Dash Diet Weight Loss Solution

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Replies

  • legnarevocrednu
    legnarevocrednu Posts: 467 Member
    Wow...people can be so self righteous and snarky in their comments. This doesn't sound like a fad diet to me...it sounds like a good plan! It doesn't involve pills, anything dangerous, and it sounds sustainable. The OP appears to know what she's talking about and was just looking for insight from people who have actually TRIED the plan. Reading through these responses just irked me. I wish people would relax. To the OP, if I liked to cook, I would probably be trying this myself!
  • rubberbiscuit
    rubberbiscuit Posts: 128
    I haven't gotten around to buying the book yet, but I've been curious about it. There's an ebook you can download http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/hbp/dash/new_dash.pdf I have hypertension and diabetes, and this diet is supposed to be good for helping with each, as well as being a healthy way to lose weight. I've read some really good articles in favor of it. My diabetes is pretty well under control, but the hypertension is more difficult to conquer. If I don't get it under better control soon, they will probably up my meds, so I'm hoping that this diet will be effective for me.
  • Nacho12
    Nacho12 Posts: 159 Member
    My doctor recommended it several years ago when I found out I had high blood pressure. I used a different type of diet to lose weight but I think it is a good diet. Congratulations on the weight loss!
  • BIRDIEBL8
    BIRDIEBL8 Posts: 155 Member
    I use many of the DASH recipes as they are low/no sodium versions of many of the things I love i.e. lentil soup, chicken breast stuffed with spinach & feta ect. I still ate plenty of fruit. Don't remember it being restricted. I lowered my bp & currently off meds. Still use the recipes & it really changed how I cook. ( hope this helps)
  • brockbier
    brockbier Posts: 2
    I'm skeptical of any diet that restricts carbs at the beginning. All you're doing is reducing the amount of glycogen in your body which is ultimately holding on to water (one glycogen molecule binds to 4 water molecules, I believe). As your glycogen stores deplete, so does your total body water. So, you'll see some dramatic gains (losses?) at the outset, and that may provide some motivation, but it isn't doing anything special for fat loss that normal healthy eating habits wouldn't already do.

    For me personally, I look at beginning a healthy lifestyle as trying to answer the question "how do you eat an elephant?" Sure, you could start at the tail, and just like cutting carbs, it will be a quick win, . But, you still have the whole elephant to eat. So what's the answer? You find the pieces that are going to have the largest risk if you don't change them and tackle those first. And of course, you do it one bite at a time. :)

    That said, if you like it, and it provides a good guide to long-term healthy eating, go for it!
  • ecka723
    ecka723 Posts: 148 Member
    Just FYI:

    Dash= Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. It's all about eating foods that are healthy for you and limiting your sodium intake. I'm not sure what the book is about, as the traditional DASH diet doesn't have phases. If you want to know more about the DASH diet WebMD and The Mayo Clinic Online are great resources.

    It's not a 'diet' in the way most people think. The diet it's referring to is what you eat, not an eliminating plan of what foods to eat or not (except for processed foods, too much sodium).
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    I'm skeptical of any diet that restricts carbs at the beginning. All you're doing is reducing the amount of glycogen in your body which is ultimately holding on to water (one glycogen molecule binds to 4 water molecules, I believe). As your glycogen stores deplete, so does your total body water. So, you'll see some dramatic gains (losses?) at the outset, and that may provide some motivation, but it isn't doing anything special for fat loss that normal healthy eating habits wouldn't already do.

    For me personally, I look at beginning a healthy lifestyle as trying to answer the question "how do you eat an elephant?" Sure, you could start at the tail, and just like cutting carbs, it will be a quick win, . But, you still have the whole elephant to eat. So what's the answer? You find the pieces that are going to have the largest risk if you don't change them and tackle those first. And of course, you do it one bite at a time. :)

    That said, if you like it, and it provides a good guide to long-term healthy eating, go for it!
    I'm not. I did a sugar detox in the begining of my lifestyle change. It was great. Really tackled the cravings.
  • Stacyanne324
    Stacyanne324 Posts: 780 Member
    Hey Stacy - So you're a Jersey girl....fantastic! I grew-up in Bergen county (Englewood), but now live in Union county, closer to the shore, or what's left of it. How's your diet going? Any recommendations about DASH? I had my first cheat lastnight...but still had a good weigh in, but understand I can't do this in phase 1. I had about 20 pretzel crisps, loaded with carbs. Any suggestions for night-time after the kids go to sleep?

    Well, it went great the first 5 days. Then day 6 my hubby and I fell off the wagon. We had family in from out of town and made some bad food and drink choices and then wound up being off track all weekend. Oops. I felt bloated and sluggish from it too. No good. So Tuesday we woke up and decided to reapply ourselves and start the 14 days over and this time no cheats (because as we just found even a little cheat can snowball). It's only 14 days so we just need to stick it out. We both gained back a little but not all of our loss and are back on the plan for the second day now.

    Night time after the kids go to bed are hard for me too. I'm often hungry and craving something sweet. Sometimes I'll have sugar free jello which is allowed to cure the sweet part and maybe a cheese stick to cure the hunger. And I always end the night with a nice cup of herbal tea.
  • Stacyanne324
    Stacyanne324 Posts: 780 Member
    Wow...people can be so self righteous and snarky in their comments. This doesn't sound like a fad diet to me...it sounds like a good plan! It doesn't involve pills, anything dangerous, and it sounds sustainable. The OP appears to know what she's talking about and was just looking for insight from people who have actually TRIED the plan. Reading through these responses just irked me. I wish people would relax. To the OP, if I liked to cook, I would probably be trying this myself!

    I totally agree...I didn't really expect this to be something people would get snarky over. It's definitely not a fad diet or magic pill. I'm still trying to get healthier and not fall back to old habits and this seems like a positive start.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    Wow...people can be so self righteous and snarky in their comments. This doesn't sound like a fad diet to me...it sounds like a good plan! It doesn't involve pills, anything dangerous, and it sounds sustainable. The OP appears to know what she's talking about and was just looking for insight from people who have actually TRIED the plan. Reading through these responses just irked me. I wish people would relax. To the OP, if I liked to cook, I would probably be trying this myself!

    I totally agree...I didn't really expect this to be something people would get snarky over. It's definitely not a fad diet or magic pill. I'm still trying to get healthier and not fall back to old habits and this seems like a positive start.
    Sometimes folks forget that not everyone is using this site for the same purpose. And "special snowflake" comments aside (inevitable on this sort of thread), some folks do have different needs. I hope you're able to use DASH to learn to eat sensibly for a lifetime. it seems to be a pretty sensible approach.
  • KenWNJ
    KenWNJ Posts: 6 Member
    Snarky...good funny word. Snarky!!
    Minimal cheats so far on DASH Phase 1. Will be done with P1 on Monday.
    I am trying to break old eating habits, and have been pretty successful during the day.
    Working-out in the evening helps...but night-time is a killer!!! Suggestions?
  • Stacyanne324
    Stacyanne324 Posts: 780 Member
    Snarky...good funny word. Snarky!!
    Minimal cheats so far on DASH Phase 1. Will be done with P1 on Monday.
    I am trying to break old eating habits, and have been pretty successful during the day.
    Working-out in the evening helps...but night-time is a killer!!! Suggestions?

    I'm jealous! I'd be done with Phase one Sunday if I hadn't had that three day disaster last weekend. Totally not worth it (except maybe the pizza, that was good, lol). Now I'm back on track. Day 4 and down 4 pounds. My husband and I are determined to stick it out the full 14 days this time and are going to be good this weekend even with a planned date night tomorrow night. It's only 10 more days and the results are well worth it!

    We were doing Insanity at night before the holidays but it got to be too much for us. By the time we get the kids in bed I've had a long day and am ready to collapse. I just want to catch up with him and relax. I do plan to get back into working out but will do it during afternoon nap time when I have more energy.

    If you workout do you still find you are having night cravings? That always killed my apetite. Now I just have something small. And try a warm beverage that definitely helps. Once you are in phase two maybe a little chocolate fat free milk?
  • jan1755
    jan1755 Posts: 37 Member
    I just downloaded the dash book today. Reading for info and think I will start tomorrow. I'm always looking for a healthier way to eat.
  • KenWNJ
    KenWNJ Posts: 6 Member
    Well don't be jealous! I hopped off the wagon this weekend. It's amaziing how easy it is to gain back the weight after losing it. I'm going to stay in P1 for the remander of this week. Just to get back on track...but not much longer.

    I go to workout right after work, then go home. Then I eat after about 30 minutes. My cravings are nothing more than boredom, I have to work on it....I have to break the habit of eating at night. I'll breakthrough...I hope.

    I know this sounds crazy, but have you tried working out in the morning before the kids wake-up? My wife does that and it really gets her day off to a great start....physically and emotionally.
  • Stacyanne324
    Stacyanne324 Posts: 780 Member
    Well don't be jealous! I hopped off the wagon this weekend. It's amaziing how easy it is to gain back the weight after losing it. I'm going to stay in P1 for the remander of this week. Just to get back on track...but not much longer.

    I go to workout right after work, then go home. Then I eat after about 30 minutes. My cravings are nothing more than boredom, I have to work on it....I have to break the habit of eating at night. I'll breakthrough...I hope.

    I know this sounds crazy, but have you tried working out in the morning before the kids wake-up? My wife does that and it really gets her day off to a great start....physically and emotionally.

    Ha! Sounds like we had similar weekends. I was reasonably good Saturday (even with a date night out) and then blew it Sunday. The weekends are so hard. I can stick with this so easily 5-6 days a week. I'm staying in Phase 1 until I've lost about 10 pounds no matter how long that is and then I'll go into phase 2.

    I am SO not a morning person or I would work out before the kids get up. Some days they are up by 6 so that would have to be super early and I just can't do it. But, the afternoon workout has always been a good time for me. I can get it in, sometimes get the little ones to join me which can be fun (or not depending on the day...lol), and get a shower in before my oldest gets home on the bus. And I find when I do that I eat much more sensibly the rest of the day because I'm feeling fit and good. I really just need to get back into a routine of this again. It's been too long. I've got a new Jillian Michaels DVD I think I'm going to crack open and see if that motivates me.
  • KenWNJ
    KenWNJ Posts: 6 Member
    I hear you about the morning...it's tough. I do have a suggestion about curbing your weekend binges. I followed Body for Life a few years back and did very well. Bill Phillips recommends giving yourself one day where you don't worry about what you eat....staying within reason. He said this resets the metabolism, in addition to putting off those crave binges that could boil over. Instead of a day, I modified this to one meal on a Saturday or Sunday. Maybe try doing this...it'll give you something to look forward to, while also staying within reasonableness.

    If that Jillian Michaels DVD is anything like her workouts on The Biggest Losers....good-luck! My kids are really into watching the show. They're no way near heavy...but they like to see the the people losing weight and reaching their goals. Good-luck!
  • Stacyanne324
    Stacyanne324 Posts: 780 Member
    I actually did a diet plan with a similar philosophy awhile back called the Spike diet. Same idea where you can have one "cheat" day to keep your metabolism running and make it easier to stay good the rest of the week if you know you have that day to look forward too. My falling off the wagon with the diet on the weekends seems to be working in a similar way where I'm up for a couple days after and then drop down below where I was and I seem to be averaging about 2 pounds a week loss doing the DASH phase 1 plan 5-6 days and going off plan 1-2 days. My problem is that moderation really isn't my thing... lol. If I go off the plan for lunch I will just say the day is already blown so lets go big and get pizza and wine for dinner. So, I'm a little wary for just going ahead and giving myself license to go off the diet at all on the weekends. I know that I probably will but if I make it an official plan then it's going to become more than a day or two...if that makes sense. At least for now. I think once I get another 5-10 pounds off and I'm pretty close to my goal then maybe I'll think about doing that to lose slowly/maintain.

    Ha! Yes, Jillian is a beat. I love her! It's great that your kids watch! I DVR it and usually watch with my husband after the kids are in bed but maybe I should watch with at least my first grader. She is really into healthy food and being healthy and all that so she would like the show.
  • unlocke
    unlocke Posts: 149
    I just finished phase one with a 9 1/2 lb. loss in two weeks.(Yay!) Not bad, but I'm curious and a little nervous to see what phase two holds for me. I stayed full and really liked all the foods. I'm on day two of phase two, so still way too early to tell how adding back in fruit and carbs will affect me. I could do without bread and it wouldn't bother me, so I may do that if I don't keep seeing the results I need to. We'll see. :happy:
  • jgasbarre
    jgasbarre Posts: 1
    I can't' have dairy or egg but I really wanted to do the DASH diet. Any suggestions or am I out of luck?
  • Watson_20
    Watson_20 Posts: 50 Member
    I'm on a DASH diet too, but I have to maintain my weight and I have a history of hypertension. Also I'm on a "Heart Healthy Diet". The diets I'm on, I have to follow this:

    2,000 calorie diet

    Low Fat: Less than 65g per day

    Low Saturated Fat: Less than 15g per day

    Low Sodium: Less than 2,000 mg per day.

    High Fiber: 25g per day.

    My goal for protein is around 100g per day. Give or take on the protein. Also I'm on a "Post-Operative Bariatric Surgery".
  • Watson_20
    Watson_20 Posts: 50 Member
    I forgot to say that there is a group on this site called "DASH diet".

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