What nobody tells you about losing weight
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The main one is that hunger never goes away. It stays. I have to learn to live with hunger. I have found ways to make it more tolerable, I no longer get pains, nausea and dry-spill vomiting, but the hunger stays. Since hunger is what made me fat in the first place, I have to find ways to live with it and while it gets less difficult, it does not become pleasant. It looks as if the discomfort is there to stay until I snuff it. It is a different discomfort than the one I had when being fat, but it is a discomfort nevertheless and it is unpleasant.
My bones hurt more than before. I hate my exercise bike even more now than in the beginning, almost 60 kg ago. It just hurts. Even walking hurts more now as there is less padding on the bottom of my feet.
Sleeping is more difficult. Pillows don't help. Cushions don't do anything. Winnie the Pooh helped for a while, but no longer.
I can now really feel my xiphoid and my tailbone. The first one doesn't really bother me, the second one makes it difficult to work without being distracted because it hurts. Since I still have some way to go, I expect it to become even harder and that is not a pleasant perspective. I can also feel my collar bones. In the past, I only realised I had those from studying anatomy. Fortunately, that doesn't bother me.
My shoes are bigger now. I need slightly smaller ones. My glasses fit better than in the past. Masks now hurt more quickly since there is less padding around my ears.
Also: my fingers are significantly thinner. They used to look œdemic. No longer.
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Nobody tells you ---We are all different.
I have been on my new life plan for 727 days. The hunger DID go away for me.
I have trained myself to eat more low-calorie healthy foods. My body's need for more food has become less and less. Sometimes I have to eat because it is time to fuel my body and not because I am hungry.
I have lost 62 pounds slowly amidst back disk & bilateral hip surgery. My muscles are stronger now. My bones do not hurt now. I can walk 13-14,000 steps a day if I need to. I made the mental decision to eat smaller portions and healthier food while being more active for the REST OF MY LIFE.
You can do anything as long as you are committed to it. If you need help, be sure to seek it from a professional.
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Oooooh. Now I’m a victim of the dreaded Gateway Doublepost, too!!4
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@BartBVanBockstaele
Sometimes your body interprets dehydration as hunger. Are you staying hydrated? Try drinking a glass of water, wait ten minutes and see if the hunger goes away.
I was well in to my own weight loss before I learned this. It was very helpful.
I agree. It’s harder to get comfortable at night. I can’t seem to recapture the comfortable positions I slept in before I gained weight.
I guess that’s something nobody told me. 🤷🏻♀️5 -
@BartBVanBockstaele That sucks, dude. 😖 Even if you have found ways to manage the worst of it, with those extreme symptoms I'd certainly talk to a doctor about it (if you haven't already done so).7
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Morning Wood in your 40's lol5
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How much I've come to love "family style" restaurants. My weight loss has been focused more on macro nutrients and portion control rather than restricting certain foods. Social eating had become a problem since I would stress over what I would order at a restaurant that wasn't one of my go-to places. In my part of the U.S., family style means when they bring out food on large platters, place them in the middle of the table, and each person loads food onto a smaller plate. Since I'm able to control the portions, I can grab a mouthful of each thing I want, and it totals to a meal I would make myself without the social awkwardness of asking for a to-go box. Lots of variety!7
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Thank you for the suggestion. Unfortunately for me, it has zero effect. I have been drinking what most people would consider large amounts for decades. It actually started because I hoped it was a way to keep my mouth busy and an attempt distract me from food. It works but not particularly well. Alas for me, it's also useless for reducing hunger.springlering62 wrote: »Sometimes your body interprets dehydration as hunger. Are you staying hydrated? Try drinking a glass of water, wait ten minutes and see if the hunger goes away
It is really unpleasant, isn't it? I found that getting up after a few hours and wasting some time (working or not) and then going back to sleep, makes the second part of my sleep a lot better. But it remains unpleasant and it often leaves me with backpain.springlering62 wrote: »I agree. It’s harder to get comfortable at night. I can’t seem to recapture the comfortable positions I slept in before I gained weight.
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Thank you for the suggestion. Unfortunately for me, it has zero effect. I have been drinking what most people would consider large amounts for decades. It actually started because I hoped it was a way to keep my mouth busy and an attempt distract me from food. It works but not particularly well. Alas for me, it's also useless for reducing hunger.springlering62 wrote: »Sometimes your body interprets dehydration as hunger. Are you staying hydrated? Try drinking a glass of water, wait ten minutes and see if the hunger goes away
It is really unpleasant, isn't it? I found that getting up after a few hours and wasting some time (working or not) and then going back to sleep, makes the second part of my sleep a lot better. But it remains unpleasant and it often leaves me with backpain.springlering62 wrote: »I agree. It’s harder to get comfortable at night. I can’t seem to recapture the comfortable positions I slept in before I gained weight.
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Thank you for the suggestion. Unfortunately for me, it has zero effect. I have been drinking what most people would consider large amounts for decades. It actually started because I hoped it was a way to keep my mouth busy and an attempt distract me from food. It works but not particularly well. Alas for me, it's also useless for reducing hunger.springlering62 wrote: »Sometimes your body interprets dehydration as hunger. Are you staying hydrated? Try drinking a glass of water, wait ten minutes and see if the hunger goes away
It is really unpleasant, isn't it? I found that getting up after a few hours and wasting some time (working or not) and then going back to sleep, makes the second part of my sleep a lot better. But it remains unpleasant and it often leaves me with backpain.springlering62 wrote: »I agree. It’s harder to get comfortable at night. I can’t seem to recapture the comfortable positions I slept in before I gained weight.
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It does. Hunger is what made me fat in the first place. There is no better stimulus to eat than pure, unadulterated hunger. Weight loss was not impossible, but excruciating. At one point, I had lost about 50 kg, but was regaining them fast because torture can only be endured for so long.bobsburgersfan wrote: »That sucks, dude. 😖 Even if you have found ways to manage the worst of it, with those extreme symptoms I'd certainly talk to a doctor about it (if you haven't already done so).
And then something changed. When I had regained about 20 kg in December 2018, an endocrinologist told me to "watch my carbs" which is something I had never done before. I only tracked calories, protein and fibre. So, I stopped eating fruit, rice (which I love), bread (which I love), beans (which I love) ... while still eating vegetables and lean protein. I told the endocrinologist that I had cut it all out and I could add it back in later on and see what happened in the meantime.
Not to my surprise, the hunger was still there. However, very much to my surprise, it was more tolerable and losing weight became a more realistic option and I ran with it. We are now almost 30 kg later since my last regain (which means about 60 kg total) and I am inching towards what should be an ideal weight for the circumstances. Unfortunately, the hunger remains, so I have to be extremely vigilant. That said, it is tolerable. It is unpleasant and continuous, but it does not destroy my life. It simply makes it less pleasant than I would like.
I am happy for you! I don't wish unterminable hunger to anyone. It seems that we are doing something quite similar. For me, vegetables are also where it's at. I eat one kg a day at this moment. I recently upped my walking game 19517 steps today, although I have to pay an undesirable price for that as it essentially means scrapping my research. I am now trying to find a middle way that makes it more tolerable. Walking between four and six hours a day is not sustainable, regardless of how you slice it.Nobody tells you ---We are all different.
I have been on my new life plan for 727 days. The hunger DID go away for me.
I have trained myself to eat more low-calorie healthy foods. My body's need for more food has become less and less. Sometimes I have to eat because it is time to fuel my body and not because I am hungry.
I have lost 62 pounds slowly amidst back disk & bilateral hip surgery. My muscles are stronger now. My bones do not hurt now. I can walk 13-14,000 steps a day if I need to. I made the mental decision to eat smaller portions and healthier food while being more active for the REST OF MY LIFE.
You can do anything as long as you are committed to it. If you need help, be sure to seek it from a professional.
And you are right, seeking help from a professional, a real one, is important.
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It does. Hunger is what made me fat in the first place. There is no better stimulus to eat than pure, unadulterated hunger. Weight loss was not impossible, but excruciating. At one point, I had lost about 50 kg, but was regaining them fast because torture can only be endured for so long.bobsburgersfan wrote: »That sucks, dude. 😖 Even if you have found ways to manage the worst of it, with those extreme symptoms I'd certainly talk to a doctor about it (if you haven't already done so).
And then something changed. When I had regained about 20 kg in December 2018, an endocrinologist told me to "watch my carbs" which is something I had never done before. I only tracked calories, protein and fibre. So, I stopped eating fruit, rice (which I love), bread (which I love), beans (which I love) ... while still eating vegetables and lean protein. I told the endocrinologist that I had cut it all out and I could add it back in later on and see what happened in the meantime.
Not to my surprise, the hunger was still there. However, very much to my surprise, it was more tolerable and losing weight became a more realistic option and I ran with it. We are now almost 30 kg later since my last regain (which means about 60 kg total) and I am inching towards what should be an ideal weight for the circumstances. Unfortunately, the hunger remains, so I have to be extremely vigilant. That said, it is tolerable. It is unpleasant and continuous, but it does not destroy my life. It simply makes it less pleasant than I would like.
I am happy for you! I don't wish unterminable hunger to anyone. It seems that we are doing something quite similar. For me, vegetables are also where it's at. I eat one kg a day at this moment. I recently upped my walking game 19517 steps today, although I have to pay an undesirable price for that as it essentially means scrapping my research. I am now trying to find a middle way that makes it more tolerable. Walking between four and six hours a day is not sustainable, regardless of how you slice it.Nobody tells you ---We are all different.
I have been on my new life plan for 727 days. The hunger DID go away for me.
I have trained myself to eat more low-calorie healthy foods. My body's need for more food has become less and less. Sometimes I have to eat because it is time to fuel my body and not because I am hungry.
I have lost 62 pounds slowly amidst back disk & bilateral hip surgery. My muscles are stronger now. My bones do not hurt now. I can walk 13-14,000 steps a day if I need to. I made the mental decision to eat smaller portions and healthier food while being more active for the REST OF MY LIFE.
You can do anything as long as you are committed to it. If you need help, be sure to seek it from a professional.
And you are right, seeking help from a professional, a real one, is important.
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Thank you for the idea. It is a good one. Unfortunately or fortunately, that is not the case. While I have symptoms that point in the direction of diabetes, by all known standards there is no diabetes. In fact, all available markers indicate great health. That is how I had contact with an endocrinologist in the first place. I was referred because I "obviously" had diabetes. I did not and I have not.Fit2btied2016 wrote: »Excessive hunger can be a symptom of diabetes. The medical name for it is polyphagia. It can be one of the first symptoms. (Symptoms are subjective, versus signs which are objective).
There are a few things in your post that suggest a check-up with your MD might be in order. Be sure and tell your Doctor about your concerns and that you are actively losing weight.
Best wishes to you, and hope things settle down.
The amusing part is this: just as an insurance, I was given metformin, the standard drug given to (almost) anyone who is suspected to have diabetes. I loved it. I sang the praises of St. Metformin as much as I could... because I was convinced it helped me be less hungry and to lose weight. I read the studies, they say otherwise, so did the endocrinologist. Even the studies saying that metformin helps to lose weight have confounding factors and it is not clear at all it helps. More evidence came when the endocrinologist decided to stop the metformin. I was terrified. I begged him to let me back on if my situation changed. Well, nothing changed. I continued to be able to lose weight. Not easily, but tolerably. I still have a full jar of those metformin pills in my desk. I don't use them and (hopefully) never will.
In other words, the metformin did nothing. What did the trick was the attention I learned to pay to carbs. Is that certain? No. It could be a non-specific effect (placebo effect). However, that is very unlikely, because most placebo effects are small, unreliable and they are short-lived, they are nice to have if and when they occur, but they are not something any responsible doctor will ever rely on.
In the words of the endocrinologist: "It's just willpower". He was right. However, I should add to this that my willpower quite suddenly became a lot more "powerful" after he gave me his advice. In other words, in my case, and that only engages me and not necessarily anyone else, going low(er) carb is what did the trick. I now lost approximately 60 kg, with (probably) less than 10 kg to go. I am planning on looking for a DXA scan soon in order to have an idea of how far I should go.
The hunger is not fun, but I am resigned to it, because even though it is unpleasant, I can tolerate it and let's face it, there are many things in life that are unpleasant, so this is just one of them.
That is indeed what I am planning but haven't come to yet, although, the masks I am wearing currently have much softer straps so they are easier to tolerate. Very good suggestion in my opinion. Thank you.Fit2btied2016 wrote: »P.S. For the mask issue behind your ears, try putting small pieces of gauze around the straps, folded up and tucked on the pressure points, or only wearing a mask when absolutely essential.
I have had feet problems since I was very little. I am from an older generation, and children were treated differently at the time. Becoming fat actually improved my symptoms. Becoming skinnier (and certainly not skinny, yet) has worsened them again and beyond what I had. I have a chiropodist who is trying to help but no luck so far, so I try to walk less. No sane person would do the walks I have been doing lately. Although, I used to work in the restaurant industry and that was not impressively foot-friendly either. Good suggestion though. Thank you.Fit2btied2016 wrote: »A good pair of gel insoles will help with the walking, or perhaps a more supportive arch support for your shoes would help as well.
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I am having the same problem.Fit2btied2016 wrote: »Internet is going bonkers here, sorry for double posts.
Thanks!Fit2btied2016 wrote: »Anyway, hope things work out for you.
It seems our situations are not so different. When I started this latest diet, I began with about 2.5 kg of vegetables in combination with some lean protein. Due to the quantity of vegetables I was eating, that protein was essentially superfluous, but culture has its impacts. Over time, I reduced both the protein and the vegetables. Only eating a kg of vegetables now, which I am told is still more than most people. I am also adding psyllium but not to have more fibre, although that is obviously the result. I add it to my breakfast and to spinach, to make it more pleasant (for me) to eat. Needless to say, my fibre intake is relatively high.Fit2btied2016 wrote: »I know for me and my situation, if I eat high carbs alone, I get really hungry in about 10 minutes. I have to eat lower carbs, and always with a protein source. I never eat protein alone, and I don't supplement it. Excess protein is also very hard to digest in the body. Protein is very hard on the kidneys.
Eggs and steak, or eggs and a sausage or ham are much better than me trying to survive on cold cereal in the mornings, for example. My husband is fine with it, but it's a waste of time (and sugar) for me.
I am not diabetic, but sugars and I don't get along, and I need to watch things like bread, etc. too. My system craves meat and vegetables the most, and that is what it does best with. Some natural fats, but again, easy on the carbs.
Try adding more fiber or vegetables like broccoli and see if that helps quell the hunger.
I think, but can certainly not prove, that the combination of low(er) digestible carbs and relatively high amounts of fibre containing foods, a.k.a. vegetables is what does it for me, but I have to remain vigilant: I do not eat fruit (as the Germans say: vegetables are the better fruit) because they have more sugar and because they are a trigger food for me. I also only eat low-carb vegetables and only if they are relatively high in fibre. So, I eat broccoli and spinach, for example, but stay away from daikon and zucchini because while they are very low in calories, they are also very low in fibre. I can just as well drink a glass of water, they do nothing for me.
I also do not use added oils, and haven't for years and years. Oil does nothing for me, except for making me fat. I do love nuts, seeds, avocadoes and cheese but I stay away from them because they are trigger foods and so high in calories that I can only eat ridiculously small amounts anyway. Why tempt fate? It is easier to simply abstain. I made that last decision in the beginning of this year and it gave me something I did not expect: food serenity. It just made my life so much easier and tolerable and easier to maintain and further reduce my weight. I still eat fat, but in the form of sardines, lupini beans and soybeans. Of course, even so-called fat-free vegetables still contain a tiny bit, as does coffee.
That's where we differ, apparently. Food additives have no effect on me. I don't buy any foods that contain them, but I do occasionally use MiO or Crystal Light if I want a fruity taste. However, since I stopped eating nuts, seeds and cheese, that desire has essentially vanished.Fit2btied2016 wrote: »I am also convinced that some food additives make me more hungry, and I definitely had bad experiences with medications wrecking my natural hunger cues.
There is one thing though. Loblaws sells a vegetable blend under the No Name brand, aptly named "mixed vegetables" that I really like. I scrapped it because it is high(ish) in calories and because it made me hungry, quite possibly due to the higher carb content as it contains lima beans and corn. I fully plan to try it again after I am on a stable and low-enough weight –for me. I hope it will work, I love that mixture.
It is a common-enough suggestion. In my case, it does nothing. Most likely because I have been drinking far more than most people for most of my adult life. Nevertheless, it seems to work for many people so there must be something to it. Great tip.Fit2btied2016 wrote: »If I think I am hungry, I will have water first, and if I am still hungry in 10 minutes, then I know I need to eat food.
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Fit2btied2016 wrote: »BartBVanBockstaele wrote: »
I am having the same problem.Fit2btied2016 wrote: »Internet is going bonkers here, sorry for double posts.
Thanks!Fit2btied2016 wrote: »Anyway, hope things work out for you.
It seems our situations are not so different. When I started this latest diet, I began with about 2.5 kg of vegetables in combination with some lean protein. Due to the quantity of vegetables I was eating, that protein was essentially superfluous, but culture has its impacts. Over time, I reduced both the protein and the vegetables. Only eating a kg of vegetables now, which I am told is still more than most people. I am also adding psyllium but not to have more fibre, although that is obviously the result. I add it to my breakfast and to spinach, to make it more pleasant (for me) to eat. Needless to say, my fibre intake is relatively high.Fit2btied2016 wrote: »I know for me and my situation, if I eat high carbs alone, I get really hungry in about 10 minutes. I have to eat lower carbs, and always with a protein source. I never eat protein alone, and I don't supplement it. Excess protein is also very hard to digest in the body. Protein is very hard on the kidneys.
Eggs and steak, or eggs and a sausage or ham are much better than me trying to survive on cold cereal in the mornings, for example. My husband is fine with it, but it's a waste of time (and sugar) for me.
I am not diabetic, but sugars and I don't get along, and I need to watch things like bread, etc. too. My system craves meat and vegetables the most, and that is what it does best with. Some natural fats, but again, easy on the carbs.
Try adding more fiber or vegetables like broccoli and see if that helps quell the hunger.
I think, but can certainly not prove, that the combination of low(er) digestible carbs and relatively high amounts of fibre containing foods, a.k.a. vegetables is what does it for me, but I have to remain vigilant: I do not eat fruit (as the Germans say: vegetables are the better fruit) because they have more sugar and because they are a trigger food for me. I also only eat low-carb vegetables and only if they are relatively high in fibre. So, I eat broccoli and spinach, for example, but stay away from daikon and zucchini because while they are very low in calories, they are also very low in fibre. I can just as well drink a glass of water, they do nothing for me.
I also do not use added oils, and haven't for years and years. Oil does nothing for me, except for making me fat. I do love nuts, seeds, avocadoes and cheese but I stay away from them because they are trigger foods and so high in calories that I can only eat ridiculously small amounts anyway. Why tempt fate? It is easier to simply abstain. I made that last decision in the beginning of this year and it gave me something I did not expect: food serenity. It just made my life so much easier and tolerable and easier to maintain and further reduce my weight. I still eat fat, but in the form of sardines, lupini beans and soybeans. Of course, even so-called fat-free vegetables still contain a tiny bit, as does coffee.
That's where we differ, apparently. Food additives have no effect on me. I don't buy any foods that contain them, but I do occasionally use MiO or Crystal Light if I want a fruity taste. However, since I stopped eating nuts, seeds and cheese, that desire has essentially vanished.Fit2btied2016 wrote: »I am also convinced that some food additives make me more hungry, and I definitely had bad experiences with medications wrecking my natural hunger cues.
There is one thing though. Loblaws sells a vegetable blend under the No Name brand, aptly named "mixed vegetables" that I really like. I scrapped it because it is high(ish) in calories and because it made me hungry, quite possibly due to the higher carb content as it contains lima beans and corn. I fully plan to try it again after I am on a stable and low-enough weight –for me. I hope it will work, I love that mixture.
It is a common-enough suggestion. In my case, it does nothing. Most likely because I have been drinking far more than most people for most of my adult life. Nevertheless, it seems to work for many people so there must be something to it. Great tip.Fit2btied2016 wrote: »If I think I am hungry, I will have water first, and if I am still hungry in 10 minutes, then I know I need to eat food.
I appreciate your thoughtful replies, thank-you! We do have some things in common, and I will be reading your posts again in more detail. Briefly, yes, corn and lima beans on this end, too. Not sure why, but seems to me years ago an NP (Naturopath) told me I was allergic to them (and most beans), but with corn I think it is the sugar, and the fact that most of it is now GMO, and not what my grandparents would have farmed.
Someone suggested reading the book "Eat for Your Blood Type," years ago, but honestly I don't need anymore books and could probably find a free copy online somewhere or a cheap used one. It would be interesting if any here has read it or follows that method of eating.
Other signs point to wheat sensitivity, and "leaky gut" syndrome.
Probiotics and prebiotics also helped calm my system a bit in general, and with veggies, specifically, I make sure I rinse all potatoes after I cut them (and before I cook them), and that seems to help reduce some starch a tiny bit. (Same with rice).
I have been toying with the idea of eating only one food at a group, and alternating days for a few days, to see what happens. It will be kind of an "elimination diet," while reducing calories. So one day I would eat only fruits until full (and low carb ones), next day all the veggies I want, next day only rice, next day only lean meats.
I really need to figure out what combinations of food I need to avoid, or what drops the water weight (read bloat!).
It's like being my own lab rat, ha, ha.
Anyway, little by little. I hear you about the hunger scenario also. Part of it goes along with fasting/abstaining from meat (eg. Lent, etc.) here, but it's also good for your willpower as you have pointed out.
In some ways my mind is a lot quicker and sharper with hunger, as opposed to that feeling of being lazy and needing a tap after a huge turkey dinner or something where all the L-Tryptophan foods just lull a person to sleep, so to speak.
Your weight loss is very impressive, and it was nice to read about your progress! Thanks for sharing, and keep on truckin'!
Re the elimination diet - I actually highly recommend the Whole30 if you're interested in assessing what different foods do to your body. I did it as a last resort to try and solve what was suspected to be chronic vestibular migraines, and found soooo many other interesting things about my reactions to particular foods. There's multiple books about it, but to be honest - all the information you need to do it is on the Whole30 website. In a nutshell it's 30 days of no grains, no legumes, no sugars (save for in fruit), no dairy, no alcohol and avoiding some preservatives and additives (ie carneegan, sulfites etc), then you do a reintroduction where you add each group on its own back for 1 day and then go 2 back on the Whole30 and assess what each type of food does to you. Very, very educational.3 -
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Sorry, something is wrong with the Internet connection. I seem to have mixed up two different comments as a result. I apologise for that.
Many people like naturopathy because they have no idea what it is (and neither do naturopaths):Fit2btied2016 wrote: »Not sure why, but seems to me years ago an NP (Naturopath) told me I was allergic to them (and most beans), but with corn I think it is the sugar, and the fact that most of it is now GMO, and not what my grandparents would have farmed.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0Vp4kg-w-c
You may also want to check out "Britt Hermes", an American ex-naturopath. I just checked her website, she seems to be more or less silent right now but that may be because is a real doctor by now. I remember that she was actively studying to become one some years ago.
Here is an interview with her on the CBC:
https://www.cbc.ca/radio/whitecoat/naturopathy-mainstream-medicine-what-s-the-harm-1.3754973/ex-nd-britt-hermes-on-why-she-quit-naturopathy-1.3754990
Yet another interesting source is Edzard Ernst, the world's first university professor on alternative medicine. He is retired now, but still very active: https://edzardernst.com/
While it is difficult to *prove* a negative, the point is, ufortunately, that this is nonsense. Please do not believe me. That is the very last thing I would want. Read about it in credible sources. You will find out that there is not a hint of credible evidence for it. That is as close as we can hope to get to "proven to be nonsensical". It is said, usually among physicians, that there are no more dangerous words in medicine than "in my experience". That is why medicine (and most other scientific endeavours) have essentially become statistical, at least the newer parts. That is the difference with "alternative practices": many bold statements, (almost) zero verifiable evidence. As one smart person pointed out: what do we call alternative medicine that works? We call it medicine.Fit2btied2016 wrote: »Someone suggested reading the book "Eat for Your Blood Type," years ago, but honestly I don't need anymore books and could probably find a free copy online somewhere or a cheap used one. It would be interesting if any here has read it or follows that method of eating.
This is –and this is personal opinion, not proven fact– probably one of the reasons that some diets don't seem to work: they are not based on anything that actually does anything for weight loss.
When I was little, just about 60 years ago, I was diagnosed with cœliac disease. I asked my endocrinologist to check it. It turns out that the disease that has poisoned my childhood is a disease I do not have. I d not blame my parents. They did not know any better. I do not blame my long-deceased pediatrician who made the diagnosis: he did not know any better either, and it was a plausible explanation for what he thought he saw. It is now easy to say that he should have looked at the evidence more closely but the truth is that here was still a lot of magic in medicine in the 60s. Even the term "evidence-based medicine" was only coined in the 90s and it took a lot of convincing before doctors started to accept it. Today, there are still (fortunately, fewer and fewer) doctors who are not on board. So-called alternative practitioners (including some doctors who buy into this stuff) sometimes claim they embrace it, but when you dig a bit deeper you find out they don't.Fit2btied2016 wrote: »Other signs point to wheat sensitivity, and "leaky gut" syndrome.
I have no specific comments to make on probiotics and prebiotics, except that there is precious little evidence for the lofty claims. Most of the effects we think these things have are either placebo effects or post hoc ergo propter hoc (after this, therefore because of this) conclusions. It is an easy mistake to make and, to make it even more dangerous, sometimes the conclusion is right. My own most important lesson in this is my absolute conviction that metformin helped me lose weight... which turned out to be utter nonsense.
It does reduce the starch a bit, but think of it: these are foods that are almost entirely made up of starch. Do you really think that rinsing them will genuinely make a difference? It can make a difference in the mouthfeel because that tiny little bit of dissolved starch will "glue" them a little bit tighter together and may help to create an external layer that feels different. I honestly have no reasons to think it goes any further than that.Fit2btied2016 wrote: »I make sure I rinse all potatoes after I cut them (and before I cook them), and that seems to help reduce some starch a tiny bit. (Same with rice).
That is not necessarily a bad idea, but you should probably do it for a little longer than just a few days and the problem with that is that you will have other effects that come into play. I would suggest that a better strategy would be to eat just normally, and eliminate only one food from this "normal" diet and do that for a week or two while paying a lot of attention to what happens. Mistakes can still be made, but you have a fighting chance of getting trustworthy results, at least for yourself.Fit2btied2016 wrote: »I have been toying with the idea of eating only one food at a group, and alternating days for a few days, to see what happens. It will be kind of an "elimination diet," while reducing calories. So one day I would eat only fruits until full (and low carb ones), next day all the veggies I want, next day only rice, next day only lean meats.
Anecdotally, I tried a fruitarian diet myself around 35 years ago. I really loved it tremendously, but I had to stop it, mainly because I gained weight like there was no tomorrow because I was ravenously hungry all the time, and I would simply not have been able to limit portions. It was also very expensive, despite the fact that I was able to buy at a wholesale market because I bought so much. I should add that a fruitarian diet is not a good idea at all from a health perspective, but I did not consider that at the time, I didn't know then what I know now.
Sure, nothing wrong with that, but please have your doctor involved. Experimenting is fun, but it is also dangerous.Fit2btied2016 wrote: »I really need to figure out what combinations of food I need to avoid, or what drops the water weight (read bloat!).
It's like being my own lab rat, ha, ha.
Hunger has different effects on different people, but I have to say that being so hungry that your stomach hurts and you would like an analgesic, only to discover that it aggravates the problem and being so nauseous that you can't concentrate and having dry spills all the time that are driving you to the washroom and wishing you were dead may well be good for strengthening your willpower, but it can also motivate you to do stupid things. I remember one day a friend asked me what I really wanted and my response was euthanasia. My life was simply no longer worth living. Obviously, I never got what I wanted because I am still here talking about it, but I did come awfully close. That said, that may be why I am able to tolerate the hunger I still have all the time. Who is to say? I don't know.Fit2btied2016 wrote: »Anyway, little by little. I hear you about the hunger scenario also. Part of it goes along with fasting/abstaining from meat (eg. Lent, etc.) here, but it's also good for your willpower as you have pointed out.
In some ways my mind is a lot quicker and sharper with hunger, as opposed to that feeling of being lazy and needing a tap after a huge turkey dinner or something where all the L-Tryptophan foods just lull a person to sleep, so to speak.
Thanks. I honestly don't feel that way. Once I applied that simple piece of advice I was given, it was merely a matter of applying the principle rigorously in combination with time (almost four years now). I don't know when I will be where I need to be (since I don't even know where that is ^_^), but I know that, all things being equal, I will get there. I am guessing it will be around the end of this year or the beginning of next year. While I am very much looking forward to it, I think it won't change much. With some luck, I might be able to eat a tiny bit more energy, but given what I have seen so far, it will probably not be more than a hundred kcal or so, i.e. essentially negligible.Fit2btied2016 wrote: »Your weight loss is very impressive, and it was nice to read about your progress! Thanks for sharing, and keep on truckin'!
Weight loss is a struggle, and contrary to what many people hope, the struggle is usually life-long. Let's not forget that eating normally turned out to be overeating in reality, so "going back to normal" is not an option. Many people claim that diets don't work, but I submit that many of them work just fine, it is our behaviour after weight loss that makes them seemingly fail, because we refuse to accept reality, but clearly, it is possible for all of us.
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This has been said before, and i think I may have even said it myself before. But your goal (whether it's to drop x number of pounds or drop x number of pants sizes) is not the end. You have to make lifestyle changes that last forever. All the things we do to get us to where we want to be are things we have to do continuously or we won't have long-term success. Be prepared to be on that journey for the rest of your life. Honestly, it becomes easy after doing it for a while. Like Nike says, "Just Do It."10
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Also, it's okay if you are not rigid with your plan. You should be sure to follow it for the most part, but if you want a cookie, have one. Don't eat five, and I recommend not eating the light, low-fat cookie. Eat the real thing. For me, if I eat a light version, I'm not as satisfied and I crave more. If I eat the regular cookie, I'm fulfilled and only need one.6
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Good luck0
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I totally agree with that and that is precisely why Robert Baron speaks of the "forever diet". It is also why many people say that maintenance is much harder than losing weight. There is an end to losing weight, there isn't one to maintenance. People always want to "go back to normal" after losing weight, apparently not realising that "normal" is what made them fat in the first place, so going back to normal and expecting to stay on the new low weight is illogical and it will fail. It is impossible for it not to fail. The reality is that the diet you had when reaching your target weight is largely the diet you will have to keep for the remainder of your natural life. And that is where "lifestyle" comes in. It is just another name for Robert Baron's "forever diet".willboywonder wrote: »This has been said before, and i think I may have even said it myself before. But your goal (whether it's to drop x number of pounds or drop x number of pants sizes) is not the end. You have to make lifestyle changes that last forever. All the things we do to get us to where we want to be are things we have to do continuously or we won't have long-term success. Be prepared to be on that journey for the rest of your life. Honestly, it becomes easy after doing it for a while. Like Nike says, "Just Do It."
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Indeed. Rigidity is great if you love it, but it is not really required. In my case, I am rigid at home, but don't make a fuss when I go out. I just minimise my portions and suck it up. If any weight was gained, it won't be much and I will be back to where I was in a few days anyway.
I do not eat cookies and whatever at home. As some who live alone, that is deadly. If it is in my home, it will end up in my mouth. Dietitians say that you have to learn to throw things away. Sure. I call that food waste, we have far too much of that and it is bad for the environment and the climate. I simply abstain, and since I do that, my life has (quite unexpectedly for me) become a lot easier. That may not be the case for everyone, this is more psychological than physiological, but there it is, and I take advantage of the effect.1
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