One, high protein, low carb foods like a modified Bernstein diet and paying
attention to foods that have a low Clycemic index. Keep carbs as low as
possible. I am not sure but I would suggest that Bernsteins rule is a good one.
40
carbs or so a day. I am not sure I have met this stringent goal.

Two, paying attention to portion size is critical. If I go to a restaurant I

eat only half the meal and take the rest home, or split the meal with someone.
I make sure that I eat only a small portion of anything. I do have times when
I fall off but I don’t beat myself up just get up and get back on.

If I get in trouble with appetite return I immediately take Hoodia before
each meal, Phentermine 37.5 MG once daily. I look in my refrigerator throw out
all carbs that may be there and sit down and rewrite my goals in achieving ideal
weight. I use the BMI standard weight suggestions.

Because of weight loss I am able to return to walking which I attempt to do
everyday, actually end up with 4-5 days a week walks. Decided to join a Gym
this week to work on firming up skin and muscles which seem to be sagging a bit.

A year ago I was desperate today I am delighted. A year ago I had no energy,
tying my shoes was a major effort, getting up a pain. A year ago I was in the
care of an Endocrinologist who felt I would be on dialysis in 10 years and
didn’t really believe that I could lose weight given my history. He was a good
man and very bright but I felt he lost faith in me and I had lost faith in
myself. I walked out of that appointment in March of 05 determined to find a
better
solution. I called my original Endo who now lived 70 miles from my place in
the Santa Cruz Mountains and asked if I could return. He said that he was
beginning to prepare his patients for a new drug called by a strange name,
Byetta
and he would be glad to run the tests and see if I was a candidate. Since I was
on 140 units of insulin he thought Symlin might be the choice. After the
tests he decided that a better choice would be Byetta. He now puts all his
patients on Byetta even the type 1 patients. The day I began Byetta he told me
to cut
my insulin in half. I took a shot of Byetta 5mcg in the office and by the
time I returned home I was in the low 100’s and called back to him. He said,
"Don’t take another shot of insulin, eliminate it from your regime." There have
been many ups and downs in my journey. Many challenges and sadness. I do think
you need a physican of uncommon courage and willingness to go into the unknown.
I feel I have such a physican.

My wife Sue was killed in an auto accident on October 11, 2005, and that was
a tragedy which I am still dealing with every day. Many of my friends on this
list and others have helped with their concern and caring responses to me. We
were married 47 years and we were enjoying life living in a spot many would
call Paradise. The reason I mention this in regard to weight loss is that grief
has its own way of dealing with us and it was a challenge to continue on the
path I had set out before me. I have subsequently felt that I want to complete
my course in honor of Sue’s memory. She was so enthusiastic about what was
happening to me.

I know this is more than you wanted to know but it is my outline of what has
happened to me. I am open to any questions or clarifications if you have any
additional responses. I want you to succeed just as I am doing. It is a day by
day thing. The old AA motto, "One day at a time" applies as well as the

I’m not John, but I have lost weight.
I exercise (although not as much as I need to) and I control for carbs and
calories. I started the weight loss with hoodia (a south african cactus that
controls hunger) in November of 2006. I continued when I added byetta for BG
control (the carb/calorie reduction was not enough) and for awhile I was able to
mostly stop hoodia, but now I am back to using it on a regular basis.

I eat about 30 grams of cabs a day and around 800-1000 caloires (a protein
sparing diet, lest I get some unhappy folks concerned about my health). I eat
mostly chicken, pork and fish because my lizard does not like red meat that is
not ground. I eat low-carb veggies and a few low-glycemic index fruits, but I
have to watch the fruit as fructose is not kind to me. I avoid grains -

although I had a recent foray into steel-cut oats that proved, once again, that
I can’t tolerate the stuff. I can sometimes tolerate a bit of actual corn (not
corn products).

For awhile I was stuck on a plateau and could not figure out what was going on.
Since I have been on antibiotics for an ear infection that has been niggling at
me for weeks (not quite developed enough for the doctors to want to treat) I
have dropped from 242 (I actually gained a bit) to 236. I’m not regaining any
of that weight and my elevated glucose levels (up to the high 120’s) are gone.
This means that it was the infection that was helping to defy the physics of
calorie intake/burn. Next time I will advocate more strongly for early
treatment!

My goal weight is around 120, so I have a long way to go, but I will get there.
It is just one of those things of having to put one foot in front of the other
and not get discouraged or give up when one doesn’t lose weight (as happened to
me for a month) as usually there is an answer out there which we just don’t know
about. If I am inappropriately hungry (hungry without reason after a meal) then
I use hoodia. If I am just grazing I use EFT.

I know that John follows Bernstein, as I do, and he controls for carbs and
calories (although I think he can get away with a lot more than I can because he
has male metabolism), plus he has a marvelous place to walk (green eyed envy -
smile) so he gets lots of wonderful exercise. One of these days when I am out
of school I am going to find a way to go visit and walk with him in his
wonderful redwood forest!

I believe most any of us can lose weight if we set our minds to it in terms of
controlling our intake for carbs and calories. Byetta helps a lot and on those
days when it is not enough, well, I take hoodia again regularly, so there is
simply no hunger issue to deal with. I can eat what is on my food plan and not
what I must eat because I am famished from insulin intolerance.

John is a wonderful role model for us all. He has persevered through a great
deal - dealing with significant life stressors, fits and starts in dealing with
weight loss, diet, etc. and he has come through it all by putting one foot in
front of the other - even if he backtracked now and then. It isn’t our
slips, stumbles and falls that are the problem, it is when we get so lost we
forget to put one foot in front of the other to find our way out of where we are
at.

We have a lot of people on the list - Annie, for instance, who has been through
h*ll on a half-shell and is a role model for never giving up and never giving
in. She’s one of my heros here.

Best of luck to you on your way to weight loss. Know that there are a lot of us
here who are pulling for you on your journey to health and well-being.

Cheers!
Marsha

What have you done to lose the weight? And how long did it take you to lose
that amount. I am in awe!

Linda, You are a perfect candidate for Byetta. It is for those who are
uncontrolled with oral medications. I am assuming you are type 2 and not
able to
control your sugars. I was on 140 units of insulin one year ago. Today I am
off
all meds but Byetta and Metforin (2000). I have lost almost 100lb and am
continuing the loss. I feel so good and have more energy today than I have
any right
to expect. I thought it was all over one year ago. I am a confirmed Lizard
Lover, John Dodson

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Debbie

My rash is gone. The dr. is letting me begin with one injection a day
for 5 days and then go back to two if no rash returns…

Check Out My FurBabies

I started Byetta with an A1C of 7.3. I’ve been on Byetta for nearly 3
months and have had almost no nausea, just a little on about 3 days for part of
the day. However, the initial feeling of fullness and lack of hunger has worn
off for me. When that wore off, the weight loss stopped and I put a few
pounds back on! My blood sugars are much better though and don’t spike when I
eat carbs. Janet