SugarFree Protocol – Jan

You can read all about Jan’s journey here.

Jan’s Introduction:

Hello, everyone. I’m sixty-three, 5′ 6″ and thanks to SugarFree and her Protocol, I weigh 139 pounds as of today. That’s because after reading SugarFree’s blog, I emailed and then spoke with her the end of December. I started following the Protocol as best I could on January 2, based only on what the other Participants have posted. I weighed 146 pounds that morning. Yesterday I weighed and measured myself realized I’d lost seven pounds. That seven pounds in only seven days! And it wasn’t just water. I also lost .25 inches from my waist and from my hips and .5 inches from my bust. I haven’t even officially started and I already know that SugarFree’s Protocol works! No HCG or starvation required.

In my youth I was thin and never thought about my weight or what I should eat or not eat. It was heavenly! I remember being so happy after my first child was born, because I had a finally had a derriere that filled out my slacks! But after my fifth baby, I had to start to run daily just to lose the pregnancy weight. As long as I ran five miles a day I was good, but who can keep that up for long?

Some of you may be wondering why, at such a low weight, I need this Protocol. It’s because I’m what they call, “skinny fat.” I don’t weigh a lot, but I have too much fat around my middle and I know that is not healthy (or pretty!). I’ve gained the fat around my waist and hips since menopause. I tried the HCG protocol a number of times since 2007. The first time, I got down from 149 to 125. But if you’ve done HCG you know the story: I always gained it back. I also developed hypothyroidism and a slow metabolism, and finally got to the point where I could not lose any weight on my own. After my last round of HCG this fall, I found SugarFree’s blog. Thank God I found it!

I am anxious to get started on the Protocol and get healthy again. Thank you, SugarFree, for all the time, dedication, and research you put in to developing this Protocol and sharing it with others!

Protocol Round 1, Week 1 – 1/11

Weight: 138.2 = down .8 pound

Measurements:
Bust: 34″
Waist: 35.75″
Hips: 40″

Lunch:
– 7.5 oz chicken thigh
– 9 oz asparagus
– 4 oz broccoli
– 4 oz spinach
– 2.5 T. butter
– .5 T. olive oil

Fitday stats:
– Calories: 742
– Fat: 51.4 grams (62%)
– Protein: 44 grams (24%)
– Carbs: 25.9 grams (14%)

Ketostix: Moderate

Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 69
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 75
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 80

Today is a good day. I slept good last night and lost weight from yesterday. The measurements that I posted are from Monday.

I ate one meal yesterday and did the same today. I can hardly believe that I can go twenty-four hours without being hungry! I would normally have been thinking at lunch, “what’s for dinner.” I had a hard time getting all the meal down. Can I cut back on any food?

Prior to starting the Protocol, my fasting glucose was 114, so I’m happy to see normal glucose readings. The ketostix is moderate again today, so I’m burning the fat that I want to lose. Yeah! Compared to Hcg, the SugarFree Protocol is a breeze and with faster results. I wish more people using HCG knew about SugarFree and the Protocol she’s developed.

[Note: LOL — fee free to spread the word on all the HCG forums!]

Protocol Round 1, Week 1, Day 2 – 1/12

Weight: 137.8 = down .4 pound

Lunch:
– 5 oz green beans
– 8 oz shrimp
– 1 oz white potato
– 3 T. butter
– 8 oz spinach

Dinner:
– 4 oz salad greens
– .75 T. olive oil

Fitday stats:
– Calories: 728
– Fat: 49.1 grams (61%)
– Protein: 51.2 grams (28%)
– Carbs: 20.3 grams (11%)

Ketostix: large

Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 58
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 65
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 75

I ate lunch at 1 today, and felt light-headed and weak before eating. I felt good afterward, so I think my blood sugar was too low. I will eat a salad for dinner and see if my blood sugar is any better tomorrow.

I am at a lower weight today than I was after my last 30-day round of hcg. This Protocol works!

[Note: Jan, your fasting blood sugar was very low. All your numbers in general have been low, but that’s because as someone with hyperinsulinimea you have an enormous level of high insulin at all time. It will take a few weeks to a month for that to even begin to come down. Once your brain/pancreas understands that there is no more need for such high levels, insulin production will, thankfully, drop. In the meantime, if you have fasting numbers in the 50s or 60s, please grab an ounce of cheese and nibble that immediately. It will give your excess insulin something to work on!]

Protocol Round 1, Week 1, Day 3 – 1/13/12

Weight: 138 = up .2 pound

Lunch:
– 11 oz chicken thigh
– 4 oz broccoli
– 1 oz white potato
– 1. T. butter
— 4 oz spinach
— 11 oz zucchini

Dinner:
— 1 T. olive oil
— 6 oz salad greens

Fitday stats:
– Calories: 757
– Fat: grams 52 (62%)
– Protein: 52.6 grams (28%)
– Carbs: 19.6 grams (10%)

Ketostix: large

Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 67
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 72
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 90

My fasting glucose was low, 67, so per SugarFree’s recommendation I ate 1 oz. of cheese. My weight went up .2 ounce – first day of no loss. Probably water? My size 8 jeans are fitting comfortably now. I couldn’t wear them at the end of my last hcg round.

My 1-hour PP was better than yesterday, but still low. My 2-hour PP was 90! Yeah! I’m so thankful that I have a chance to use this Protocol to heal my metabolism. I realize that it is going to take time, just like it took time for me to mess my metabolism up.

[Note: Jan, it’s not quite a “yay!” moment yet. It will be nice to see FBG in the 70’s, the 1-hr PP in the 70’s, 80’s or low 90’s — and the 2-hr PP back to fasting level or just above it. Or at least less than the 1-hr PP, not higher than it! But don’t worry, you’ll get there.

And of course the slight gain on the scale is water. Your body can go up or down by ounces every day, but it’s only the measuring tape on Mondays that matters.]

Protocol Round 1, Week 1, Day 4 – 1/14

Weight: 137.4 = down .6 pound

Lunch:
– 8 oz spinach
– 8 oz ground beef 85/15
– 7 oz cauliflower
– 1 oz white potato
— 1 T. butter

Dinner:
— 6 oz salad greens
— .5 T. olive oil

Fitday stats:
– Calories: 755
– Fat: 52.9 grams (63%)
– Protein: 49.3 grams (26%)
– Carbs: 20.4 grams (11%)

Ketostix: moderate

Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 75
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 81
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 85

I went out for Pizza last night. No, I didn’t eat pizza or bread sticks, just lettuce, cucumbers and my own dressing. Lettuce did not look like it was from a bag, but I know I didn’t eat 4 oz. of salad.

When my husband was making bacon this morning, I felt liked I wanted to eat. First time I’ve felt hungry in the morning. I ate lunch early for me, at noon, and had to force the last of my lunch down. I’m still feeling really full an hour after finishing lunch. That was a BIG burger!

Protocol Round 1, Week 1, Day 7 – 1/15

Weight: 136.4 = down 1 pound

Lunch:
– 6 oz chicken livers
— 8 oz spinach
— 1 oz white potato
— 1 T. butter
— 5 oz green beans
— 1.5 oz bacon

Dinner:
— 4 oz salad greens
— 1 T. olive oil

Fitday stats:
– Calories: 733
– Fat: 51.2 grams (63%)
– Protein: 49.2 grams (27%)
– Carbs: 18.8 grams (10%)

Ketostix: moderate

Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 80
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 88
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 91

Good day, I’m down a pound. We’ll see if it’s fat loss by my measurements tomorrow. First time for chicken livers, better than they sound!

Protocol Round 1, Week 2, Day 1– 1/16/12

Weight: 136.4 = no change

Measurements:
Bust: 34” = no change
Waist: 35 ” = down .75”
Hips: 39.25” = down .75”

Lunch:
– 8 oz T-bone steak
– 7 oz cauliflower
– 1 oz white potato
– 1. T. butter
— 8 oz spinach

Dinner
— .5 T. olive oil
— 4 oz salad greens

Fitday stats:
– Calories: 736
– Fat: grams 51.2 (63%)
– Protein: 50.2 grams (27%)
– Carbs: 18.6 grams (10%)

Ketostix: moderate

Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 78
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 74
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 81

I’m sleeping soundly and waking with good energy. My waist and hip measurements decreased. My weight stayed the same. I couldn’t finish all of my lunch. I did really enjoy the steak with it’s fat. Yum!

[Note: You were 146 pounds when unofficially began to follow the Protocol for a few days before starting here. Today, you weigh 136.4 pounds, which is over 11 pounds lost in about as many days. And most of that was fat, as evidenced by your losing 1.5 inches in the last week. When you lose another 3 pounds you will have lost a full 10% of your body weight, which most doctors would be thrilled to see in their patients over the course of a year. :)]

Protocol Round 1, Week 2, Day 2 – 1/17

Lunch:
– 8 oz broccoli
– 7 oz salmon
– 5 oz green beans
– .75 oz white potato chips
— 1.75 T. butter

Dinner:

— 4 oz salad greens — .75 T. olive oil

Fitday stats:
– Calories: 747
– Fat: 50.5 grams (61%)
– Protein: 48.8 grams (26%)
– Carbs: 24.3 grams (13%)

Ketostix: large

Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 76
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 78
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 86

Yesterday I couldn’t finish all my lunch because I was full and didn’t eat dinner because I was still full from lunch. The problem came last night, when I was hungry later in the evening. I had a cup of tea, but that didn’t help alleviate the hungry feeling. Should I have forced myself to eat?

[Note: If you were hungry, why would have needed to “force” yourself to eat? Why not just eat your dinner when you were hungry?]

Today I ate everything at lunch but a small amount of broccoli. I was really full after eating and not really hungry before lunch.

Protocol Round 1, Week 2, Day 4– 1/19/12

Weight: 136.6 = up .4 pound

Lunch:
– 7.5 oz shrimp
– 5 oz green beans
– 1 oz white potato
– 3. T. butter
– 8 oz spinach

Dinner:
– 1 T. olive oil
– 4 oz salad greens

Fitday stats:
– Calories: 744
– Fat: grams 52.2 (63%)
– Protein: 48.3 grams (26%)
– Carbs: 20.2 grams (11%)

Ketostix: moderate

Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 85
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 89
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 87

My weight went up, but  I now know it is only water. Not like when I was on HCG and would wonder if oil touched my hands or if I ate something I shouldn’t have and went over 500 calories!

My 2-hour PP has been higher than my 1-hour PP since I started testing but today that didn’t happen. If it does happen again I’ll keep testing every hour until it goes down per SugarFree’s instructions.

I’m feeling well and yesterday felt very warm at one point. The warm feeling didn’t last long, but I’m all always cold, so it was a noticeable happening. I was able to finish all of my lunch today, and I feel satisfied and full.

[Note: That “warm feeling” is what happens when your body is burning fat, especially adipose fat. It takes many more calories to burn fat than it does to burn carbohydrates (the newspaper vs. thick log in the fireplace analogy), so when your body works so hard at something, you get warm. Just like when you take a brisk walk.]

Protocol Round 1, Week 2, Day 6 – 1/21/12

Weight: 136.8 = up .2 pound

Lunch:
–11 oz zucchini
– 8 oz spinach
– 1 oz sweet potato
– 1 T. butter
– 11 oz chicken thigh

Dinner:
– 4 oz salad greens
– 1 T. olive oil

Fitday stats:
– Calories: 742
– Fat: 50.9 grams (62%)
– Protein: 51.8 grams (28%)
– Carbs: 19.1 grams (10%)

Ketostix: moderate

Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 92
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 95
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 93

I did not post yesterday, due to having some type of flu. I’m feeling better today, but not completely back to normal. I do not have much of an appetite, so I didn’t eat much of my lunch. My fasting blood glucose was higher today. Maybe from being sick? I have been very thirsty for the past three days, so I’ve been drinking a lot of water.

[Note: When your body is fighting cold, fever, virus, etc. cortisol rises, insulin is suppressed and glucose is high. Within 24-hours of getting completely well, your insulin will go back to whatever is currently normal for you. Feel better!]

Protocol Round 1, Week 2, Day 7 – 1/22/12

Weight: 136.6 = down .2 pound

Lunch:
– 8 oz spinach
– 6 oz chicken livers
– 5 oz green beans
– 1 oz white potato
— 1 T. butter
— 1.5 oz bacon

Dinner:
— 4 oz salad greens
— 1 T. olive oil

Fitday stats:
– Calories: 738
– Fat: 51.2 grams (63%)
– Protein: 49.2 grams (27%)
– Carbs: 18.8 grams (10%)

Ketostix: large

Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 98
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 108
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 114
— 3-hour PP (after lunch): 98

I’m not over the flu and I now have gastrointestinal symptoms. I’m glad since starting the Protocol, I have not had any sugar, as I believe sugar would have made me less able to fight off this virus.

I spoke with SugarFree today and had my consultation for the Maintenance phase. I believe that I have benefited greatly from my weeks on Protocol. I lost pounds on the scale, plus inches of excess body fat, and am gaining back my thyroid and metabolic health. I am very thankful for all of the improvements!

[Note: And Maintenance will accelerate the healing! But meanwhile, keep resting and drinking plenty of fluids. It’s clear from your meter readings that all your hormones are elevated while fighting off the infection. Feel better soon!]

Maintenance Round 1, Week 1, Day 1 – 1/23/12

Weight: 136.6 = no change

Measurements:
Bust: 33.75” = down .25”
Waist: 34.75”= down .25”
Hips: 39.25” = no change

Ketostix: moderate

Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 100
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 90
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 90

I am glad to say that I am over the flu and feel back to normal today. I really enjoyed lunch today and was able to eat it all. Maybe all that good saturated fat helps it slide right down! I made a creamed spinach soup that was yummy.

I was a little surprised at my measurements. To me, I look like I have lost more inches and have gone down a size in my pants/jeans . Oh well, it will come. I will keep following SugarFree’s expert advice and the inches will follow. Thanks, SugarFree, for your menu/recipe suggestions, I tried the roasted cabbage and really liked it.

[Note: Wait until you use some of the cabbage leftovers sliced into thin ‘noodles’ for a stir-fry. Yummy. 🙂 As to your measurements — you’ve lost a full inch from around your waist and gone down a pants size in just two weeks! That’s about as fast, and as much of a loss as the body is usually willing to tolerate without fighting back. Enjoy it, and understand that it takes as much time (or more) to heal your metabolism, as it took to break it. Patience, Grasshopper. :D]

Maintenance Round 1, Week 1, Day 2 – 1/24/12

Weight: 137.2 = up .6 pounds

Ketostix: moderate

Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 94
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 91
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 94
– 3-hour PP (after lunch): 88

I had some lingering gastrointestinal symptoms this morning, so I suppose I’m not quite over the flu yet. Other than that, I am feeling well. Lunch was good, I had another “hot spell”, and so I’m still burning fat.

I plan on making SugarFree’s Chicken Normandy as tomorrow’s lunch. Sounds delicious.
I hope my fellow Protocol/Maintenance participants who also were “under the weather”, are feeling better.

[Note: Glad you’re feeling better! You may want to put off the chicken until Thursday. It’s very rich and might be best saved until you’re back to 100 percent. Whenever you do make it, let us know how it goes. :)]

Maintenance Round 1, Week 1, Day 3 – 1/25/12

Weight: 137.2 = no change

Ketostix: large

Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 89
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 92
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 79

Went to visit my almost 2-year-old granddaughter today. She’s so much fun! We didn’t eat lunch until 3:00. I took my planned lunch, so I could stay on program. I’m happy to see my glucose levels are down some. Feeling good with plenty of energy.

[Note: Look at you, staying slim. 🙂 Sounds like a great day!]

Maintenance Round 1, Week 1, Day 4 – 1/26/12

Weight: 137.0 = down .2 pounds

Ketostix: large

Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 91
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 77
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 75

I am starting back to work today, temporary assignment for approximately six weeks. I was up until 1 a.m. getting my meal, etc. ready for today. I made SugarFree’s Chicken Normandy, taste tested it last night and it is every bit as good as she promised!! It was delicious! The chicken was so good and the cream sauce to die for!

I felt like I shouldn’t be eating the apple in it though. An hour after beginning lunch, I felt tired (could be the 1 a.m. bedtime) and a little “loopy.” My 1-hour PP was 77. Any connection?

[Note: Yes, but not in the way you think. What you discovered was the beautiful secret about the Maintenance phase of the Protocol. That is, the enormous amounts of animal fat you eat in this phase truly have the ability to lower blood sugars in two ways. First, because animal fat does not convert to glucose, blood sugars are not raised by them to begin with, and any insulin raised by the rest of the meal can go to work on remaining glucose easily and quickly. Second, when the body must process/digest a sufficient quantity of fat, it causes any carbohydrates eaten with that fat — even fruit — to convert to glucose much more slowly. Which means again, that insulin handles it all efficiently and expeditiously. So your blood sugars drop to a gorgeous level.

In this case there was such a small amount of apple (two medium apples divided into eight servings is only one tiny quarter of an apple per person) that your insulin got rid of the glucose so quickly, your blood sugars dropped quickly. That’s when you felt tired (though yes, 1 a.m.??? 🙂 ) and loopy. Next week you will be able to add 2 ounces of berries to your main meal on two non-consecutive days as your ‘starch’ carbs. Eat them with a lot of cream (I know, it’s a dirty job but someone’s got to do it!) and your meter readings should remain just fine.]

Maintenance Round 1, Week 1, Day 5 – 1/27/12

Weight: 137.2 = up .2 pounds

Ketostix: moderate

Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 91
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 76
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 76

I slept great last night after my late night on Wednesday. I’m getting into the work routine again and making my meals up the night before.I had butternut squash with cinnamon, butter and cream today at lunch. Yum!

Maintenance Round 1, Week 1, Day 6 – 1/28/12

Weight: 137.8 = up .6 pounds

Ketostix: small

Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 94
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 77
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 71

I’m feeling well and have lots of energy, unlike before starting this Protocol. Thank you, SugarFree!

Maintenance Round 1, Week 1, Day 7 – 1/29/12

Weight: 138.6 = up .8 pounds

Ketostix: small

Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 93
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 91
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 91

I didn’t eat lunch until 3pm and wasn’t all that hungry. I have gained two pounds of water weight this first week of Maintenance. SugarFree told me that the average water gain the first week of Maintenance is two to five pounds. She’s always right!

Maintenance Round 1, Week 2, Day 1 – 1/30/12

Weight: 137.6 = down 1 pound

Measurements:
Bust: 33.5” = down .25”
Waist: 34.75”= no change
Hips: 39.25” = down .25”

Ketostix: small

Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 94
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 65
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 73
– 3-hour PP (after lunch): 72

One week of Maintenance already passed. As of today, I have gained one pound since starting Maintenance, even though I am eating 900 more calories! My measurements are down .5 inch overall, this past week. I’m pleased with my progress and plan on moving forward, in hopes of restoring my metabolic health.

Maintenance Round 1, Week 2, Day 2 – 1/31/12

Weight: 137.2 = down .4 pound

Ketostix: small

Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 95
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 85
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 80

I’ve been going to bed by 10pm lately, which is at least an hour earlier than usual. Since starting work again, I’m getting up earlier than usual. I feel much more rested and have more energy in the morning, so I will keep up the routine even when not working.

I had my first serving of berries and cream yesterday. It was nice to have some fruit, but the cream is my favorite.

[Note: Cream likes you back. 🙂 Look at your gorgeous meter readings after eating fruit!]

Maintenance Round 1, Week 2, Day 3 – 2/1/12

Weight: 137.2 = no change

Ketostix: small

Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 94
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 86
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 83

We are having such a beautiful day here today. 65 degrees in February!
I still have plenty of energy. I felt a little “hungry” last night. SugarFree added an egg to my dinner. I hope that helps.

[Note: If the hunger persists the fix is easy: we’ll add more fat. The reason is that your body is still throwing off sufficient ketones that you may be entering deeper ketosis than is usual on Maintenance. Normally, that wouldn’t be a problem, but you’ve lost so much fat in the last month that your body is still a bit worried about insufficient calories and/or fat. That, and you don’t have that much more excess adipose fat to lose. When either or both of those things happen, the brain sends out “eat more!” hormonal signals. And of course, you have learned to listen to those, so you will in fact eat more. Fat, that is. Poor you. :D]

Maintenance Round 1, Week 2, Day 4 – 2/2/12

Weight: 137.2 = no change

Ketostix: trace

Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 96
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 90
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 104
— 3-hour PP (after lunch): 90

Since being on Maintenance for eleven days, I realize that the Maintenance eating plan will be possible (even enjoyable) to continue for the rest of my life, once my metabolism is healed. I hope it will be possible to buy SugarFree’s desserts, by the time I’m on permanent Maintenance. Sugar will not have any part in my future!

[Note: The ultimate goal of the Protocol is, in fact, for you to eat at Maintenance level (at an even higher level of fat!) forever. And yes, sugar-free desserts that are made with all-natural ingredients like real butter, eggs and heavy cream can be a healthy part of it. 🙂 We’ve gone into production in the three dessert restaurants, and after we see how mass production batching up of my recipes goes, we’ll make some of the easier-to-ship goodies available on a website. Perhaps in the spring.]

Maintenance Round 1, Week 2, Day 5 – 2/3/12

Weight: 137.2 = no change

Ketostix: negative

Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 87
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 60
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 75
– 3-hour PP (after lunch): 73

SugarFree was right again! The increased fat squashed my feelings of evening hunger. You have this Protocol/Maintenance down to a science!

[Note: Jan, thank you. However, while I’m delighted but not surprised it worked, I cannot take all the credit. If you go back to my first-ever post: Welcome To My World — you’ll see a list of the Giants in this field who inspired me, taught me, and on whose enormous shoulders my work rests. :)]

Maintenance Round 1, Week 2, Day 6 – 2/4/12

Weight: 137.2 = up 1.6 pound

Ketostix: moderate

Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 91
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 81
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 81

I was very thirsty again yesterday, first time since Maintenance, so I drank a lot of water. That water showed up on the scale. Ketostix went from trace to moderate. Lots of changes to my report today. But my blood glucose readings are pretty much the same.

Maintenance Round 1, Week 2, Day 7 – 2/5/12

Weight: 138.2 = down .6 pound

Ketostix: trace

Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 96
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 80
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 67

I had my son and family over for lunch after church for Chicken Normandy. Everyone who has tried it has said it is delicious. Heavy cream makes everything better!

Maintenance Round 1, Week 3, Day 1 – 2/6/12

Weight: 138.2 = no change

Measurements:
Bust: 33.5” = no change
Waist: 34.75”= no change
Hips: 38.75” = down .25”

Ketostix: small

Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 87
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 84
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 92
– 3-hour PP (after lunch): 89

Time on Protocol and Maintenance goes by so fast. I can’t believe five weeks has pass already since I began this plan. I’m feeling good and am glad that I decided to follow the Protocol and get the sugar out of my diet.

Maintenance Round 1, Week 3, Day 2 – 2/7/12

Weight: 136.8 = down 1.4 pound

Ketostix: negative

Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 96
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 66
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 73

I was hungry by noon today, so listening to my body, I ate at an earlier time than usual. I had symptoms of low glucose before eating lunch. By testing my glucose, I’m learning so much about my body and how food affects me.

I was surprised by my weight loss today. That’s right, fat cells, the fat is not coming back, so just give up the water!

[Note: LOL — guess you told those fat cells!]

Maintenance Round 1, Week 3, Day 3 – 2/8/12

Weight: 137.4 = up .6 pound

Ketostix: small

Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 97
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 69
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 71

I was hungry again earlier than usual today. Maybe I should start eating something at dinner?

[Note: If you said you were hungry at night, I would agree. And certainly if you would like to add a light meal/snack in the early evening, you may. But let’s look at this through science. You’re eating an enormous amount of calories (mostly fat) during the day, which gets you through the day. Then you wake up hungry, which is perfectly normal!

But what it means is that your body is running out of excess adipose fat to supplement what you’re eating. Which means you are now close to your normal, healthy weight and body fat. How many clothing sizes have you gone down since just before Protocol?

So now, while still on Maintenance, you will start eating like a normal person: many more calories, more fat and even more carbs. At your age and height you should be eating about 2000 (high fat) calories a day, so we’ll ramp up to that in the next several weeks and evaluate if you should go back on Protocol, or stay on Maintenance forever.]

Maintenance Round 1, Week 3, Day 4 – 2/9/12

Weight: 137.4 = no change

Ketostix: moderate

Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 99
– 1-hour PP (after dinner): 85
– 2-hour PP (after dinner): 99

My calories today were a grand total of 2061. Per SugarFree’s recommendation, I had my “snack” in the early morning and dinner at 4:30. I did not feel hungry until dinner time. I had been getting hungry around 11:00, but not today. My glucose did not go as low today. I could tell, because I felt much better midday. I have also been feeling hungry in the evening. I can assure you that I will not be hungry tonight! The only problem I see is getting my report in on time, due to testing my blood glucose later.

My ketostix reading was higher this a.m. then its been since early in Maintenance.

I’m thankful that SugarFree is willing to work with me as an individual with different needs and issues, and that the Protocol is able to be adapted to fit and still work.

[Note: This is the entire point of the Protocol, and what makes it completely different from any other WOE or protocol out there that is supposedly designed to help you lose fat.

NO ONE SIZE FITS ALL. And any so-called guru, book or organization that tells you it does is unlearned or lying. Including the insistence that everyone eat 50 grams of protein within the first thirty minutes of waking up.

To paraphrase Tolstoy, each slim person is slim in the same way, but each fat person’s obesity is unique. Which is why when readers send in comments like: “But where are the RULES?” — I can only reply: the only rules are the rules for YOU. Show me your blood test results, and I’ll tell YOU what and how to eat. :D]

Maintenance Round 1, Week 3, Day 5 – 2/10/12

Weight: 137.4 = no change

Ketostix: large

Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 83
– 1-hour PP (after dinner): 82
– 2-hour PP (after dinner): 84

My new meal schedule is working out great fo me. I have no hunger until it’s time to eat my main meal. I really shouldn’t be hungry, eating nearly 2000 calories with the majority (83%) coming from good fats! My energy level is soaring.

[Note: Although I’ve talked about this in various places on the blog, you can never repeat Ketone information too often. Human beings evolved to run on fat (in the form of ketones) as their main fuel. Our muscles develop in the womb — especially our hearts — to run on ketones for fuel. Our bodies run and work better on fat (saturated fat; the only kind that existed for eons) as our main fuel, and studies have shown that our hearts run roughly 20% more efficiently on fat. It should come as no surprise then, that when our metabolisms are normal (or close to it) and we eat sufficient fat we have tremendous energy. The Masai Warriors, among the tallest and most athletically fit on the planet, eat a diet that is 90% saturated fat. Heart disease, obesity and diabetes are virtually unknown.

Up until about sixty years ago, going back hundreds of thousands if not millions of years, this is how almost all Peoples ate. Lots of fat, modest protein,  and unprocessed carbohydrates like potatoes and whole grain breads. Then came Ancel Keys, his insane “Lipid Theory,” the rise of industrial sludge chemically processed and sold as ‘healthy vegetable oils,’ the crazy idea that human beings need to eat carbohydrates as their primary fuel — and the (saturated) fat phobia that has nearly killed us as a nation. The final nail in the coffin is, of course, coming from the “health” profession; see below.]

My son-in-law, who is a OB/GYN, is at a medical conference. He texted me today and told me that he just listened to a female physician speak on the benefits of statins. They are trying to push gynecologists to prescribe statins to women, no doubt. I wanted to throw up! He said they did have another speaker present an opposing view. Surprising. I’m going to forward SugarFree’s blog post “News You Can Use” to him to hopefully enlighten him on statins.

[Note: Jan, I hope he reads it. I hope he takes it seriously, and never harms a single female patient by subscribing statins that can only harm, not help her. Be prepared however, for a major lecture if he reads further and discovers how much fat you’re eating. Butter! Cream! Cheese! Oh, My. :)]

Maintenance Round 1, Week 3, Day 6 – 2/11/12

Weight: 136.8 = down .8 pound

Ketostix: moderate

Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 82
– 1-hour PP (after dinner): 82
– 2-hour PP (after dinner): 80

My fasting glucose has been lower since SugarFree revised the timing of my meals and upped my fat and calories. Amazing how well the body works when you give it what it was designed to run on best! Looks like I lost more water weight also.

[Note: I’m betting that when you take your measurements on Monday, you’ll see that some, if not all, was fat. :)]

Maintenance Round 1, Week 3, Day 6 – 2/11/12

Weight: 136.8 = no change

Ketostix: small

Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 89
– 1-hour PP (after dinner): 75
– 2-hour PP (after dinner): 88

It’s been a nice relaxing weekend. Back to work tomorrow. I’m feeling good with plenty of energy and I don’t miss eating sugar.

Maintenance Round 1, Week 4, Day 1 – 2/13/12

Weight: 137.4 = up .6 pound

Measurements:
Bust: 33.5” = no change
Waist: 34”= down .75″
Hips: 38” = down .75″

Ketostix: large

Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 89
– 1-hour PP (after dinner): 74
– 2-hour PP (after dinner): 68

It’s amazing to me that I can be on Maintenance, eat so many calories (mostly from fat), and still lose inches. So much for having to starve yourself to lose weight and inches. Get on SugarFree’s Protocol, people, it works!

[Note: Jan, your great fat/inch lost last week does not surprise me. It’s clear that your metabolism is healing, and that broken hormonal signaling has been, to some extent at least, restored. I know it’s hard to believe when you’re struggling to lose fat, but our bodies *want* to be lean. Bodies only accumulate excess fat when broken signals make them believe that it’s starving. Fix that — really fix it — and your body will happily dump everything it doesn’t need. :)]

Maintenance Round 1, Week 4, Day 2 – 2/14/12

Weight: 137.4 = no change

Ketostix: trace

Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 89
– 1-hour PP (after dinner): 90
– 2-hour PP (after dinner): 88

I had a busy day at work and am having a busy evening. Good thing I have lots of energy! No hunger since SugarFree changed my meal schedule and increased my fat and calories. I love this way of eating!   Happy Valentine’s Day everyone!

Maintenance Round 1, Week 4, Day 3 – 2/15/12

Weight: 137.4 = no change

Ketostix: small

Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 89
– 1-hour PP (after dinner): 77
– 2-hour PP (after dinner): 76

I have so much more energy now than I did before starting this Protocol. The change is really remarkable. SugarFree told me, when I spoke with her before stating the Protocol, that my energy level would increase as I got well. She was right again!

[Note: Let’s add it up. First, everyone knows older women can’t lose weight. Check. Second, everyone knows you have to exercise a gazillion hours a day to lose weight. Check. Third, everyone knows that if you take in more energy than you burn, you must gain weight. You’re now eating over 2000 high fat calories a day and doing no exercise. Therefore, everyone knows you must be growing fat, lethargic and diabetic. NOT. LOL]

Maintenance Round 1, Week 4, Day 4 – 2/16/12

Weight: 138.0= up .6 pound

Ketostix: moderate

Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 87
– 1-hour PP (after dinner): 90
– 2-hour PP (after dinner): 81

I was thinking today about what my meals will look like after I am healed from my insulin resistance. I know they will never contain sugar and will have lots of good fats.

[Note: And while that eliminates a lot of food, it adds a lot at the same time. Basically, you’ll be able to eat what you want, because you’ll have learned to listen to your body and it will tell you what it needs and when it needs it. I eat when I’m hungry. I never eat when I’m not. I eat until I’m satiated (not ‘full’). I eat fruit occasionally, mostly berries but sometimes apples in the fall and oranges in the winter. Maybe one of those every two weeks or so. And even a banana eaten with a mix of Greek yogurt and sour cream, topped with my  sugar-free granola nuts.

Red wine when I want it. Any veggie any time. Any kind of meat or fish. Bread and biscuits and sugar-free desserts I make from scratch. Tonight I had a slice of my Chocolate Icebox Cheesecake. Topped with sugar-free whipped cream made in a professional whipper. Or the brioche I made last weekend: an entire stick of butter and three egg yolks in a single loaf. You don’t know what ‘good’ is till you’ve had a kosher hot dog on a slice of buttered brioche toast. Homemade pizza with pork belly and three cheeses. Roasted beef marrow and bone soups. Spicy tagines. There’s almost always sugar-free ice-cream in the freezer, made entirely with 40% butterfat cream and egg yolks. In other words, real food made myself with no sugar in any of it.

Sometimes I eat a lot. Sometimes I eat a little. Sometimes one huge meal a day; sometimes two. Usually the first meal about eighteen to nineteen hours after the last meal; usually both meals (if I’m eating two) within a five or six-hour window. I don’t plan it that way. It seems to be what my body likes most. And it only took me four years to get here. :D]

Maintenance Round 1, Week 4, Day 6 – 2/18/12

Weight: 137.8 = down .6 pound

Ketostix: moderate

Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 101
– 1-hour PP (after dinner): 87
– 2-hour PP (after dinner): 89

My husband and I went out to dinner last night to celebrate our anniversary. My fasting glucose is higher today due to what I ate. I did have more carbs than I do on Maintenance.

Maintenance Round 1, Week 4, Day 7 – 2/19/12

Weight: 137.8 = no change

Ketostix: moderate

Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 99
– 1-hour PP (after dinner): 89
– 2-hour PP (after dinner): 87

I’m feeling good with lots of energy. I fit into a pair of high boots today, that I could not get zipped up a month ago. So the 3 areas that we measure every Monday, don’t tell all the inches lost. More inches are lost from all over the body!

[Note: Absolutely! However, for the purposes of measuring metabolic healing, we’re interested only in adipose fat tissue, which is the only type of fat (that we know of so far) that creates inflammation and which is itself a measurement of insulin resistance. But when the body decides to dump excess fat it does dump it from all over. I’ve lost so many inches on calves and thighs (and butt) I can no longer wear Misses pants, but have to wear either ‘skinny’ leggings or Junior sizes if they’re not going to sag everywhere.]

Protocol Round 2, Week 1, Day 1 – 2/20/12

Weight: 138.8 = up 1 pound

Measurements:
Bust: 33.5” = no change
Waist: 34”= no change
Hips: 38” = no change

Dinner:
– 8 oz broccoli
– 2 T. butter
– 12 oz chicken thigh
– .5 oz French bread
– 5 oz green beans

Fitday stats:
– Calories: 729.1
– Fat: 51.1 grams (63%)
– Protein: 49.2 grams (27%)
– Carbs: 18.1 grams (10%)

Ketostix: moderate

Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 109
– 1-hour PP (after dinner): 99
– 2-hour PP (after dinner): 93

My fasting glucose readings have been higher than normal  in the last  few days. I’ve been stressing lately, maybe that’s part of it. I ate yesterday at lunch and not again today until dinner. I wasn’t really hungry until it was time for dinner. I thought about food a few times, but being busy at work kept my mind off of eating.

[Note: Normally going so long between meals lowers glucose, not raises it. Your 1-hr PP should have been in the 80’s, not near 100. Stress raises cortisol, which depresses insulin, which raises blood sugar, so lowering stress is critical to managing insulin resistance. Are you using any cortisone creams, or taking a new medication or supplement?] 

Protocol Round 2, Week 4, Day 2 – 2/21/12

Weight: 137.6 = down 1.2 pounds

Lunch:
— 8 oz spinach
— 1.5 T. butter
— 8 oz ground beef
— 9 oz asparagus

Fitday stats:
– Calories: 696
– Fat: 51.6 grams (67%)
– Protein: 48.0 grams (27%)
– Carbs: 9.9 grams (6%)

Ketostix: trace

Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 101
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 82
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 74

Yesterday SugarFree asked me some questions so we could figure out why my fasting glucose has been high since last week. I’m taking no new supplements or meds, but aha! — I injured my thigh last Wednesday. Healing that injury, she said, was the cause of my elevated glucose because the body raises hormones (like cortisol) to help the healing, just like when you’re ill, and those hormones depress insulin. Depressed insulin means higher glucose! She says she knows she’s either fighting off something or coming down with something when her meter readings go up, even a little bit. The body is amazing and the meter is a “peephole” into the body!

Looks like I already lost some water weight. I’m feeling well on Round 2 of Protocol. (I miss you, heavy cream!)

Protocol Round 2, Week 4, Day 3 – 2/22/12

Weight: 136.8 = down .8 pounds

Lunch:
— 8 oz broccoli
— 5 T. butter
— 8 oz shrimp
— 5 oz green beans

Fitday stats:
– Calories: 801
– Fat: 61.7 grams (69%)
– Protein: 49.2 grams (25%)
– Carbs: 12.2 grams (6%)

Ketostix: moderate

Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 92
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 85
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 85

I’ve had a busy day, looking forward to a quiet evening. I was hungry last night at bedtime.I tried to get to sleep, but couldn’t. I had to get up and eat a couple of pieces of cheese to be able to fall asleep.

[Note: If you began molasses therapy yesterday, it’s started to work. :)]

Protocol Round 2, Week 1, Day 4 – 2/23/12

Weight: 137.6 = up .8 pound

Lunch:
– 8 oz spinach
– 1 T. butter
– 2 oz bacon
–11 oz zucchini
– 3 large eggs
– 3 large egg yolks
– 1 oz potato

Dinner:
– 6 oz salad greens
– dressing made from vinegar plus 1T. bacon drippings

Fitday stats:
– Calories: 800.9
– Fat: 61.7 grams (69%)
– Protein: 49.2 grams (25%)
– Carbs: 12.2 grams (6%)

Ketostix: trace

Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 109
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 91
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 77

I woke up this morning with a severe sore throat and with an elevated fasting glucose to go right along with it. It looks like the sore throat bug has caught up with me too.

[Note: Jan, you can spare yourself a week of misery by going to the doctor tomorrow and getting a prescription for Z-Pac. It’s the only thing that kills this thing, and it does it fast. See Ariel’s report today. Feel better soon!]

Protocol Round 2, Week 1, Day 5 – 2/24/12

Weight: 137.8 = up .2 pound

Ketostix: trace

Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 99
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 89
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 89

I started the Z-Pac last evening. My throat is better, not as sore. I’m still not 100%, but on the mend. I’m just eating light today eggs, toast a slice of bacon.

Protocol Round 2, Week 1, Day 6 – 2/25/12

Weight: 137.8 = no change

Ketostix: negative

Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 92

I’m feeling well today. Thank God for antibiotics. I went to a banquet for dinner, hence no menu, Fitday stats or 1-hour or 2-hour blood glucose for today.

Protocol Round 2, Week 1, Day 7 – 2/26/12

Weight: 137.8 = no change

Lunch:
— 8 oz broccoli
— 2 T. butter
— 12 oz chicken thigh
— 5 oz green beans

snack:
— 1 oz potato chips

Fitday stats:
– Calories: 846
– Fat: 64.8 grams (69%)
– Protein: 50.1 grams (24%)
– Carbs: 15.6 grams (7%)

Ketostix: trace

Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 99
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 86
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 96
— 3-hour PP (after lunch): 84

I went to the banquet last evening and ate more carbs than usual, but not the chocolate cake, just potato and a roll. I was going to forgo my starchy carb today, but I ate potato chips 2 hours after lunch. (Moment of weakness) I’m still taking the antibiotic, but feeling pretty much back to normal.

[Note: That moment of weakness following eating enough carbs to give you such a high fasting glucose today caused a blood sugar spike at your 2-hr PP. There’s nothing wrong with eating potato chips as your starchy carbs, but they must always be eaten with your main meal, and never on their own.]

Protocol Round 2, Week 2, Day 1– 2/27/12

Weight: 137.4 = down .4 pound

Measurements:
Bust: 33.5” = no change
Waist: 33.75 ” = no change
Hips: 38” = no change

Lunch:
– 8 oz spinach
– 7 oz T-bone steak
– 3 T. butter
– 5 oz spaghetti squash
— 1 oz potato

Fitday stats:
– Calories: 794.6
– Fat: grams 63.8 (72%)
– Protein: 40.3 grams (20%)
– Carbs: 14.8 grams (7%)

Ketostix: negative

Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 94
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 80
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 78

Nothing much happening. No inches lost, ketostix negative. Not burning off any adipose fat. Maybe this week. But then again, I’m not hungry on 800 calories, so I think that I must be burning some fat? I’m taking my last dose of antibiotic today. I still have some sinus drainage, so not completely back to normal.

[Note: Nope, not burning fat. 🙁 Your not being hungry is more a product of eating some fat while still recovering from your illness.]

Protocol Round 2, Week 2, Day 2– 2/28/12

Weight: 136.8 = down .6 pound

Lunch:
– 8 oz broccoli
– 8 oz scallops
– 5 T. butter
– 9 oz asparagus

Fitday stats:
– Calories: 774.3
– Fat: grams 59.5 (69%)
– Protein: 44.4 grams (23%)
– Carbs: 15.3 grams (8%)

Ketostix: small

Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 88
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 82
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 76

I had no hunger yesterday or so far today except just before lunch, which is great. I have lots of energy and feel good. It’s a beautiful, sunny day here in the northeast, which always elevates my mood.

I went to my hairstylist today and she and her husband are interested in losing weight. I told her to go on the SugarFreeGoodies website for great information about why most of us gain weight (fat) easily and then find losing weight (fat) difficult.

Protocol Round 2, Week 2, Day 3– 2/29/12

Weight: 135.6 = down .6 pound

Lunch:
– 8 oz spinach
– 5 oz chipped steak
– 1 T. butter
– 5 oz green beans
— 4 large eggs
— 1 oz potato

Fitday stats:
– Calories: 812.2
– Fat: grams 62.2 (69%)
– Protein: 47.0 grams (23%)
– Carbs: 16.1 grams (8%)

Ketostix: large

Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 72
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 68
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 64

I lost more water weight, ketostix is reading large and fasting glucose is in the 70s. It’s a good day! Plus I’m going to visit my sweet little granddaughter, nothing better!
SugarFree gave me a menu suggestion for today and it was yummy, an omelet with chipped steak, spinach and cubed potatoes.

Protocol Round 2, Week 2, Day 4– 3/1/12

Weight: 135.0 = down .6 pound

Lunch:
– 7 oz shrimp
– 8 oz broccoli
– 5 T. butter
– 1 oz spaghetti squash
— 1 oz pasta

Fitday stats:
– Calories: 807.5
– Fat: grams 62.3 (69%)
– Protein: 43.3 grams (22%)
– Carbs: 18.4 grams (9%)

Ketostix: large

Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 71
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 73
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 85
— 3-hour PP (after lunch): 84

I had no hunger yesterday until 11 p.m. I tried to go to sleep, but could not, until I got up and ate some cheese and a couple spoonfuls of heavy cream. I fell asleep right after that. I was more active yesterday than I usually am, maybe that caused me to be hungry at night. I’ll see if I feel hunger again tonight. Other than that, I feel great with lots of energy. I’m in lipolysis and want to stay there as long as I can, without doing harm to my metabolism.

[Note: Jan, lipolysis is a process that happens when calories are insufficient for energy need, insulin is low and, most importantly — you have a sufficient store of excess adipose tissue it can access. You’ve pretty much reached the end of the line to meet all three criteria, since the hunger is telling you that you no longer have enough excess adipose fat to be successful at feeding yourself internally, instead of externally.

You have three more days of Protocol. After that, you will be on extended Maintenance forever, which is somewhat different from regular Maintenance. If there is any extra adipose fat left, it will slowly disappear over the coming months, and you will continue to lose a few more inches until  your body reaches its natural stasis. That is, when you are completely healthy according to your body. You may not quite reach the tiny size clothes you’d like, but you will come very close. More importantly, you will stay that size for decades, eating thousands of fabulous calories a day and never gaining so much as an ounce or an inch. Everyone will watch you stuff your face day in and day out and conclude you must have a hollow leg. 😀 That’s a nice position to be in, no? Once again, the Protocol has been a complete success and I’m so happy to be able to say so!]

Protocol Round 2, Week 2, Day 5– 3/2/12

Weight: 135.8 = up .8 pound

Lunch:
– 8 oz spinach
– 7 oz ground beef 85/15
– 2.5 T. butter
– 11 oz zucchini
– 1 oz tortilla

Fitday stats:
– Calories: 835.3
– Fat: grams 61.3 (66%)
– Protein: 47.6 grams (23%)
– Carbs: 23.3 grams (11%)

Ketostix: large

Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 85
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 73
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 69

I did not eat from noon yesterday until dinner today, with no hunger until mealtime. I did still take a little cheese and cream before bed. I only have two more days on Protocol, then on to permanent Maintenance. I have a few inches to loose, but SugarFree says that might happen over the next few months while on lifetime Maintenance.

Protocol Round 2, Week 2, Day 6– 3/3/12

Weight: 135.8 = no change

Lunch:
– 8 oz broccoli
– 11 oz chicken thigh
– 3 T. butter
– 1 oz bread

Fitday stats:
– Calories: 839
– Fat: grams 60.6 (65%)
– Protein: 47.3 grams (23%)
– Carbs: 26.1 grams (12%)

Ketostix: large

Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 77
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 85
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 89
– 3-hour PP (after dinner): 85

I was hungry today before mealtime. I’m glad that I’m at the end of Protocol, only one more day.

Protocol Round 2, Week 2, Day 7– 3/4/12

Weight: 135.8 = no change

Lunch:
– 4 oz chipped steak
– 8 oz spinach
– 1 T. butter
– 1 oz butternut squash
– 4 large eggs

Fitday stats:
– Calories: 803.7
– Fat: grams 62.1 (69%)
– Protein: 45.3 grams (23%)
– Carbs: 15.9 grams (8%)

Ketostix: large

Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 82
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 85
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 83

I had a nice day today, my last day on Protocol. I’m feeling well with good energy, as usual. Tomorrow I will have my last consultation with SugarFree. We will discuss my diet as I move forward to lifetime Maintenance. I’ll report here for the next two months, until I do another round of blood tests to see where I’ve improved, and if I am still hypothyroid, and if so to what degree. SugarFree believes I have improved and wants me to do another round of temps to find out. I’ll be sending her those numbers in a few days. I have learned so much while doing the Protocol and Maintenance, that I suppose I’m ready to leave the nest!

Lifetime Maintenance, Week 1, Day 1 – 3/5/12

Weight: 135.8 = no change

Measurements:
Bust: 33.0” = down .5″
Waist: 32.75”= down 1″
Hips: 37.75” = down .25″

Look at my measurements! I told SugarFree a few weeks back that she would be a “miracle worker” if she can get me back in size 6 pants. Well, she is a miracle worker, because I’m back in some size 6 and even a couple of my size 4 pants! More importantly, my blood glucose has stabilized, I got my energy back and I’ve been taught how to regain my health moving forward. I realize that I have more of my metabolic health to gain back and I’m determined to work at it. I am very grateful to you, SugarFree, for all you have done for me. You have taught me so much and have pointed me in the right direction. I have lost inches of adipose fat and you have given me the tools to know how to keep it off! Thank you so much.

My new adventure begins today. I’m going to learn even more about myself as I add a lot more fat and more carbohydrates of all kinds: fruit, pasta, dark chocolate and even bread. SugarFree suggests that I bake my own brioche, with an entire stick of butter and a lot of eggs in one loaf! I’ll still report daily for the next few months until I get new blood test results, but I’m free to send my daily menus to SugarFree or not. This is all about me, and how I’m going to eat for the rest of my life, while remaining slim and healthy. Wish me luck!

Lifetime Maintenance, Week 1, Day 2– 3/6/12

Weight: 136.4 = up .6 pound

Fitday stats:
– Calories: 1933.5
– Fat: 167.1 grams (78%)
– Protein: 55.8 grams (12%)
– Carbs: 51.6 grams (11%)

Ketostix: trace

Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 110
– 1-hour PP (after dinner): 77
– 2-hour PP (after dinner): 111

I woke up in the middle of the night with a scratchy throat. This morning my fasting glucose was elevated, as was my 2-hour. I will take it again in an hour. I did increase my carbs on Maintenance or maybe my body is fighting off a virus. I didn’t feel like eating this morning, so just had coffee with heavy cream. I had my grandsons, ages 18 and 16, over for dinner, so I ate my meal at dinner instead of at lunch. Tomorrow, I plan on eating my large meal at lunch.

[Note: I will be very surprised if you eat much of anything tomorrow. Your meter has sent you a very clear message: you’re fighting off something. If you win, you still won’t feel like yourself for a few days of higher numbers. If you lose, you will likely need another round of Z-Pac. Sorry. 🙁 I hope it’s the former, and you’re back to yourself by weeks’ end.]

Lifetime Maintenance, Week 1, Day 3– 3/7/12

Weight: 137.0 = up .6 pound

Fitday stats:
– Calories: 1996.4
– Fat: 172.4 grams (78%)
– Protein: 50.9 grams (10%)
– Carbs: 60.3 grams (12%)

Ketostix: trace

Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 108
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 93
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 127

— 3-hour PP (after lunch): 107

I’m still dealing with a scratchy throat. I have to keep clearing my throat, which only irritates it more. Just this afternoon, I’m starting to feel achy and tired. I didn’t eat breakfast today, just lunch and maybe later an egg, bacon and toast for dinner, if I feel hungry. I’m enjoying my new meal guidelines, you can’t go wrong with lots of cream and butter! I had planned to eat a square of Lindt’s 85% chocolate with lunch, but didn’t really want it. Maybe tomorrow. SugarFree was right. I must be sick!

[Note: I’m sorry to be right in this case. 🙁 However, your 127 1-hr reading and your high fasting reading is, unfortunately, not the result of the illness, but of your food choices. Lots of different carbs all at the same time, instead of building up slowly. If you really only do eat bacon, egg and toast today, your numbers should be slightly elevated tomorrow but nothing like today! Don’t worry, you’ll get the hang of it once you’ve been ‘on your own’ for a few more weeks. :)]

Lifetime Maintenance, Week 1, Day 4– 3/8/12

Weight: 137.2 = up .2 pound

Fitday stats:
– Calories: 2021
– Fat: 173 grams (77%)
– Protein: 57 grams (11%)
– Carbs: 59 grams (12%)

Ketostix: negative

Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 114
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 68
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 96
– 3-hour PP (after lunch): 92

Lesson learned. Don’t go crazy on carbs when you get on Lifetime Maintenance. I upped my carbs too much, too soon. I still need to make better food choices and be creative. SugarFree has gotten me back on the right track and I realize that I still have a lot to learn and remember. My throat is about the same; at least it’s not worse.

[Note: Jan, it’s not just the carbs per se. It’s also the type of carbs. Do they quickly convert to glucose, like Wonder Bread? Or low and slow like oatmeal with cream and butter? That really matters. As does continuing to eat a lot of quality animal protein and veggies. Sure, you went a little crazy once ‘out of school’ — but that’s part of the learning process, too. Your meter and your measuring tape will always set you straight — whether you want them to or not. 🙂 Feel better!]

Lifetime Maintenance, Week 1, Day 5– 3/9/12

Weight: 138.6 = up 1.4 pound

Fitday stats:
– Calories: 1962
– Fat: 166 grams (78%)
– Protein: 52 grams (11%)
– Carbs: 56 grams (11%)

Ketostix: small

Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 104
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 79
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 72

I’m picking up a Z-Pac today for this sore throat. I’ve been dealing with it all week and it’s not getting any better. I’m glad to see my 1 and 2 hour glucose come back into normal range. Hopefully my fasting will be back to normal soon, since my “carbfest” is over!

[Note: Jan, your numbers look better. Let’s see what your measurements say on Monday. Have a good weekend and feel better!]

Lifetime Maintenance, Week 1, Day 6– 3/10/12

Weight: 137.6 = down 1 pound

Fitday stats:
– Calories: 2001
– Fat: 177 grams (80%)
– Protein: 49 grams (10%)
– Carbs: 53 grams (10%)

Ketostix: negative

Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 102
– 1-hour PP (after dinner): 97
– 2-hour PP (after dinner): 96

I’m happy to have the weekend to catch up. I’m baking brioche today. I’ve baked bread before, but not brioche. The only difference is all the eggs and butter in the brioche. Using a food processor makes it easy to mix up.

Lifetime Maintenance, Week 1, Day 7– 3/11/12

Weight: 138.6 = up 1 pound

Fitday stats:
– Calories: 2019
– Fat: 175 grams (78%)
– Protein: 55 grams (11%)
– Carbs: 56 grams (11%)

Ketostix: trace

Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 99
– 1-hour PP (after lunch):
– 2-hour PP (after lunch):

I ate oatmeal, with butter and cream, for the first time for breakfast. I’ll see how it affects my glucose. I had to rush out right after lunch, forgot to take my meter, so I did not test my 1 and 2-hour glucose. Bummer. I will try oatmeal again in a couple days.

[Note: I sincerely hope not. Please see my note at the end of my report for why oatmeal will be out of your life for the next month or two. Or three. As for the meter, you cannot afford to be without it. Ever. Meters are cheap or even free. Get an extra and keep it in the car with a few sticks for times like these. Looking at your horrendous Fasting reading the day after you ate it, I can guarantee that your 1 and 2-hr readings after the oatmeal would have been worse. By a lot.]

Lifetime Maintenance, Week 2, Day 1– 3/12/12

Weight: 138.8 = up .2 pound

Measurements:
Bust: 33” = no change
Waist: 33”= up .25″
Hips: 38” = up .25″

Fitday stats:
– Calories: 1988
– Fat: 172 grams (78%)
– Protein: 56 grams (11%)
– Carbs: 54 grams (11%)

Ketostix:

Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 114
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 89
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 85

I feel like I’m failing at Lifetime Maintenance. I’m not happy with my inches today and my fasting glucose. I was hungry last evening and had some cheese, cream and smoked turkey. The smoked turkey probably had sugar in it. I thought that I could be satisfied on all the calories and fat that I’m eating now, but I still get hungry sometimes. Should I be able to be content on just eating one meal per day? My carbs seem low enough, but something is not right. I know by my temperatures, that I took last week, that I still am very hypothyroid, so I’m sure that plays into this whole equation. I’m just discouraged.

[Note: Jan, you should be discouraged. Sorry, but it’s the truth. And your thyroid has nothing to do with it. If you want to know why your ketostix have been negative, and your meter readings have been pretty bad, and you’ve regained fat, not water — you’ll need to look in the mirror. That’s because you’ve forgotten (or let yourself not remember) the Protocol Principles, which are crucial to long-term success. What are they? Well, the top two are: The. Meter. NEVER. Lies. — and — The measuring tape is your best friend.

You’ve turned your back on both of them. When things started going wrong, did you look at the meter readings and immediately make corrective changes by drastically lowering your carbohydrate intake, at least for a few days? You did not. You just kept on eating the same amount of carbs daily, and ignored the signals your body was sending you. If there was sugar in the turkey, and there very likely was — you should have been able to taste ‘sweet’ in it, and tossed it in the garbage. But you ate it anyway. You ate oatmeal and, without even knowing how it affected you (that is, you ignored the next day’s fasting number) — you blithely stated you would eat it again soon!

You’re hungry not because you’re eating one meal a day (given your high blood sugar again eating more meals will now make things worse), but because you are eating such high carbs your body is once again losing tight sugar control. Your instructions for Lifetime Maintenance (which you wanted to go off and do on your own before I suggested that might not be a good idea) was to gradually increase carbs and see how it went with YOU. That means if you were eating 25 carbs a day, you would do well to go up to 30 a day for a few weeks, and if your sugars, weight and fat stayed stable, increase another 5 grams a day. Being able to eat up to 70 or so carbs a day does not mean that your body will allow it that amount all at once (or close to it), at least not yet.

You began Protocol just a few months ago. It will take your metabolism another full year to completely heal. If you let it. So it’s time to stop, come back to regular Maintenance for another few weeks (with slightly lower fat and carbs under the usual rules) and let your body recover again. Then you can start Lifetime by increasing your carb intake by 5 grams of carbs per day for several weeks before increasing again. I now eat about 70 grams of carbs a day (and sometimes a little more) — but it took me three years to get here.]

Maintenance Round 2, Week 2, Day 2 – 3/13/12

Weight: 138.8 = no change

Ketostix: negative

Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 123
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 83
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 84

Today is a new day. I’m starting over. Got to let go of the carbs and get back on track.

I spoke with SugarFree today about what I need to do going forward. Not just about foods, meters, the nutritional aspect of it all, but my need to go deeper into the emotional causes of why I do the things I do. After reading Caitlin’s post today, I realize she and I have a lot in common. I also sabotaged myself when I was doing so good on the Protocol. Why?

I don’t know but am now determined to find out. It will take talking with someone who will help me dig deep into my inner self, and that won’t be easy. It will be very hard for me. I’m a very private person, who never has shared a lot of myself with anyone. I think maybe that is why I need to look “good” on the outside, because I never let anybody see me at any deeper level and find out who I am inside. Heck, I don’t know if I even know me.

So while I came here to fix my physical self, I may find a way to mend the emotional side too, and that would be great and important. I can’t be truly healthy until all of me is well. Thank you, SugarFree, for pointing out what was obvious to you, but hidden to me, until now.

[Note: Jan, sharing these feelings with us was a great first step in reaching your ultimate goal: true health. And I have no doubt that you will reach it. Isn’t it terrific that there’s always a new day and new start? :)]

Maintenance Round 2, Week 2, Day 3 – 3/14/12

Weight: 137.4 = down 1.4 pounds

Ketostix: trace

Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 101
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 72
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 74

“Mistakes are painful when they happen, but years later a collection of mistakes is what is called experience.”
– Denis Waitley

“Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.”
– George Bernard Shaw

These two quotes spoke to me today. It’s amazing what God puts in your pathway, when you admit you need help.

My fasting glucose is still elevated today. I am very content and satisfied on my one meal at lunch with no starchy carbs. I do not get hungry, except before lunch, which is normal. I believe eating too many carbs too soon, actually made me hungry. I expect to always have to be conscious of my carb intake, not that I won’t be able to have starchy carbs, just limited amounts. I can live without overindulging in them, by focusing on all the other good food choices that I have.

[Note: Jan, I saved the best post for last today. 🙂 First, the quotes are great and as always with Shaw, perfectly true. Second, I want to talk a bit about the carb intake and hunger, as that affects a lot of people and most of them don’t understand why it’s so.

It’s not that ‘eating too many carbs too soon’ made you hungry, it’s rather that first, you and many of the other Participants here are diabetics, now recovering diabetics. But just as recovering alcoholics only remain in recovery until they take another drink, so too recovering diabetics only remain in recovery until they eat too many of the types of carbs their bodies can no longer, and will no longer handle well.

There are carbs in the veggies you eat, but you could eat a boatload of them without them ever raising your blood sugars. Why? Because every carb in a green veggie is surrounded by so much fiber that the body must digest to get to the carbs, it takes a long, long time for the conversion of carb to glucose.  Literally, hours. Which means a slow, steady rise in insulin, rather than a quick spike followed by a sharp fall. So clearly then it is not the number of carbohydrates you consume, but the type they are — and what you eat them with that matters.

Eat carbs with a very slow carb-to-glucose conversion because of high fiber content (built-in to the food itself, not eaten with that food), and you can eat an almost unlimited number. Eat carbs with a moderate carb-to-glucose conversion, accompanied by a lot of fat, and you can eat a comfortable but not unlimited number. But eat fast carb-to-glucose foods and even with fat you will always be limited to very modest amounts eaten every once in a while. That type of carb is a diabetic’s equivalent of alcohol. Your body can no longer handle it, and it never will be able to handle it again, except occasionally and in modest amounts. When I hear people on Atkins forums claim that all carbs are bad because as soon as they eat any they want more, I know that’s an undiagnosed insulin resistant or even diabetic person talking.

The problem is, when you began to add carbs, you stopped eating all your veggies with their wonderful fiber and, although you did eat some moderately slow to convert carbs, you ate a lot of fast converting carbs as well.  And you did it almost overnight. Your body rebelled and let you know that although you’ve done exceedingly well on Protocol, that didn’t mean your metabolism was healed.

It’s on the way, yes, but it’s not there yet. That will take another one to two years of eating properly. Then the occasional not-so-good-for-you food will neither make you hungry for it, nor desire to abuse it. You’ll be able to take it or leave it not because of will power — but because your insulin/blood sugar levels will handle it without the insulin spike and then sharp fall that always brings hunger hormones down from the brain. Your levels will stay stable, and so will your appetite.

If I have a square of chocolate these days, I enjoy it very much, but when it’s gone, so is my desire to eat it. I know in a day or so I’ll have another square and that’s fine. It wasn’t always that way. A square was never enough, because my blood sugars were never stable. So, driven by hormonal signals from the brain to replenish glucose as high insulin drove my sugars down, I’d want more and more. Which raised my insulin, which dropped my sugars, which brought forth hunger hormones, and so forth. What a vicious circle! I’ve moved past those days, and . . . so will you. :)]

Maintenance Round 2, Week 2, Day 4 – 3/15/12

Weight: 136.4 = down 1 pound

Ketostix: small

Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 90
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 70
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 72

I feel good today with lots of energy.  Fasting glucose is coming down slowly even with not eating any starchy carbs. Oh well, patience, it will just take more time. We bought our garden seeds today so we can have lots of good veggies this summer.

[Note: I think it’s important that you’ve lost 2.4 pounds in the last two days, even while eating high fat/high maintenance calories, and that you’re only one and a half pounds from where you were when you ended your last round of Protocol. Looks like your measurements will show equal improvement on Monday. :)]

Maintenance Round 2, Week 2, Day 5 – 3/16/12

Weight: 136.6 = up .2 pound

Ketostix: moderate

Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 75
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 73
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 75

I took my fasting glucose 2 hours later than usual, not working today and I caught my husband’s cold, so I slept in. I don’t know if the timing had any affect on my fasting glucose being 15 points lower than yesterday or that it is just finally back to normal, either way, I’ll take it. My 1-hour and 2-hour glucose look good also.

I had no hunger yesterday, with only eating once. It feels good to be back in control. I think that I will leave out the starchy carbs longer, even though my glucose readings look good today, just to make sure. I’ll seek SugarFree’s expert advice on when to add back starchy carbs. I know that when I do, I’ll add them back very slowly.

[Note: Tomorrow would be good. 🙂 When you eat extremely low carb over an extended period, your body responds by slowing your metabolism via your thyroid hormones, effectively making you hypothyroid. My Protocol is designed to prevent that. Also, the idea is to get your body insulin sensitive enough to handle carbs, not to avoid them. Just pick a “slower to convert to glucose” carb to start, like Polenta for example.]

Maintenance Round 2, Week 2, Day 6 – 3/17/12

Weight: 137.4 = up .8 pound

Ketostix: large

Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 83
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 82
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 91
— 3-hour PP (after lunch): 92
— 4-hour PP (after lunch): 84

I felt some hunger last evening. I ate a little cheese. Judging from my thirst yesterday, my fat cells were being filled up with water, as my increased water weight attests to today. My fasting glucose was okay today, which I’m glad to see. At SugarFree’s direction, I am adding an ounce on polenta at lunch. I’m anxious to see how my glucose readings react to the carbohydrate. I’ve been searching on line for carbohydrate foods that are slow to convert to glucose, because these are what I want to add back as my starchy carbs.

After eating 1 oz of polenta, my glucose didn’t spike, but it took 3 hours to get back to my fasting range. I’m not sure if I should try a starchy carb again tomorrow, or skip a day. I’ll read some other posts to try and find the answer.

Maintenance Round 2, Week 2, Day 7 – 3/18/12

Weight: 137.4 = no change

Ketostix: moderate

Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 82
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 80
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 88
– 3-hour PP (after lunch): 84

I decided to include 1 oz of yam in my lunch menu. My glucose did not spike, but my 2-hour went up, instead of down, like yesterday. I was not hungry yesterday or today, except at lunch, which is normal. I have much more energy than I did before starting the Protocol.

Maintenance Round 2, Week 3, Day 1 – 3/19/12

Weight: 137.4 = no change

Measurements:
Bust: 33” = no change
Waist: 32.75”= down .25″
Hips: 37.25” = down .25″

Ketostix: large

Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 92
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 87
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 95
— 3-hour PP (after lunch): 94

My measurements are back down to what they were before I started Lifetime Maintenance (and too quickly ate too many of the wrong type of carbs). I did feel some hunger last night and this morning. I’ll have coffee with cream and  hope that it passes. Sometimes I wonder if it is true hunger or just the desire to eat. How do you tell the difference?

[Note: Easily. Take a meter reading. If it’s lower than your Fasting and in general in the 80’s or 70’s — it’s hunger. Your blood sugar is low enough (meaning all the insulin has finished its work) that your brain is sending hunger hormones because it wants more fuel. If your sugars are up however, I’d just have a nice cup of tea or coffee or a big glass of water. Isn’t your meter great? It tells you everything. :)]

I plan to continue to add an ounce of slow converting carb to my lunch daily until SugarFree advises me not to. I am most concerned about keeping my glucose in normal range and so far they are okay. I will go slow as my metabolism begins to heal and that will take a long time, one to two years. SugarFree feels that I may need thyroid medication to heal not my thyroid gland, but my thyroid hormones. I’ll need patience, because I’m not used to having any medical issues.

My morning hunger passed with having my coffee with cream. I wasn’t very hunger at lunch time, got all of my food down, except some of my asparagus (not my favorite veggie).

[Note: Try roasting it in a hot oven, coated with olive oil, salt and crushed garlic — at 400 F for 15 – 20 minutes on a parchment, silpat or non-stick foil-lined pan. Heaven.]

Maintenance Round 2, Week 3, Day 2 – 3/20/12

Weight: 136.8 = down .6 pound

Ketostix: moderate

Blood Glucose:
Fasting: 98
1-hour PP (after lunch): 91
2-hour PP (after lunch): 88

I felt hungry last night, so I used my meter as SugarFree suggested. My glucose was 75, so I ate some cheese and a few spoonfuls of cream, which satisfied me.

I had to move my lunch time up today due to traveling to work midday. I ate about one hour earlier and was not at all hungry and only ate about half of my food. Not good, I know. I’ll see how the rest of the day goes. At SugarFree’s direction, I am not eating any starchy carbs, which I really don’t miss at all. I’m feeling good, almost over my cold, and my energy level is high.

[Note: And your blood sugars are GREAT! You probably weren’t hungry as usual because you ate last night, and then early today. ]

Maintenance Round 2, Week 3, Day 3 – 3/21/12

Weight: 137.0 = up .2 pound

Ketostix: trace

Blood Glucose:
Fasting: 98
1-hour PP (after lunch): 77
2-hour PP (after lunch): 78

I’m feeling kind of blah today. Usually excited about work…NOT. Usually excited about eating…NOT. Usually excited about progressing on the Protocol…NOT. Just blah. A couple people in the family have some health issues and I have an eye problem, I guess that’s part of it. Thinking how long it’s going to take to restore my metabolism and carefully watch what I eat has me down. I’m trying to remember that I have made some progress. It just seems like nothing much is happening now, I’m impatient. Hopefully my outlook improves throughout the day. I’ll try counting my blessings (of which there are many), that always seems to help. My fasting glucose was 98 at 6:30 this morning and I just checked it again, two hours later, and it is 75. Can such fluctuations in glucose, affect emotional stability?

I am feeling much better, physically and mentally, after eating my lunch and praying.

[Note: Jan, I’m glad you’re feeling better. 🙂 As to your questions: First, dawn syndrome causes very early morning higher sugars as the hormones that rise in order to get you up and about depress insulin. Then, as you’ve seen, the sugars drop a few hours later, once these ‘wake-up’ hormones diminish. This is perfectly normal. Second, it’s understandable that you’re impatient to be completely better NOW. You’ve forgotten about the years and years it took you to get here, and feel that it’s fully reasonable to be completely healed in just the two short months you’ve been doing this. Your rational mind knows that desire is unrealistic, but sometimes we don’t want to be rational. 🙂

Maybe it would help to think about it this way: You will be eating ‘Maintenance’ (with more variety maybe, but the same principle and basic foods) the rest of your life. What difference does it make if you are completely healed twelve months after eating this way, or six months, or five years — it’s all the same food and way of eating. 🙂 Except of course, that with every day that passes your metabolism is healing.]

Maintenance Round 2, Week 3, Day 4 – 3/22/12

Weight: 136.2 = down .8 pound

Ketostix: moderate

Blood Glucose:
Fasting: 99
1-hour PP (after lunch): 75
2-hour PP (after lunch): 89
3-hour PP (after lunch): 85

I’ve been doing some reading on Dawn Syndrome. Very interesting. I lost some water weight today, up, down, up, down. No hunger until lunch today, I enjoyed lunch and now am very satisfied. I had a woman ask me about only eating once a day. She said one of her friends just drinks “a shake” once a day to lose weight and get healthy! I told her I don’t do shakes, I eat real food!

Weight: 137.4 = up 1.2 pound

Ketostix: large

Blood Glucose:
Fasting: 73
1-hour PP (after lunch): 79
2-hour PP (after lunch): 86
3-hour PP (after lunch): 83

This morning at 10 I felt very sleepy, tired and had no energy. I searched the office and found some raw almonds; ate 12 , didn’t feel any better, so I ate lunch. I felt marginally better about 45 minutes later. From now on I’ll pack an ounce of cheese, in case I have that problem again. It is 2:15 and I am just now feeling almost back to “normal”.

Maintenance Round 2, Week 3, Day 6 – 3/24/12

Weight: 138.6 = up 1.2 pounds

Ketostix: moderate

Blood Glucose:
Fasting: 93    1-hour PP (after lunch): 91
2-hour PP (after lunch): 91

I added 1 oz of potato to tomorrow’s menu. It will be a late lunch, I’m helping with an Easter egg hunt. Good to see that I did all right today with 1 oz of sweet potato.

Maintenance Round 2, Week 3, Day 7- 3/25/12

Weight: 139.0 = up .4 pound

Ketostix: trace

Blood Glucose:
Fasting: 93
1-hour PP (after lunch): 86
2-hour PP (after lunch): 90

Beautiful, relaxing Sunday.

Maintenance Round 2, Week 4, Day 1 – 3/26/12

Weight: 139.0 = no change

Measurements:
Bust: 33” = no change
Waist: 32.75”= no change
Hips: 37.75” = no change

Ketostix: negative

Blood Glucose:
Fasting: 110
1-hour PP (after lunch): 71
2-hour PP (after lunch): 86
3-hour PP (after lunch): 93
4-hour PP (after lunch): 90

I was disappointed to see my fasting glucose elevated today. I had 1 oz of white potato, fried in coconut oil, yesterday for lunch. The day before, I had 1 oz of yam plus 2 oz of sour cream and my glucose was okay. I’m going to eliminate the starchy carb for today. Either I can’t yet handle white potato or I should have had more fat with the white potato.

Maintenance Round 2, Week 4, Day 2- 3/27/12

Weight: 138.8 = down .2 pound

Ketostix: moderate

Blood Glucose:
Fasting: 89
1-hour PP (after lunch): 94
2-hour PP (after lunch): 81

We had SugarFree’s delicious recipe — Chicken Normandy — for lunch. Yum! Try it, you’ll love it. Feeling good today, with lots of energy.

Maintenance Round 2, Week 4, Day 3- 3/28/12

Weight: 139.0 = up .2 pound

Ketostix: trace

Blood Glucose:
Fasting: 87
1-hour PP (after lunch):106
2-hour PP (after lunch): 99

I had shrimp and broccoli in garlic butter sauce for lunch. Very tasty.

Maintenance Round 2, Week 4, Day 4- 3/29/12

Weight: 139 = no change

Ketostix: trace

Blood Glucose:
Fasting: 94
1-hour PP (after lunch): 80
2-hour PP (after lunch): 77

Feeling good today. I ate baby artichokes today for the first time. This Protocol has been great for getting me to try new veggies.

Maintenance Round 2, Week 4, Day 5- 3/30/12

Weight: 139.0 = no change

Ketostix: moderate

Blood Glucose:
Fasting: 89
1-hour PP (after lunch): 88
2-hour PP (after lunch): 92

I’m doing some sewing today for my three little granddaughters. I had one ounce of yam today and my blood sugars were good. I’m glad for small steps forward.

Maintenance Round 2, Week 4, Day 6 – 3/31/12

Weight: 139.0 = no change

Ketostix: moderate

Blood Glucose:
Fasting: 90
1-hour PP (after lunch): 99
2-hour PP (after lunch): 98

I was thinking today about how I felt physically, prior to beginning the Protocol. I had very little energy and although my repeat temperatures, a couple of weeks ago showed that I still have hypothyroidism, I have so much more energy now. So I do believe that I am in the process of healing. Also, before I started the Protocol, mentally, I was hopeless about discovering a way to lose weight (FAT) and keep it off. After all, every diet that I tried, I failed at, or should I say the diet failed me. I was pretty down on myself for being too “weak” to succeed. I now realize that my body was “sick” and needed to heal before it could function the way it was meant to function. That’s what this Protocol is all about to me. Sure I want to lose the fat and keep it off, but I want to be healthy again most of all. Thank you, SugarFree, for showing me the way!

Maintenance Round 2, Week 4, Day 7 – 4/1/12

Weight: 139.4 = up .4 pound

Ketostix: small

Blood Glucose:
Fasting: 99
1-hour PP (after lunch): 96
2-hour PP (after lunch): 83

I am going on vacation in mid April. After discussing with SugarFree, we have decided that I will go back on Protocol for a week, starting tomorrow. I will do my best to eat within Maintenance guidelines and use my meter, but I know I won’t be perfect while away from home. I’m just a little nervous about possibly getting off track while on vacation, so I’m going to get a leg up on it by doing a week of Protocol.

Protocol Round 3, Week 1, Day 1– 4/2/12

Weight: 139.4 = no change

Measurements:
Bust: 33” = no change
Waist: 32.75 ” = no change
Hips: 37.75” = no change

Lunch:
– 8 oz scallops
– 8 oz spinach
– 2 T. butter
– 1 oz yam
— 5 oz green beans

Dinner
— 1 T. olive oil
— 4 oz salad greens

Fitday stats:
– Calories: 776
– Fat: grams 52 (60%)
– Protein: 50 grams (26%)
– Carbs: 28 grams (14%)

Ketostix: moderate

Blood Glucose:
Fasting: 97
1-hour PP (after lunch): 99
2-hour PP (after lunch): 93

First day back on Protocol. I’m doing well, not overly hungry. I have to watch out for hunger, as it may mean I have to get off Protocol and back on Maintenance. I don’t want to set off starvation mode and stall my metabolism even more.

Protocol Round 3, Week 1, Day 2– 4/3/12

Weight: 139.4 = no change

 Lunch:
– 8 oz chuck roast
– 8 oz broccoli
– 3 T. butter
– 1 oz potato
— 2 oz butternut squash
— 3 oz green beans

 Dinner
— 1 T. olive oil
— 4 oz salad greens

Fitday stats:
– Calories: 757
– Fat: grams 53 (63%)
– Protein: 52 grams (27%)
– Carbs: 18 grams (10%)

Ketostix: small

Blood Glucose:
Fasting: 80
1-hour PP (after lunch): 86
2-hour PP (after lunch): 86

Protocol is going well, no unusual hunger. I spoke with SugarFree today. I needed a pep talk and she always comes through. I’m appreciative of her willingness to guide me in the right direction. Thank you, SugarFree!

Protocol Round 3, Week 1, Day 3– 4/4/12

Weight: 139.0 = down .4 pound

Lunch:
– 11 oz chicken thigh
– 8 oz spinach
– 2 T. butter
— 11 oz zucchini
— 1 oz polenta

Dinner:
— 6 oz salad greens
— 1 T. olive oil

Fitday stats:
– Calories: 880
– Fat: grams 64 (65%)
– Protein: 53 grams (24%)
– Carbs: 23 grams (11%)

Ketostix: negative

Blood Glucose:
Fasting: 89
1-hour PP (after lunch): 80
2-hour PP (after lunch): 83

I had some hunger late last night, checked my glucose and it was 84, so I went to bed without eating a snack. No hunger this morning until lunch time. I’m feeling well today with good energy. I am remembering how far I’ve come on this journey so far and I am thankful.

Protocol Round 3, Week 1, Day 4– 4/5/12

Weight: 139.8 = up .8 pound

Lunch:
– 8 oz ground beef 90/10
– 8 oz broccoli
– 2 T. butter
– 1 oz potato chips
– 5 oz green beans

Dinner
– 1 T. olive oil
– 6 oz salad greens

Fitday stats:
Calories: 917
Fat: grams 65 (64%)
Protein: 53 grams (23%)
Carbs: 30 grams (13%)

Ketostix: moderate

Blood Glucose:
Fasting: 92
1-hour PP (after lunch): 64
2-hour PP (after lunch): 55

I had no hunger last evening and I wasn’t overly hunger at 2, when I finally got to eat lunch. My 1 and 2-hour sugars were really low. I ate all my lunch and my starchy carb, but I did drink a lot of water prior and post lunch. Extra water is all I can think of that I did differently today.

[Note: Jan, what’s different is your body. Between the hunger the other day and the sugars today, your body is telling you what I suspected would happen: you no longer have sufficient excess fat to tolerate this phase of Protocol. Time to put it away for good and go back to Maintenance starting tomorrow.]

Maintenance Round 3, Week 1, Day 5– 4/6/12

Weight: 139.6 = down .2 pound

Ketostix: moderate

Blood Glucose:
Fasting: 97
1-hour PP (after lunch): 87
2-hour PP (after lunch): 86

I’m back on Maintenance starting today. I had a restless night, tossed and turned all night. I’m hoping that I will sleep better tonight. Wishing you all a blessed Easter!

[Note: Jan, the restless night was from fat burning. You should be happy with your measurements on Monday. 🙂 Have a great holiday!]

Maintenance Round 3, Week 1, Day 6 – 4/7/12

Weight: 139.0 = down .6 pound

Ketostix: moderate

Blood Glucose:
Fasting: 81
1-hour PP (after lunch): 78
2-hour PP (after lunch): 76

I slept great last night. I am enjoying the beautiful spring weather today. Getting lots done around the house with all this energy.

Maintenance Round 3, Week 1, Day 7 – 4/8/12

Weight: 140 = up 1 pound

Ketostix: moderate

Blood Glucose:
Fasting: 87
1-hour PP (after lunch): 85
2-hour PP (after lunch): 88

We had a wonderful Easter with our family, attending church services and spending the day together. I made a sugar-free, flour-free dessert to share with our family, who also eat mostly sugar-free.

Maintenance Round 3, Week 2, Day 1– 4/9/12

Weight: 140.4 = up .4 pound

Measurements:
Bust: 33” = no change
Waist: 32.75”= no change
Hips: 37.75” = no change

Ketostix: moderate

Blood Glucose:
Fasting: 97
1-hour PP (after lunch): 78
2-hour PP (after lunch): 81

No change in measurements. Water weight is up. I did not eat according to Maintenance yesterday, due to eating out. I took my meter with me, checked my glucose and they were all good. Of course, I did not eat any sugar and never will again.

[Note: Jan, a few points. First, everyone always gains water in the first week or so of Maintenance. Second, your blood sugars remain great. Third, it is clear that you ARE burning fat, so you must be losing inches in places you’re not measuring, like thighs, calves, arms, etc. You will continue to lose fat around your middle over the coming year, but it’s going to be very, very slow as you no longer have a lot of excess adipose tissue to lose. In June, when you get your next round of blood tests, you’ll be able to see how far you’ve come since January. :)]

Maintenance Round 3, Week 2, Day 2– 4/10/12

Weight: 140.4 = no change

Ketostix: small

Blood Glucose:
Fasting: 99
1-hour PP (after lunch): 100
2-hour PP (after lunch): 81

My glucose readings are a bit higher today than they have been. I believe that my body is fighting off a cold (compliments of my little granddaughter, love her anyway). I started taking Echinacea and Goldenseal today and will add coconut oil when I get home.

[Note: Perhaps you are coming down with something (hope not) but perhaps it’s the potato and blueberries you had today.]

Maintenance Round 3, Week 2, Day 3 – 4/11/12

Weight: 139.6 = down .8 pound

Ketostix: trace

Blood Glucose:
Fasting: 97
1-hour PP (after lunch): 83
2-hour PP (after lunch): 75

I’m happy to report that my healthier body fought off the cold I thought I was getting. I had so much energy last night after working ten hours and an hour commute home that I spent three hours cooking and baking. My husband ask where I was getting all my energy, because before this Protocol I would come home and flop down for the evening. It really is a noticeable change!

Maintenance Round 3, Week 2, Day 4– 4/12/12

Weight: 138.8 = down .8 pound

Ketostix: trace

Blood Glucose:
Fasting: 99
1-hour PP (after lunch): 78
2-hour PP (after lunch): 64

I will be leaving on vacation tomorrow morning to warm North Carolina to see our twin grand-baby boys. I won’t post again until Wednesday. I will see how well I can eat, being away from home. I’ll do my best, but I’m not going to drive myself (and everyone else) crazy.

[Note: Jan, have a wonderful time on your vacation and with your grandsons! I can’t help but reflect on the sad state of our country however, where someone who wants to eat real, unprocessed foods without sugar could even be thought of  as driving anyone ‘crazy’. I think it’s a good (if unintended) reflection of just how insane our way of eating has become.]

Maintenance Round 3, Week 3, Day 3– 4/18/12

Weight: 140.8 = up 2 pounds

Measurements:
Bust: 32.75” = down .25″
Waist: 32.50”= down .25″
Hips: 37.50” = down .25″

Ketostix: trace

Blood Glucose:
Fasting: 99
1-hour PP (after lunch): 97
2-hour PP (after lunch): 87

I had a wonderful, relaxing time on our vacation. I felt great with plenty of energy to play with my grand-children, those sweet babies. I ate a burger out, took my homemade mayo with me. I ask for extra butter for on my food at another restaurant and took my heavy cream with me. It’s good to be back home where I can prepare my own food, but it’s also good to know that I can make eating out work too.

[Note: Jan, welcome back! So glad you had a restful and fun vacation with your family, and equally glad to hear how well you managed being away from home. Taking your mayo and cream with you and asking for what you needed is exactly the way to keep on the right path for the rest of your life. How many people go on vacation and lose fat? Those extra two pounds are likely water from eating a few extra carbs, and will likely disappear over the next few days. :)]

Maintenance Round 3, Week 3, Day 4– 4/19/12

Ketostix: trace

Blood Glucose:
Fasting: 99
1-hour PP (after lunch): 92
2-hour PP (after lunch): 93

It’s not good that I forgot to weigh myself this morning, but it’s good that I forgot to weigh myself; it shows I’m not fixated on my “weight” like I used to be. I enjoyed Chicken Normandy for lunch today, it’s my favorite meal.

Maintenance Round 3, Week 3, Day 5– 4/20/12

Weight: 141.6 = up .8 pound

Ketostix: moderate

Blood Glucose:
Fasting: 99
1-hour PP (after lunch): 81
2-hour PP (after lunch): 78

I’m not feeling well today, so I didn’t eat much of my lunch. I’m hoping that it only lasts 24 hours, or less. On a brighter note, I’m noticing how soft and smooth my face is since eating per Protocol. Also, I burned my wrist on Easter Sunday and it has healed beautifully, not hardly visible at all now. Wishing everyone a great weekend!

[Note: Jan, it’s funny that you mention healing. Back in January I grabbed a pan on the stove that I was used to not having a hot handle when heated on the stove top. This pan, however, had been pulled from a hot oven five minutes prior, and I forgot that. Got second degree burns over the entire inside of my left palm – it was pretty bad. Did the cold water and ice for a few hours, dried and wrapped the whole hand in gauze, and went to re-wrap the next day. The burns were 80% gone! And entirely gone a few days later. I was stunned. At my age, I expected to have that level burn take a month to heal. Yes, eating this way — with sufficient animal fat — does a lot more for we humans who evolved to eat it, than just ‘losing weight’. :)]

Maintenance Round 3, Week 3, Day 6– 4/21/12

Weight: 141.6 = no change

Ketostix: small

Blood Glucose:
Fasting: 100
1-hour PP (after dinner): 101
2-hour PP (after dinner): 92

I felt better today, so I ate my meal that I had planned. I didn’t eat until 5:30 and even then I wasn’t hungry. I was very busy today both inside and outside the house. I’m so glad I have all that energy to get things accomplished.

Maintenance Round 3, Week 3, Day 7– 4/22/12

Weight: 141.0 = down .6 pound

Ketostix: trace

Blood Glucose:
Fasting: 102
1-hour PP (after lunch): 84
2-hour PP (after lunch): 87

I had a nice, relaxing Sunday. I needed it after the busy day yesterday. I’m feeling good, resting up for the coming week.

Maintenance Round 1, Week 4, Day 1 – 4/23/12

Weight: 142.0 = up 1 pound

Measurements:
Bust: 32.75” = no change
Waist: 32.25”= down .25″
Hips: 37.50” = no change

Ketostix: trace

Blood Glucose:
Fasting: 101
1-hour PP (after lunch): 97
2-hour PP (after lunch): 99

I did not sleep well last night, tossed and turned almost all night, so I believe I was burning fat. I did lose from my waist which makes me happy.

[Note: The fat loss is great — but your rising fasting blood sugars are not. Either you’re coming down with something, fighting off something – or the fruit you ate Saturday adversely affected you. Time to cut back a bit.]

Maintenance Round 1, Week 4, Day 2 – 4/24/12

Weight: 141.2 = down .8 pound

Ketostix: trace

Blood Glucose:
Fasting: 101
1-hour PP (after lunch): 87
2-hour PP (after lunch): 85

I lost a little water weight today. My fasting glucose is still higher than it should be. I’ll just have to keep eating right and try to get it down.

Maintenance Round 1, Week 4, Day 3 – 4/25/12

Weight: 140.4 = down .8 pound

Ketostix: trace

Blood Glucose:
Fasting: 97
1-hour PP (after lunch): 91
2-hour PP (after lunch): 94

I’m not eating any starchy carbs, per SugarFree, to try and lower my fasting glucose. I don’t really miss them, being such a small amount anyway. I know I have to be able to add more carbs to my diet eventually to help rev up my metabolism. Would it be advisable to start lifting some light weights at this point, in order to build muscle?

[Note: First, ‘light weights’ won’t build up so much as a fingernail. The only way to get muscle bigger and leaner is to fatigue it to the point of failure, using very heavy weights. And even if you did that the smart way, a la Body By Science, and if you had the genetic structure that will allow your body to build muscle (a muscle can only grow as high as it is long, and most of us normal folk have short muscles. Ah-nold’s muscles are as long as Long Island, but about 1% of the world’s population have muscles like him) — the most you could pack on in a year of hard, HARD work would be about five pounds. That’s right, five pounds.

Second, working that hard will instantly raise your cortisol, which will depress your insulin, which will raise your blood sugars. So what was the point of the exercise again? 🙂 Take long, leisurely strolls every day. That will help more in the long run than puttering around with baby weights.]

Maintenance Round 1, Week 4, Day 4 – 4/26/12

Weight: 140.2 = down .2 pound

Ketostix: small

Blood Glucose:
Fasting: 94
1-hour PP (after lunch): 75
2-hour PP (after lunch): 69

I’m enjoying the tallow and lard that SugarFree suggested that I add to my meals. They both brown food nicely, taste good and are good for you. What more could you ask for!

Maintenance Round 1, Week 4, Day 5 – 4/27/12

Weight: 140.2 = no change

Ketostix: moderate

Blood Glucose:
Fasting: 89
1-hour PP (after lunch): 88
2-hour PP (after lunch): 84

I was not hungry at lunch today. Listening to my body, I did not eat all my food. We are going to my granddaughter, Adelaide’s, second birthday party tomorrow. She’s so much fun. I’m sewing her some clothes to give her, of course she’ll like the toys and books better!

[Note: Jan, it sounds like a lovely weekend plan – enjoy!]

Maintenance Round 1, Week 4, Day 6 – 4/28/12

Weight: 140.2 = no change

Ketostix: large

Blood Glucose:
Fasting: 89

We had a fun time at the birthday party. I ate well at the party, made three dishes for the party that I could enjoy.

Maintenance Round 1, Week 4, Day 7 – 4/29/12

 Weight: 139.2 = down 1 pound

Ketostix: moderate

Blood Glucose:
Fasting: 95
1-hour PP (after lunch): 87
2-hour PP (after lunch): 86

I’ve been doing strenuous work the past two days, laying pavers around the pool yesterday and spreading topsoil today. My glucose readings are good today, following the party yesterday, which makes me happy.

Maintenance Round 1, Week 5, Day 1 – 4/30/12

Weight: 140.2 = up 1 pound

Measurements:
Bust: 32.75” = no change
Waist: 32.25”= no change
Hips: 37.50” = no change

Ketostix: moderate

Blood Glucose:
Fasting: 88
1-hour PP (after lunch): 83
2-hour PP (after lunch): 86

Another day outside doing grass planting. I’m glad that I have the energy now to get things accomplished.

Maintenance Round 1, Week 5, Day 2 – 5/1/12

 Weight: 139.8 = down .4 pound

Ketostix: moderate

Blood Glucose:
Fasting: 95
1-hour PP (after lunch): 84
2-hour PP (after lunch): 84

I’m thankful for the rain today so that I don’t have to work outside! I need to let my sore muscles (from raking, hauling, shoveling and spreading top soil, etc., the type of work that I am not used to doing) rest. I have not had much of an appetite for a couple of days and am having a hard time eating all of my lunch. I need to come up with new, exciting ways to make my foods! Hopefully that will help.

Maintenance Round 1, Week 5, Day 3 – 5/2/12

 Weight: 140.4 = up .6 pound

Ketostix: moderate

Blood Glucose:
Fasting: 84
1-hour PP (after lunch): 82
2-hour PP (after lunch): 81

Not much to report. My insurance made me change to a new meter, wouldn’t supply me with the test strips for the Free style Lite meter. 🙁 I’m getting used to the new meter, it’s so BIG, but I liked the old one better.

[Note: Jan, they’re probably getting a big price break from the test strip manufacturer. Sorry. :(]

Maintenance Round 1, Week 5, Day 4 – 5/3/12

Weight: 140.8 = up .4 pound

Ketostix: large

Blood Glucose:
Fasting: 75
1-hour PP (after lunch): 79
2-hour PP (after lunch): 84

I had my follow up labs drawn today. I’m anxious to get the report, hoping to see some improvements. I found a lab report from 2005 and my fasting glucose was 108. Of course most physicians and the ADA think that result is “okay.” I wish I had paid closer attention to my glucose and researched what real “normal” is. I can’t change the past, but I’m just thankful I now know more about what is true health, and how to work toward it.

Maintenance Round 1, Week 5, Day 5 – 5/4/12

 Weight: 140.8 = no change

Ketostix: moderate

Blood Glucose:
Fasting: 99
1-hour PP (after lunch): 84
2-hour PP (after lunch): 88

I did not get much sleep last night; just wasn’t sleepy. I slept later than usual and my fasting glucose was 20 points higher than yesterday. I checked my glucose 3 more times and every time got a different reading each time with a spread of 5 to 10 points. That doesn’t make me confident in the accuracy of the meter.

[Note: Although it could be the meter (highly doubtful, especially if you are doing a control test with control liquid at least once a month – and also doubtful because a spread of 5 – 10 points is well within the margin of error) — it is more likely to have been you. Either squeezing too hard or not enough or even just differently. Smearing some of the blood. Getting irritated by the third time, etc. etc. etc. In other words, don’t do it! Unless you get some truly whacked-out number (I dropped my meter on the floor once, and instead of turning it off and then back on, I just used it as is and got a reading of 220!) that could mean a problem with the meter, or test strips going bad, just test once and forget it. A restless night could raise FG by 20 points all by itself.]

Maintenance Round 1, Week 5, Day 6 – 5/5/12

Weight: 141.6 = up .8 pound

Ketostix: moderate

Blood Glucose:
Fasting: 92
1-hour PP (after lunch): 88
2-hour PP (after lunch): 87

I had a good day and got a lot accomplished today. Feeling good with lots of energy.

Maintenance Round 1, Week 5, Day 7 – 5/6/12

Weight: 141.8 = up .2 pound

Ketostix: moderate

Blood Glucose:
Fasting: 94
1-hour PP (after lunch): 84
2-hour PP (after lunch): 89

I took it easy today after a busy day yesterday. I am looking forward to getting my lab results back this week.

Maintenance Round 1, Week 6, Day 1 – 5/7/12

Weight: 142.0 = up .2 pound

Measurements:
Bust: 32.75” = no change
Waist: 32.25”= no change
Hips: 37.50” = no change

Ketostix: small

Blood Glucose:
Fasting: 88
1-hour PP (after lunch): 82
2-hour PP (after lunch): 87

No change in my measurements this week, but that’s ok, my glucose readings have been good, so I’m happy.

Maintenance Round 1, Week 6, Day 2 – 5/8/12

Weight: 141.8 = down .2 pound

Ketostix: moderate

Blood Glucose:
Fasting: 89
1-hour PP (after lunch): 93
2-hour PP (after lunch): 77

Good day today.

Maintenance Round 1, Week 6, Day 3 – 5/9/12

Weight: 142.0 = up .2 pound

Ketostix: small

Blood Glucose:
Fasting: 89
1-hour PP (after lunch): 92
2-hour PP (after lunch): 88

I tried to send my report earlier today, but Comcast’s server was down. We are so dependent on technology!

Maintenance Round 1, Week 6, Day 4 – 5/10/12

Weight: 141.8 = down .2 pound

Ketostix: small

Blood Glucose:
Fasting: 89
1-hour PP (after lunch): 84
2-hour PP (after lunch): 80

I feel well, with enough energy to get everything done and that’s great. I’m still waiting for my lab results and not patiently!

Maintenance Round 1, Week 6, Day 5 – 5/11/12

 Weight: 142.0 = up .2 pound

Ketostix: small

I hope everyone has a great weekend and Happy Mother’s Day!

[Note: You too, Jan!]

Maintenance Round 1, Week 7, Day 1 – 5/14/12

Weight: 144.0 = no change

Measurements:
Bust: 32.75” = no change
Waist: 32”= down .25″
Hips: 37.5” = no change

Ketostix: trace

Blood Glucose:
Fasting: 89
1-hour PP (after lunch): 94
2-hour PP (after lunch): 93

I’m feeling well. I am still concerned with my hypothyroidism and plan on starting treatment soon. According to my recent labs, the Protocol has made a real difference by reducing my elevated blood glucose, insulin level and many of my hypothyroid symptoms. And all without medication!

Maintenance Round 1, Week 7, Day 2 – 5/15/12

Weight: 143.4 = down .6 pound

Ketostix: negative

Blood Glucose:
Fasting: 94
1-hour PP (after lunch): 91
2-hour PP (after lunch): 89

Uneventful day, which is okay with me.

Maintenance Round 1, Week 7, Day 3 – 5/16/12

Weight: 143.4 = no change

Ketostix: trace

Blood Glucose:
Fasting: 90
1-hour PP (after lunch): 96
2-hour PP (after lunch): 90

I did some spring cleaning today, having enough energy to get it accomplished is wonderful!

Maintenance Round 1 Week 7, Day 4 5/17/12

Weight: 142.8 = down .6 pound

Ketostix: trace

Blood Glucose:

Fasting: 91
1-hour PP (after lunch): 93
2-hour PP (after lunch): 87

Feeling good, and my temperatures are improving!

Maintenance Round 3, Week 7, Day 5, 5/18/12

Weight: 142.8 = no change

Ketostix: trace

Blood Glucose:Fasting: 106
1-hour PP (after lunch): 102
2-hour PP (after lunch): 96

I have a stomach upset that started this morning. Blood glucose readings are up, probably due to feeling ill.

Maintenance Round 3, Week 8, Day 1 – 5/21/12

Weight: 143 = no change

Measurements:
Bust: 32.75” = no change
Waist: 32”= no change
Hips: 37.5” = no change

Ketostix: trace

Blood Glucose:
Fasting: 105
1-hour PP (after lunch): 86
2-hour PP (after lunch): 85

I started the treatment for hypothyroidism today. Although it will take about six months, I’m excited to see the positive changes it will make.

Maintenance Round 3, Week 8, Day 7, 5/22/12

Weight: 143.4 = up .4 pound

Ketostix: small

Blood Glucose:

Fasting:  99
1-hour PP (after lunch):  83
2-hour PP (after lunch):  77

Feeling good today. I am gardening, so I appreciate all the energy that I now have.

Maintenance Round 3, Week 8, Day 3, 5/23/12

Weight: 143.4 = no change

Ketostix: small

Blood Glucose:
Fasting: 94
1-hour PP (after lunch): 93
2-hour PP (after lunch): 89

Nothing new to report today.

Maintenance Round 3, Week 8, Day 4 – 5/24/12

Weight: 143.2 = down .2 pound

Ketostix: small

Blood Glucose:
Fasting: 94
1-hour PP (after lunch): 96
2-hour PP (after lunch): 86

Our 9 month old twin grandsons are visiting. It’s a good thing that I have lots of energy!

Maintenance Round 3, Week 8, Day 5 – 5/25/12

Weight: 143.2 = no change

Ketostix: moderate

Blood Glucose:
Fasting:  95
1-hour PP (after lunch):  99
2-hour PP (after lunch):  97

Busy day, feeling good.

Maintenance Round 3, Week 8, Day 6, 5/26/12

Weight: 143 = down .2 pound

Ketostix: trace

Blood Glucose:
Fasting:  98
1-hour PP (after lunch): 92
2-hour PP (after lunch): 88

Feeling well, enjoying the long weekend.

Maintenance Round 3, Week 8, Day 7, 5/27/12

Weight: 143.4 = up .4 pound

Ketostix: trace

Blood Glucose:
Fasting:  91
1-hour PP (after lunch): 95
2-hour PP (after lunch): 89

Nothing new to report.

Maintenance Round 3, Week 9, Day 1 – 5/28/12

Weight: 142.6 = down .8 pound

Measurements:
Bust: 32.75” = no change
Waist: 32”= no change
Hips: 37.5” = no change

Ketostix: trace

Blood Glucose:
Fasting: 105
1-hour PP (after lunch): 94
2-hour PP (after lunch): 92

Nice holiday spent with family.

Maintenance Round 3, Week 9, Day 2, 5/29/12

Weight: 142.6 = no change

Ketostix: trace

Blood Glucose:
Fasting: 99
1-hour PP (after lunch): 99
2-hour PP (after lunch): 93

I’m was feeling tired this morning, due the activity-filled weekend. I “perked up” after lunch and now feel good.

Maintenance Round 3, Week 9, Day 3, 5/30/12

Weight: 143.2 = up .6 pound

Ketostix: trace

Blood Glucose:
Fasting: 106
1-hour PP (after lunch): 100
2-hour PP (after lunch):  96

Maintenance Round 3, Week 9, Day 4, 5/31/12

Weight: 142.2 = down 1 pound

Ketostix: trace

Blood Glucose:
Fasting: 106
1-hour PP (after lunch): 84
2-hour PP (after lunch): 91
3-hour PP (after lunch): 85

[Note: Your fasting glucose is still high, but your PP’s are MUCH better today!]

Maintenance Round 3, Week 9, Day 5, 6/1/12

Weight: 141 = down 1.2 pound

Ketostix: trace

Blood Glucose:
Fasting: 99
1-hour PP (after lunch): 84
2-hour PP (after lunch): 86

My glucose readings are improved compared to last week — turns out SugarFree was right; too many parties and eating out, now fixed — and for that I am thankful.

Maintenance Round 3, Week 9, Day 6, 6/2/12

Weight: 141 = no change

Ketostix: small

Blood Glucose:
Fasting: 84
1-hour PP (after lunch): 88
2-hour PP (after lunch): 91

Maintenance Round 3, Week 9, Day 7, 6/3/12

Weight: 140.8 = down .2 pound

Ketostix: small

Blood Glucose:
Fasting: 87
1-hour PP (after lunch): 88
2-hour PP (after lunch): 87

Maintenance Round 3, Week 10, Day 1 – 6/4/12

Weight: 141 = up .2 pound

Measurements:
Bust: 32.75” = no change
Waist: 32”= no change
Hips: 37.5” = no change

Ketostix: small

Blood Glucose:
Fasting: 95
1-hour PP (after lunch): 86
2-hour PP (after lunch): 80

I’m starting my third week of treatment for hypothyroidism. I’ve had a reduction in some of my symptoms, but it will take up to six months before I can expect major improvements.