Linda Gardner's Blog: More Low-Carb Challenge Success

Week 1 groceries

Our new two-week low-carb challenge continues to bring massive success. So far this year 19,000 people have signed up for FREE guidance, meal plans, recipes, shopping lists, troubleshooting tips, etc.

So what could happen if you were to take the challenge? Here’s feedback from this week:

Feedback

I am very happy to report that I lost 6 pounds (female, 66) and my partner (male, 66) lost 10. We love the food and never feel hungry…
Cheers Lesley

I thought the challenge was great. Excellent way to get started on the low carb lifestyle. My pants are less snug!!! I hope you continue to give meal ideas and suggestions. Thanks, this was easier than I thought it would be. I was not hungry after the first 2 days. I love this way of eating.
Donna

Dr. Andreas,
I am retired but active. My belly fat started growing and my wife has diabetes type 2. We knew and prayed for a solution for our health, especially for my wife. Her glucose level was coming out over 200 at least twice a day. Our son saw Sarah Hallberg on Tedx and recommended we watch it. It rang a bell because it all finally made sense. One of her recommended sites was yours, so being anxious for more information, we went there and were so impressed with the layout, the amount of information and the 2 week challenge.

Now after completing the 2 week challenge, my wife is using insulin only 1 a day or when her level is over 130. We both feel so much better!!! We have more energy and do not have the heavy feeling a little while after eating. One other amazing thing has happened to me. My headaches have stopped. I have lived with one for years. It just varied in intensity. I don’t know if I had an allergy to sugar or gluten. Either way, I feel great!
Thank you so much for your excellent way of “getting the truth out.” We are totally convinced of the LCHF way of eating. Funny thing is that we are not really tempted by the “sugary” stuff now, because we know the benefits of eating correctly. We pray that many more people struggling with diabetes will heed your counsel.
BTW, I am signing up to be a member today.
Appreciatively yours,
David

My husband, my 17-year old daughter and I participated in the challenge. We all had success with weight loss and the meals were good. My husband and I are continuing with a strict carb restriction and my daughter is eating less than she was and making better choices when she does eat carbs. I am an emotional eater, so this diet seems to take much of the power out of food.
Thank you.
Emily

I thought the low carb challenge was well organized. I liked having leftovers for lunch the day and the variety… Though I live in Kansas now, I lived in France for over 5 years and really appreciate the more international perspective you give. Your review of the various diet pills on the market currently was really helpful. Because of it, I declined the Qysmia perscription my doctor offered. Knowing that it is the “stupid pill” and not approved in Europe was enough to make me say “thanks but no thanks”.
The daily emails were helpful and informative. It wasn’t just the same information over and over, you had a good variety of health related subjects. I had started LCHF eating a couple of weeks before starting the challenge, but the challenge really helped me clean up my eating, it educated me on sugar alcohols (I had no idea they do actually effect blood sugar) and various other things to avoid. I have lost 15 lbs in the past 5 weeks. My weight loss has now slowed to about 1-2 pounds per week.
Mary

I lost 8 pounds and an inch from my chest, so I’m pretty pleased. I’m going to continue with the LCHF. I definitely wasn’t hungry, and I slept a lot better!… I’m trying to get my husband to do it. He doesn’t have any baby weight to lose like I do, but he doesn’t sleep well, and I’m hoping this would be a good fix for him.
Thanks!
-Durre

Hello, Dr. Eenfeldt,
The two-week challenge is such a good idea. The time period is not so long that you can’t get through it, but long enough that you get past the LCHF side effects (leg cramps!) far enough to know that it’s a good eating plan.
I last visited your site in 2013 and I can see that it has improved greatly. In addition to the challenge, there is a great deal more information. I especially like the pictures of food types with the carb counts showing least (left side) to most (right side). That makes it extremely easy to make good choices. I really like all the short videos as well.

The challenge daily e-mails are very helpful as reminders of what to do each day. It helped keep me on track. I also set up an RSS feed to your blog and find the entries interesting and informative. You’ve done a great job with meal plans and recipes. The only suggestion I have that might make things easier for people, is to create meals that don’t involve cooking — I’m specifically thinking of people like me who work and don’t have access to a kitchen or microwave at lunchtime. Sometimes the leftovers from the night before just don’t taste good cold. Perhaps create some meals that can be prepared ahead of time for brown-bagging it (or maybe put in a cooler)? (Is brown-bagging it only an American thing?)…
Cheri

Thank you for this wonderful plan. My husband and children enjoyed the recipes. And i feel so much better, no more sugar cravings. What I most liked was the ease in following the plan as everything is listed and organized made it so simple.
Thank you again.. I will continue this lifestyle!
Larissa

Hi Andreas,
I really loved the 2-week challenge and lost 5 lbs in the first week. I didn’t lose anything the second week (neither did I put on though) but I’m going to continue on and hope that weight loss catches up. My whole family really enjoyed every single recipe – we’ve never eaten so well! The advice to make sure there are leftovers for lunch the next day is excellent. I’ve always struggled to think what to have at lunchtime so it’s been great to have something delicious ready and waiting for me. Thank you so much for taking the trouble to put the plan together. I honestly can’t think of any way it could be improved.
Kind regards
Lizzie

Dear Andreas
I really enjoyed the two week challenge. The recipes were surprisingly good – my family supported me by joining in and they too thought the food was exciting. I also learned a lot and found your daily emails both informative and supportive. I read Robert Lustig’s book – Fat Chance during the challenge and I can recommend it to all. As far as weight loss is concerned, I did not lose that much (4 lbs) but we all intend to continue with LCHF because we feel so much better and to introduce intermittent fasting in order to reach my goal.
I don’t think I can offer any suggestions to improve your challenge – it’s perfect as it is.
Many thanks,
Christian

Dear Dr Eenfeldt
The two week challenge was amazing, it completely changed the way I looked at food and my diet. As a pretty active person, I am a personal trainer, I dont have much weight to lose but I did lose centimeters and I feel less hungry all the time. I sleep better and enjoying food in general a whole lot more.
Thank you so much for everything and i will remain a member at dietdoctor.com
Regards from South Africa,
Francois

Hi there,
Thank you so much for your excellent 2 week programme and daily updates!
Its easy to follow, economical, the recipes are absolutely delicious and taught me to take my cooking to another level. It was great to understand moreover how much I could eat per meal. Its so handy to have had the shopping lists as well – helped me not to indulge in selecting indulgencies ☺ I also enjoyed the daily email updates – magnificent!
I think I am going to keep the 2-week plan as a sort of permanent eating plan. By the way, I managed to loose 2 kg – still 30 kg to go before I am at my goal weight.
With deepest gratitude,
Annette

My husband and I have enjoyed the 2-week challenge we have both lost 3 kg and he has lost 10 cm off his belly, me 5, even with lots of social events on. We have managed a chocolate-free Easter.
Regards Jane

Hi,
I thought that the 2-week challenge was an excellent idea. The food was delicious and easy to prepare, I like the idea that there was alternatives if the food was not liked by anybody. Loved the idea of the shopping lists that were very comprehensive. I stuck to the diet and found that symptoms of indegestion and wind had completely disappeared – no wheat/carbohydrates has made such a difference. Initially I found changing from low fat to high fat a little difficult to get used to but after 4 or 5 days I started to get used to it. I have lost 5.2 kg with no difficulties at all. I found the videos really motivating and plan to keep on with the diet, however I often skip breakfast because I’m simply not hungry.
Had a birthday celebration this weekend and had one small slice of birthday cake – result, stomach cramps and indegestion, back to low carb.
Many thanks,
Anne