Calling all super-duper weight losers!

9. July 2011 William Davis (12)





Have you lost at least 1/2 your weight, e.g., 300 lbs down to 150 lbs? If you have, I have a major national magazine editor looking to talk to you.

If you have gone wheat-free and/or followed the dietary advice offered here in The Heart Scan Blog or through the Track Your Plaque program and would be willing to share your story, please let me know by commenting below. While losing half your body weight is not necessarily a requirement for health, it makes an incredibly inspiring story for others.

If we use your story, I will set aside a copy of my soon-to-be-released book, Wheat Belly.

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Comments (12) -

  • John Phillip

    7/9/2011 3:48:38 PM |

    Hi Dr. Davis:

    I have been a follower of your blog for a number of years now.  It ha been an inspiration as i have fought to regain my health over the past 9 years.

    After suffering a mild MI in 2002 and being diagnosed as diabetic, I was placed on the standard allopathic protocol of statins, Ace inhibitors/beta blockers and low-fat diet. Needless to say, they didn't help me.  I did manage to lose weight, but blood sugar and blood pressure remained problematic.

    In 2005, I realized from doing extensive research on sites such as yours that eliminating all refined carbs, sugars and trans fats was the key to my success. I have lost 180 pounds and maintain a weight of 165 lbs. with a height of 6' 1". I am 53 years old, and definitely feel younger than I was in my 30's.

    I supplement with fish oil and DHA, vitamin D and a number of other nutrients to provide a baseline of building blocks to help my cells regenerate and avoid chronic disease. Eliminating wheat is the most significant element in regaining my health and dramatically lowering risk form a second heart attack.

    I would enjoy discussing my journey, and thank you for all your dedicated work.

  • NoGlutenEver

    7/10/2011 9:45:59 PM |

    Any updated information on heartscans in people who've already had a bypass, a 4x bypass?  Would a scan yield any useful info?

  • Justin Willoughby

    7/11/2011 8:08:11 PM |

    I am new to your website, and I am interested in it. I once weighed 800 pounds, and am now down to 215 pounds. You can check my website for more information. www.justinwilloughby.com

  • Dr. William Davis

    7/12/2011 12:24:42 PM |

    Hi, John--

    Fabulous results!
    Could you provide contact info here: http://typ.trackyourplaque.com/contact.aspx
    I appreciate your help on this. It will make a fascinating story!

  • Dr. William Davis

    7/12/2011 12:26:45 PM |

    Hi, Justin--

    Incredible!
    However, I am looking for stories in which elimination of wheat was the principal strategy. Is this what you did to lose the 600 lbs (!!!)?

  • Might-o'chondri-AL

    7/14/2011 4:40:07 AM |

    All I get is "500 Internal Server Error" when try to comment.

  • Might-o'chondri-AL

    7/14/2011 4:43:40 AM |

    Web site server is no good at all ... previous thread rejected my comments more than twice on several days, so I tried this thread and post came right through.
    Doc - you are not getting your moneys worth despite your page looking pretty .

  • Might-o'chondri-AL

    7/14/2011 4:53:20 AM |

    Just went back to previous thread to try and post since see 2 above went through and got the same "server error"  boot a couple of minutes after my 2 above. Something not working right here.

  • Dr. William Davis

    7/15/2011 1:48:11 PM |

    Sorry, Might. Still working out glitches.
    I will discuss with IT people.

  • Felix Jaber

    7/17/2011 7:49:41 PM |

    Dr. Davis
    I have been batling weight for my whole life and by the age of 45 I weighted 290 lbs and was a heavy drinker until I quited drinking and started exercising with a low fat mid protein and high carb diet and due to the fact that I stoped drinking I started to loose weight also as the weight droped I exerciced more till the point that I started to train for a half Ironman there is where the fat lost stoped and I plateaued at 230 lbs and no matter how hard I trained I couldnt lose more and aproaching the half Ironman I even gained weight so shortly after finishing the race my coach sugested me to visit your blog and sent me the link of your post on wheat belly,
    that was like the turning poin of my life and shortly I was following your advices and trying to live a more primal life and practically becoming a caveman the results I lost 60 more pounds and gained a vitality like I have never experienced today after 6 more half Ironman races and 1 full Ironman I try to live wheat free and visit regularly your blog not to mention that I follow most of your blog roll!!!
    Everytime that I find myself eating wheat I feel terrible my inmune function suffers and I almost get sick I say almost as I haven't get sick in almost 2 yers that I have been following a mostly primal life and as I feel a sickness coming I just get back to being wheat free and low carb all around!!

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    7/27/2011 4:02:15 PM |

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    8/27/2011 4:37:40 AM |

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How tough is the Track Your Plaque 60-60-60 target?

How tough is the Track Your Plaque 60-60-60 target?

9. August 2007 William Davis (3)
One of the basic requirements that stack the odds in your favor of stopping or dropping your CT heart scan score is to achieve basic lipid targets of 60-60-60.

In other words, we generally see best results when LDL is reduced to 60 mg/dl, HDL raised to 60 mg/dl, triglycerides reduced to 60 mg/dl. Now, these are not absolute requirements. Someone can have a spectacular drop in heart scan score even with an HDL of 56, LDL of 71. But the "Rule of 60" provides a useful target that is easy to remember, packs real power, and is clearly beyond that achieved with conventional approaches.

People often ask, "Just how tough is it to get to these targets?"

It's really not that tough. Interestingly, whenever I tell my cardiologist or primary care colleagues that I advocate these 60-60-60 targets, they declare that it's tough, perhaps impossible, except for the most highly motivated.

I agree that it requires motivation. A cigarette-smoking, TV-addicted, 70-lb overweight, chip- and pretzel-eating couch potato is not going to achieve them.

On the other hand, you don't have to be a marathon running vegetarian to do it, either.

Most people, in fact, engaged in the Track Your Plaque program achieve the 60-60-60 targets---or exceed them. It's not uncommon, for instance, for HDL to skyrocket to 80 or 90 mg/dl with many of our strategies. (Of course, if your starting HDL is 20 or 25 mg/dl, 80 or 90 is not possible with current technology.)

But it certainly does require more than the "Take Lipitor and stick to your low-fat diet" approach that is the mantra repeated in the vast majority of medical offices across the U.S. For instance, reducing LDL to 60 mg/dl when starting at 170 mg/dl will require addition of oat bran and other soluble or viscous fibers; raw almonds and walnuts; perhaps the use of Benecol butter substitute; reduction or elimination of wheat products if small LDL comprises a substantial proportion of LDL particles. Reducing triglycerides requires the generous use of omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil. Attention to vitamin D must be a part of the effort.

So, yes, it is not as simple as the conventional approach. But the results are far superior in reducing or eliminating heart attack and in dropping your heart scan score.

But it can be done. We do it every day.
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Comments (3) -

  • Anonymous

    8/11/2007 3:12:00 PM |

    Dear Dr. Davis,

    I am a 49-year-old woman. I have a 21-year-old mentally handicapped child and a son who is starting at GA TECH this Fall. I homeschooled both of them most of the way through school. I now help my husband run a home-based business. Needless to say, I spent many years pretty much ignoring my health needs. In February, 2007, I became very ill with strep from which I was not recovering well. My FP did blood work and discovered that my blood sugar was 477, my triglycerides 261, my HDL 42, and my LDL 129 (Total cholesterol: 223). He prescribed Metformin (2 extended release per day), and I embarked on a diet and exercise program. I have lost over 30 pounds, and my new lab results from 2 weeks ago were: blood sugar - 102, triglycerides - 119, HDL - 47, LDL - 150, and total cholesterol - 221. I have been taken off of Hydrochlorothiazide and am being switched slowly from Atenolol to Prinivil. My blood pressure is usually around 100/65 now.

    My doctor wants to put me on Simvastatin, but I prefer to try some natural means of normalizing my cholesterol before adding yet another med with another set of side effects.

    I have been eating very little bread, a little fruit (mostly berries or cantaloupe), lots of salad (very little dressing), green veggies, lean meat (mostly chicken or fish), and some beans (lima, garbanzo, pinto, or black).

    I would love further suggestions from you.

    Glenda Parkman

  • Dr. Davis

    8/11/2007 4:11:00 PM |

    Hi, Glenda--

    Those are spectacular results and testimony to what lifestyle changes alone can accomplish.

    Please note that this Blog accompanies the conversations on the Track Your Plaque website. It is not meant to be a source for the full discussion. Please refer to the website.

  • Dick Lyshek

    10/7/2010 4:39:10 AM |

    Dear Dr. Davis,

    I have relatives in Waukesha and Madison that are looking for a doctor that follows your protocols.  I would greatly appreciate any suggestions you could make.

    Sincerely

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