Meat and Dairy

Rebecca0224 wrote: »

jennpinklady wrote: »

I've tries Atkins; weight watchers; grapefruit; cabbage soup; low cal; low fat; one meal a day; mean green juicing; protein shake; Richard simmons ect...
I usually lose weight....initially...then the craving start again. Usually hungry at night. I usually crave protein and dairy products. I make everything my self homemade. I don't use process foods. I use very little salt. And I joined a gym just recently. I think I have a metabolism issue. I'm 48. I have lost 5 lbs in two weeks. I made my own protein bars wit h healthy hemp and seeds with oatmeal and sugar free peanut butter.

It doesn't sound like a metabolism problem it sounds like a self control problem. You could always try a non restrictive diet with a calorie deficit. You have to have a calorie deficit to lose weight, I gained weight doing both low carb and vegetarian. Metabolic disorders are not as common as people want to believe but good luck.

QFT.

Stop going on fad and overly restrictive diets. I've failed on fad/restrictive diets, too.

Just eat food. Use a food scale. Log accurately.

The only thing that will help burn fat off your body is a sustained calorie deficit over time. (1700 is probably good, however -- not crazy low unless you are quite active, but low enough if you have a lot to lose.)

I think what seems to happen from what you've said is that you start new diets with excitement, thinking this time it will be different, are carried along by that for a while, and then eventually start missing old foods and habits and you see this as "cravings" not consistent with the promises that you'd never want the things you gave up again, and so give up. Plant based is unlikely to change that, and China Study (which has issues otherwise) has 0 to do with the concerns of a dieter who has trouble sticking to a diet.

That said, if you are enjoying it, good luck. You ARE more likely to succeed if you don't start by cutting crazy low, so that's good. I do recommend watching macros (protein and healthy fats), getting a diverse base of vegetables, different starches, fruit, sources of fat like nuts, seeds, olives, avocados, and supplementing b12 and omega 3 (you can find algae sources -- that's what I did when experimenting with plant based).

The best diet is one you can stick with for the long term, even into maintenance. OP you've got a lot of weight to lose, so this is going to be a long journey for you. In the list of things you've tried you seem to be focusing on restrictive programs that you believe will yield dramatic results, and you seem to be ignoring the common element which is you have good results at first but lose motivation (as many of us do) as time goes on. You have cravings, you fall off the diet, and you blame your body and your metabolism, or the diet, for not working.

With your current plan, I foresee a similar outcome. Follow the advice others have provided in this thread. Eat a balanced and varied diet that includes foods you really enjoy eating, find a moderate, sustainable calorie deficit goal (1.5 - 2 lb/week), log as accurately as you can ideally using a food scale, and continue to exercise if you enjoy it, eating back some of those calories.

Good luck, I hope this time it turns out differently for you.

I've been a vegetarian for 24 years. In that time, I've been smaller than I am now and larger than I am now. I've certainly been less healthy than I am now as well.

Eliminating animal products is not a magic prescription that will cure your illnesses or make you lose weight.

For optimal health, you still need to get a good mix of macro and micronutrients, no matter what your diet includes or excludes.

For weight loss, you still need to create a calorie deficit, no matter what your diet includes or excludes.

I understand how tempting it is to look for the one diet that will make you feel better. I have an autoimmune disorder and have obsessively Googled for hours looking for studies that prove that some kind of eating plan will help my iritis. If you find studies that suggest a strong link between an eating plan that will help with your fibro symptoms, by all means, try that. I'm so sorry, but you're not going to find the answer on Netflix.