened with lemon, or stevia.
Does this seem realistic to lose 45 lbs in 1 year? Its about a lb a week or so. I will also likely go to the gym or at least walk 1/2 hour a day, 4 days a week.
1 pound a week is not only realistic, it’s a great target. You don’t mention your height, but if you’re 6’ or so your goal weight will get your BMI at or under 25.
Depending on your diet and metabolism, you could drop a fair amount early on with keto. I lost 20 pounds in under 3 months, before it slowed further. Note that early on in any diet or eating change you might not have the energy to go to the gym - so just try and be more active.
I have an Apple Watch and find it’s useful to remind me to stand every hour and also be active. You don’t have to have one but if you work at a desk a lot try and keep moving. It helps.
It seems like you could easily lose that 45 pounds in 6 months instead of a year. Which means - you could also easily add a piece of citrus fruit or a half cup of fresh berries every day to get the vitamin C I'm not seeing anywhere in your menu. Except for the tomato in your salad, and that vitamin C would be negligible. Half a grapefruit - would give you the C plus plenty of natural fiber. Or a tangerine, or tangelo, or even a valencia orange. Or a half cup of mixed berries. Yes it's carbs and sugar. But it's also healthful, and not over the top if you're not ACTUALLY diabetic. In fact, a half cup of mixed berries with a 1/4 teaspoon of UNsweetened cocoa powder sprinkled on top is delicious and healthful. I also recommend putting 1/2 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder in your coffee, if you drink coffee.
Good point about the Vitamin C, I do supplement with it but it should come in part at least from natural foods.
1 pound a week is not only realistic, it’s a great target. You don’t mention your height, but if you’re 6’ or so your goal weight will get your BMI at or under 25.
Depending on your diet and metabolism, you could drop a fair amount early on with keto. I lost 20 pounds in under 3 months, before it slowed further. Note that early on in any diet or eating change you might not have the energy to go to the gym - so just try and be more active.
I have an Apple Watch and find it’s useful to remind me to stand every hour and also be active. You don’t have to have one but if you work at a desk a lot try and keep moving. It helps.
I am only 5'7", which is what makes this weight loss crucial. Of course the BMI charts based on my height I should be 150 or less. Baby steps.
Location: Stuck on the East Coast, hoping to head West
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Yes, I think you can do it. I just did it this past year. I'm 50 and menopausal. I lost 53 lbs over the course of the year using keto/low carb. I actually started on Christmas Day 2018. Might seem strange, but I framed this new way of eating as my Christmas present. I considered it a gift of health to myself.
Don't let the scale rule your life. I weighed a few times a week and my weight loss went -2, +1, -3, +2, etc. It was crazy. However, ultimately, my weight was trending down, but had I gotten wrapped up in those fluctuations, I would've quit. I usually did before. Now my weight is stable and has been for months.
I think having a plan is key. I'd suggest having an emergency meal plan, too, something you can always make quickly and easily when you're tired so you won't be tempted to go off plan.
I also suggest reading some of the keto blogs and checking out some of the cookbooks. I avoid the ones that use ingredients that are hard to find. I love the ones that are based on whole foods.
It is very doable.
By the way, a quarter head of broccoli has more vitamin c than an orange. And it's keto friendly.
Yes, I think you can do it. I just did it this past year. I'm 50 and menopausal. I lost 53 lbs over the course of the year using keto/low carb. I actually started on Christmas Day 2018. Might seem strange, but I framed this new way of eating as my Christmas present. I considered it a gift of health to myself.
Don't let the scale rule your life. I weighed a few times a week and my weight loss went -2, +1, -3, +2, etc. It was crazy. However, ultimately, my weight was trending down, but had I gotten wrapped up in those fluctuations, I would've quit. I usually did before. Now my weight is stable and has been for months.
I think having a plan is key. I'd suggest having an emergency meal plan, too, something you can always make quickly and easily when you're tired so you won't be tempted to go off plan.
I also suggest reading some of the keto blogs and checking out some of the cookbooks. I avoid the ones that use ingredients that are hard to find. I love the ones that are based on whole foods.
It is very doable.
By the way, a quarter head of broccoli has more vitamin c than an orange. And it's keto friendly.
Well, that's encouraging! Congrats on the weight loss. That is a lot of weight to lose naturally.
I plan to "weigh in" only on Sunday mornings. I'm going to log the weight into Apple health app so I can track progress. I have done keto before and actually gained weight and didn't feel good on it. However, I was focused more on meat intake and now I'm going to be more vegetable and salad heavy.
Before my plate was 1/2 meat, 1/2 veg, now its going to be more like 1/4 meat/fish and 3/4 veg.
I am only 5'7", which is what makes this weight loss crucial. Of course the BMI charts based on my height I should be 150 or less. Baby steps.
If I totally believed the BMI charts, I'd still be normal down to 126 lbs.
I'm fairly broad shouldered, so if I weighed 126, I'd be skin and bones.
I'm 5'9" and don't think I'd want to weigh any less than about 160.
Quote:
I plan to "weigh in" only on Sunday mornings.
That's good enough. I weighed in on Saturdays when I was going down.
So I currently weigh 230 lbs and need to be 185 lbs within a year. It is a major goal of mine. Doctor says I can do it safely and recommends a paleo or keto diet. I am prediabetic, bordering on diabetic. Blood sugar is regularly about 135 in the morning. A1C is 5.7. Also I have high blood pressure.
I work 50 hours a week, so I can only really cook on Sundays. So I want to make dinners to last all week. Obviously I will change week to week, for variety and ensuring I get all micronutrients.
-Breakfast: 16 oz Bulletproof coffee (MCT oil, unsalted grass fed butter, and collagen protein). 0-1g carbs
-Lunch: 2 scrambled pasture raised eggs on a Trader Joes low carb wrap (3g net carbs). Will add diced organic ham and cheese, and salsa for extra flavor and protein. Side of veggies that I will cook on Sunday and portion out (string beans, broccoli, cauliflower or a mix, tossed in ghee or olive oil). On other days, I'll likely eat a turkey wrap with swiss cheese, lettuce and tomatoes). 20g net carbs total.
-Dinner: I plan to make 4 quarts of soup on Sunday which I will portion out throughout the week. Soup will be bone-broth based, with some peas and carrots OR onions, carrots, and celery, and chicken or beef. No rice or noodles, but I will be getting some carbs from the carrots and peas. 25g net carbs. Plus,
Side salad with tomatoes, cheese, artichokes, kalamata olives, and olive/avocado dressing with balsamic vinegar. 15 g net carbs
I plan to do a 16 hour per day carb fast (8pm to 12 pm next day), and then I expect these meals to contain 50-75g total carbs per day. Also, everything I buy is organic so nothing here is cured or with artificial flavors/preservatives.
I drink no soda, diet or otherwise. No juice. Just water sweetened with lemon, or stevia.
Does this seem realistic to lose 45 lbs in 1 year? Its about a lb a week or so. I will also likely go to the gym or at least walk 1/2 hour a day, 4 days a week.
With this plan, you'll lose 45 lbs. in about 4 months. I've done it, on a less radical diet than yours. Also, just fyi, if you do get hungry in the morning, you can have protein with that coffee. (I'm not quite understanding your coffee concept: what's the "collagen" about?). You could have Greek yogurt (find the brand with the highest protein count!) with some berries (raspberries, strawberries or blackberries are lower-carb, because they're higher fiber than, say, blueberries).
Just so you know, going into this, you'll feel absolutely starved the first two weeks or so, until your body adjusts to the low-carb aspect of it. After your body adjusts, you'll feel full on what you used to consider a low amount of carbs. For example, your 15 g carb dinner will leave you feeling stuffed, lol. So in those first two weeks, when you do feel hungry, have a protein snack (cheese is good, or turkey or chicken, all easily portable for work).
The other thing to keep in mind, is that once you do this type of diet, you'll have to stay on a modified form of it the rest of your life, to avoid gaining weight back. You can add in a limited number of carbs, but from then on, your diet will be mainly protein-based, not starch-based, like most other people's diets. If you don't want this for the rest of your life, do a less radical diet. Weight Watchers is pretty good, gives you the option of skewing their point system toward low-carb if you wish, but will be a less radical change.
Also, for maximum effect, IOW to get the "most bang for your buck" on the low-carb diet, you should work out 3x/week, to build lean muscle mass. This will speed your weight loss, and will really tone you up. Otherwise, you'll lose less fat, and without the lean muscle mass to support it, you could end up looking like a bowl of jello, instead of a lean, mean weight-loss machine! Building lean muscle mass REDUCES INSULINE RESISTANCE, another important reason for doing it.
BTW, you're not borderline diabetic yet, with an A1C of only 5.7. Still, with high blood pressure and a high morning blood sugar count, you're right to be motivated to lose the weight. Good luck! Please give us updates!
Good point about the Vitamin C, I do supplement with it but it should come in part at least from natural foods.
I know nothing about keto, so don't know if it would work for you. But I get my C with tea. Any tea that has hibiscus, rose hips, or citrus peel would have C.
Citrus Sunrise by Celestial Seasonings says on the box it has 120 mg per bag. Other CS flavors that have vitamin C containing ingredients are Lemon Zinger and Raspberry Zinger, but there is no indication of how much. I drink a few cups per day and I'm pretty certain I'm getting at least the RDA.
Location: Stuck on the East Coast, hoping to head West
4,640 posts, read 11,937,291 times
Reputation: 9885
Quote:
Originally Posted by VintageSunlight
Well, that's encouraging! Congrats on the weight loss. That is a lot of weight to lose naturally.
I plan to "weigh in" only on Sunday mornings. I'm going to log the weight into Apple health app so I can track progress. I have done keto before and actually gained weight and didn't feel good on it. However, I was focused more on meat intake and now I'm going to be more vegetable and salad heavy.
Before my plate was 1/2 meat, 1/2 veg, now its going to be more like 1/4 meat/fish and 3/4 veg.
Good luck. Also, keto has an emphasis on healthy fat. Personally, I get most of my fat from avocado, olive oil, nuts, eggs, fatty fish, etc. I'm not a big red meat eater. Just another option. Also, the healthy fats will definitely keep you feeling full.
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