Let’s share our journey for those of us that want to pursue a healthier lifestyle to lose weight.

[Panina]

Even with losing weight do others deal with pain or a general achiness. I’ve often thought of trying an elimination diet to see what foods may be causing pain. Haven’t gotten my head around doing something so strict but I tried a day with no dairy today and was surprised at the lack of gut rumblings.

Food sensitivities seems to be a repeated topic with every podcast I listened to. Dr. Gundry targets lectins as the foundational culprit to autoimmune disease and obesity. Dr. Terry Wahls points to environmental toxins as the trigger for her MS but says lectins aggravate her symptoms. Dr. Hyman is focused on eating real food and getting our country’s production of food cleaned up. His recipes include foods containing lectins but he agrees in his books that some people need to avoid them.

Very interesting was another study about food sensitivities causing insulin spikes. This was done by the Weizmann Institute https://www.google.com/search?q=wei...egal&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en-us&client=safari

Scroll to the right on the video links and watch the TEDxRuppin talk.

I got tested for food sensitivities and when I don’t eat the problem foods my gut is good. Add them more then once in a week and my problems start again. Since I started cooking and control everything, all is good.

Unfortunately insurance does not pay for a sensitivity test. It costs a couple of hundred and up based on how many foods you get tested for. An elimination diet will work too to find out your sensitivities.

 

[VacationForever]

I got tested for food sensitivities and when I don’t eat the problem foods my gut is good. Add them more then once in a week and my problems start again. Since I started cooking and control everything, all is good.

Unfortunately insurance does not pay for a sensitivity test. It costs a couple of hundred and up based on how many foods you get tested for. An elimination diet will work too to find out your sensitivities.

Not sure if it is how the tests are classified. My insurance paid for alot of my tests... blood, skin tests etc to establish what I am allergic to, which is alot.

 

[VacationForever]

deleted.

 

[b2bailey]

I think people should do whatever works for them, but I will tell you I know several people- my best friend in her 80's and her husband come to mind. Both slender. Both fairly healthy for their ages. My friend is not on a single medication. She is not a big eater but she eats what she likes and that includes some alcohol and some sweets like a piece of cake at night for desert. She is Irish and loves her potatoes and also pasta. She drinks regular soda occasionally, not diet. Never exercised a day in her life, but was active in terms of doing chores around her house. She still cooks.

Her son is as thin as a skeleton- always was since a child- and is a runner, but he was a skinny pencil before he became a runner, not as a result of it. As opposed to my son who was obese and had to lower his calorie intake to the extreme to lose weight on top of exercising and eventually became a runner to be able to eat and keep his weight off.

My friend's mom lived well into her 90's and loved to eat 3 full meals. She loved her oatmeal every morning so I do not buy the theory about not eating any grains. And yes- she was healthy and slender until the day she died.

I think everything in moderation is the key and calories in and calories out and staying active, but not crazy active to the point you hurt yourself. In addition, there is a genetic factor as well.

I've always believed there are people who process food differently than I do. It's nice when they appreciate they have a gift, rather than being critical of others who struggle.

 

[Panina]

Not sure if it is how the tests are classified. My insurance paid for alot of my tests... blood, skin tests etc to establish what I am allergic to, which is alot.

Allergy tests insurance pays for but over a certain amount of tests most plans have to approve. Sensitivities are different then allergies. Allergies are caused by the immune system and sensitivities usually are caused by the digestive system.

 

[joestein]

I have always struggled with my weight. I was almost 400 lbs when I was 44. I had gastric sleeve surgery and I dropped down to 250 lbs. My picture is from that time. Now I am almost 50 and weigh around 275. I was around 290 at the end of 2019, but I dropped 15 lbs since.

I found it very hard to loose weight. I try to keep my caloric intake during the week to around 1500 a day. On the weekend, I exceed that because I go out to dinner with family or friends.

 

[shorts]

What is the name of this plan?

I am on this same plan as Cindy and it is just amazing! I researched it after I read her initial post asking if anyone had tried Medifast/Optavia program. I started in October and have lost 48 pounds so far. I still have 20 more pounds to go. What’s more amazing though has been my health and lifestyle changes. I am diabetic and have RA. I could not walk long distances or do more than one flight of stairs and was on large doses of insulin daily.

Within the first 30 days I was completely off of insulin, my back and hip pain was gone and my cholesterol had dropped. My doctor was amazed. I felt so much better! Today I walked 1.6 miles in 30 minutes (19 min mile). The books that come with the program help you learn how to develop a healthy lifestyle not just be on a “diet”. Because if you just diet, as soon as you stop, the weight will just come right back when you go back to eating the way you always have.

There is a coach with the program. I have a great one. If anyone would like a referral, you can message me and I’d be happy to give you more information. As Cindy said, it is expensive right now on the program but it works amazingly!! And once at goal they help you transition to maintaining a healthy lifestyle that is much more affordable.

 

[VacationForever]

I am at 140 lbs this morning after stuffing my face with a delicious dinner at our friends' home. I am 2 lbs heavier this morning. I am 5 ft 7 in. and my desired weight is between 125 to 128 lbs. I promise myself, again, to not snack as much today and to resume counting calories. I eat healthy generally but snacking on high carb food is my downfall.

 

[rickandcindy23]

I am on this same plan as Cindy and it is just amazing! I researched it after I read her initial post asking if anyone had tried Medifast/Optavia program. I started in October and have lost 48 pounds so far. I still have 20 more pounds to go. What’s more amazing though has been my health and lifestyle changes. I am diabetic and have RA. I could not walk long distances or do more than one flight of stairs and was on large doses of insulin daily.

Within the first 30 days I was completely off of insulin, my back and hip pain was gone and my cholesterol had dropped. My doctor was amazed. I felt so much better! Today I walked 1.6 miles in 30 minutes (19 min mile). The books that come with the program help you learn how to develop a healthy lifestyle not just be on a “diet”. Because if you just diet, as soon as you stop, the weight will just come right back when you go back to eating the way you always have.

There is a coach with the program. I have a great one. If anyone would like a referral, you can message me and I’d be happy to give you more information. As Cindy said, it is expensive right now on the program but it works amazingly!! And once at goal they help you transition to maintaining a healthy lifestyle that is much more affordable.

Great news! I am so glad you are enjoying the plan. I have a great coach, too, if anyone wants her information. She has lost 70 pounds and looks amazing. She is our son's age, almost to the day. She is 43.

Last summer, I saw her in her yard and thought it was someone visiting. She was moving her garden hose around in the yard, and then she smiled and waved. She walked over, and I couldn't believe how good she looked. I asked her how she lost so much weight, and she told me what she was doing. She wants to lose another 20 pounds to get to a healthy weight, but I keep telling her she doesn't need to lose 20 pounds. She has struggled with that last 20. I think your body gets to a point where it is done with weight loss. But I haven't set my goal to 140, which is the "healthy weight" in the books for my height.

I am now down 51 pounds. My husband cannot believe how different I look, but I don't see the difference, except with the scale. My clothes are a lot looser, and I had to buy smaller pants. My shirts still fit but have a lot of room in them. My goal is that additional 29 pounds by 9/3/2020. I know I will get there. One year of food at $4,500 is NOT that bad for losing weight, and I would have eaten food anyway, so subtract that cost of regular food I would have been eating.

One thing we have done is we haven't eaten out much, and that is a big savings. We found some great items at Costco to eat for our meals. Rick adds potatoes to the meal for him and my stepdad, who eats with us every night since my mom died in 2003.

I am so grateful for this program. Unless you have been there, you cannot understand the relief. Less pain.

But I have to warn everyone, the products do contain artificial sweeteners, and if that is something you absolutely cannot do, then this program is not for you. My sister felt the same way about artificial sweeteners, never using anything with those sweeteners, but she is doing the program because she knows it works. She started a year before I did. I wish I had started back then, but I thought the food was expensive and wasn't sure it would work for me, but it sure has.

 

[rickandcindy23]

I have always struggled with my weight. I was almost 400 lbs when I was 44. I had gastric sleeve surgery and I dropped down to 250 lbs. My picture is from that time. Now I am almost 50 and weigh around 275. I was around 290 at the end of 2019, but I dropped 15 lbs since.

I found it very hard to loose weight. I try to keep my caloric intake during the week to around 1500 a day. On the weekend, I exceed that because I go out to dinner with family or friends.

My sister-in-law had gastric bypass surgery. Is this the same? There was a complication during the surgery, and she was unconscious for weeks afterward. She almost died. She had to learn to walk again, and she forgot how to write and stopped posting on FB but kept up by just liking posts. But she did lose a lot of weight in that first year. Five years later, she has her legs back, her brain is back to normal, which is good, but she has gained most of her weight back. She is back to unhappy and depressed.

Kaiser put her on Optifast shakes before allowing her to get that surgery. If she would have actually done the shakes, and not lied about it out of desperation to lose the weight quickly, she might have avoided the health problems resulting from the surgery, and she would probably have learned a little about diet. It's been a struggle for her, and I feel badly for her.

 

[Panina]

Love there are so many different ways each of us are using to stay or get healthier. I am tempted to do it a different way but for now will continue with what I am doing.

Finding what works for each of us and being happy with how we pursue our goals is the key.

 

[Quilter]

Great news! I am so glad you are enjoying the plan. I have a great coach, too, if anyone wants her information. She has lost 70 pounds and looks amazing. She is our son's age, almost to the day. She is 43.

. . .

But I have to warn everyone, the products do contain artificial sweeteners, and if that is something you absolutely cannot do, then this program is not for you. My sister felt the same way about artificial sweeteners, never using anything with those sweeteners, but she is doing the program because she knows it works. She started a year before I did. I wish I had started back then, but I thought the food was expensive and wasn't sure it would work for me, but it sure has.

When I was going to WW the current artificial sweeteners were Equal and Saccharine. Splenda was just coming on the market. Equal (aspartame) make me feel like I was going to have a stroke. Besides the neurological effects the current news is that aspartame messes with the good bacteria in the gut. I used saccharine but didn't like to. Because of my sensitivity to non-foods I just stayed away from Splenda.

Now there is xylitol, erythritol, stevia and monk fruit. I do chew Pur gum on occasion which has xylitol. My doctor even recommended I try it, which I did. Too much and I have issues. The Trim Healthy Mama plan began with stevia and has moved to using a mix of x, e, s and mf depending on the recipe. I loved the taste of their Gentle Sweet which is a blend of e, x & s. But it didn't like me back. My friends make wonderful desserts with it. I'm good for one cupcake but if I have another the next day my face is puffy and I have a headache like a hangover. Makes sense as Erythritol is a sugar alcohol.

News on all (except monk fruit) is that they can trigger insulin spikes. Seems that the body gets the sweet sensation with causes a rush of insulin even though there was no sugar with the sweet. Monk fruit has been used in Chinese medicine for a very long time but it's so new on the health food market that regular use is unknown.

I use stevia and monk fruit sparingly. I like a doonk (1/32 tsp.) of stevia in some of my teas and smoothies. It makes them a real treat. Especially Celestial Seasonings Bengal Spice and Harris Teeter's Raspberry Hibiscus. I use Pure Monk from Julian Bakery. It's the only monk fruit that was minimally processed with only water and has no other additives, like erythritol or inulin. A tub was expensive but it lasts so long. I used an empty prescription bottle to keep it in my purse because the cap is so tight it doesn't leak. My daughter thinks it funny that I pull it out at Starbucks and am tapping a light powder into my coffee. It's yum! The news I've found so far that it doesn't spike insulin.

 

[Rolltydr]

She wants to lose another 20 pounds to get to a healthy weight, but I keep telling her she doesn't need to lose 20 pounds. She has struggled with that last 20. I think your body gets to a point where it is done with weight loss. But I haven't set my goal to 140, which is the "healthy weight" in the books for my height.

I am now down 51 pounds. My husband cannot believe how different I look, but I don't see the difference, except with the scale. My clothes are a lot looser, and I had to buy smaller pants. My shirts still fit but have a lot of room in them. My goal is that additional 29 pounds by 9/3/2020. I know I will get there.

Congratulations on losing the 51 lbs.

My doctor doesn’t go by the charts. He won’t even give me a target weight. Every time I ask him, he tells me he doesn’t believe in target weights. He says when you get to the weight that is right for you, you’ll know it. You will feel good and you will feel healthy and in shape.

I know from past experience that for me, that is 195-200 lbs.I was at 215 this morning. We ate out twice this weekend for my daughter’s birthday, once Friday as a family for lunch and with her best friends for dinner Saturday night. I’m up a few ounces from last Monday so I’m not too upset about that. I should be able to get that off and a little more before we go out of town for a few days next week. It’s just me and DW, who is on the keto diet, so we should be able to keep each other in check pretty good on this trip.


Harry

 

[WVBaker]

How one man lost 150 pounds at Disneyland…

At 400 pounds, Gautier had slipped into diabetic shock and his kidneys were shutting down after years of failing health. The doctor’s diagnosis: Gautier needed to exercise and lose weight.

Gautier lost 150 pounds on a Disneyland Diet that included walking several miles a day while eating whatever he wanted at the Anaheim theme park — from turkey legs to corn dogs to nachos. The key to his food intake: Portion control.

How one man lost 150 pounds at Disneyland eating corn dogs and walking daily

The Disneyland Diet combines walking several miles a day with eating anything on the menu at the Anaheim theme park.

www.ocregister.com

 

[rickandcindy23]

How one man lost 150 pounds at Disneyland…

At 400 pounds, Gautier had slipped into diabetic shock and his kidneys were shutting down after years of failing health. The doctor’s diagnosis: Gautier needed to exercise and lose weight.

Gautier lost 150 pounds on a Disneyland Diet that included walking several miles a day while eating whatever he wanted at the Anaheim theme park — from turkey legs to corn dogs to nachos. The key to his food intake: Portion control.

How one man lost 150 pounds at Disneyland eating corn dogs and walking daily

The Disneyland Diet combines walking several miles a day with eating anything on the menu at the Anaheim theme park.

www.ocregister.com

And I thought my diet was expensive.

 

[geekette]

I am at 140 lbs this morning after stuffing my face with a delicious dinner at our friends' home. I am 2 lbs heavier this morning. I am 5 ft 7 in. and my desired weight is between 125 to 128 lbs. I promise myself, again, to not snack as much today and to resume counting calories. I eat healthy generally but snacking on high carb food is my downfall.

At 5'7", you must be a very slender frame, as 140 sounds Exactly Right!

I am large chested, 5'4", have been around 130 my entire adult life. When I worked out like crazy, I could not get below 125. Apparently my "ideal weight" is 115, which is ridiculous, as I haven't been that since before I grew a chest. I remember being 114 at age 14, an athlete. I think they should weigh boobs separately, as I'd have to be without them to be "ideal" (anorexic) weight. Not a believer in the charts. Give me caliper pinch test for body fat, not weight against height. When I worked for a place that gave insurance discounts based on BMI, I complained to HR that breasts broke the chart for me, I want pinch test if this is about BMI. She wasn't willing to do that, but did give me the discount.

 

[geekette]

And I thought my diet was expensive.

LOL

I also cannot imagine park food prices!

I am glad to see you here today - are you feeling better? Seems you were fighting something off.

 

[VacationForever]

At 5'7", you must be a very slender frame, as 140 sounds Exactly Right!

I am large chested, 5'4", have been around 130 my entire adult life. When I worked out like crazy, I could not get below 125. Apparently my "ideal weight" is 115, which is ridiculous, as I haven't been that since before I grew a chest. I remember being 114 at age 14, an athlete. I think they should weigh boobs separately, as I'd have to be without them to be "ideal" (anorexic) weight. Not a believer in the charts. Give me caliper pinch test for body fat, not weight against height. When I worked for a place that gave insurance discounts based on BMI, I complained to HR that breasts broke the chart for me, I want pinch test if this is about BMI. She wasn't willing to do that, but did give me the discount.

BMI says I am OK but I don't really don't like to be at 140. I don't really have a slender frame, but I generally feel better at about 125 lbs. I used to be 100 lbs at my height when I was 14, no kidding. Children health services was always after me because I was considered underweight but I ate everything and could not put on weight then.

 

[geekette]

BMI says I am OK but I don't really don't like to be at 140. I don't really have a slender frame, but I generally feel better at about 125 lbs. I used to be 100 lbs at my height when I was 14, no kidding. Children health services was always after me because I was considered underweight but I ate everything and could not put on weight then.

I support Feeling Comfortable. I think we know better than docs where Our Ideal is. If you are thin with a fast metabolism, then, that's how you are. It's absolutely worth checking in on teen girls to be sure no anorexia/bulimia onboard. But trust her to tell the truth vs sicking child svcs on an innocent family. Might I guess that you dislike the term "skinny"?

I am buff at 125, currently not very tone at 133, but small enough that those 8 pounds make a difference.

Prednisone in December bloated me past 140, which is very uncomfortable. I think most of it was my face! I felt like crap and totally looked like it. I did my grocery shopping late night as I did not want to scare small children. I was also having "mini-migraines", sudden onset extreme nausea, and the rest, and thought very few people should be around if the worst occurred. Lucky me, only at home. I guess they came and went with prednisone, have not felt like I needed a bucket in the car for a while.

 

[joestein]

My sister had gastric bypass surgery. Is this the same? There was a complication during the surgery, and she was unconscious for weeks afterward. She almost died. She had to learn to walk again, and she forgot how to write and stopped posting on FB but kept up by just liking posts. But she did lose a lot of weight in that first year. Five years later, she has her legs back, her brain is back to normal, which is good, but she has gained most of her weight back. She is back to unhappy and depressed.

Kaiser put her on Optifast shakes before allowing her to get that surgery. If she would have actually done the shakes, and not lied about it out of desperation to lose the weight quickly, she might have avoided the health problems resulting from the surgery, and she would probably have learned a little about diet. It's been a struggle for her, and I feel badly for her.

They are different surgeries. The Gastric Bypass completely bypasses the stomach and connects the intestine directly to the esphogus. They make a small pouch that replaces the stomach.

The gastric sleeve simply removes most of the stomach and leaves a very small stomach. Either way it restricts the amount of food you can intake.

 

[Quilter]

You’re in that cycle. You’ve plateaued then went into fatigue of it all. It’s a rough cycle. Sometimes it’s not just your “will power”. When you lose weight your body fights your brain to put it back on. Your brain says great I want to keep this off but your hormones say no! We need that weight back. Dieting and losing weight is healthy but to your body, it’s missing it’s energy stores. It needs to replenish it so when the next time it encounters the burst of energy it has enough stored up to compensate for it. The struggle isn’t just your “weakness” as some would say, it’s your body fighting against you.

you’re at the realization stage and soon the motivation willkick in. Just know when you’re about to get burned out to not give up. Start with small changes that will last longer. When we go from zero to 100 it’s easy to burn out. Slow and steady

There is the theory that it has nothing to do with willpower but our gut microbiome. We are a host to our microbiome and they crave certain foods and pass that on to us. Starve these bad gut buddies and the cravings diminish.

I’ve had antibiotics at least annually for UTIs. Mostly when I travel and since we bought timeshares 20 years ago I travel a lot. Now I find out that antibiotic damage to the gut can take 2 years to heal. I’m working on that.

Here’s tips: https://drhyman.com/blog/2016/02/18/how-to-fix-your-gut-bacteria-and-lose-weight/

 

[CPNY]

There is the theory that it has nothing to do with willpower but our gut microbiome. We are a host to our microbiome and they crave certain foods and pass that on to us. Starve these bad gut buddies and the cravings diminish.

I’ve had antibiotics at least annually for UTIs. Mostly when I travel and since we bought timeshares 20 years ago I travel a lot. Now I find out that antibiotic damage to the gut can take 2 years to heal. I’m working on that.

Here’s tips: https://drhyman.com/blog/2016/02/18/how-to-fix-your-gut-bacteria-and-lose-weight/

Yes there is a lot of research in regards to gut microbiome. There are many factors that help with weight gain and loss. One of the biggest are the gut hormones. The body works against your desired weight goals to keep weight on and to replace weight that was lost. It does this by adjusting hormones that signal the brain the feelings of hunger and fullness. Our mind wants to lose weight but our body sees it as starvation (not enough calories in to sustain the amount of energy expenditure) so it fights to get that weight back on so the next time we need reserved energy stores (to compensate for our next diet) the body resets its weight set point. It’s why keeping weight off is harder than losing it. When your body loses weight, the hormone that triggers hunger (ghrelin) is increased and the hormones that trigger the brain feelings of satiety (fullness) are actually decreased. This is why it’s hard to keep weight off. The body’s natural response is to replenish the energy (fat) stores it just lost for the next time the body goes through a “diet”. It needs to prepare itself for starvation. It’s survival at its best. Stinks for us, we have to buy bigger clothes lol

mental fatigue happens because of the work it takes to lose weight, when the body so easily fights to put it back on. It’s mentally challenging. We want what we want and our body does what it needs to survive.

so just remember...... next time you lose weight but put even more back on, ITS NOT YOUR FAULT. Your body is working against you.

 

[heathpack]

mental fatigue happens because of the work it takes to lose weight, when the body so easily fights to put it back on. It’s mentally challenging. We want what we want and our body does what it needs to survive.

so just remember...... next time you lose weight but put even more back on, ITS NOT YOUR FAULT. Your body is working against you.

I agree with the mental fatigue comment. If you don't lose weight easily because that is your metabolic lot in life (remember for most of human history that being an 'easy keeper' was a huge metabolic advantage), it takes a lot of attention to lose weight and to keep it off. Its not an easy thing, in a similar way to it not being an easy thing for a heroin addict to abstain from heroin. But of course, from a health perspective, the heroin addict would be better off doing everything he/she can to abstain because the alternative is a health disaster.

It is a fortunate thing if you enjoy exercise and can burn some serious calories, because that will give you more wiggle room should you have mental lapses on the nutrition side of things.

As far losing weight and then regaining even more, there is some evidence to support that this happens for metabolic reasons but its not universal. Some studies show a tendency to go back to your previous weight aka "set point" but *not* to regain extra weight so the jury is out on that specific aspect of dieting.

But if you think about it purely mathematically, its not surprising that people who diet lose weight but then regain it plus a little more and then wind up even heavier as a result of the diet. When people focus on losing weight instead of losing fat, they cut calories but frequently don't exercise to a significant degree. So they lose both fat and lean body mass. Then when they lapse and go back to their old ways of eating, they regain fat (again because without exercise and adequate protein intake you have no impulse to build muscle) and wind up with a higher body fat percentage than they started with. This means they have a lower resting metabolic weight, find it even harder to exercise, and are worse off from a health perspective. So yes, the way a lot of people diet does leave them at risk of getting into trouble. But they get faster results so its appealing to people.

 

[heathpack]

Yesterday I did an easy-ish 90 min bike ride. I say easy-ish because the ride metrics suggested it wasn't hugely taxing but my legs were tired from the day prior so it felt harder than it was. 663 calories burned.

We were under threat of rain, and it hadn't started raining yet when I got home from my bike ride, so I scooted out quick to take the dogs rabbiting for an hour. Not very taxing for me, they run around looking for rabbits and I walk pretty slowly behind them. But I probably burned another 75 calories or so.

Then it *still* wasn't raining, so I swung by the Farmer's Market. Got some beautiful berries- strawberries, raspberries and blackberries, plus some Pink Lady apples and naval oranges. Half a loaf of freshly baked sourdough rye. A tub of kalamata and garlic hummus, and cucumbers and radishes to take to work this week as hummus dippers.

I did another one of those restorative yoga classes in the late afternoon. It wasn't quite as fabulous as the one from last Wednesday night. But very relaxing and some nice deep stretches.

We did a nice stir fry for dinner- pork tenderloin, carrots, purple onion, cabbage, garlic, ginger and scallion is a peanut sauce over brown rice. With a giant bowl of berries and whipped cream for dinner.

Monday is a rest day and weigh in for me. No weight loss this week but I'm ok with that given the Disneyland overnight trip this week. I'm not in a giant hurry to lose my weight, what I'm doing is not really any kind of deprivation. I did do a core workout this morning, 20 min, plus another 20 min of stretching.

 

[easyrider]

Here is weight I need to loose.