Blood Type Diet Buddies?
Replies
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OP=original poster or original post, depending. MFP shorthand.1
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If OP stands for Old(er) Person, then that's me!
I'm 65. I’m not new to this field. I was a chubby baby and a pleasingly plump child, according to my mother. My weight fluctuated during my teens—mostly up. I used the Grapefruit Diet and the Cottage Cheese Diet among many other ancient weight-loss schemes.
After I had the first of my 3 children (1971) my doctor told me if I’d just eat less than 1000 calories per day, I’d lose weight. It didn’t matter what you ate, he said. You can eat ice cream all day if you want, and if it’s less than 1000 calories, you’ll lose weight, he said. And that’s what I did. Sometimes I’d save my whole day’s calories just to have some gooey, high-cal ice cream concoction. I lost the baby weight and then some within three months. I used the same method after the birth of babies 2 and 3. In between, not so good. I wasn’t out of my 30s yet.
But I was just using the fewer-calories-in-than-expended method (CICO), which was not based on good nutrition. During my 30s and 40s the “science” said high-fat diets were bad, so we all ate no-fat cookies, nonfat ice cream and no-fat cake and wondered why we were expanding still. Especially our waists. By the time I got to 50, carbs were deemed bad. Now, of course, it’s sugar. By the way, also by the time I reached 50 I had passed 200 pounds on my bathroom scale.
Over the years I’ve done Jane Fonda’s No Pain No Gain aerobics, step aerobics, meditation, acupuncture, yoga, Pilates (my fav), swimming, amphetamines, Fen-phen …all of it. You name it, I’ve done it.
My health was bad—partly because of poor diet choices; partly because of genes. At 50 I had severe asthma, arthritis, stomach ulcers, heartburn/GERD and IBS, hypoglycemia, hypothyroidism, psoriasis, allergies, constipation big-time, idiopathic peripheral neuropathy, severe fatigue, etc., etc., etc. You get the picture.
I lost 70 pounds 15 years ago using first the Ornish Diet, which in the beginning banned nearly all carbohydrates, and then the South Beach Diet, which fit my hypoglycemia well and kept me from fainting. Somewhere in there people began to understand that 1000 calories was way too low for the average person, and that any way of eating that had the word Diet in it was an artificial way of eating. Also, that eating almost exclusively protein can wreck your kidneys. I lost the weight over a two-year period by eating 1200-1500 cal per day, depending on how active I was, eating nutritious food, and exercising in any way I could.
Now I’m 65, as I said. Fifteen years have passed since I lost the weight. And I’ve kept that weight off, within 5 pounds or so, up or down. But my health problems remained, for the most part. I’ve read more books on nutrition than I can count. I’ve looked at the science, the case studies. I did the research. I came across the Blood Type Diet about 10 years ago. Back then D’Adamo didn’t sell any products except for the book. First came the people and then the products, not the other way around. Just like the South Beach Diet, Atkins, etc., products became a big deal later on. And damn near everyone’s been on Dr. Oz. Guilt by association hardly seems fair, guys.
I said, “My roommate can't go a few days without beef. I'm nearly a vegetarian. Turns out her blood is type O (eat meat! eat meat!) and mine is type A (vegetarians rock).” Perhaps some in this group missed the point. I had become a near vegetarian because I couldn’t digest red meat and heavy, greasy chicken/turkey, yet I kept trying to keep protein in my life. Eggs and cheese get old. But a steak or hamburger would lie like dead weight in my stomach for days. My whole body ached from top to bottom. When I saw the profile of Type A, it was a huge relief to know I wasn’t crazy, that I really couldn’t digest red meat well, but at the same time I surely didn’t want to go vegetarian at all! Nothing happens overnight. I have worked at this all for years.
My roommate is much younger and newer at this than I. She has consistently carried 30+ excess pounds around and never been able to lose much weight—especially off her middle. She felt tremendous guilt eating red meat and eschewing “diet foods.” She tried just like I did to fit herself into something that was failing her. I’ve known her for 5 years and this is the first time I’ve ever seen her actually excited about eating well. And that’s what this is: eating well. It’s not dieting, or restricting, or denying oneself. It’s knowing that potatoes cause my arthritis to flare (and oranges too). It’s knowing that food is my friend and can make me feel oh so much better.
My asthma has virtually gone away. My stomach is finally right. No more gas, belching, bloating. No more constipation. My fatigue has lessened considerably. I can move again! So, bottom line: I didn’t come here to lose weight. I came to record what I eat and how I move to help myself be the best I can be. I use MyFitnessPal to be sure I’m getting all the nutrients I need and using all the tools available to me to live a happy, healthy life. The BTD way of eating fits my lifestyle.
So, again, here’s my OP: Hi! I'm blood type A and have been following the BTD for several years. It's the times when I get lazy and/or sloppy and eat "avoid" foods that I gain weight, become sluggish, sick, etc. I have lots of great recipes and good info on the Blood Type Diet. Looking for buddies to share with.
OP = original poster.
Your digestive issues with meat have nothing to do with your blood type. The Blood Type Diet is pseudoscience.12 -
OP= Original Poster not Old Person
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Perhaps some in this group missed the point. I had become a near vegetarian because I couldn’t digest red meat and heavy, greasy chicken/turkey, yet I kept trying to keep protein in my life. Eggs and cheese get old. But a steak or hamburger would lie like dead weight in my stomach for days. My whole body ached from top to bottom. When I saw the profile of Type A, it was a huge relief to know I wasn’t crazy, that I really couldn’t digest red meat well, but at the same time I surely didn’t want to go vegetarian at all! Nothing happens overnight. I have worked at this all for years.
Nobody is disputing your issues with meat or saying you are crazy.
The diet you have adopted works for you - Carry on with it, that is great and nobody has said otherwise.
but it isnt because you are blood group A - it has nothing to do with your blood type. Any more than it does to do with your short hair or your eye sight or your height or any other random co-incidental thing about you.
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It was a joke! It was a joke! I know OP stands for original poster.11
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This content has been removed.
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You could create a group for BTD, and have the privacy of sharing your stories with your buds there.4
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asthma does not go away either, the symptoms can and you can be symptom free especially if you have asthma that is triggered by allergies but asthma is a lung disease, its not curable(its treatable) and you can have a flare up at any time. They used to say you could outgrow it. thats an old myth.8
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CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »asthma does not go away either, the symptoms can and you can be symptom free especially if you have asthma that is triggered by allergies but asthma is a lung disease, its not curable(its treatable) and you can have a flare up at any time. They used to say you could outgrow it. thats an old myth.
Yup, I saw a decent number of people wash out of basic training because their "childhood asthma" reared its ugly head.2 -
None so blind as those who will not see.8
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If OP stands for Old(er) Person, then that's me! I'm 65. I’m not new to this field. I was a chubby baby and a pleasingly plump child, according to my mother. My weight fluctuated during my teens—mostly up. I used the Grapefruit Diet and the Cottage Cheese Diet among many other ancient weight-loss schemes.
After I had the first of my 3 children (1971) my doctor told me if I’d just eat less than 1000 calories per day, I’d lose weight. It didn’t matter what you ate, he said. You can eat ice cream all day if you want, and if it’s less than 1000 calories, you’ll lose weight, he said. And that’s what I did. Sometimes I’d save my whole day’s calories just to have some gooey, high-cal ice cream concoction. I lost the baby weight and then some within three months. I used the same method after the birth of babies 2 and 3. In between, not so good. I wasn’t out of my 30s yet.
But I was just using the fewer-calories-in-than-expended method (CICO), which was not based on good nutrition. During my 30s and 40s the “science” said high-fat diets were bad, so we all ate no-fat cookies, nonfat ice cream and no-fat cake and wondered why we were expanding still. Especially our waists. By the time I got to 50, carbs were deemed bad. Now, of course, it’s sugar. By the way, also by the time I reached 50 I had passed 200 pounds on my bathroom scale.
Over the years I’ve done Jane Fonda’s No Pain No Gain aerobics, step aerobics, meditation, acupuncture, yoga, Pilates (my fav), swimming, amphetamines, Fen-phen …all of it. You name it, I’ve done it.
My health was bad—partly because of poor diet choices; partly because of genes. At 50 I had severe asthma, arthritis, stomach ulcers, heartburn/GERD and IBS, hypoglycemia, hypothyroidism, psoriasis, allergies, constipation big-time, idiopathic peripheral neuropathy, severe fatigue, etc., etc., etc. You get the picture.
I lost 70 pounds 15 years ago using first the Ornish Diet, which in the beginning banned nearly all carbohydrates, and then the South Beach Diet, which fit my hypoglycemia well and kept me from fainting. Somewhere in there people began to understand that 1000 calories was way too low for the average person, and that any way of eating that had the word Diet in it was an artificial way of eating. Also, that eating almost exclusively protein can wreck your kidneys. I lost the weight over a two-year period by eating 1200-1500 cal per day, depending on how active I was, eating nutritious food, and exercising in any way I could.
Now I’m 65, as I said. Fifteen years have passed since I lost the weight. And I’ve kept that weight off, within 5 pounds or so, up or down. But my health problems remained, for the most part. I’ve read more books on nutrition than I can count. I’ve looked at the science, the case studies. I did the research. I came across the Blood Type Diet about 10 years ago. Back then D’Adamo didn’t sell any products except for the book. First came the people and then the products, not the other way around. Just like the South Beach Diet, Atkins, etc., products became a big deal later on. And damn near everyone’s been on Dr. Oz. Guilt by association hardly seems fair, guys.
I said, “My roommate can't go a few days without beef. I'm nearly a vegetarian. Turns out her blood is type O (eat meat! eat meat!) and mine is type A (vegetarians rock).” Perhaps some in this group missed the point. I had become a near vegetarian because I couldn’t digest red meat and heavy, greasy chicken/turkey, yet I kept trying to keep protein in my life. Eggs and cheese get old. But a steak or hamburger would lie like dead weight in my stomach for days. My whole body ached from top to bottom. When I saw the profile of Type A, it was a huge relief to know I wasn’t crazy, that I really couldn’t digest red meat well, but at the same time I surely didn’t want to go vegetarian at all! Nothing happens overnight. I have worked at this all for years.
My roommate is much younger and newer at this than I. She has consistently carried 30+ excess pounds around and never been able to lose much weight—especially off her middle. She felt tremendous guilt eating red meat and eschewing “diet foods.” She tried just like I did to fit herself into something that was failing her. I’ve known her for 5 years and this is the first time I’ve ever seen her actually excited about eating well. And that’s what this is: eating well. It’s not dieting, or restricting, or denying oneself. It’s knowing that potatoes cause my arthritis to flare (and oranges too). It’s knowing that food is my friend and can make me feel oh so much better.
My asthma has virtually gone away. My stomach is finally right. No more gas, belching, bloating. No more constipation. My fatigue has lessened considerably. I can move again! So, bottom line: I didn’t come here to lose weight. I came to record what I eat and how I move to help myself be the best I can be. I use MyFitnessPal to be sure I’m getting all the nutrients I need and using all the tools available to me to live a happy, healthy life. The BTD way of eating fits my lifestyle.
So, again, here’s my OP: Hi! I'm blood type A and have been following the BTD for several years. It's the times when I get lazy and/or sloppy and eat "avoid" foods that I gain weight, become sluggish, sick, etc. I have lots of great recipes and good info on the Blood Type Diet. Looking for buddies to share with.
In all those years of various diets, have you ever tried:
Eating a variety of foods you enjoy within a calorie deficit with an eye towards achieving proper nutrition?
Because it sort of sounds like that's what you're doing now but since you have a proclivity towards "named diets" you are attributing your success in eating in a sustainable way for your own calorie needs, health conditions, and food preferences to the "Blood Type Diet". Why not just take credit for finding a way of eating that works for you and that you enjoy? Why give that away to some woo based pseudoscience?12 -
It was a joke! It was a joke! I know OP stands for original poster.
Now.....this is funny.
I've too had a lot of struggles with weight my entire life. Until I learned the power of moderation and eating less calories than I burn.
I can tell you have found a plan that works for you that keeps you in a calorie deficit. The magic lies in eating less calories than you burn, not in the diet type itself.
Congrats on your weight loss, and keep up your hard work!2 -
I see you didn't ask for an opinion about your diet choice. You asked for like-minded friends.
Sad story: The last time I talked to my mother on the phone, I told her she shouldn't be eating margarine. Big mistake! She got mad that I was trying to interfere with something that was none of my business, and she was right. She was still mad when she hung up. A few days later, she died suddenly, and we never had a chance to make up.
What is it about people that makes us seek to correct others? A little respect would do us all some good. It sometimes takes a lifetime to discover what kind of foods work best for you. I'm glad you've found it OP!
Best wishes
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CynthiasChoice wrote: »I see you didn't ask for an opinion about your diet choice. You asked for like-minded friends.
Sad story: The last time I talked to my mother on the phone, I told her she shouldn't be eating margarine. Big mistake! She got mad that I was trying to interfere with something that was none of my business, and she was right. She was still mad when she hung up. A few days later, she died suddenly, and we never had a chance to make up.
What is it about people that makes us seek to correct others? A little respect would do us all some good. It sometimes takes a lifetime to discover what kind of foods work best for you. I'm glad you've found it OP!
Best wishes
people arent disrespecting her. its a public forum read by many including newbies,and others are just informing this person and others who may read the forum that these diets are just full of woo.I dont see where anyone was disrespectful.12 -
Yes everyone who posted was happy that OP has discovered what foods work best for her.
Absolutely nobody has said otherwise.
But it isnt because of her blood type - and if one puts something on a public forum, others can point out the inaccuracy of it.
In a civil courteous way, sure - but that's the way we have done it.6 -
You can add me if you'd like! I'm not following the btd but I'd love to read your recipes and ideas.
I think the premise of the diet is really interesting, although there's no science to back it up. I think each diet in the btd probably has some good ideas. I just love stuff like personality tests that puts you in a little group and describes you and gives you advice. Even though it's kind of vague and could apply to a lot of people.
It's fun. I'm O negative, which I've always thought was kinda special, being the "universal donor." Also, that's the group that is supposed to eat a lot of meat and not eat grains. I feel best when I eat a bowl of oatmeal for breakfast so I wouldn't change that. But when I tried to be vegan I failed spectacularly and said- it must be my O- blood type. 1 -
OP, the issues arised out of less than ideal nutritional dieting and that can be said emphatically with any diet that does the same. You basically added back in higher nutritional values to your diet and your health got better. Do we need meat in your diets? No we don't and if it works for you then continue to implement it because you're staying consistent.
The point that everyone here makes is so that others that may read it will have other views. I KNOW there's no advantage of a blood type diet, alkaline diet, Paleo, ketogenic, etc. when it comes to sensible weight loss. It still about CICO when it comes to weight loss, balanced nutrition to improve health and the rest is just fluff to sell books and programs.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
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Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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paperpudding wrote: »Yes everyone who posted was happy that OP has discovered what foods work best for her.
Absolutely nobody has said otherwise.
But it isnt because of her blood type - and if one puts something on a public forum, others can point out the inaccuracy of it.
In a civil courteous way, sure - but that's the way we have done it.
Every January, MFP gets a flood of new members resolved to make this the year they finally lose the weight. And good on them!
Most of them lurk on the forums to garner information as to the best way to go about doing this. A lot of them come with the hope (fueled by the media) that there really *is* a 'magic weight-loss bullet' that will make the pounds melt off if they simply eat this, don't eat this, drink this, don't drink that.
Unfortunately, that isn't the whole truth of it.
So when a topic arises that supports a method of weight loss that's not based in fact, members here will point that out. Not necessarily just for the OP - and certainly not to be mean - but to also give the information for everyone else reading a thread like this to perhaps dissuade them from thinking that an arbitrary diet based solely on their blood type might actually have validity.
And to reiterate - that the OP lost weight on her current diet is great. But it has nothing to do with her blood type, and everything to do with the fact that she's been in a calorie deficit (eating less than she burns in a day) - something that everyone wanting to lose weight must achieve.
Weight management is challenging enough without complicating it unnecessarily with what you absolutely must or must not eat or drink, especially when based around an entirely false premise to begin with.
Weight loss is actually elegantly simple. Eat less than you burn eat day and you will lose weight.
But simplicity doesn't sell books, diet plans, supplements, shakes, pills, potions, powders or gimmicks.
False hope does. 14 -
CynthiasChoice wrote: »I see you didn't ask for an opinion about your diet choice. You asked for like-minded friends.
Sad story: The last time I talked to my mother on the phone, I told her she shouldn't be eating margarine. Big mistake! She got mad that I was trying to interfere with something that was none of my business, and she was right. She was still mad when she hung up. A few days later, she died suddenly, and we never had a chance to make up.
What is it about people that makes us seek to correct others? A little respect would do us all some good. It sometimes takes a lifetime to discover what kind of foods work best for you. I'm glad you've found it OP!
Best wishes
Everyone was respectful. Do you think it would not be better to further educate posters or to let them believe in a program that is not based on science? Personally, i am here to become more educated so i can continue to learn and stay on track more. And in my almost 8 years, i have had a lot of stuff i said corrected. Its why i have maintained 50 lbs lost for 4 years and its why i am down to 16% body fat.
And while there is nothing wrong with the OP following the diet, especially since it addresses her digestive issues.9 -
CynthiasChoice wrote: »It sometimes takes a lifetime to discover what kind of foods work best for you.
The point people are essentially making here is that it doesn't have to take a lifetime to figure out how to lose weight.
The issue with restrictive and non-science based diets like these is that when people read about them, they are lead to believe that - in this instance - the only reason they haven't been successful in losing weight before is because they've been eating all the wrong foods for their blood type. Unfortunately, that just isn't true. They haven't been losing weight because they're eating too much every day - regardless of what they're actually eating - to achieve weight loss.
There are many diets based on arbitrary premises such as this one. The "Body Type Diet" (eating foods based solely on your body shape) is another. They are designed to appeal to people who have been unsuccessful in losing weight. They do so in a way that strikes a chord with most of them - the idea that their inability to lose weight in the past wasn't actually their responsibility or within their control. It's because they didn't know they had to eat according to their blood type or body shape. It's like they've found the Holy Grail.
Only they haven't. 10 -
I just found out that I SHOULD be eating a lot of cheese. Excellent. That's my favorite food. As for the rest of the diet, I've forgotten it already, but any diet that encourages me to eat cheese sounds like a win!
I do think that if the OP feels better eating this way, then more power to her. I don't hold much faith in this diet being legitimate, but I can't see that it's dangerous or unhealthy either - there seems to be a wide range of nutrients available for all the types - so whatever. Not anyone else's business. Just join her or don't. No need to save her from herself. She isn't really doing anything wrong.
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I just found out that I SHOULD be eating a lot of cheese. Excellent. That's my favorite food. As for the rest of the diet, I've forgotten it already, but any diet that encourages me to eat cheese sounds like a win!
I do think that if the OP feels better eating this way, then more power to her. I don't hold much faith in this diet being legitimate, but I can't see that it's dangerous or unhealthy either - there seems to be a wide range of nutrients available for all the types - so whatever. Not anyone else's business. Just join her or don't. No need to save her from herself. She isn't really doing anything wrong.
Don't see where anyone was saying she was doing anything wrong. 1 -
It was a joke! It was a joke! I know OP stands for original poster.
I saw the line "So, again, this is my OP:..." and any doubt I had about whether you were joking about "OP=older person" disappeared. Hope that you didn't interpret the explanations to mean everyone was underestimating you. People get in the habit of skimming. I enjoyed your dieting tale, btw, you've experienced a lot first hand.
I'm glad you found something that works for you. Continued success.
I'm a blood type A, and have come to the conclusion that I function best with meat in my diet (near vegetarian most of my adult life). Neither my one example nor yours proves anything, we always have to go back to the science. Assuming you don't find other people who are currently following the Blood Type Diet, would one of the vegetarian or vegan groups suffice?
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goldthistime wrote: »It was a joke! It was a joke! I know OP stands for original poster.
I saw the line "So, again, this is my OP:..." and any doubt I had about whether you were joking about "OP=older person" disappeared. Hope that you didn't interpret the explanations to mean everyone was underestimating you. People get in the habit of skimming. I enjoyed your dieting tale, btw, you've experienced a lot first hand.
I'm glad you found something that works for you. Continued success.
I'm a blood type A, and have come to the conclusion that I function best with meat in my diet (near vegetarian most of my adult life). Neither my one example nor yours proves anything, we always have to go back to the science. Assuming you don't find other people who are currently following the Blood Type Diet, would one of the vegetarian or vegan groups suffice?
I'm type A too and because of my Crohn's a vegetarian diet would just about kill me lol5 -
One of the key indicators that this kind of stuff is woo is that when you look at a number of diets based on physical characteristics (blood type, body type, where you carry your fat and on and on), they completely contradict each other. Which characteristic do you pick to eat for? Whatever you pick is going to be bad for you no matter how you choose. It kind of makes my head spin.1
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snickerscharlie wrote: »CynthiasChoice wrote: »It sometimes takes a lifetime to discover what kind of foods work best for you.
The point people are essentially making here is that it doesn't have to take a lifetime to figure out how to lose weight.
The issue with restrictive and non-science based diets like these is that when people read about them, they are lead to believe that - in this instance - the only reason they haven't been successful in losing weight before is because they've been eating all the wrong foods for their blood type. Unfortunately, that just isn't true. They haven't been losing weight because they're eating too much every day - regardless of what they're actually eating - to achieve weight loss.
There are many diets based on arbitrary premises such as this one. The "Body Type Diet" (eating foods based solely on your body shape) is another. They are designed to appeal to people who have been unsuccessful in losing weight. They do so in a way that strikes a chord with most of them - the idea that their inability to lose weight in the past wasn't actually their responsibility or within their control. It's because they didn't know they had to eat according to their blood type or body shape. It's like they've found the Holy Grail.
Only they haven't.
So much this. I've lost weight a grand total of one time. I'm now several years into maintaining that loss. I'm very fortunate that I stumbled onto the truth right out the gate and that truth is that weight loss, weight gain and weight maintenance comes down to calorie intake.0 -
singingflutelady wrote: »goldthistime wrote: »It was a joke! It was a joke! I know OP stands for original poster.
I saw the line "So, again, this is my OP:..." and any doubt I had about whether you were joking about "OP=older person" disappeared. Hope that you didn't interpret the explanations to mean everyone was underestimating you. People get in the habit of skimming. I enjoyed your dieting tale, btw, you've experienced a lot first hand.
I'm glad you found something that works for you. Continued success.
I'm a blood type A, and have come to the conclusion that I function best with meat in my diet (near vegetarian most of my adult life). Neither my one example nor yours proves anything, we always have to go back to the science. Assuming you don't find other people who are currently following the Blood Type Diet, would one of the vegetarian or vegan groups suffice?
I'm type A too and because of my Crohn's a vegetarian diet would just about kill me lol
Woot, blood budddies!2 -
my massage therapist swears by it! I am A+ and interested in it! I have read all the comments and wow nothing like asking for one thing and being attacked...If it works for one stay with it if not don't...But don't tear others apart! That is not what these forums are for. I for one don't believe in shakes as meal replacements. Help yes but the whole meal...is that what ones goals are? Yes you will lose but when you start eating normal healthy food will you gain it all back..I have a friend who did those pregnancy hormones drops HGC...lost 75 lbs..once done (because you cant live on them) gain every pound back...but it was her choice and shouldn't be criticized...just my opinion!2
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I dont' see any attacking but people trying to explain why there is no scientific evidence to back up the efficacy of this "diet"8
This discussion has been closed.
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