So it’s been six months since I started my low carb, high fat lifestyle makeover. As of today I’ve lost over 50 pounds. And that’s without counting calories, measuring portions, starving myself, eating less, aerobic exercise, or any of that other conventional wisdom nonsense. I feel the best I’ve felt in the last 10 years.

My favorite foods: bacon cheeseburgers (no bun, of course), steak and salad with full fatty dressings, sausages and sauerkraut, broccoli and cauliflower smothered in butter and/or cheese, berries and heavy cream topped with cinnamon, coffee with heavy cream, wine and bourbon, eggs and bacon, clam dip with pork rinds, full fat kefir, salami prosciutto pancetta, BBQ’ed chicken thighs and legs with the skin on, hot wings with ranch and bleu cheese, liver and onions with chopped bacon, piles of meat in a bowl at Chipotle.

I still walk at work on my breaks and lunches, but I don’t do that any more now than I did before. Still not going to the gym. Not doing any exercises at home or anywhere else. On weekends I like to hike and fly fish and camp and enjoy the outdoors. I’m just as active today as I’ve ever been. (So it’s not the exercise that’s causing me to lose weight.)

When I eat out, my favorite places are In-N-Out, Carl’s Jr, Chipotle, and my local steakhouses like Cattlemens and Texas Roadhouse. At In-N-Out I typically get three double doubles protein style (no bun)–each burger is over 500 calories. At Carl’s I usually get two low carb six dollar burgers–about 700 calories each. At Chipotle (my favorite) I get double meat pork beef, extra cheese, extra sour cream, double guacamole, and I skip the tortilla rice beans–this meal is around 1400 calories. At the steakhouses I get a salad with all the fixin’s and the biggest rib eye on the menu–and I eat all the fat! (So it’s not “eating less” that’s causing the weight loss either.)

Weight loss continues at the rate of about 1 pound per week. Effortless. Easiest thing I’ve ever done. My clothes are all baggy and hanging off my shoulders and hips. I know that I’ll seriously need to shop soon, and that’s a great feeling.

Low-carb saved my life, made it enjoyable again, and gave me my self-confidence back. This is the only thing that has ever worked for me. All that conventional wisdom bullshit about eating less and exercising more has never worked. I plan on eating this way for the rest of my life.