CynthiasChoice Member

I totally understand. Totally. I've made up my mind countless times in the past to get control of my cravings for sweets. I would be successful for a while - and I'd feel surprisingly happy and emotionally strong (why did I keep getting surprised??!) Then I would have an off day and just crumble. After a day of high…

@aaron_K123 I appreciate the tutorial on pubmed.gov I did read the entire Suez study from Israel a few years ago, but not recently. Some of it goes over my head. The whole science of the micro biome, what affects it, and how or whether to try to manipulate it, is still in it's infancy, as I understand. I'm looking forward…

Hope you're having fun on your hike Nony! I just wanted to report back that the scale dropped 2 full pounds after my 5th day back on calorie deficit. That's in addition to the 1/2 pound I dropped after day one. And if you remember, I ended my diet break at my lowest weight this year. I didn't do a cleanse (lol) or take a…

I was posting above before I read this ^^. Thanks for the link.

The Israeli study is quite well known. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25231862 I don't know if Scientific American is a respected science journal, but they've covered the Israeli study here: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/artificial-sweeteners-may-change-our-gut-bacteria-in-dangerous-ways/ This study…

@Aaron_K123 Your broccoli comment made me chuckle! But saying that none of what I said was actually true is not actually true.

It's probably more correct to say that it's unknown if artificial sweeteners are harmful. However, the caramel color in colas known as 4-MI is considered "possibly carcinogenic to humans" by the World Health Organization. There have been some claims that regularly consuming artificial sweeteners causes insulin resistance,…

And how old are the kids? Any chance of doing something active with them?

I can't even begin to imagine how hard your life is. Is there any way you can get more sleep? That's probably more important than exercise.

I remember those days very well! You're in a hard situation. Hugs! It's tough to stand in line looking at all the things you're choosing not to have. They use to have donuts just before the cash register at my dorm. Every morning! I have a kind of crazy idea for you. Do you have a friend you could partner with? She could…

I'm kind of data obsessed, so I would find it really interesting to know exactly what people are seeing on the scale in the weeks leading up to the diet break, what happens on the scale during the 2 week maintenance, and then what happens on the days and weeks following the diet break. It would be useful anecdotal info as…

It crossed my mind to do that but I didn't cuz this is your thread!

One option is to take a 2 week diet break (maintenance calories) now, since you've been at a calorie deficit for 10 weeks or so. Then return to your usual deficit, but have one high calorie day just for Thanksgiving. Then do another 10 - 14 day diet break close to Christmas and New Years. I've just finished a 14 day diet…

Sorry you're dealing with PMS. Thankfully, that's all behind me now, and so are night sweats and hot flashes. But there's always some new nuisance to take the place of the last one. Memory slips, achy joints, and the first signs of the dreaded waddle starting to form. (Groan) Do you think meditation would help PMS symptoms?

I know this is a complete stab in the dark, but your story makes me so sad for you! Have you seen an endocrinologist who has agreed to do extensive thyroid testing? The tests commonly done can give misleading results and not catch real problems. I had a friend who suffered for a long time before finding the right…

Ok. NOW I'm going to say it: Argh, Argh, Argh! I'm so hungry the first day back on calorie deficit! I've had so much water I'm going to pop. I'll try deep breathing and meditating now to see if that will calm my vagus nerve. Actually right now...hold on.... Yep, that did it. No more hunger pangs for now. I've only used…

O my gosh, I love that! Diet break at Christmas/New Year. Awesome!! Thanks for pointing that out to me.

I just thought I'd come back with an update. I just completed my 14 day diet break and feel great. Thanks again Nony for your help getting started, and for prodding me repeatedly to check my data and do the math to find my TDEE. Having that number helped me relax through the process. It's encouraging to know that…

I was in your shoes about a year ago. I was considering getting the sleeve, saw a surgeon, was sent to a therapist and a nutritionist, and went to meetings for post surgery patients. The thing that helped me most was the low carb diet the nutritionist recommended. I'd never tried low carb before, and was astonished by what…

I've found that some brands of almond milk taste much better than others. I've only tried the unsweetened varieties, but my favorite of the almond milk brands is Blue Diamond Almond Breeze in the refrigerated section. Some brands can be very bitter, I think. I actually prefer the taste of soy milk, but I don't consume soy…

The only time I've seen almond milk separate is when I accidentally boiled it. I like Cashew milk myself, when I don't want to spend the calories on 1% cow milk. One thing to be careful about though is the large dose of calcium added to the nut milks. Too much calcium isn't good for you and can plug you up.

Wow! Congratulations! I can even see the weight loss in your lower arms. :)

I'm so happy for you that you've begun! Congratulations on the 5 pounds lost! Please do what you think you need to do to guard your sanity. Don't let anyone tell you you're wrong to limit your food choices. You know best what you need. And take comfort in the fact that it's just for now - till you're stronger in your…

Thanks for your answer, Nony_Mouse. I'm hoping I don't need to do the carb refeed! A year ago I would have jumped at the chance, but my habits and preferences have really changed. I've gained 1.4 pounds during the last two weeks. It's been holding steady for the last week or more, so hopefully I calculated my TDEE right…

I coincidentally started my first 14 day diet break the day before Nony_Mouse started this thread. In fact, thank you Nony for helping me (through another thread) to get started on the diet break properly. And a big thanks to everyone for keeping this thread educational and on point! I have a question. I don't remember…

$100 or more per person per week for me in the SF Bay Area. Meat and fresh produce are expensive! A gallon of organic milk is $7 here.

Good memory! I'm postmenopausal and inactive due to bilateral knee injuries and a shoulder injury, so my TDEE is low. It's been my experience that keeping carbs and sugars down helps me keep cravings at bay, so yes, that has been a concern this past week and something I'm keeping an eye on. I've had a few episodes of angst…

Oh, and another thing - after 5 days on a diet break, I'm sleeping again! I knew something was off with me because I've always been blessed in regards to sleep. My head hits the pillow and within 5 minutes I'm out. Not true though for the last several months. At bedtime, my mind just wouldn't turn off, and there's no…

Thanks for the encouragement! The first few days I was just adding to my normal meals, as you suggested. Cutting fat and adding carbs is a challenge for me as well. Then it dawned on me that this should be somewhat fun, and I could actually have a bit of the foods I rarely eat anymore, like chow mien. Damn, but that was…

While most people can lose weight on a diet, the maintenance effort afterwards poses a challenge that many people don't succeed with. It's not that the diet fails, it's that the loss is often not maintained. Towards the end of part 2, McDonald talks about this, and how the 2 week diet break helps you practice maintenance.…