No bread, no pancakes or waffles w/syrup, no pizza, no birthday cake & ice cream, no bananas, no pineapples, no mashed potatoes, no cheesy burritos, no ice blended mocha, no Cap'N'Crunch, no Fettuccine Alfredo, no Trader Joe's BBQ chips, no In'N'Out burgers and animal-style fries. Drinking lots of water and even cut out coffee.

The only up side is I'm eating a lot more bacon and sausage & eggs and beef and fish and grilled chicken and pork chops, and a shit-ton of veggies and salads loaded with fresh-sliced avo's...

I know I'm allergic to simple sugars and will sneeze if I eat one damn strawberry. If I take Prednisone, that shrinks my nasal polyps, I'm usually good to go for weeks on end, but WTF.

Starting week 3 and I still feel like absolute crap. I don't fart so much in bed, but that's the *only* improvement.

I tried that. After a few weeks I was so weak that I could barely get up the stairs. I guess I need carbs.

That is why you are only supposed to do it for like 12 days and then a few days off. And you are allowed some carbs every day..... You have to have some... Maybe you better read the directions again,

I used to use Dr. Gott's diet, which is similar but not so extreme (no flour, no sugar. Fruits other carbs are okay.) It took the weight off, but I couldn't keep it off because it didn't resemble the food that I eat under normal circumstances. So transitioning off the diet never worked.

My feeling is that in order to be successful, your diet must resemble how you want to eat long term.

I just had nasal surgery to remove polyps. I feel so much better being able to breath.

Had them removed 12 years ago, but...they grew back!

Chicken N. Backpacks Wrote:
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> Had them removed 12 years ago, but...they grew
> back!


So did mine. This is the second nasal surgery in 5 years. This time they went up to my brain to get them.

I tried that once, I think I lasted 5 days then freaked out with doughnuts. I wish you the best. I'm trying to give up beer (except for tomorrow--lunch, cussing, and good times with a buddy). The Hoppy Boner.

But I would suggest a low-carb rather than no-carb diet (I'm on one myself, and I'm down a considerable amount that I'm confident is not coming back. It's been a "two year process," however, and being told I had early stage adult-onset diabetes gave me a lot of incentive).

I cut out desserts, switched to Splenda in my coffee (a pox on the $#!% talkers who are claiming it's harmful; they said the same thing about aspartame, and both amount to a lot of nonsense. IMO. Additionally, at my age, the extra pounds I was carrying were a lot more harmful than something hypothetical and years in the future), and gradually ate smaller meals.

The "coach" at the clinic where my doctor has his office was helpful; she told me "go ahead and have an occasional dessert" at special occasions (I only do so very rarely); that helped because I wasn't "trapped" in "all or nothing" thinking.

I wish you well...

SL Cabbie Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> But I would suggest a low-carb rather than no-carb
> diet (I'm on one myself, and I'm down a
> considerable amount that I'm confident is not
> coming back. It's been a "two year process,"
> however, and being told I had early stage
> adult-onset diabetes gave me a lot of incentive).
>
> I cut out desserts, switched to Splenda in my
> coffee (a pox on the $#!% talkers who are claiming
> it's harmful; they said the same thing about
> aspartame, and both amount to a lot of nonsense.
> IMO. Additionally, at my age, the extra pounds I
> was carrying were a lot more harmful than
> something hypothetical and years in the future),
> and gradually ate smaller meals.
>
> The "coach" at the clinic where my doctor has his
> office was helpful; she told me "go ahead and have
> an occasional dessert" at special occasions (I
> only do so very rarely); that helped because I
> wasn't "trapped" in "all or nothing" thinking.
>
> I wish you well...

I started out using Splenda and it taste pretty close to sugar. I made the switch to Stevia and OMG it is so freaking good. A lot of the stuff sold as Stevia is not really Stevia but has a little bit in it.

Congratulations! My daughter gave up carbs, and lasted only two days. We felt weak, like we were dying!

I wouldn't recommend giving up an entire food group. Someone (wish I could remember who) did a study, and discovered that if a person gives up one food group, they lose weight. The shocker is that it doesn't matter which food group is eliminated--meat, or fruit, or carbs, or fats or sugar. The body is shocked into losing weight--temporarily.

I stay thin by not eating refined sugar. If I get hooked on sugar, I start to gain weight. Also, because of family genetics, I have celiac disease, and can't eat any wheat, barley, or anything with gluten in it. One crumb of a cookie, cake, pie, bread, donuts and all those good things, and I am sick for 4 days, and suffer from vitamin deficiencies for weeks afterwards. I think the gluten-free fad is just a fad, but I do think it is bad for EVERYONE.

No gluten, no sugar, no animal fat (I don't like bacon and other fats, anyway), but I eat ice cream, if I feel "deprived." I'm having gluten-free fettuccini alfredo on Christmas Eve.

Feeling "deprived" can really sabotage your diet, and you seem to be extremely deprived. Ease up a bit!

No bananas? My kids and I live on those, and we're all muscular, with low body fat.

No potatoes? We're part Irish, and we eat potatoes almost every day, too. My Dad used to grow them, and we would eat a, cooked new potato, cold from the fridge, like an apple. When I was a child, hardly anyone was fat. There was no "food pyramid" with wheat as the basis. We had the "basic food groups" which included complex carbs, starches, all fruits, as well as vegetables, dairy (3 glasses of whole milk a day), cheese and yogurt, fish (we lived by the ocean) chicken, eggs, beans, rice, and beef maybe twice a week.

No coffee? You poor thing!

I promise you will lose weight if you give up refined sugar, processed foods, and greasy yucky animal fat. Be nice to yourself! Do an exercise you enjoy. Give exercise a chance to become a habit, and find out what is the most pleasant for you. Maybe you like variety better than routine.

Like religion, one diet doesn't fit all. If you have enough will power to stay on that diet for 3 weeks of feeling crummy, then make it easy on yourself, and eat healthy!

Spend the money to see a professional nutritionist, and start feeling great, within days!

I have a friend who's an ultramarathoner - wins 50-150 mile races. He went full on ketogenic last year and at 51 years old cut his time on a 150+ mile race by 2.5 hours and came in the fastest American. He says he's in the best shape of his life.

When I try it, but get headaches and nausea (which they say is due to not eating enough fat)

I'm starting to do no/low on weekdays and what I want on weekends.

elfling_notloggedin Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> ...at 51 years old cut his time on a 150+
> mile race by 2.5 hours...

Was that a typo? Marathons are about 26 miles. I've never heard of a 150+ mile race...?

Why? My Grandmother saw her doctor at age 96? She had really high BP. Her doctor asked what she ate. Told him. He said she would have to change her diet or die. Grandmother looked at him and said she was 96. He looked back. Said, eat whatever you like.

Just a thought for perspective...

I've always been surprised at how many times doctors tell patients in their 90s to give up smoking or drinking, etc. Crazy! My boyfriend's dad died at age 92 last January still smoking a pipe and cigars, and drinking daily. His doctors were always telling him to quit, and he told them those were the only things he was able to enjoy anymore.

Oftentimes, it is all in the genes.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/22/2016 05:45PM by cl2.

Tried that for about a week and a half.

Went to Costco. Bought a pumpkin pie and ate it in the car.

Holy Cow kathleen, those Costco pies are huge. But, gotta say, I'm proud of ya.

Tried that this past summer, and dropped 4 lbs in the first two weeks, and then plateaued again.

I'm now watching my carbs, but haven't dropped them altogether. I'm eating much less bread than before, but still like cereal occasionally for breakfast or a late day snack.

Consume lots of dairy. My mom suffered from osteoporosis and I'm at risk, so I am glad I'm not dairy intolerant. And still take a calcium/D supplement to make sure I'm getting enough calcium (doctor's orders.)

Bananas are a staple in my house, so not banning them. Ice cream was one of the easier foods for me to give up, and (oh goodness gracious!) chocolate. If when I get cravings for something sweet, I usually indulge it, because sticking strictly to a diet when my body is craving sweets just feels counter-intuitive.

It's pretty well known when the body craves a certain kind of food is because the body is missing a nutrient found within that food. This is especially true for pregnant women, and in general. Sure, sugar is *not* a nutrient. It does help regulate the blood sugar to some degree, and chocolate is known to have a calming effect on the brain, with chemicals that help balance seratonin and dopamine.

There was one thing I read in a pro-Atkins book (or video?) Anyway, it suggested when you're craving 'sugar' your body wants fats. It also suggested taking a tablespoon of heavy cream when you have a sugar craving.

Disturbingly, it worked like a charm. Instant craving reduction.

I try to eat blueberries every day. Blackberries are good also.

I've been after him for YEARS to cut back on the amount of food he eats. All-you-can-eat buffet places are lethal for him as he has NO self-control.

I have tried often to make just enough for the two of us. He would finish his dinner, then rummage in the fridge or pantry for more. I finally gave up. It wasn't worth the fighting.

His diabetes nurse recently gave him a serious come-to-Jesus talk. It must have been something. His eating habits have changed seriously - no more hand-to-mouth snacking while watching TV, more exercising. He is visibly losing weight. I am so proud of his accomplishments!

We won't need to go wardrobe shopping anytime soon, as he has a lot of clothing that he "outgrew" as he gained weight. He has been wearing shirts that I haven't seen in years, and they look so great!

He tells me, voluntarily, how his blood sugars are running. And generally, they are good. Before, he would not tell me, and even got angry if I asked.

Whatever that nurse said to get this result, it seems like a miracle.

Chicken N. Backpacks Wrote:
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> no In'N'Out burgers...

In 'n' Out will make you a no-carb burger if you ask, with the usual veggie toppings between two lettuce leaves. One thing you can still have!

I did the "no-carb" diet for 5 weeks a few years ago, and lost 17 pounds in those weeks. But yeah, I hated it. So I decided to get off the "extreme" diet, and just be more mindful about not over-eating carbs...much more reasonable :)

If I go to In'N'Out....I GOTS to have fries!!

I found a good way to lose weight. First of all, keep the intake of fats low, thirty or less grams per day for women, fourty or less grams per day for men. Google to find out your ideal calorie intake per day, based on your age and daily activity-level. For me, it's 2000 cal/day. So I keep the fat intake as low as possible, and shoot for around 1200 to 1400 cal/day. Write it down every time you eat anything. Don't go below three quarters of your recommended calories per day. Too low is dangerous. If you want to do the math, a pound of fat is 3500 calories. So whatever below your ideal intake you go, adds to a running total of fat loss. Yes, it is slow, which is why it needs to be consistant and long-term.

At first, you'll be hungry all the time. Get used to it and drink lots of water to feel full. Eventually, you get used to it. Those days of feeling a sugar buzz should be over until you hit your target weight. The combination of low calories and sugar will make you sick. As the weeks and months pass, you'll see real weight loss. As you burn more fat instead of glycogen, your body will release keytones. You can use ketosticks available at Walgreens to see if you burned any fat the previous day. But give it a few weeks into the new diet first. It takes a few weeks before your body runs out of easy glycogen stores and starts burning fat.

Totally agree...lost 30 pounds last year and have kept it off doing exactly what you just said. Myfitnesspal helped me track the total calories for the first 3 months, but then I just got used to 1500 per day. I knew what that amount was, and I didn't have to keep track anymore. A few other things besides know you BMR and 30g of fat, was keeping my carbs to 100g's per day and daily fasting (no eating after 8:00pm and then breakfast around 10:30 - forget the name of this strategy).

Balance is the key. Eat good food. Eat less of it. Make it a lifestyle, not a diet.

RB

Buffets are deadly.

For office potlucks, I asked for the day off (seriously!).

Avoiding OVEREATING is the only thing that has worked at our house. Any extreme avoidance--carbs, meat, etc.--has worked against us.

Buffet's are indeed, deadly. We avoid them like the plague. I've fought the weight battle since puberty. 15 years ago I weighed close to 500 lbs. but was still actively farming. I sustained a serious back injury in 2003 and decided to finally do something about my weight. With a prescription from my doc for Xenical and cutting way back on my caloric intake I managed to lose 150 lbs over the next 3 years. I put some back on after a year of knee replacement surgeries and recovery time and am on a quest to lose another 100. All it takes is discipline. Which I often lack.

RB

Exercise more, eat less.

It's a no stress, no gimmick, no cost, no science diet.

Exercise more, eat less.

It's the only thing that works for me.

In 2006 I limited my carbohydrate intake. I did not exceed 30 grams of carbs a day. The first 3 days were a living hell. The next couple of weeks were weird. I'd get random brain zaps, and get shaky. By the end of the third week I felt FANTASTIC, and had energy through the roof! I started walking briskly a few miles each day. I lost 90 lbs in 7 months.

It was amazing. I looked amazing. I FELT amazing.

Then the kidney stones came. I've had 8 in the last 10 years. This is why you should not attempt crash diets. All the weight loss in the world feels pretty worthless when you're in agony due to stones, or due to post-surgical pain, or due to opiate dependency withdrawal.

And by the way, I really DID consume a ridiculous amount of calories. I was actually eating about 2500-3000 calories a day. Here's the thing: I understand that 'energy in, energy out' is all that scientifically matters. I don't know WHY it actually works. It shouldn't. But it did.

I won't do it again though, at least not without medical supervision.

Get a nutritionist and daily exercise regimen. You'll save yourself a lot of heartache.

I followed that diet for 12 weeks and lost 42lbs. That's the most weight I've ever lost in that period of time... was able to drop my A1C several points and was able to get off blood pressure meds... have way more energy.. stick with it..it's well worth it... I allow myself 1 cheat meal once a week...

As a followup to my post above, exercise is nearly useless until you get down to a certain weight. For me, that weight was 220lbs. Above that, ten minutes on the treadmill leaves my legs and knees extremely sore and unable to run again for several days. By the time you've healed and repeat the process, several days have passed and you get nowhere. For me, even walking can be difficult the day after a ten minute run weighing 240 or above. For me, below 220, the severe soreness never happens. That's where I break free. Putting your body in to ketosis (look up ketosis) then, and then running for an hour a day at that point turns the ketostix as dark as the scale goes - extreme fat burning. Just don't do any muscle-tearing heavy weight training in that state. It took over a year to heal fully after doing that. If you're overweight and your body is loaded up with glycogen (look up glycogen), aerobic exercise is a waste of time. You'll be very hungry afterwards and are likely to eat what few calories you just lost then. If your metabolism is normal, this all works. If you're diabetic, causing ketosis can be life threatening.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 11/23/2016 01:58AM by azsteve.

Sometimes one needs to rebel against all this diet hooey! What will they come up with next?

Wow, congratulations RB!!!!

I haven't had to lose more than 8-10 pounds (except when I was pregnant), and my struggle is with sugar addiction.

Cream helps me, too! I learned that by eating peaches and cream. I thought I was crazy, so I have never told anyone that! I even drank whole milk for a while, and actually lost 10 pounds by eating normally, but giving up sugar, and drinking whole instead of skim milk. I had an injured knee at the time, so didn't exercise much.

I really, really worry about people who put their body in the state of ketosis! Yes, it is very dangerous! Please go to a doctor or nutritionist! Ketones are an indication that mostly MUSCLE is being burned, along with a tiny amount of fat. When you go off of ketosis, which you must do, or die, fat replaces the missing muscle tissue.

You can learn from the mistakes and successes of others.

Like Mormonism, the latest fad diet is usually just another money-making scam. There's usually a book to go along with it (BOM), and the diet gurus (Thomas Monson and Marie Osmond). Don't waste your money on the shakes and the teenie-tiny meals.

Remember the liquid protein diet that killed people, the Mayo Clinic grapefruit and boiled egg diet (my mother got sick on that one) the Scarsdale diet (didn't an angry dieter kill the inventor of that one?) dangerous Fen-fen which messed-up my niece for life, and it was taken off the market, and the old Nutrisystem which caused gallbladder disease (several of my neighbors had to have their gallbladders removed).

The only diet I would recommend is Weight Watchers, which the US Olympic cycling team used. WW uses different numbers than calorie numbers; otherwise, it's just sensible, balanced nutrition.

My doctor says the best solution is to use one of those computer programs, such as Calorie King and Myfitnesspal. Using an app to keep track of what you eat, helps you not think about food. Just enter the calories, then forget about it. Still, a nutritionist should outline a sensible eating plan suited to your individual preferences, so you can begin. My cousins are healthy and fit, and they use Calorie King, every so often, only if they feel they need to. My other fit cousins run marathons.

Non-food solutions: Get enough sleep, have fun being active, do yard work or lift weights, hike, ski, bicycle, or do other aerobic exercises, relax, meditate, have more sex, distract yourself with hobbies. Be patient. Eat every 3 1/2-4 hours, so you don't get too hungry or weak. If you eat too much, just forgive yourself and get right back on track as fast as you can.

I have type 2 diabetes and when my blood sugar tested over 300 one day, I decided enough was enough. I started following the Atkins under 20 grams plan. The first week was hard, but I kept at it, and after that week, it got much easier, and not so strict. So far (three months) my glucose readings have dropped to the mid/low 100s, and my HbA1c has gone from over 10 to 5.4 AND I have lost 20 lbs with no cravings for the sugar/breads. My cholesterol is now normal as well, even eating red meat and saturated fat. The discomfort during the first couple of weeks was worth it. I track my food with the Atkins app, and exercise by riding a recumbent stationary bike.

I still eat McDonald's burgers (no buns), and the occasional iced mocha latte from the coffee vendor or 1/4 donut after church service (Come over to the Episcopal side, we have coffee and cookies!).

I've tried many diets over my 53 years, and had bulimia as well, and this is the only way I can eat and not obsess over food. My lab results state that this is the right way to eat for ME.

possiblypagan Wrote:
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> So far (three months)...

Check back with us in three years.

I did almost the exact same change in eating habits, with even better results. But I was bored to death.

The old joke is that (insert extreme diet of your choice here) doesn't make you live longer. It just feels longer.

A joyless life of self-denial isn't worth extending.