Easiest (and most effective) diet EVER - no joke.

[mdeane]

Cheryl, glad you are back safely...your cruise is coming fast. Would you like to talk via email rather than this thread. We can keep each other encouraged that way. Let. me know. Myra

[quickrate]

Just info...I have used both stevia and xylitol (have some in my pantry now). Sorry I prefer that horrible chemical stuff called splenda.

You might prefer it now but may regret what it does to your health later in life. At least do yourself a favor and look it up on the internet and find out what the side effects can be. Losing weight is only half the equation of getting healthy.

Pat

[counsdr]

Cheryl, glad you are back safely...your cruise is coming fast. Would you like to talk via email rather than this thread. We can keep each other encouraged that way. Let. me know. Myra

 

 

Good idea Myra! Right now i'm a basket case over my DD's baby shower on Sun, but once it's done i'll be more chatty!

Hope you're doing well with your loss!

 

Cheryl

counselor25 at verizon dot net

[lhanson38]

Hi all can i join you in this learn to eat heathy...I did this way of eating for a few mths and it really works. Just need to stick to it...well i have been off of it for to mths now have gain weight back and feel so icky...So i will start back today...

[counsdr]

Hi all can i join you in this learn to eat heathy...I did this way of eating for a few mths and it really works. Just need to stick to it...well i have been off of it for to mths now have gain weight back and feel so icky...So i will start back today...

 

 

Sure, join right in! It's not a very active thread and I myself have been very bad since my last cruise and feel awful. I'm just having a terrible time getting back to this WOE.

 

Cheryl

[shootr]

I've really tried to read throught the whole thread, but it kinda goes off track sometimes, so feel free to ignore this post, but I'm gonna ask anyways...(by the way - Howdy all)

 

Been calorie counting for 5 months, dropped 40+ pounds so far (M/44/6'0" - 250 down to 210) but have stalled out for a month now. 1500 calories/day of what I eat is comfortable for me, not too bad of cravings.

 

Here's my pantry, guide me to what is good, bad or otherwise:

 

Hard boiled eggs

Lettuce lot's and lot's of lettuce

V8 (Can't do veggies any other way)

Diet Soda

Turkey and Ham lunch meat (100 cal. at a time)

Rice Cakes (the white cheese ones)

Lot's of marinated grilled chicken

Mashed potatos (instant)

Mini Wheat's (sounds like that's got to go)

1% Milk

Fiber bars (Like them chewy granolla bars)

Grilled Salmon and Talapia

Low Fat Yogurt

Sugar Free cholocate pudding

2-3 liters water/day

Carrots/Celery/Apples/Oranges

 

Still with me?

 

Suggestions?

 

Thanks, this thread got me motivatesd/inspired again!

[quickrate]

My guess would be that for your height and being you're male,your body has stalled because your not eating enough calories. You might want to look at a carb cycling program to trick your metabolism into firing back up.

Pat

[counsdr]

I'd have to agree, you may need more calories. Also, mix it up. I find I have to change my intake from time to time to keep my system going. Maybe up your aerobic exercise?

Try different things and see what works for you.

 

Cheryl

[cdnwmn]

I have a few meal suggestions for this woe.

 

For breakfast I have found cereal called Crispy Brown Rice cereal. It is organic, so found in the organic section or in an organic store. It is gluten free, less than 1 g of sugar per serving (brown rice syrup is probably the culprit in the ingredients list for the trace of sugar) and it tastes a lot like rice krispies. The brand is Erewhorn, or something like that (I don't have any right now.) It is really good with vanilla rice milk.

 

I also love to have a bit of guacamole with my tortilla chips. Avocados are a source of good fat. Just don't eat too much!

 

Sometimes for a snack I will have air popped popcorn, a bit of melted butter and sea salt.

 

Sea salt is much better for you than table salt, or so I've read and heard.

 

To add a bit of something to cooked brown rice, I sometimes fry it in a bit of olive oil with scallions (we call them green onions where I live), some Bragg's unfermented soy seasoning (also called Bragg's aminos or Bragg's all purpose soy seasoning, depends where you live) and a few frozen peas. It's a lot like fried rice, which I love. By the way, I love Bragg's. It was recommended by a naturopath I saw instead of soy sauce. The only ingredients are soy protein and purified water.

 

I will often make cabbage roll casserole to bring for lunches, an easy alternative to cabbage rolls, which I love, and apparently cabbage is very good for you. I brown a pound of ground chicken or turkey, put it in a large oblong corning ware dish that has a lid. The size is similar to a 9x13 pan, but deeper. I add about half a large cabbage, cut into bite sized pieces, a whole small onion, chopped, a cup of uncooked brown rice, a cup of water, a couple teaspoons of sea salt, and a glass jar of strained tomatos (660 ml size here in Canada). You can also add some other seasonings to your liking. Mix everything together (I do it right in the casserole dish) and bake, covered, at 350 for one hour. Then pull it out of the oven, mix everything around, and bake uncovered for another 20-25 minutes.

 

I find that keeping allowed foods available is the key, as well as planning ahead. I certainly use many more dishes and spend more time in the kitchen, but I also feel better. I, too, am a carb addict but if I avoid sugar, I do fine. I started this woe by doing a candida cleanse and lost 20 pounds in a month last spring! I got away from it and have gained it back. This has proven to me that I cannot go off, but may have some wine on our cruise in March. We'll see how that goes!

 

I hope someone finds this useful and good luck to everyone. I have 50-60 pounds to lose myself. I have been doing the Wii Active 30 day challege and am about halfway through.

[counsdr]

Canada, thanks for the cabbage casserole recipe. It sounds yummy!!!

 

Cheryl

[Dreaming4ever]

Hi everyone, I am new to this site and this thread. I went low carb with a doctor couple of years ago. After being the fat kid and overweight my whole life, I had dropped 33 out of my 50 pounds within 3 months. My cholesterol and all my numbers lowered and I had energy like I was a kid. It was fabulous, however I then got pregnant and had my little man. So up up went the weight . It has now been 2 years since then and I am now 40. I also went from being on my feet all day working to at home caregiver for my 3 grandparents, dad, 2 kids and fiance. We are a low carb family being we have heart disease and diabetes on both sides. However being the mommy, and as we all know exhausted most of the time, I am terrible with the will power now. I get so busy taking care of everyone else I forget about myself until my stomach thinks its cut off from my throat. I am also big time night owl (years of bartending). So now my fiance and I are getting married next March 12, 2011 on the Carnival Dream and I need to drop 60 lbs.

If you don't mind I need the support and to be able to check in with all of you since I can't go back to dr. I need the discipline and somebody to kick my butt on daily bases. I know what works for me but need the constant butt kicking or challenge to keep me on track.

Also need a really strong appetite suppressant. We grew up in families that do nothing but get together and eat. (Similiar to the movie "My Big Fat Greek Wedding"). So starting tomorrow its back to low carb. Already ruined today with superbowl leftovers!!! LOL

[counsdr]

Good luck and congratulations Suzanne! We haven't been very active here lately, but will help in any way we can.

 

Cheryl

[firstimer2]

After not doing this WOE for about 9 months, I am trying again. I know what is good, just need to eat it! Blue tortilla chips and brown rice... here I come. Let's hope the 12 lbs. comes off again. :)

[R&D'sNona]

I've really tried to read throught the whole thread, but it kinda goes off track sometimes, so feel free to ignore this post, but I'm gonna ask anyways...(by the way - Howdy all)

 

Been calorie counting for 5 months, dropped 40+ pounds so far (M/44/6'0" - 250 down to 210) but have stalled out for a month now. 1500 calories/day of what I eat is comfortable for me, not too bad of cravings.

 

Here's my pantry, guide me to what is good, bad or otherwise:

 

Hard boiled eggs

Lettuce lot's and lot's of lettuce

V8 (Can't do veggies any other way)

Diet Soda

Turkey and Ham lunch meat (100 cal. at a time)

Rice Cakes (the white cheese ones)

Lot's of marinated grilled chicken

Mashed potatos (instant)

Mini Wheat's (sounds like that's got to go)

1% Milk

Fiber bars (Like them chewy granolla bars)

Grilled Salmon and Talapia

Low Fat Yogurt

Sugar Free cholocate pudding

2-3 liters water/day

Carrots/Celery/Apples/Oranges

 

Still with me?

 

Suggestions?

 

Thanks, this thread got me motivatesd/inspired again!

Hi. I tried this diet before our first cruise and lost about 10 pounds. I've modified it considerably because I am now totally vegan, so no eggs, cheese, milk or anything that isn't plant based. I lost another 20 pounds, and DH lowered his blood pressure 20 points and his cholesterol is 55.

 

Looking at your list and re-reading everything Bardgirl originally posted, you need to eliminate ALL processed sugar. So that means sticking to whole ingredients you make yourself or, if you use any packaged goods (like salsa, instant potatoes, canned tomato sauce) checking labels carefully to avoid any kind of sugar. Also watch out for the euphemisms for "sugar", like cane juice, brown rice syrup, organic rice syrup, fructose - they all sound innocuous but they WILL throw you off.

 

Another problem is artificial sweeteners. They dehydrate you and make you crave sweets more. Try to replace the Diet Coke with water, or a nice flavored ice tea (homemade, no sugar). You might find it easier to lose weight if you have fruit instead of the low-calorie chocolate pudding. Check the ingredients there too, the thickeners may include sugars or gluten.

 

The other things that need to go are: mini wheat, for sure; fiber bars probably (you will find some kind of sugar in the ingredients if you look), the vanilla rice milk and the yogurt, unless they are unsweetened.

 

Check the label on the lunch meat - often, sugar is added to make it tastier. You're better off buying roasted turkey and slicing it. Also check the labels on the V-8 and on the rice cakes - the flavored ones tend to be high in sugar and possibly also salt (which isn't prohibited on the diet, it's just bad for you in general). And check the label on the marinade if you use bottled marinade for your chicken, salmon or tilapia. Watch out for Salmon Teriyaki - loaded with sugar. Ketchup has sugar too, so if ketchup is an ingredient, so is sugar. Honey is also a no-no.

 

Like I said, to be totally safe, make things from scratch and eat foods in their most natural form. A great tasting marinade is simple lemon juice with dried or fresh herbs.

 

Final warning: Alcohol metabolizes into sugar. No wine, beer, or any other alcoholic beverage is allowed on this diet.

 

But the good news: you don't need to limit yourself to lowfat milk or yogurt. You can drink whole milk, yogurt and cheese. And you should try to eat as many whole grains as possible, like brown rice, wild rice, millet, amaranth, steel cut oats - made from scratch, not instant. The fiber will fill you up and whole grains are filled with nutrients and high in protein.

 

Do I sound like a broken record? What makes this diet EASY is that there are only 2 rules (no sugar, no gluten) and the rules are absolute. No sugar means no sugar. But you don't have to count calories and you're never hungry.

 

What makes it effective is if you're a sugar addict like me, total abstention is much easier than "moderation." I have never done anything in moderation in my life: give me one cookie, and I'll keep eating till the whole bag is gone. When I am off sugar completely, it is easy after the 2d day. No cravings, no temptation, no reason to go off the diet as long as I don't have ANY sugar or bread.

 

This diet isn't for everyone, but it worked great for me. Good luck! Post again if you decide to try it and let us know how you did.

 

PS If you're out there, Bardgirl, kudos and thanks, you changed my life.

[beccafries]

What about instant oatmeal in the pkgs?

[R&D'sNona]

What about instant oatmeal in the pkgs?

I'm afraid those packets have sugar and salt added so they are a no-no. Quick oats are really not hard to make and you control the flavorings: you can add apples, raisins, cinnamon. I prefer steel cut oats which I buy in bulk at Whole Foods. They take about 15-20 min to simmer cook, but they are chewy, delicious without sugar or salt, and have lots of fiber.

[beccafries]

I'm afraid those packets have sugar and salt added so they are a no-no. Quick oats are really not hard to make and you control the flavorings: you can add apples' date=' raisins, cinnamon. I prefer steel cut oats which I buy in bulk at Whole Foods. They take about 15-20 min to simmer cook, but they are chewy, delicious without sugar or salt, and have lots of fiber.[/quote']

 

Really...it said no sugar...okay

[R&D'sNona]

Really...it said no sugar...okay

 

"No sugar" might be a deceptive label - are there artificial sweeteners? Many nutritionists warn that artificial sweeteners are just as unhealthy as real sugar, they dehydrate and make you crave sweets even more.

 

Honestly, I don't know about your oatmeal brand, but it's just hard for me to believe that there is a packaged product out there with NO sweeteners whatsoever, and Americans are actually buying it. We are so loaded up with sweets that our taste buds are numb. It took a long time for me to appreciate the actual flavor of subtle foods like steel cut oats or Romaine lettuce, but trust me they really do have a taste.

 

Can you post the ingredients, or give me more information about brand/type? Then I can see the ingredients myself. The biggest problem with this diet is recognizing "sugar" by other names - like honey, "evaporated cane juice" (duh) or my favorite, "organic brown rice syrup" - which sounds so wonderful and it's really so bad!

 

Lost another pound today, lost 4 pounds this month overall, but the BMI meter says I lost 12 pounds of fat, so I must be gaining muscle. Working out 3x a week. Clothes are starting to fit better - less than 8 days till we cruise and 6 days till we fly to Honolulu! Keep it up, Becca! If I can do it you can do it.

[beccafries]

the product is Quaker instant oatmeal in the box with 6 or 8 pkgs

[R&D'sNona]

the product is Quaker instant oatmeal in the box with 6 or 8 pkgs

Son of gun! You were right, there is no sugar. I stand corrected, thank you for the education. I still don't like the chemicals, but it is a good breakfast if you're in a hurry or at work with no stove. Probably a good snack too.

 

Healthy eating, everyone!

[beccafries]

Son of gun! You were right' date=' there is no sugar. I stand corrected, thank you for the education. I still don't like the chemicals, but it is a good breakfast if you're in a hurry or at work with no stove. Probably a good snack too.

 

Healthy eating, everyone![/quote']

 

Lol...yes its good for me to have at work...something a lil healthier..

[pcl_cruiser]

OK I just have a few questions. I am very overweight and I have to lose 35 more lbs by the end of April in order to have a surgery (hysterectomy). I have lost almost 17 since the beginning of Feb. But I have been having a hard time with it hear the last two weeks. I am on blood thinners and due to blood clots in my lungs and legs and I am limited on exercise. So I am frustrated! I am only eating lean meats, fruits and veggies...no bread, no pasta, no rice, no sweets. We use one night a week where we do eat those but we really watch the portions just to have something to look forward to! I need to know what I can do to keep going, afteall the 50 lbs was just the tip of the iceberg!

[alphakitty]

You might prefer it now but may regret what it does to your health later in life. At least do yourself a favor and look it up on the internet and find out what the side effects can be. Losing weight is only half the equation of getting healthy.

Pat

 

Splenda is a lifesaver for me! :) It has helped me with my weight loss efforts to the tune of 40 pounds so far.

 

Here's what Dr. Agatston (South Beach diet Dr.), says about sucralose aka Spenda:

Sucralose: At 600 times sweeter than table sugar, sucralose is the sweetest of all artificial sweeteners. It’s used to produce low- or no-calorie frozen and gelatin desserts, beverages, and gum. In addition to being heat stable, sucralose has the advantage of measuring like sugar, so it's a good substitute for sugar in baked goods. There are more than 110 studies on sucralose that verify it's safe for consumers.

I'd rather have the Splenda than the diabetes from eating all that sugar. :) I feel it's safe. Many of the scare sites on Splenda do not quote any studies.

 

I have to laugh at myself as I joined this thread way, way back and naysayed some of what was being said. Now, I have gone very low carb, pretty much following South Beach and have dropped 40 pounds. I eat flour (whole grain only), but no whites at all...I have eliminated all sugar, white or processed flour and white rice. Just whole grains, and very little of that, abut 50g a day. I have dropped my fasting glucose 30 points in 3 months. The 40 pounds was a nice side effect. I am working to avoid a diagnosis of diabetes.

 

I also found swimming at my local YMCA is wonderful! I started slow and am now swimming laps 2-3 hours a week along with a water aerobics class 3 days a week. With arthritis, I've found this a great exercise I can do that doesn't hurt!.

 

I don't think any one diet works for everyone, but whatever works for you...keep up the good work! :)

[chaching]

There is a book called "Fat to Skinny" by Doug Varrierus who lost over 100# by cutting out sugar and flour. Check it out!

 

ChaChing!

[rvalent2]

I feel as if this thread were written with me in mind. Everything said here applies to me . . . flour and sugar are both my best friend and my worst enemy. But I am ready to say goodbye to them both to not only lose the extra pounds I've put on (20-30) and to feel better. I go into the "coma" every night as I struggle to stay awake to watch tv.

 

I will read the entire thread, including details, later but for now, I could use some guidance to get started. I am not a big breakfast eater . . and I don't like eggs at all. I do love all fruits, so I thought I'd start with a fruit and a piece of cheese and a slice or two of turkey.

 

For lunch, I'll eat salads which I love. However, what dressings? (has to be storebought as I'm at my office). Any that say sugar free?

 

Dinners, I'll stick with grilled fish/chicken/or steak, white or brown rice, veggies, and salad.

 

Snacks: nuts, fruit, what else? And a ton of water!!

 

I'd appreciate any advice to get me started. I cruise in 19 days so I'd love to lose a few pounds beforehand just so my shorts, which are now tight, fit better. I will indulge on vacation . . . but I'll also exercise, including taking the stairs at all times. I have already started exercising at home. Then after my vacation, it will be back to the diet full time.

 

Thanks!!!

 

 

I see that your online.. Have you had any success since you 1st post here?