@ghost_whistler I need to add to azure's post and also make a few clarifications regarding to my previous post to you.
I'm privileged in that I've had access to good medical care all my life. As a result, I've usually received a proper evaluation and diagnosis, if not from the first doctor, from the next when I've sought a second opinion, typically a specialist. That said, while I have been properly diagnosed, I have not found treatment using the current medical standard of care helpful for three of my chronic health conditions: diabetes, subclinical hyperthyroid, and ulcerative colitis. Specific dietary and nutrition supplement strategies worked best for those three conditions. All are currently in remission.
If you are having hypoglycemic symptoms, and if you have not had a
6-hour glucose tolerance test (GTT), you have not been properly evaluated for hypoglycemia because the symptoms sometimes do not appear until the 5th or 6th hour. Go here for more information on this...
http://hypoglycemia.org/what-is-the-glucose-tolerance-test/
Pay particularly attention to
Dr. Douglas M. Baird, D.O.'s statement,
"...the patient is instructed to eat a diet high in carbohydrates for three days prior to the test." in response to a question in the "Ask the Expert" section at the end of the above linked to article.
If that test doesn't result in a diagnosis of hypoglycemia, additional evaluation and testing needs to be done.
There are many causes of obesity, hypoglycemia, and diabetes. Treatment differs depending on the cause of the symptoms.
As for the low carbohydrate ketogenic diet (LCKD) and intermittent fasting (IF), those are two distinctly different approaches to managing insulin and glucose levels and weight loss. While some use both strategies, myself included, it's my opinion that it's probably best to tackle learning the LCKD or LCHF diet first, then add IF later, if desired. The LCKD and LCHF diet both work well for many without IF. I also know people who have benefited from IF alone. It's likely asking a lot to learn and implement both in the first month or couple of months.
The LCKD and LCHF diet should not be done for extended periods of time without including adequate amounts of fat daily, but during weight loss, not as much fat intake is needed. More on that in a minute.
There are three macronutrients: protein, fat, and carbohydrates. When we significantly reduce carbohydrates, we need need to replace the calories from carbs with calories from fat. Why? Because protein intake on both the low fat, high carb diet and the LCKD and LCHF diets are similar. Additionally, excess protein intake is converted to glucose which defeats the benefits of eating low carb.
On the LCKD, it is possible to utilize fat from your body while losing weight, but you'll be fighting cravings during the transition from being a "carb burner" to a "fat burner". This transition can last anywhere from 2 to 6 weeks. In addition, for those, like me, who eat 50 carbs a day, one cheat meal can throw the body out of ketosis, sometimes for three days or more.
Eric Westman, M.D., who initiated the research in the early 2000's on Dr. Atkin's diet, and who has treated obese patients with the LCKD since that time, has a written protocol on how to do the diet to lose weight. Again, if you'd like a copy of that, let me know. You can find videotaped presentations of how he helps his patients on DietDoctor.com if you're a member, also on YouTube.com
If you want to learn more about IF, Jason Fung, M.D. and Jimmy Moore wrote a book, which I have but haven't read yet, on IF. It's titled The Complete Guide to Fasting: Heal Your Body Through Intermittent, Alternate Day, and Extended Fasting. The one topic they failed to address is a condition called re-feeding syndrome which, though rare, can lead to death. If you choose to do extended fasts, do your own research to learn more about it. This article by Dr. Fung is a good place to start...
https://www.dietdoctor.com/fasting-and-re-feeding-syndrome Prior to publication of Dr. Fung's second book, he also wrote The Obesity Code: Unlocking the Secrets of Weight Loss. Again, have the book, but haven't read it. He also has a blog that I always find interesting and informative...
https://intensivedietarymanagement.com/
If you are interested in learning more about the causes of obesity, obesity researcher Robert Lustig, M.D. has written an excellent book, Fat Chance: Beating the Odds Against Sugar, Processed Food, Obesity and Disease. You can also find videotapes lectures by him on YouTube.com
As for my comments regarding Dietitian Cassie's advice "Eat PFC every 3", I forgot to mention that this is when eating low carb, and perhaps only during the transition to ketosis, not sure, though I find this strategy useful when battling strong cravings due to unusual amounts of stress for example.
I wish you the best in your journey to restored health. If you have additional questions, contact me anytime.
