My name is Kade. I live in a small town in the middle of Wyoming, where I was born and raised. A thirty-year-old with hunting, fishing, and the outdoors deeply ingrained in my way of life. Before this way of eating all started over a year ago, I ate a SAD (Standard American Diet) and really enjoyed my beer (what’s more American than that?!).
Statins On My 26th
By the age of 26, I had racked up a bill of health issues that were still lying dormant. I quit my job five years ago, and that’s when my first lipid panel was pulled up for a screening for a new job.
They couldn’t wait until the results came back before they told me I had something seriously wrong with my blood, putting my head in instant fear for my life. I got to the doctor that same week, was given the balanced diet bit, and got thrown on statins (again, what could be more American).
My triglycerides were over 1200 mg/ dL, and cholesterol was not really traceable because my trigs were so high. And the newfound stress for my health. I lived this way for a couple of years. The statins gave me several bouts of joint pain and really made daily activity a thing of the past. I was just tired and lifeless 24/7.
Intermittent Fasting
I told my brother what was going on, and he told me to eat meat… so… I love meat, but that can’t be good for me. That’s all he eats, and he always looks super healthy. He introduced me to a zero-carb Reddit, where I could read up on it. Within a week, I had given up all sugar and was pretty into IF (intermittent fasting), eating only once a day.
Triglycerides Doubled
I gave my beer up for vodka, and I was on my way to health! I’m feeling much better, with energy up the wall and 60 lbs lighter on the scale. Three months into the zero-carb lifestyle and I wanted to see what my blood was doing, so I went in and got tested. 2400 mg/ dL, my trigs raised to!
I’d also like to add that I quit those stinking statins without docs approval, so here I am again in the same boat, horrible numbers and stressed, so back to a plant-based diet, fish, skinless chicken breast, and everything I didn’t like eating.
Dropping The Alcohol
Pretty much gave up over the next six months and gained almost all my weight back, even though I was pretty much starving myself. I didn’t understand; finally, a bell rang.
Maybe it was the vodka! So I did a bunch more research and decided to contact Charles Washington via a Facebook message, and a response almost immediately said drop the vodka, and my numbers would plummet!
Well, here I sit, 5 AM… no coffee, wide awake, and just want people to know that this way of life is really something special. No pain, no stress, tons of energy off my 7 hours of sleep, and ready to make today mine!
Six Months In
I waited until six months in on this woe [ed: the way of eating], and my trigs are down below 800 mg/ dL now, and I’m sure still dropping. Excited to see what a year of no plants does to my health!
My trigs never really got below 1000, even while on statins, so it’s better. All joint pain is gone… I also forgot to add that I no longer do intermittent fasting, and I usually eat between 2 and 5 pounds of meat a day whenever I’m hungry, but usually just two meals. I’m 6’1” and used to weigh right around 290 lbs in the beginning.
I now weigh around 215 lbs and have been there since July. I went from 31% body fat down to around 15%, which I am completely happy with. I am never hungry like I used to be. All I used to think about was food. We’ll have food and alcohol, haha.
Quitting Addictions
Also, I don’t know if this way of life makes it easier to quit bad habits, but both times I have been on it, I have successfully quit my nicotine addiction! I was a chewer and a smoker as well for ten years. Feels so good to be free!
If you had asked me before I started this way of eating where I honestly saw myself in five years, I probably would have at least had the thought that I would be dead.
Looking To The Future
I’m very grateful and excited to see what the rest of my life brings! I’m almost 30 years old and still got a ton of life left to live.
If this gets posted anywhere, I’d like to make sure to give Charles Washington a huge thanks for being stern and believing in what you’re doing and Kelly Williams Hogan for being such a huge inspiration and getting all this helpful info out there.
Also, a huge thanks to you, Shawn, for trying to spread the word and make people healthy again! Our whole way of looking at nutrition as a world is so messed up.
