Easiest (and most effective) diet EVER - no joke.

I am 47. I'm 5'3". I've been 115 and a size 3 most of my life until I hit 40 and my metabolism left for some tropical island and my magic tapeworm died. :mad: I've been fluctuating between 130 - 137 and a size 8 ever since. I've tried EVERYTHING. (Atkins made my cholesterol go thru the roof and my brain stop working.) I work out. I do yoga & lift weights. I used to run, but an old cheerleading injury has come back to haunt me and my left hip hurts after about half a block, so I walk. I had come to the conclusion that I was just going to be this size for the rest of my life. (Scarlett, ya done had a baby! You ain't never gonna be no 17 inches again!)

I recently got a new Dr who as part of my first physical in years, had me do a ton of blood work. My fasting glucose came back at 100 which is the new borderline for prediabetes. My mother was overweight, and ended up with type 2 in her fifties. SCARY??? YOU BET!

I was also falling into a food-coma almost every time I put food into my mouth. My Dr wanted to do another test a week later, so I did a little research and found that flour and sugar cause seratonin to be released into the brain - hence sleep.

So. I decided to not eat sugar and flour until after my next test. Much to my surprise, I dropped weight. FAST. I dropped a pound a day for the first week! I got so motivated I've kept it up. I've been doing this since the beginning of September, and I've lost 20 pounds. I'm down to 117, and back in a size 3!!! Glucose down to 80 one week later.

Apparently I was eating COOKIES (without the joy of eating actual cookies.) My perfect meal used to be an avacado, a sourdough baguette, and a glass of a nice buttery chardonnay.

No flour is easy. No bread, no regular pasta (brown rice pasta from Trader Joe's is awesome - no flour, no gluten!) The hardest thing is the sugar. It's in EVERYTHING. Del Scorcho hot sauce from Del Taco has SUGAR (whaa???) but their regular doesn't.

Average day:

Breakfast:

Venti half-caff/nonfat latte with 1 Sweet-n-Low

Two hard boiled egg whites

(lots of vitamins so I won't crave stupid food all day)

Lunch:

1/2 cup of nonfat cottage cheese

2 tomatos

Snack:

Handful of mixed nuts (no peanuts)

Dinner:

2 mahi tacos from Baja Fresh (grilled fish w/corn tortillas - with Baja salsa since there is no sugar in that one.)

OR - grilled chicken salad with homemade dressing - dijon, balsamic, olive oil, garlic, Italian herbs.

Basically no fried food - except a handful of blue corn chips in place of bread - or alcohol (very hard cutting out the food group known as WINE) and no stupid stuff like fries, sour cream, or high sugar fruit (do a search for sugar content in fruit - you'll find lists. Berries are low, pinapple and papaya (my fave) are high.)

Things I learned right away:

The less fat a salad dressing has, the higher the sugar content. I gave up looking and make my own. 20 minutes in the salad dressing aisle reading labels is too long.

Flour makes me bloat (I've cheated a little.)

When you stop eating sugar, you eat less food, and stop craving sugar.

I don't fall into food comas any more.

A little fat is good: Cheese, nuts...

Lots of water is great for your skin.

I sleep better.

Seeing instant results made me super motivated!

We even bought a used Cybex life cycle that I get on for 20 min in the mornings and usually 20 min at night.

I've got three friends doing it and they've all lost weight! I told them give it three days - get on the scale today, do this for three days and you'll see results - AND THEY HAVE!!! LOTS!

I will cheat a bit on my upcoming cruise, but I realize it's a lifestyle change - so I have to be smart - and stay committed! I am so motivated, so here's hoping!

TRY THIS! What have you got to lose other than the pounds???

:D :D :D

I guess you would say thats what diet i am on, although i don't consider it a diet, just a way of life, i am also in my 40's and cut out flour and sugar years ago in preperation for that 40's weight gain. I have gained no weight and have no cravings for sweets, bread, pasta ect...

Keep up the good work, it has already started paying off for you and as long as you stick with it, you should have no problems.

Very similar to what I started doing over 2 1/2 years ago. 24 pounds later (the weight has not come back on if I don't cheat) I have never felt better in my life. I'm 50 years old too! I exercise everyday and really watch what I eat. I don't miss the white breads, pasta or potatoes either. I will eat whole grains and whole grain pasta. The payoff has been wonderful!

Lynn

Isn't it AMAZING??????

:D :D :D

Just doing a little quick math - seems you are eating about 500-600 calories a day - way too little (this coming from an experienced Weight Watcher). You really need about 1,200 for proper nutrition. Does your doctor really approve of this?

Just doing a little quick math - seems you are eating about 500-600 calories a day - way too little (this coming from an experienced Weight Watcher). You really need about 1,200 for proper nutrition. Does your doctor really approve of this?

Your WW math is wacked. ;)

I also think you're assuming I'm eating next to nothing at dinner I think.

Actually, I'm getting around 2000 with all the oil based vitamins I'm taking (flaxseed oil, E, fish oil, evening primrose oil.) The tacos are 230 calories a piece with about 4 oz of salsa (114), plus I have the chips & baja salsa (810) That's 1384 just for dinner!

And don't forget the nuts I have - a generous handful, which is a decent amount of calories in itself. (Cashews, Brazil nuts, hazlenuts, pecans, & almonds.) So, I might be even over 2k.

My Dr is THRILLED!

I'm trying this and it seems to be working. I'm only 4 days in, but I have lost 3 lbs.

When you cut out flour, do you mean all flour or just white flour? And is rice ok--I've been eating lots of it the past 4 days!

Any other hints?

I'm trying this and it seems to be working. I'm only 4 days in, but I have lost 3 lbs.

 

When you cut out flour, do you mean all flour or just white flour? And is rice ok--I've been eating lots of it the past 4 days!

 

Any other hints?

Isn't it AWESOME?!!

NO FLOUR. ALL FLOUR. I eat rice. LOTS. I am particularly addicted to the brown rice pasta from Trader Joes. No flour or gluten. :D When there is a choice, I order brown rice.

uhmm..... more hints... let's see...

- Try to eat your last meal of the day before 7pm.

- Drink a lot of water.

- Take a Magnesium suppliment - it helps burn fat and kicks up your metabolism.

- I know this is overstating the obvious, but it bears repeating: Watch your portion sizes! Stop eating when you're full. You can have a snack later unless it's after 7pm.

- Eat smart: No fried food. No high-sugar fruits or juice. Nothing über high in fat like sour cream. Nonfat/skim milk only. Not a lot of red meat simply because it's high in saturated fat. (Plant fat is better for you than animal fat.) Watch your salt intake.

- Be careful when you eat out. Do some homework on recipes... find out how much sugar is in the Chinese or Thai food you love to order... :eek: (soy sauce is liquid sugar)

-READ EVERY LABEL. Both nutritional content and ingredients. Did you know Worcestershire sauce has sugar in it? So does Lawry's Season Salt!

- Try to make a point to do something physical every day. Walk. Lift some weights to increase your muscle mass - your body will burn off more calories when you're resting if you have more muscle mass. Do something to get your heart rate up - invest in an exercise bike - even a cheap one - I'm not a fan of the recumbant bikes however, those are way hard on your knees, and I just feel more of a complete workout on a regular one.

- Stay strong!!! You'll get to a point where you'll level off depending on what you weigh now, and what your body should way. For me it was after the first week. The next 13 pounds took more time - but I still did it.

You also have to realize it's most likely a LIFE STYLE CHANGE (it is for me) not a diet. It's not something I'll stop doing. I will cheat a little, now and then - and try to behave as best I can on the cruise since I've gained so much ground I'm super-motivated not to back slide!

CONGRATS!!!! Keep me posted!

Thanks for all the advice. Whether I can make this a permanent life-style change is something I will have to work on. Exercise is something I don't mind doing. I was on the treadmill for an hour tonight and lifted weights. I may do a Pilates tape too yet.

It's great that rice is ok. I love brown rice, too. We don't have a Trader Joes, but probably I can order online.

I've been reading labels like crazy and it is amazing how many foods have sugar that you wouldn't expect.

BTW, I thought I'd miss sugar the most, but it's the bread and pastas that are calling my name!

I may never be able to not eat after seven because I am a nightowl and that would mean about 7 hours without eating before I go to bed!

Sugar is in EVERYTHING.

I've found that when I cheat a little, flour does more damage than sugar does... it takes longer to undo it. The bad thing about cheating with sugar though is that you eat it/you then crave it. So best not to cheat - or when you do decide in advance what the limit is.

I've also found brown rice pasta at my local Vons/Safeway. Keep looking. But if you can't find it, I'm sure you can find it online. Thai noodles are good as well - the glass noodles are made from beans, and they use rice noodles too.

I have been having organic blue corn chips as bread - like with a salad instead of bread.

I normally go to bed around 11/midnight - so give it 4-5 hours before bed for your last meal of the day.

:D

I did buy some organic blue corn chips yesterday and they are delicious. I will also check out the pastas and Thai noodles.

Down another pound today! And I'm really not craving anything, and am not hungry. I'm actually eating quite a lot. Probably still too many snacks though.

Yahoo!

I did buy some organic blue corn chips yesterday and they are delicious. I will also check out the pastas and Thai noodles.

 

Down another pound today! And I'm really not craving anything, and am not hungry. I'm actually eating quite a lot. Probably still too many snacks though.

 

Yahoo!

SEE!?

Isn't it AMAZING????

I know "brown" is better...

is white rice considered "poison"? (right now I'm doing low carb with NO sugars at all... bit of it in pot cheese and full ricotta)

will start adding a bit of nut.

DO know that any type of flour is poison to my system.

Just going to see what happens the next couple of days.

Thanks for the head-up

Carolyn

It's not just sugar but high fructose corn syrup that we need to cut out. It's in everything too :(

It's not just sugar but high fructose corn syrup that we need to cut out. It's in everything too :(

Precisely. ALL SUGAR. Fructose, Sucrose, Corn Syrup, High Fructose Corn Syrup. ALL SUGAR=BAD BAD BAD.:mad:

White rice is more processed than brown, but not nearly as bad for you as FLOUR, so I wouldn't worry about it that much.

Do a google search for sugar levels in fruit/vegetables. It's why you should eat potatoes in moderation.... limit your juice.... etc....

I give my endorsement to this WOE. I cut out all sugars, flour, white rice, etc. a few years ago. The pounds started falling off, but it was in conjunction with exercise and smaller portions, and extreme stress. I don't think about it now, it's second nature. I've lost 96 lbs. since I was at my highest weight and kept it all off the past three or four years. My biggest problem now is keeping my weight UP. I am not going back to eating pasta (unless it's tofu pasta) or potatoes or flour or white rice or sugars, I feel better when those are completely out of my diet. For me it was easy, I don't eat sweets anyway, so I've never missed those. I ate some pasta, but it was never my first choice, so that was not a big deal for me. It's not for everyone, but it sure has worked for me.

Lots of people who are gluten intolerant eat this way all the time. We don't avoid wheat in our house, although I try to avoid processed white junk, but we avoid high fructose corn syrup and corn starch like the plague. My daughter has a food allergy to corn and those set her off worse than anything. Although she doesn't test positive for the allergy any longer she still is very intolerant of anything containing processed corn. When we cut things containing those items from our diets, which was basically all commercially produced convenience foods then entire family started feeling much better and DH and I dropped 15 pounds each without trying.

Tami

Kinda goes back to what I posted on another thread, about eating "clean" food..it does make a difference. But I think the reason why people fail is due to being impulsive, not wanting to take the time to prepare food, etc. It really is a lifestyle change, but taste buds do change and it's easy to get used to if you stick to it.

Lots of people who are gluten intolerant eat this way all the time. We don't avoid wheat in our house, although I try to avoid processed white junk, but we avoid high fructose corn syrup and corn starch like the plague. My daughter has a food allergy to corn and those set her off worse than anything. Although she doesn't test positive for the allergy any longer she still is very intolerant of anything containing processed corn. When we cut things containing those items from our diets, which was basically all commercially produced convenience foods then entire family started feeling much better and DH and I dropped 15 pounds each without trying.

 

Tami

This is by far the easiest diet I've even been on. No question.

Speaking of sugar in everything did you know balsamic vinegar has sugar too?

Though you had trouble with the Atkins diet before what you're doing now is very essentially Atkins :)

Happy eating!

but taste buds do change and it's easy to get used to if you stick to it.

Thats the truth, in the years that i have changed my eating habits, i have found things i used to think i loved, i just don't even like the taste of it anymore and as for desserts, i can pass them up witout a second glance now days.

Speaking of sugar in everything did you know balsamic vinegar has sugar too?

 

Though you had trouble with the Atkins diet before what you're doing now is very essentially Atkins :)

 

Happy eating!

I eat mostly carbs now. When I was on Atkins I ate mostly protein and very little carbs. Pretty much opposite of Atkins.

Balsamic vinegar is an aged reduction of white sweet grapes (Trebbiano for red and Spergola for white sauvignon) that are boiled to a syrup. The grapes are cooked very slowly in copper cauldrons over an open flame until the water content is reduced by over 50%. The resulting "must" is placed into wooden barrels and an older balsamic vinegar is added to assist in the acetification. Each year the vinegar is transferred to different wood barrels so that the vinegar can obtain some of the flavors of the different woods. The only approved woods are oak, cherry, chestnut, mulberry, a cacia, juniper, and ash. The age of the vinegar is divided into young – from 3 to 5 years maturation; middle aged 6 to 12 years and the highly prized very old which is at least 12 years and up to 150 years old.

This is naturally occuring sugar not added sugar or corn syrup (unless it's very cheap balsamic so I read the labels carefully), and I obviously don't drink it like wine.

Did you know that milk also has naturally occuring sugar? Enough that an 8oz glass of skim milk has 12g of sugar? I don't count that either.

:D

I eat Whole Wheat Bread now because they say to stick with the whole grains. Anyway, I just recently read the ingredients and guess what the 3rd item listed was? High fructose corn syrup!!! So I checked various breads at the grocery store and they all had it in them! What do you get?

I eat Whole Wheat Bread now because they say to stick with the whole grains. Anyway, I just recently read the ingredients and guess what the 3rd item listed was? High fructose corn syrup!!! So I checked various breads at the grocery store and they all had it in them! What do you get?

Isn't that the most frustrating thing ever?!?! Do you have a Whole Foods or a Trader Joes nearby? You might try there. I'm staying away from all flour/wheat because of the gluten.

I cheated on Thanksgiving by having a tiny piece of french bread, some stuffing, and a dessert which had pastry (apple/cranberry/pecan tart in a rasberry coulis - ahmahgawd good!) but I got home and had the WORST tummy cramps. BLAH!!!! :mad: My body was NOT happy having to digest the flour/gluten... makes me a little sad since I will miss pizza the most.

Even though corn has been over-bred to make it sweeter and have a higher sugar factor over the years, it's still a naturally occurring sugar, so I'm using the organic blue chips and the better made restaurant-style tortilla chips as my bread when I want some. Yes, they're fried which is bad, but they're not dripping in grease like the fresh ones you get in a restaurant.

Saw a book in Barnes/Nobles that talked about this very concept and the connection between that and cortisol..I think it was called "Cortisol Connection"..I read portions of it and found the information about the neurochemsitry accurate with what I know. (studied it as part of my phd)

Menina

Isn't that the most frustrating thing ever?!?! Do you have a Whole Foods or a Trader Joes nearby? You might try there. I'm staying away from all flour/wheat because of the gluten.

 

I cheated on Thanksgiving by having a tiny piece of french bread, some stuffing, and a dessert which had pastry (apple/cranberry/pecan tart in a rasberry coulis - ahmahgawd good!) but I got home and had the WORST tummy cramps. BLAH!!!! :mad: My body was NOT happy having to digest the flour/gluten... makes me a little sad since I will miss pizza the most.

 

Even though corn has been over-bred to make it sweeter and have a higher sugar factor over the years, it's still a naturally occurring sugar, so I'm using the organic blue chips and the better made restaurant-style tortilla chips as my bread when I want some. Yes, they're fried which is bad, but they're not dripping in grease like the fresh ones you get in a restaurant.