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I attempted The Plan last month, but couldn't get through the cleanse portion. I'm not much of a veggie girl, and found it to be such a hard adjustment. I also couldn't stand the flax granola. But, in those 3 days, I lost 4lbs, but didn't really get to any major testing. Since then, I have been doing a low-carb diet, and am not seeing any results at all.
I am also doing Insanity, and I know Lyn-Genet doesn't recommend high intensity exercise. I really love how I feel since I started Insanity, and don't want to give it up!
So, I think I'm ready to start it again. I will try the blueberry pear compote instead of the flax. I will eliminate the beets from my carrot/beet salad since I can't stand them. I think part of my problem before is that I was choking down vegetables that I can't stand. I will be following the Thyroid menu since I am hypo. Wish me luck!0 -
Hi Lokisadi, Welcome!
I've been using the Blueberry Compote as an alternative to the flax granola on alternate days, or when I just couldn't face that flax again. Be sure and use the chia seeds in the compote. It pulls it together, gives you the protein you need and fills you up nicely. I tried it with ground flax. It tightened it up but I and found I only lost an ounce each day instead of the 4 to 5 ounces I lost with the flax granola. Someone told me that ground flax is highly reactive. Making it with raw sunflower seeds gives you the protein but it's a runny dish.
I'll take the beets from you, they're one of my favorites. I'm also following the thyroid menu. I didn't realize I had a low thyroid function until I started taking my temperature every morning.
Good Luck!0 -
Hi Lokisadi,
Welcome! I relate to a lot of what you are saying about the cleanse. While I didn't dislike most vegetables, I wasn't really eating them in any great quantities. I also dislike beets and skipped them and just had carrots. Initially, I was kind of sick to my stomach and had a hard time eating all of the plan foods. Felt kind of like I was choking things down as well. Still can't eat that carrot ginger soup! I have a huge batch in my freezer but it will probably stay there.
I didn't initially like the flax granola but after a week or so I began to enjoy it. Haven't tried the compote yet, but bought some chia seeds the other day so will give it a try. Many people seem to really enjoy it.
Overall, I've really begun enjoying TP foods and menus. They get better as the days go on.
Jocyme, you can have my beets as well!0 -
Hi All -
I just got The Plan today. I really want to do a good job of this since I have a hard time sticking to things! But, I'm looking at this as a nice science experiment, so that should be fun.
I am not trying The Plan for the weight loss (although, that would be a bonus). I have been having so many digestive issues and sleep problems lately, and I want to know for sure what foods are causing me problems so that I at least know what to expect when I eat them.
I am 36, and, as the author notes, started having these problems right the time I turned 35. And they seem to be getting worse.
Anyway, I'll let you know how it goes!0 -
Hi cid111,
Welcome to the group! I also have a hard time sticking to things, especially diets, but have done ok so far with The Plan. Maybe it is because there is a lot of food so I am not generally hungry. That helps a lot.
I also am interested in gaining the knowledge of what my body reacts to. While I am trying to lose weight, I also am interested in finding reasons behind some skin issues I've developed and, like you, have some sleep issues.
Good luck with The Plan and do let us know how you're doing.0 -
Hey, Everyone!
I started the Plan a couple of weeks ago. I have lost about 7 pounds since starting. I am stuck on day 10 with new proteins, though. Other than chicken (which I hate!), everything I try is reactive for me. I'm also allergic to dairy - so no testing of that for me. And I failed bread. I have found that my cravings for things have mostly gone away. I am looking forward to finding foods that work for me.0 -
Hi Laurie--welcome to the group! Congratulations on your weight loss and for sticking with it despite the protein issue. I was able to pass the beef test. Failed goat cheese but did a bit better on cow's milk cheese--didn't lose, didn't gain and felt fine. Same with yesterday's test of tomatoes, a great favorite of mine.
Keep us posted on your progress!0 -
Hi all - I just started this morning. I had my flax cereal (wasn't too bad) and now I'm having a nice big cup of tea. The tea is nice, but I'll be glad to have coffee back in a few days. 0
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Hi Cid111,
I've grown to like the flax cereal and dandelion tea. Didn't like the flax at all to begin with. Or the coconut milk. I guess I've adjusted.
I had a big problem with caffeine withdrawl during the cleanse phase but am glad I did it. I now drink coffee in the morning again but not nearly as much and skip a day occasionally with no bad effect. Before, if I skipped a day I'd have headaches and feel awful in general. Don't want to get back into that kind of habit.
Still, it's nice to have that cup in the morning!0 -
Eek, I am so weak! I pretty much already veered off the plan. (I told you I have trouble sticking with things! :blushing: )
Yesterday (day 2) I felt SO sick. My head was killing and I felt like I was going to throw up. So, I introduced some chocolate early! Oopsie! I thought the little bit of sugar and caffeine would help. (It did) I also had some Tylenol which I don't think is part of the plan. But I had to. I was dying!
I woke up feeling SO good this morning. And these past 2 nights I've slept REALLY well. I am down 3.5 pounds in just those 2 days, but I know that was all water weight that I gained while eating high-sodium foods before I started The Plan because I was lower than I am now just by counting calories on MFP.
So, I dont know. I like testing things and seeing how my body reacts. I will keep doing that. I like a lot of the foods I've been eating, so I will continue with those. I like the tea and probiotic and water in the morning.
I'll continue to watch all of your results! :flowerforyou:0 -
Hi cid,
The detox was tough for me as well. If chocolate and Tylenol helped you get through it, then I think that is what you needed to do.
Your Day 2 sounds a lot like my Day 1. But in my case I actually did throw up and couldn't eat a thing after lunch. Day 2 I was also dragging, really tired and spent most of the day on the sofa. Maybe I should have tried your chocolate cure!
But then on Day 3, something changed for me. I hope you find that the foods get more palatable as you go along as I did. I swear this is the first time I've been able to stick with something pretty well.0 -
I told my husband during day 2 "Why would anyone want to do this to themselves???" LOL. It was rough. I'm only half- doing The Plan right now. I've been eating some things from the book, and some of my normal things that I suspect I'm OK with. So far, so good.
WTG sticking with it! I think the food is actually really good. But I like veggies and whatnot, so I have no problems with the menus. I really love the salads. My new favorite dressing is olive oil, lime juice and lime zest. Wow, it's so good! Especially when there's pear on the salads...and avocado. I don't even like pears, but that is GOOD. 0 -
Thanks, cid. I do some modifications, too. Today I was supposed to have chick peas on spinach for lunch. Not a chick pea fan so left them off and added some sunflower seeds instead for protein.
For me, while I liked veggies, I wasn't eating them very much and often my same few favorites over and over. On The Plan, I have not doubt I am getting my "5 a day" fruits and vegetables, and more. Also much better variety.
I agree that pears and avocados on greens makes for a good salad! yum!0 -
I read The Plan, and for the first time in 10 years, everything about my body made sense to me. I am 46 and have been fighting hormone issues for many years. When I talked to my doctor about the symptoms, he said that I was just getting old, and there was nothing I could do about it. Many of the issues that I have had due to "hormone troubles" or Pre-menopause (according to the doctors), but all natural and pharmaceutical remedies I have tried have only solved parts of each problem, but not all of my issues. It's been frustrating because I have tried just about everything out there. How happy I was to come across this book! Multiple times I have tried to lose weight, only to find absolutely no success, It was SO difficult! (Even though I was exercising and using MFP to track calories.) It's been very upsetting to try and convince people that I'm doing all the right things but having no success. People looked at me as though they somehow "knew" that I was lying and binging when nobody was looking or something. I started the Plan about a week ago, but I haven't been completely true to the cleanse. My kids made chocolate chip cookies, and I had a small one. I didn't wait to add a little salt or have some dark chocolate or wine, but I still lost 9 lbs this week! I crave bread, but every time I take a tiny bite, it doesn't taste very good. I have no cravings for sweets ( my downfall), and I'm never hungry! ! I even have been feeding many of the recipes to my family, and they are enjoying them, too! (Family = Picky husband and kids age 4 and 11), I had looked at the foods in the cleanse and said that there was no way I would be eating any of it, but I decided to give every single recipe one try just to see what it was like. Amazingly enough, I have loved everything! Of course, I love spices, and I add a LOT of spices to every recipe! From day 2 I have added tons of almonds and raisins to the flax, soaked it two days with tons of spices, and cooked it longer...... It is so much better that way! I really enjoy it now, and look forward to it each morning. Tomorrow is day 6,, and I can try fish! Yay! I did test reactive to chick peas, but so far cheese is ok. I love how I feel. I am sleeping better. I started this journey to get my body feeling better, and to get off some meds that I'm on, but I love the weight loss bonus. I'm looking forward to joining you all on this journey! 0
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Hi taliteacher,
Wow, what outstanding results you've been getting! Welcome to the group!
I think that the hormone problems have been plaguing me as well. i am post-menopausal, and had some extra pounds settle around my mid-section over the past couple of years. Before starting The Plan, it really took incredible dedication to exercise and a diet that was so low cal that I always seemed to be hungry. I also have liked the food on The Plan, for the most part and have noticed a reduction in my cravings. My downfall has always been carbs and I notice that I don't miss them as much as I thought I would. Bread still tastes pretty awesome to me though!
One benefit of the plan for me has been a reduction in hot flashes, which helps me get a better night's sleep.
Keep us posted on your progress.0 -
Thanks for the warm welcome! I am excited about the weight loss success, but it almost makes it more difficult to use my weight to judge toxic reactions. For instance, I was losing 1.5 to 2 lbs a day on the cleanse. I had no loss on Chickpeas .... So does that make it toxic or not? Luckily, I had other symptoms with the chick peas to help me to make the determination. But, my loss for the last two days has been 1 lb and .5 lbs respectively. Still trying to figure out if it's my body stabilizing or if it was a reaction to the food. I did two test days in a row, so that was pretty silly of me. I might just have to cleanse for another day or two and retest. Any advice?0
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Hi taliteacher,
I believe that a weight loss of .5 would be considered a non-reactive. I also lost most rapidly during the cleanse and then slowed down a bit on subsequent days. I've had several occasions where I neither gained or lost weight, so I am supposing that I'm mildly reactive to those so will steer clear of then as much as I can until I am at my goal weight. In general, I seem to lose substantial weight (1.5 lbs or so) about every 3 days now.
I think that if you find you are actually gaining or staying the same weight you can go back to any "safe" day in which you previously lost weight except Day 1 of the cleanse. If I remember correctly, you should only repeat the entire cleanse if several months have passed.
That's my 2 cents but check the book, for sure. Also, Lyn-Genet has a Facebook page where she and one of her associates answer reader questions every day. I find it kind of hard to follow, due to the FB format, but it's pretty great that they are making themselves available in that way.0 -
Okay, so I guess I've been doing this long enough to engage with other people, even though I'm still skeptical about why and how it's working
I did the cleanse right after valentines day (because I certainly wasn't going to squander a fancy meal on valentines day). I was SO SICK on day two. I sat on the couch and watched West Wing all day and was surly. But, it has gotten better since then, I don't crave much (though it helps that I know that I can eat a handful of french fries without gaining), I have learned to embrace kale, and I like the immediate response that my body provides.
I don't know if I've ever followed a plan day perfectly, but I think I understand the basics of how to put together a meal/day that's reasonably balanced.
So far, steak was fine but hamburger might not have been (or I might've eaten too much red meat in too short a time span). Aged Cheddar makes my eyes itch (wah), and a couple other foods have been neutral, but everything else seems okay. Now that it's warming up and I can fire up the grill, I'm happier with the chicken -- I just think chicken tastes better when it's grilled on an actual grill. Grocery shopping is certainly easier now than it was a few weeks ago, and I can prep much of my food over the weekend (though I've dyed many of my tupperware orangeish with soup... )
Favorite random treat right now: buying candied ginger in bulk, melting down some high quality dark chocolate, coating the ginger with it and keeping a bag of chocolate-covered ginger in the fridge for snacking.
Oh, I guess I should mention, I lost about 6 pounds during the cleanse part, and about 14 overall in a month. Would likely be more if I didn't take weekends off.0 -
Hi scrabble8,
Welcome to the group and glad you decided to engage with us. Glad you got in your excellent v-day meal before "planning".
I also was pretty ill during the cleanse, more so on Day 1 than on Day 2. I also spent considerable couch time and slept through a lot of pretty unmemorable tv programming. I've also been doing a lot of "off plan days", especially over the weekends so the scale has been moving up and down a bit. Life just happens, but that's ok.
I'm in the Chicago area and looking forward to it warming up enough to break out the grill. We've still got some snow here but spring can't be too far away.
Congratulations on your success and keep us posted on your progress!0 -
Hi there,
So I am on day 10 of the Plan, and although losing weight is a big part of it, over the last year I have also developed high blood pressure and a lot of food and pollen allergies...so I wanted to see about getting health overall. I have only lost 6 lbs so far, however I am sleeping so much better! I used to fall asleep after work at 8.30 now I can make it through until 11...and I am awake in the morning without feeling horrible...such a change for me since I was never a morning person.
I am working with one of the nutritionists, Dr. Katie, because I am very allergic to carrots and apples, so she has tailored my menus for me. It is working well...also with living in Switzerland there are some things I can't find (for example Kale) so she is helping me find alternatives.
I do have weight to lose and am glad to be back to MFP to try and make it, but am so glad to be feeling better...
Glad to have found some other "planners" on here...does anyone upload the menus? Would be great to share...0
