My name is Tommy and I have been eating quite “hard core” LCHF since September 2009 and this is my story.
In August 2009 I was googling for a new recipe for sauce béarnaise and found an interview with Sten Sture Skaldeman where he told a story about him trying eat himself to death with all food he liked and was told to stay away from. Sten Sture was surprised to see his weight go down and after a year or so he had lost a lot by eating less carbs and more fat.
I have always been the largest (well, fattest) kid on the block but I have never really suffered from it. I have never been bullied nor had any physical problems with my back, knees or anything else. So I have never really tried too loose weight before. When Sten Sture told his story I got interested. Entrecôte and sauce béarnaise was two of my favourite things when it comes to food so I felt like trying this weird “diet”.
Early September I got on a scale only to be surprised by my weight. I was thinking I would be around 150kg but the scale showed 174.4kg (384,5 lb). Almost 25kg (55 lb) more than I expected. So I decided to set a goal to loose the 25kg (55lb) and go down to 150kg (330 lb).
The first week I lost 3,1kg (6,8 lb), the second I lost another 1,9kg (4,2 lb). So in two weeks I managed to loose 5kg (11 lb). During these weeks my food was based on beef, chicken, pork, butter, mushrooms, asparagus, spinach, cheese, cream and all other good things in life… This really was something for me.
In January 2010 I met my first goal by weighting in at 149,4kg (328 lb). I had also lost 9cm around my “waist”.
After another 5 months I had lost in total 40kg (88 lb) and at this time a started to exercise a bit by walking around town listening to audiobooks. Not power walking, only “just walking around”.
When I got on the scale for the last time in 2010 I was below 100kg (220 lb ). I could not imagine myself being “a 2 digit guy” (in kilos) but I managed to get there.
In June 2011 I was at 87kg (191 lb). I have now lost slightly more than 50% of my starting weight. Pretty cool…
Today I am ”stabilizing” between 84kg to 86kg (185-190 lb).
As stated earlier I started “living” by the LCHF-codex in September 2009. In the beginning I was focusing in on lowering the carbs but not that much on eating more fat. I ate a lot of meat, fish, chicken, cheese and cream. Together with this I ate vegetables like broccoli, spinach and asparagus. After a month or two I started making my own mayonnaise and several different versions of seasoned butter. So from eating around 20g of carbs a day I was now down to an average over the week at 2-5g per day. I have really not left this level of carbs even thou some days can be as “high” as 15-20g but with most of the days close to 0 the average is quite low.
Today I only eat once a day, around 6 pm. No breakfast nor lunch. I eat 300-400g of meat, chicken or fish with 75-100g of butter or mayonnaise. On this I am ok for 24 hours. I do not know why, but it really works for me (I have an office job with not much physical activity other than going to the coffee machine or getting the mail.
My basic philosophy has always been not to feel like I am doing this because I have to. I have never wanted to feel “stressed” about the scale or the fulfilling of my goals. If I were to “starve” myself of feel like I was to sacrifice my interest for food I would not have felt good about it and I would probably have failed on the “mental” level. I have always felt sorry for people on low calorie diets only allowed to eat carrots and salads. With this “diet” I can eat almost everything I always loved and I can skip the things that is only there to “cheapen” the plate. Rice and pasta is only (very loosely translated from Swedish) “Stomach filling”. The good things are the meat and the Souse Béarnaise, not the potatoes…
Best regards,
Tommy
Tommy, when I met you on the Low Carb Cruise, I would never have guessed you had ever been so big. You look as healthy and fit and someone who has always been trim. You have accomplished an amazing feat! Good work!
Thank you. To be honest I am starting to wonder if it really is me on the old pictures… Half a year ago I did not recognize the new me but now its the other way around… Kind of…
/Tommy
Hi Tommy!
I just heard about you over at Kent’s site, so I dropped by and all I can say is, “WOW!”.
You have got an amazing life story to tell, and all I can say is Bravo, sir – and congratulations !
I’m 8 days into induction on Atkins, and with you and Kent as inspiration, I now know that I can do this.
Thanks!
Thank you!
Kent’s movies are really great. I will hopefully start putting up step by step “stills” and recepies when my workload slows dow a bit.
Good luck with you with the new lifestyle!
/Tommy
Hi Tommy,
I, too, met you on the cruise, and like Becky said, I never would’ve guessed that you’ve lost that much weight! Truly inspirational!!! I love how you’re writing more about the how-to than the why of an LCHF lifestyle. We really need more of that! Keep up the good work!
Nickie in Colorado
Hi, thanks!
Yes, I feel like the practical parts sometimes gets in the shadows of the science.
/Tommy
Great website. Congratulations on your success.
Great webite Tommy!
I found this site on Livinlavidalowcarb and all I can say i’m HAPPY i did! The recipies and photos are awesome! Very good use of dairy, meats, fish, fowl and low carb vegies.
keep up the good work!
Jorge in N.California
Thanks. and now I am back posting again…
/Tommy
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Hej Tommy,
Vilken fin blogg och vilka resultat, härligt! Jag undrar varför du äter ett mål om dagen nu? Och har dina måltider blivit mindre?
Mvh
Tack,
Jag äter i princip en gång om dagen även om jag nu på sista tiden börjat drick LCHF-kaffe till frukost under mina experiment med ketoner. Anledningen till att jag bara äter en gång om dagen är att jag normalt inte är hungring på morgon eller lunch. De gånger jag äter lunch så är det nästan alltid socialt betingat. Dvs lunch med jobbet eller annat. På “egen tid” äter jag alltså i princip aldrig lunch.
(du vet att detta är min Engelska sida och att jag finns på Svenska på http://www.tommytappar.se?)
/Tommy
wow best of luck …
Thanks!
/Tommy
What a fantastic story Tommy! You look so much younger and happier in the “after” photo. You haven’t mentioned energy, but I assume you have a lot more energy now too?
Your diet is pretty similar to mine actually, though I generally skip dairy. What do you think of paleo/ a primal diet; would your diet fall into one of those plans? You seem to eat only real/ whole foods?
Thanks,
Well in Sweden we call the “diet” LCHF. Low Carb High Fat and it could maybe be called pale or primal since there are similarities. I eat far less nuts than the “ordinary” paleo and I am not that fuzzy about the “political” thougts that I see on some paleo sites. I know this is not the typical pale, but I do see these kind of sites where people get bashed for eating thing “thats wasn’t around 20 000 years ago…”.
But I do prefer real natural food so if that makes me primal or paleo I have no problem with it. I only buy very few “pre made” things. Some sousages and my weak spot; pre made béarnaise sauce…
I also think that paleo and primals eat far to less fat like butter…
/Tommy
Hi Tommy from Canada. Just found your site and have really enjoyed reading about your weight loss. Most of all I’ve enjoyed your pictures and especially that you have been able to eat the same food day after day. I can do that too. Once I find foods I like I eat them over and over. Why change a good thing. Your message has great value for many people. Keep up the good work.
Thanks!
Yes I have no problem eating the same I do try to get some variation with similar ingredients. Most for the fun of it…
/Tommy
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Hey tommy,
Your blog is amazing. When i see your before/after picture i feel motivated. LCHF is a good way to loose weight. You just have to keep the carb intake low.
I need to loose around 25 pounds and I am on my day 1 of this diet. Wish me luck.
Ethan
Do not forgett the HF (High Fat) part. If you only cut the carbs you might get to little energy and you will feel tired…
Good luck!
/Tommy
Thank you for your fine blog. I also eat LCHF and have for almost 10 years. I was actually raised on LCHF before “adopting a healthy lifestyle” in my 20s and 30s, becoming weak and ill, then returning with new-found wisdom to an animal-based LCHF diet. My story is a fairly common one.
I’m delighted (but not surprised) that you have been able to gain health and well-being, and so pleased that you maintain this blog for others to share!
~Puma
Thank you! Nice to hear from someone who have been on LCHF for so long! I am only starting my fourth year…
/Tommy
Hi Tommy,
I find your site and posts to be really inspiring and am grateful that you are willing to share your journey.According to the medical guys I am “morbidly obese” and need to take action. After six weeks on LCHF I lost 5kg’s and it seem to be stuck there? You speak of drinking LCHF coffee. What is that?
Melody
The LCHF-Coffee is a cup of coffee with butter and coconut oil mexed together. This is a good way to get the fat up a bit whiteout “having” to eat more proteins.
I use 1 dl of coffee, 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon coconut oil. Then I mix and drink.
/Tommy
Thanks Tommy, I will try the LCHF-Coffee!
Hi Tommy, great weightloss! I’m still a little worried to go against 40 years of conditioning by introducing so much saturated fat into my diet. I get the science but just feel a little uneasy… Did your medical stats like blood pressure improve as well?
Thanks for any reply, Marion
I have not measured my blood preasure more then once the last 20 years and that was this spring. It was perfect.
I have measures the cholesterol once a year since I started eating LCHF and these numbers are also perfect.
So I am not worried at all…
/Tommy