[10068]

Well not sure about cabbage, but steamed *purple* cabbage tastes fantastic.

BTW isn't honey counterintuitive to dieting? it's pure sugar afterall.

the Lemonade Diet link tells us to use Grade B maple syrup. is this for the same purpose as you're saying the honey is? i'm trying to compile a little shopping list here

EDIT2: is there a replacement for Grapefruit juice? i.e. the same types of benefits, but a different fruit? Because I just read that I can't have grapefruit, it blocks enzymes responsible for absorbtion of 3 of my 4 medications.

 

[Elec]

If you're just trying to lose weight, I've really had good luck with Atkins. I lost about 35 pounds in 4-6 months and have kept it all off a year after losing the weight. I did have to be pretty strict while losing weight, but I find that now that I'm where I want to be, it won't kill me to occasionally have pizza or a bowl of pasta or "real" Coke or whatever.

Atkins can get boring though if you don't make a serious effort to eat nearly everything you're allowed. It's easier if you focus on the stuff you ARE eating rather than what you can't have. You can eat all the bacon and cheese and rich salad dressings and steaks and things like that you want. After a while, you get used to it and it doesn't feel so weird that 90% of the stuff at the grocery store is "don't buy". There are things I used to eat all the time that I still like but don't miss one bit. IF you have some self control, it helps to cheat every so often. Some people can't do this because they'll feel like they've failed and might as well go eat a half gallon of ice cream or have such horrible cravings they can't go back to low-carb. If you're not one of those, frankly, it makes sticking with the diet easier if you can just go stuff yourself with something you'll enjoy say, once every two weeks (assuming you can go back to the diet the next day). You could eat nachos and a pizza and ice cream and wash it down with a 2L of Coke today and it won't make you fat. Doing that every day over time will.

Anyway it's not for everyone, but it has worked well for me. It may even help with the hypoglycemia, since the whole idea behind Atkins is that limiting carbs will stabilize your blood sugar (which in my case made me less hungry, and eating less will help you lose weight any way you slice it). http://atkins.com/Archive/2001/12/21-584507.html You can probably ignore the stuff about the vitamins at the bottom. Like everyone, they've got products to sell, but the dietary info is more important than the supplements anyway.

 

[AlanY]

Quote:

Originally Posted by XxATOLxX A decent sized serving of cabbage yields enough energy as 240 calories of wheat bread.

This is an old wives' tale. Two cups of cabbage yields only 50 calories. (Calories are the only measure of energy in food.)

 

[10068]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Elec If you're just trying to lose weight, I've really had good luck with Atkins. I lost about 35 pounds in 4-6 months and have kept it all off a year after losing the weight. I did have to be pretty strict while losing weight, but I find that now that I'm where I want to be, it won't kill me to occasionally have pizza or a bowl of pasta or "real" Coke or whatever. Atkins can get boring though if you don't make a serious effort to eat nearly everything you're allowed. It's easier if you focus on the stuff you ARE eating rather than what you can't have. You can eat all the bacon and cheese and rich salad dressings and steaks and things like that you want. After a while, you get used to it and it doesn't feel so weird that 90% of the stuff at the grocery store is "don't buy". There are things I used to eat all the time that I still like but don't miss one bit. IF you have some self control, it helps to cheat every so often. Some people can't do this because they'll feel like they've failed and might as well go eat a half gallon of ice cream or have such horrible cravings they can't go back to low-carb. If you're not one of those, frankly, it makes sticking with the diet easier if you can just go stuff yourself with something you'll enjoy say, once every two weeks (assuming you can go back to the diet the next day). You could eat nachos and a pizza and ice cream and wash it down with a 2L of Coke today and it won't make you fat. Doing that every day over time will. Anyway it's not for everyone, but it has worked well for me. It may even help with the hypoglycemia, since the whole idea behind Atkins is that limiting carbs will stabilize your blood sugar (which in my case made me less hungry, and eating less will help you lose weight any way you slice it). http://atkins.com/Archive/2001/12/21-584507.html You can probably ignore the stuff about the vitamins at the bottom. Like everyone, they've got products to sell, but the dietary info is more important than the supplements anyway.

Cool link. sounds promising, actually. i'd never seriously considered Atkins before. I like the freedom it seems to provide... eat lots of greasy meat and dairy and still lose weight. What other diets can say that??

 

[Elec]

LOL Every diet has a tradeoff, some just want you to eat less or watch calories or whatever. For me, the Atkins tradeoff was something I could live with. You can eat a 3-cheese bacon burger with guacamole and black olives if you want to. Just no bun

The stuff you can eat is fairly tasty, so it's less suffering than rice cakes and all that junk. You have to be serious about it at first to get results. People do things like lose 4 pounds in a week, then decide they can have a baked potato with that steak or a sub sandwich for lunch, stop losing weight, and blame the diet.

If you're following it well, Atkins helps you to not overeat too because the stuff is so rich. How much steak, butter, and cheese can you really eat, even if you're allowed all you want? Don't slack off on the veggies either, they're a huge part of the diet, even though it has a reputation for being meat only (it isn't). Vegetables will be a large part of what you eat if you're not cheating and trying not to go hungry.

 

[1967cutlass]

if you want to lose weight and gain mental focus try exercising. it works miracles.

 

[mbriant]

A guy I know who was in his late 50's at the time, fasted for 21 days a couple of times and was pleased with the results. He claimed he actually had more energy during the fasts. He only drank teas and a bit of fruit juice during the 3 week periods. I think he lost nearly 30 lbs each time but put 10 of them back on very quickly after going off the fast. His brother is a doctor so he was under medical supervision while doing this and claims to have suffered no ill effects.

 

[Big D]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sduibek I was trying to research the science behind this, but mostly I got preaching and/or weight loss pill sites, and diet plan (i.e. Atkins) sites. I was reading the Atkins thread a second ago and couldn't help but wonder if there's any doctors (or just general knowledgable types) here that know the cost/benefit analysis of fasting. I'm thinking the ideal is to make sure to get plenty of water and juice, preferable something with more than just sugars (i.e. carrot juice), and some meat too, something low-carb low fat, like canned tuna (so your body doesn't eat your muscles ) Was wondering if this could become a longterm or scheduled (i.e. once a week, or once a month) sort of deal. Many people say "fasting is horrible it kills you man!" but i was under the impression that many respected spiritual leaders of other countries fast regularly, so.... Yep. That's all. bye. EDIT: Oh yknow i should probably mention that i'm on medication for Bipolar disorder, Seroquel Depakote Lexapro and Buspar. wodnering if any of those have interesting reactions with fasting.

With bipolar disorder and the medications you are on you must consult your family doctor before even starting a diet. Any change in your diet my affect the absorbtion of drugs so do not take this lightly.

There is only one way to successfully lose weight and that is lifestyle change. Fasting is not a sustainable weight loss program as you will return to old habits after the fasting period.

Energy comes from three sources: fat, protein, and carbohydrate. Carbohydrate can be simply divided into complex and simple carbohydrates. The complex carbohydrates are used to store the simple carbohydrates which can then be released into the blood to maintain a constant glucose level. When you exercise the easiest energy substrate is glucose (simple carbohydrate) which is supplied from the glycogen (complex) store in the liver. When you next eat this store will be replenished and you will not lose weight. Next easiest to use is protein which comes from muscle then finally fat.

When looking to lose fat you need to allow the body the best chance of using fat stores. Starvation will result in preferential glucose and protein usage and will not result in fat loss. Aerobic exercise will burn much more fat than anaerobic exercise so bear this in mind when exercising. Also exercising in the morning will result in increasing the body's metabolism during the day and result in extra calories being consumed - sometimes called the afterburn effect.

The other way to lose weight is to eat a balanced diet but with reduced Calories. Limiting to 1500-1600 Calories a day will result in weight loss. To do this you need to avoid simple carbohydrates as these will give you a rush and result in you becoming hungry quickly after. You need to eat mainly complex carbohydrates and protein, with little fat. Make sure you get enought vitamins and essential minerals too. This means things like wholemeal bread, fruit, and pasta are in, whereas white bread, salad sauces, etc. are out. Look at the backs of packets for nutrition advice.

Think that's as much as I know except this is what happens if you starve:

First 48 hours - consume all the liver's glycogen store

Next 2 weeks - mainly protein consumption, broken down in the liver

After that - mixture of protein and fat metabolism, but person becomes very unwell and lethargic

 

[benhatchins]

I lost 11 kg in one month and total 14 kgs in 51 days, still few more days to complete 2 months. Started at 95 kgs and currently at 81 kg, target weight is 70kg. I am a Male, 28 and 5’10”. IF has been nothing short of a miracle. To all the people struggling to lose weight, just wanna say don’t give up and keep pushing yourself. “You feel great when you look great”. This blog https://www.womenshealthmag.com/fit...wall-pilates-for-14-days-heres-what-happened/ was my inspiration during this journey.

 

[BobG55]

I fast every night when I sleep.