A visit to the surgery center was uneventful. My wrist was killing me, and I needed surgery. The pre-op lab work is done. I was on my way home. The next day the surgeon called. He had canceled my surgery and told me I needed to see my doctor as soon as possible. My A1C was about 8.4, and my blood glucose was 620. I was a walking time-bomb with a family history of heart disease, obesity, hypertension, high cholesterol, and I was doomed.

Step 1 – Motivation

My doctor wanted to start me on Metformin, to equalize my blood sugar. My wife, an Advanced EMT who routinely transports patients on dialysis, told me no. She would not allow me to start that medicine. She set me down and gave me the medicine I needed. I had to start walking, watch what I ate, and lose weight. My weight was at a high of 265, and I had just hit 50.

Step 2 – Enter the Low Carb Diet

To calm my fears and eat enough to keep from passing out, I studied the various diets and exercise regimens both at the library and online. Now I’m not a diet novice. I’ve been on Atkins, Herbalife, Slim-Fast, Cabbage Diet, Cave Man Diet, South Beach Diet, and others. I hadn’t had the sense of urgency that was laid out in front of me right now.

From looking at past diet guides and eating pyramids, I discovered research on the low-carbohydrate diet. Dr. Adkins was a proponent of this diet. I learned that not only is it essential to not to eat carbs, but it was also necessary to ingest fats. I began reading more as my wife had me walking 2-3 miles every afternoon (rain or shine, frostbite, or heat stroke), and we started eating all our meals at home (for the most part) and taking our lunches. After two weeks – I was down 10 pounds. What?  I couldn’t believe it. I didn’t feel any different or look different.

Step 3 – Double Down from Low-Carb to Ketogenic Diet

A couple of months into the diet and exercise, we ran into my wife’s cousin. She was familiar with the Keto Diet and asked what I had been doing. She told me of how she made a big breakfast casserole of eggs, meat, and cheese and just had some of that in the mornings to be quick out the door.

You have not seen a casserole like the one I made. I’m a hearty eater and like big servings. I made a monster breakfast casserole in the biggest lasagna pan we have. I scrambled at least a dozen eggs and cooked enough sausage for all the patties to touch and fill the container in a single layer, layered with cheese above and below the sausage, and then added some bacon to the mix. I had to cook the thing for about an hour to get it done, but it was delicious and gooey. It almost bubbled over the pan!

• My daily breakfast for about three months consisted of two squares of breakfast casserole, and I learned to drink black coffee with nothing in it.
• My packed lunches consisted of a salad of lettuce, tomato, cheese, olives, and chopped pieces of turkey breast or roast beef.

Learning Dinner and the Keto Way

Breakfast and lunch were pretty easy and no-brainers. I’m not much for change, so it worked quite well for me for several months. Dinner was another story. I learned to do without bread, rice, potatoes, pasta, peas, corn, beans (other than green beans), sugar, and other starchy carb-infused foods. I did it by reading the list of foods not to eat or go easy on, and the list of approved foods.

My basic meal for our whole family consisted of meat, a green vegetable (usually broccoli or green beans), and maybe cheese. We ate this for several months. I thought my wife was going to kill me, but she supported me and stood by my side and ate what I ate- bless her heart.

• Three Month fasting labs – Blood work much improved. Triglycerides, Cholesterol, and A1C, was nearing normal levels. The doctor agrees to hold off on Metformin.
• Oh, and by month three – I have lost 40 pounds.

Step 4 – Learning To Eat Out

I was getting sick of salad every day by this point. As we had joined Sam’s Wholesale Club just prior, I noticed they had a hotdog combo that included a drink for only $1.60. I made it my reward for good habits and sticking to the diet. I treated myself to eat out at Sams Club one day every other week for lunch. A hotdog without the bun, mustard only, and a fountain drink – diet, of course.

This was just enough pep to keep me going. I also learned that when we ate out on the weekends, I could eat at a restaurant. I skipped the bread, skipped the potatoes, no croutons on the salad, and added butter and sour cream to my broccoli! It took a bit of getting used to, but it has sustained me.

• Six months – I have lost 60 pounds

Step 5 – Sustain The Diet – Lifestyle

My wife is sick of the diet, though she too has lost about 40 pounds. My face is gaunt compared to its earlier self. I have had to discard all of my clothes as none of them fit – not even my shoes. I have treated myself to a new wardrobe out of necessity.

We have begun to experiment to keep our diet going, and I know it must be a way of life for me. My bloodwork is now routine, my cholesterol and glucose are all under control, and I’m only taking blood pressure medicine and statins for my family history of heart disease and my high blood pressure.

Online research has led me to the chocolate cake in a cup that my wife loves. I make it for her as a treat on occasion. It’s made with almond and coconut flour, egg, butter, baking soda, and cocoa powder and cooks in the microwave in only 75 seconds. I tried it plain – it needs a topping. I was using cream cheese mixed with butter, but have found that homemade whipped cream is the easiest and the most fun. I pour about a half cup of heavy whipping cream into a large bowl, add two packets of Splenda and whip it with a whisk until its the most beautiful whipped topping. My wife loves it.  I’ve also learned to make low-carb pizza with almond flour crust and burritos with fried cheese tortillas. Spaghetti with zucchini noodles for my wife, but I prefer the spaghetti squash noodles myself – all with homemade meat sauce.

You have to be creative and stick to it. Good results help a lot. I had no idea just how much I weighed and how big I looked until I lost the weight out of necessity. Now I wonder if I would have still been here to write this if I hadn’t dropped the weight and adopted the Keto Diet. God only knows.

A good woman, a good meal, and solid motivation and support from friends and colleagues will keep you going.

I’m down 65 pounds now and weigh in at 195. I have also grown about an inch and half at 6′ 2″ according to my last physical. No idea where that came from unless it was just the weight holding me down.

We have learned to read and experiment with recipes, try onion rings instead of fries when we have something besides a salad (and not many of them) and drink water. Lots and lots of water helps to flush out your guts and keep you hydrated and lubricated.

The keto diet isn’t for everyone. It helped me get my weight under control and bring my blood work into a normal range. I feel healthier, and I feel sharper mentally. Is it the result of drinking all that coffee? I’ve read that the diet was used to treat epilepsy in young children at one time and that it also improved cognitive function.

You have to learn to eat fat, stay away from margarine and the bread – except for a rare treat, but it is doable, and I feel better for it.

I have my wife to thank for my life.

John