Cutting Dairy Out of My Diet? Should I?

Krys_T
Krys_T Posts: 1,406 Member
edited September 28 in Food and Nutrition
Hello there! I have been reading a lot about people cutting dairy from their diets and all that good stuff. I am thinking about trying this for the next 6 weeks or so. Has anyone tried this? What success or setbacks have you had from doing so?

I currently take Calcium and Vitamin D pills and also drink Shakeology, so I am not worried about losing nutrients. But I am interested in seeing if anyone has noticed a positive difference in their weight or body fat?

Replies

  • HeatherMarie1174
    HeatherMarie1174 Posts: 355
    Doesn't Shakeology have whey protein? Technically that is a dairy product ...

    I have limited dairy for a long time now ... I don't think there are any nutrients you will be missing that you wouldn't get from a veggie heavy diet.
  • Hottness4Lyfe
    Hottness4Lyfe Posts: 321 Member
    Bump..... I'm considering doing this too....but for other reasons.
  • yes_i_can
    yes_i_can Posts: 419
    The only dairy I've had since the end of February is the very occassional sprinkling of some part-skim shredded cheese (maybe 3 times in those 3 months). I was never big on milk or cheese anyway, so I don't miss it.

    Be careful if you're going to want to go back to it after a while though... Once after not having dairy for a couple months I grabbed some chocolate milk to refuel after a hard workout and had terrible stomache cramps for a few hours after that.
  • Barelmy
    Barelmy Posts: 590 Member
    The only problem I had with cutting out diary was breaking the cheese addiction. I craved it for about two weeks, then just stopped caring. The other day, when advising a friend on going vegan, I completely forgot that cheese existed.

    There are very few low points to going non-dairy. One issue is how processed the replacements can be, but they don't have to be. You can make a basic nut milk by grinding nuts into powder, and mixing with water. Otherwise, experiment with your alternatives. Dairy-free margarine is easy to find, and there are lots of different milks available. I drink soya milk, for the extra protein, but I love the taste of rice and almond milks. Coconut milk is good for cooking with, but quite high in fat. Just play with it.:)
  • LexyDawn
    LexyDawn Posts: 113
    I always cut it out of my diet a week or 2 prior and also during a beach vacation, or an event where I want a relly flat tummy... I find dairy to be bloating. It is quite hard to digest for some people. My recommendation would be to try it and see how you feel. Everyone is different. Lactose/ dairy is in everything though, read labels if you decide to try it.
  • brnsgrsbody
    brnsgrsbody Posts: 254 Member
    No you shouldn't cut it totally out. You never have to cut out a food group to lose weight period! You might use less or ensure all your products are reduced fat or fat free. I eat skim milk probably everyday. It actually good for you at least once a day. Then at some point I eat some reduced fat cheese. Feta is my favorite. I have almond milk in my protein shakes which is awesome if you want to cut down on the dairy some. Whey protein does have lactose so it's not a complete depletion of dairy.

    I didn't join this site when I lost a lot of my weight after my baby but I hope you take my opinion to heart. I am at prepregnant weight and just losing more to look really fit.
    I think any plan should include foods you love at that you will reach for. It's a lifestyle right?
    I love your posts and I congratulate you on what you have done so far.
  • Krys_T
    Krys_T Posts: 1,406 Member
    Yeah, I haven't been 100 percent sold on it. I know that for sure I wouldnt cut it out completely because since I do drink Shakeology, and I am also not giving up my almond milk. I don't use much, but still. I can do without the cheese though and I don't cook with margarine in the first place so not worried there. I just wanted to see what other people's take on it was.

    I am not contemplating it for weight loss purposes, I have come this far eating it, but I am interested in seeing what a reduction does in the body.
  • yes_i_can
    yes_i_can Posts: 419
    I am not contemplating it for weight loss purposes, I have come this far eating it, but I am interested in seeing what a reduction does in the body.

    I'm not sure that the cut has actually had any result for me... was just a way to cut out some of the fats that I didn't really crave anyway.
  • Barneystinson
    Barneystinson Posts: 1,357 Member
    It's not necessary for a healthy diet. Plenty of lactose intolerant people out there get by just fine.

    That being said...

    I love cheese.
  • DianaPowerUp
    DianaPowerUp Posts: 518 Member
    Some people benefit a lot by cutting dairy out, since many people are slightly to very lactose intolerant, and sometimes won't even know it until they cut it out, and then go back on (and then have issues like bloating, discomfort etc). As long as you get your Vit. D and calcium somewhere, you can do without it if you like. You can try it, see how it works for you, and always change things back if it's not having the effect you want.
  • IsMollyReallyHungry
    IsMollyReallyHungry Posts: 15,385 Member
    Hello there! I have been reading a lot about people cutting dairy from their diets and all that good stuff. I am thinking about trying this for the next 6 weeks or so. Has anyone tried this? What success or setbacks have you had from doing so?

    I currently take Calcium and Vitamin D pills and also drink Shakeology, so I am not worried about losing nutrients. But I am interested in seeing if anyone has noticed a positive difference in their weight or body fat?

    It does not hurt to test it yourself Krys. I would try it for 3 to 4 weeks only. I forgot why people say this is a good thing? And even though I see many have eliminated from their diets, I did not see a clear cut reason WHY? It is one of the food groups and this could affect you in the long term as far as bone deficiences.

    So many of these studies change it is hard to keep up but I have never heard dairy is bad. They say 2 glasses of skim milk is helpful. That is my 2 cents!:ohwell: :wink:
  • SueHerm
    SueHerm Posts: 25 Member
    You can meet all of your nutrient requirements without dairy, and your bones will be stronger without it (the countries with the highest dairy consumption have the highest rates of osteoporosis). That said, I don't think there is a weight-related reason to do it.
  • mynameisuntz
    mynameisuntz Posts: 582 Member
    You SHOULD cut it out if you have an intolerance to it. If you don't, then it's entirely up to you and what you prefer.
  • Ariyasnow1
    Ariyasnow1 Posts: 117
    I've cut dairy out because of what I studied about all the hormones and pesticides that cows get inflicted to in commercial factory farming (not for weight lost). At first it was hard due to the addition to the casein that is cheese...But now, after 5 months, I actually don't miss it and I feel better without it anyways. I do eat organic ghee(clarified butter, doesn't have casein). And if you go with any whey protein (been researching this in the last couple days) try to find an organic whey isolate.

    It won’t hurt you to try it out and remove dairy from your diet for a few weeks. Then incorporate it back in your diet and see how your body reacts. If you start feeling bad, then continue to cut it. Apparently we are the only animals on the planet that drink milk as adults.
  • Steph_135
    Steph_135 Posts: 3,280 Member
    Hey Krys! I didn't realize you posted this, but the title of the topic caught my eye. CUT OUT DAIRY!! I 100% recommend it. People have said that dairy coats your stomach, so you can't absorb any/many of the nutrients in it. (I've recently heard the same about calcium supplements, so you should try to avoid taking them with other supplements [unless it's magnesium] for the maximum benefit).

    Dairy makes you flemmy and creates mucus. I think it also has a connection to yeast/candida growth. It's among the top food allergens out there. It's pumped with hormones, and taken out of it's natural state.

    If you want to drink it AT ALL, I would recommend finding organic milk.

    During your fast from dairy, I would recommend you try rice milk (the less ingredients and sugars in it, the better, and there are lots of organic ones at good prices), or soy milk, although I don't really go for soy anymore myself. There are also loads of nut milks that you can use as substitutes, and now coconut milk is getting easier to find (but I don't like the taste of the original ones...)

    All the best! :flowerforyou:

    PS - I had a sensitivity to half of my life. I went for the above alternatives, and on occasion I have goat milk.
    PPS - There are also many soy and rice based cheeses.
  • Steph_135
    Steph_135 Posts: 3,280 Member
    It just occurred to me, you might also want to take a lactobacillus acidophilus supplement to get your good bacteria. :bigsmile:
  • IsMollyReallyHungry
    IsMollyReallyHungry Posts: 15,385 Member
    Hey Krys! I didn't realize you posted this, but the title of the topic caught my eye. CUT OUT DAIRY!! I 100% recommend it. People have said that dairy coats your stomach, so you can't absorb any/many of the nutrients in it. (I've recently heard the same about calcium supplements, so you should try to avoid taking them with other supplements [unless it's magnesium] for the maximum benefit).

    Dairy makes you flemmy and creates mucus. I think it also has a connection to yeast/candida growth. It's among the top food allergens out there. It's pumped with hormones, and taken out of it's natural state.

    If you want to drink it AT ALL, I would recommend finding organic milk.

    During your fast from dairy, I would recommend you try rice milk (the less ingredients and sugars in it, the better, and there are lots of organic ones at good prices), or soy milk, although I don't really go for soy anymore myself. There are also loads of nut milks that you can use as substitutes, and now coconut milk is getting easier to find (but I don't like the taste of the original ones...)

    All the best! :flowerforyou:

    PS - I had a sensitivity to half of my life. I went for the above alternatives, and on occasion I have goat milk.
    PPS - There are also many soy and rice based cheeses.

    Thanks Steph! I will be looking for Organic milk the next time I go to Trader Joes. Thanks for details.
  • Steph_135
    Steph_135 Posts: 3,280 Member
    Thanks Steph! I will be looking for Organic milk the next time I go to Trader Joes. Thanks for details.
    Go for it! That's what they drink in the "healthy" countries. :wink:
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