New Plan is Working
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MizLandryEats
Posts: 17 Member
I posted end of February that I was back to try and get my weight in control, but then I didn't really have a plan. My doctor referred me to a dietician and it took a few sessions for me to finally accept and realize that at least part of my weight and eating problem was related to carbs.
Now, I hate extreme diets and friends who were doing Whole30 or Keto would send me screaming in the other direction! The whole idea that if you "cheat," you have to start over was a killer for me. So, I just wouldn't do it and kept going back to my old standby, WW plan counting points or trying to count calories, but that would never work.
My dietician (who I worked with years ago) is so positive and gentle and she recommended I read the book, Always Hungry? by a Dr. David Ludwig. I did. And, the way the information was presented started to really make sense to me and now for the first time ever, I'm on a new way of eating path and I cannot believe how much I actually like it. I do believe he's basing this plan on sound science and his years studying obesity, especially pediatric obesity.
I'm still in Phase 1 (you count macros and every meal or snack needs to be 50 percent fat, and 25 percent carbs, and 25 percent protein. With this version of low-carb, high-fat eating, you can eat beans and fruit, which makes a huge difference to me. The idea, in phase 1, is that your taste buds learn that the sweetest thing is fruit. When I decided to start, I also got slammed with some travel which meant I couldn't do the plan exactly, but for the past three weeks, I have mostly avoided all flour and grains and try and follow the plan best I can. My biggest hurdle is not drinking for 14 days. Anyway, doing the program in a rather half-assed way has translated to losing 2 inches in my waist and I'm down 4.2 pounds. I will take it!
I have a two-week stretch ahead of me where I will be able to meal plan, shop, and prep and my goal is to have a "perfect" 14 days and see where I land.
The thing is, I'm blown away in that I am not feeling hungry and the cravings are going away. I went into this a total skeptic, but I've never gone on a diet or changed eating where those cravings go away.
Another thing I've noticed, not having all those carbs, I really do feel better. I never wanted to admit that it was the carbs causing bloating and just a gross feeling, but one of our favorite places to eat is an Ethiopian restaurant and I always feel HORRIBLE after a meal there. I assumed it was the lentils and chickpeas in their veg combo. But we have been twice since I've been on this plan and I simply omit the injera and after eating I don't feel like I'm going to explode.
Learning a new way of eating has its challenges, but I really am listening to my body, and paying attention to feelings of fullness. I never thought I could do that. I thought I had a disorder where I don't ever feel full. Anyway, I'm in the early stages, but feeling hopeful about a way of eating for the very first time.
Now, I hate extreme diets and friends who were doing Whole30 or Keto would send me screaming in the other direction! The whole idea that if you "cheat," you have to start over was a killer for me. So, I just wouldn't do it and kept going back to my old standby, WW plan counting points or trying to count calories, but that would never work.
My dietician (who I worked with years ago) is so positive and gentle and she recommended I read the book, Always Hungry? by a Dr. David Ludwig. I did. And, the way the information was presented started to really make sense to me and now for the first time ever, I'm on a new way of eating path and I cannot believe how much I actually like it. I do believe he's basing this plan on sound science and his years studying obesity, especially pediatric obesity.
I'm still in Phase 1 (you count macros and every meal or snack needs to be 50 percent fat, and 25 percent carbs, and 25 percent protein. With this version of low-carb, high-fat eating, you can eat beans and fruit, which makes a huge difference to me. The idea, in phase 1, is that your taste buds learn that the sweetest thing is fruit. When I decided to start, I also got slammed with some travel which meant I couldn't do the plan exactly, but for the past three weeks, I have mostly avoided all flour and grains and try and follow the plan best I can. My biggest hurdle is not drinking for 14 days. Anyway, doing the program in a rather half-assed way has translated to losing 2 inches in my waist and I'm down 4.2 pounds. I will take it!
I have a two-week stretch ahead of me where I will be able to meal plan, shop, and prep and my goal is to have a "perfect" 14 days and see where I land.
The thing is, I'm blown away in that I am not feeling hungry and the cravings are going away. I went into this a total skeptic, but I've never gone on a diet or changed eating where those cravings go away.
Another thing I've noticed, not having all those carbs, I really do feel better. I never wanted to admit that it was the carbs causing bloating and just a gross feeling, but one of our favorite places to eat is an Ethiopian restaurant and I always feel HORRIBLE after a meal there. I assumed it was the lentils and chickpeas in their veg combo. But we have been twice since I've been on this plan and I simply omit the injera and after eating I don't feel like I'm going to explode.
Learning a new way of eating has its challenges, but I really am listening to my body, and paying attention to feelings of fullness. I never thought I could do that. I thought I had a disorder where I don't ever feel full. Anyway, I'm in the early stages, but feeling hopeful about a way of eating for the very first time.
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Replies
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@MizLandryEats, I'm glad to hear you're finding an eating plan that works well for you . . . there's a lot of individual variation, it seems like, and finding the right personal approach is so helpful!
Best wishes for continuing success!3 -
Looked up that book 'Always Hungry?' and appears I already own the audible version. I'm a Yo-Yo weight person and have gone up and down in weight all my life. Any diet or food restriction will work for me to drop some pounds, but only temporarily. Maintaining the wait loss is just as hard as losing it. And usually comes back on me with even added weight. In the past few years I've dropped around 100lbs. I switched to getting a subscription food service. I had to try like four different ones before finding one that worked best for me. Like yourself, I too have a dietitian, and she agrees that diets are temporary fixes. Currently, I started counting calories since the past few months I haven't really been dropping much weight. Which is why I'm back in these groups again and using this app/website.2
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It's great that you found something that is helping you succeed!
Being hungry can sure make it difficult to stay in calorie deficit or even calorie balance, especially if you are used to being sated all the time. It's a fairly personal thing to find the foods that keep us from feeling hungry. It's also wonderful to find the foods to avoid that make us feel ill. I'm so glad you found that.1 -
Any new updates? Early progress sounded great! Hope you're still doing well.0
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update per @ray_4331 ... I did well on Always Hungry but then I developed what is known as "silent reflux" or LPR and most of what was good on AH was NOT good for reflux. The reflux issue is serious. It was giving me horrible insomnia where I could not breathe/couldn't swallow. So I'm now following an eating plan to heal that, THE ACID WATCHERS DIET. Weirdly knowing what my issues is and making that connection to what I eat versus how I feel has been a significant motivator in having me stick to a plan like nothing else. I'm down (as of today), 13 pounds, I quit booze, spice, peppers, citrus, processed sugar, reduced dairy, omit red meat. It's a major change, but I was feeling so awful, I've been motivated to follow it. Wouldn't wish this on anyone, tho.1
