Wheat Belly and Body for Life recommendations

emboss03

So I went to my doc today to see if there was anything medically wrong since I've been dieting and exercising now for almost 4 months with no results. A little background story in a nutshell.... I'm 28 years old and I have diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. So.... he looks at my food and exercise diary. He said basically I'm doing everything right, but I just need a little more. He suggests that I start doing the Wheat Belly diet. I already eat a whole foods diet, but I've been eating whole grains with it. Also, suggests that I up it at the gym and add more strength training. Also, due to my extreme suckiness of my genetics (dad- liver and kidney failure, morbidly obese and mom- diabetic with neuropathy and morbidly obese), he decided to give me an appetite suppressant. So.... here I am with a whole new perspective on my eating habits. Lets hope I can do it this round before I give in and let genetics win!! I'd rather kick genetics in the @$$ and not end up like my parents!!!

TXCC

I have been looking into the Wheat Belly diet. How are you doing on it? Is it something you can live with?

Firefox7275

Be sure to get plenty of oily fish.

RobynC79

If your family really had sucky genetics it's unlikely there would be a 'you' at all. Unless multiple generations (grandparents, greatgrandparents, etc) of your family are morbidly obese, what you have is an environmental effect. Don't assume that you are fighting your basic biology to lose weight, because it makes it seem so much harder.

Personally I think Wheat Belly is pseudoscientific hysteria designed for the sole purpose of selling books. However, if following the plan helps you eliminate more calories (or if you genuinely have a wheat intolerance), then it might work for you. But it's probably not because wheat is evil.

I think adding strength training and keeping on working at the gym is a great idea. It sounds like you are on the right track - good luck!

Mokey41

Agree with the poster above. Your family history probably has more to do with the environment that both your parents are obese rather than any genetics. You're well aware of the health effects of obesity so take this opportunity to fix your life. Demonizing a whole group of foods based on one guys book is crazy and be careful with taking pills.

neanderthin

Agree with the poster above. Your family history probably has more to do with the environment that both your parents are obese rather than any genetics. You're well aware of the health effects of obesity so take this opportunity to fix your life. Demonizing a whole group of foods based on one guys book is crazy and be careful with taking pills.

I also find it kinda weird that a Dr. would just come out and promote the wheat belly diet as a diagnosis.

emboss03

Well he just suggested it.... It's actually going really well. I've lost 4 lbs since starting it. I don't completely eliminate wheat, but I just cut back. I know breads and pastas are a weakness of mine so it's just made me more aware of what I'm eating and how much I'm eating.

I know environmental factors have a lot to do with the weight, however we have a long line of diabetes, high blood pressure, kidney disease, heart disease, and obesity in my family... going as far as 4 generations up... so it is PARTLY genetics, partly environmental. I'm adjusting my ways to fight the environmental and medically I'm trying to get the genetics thing beat too. It's 50/50.

As far as living with the diet.... ehhh, it's kinda hard to do! Especially if you don't HAVE to cut out wheat. Now if I were to find out I had Celiac's or something, then yes... no problem. But knowing you shouldn't have something compared to knowing you CAN'T have something... two different things!

I do notice I've lost the bloating feeling and constantly feeling like I have a tire around my gut. So that's good...

Oh and I've cut back on my cardio and increased my strength. Before I was working out for 60 mins 5 times a week and only doing cardio.... now I do 90 mins a day, 4 times a week with about a 45/45 minute split between cardio and strength. I do a little cardio to get warmed up, do some strength, more cardio, more strength, etc etc... Much more efficient!! My endurance has improved too.

trishmce

Have to agree about wheat belly. I am severely gluten intolerant but genetically do not have celiac. Don't give up a food group if you don't have to.

EasyKeeper8

Hi everyone! I'm new to the boards, but not to MFP. I just wanted to comment on Wheat Belly. I've been generally following the program for about 5 weeks, and I am down 12 pounds! I think it's probably got more to do with the other central theme of the book - not eating foods with high GI. I find that eliminating/cutting foods like wheat, potatoes, rice, corn, sugar is regulating my appetite and cravings, which makes cutting calories easier.

HOWEVER, I have noticed marked improvement in my energy level, disappearance of the "fog" feeling in the afternoon that no amount of caffeine could cut through. I have fibrocystic breasts that haven't hurt at all since giving up wheat. I have mild stress-based IBS and have not had any episodes.

It's a really interesting read. And it's not pseudoscience, but not a panacea either. It's written by a cardiologist who has a lot of success with his patients who have given up wheat. I learned a lot about how the genetics of grain have changed over the last 50 years, and not for the better.

It's another piece to the mysterious puzzle of weight loss, and so far it's working for me. I'm looking for way of eating that I can live with forever.

FredDoyle

Hi everyone! I'm new to the boards, but not to MFP. I just wanted to comment on Wheat Belly. I've been generally following the program for about 5 weeks, and I am down 12 pounds! I think it's probably got more to do with the other central theme of the book - not eating foods with high GI. I find that eliminating/cutting foods like wheat, potatoes, rice, corn, sugar is regulating my appetite and cravings, which makes cutting calories easier.

...and, you are probably eating at a calorie deficit and reduced carbs which is known to shed water weight. The claims in the book are so far unsubstantiated, and not supported by peer review as far as I know.

Bakkasan

...and, you are probably eating at a calorie deficit and reduced carbs which is known to shed water weight.

70+ pounds of water and counting here! Just LC in general, not the OP's wheat belly thing.

pkw58

Congrats on trying new ways under a Doctor's care to get healthy. I went off all grains last New Year's eve, and with the exceptional few things that have a flour used to coat chicken or an occasional ( and I mean less than 5 times in the past year) the only grain I have had is oat bran. and no more than about 1/4 a cup a day. I cannot tell you how much better I feel and the weight did come off.. not fast, but it did come off!

I am down 45 pounds. My carbs come from vegetable and greek yogurt mostly. I eat a banana and avocado most days. Especially since I am trying to not lose any more weight. I am on the Dukan diet for life, but tend to mostly eat as I did on the third phase as it is just easier for me.

My suggestion is to follow your doctor's guidance. We all get to our fitness through trial and what works today may not work tomorrow as you get to different levels of fitness. For example, I didn't use protein powder to lose weight, but heck, I use it to maintain. Dukan tells you not to use them,but also tells you to eat celebration meals.

My name is Pat, and I am a carboholic. I am just a recovering carboholic.

FredDoyle

...and, you are probably eating at a calorie deficit and reduced carbs which is known to shed water weight.

70+ pounds of water and counting here! Just LC in general, not the OP's wheat belly thing.

Yes, you ignored the first part about calorie deficit. I've lost weight on both regular and low carb diets at a calorie deficit.
I have no problem drinking beer and eating ice cream as long as I have the willpower to stop at a certain point.
If one doesn't, one ends up either nutrient deficient or at a calorie surplus. It's science.

RobynMWilson

Agree with the poster above. Your family history probably has more to do with the environment that both your parents are obese rather than any genetics. You're well aware of the health effects of obesity so take this opportunity to fix your life. Demonizing a whole group of foods based on one guys book is crazy and be careful with taking pills.

Amen! Maybe seeing a nutritionist or talking to other people who have been there! Of course a doctor is gonna give out pills. That's what his pharmaceutical sales rep wants him to do! If this doctor was responsible, he would push REAL food and not some crazy fad diet!

Sorry, I come from a long line of obesity, as well, I lost the weight the old fashioned way with real food, portion control, exercise, and I've beaten the odds for over 20 years now!

Bakkasan

Yes, you ignored the first part about calorie deficit. I've lost weight on both regular and low carb diets at a calorie deficit.

My 3000-3500 calorie per day diet losing 3lb a week while running vlcd thinks you might not be 100%. I weight lift 4 times per week and do 90 minutes of steady state cardio. Nothing near needed to facilitate the loss. Either I am a super snowflake or more studies need to be done to settle this.

5 eggs with 8oz sausage made into lc sausage gravy, large grilled chicken salad with cheese and ranch, and a 27oz ribeye. And then the grean beans, broccoli, a few handfuls of nuts. No shakes today. At least not yet. Steadily losing.

I love beer and pizza and pasta etc etc. But when it comes to very effective fat loss with minimal muscle loss, this works for my snowflake body. And what will really get your goat, my doctor fully supports it and recommends similar approaches with effective results to his patients.

You don't need to keep coming back at me, I am just saying there are other paths. No matter what I say, studies I post, my experience and the hundred others on this site alone, nothing will change your mind. I accept that. It's that way with just about every anti LC poster on MFP. I am just never going to let your opinion stop my very effective way of dealing with my obesity.

And I leave you with this, because it is science: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2129158/

PaleoPath4Lyfe

Here is an interesting read about wheat.............more and more people are researching.

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/evolutionary-psychiatry/201103/wheat-and-schizophrenia-0

Whimzeee

Bumping