Hola Andy!
I thought of you on your birthday (esp as it was also mine) and I'm both thrilled and fascinated to hear about your progress
I don't have anything to add on low carb diets as I've no experience of them. The common thread I have is wanting to lose weight and get more active. I want to lose about a stone in total.
I find I suffer a lot of bloating and general discomfort and it seems damn near impossible for me to lose any weight while I'm suffering. I've thought about food allergies / exclusion diets and low carb diets, however I have managed to lose weight in the past by simply eating less and exercising more. I also find getting more sleep helps. For now I'm just reducing the amount I eat (from no on I may call this the CC5 method) and dramatically increasing my fluid intake. I have never really got into the habit of drinking enough water and that really messes up my digestion. I'm off running at the moment as my ankle is still twitchy, but have resolved this week to get out for a walk or a cycle 3 times per week so I am at least doing SOMETHING.
It's heartening to hear you're on a mission and making progress with it, cheers for sharing. Hope the ache in your back is easing and good on you for taking care of yourself rather than pushing it. And onwards ... keep going as it's clearly something you're enjoying and happy about.
