I have decided that I never want to diet again. I have been on every diet there is. As a kid I remember my mom putting us all on a diet of banannas and grape jucie?? why I'll never know.

I consider this a life style change for myself and my family. The main concern I have is to remove surgars and flour from our way of eating.

I dont really want to know what the scale has to say. I want to judge how I feel , and know that my health is getting better.

So, here is my question. Has anyone one out there taken this approach? What type of things did you do to check your progress? Do I have to do induction or can I just combine the info found here and through other research that I have done to impove the food that I eat daily, using the same percentage of carbs. fat and protien that I find that most use?

Thanks for the support of this forum.

Hello Joy I love your idea - in fact many of us are living it right now. In the countdown forum you'll find a thread called the "How Long Can You Go" Challenge. Everyone is welcome - we are attempting to find out how long we can go w/o getting on the scale or using a keto strip

That being said, I think the best judge of any measurable progress would have to be the "pant-o-meter". Get yourself a pair of test pants and keep them for the duration of your LC journey. Usually a pair that's smaller than you are is a good guage. Trying them on every couple of weeks will give you an indication of just how much progress you are making.

Many of us also take measurements - this is by far a better indicator of loss than a scale weighing. The scales weigh water, food, muscle, bone and fat - and often do not accurately reflect your progress. Try getting on the scales a few days before TOM A measuring tape will often reveal losses not present when you weigh. And to be honest, who cares what our weight is - it's not like we walk around with the number tattoed on our foreheads

Hope to see you in the countdown forum!
Nat

Nat,

Some great ideas. I will do the "pant-o-meter", that will be a good indication of whats going on I think. I may also include a
" blouse-O-meter" also. I think I will leave the other measurements alone, I could see myself to complusive over this.

I will also go to the count down forum for the support, as I could use the support to stay off the the scale. some time ago I move the scale out of the house so it would not be my focus. Not only does it count all the things you mentioned, but some how it got permission to play with my mind. I have read some of your comment re the scale and tend to agree. I will be the sole owner of my progress to a healthier me. The scale will have no part in this journey.

Joy

Joy, that's great! I've been weighing only once every month or two and I can't tell you how much peace of mind it has given me. Freshly washed jeans don't lie. I don't use a pant-o-meter but wear jeans nearly every day and notice when I need to buy a new pair.

Some other indications that this has been going well for me:
- more energy than ever, no need for afternoon naps
- no more hypoglycemic episodes
- no more angina
- cracked heels (from extreme excess weight) are healing
- can see muscles in arms
- greater mobility, flexibility; can cross legs
- have found my collar bones and I feel my skull when washing my face with my hands
- hands are not puffy but more slender and feminine
- on occasion I look in the mirror and don't recognize myself for a moment
- no more carb cravings, no more obsessing over food
- blood pressure has dropped
- can go longer, harder, and much faster in cardio workout before exhaustion
- can lift more weight, use more resistance in resistance training
- ankles no longer fat
- can take a couple flights of stairs without getting out of breath
- recover quicker from workouts
- knees creak much less when climbing stairs
- fit in chairs/airline seats better

That list was excessive. I kinda got into it when I was typing. Anyway, my point is, think about how you feel. Look for indicators that aren't necessarily quantifiable but make a noticable improvement in your quality of life. Needless to say, you've got to give it time. It doesn't happen overnight.

I'm glad you brought up this topic in the newbies forum. I hope others will follow your lead.

Allison