Full disclosure here...

I went for my yearly check up today at my endocrinologist office.  Just wanted to share a few specs with ya.

2015-  BEFORE I STARTED ALL THIS

WEIGHT-  230 LBS
           A1C-  5.5 (5.7 IS PREDIABETIC RANGE)
           CHOLESTEROL- 186  NOT TOO BAD, STILL LESS THAN 200 WORRY RANGE
           GLUCOSE- 93- BIT HIGH, BUT IN RANGE

2016- 9 MONTHS INTO THIS

WEIGHT- 190 LBS
           A1C- 5.10 ( NO LONGER PREDIABETIC)
           CHOLESTEROL- 169 (COMING DOWN)
           GLUCOSE- 87 (COMING DOWN)

TODAY 9/27/17

           WEIGHT- 168.6
            A1C- 4.8 (COMING DOWN)
           CHOLESTEROL- 178-  A LITTLE UP, BUT STILL GOOD
           GLUCOSE-  59 (WOW WAY DOWN!)

My doctor was over the moon.  She said whatever I was doing to keep it up.  We discussed my diet thoughts and she said "All diets work, it's basically calorie in calories out" and she's right, but here's the thing.  All diets work if you can stay on them.  We did agree on this and that is that 1200 calories of real food keeps you filling fuller longer than 1200 of diet food.  She also told me that protein can help suppress appetite.  Good to know.  Also she stated (so my thoughts on artificial sweetener are no longer anecdotal)that artificial sweeteners can trigger your brain to crave sugar!

Then to top off the day, I went with my mom to Costco to get some groceries and while there bought a pair of jeans without trying them on and took them home.  The surreal part of this is the fact that they are a sz 14.  WOOHOO!