Beerab - I've heard good things about it on another board, too. Now if you have a fair bit of insulin resistance with your PCOS it might not control that well enough and a more carbohydrate restrictive diet would be wiser for managing that particular condition, but if you only display mild metabolic issues with your PCOS it could be a very good fit for you
Ikesgirl you have intrigued me so much with this diet I've actually ordered a copy off of amazon. I've kind of started doing this anyways
lol I'm glad! I don't think it is a diet for everyone, but I do think it is a great starting point for someone who "just can't". I was that person, and it really helped me! If you ever have any questions about it, let me know!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Arctic Mama
Beerab - I've heard good things about it on another board, too. Now if you have a fair bit of insulin resistance with your PCOS it might not control that well enough and a more carbohydrate restrictive diet would be wiser for managing that particular condition, but if you only display mild metabolic issues with your PCOS it could be a very good fit for you
My insulin when I started this diet was more than 5 times the upper limit. Now it is normal, and I have been able to go back to eating carbs throughout the day, but I also cut out MOST carbs other than fruit and veggies. My biggest issue is I just can't seem to give up the veggies crisps! I know they are just over glorified potatoes with a pinch of tomato and spinach, but limit them to 1 serving, 3-4 times per week, instead of 2-3 servings 6-7 days a week. Now that I can eat "more normally", that is one thing I am not willing to give up! I have just the IR and not the PCOS, so I don't know if that affects the effectiveness of the diet or not.
I have one friend who lost over 100 pounds on the CAD, and to this day eats that way and maintains his weight. I however, need to use it as a stepping stone. I am hoping my IR was a symptom of being "super obese" and now that I have made the lifestyle changes, and monitor my self for binging, I should be OK!
Yes, it's definitely a step in the right direction, if not the end all, be all, for one who is already showing carb sensitivity. Big congratulations to both you and your friend for your weight loss and maintenance!
I think you should try some of the suggestions already given. Look at how many of us have lost huge amounts of weight and kept it off. By and large it wasn't done with fad diets, 'tricking' our bodies, pills, shakes, surgery, or any other diet industry fix. Most of us picked a plan and stuck with it. Rinse and repeat for as many days or years as we want to keep the weight off.
Intermittent fasting or alternate day fasts can certainly work, but not for any reason beyond appetite suppression (for some practitioners) and a comfortable plan for their lifestyles and preferences. It still works much the same way as regular old calorie counting, it just groups them differently. Nothing special there at all. If you think you'd adhere to a calorie deficit better with different amounts on different days or times, go for it. But an overall energy deficit must still be achieved.
Nobody is going to pop on here and give you a magic answer that doesn't require consistency, effort, and long term commitment. It doesn't exist. Even the bariatric surgery folks must exercise much the same formula to lose their weight and maintain it - the surgery is just a tool. But fairy dust and complex dietary accounting and secretly super hidden rainforest berries aren't how you're going to lose and keep off weight. Nor do I buy the line that you can only lose if you starve.
Here's a challenge for you: get a food scale, measuring cups, measuring spoons, and a piece of paper/pencil. Measure your food and stick to a calorie budget of 1800 calories, every day, for one year. Just a year. If you haven't lost a significant chunk of your excess weight with accurate food measuring and tracking and no cheats I'll eat my hat. And if you're unwilling to do that or something awfully similar, like an exchange program, then you're not really ready to get that weight off no matter how miserable you claim to be and how impossible you claim weight loss is for you. It isn't impossible until a consistent, long term calorie deficit has proven to not work - and even then, there are other adjustments that can be made from that point. But accurately understanding how much you're eating and not cheating or getting off track is crucial to actually losing. And if you DO get off track, get right back on.
There is absolutely no more advice I can give you. This is pretty much prescriptive for weight loss and management, as a starting point.
Last edited by Arctic Mama; 05-20-2013 at 06:32 PM.
Reason: Typo fix
I'm sorry for asking this but why did you get so defensive? I'm just trying to find a meal plan to stick to since I have NO TIME to make my own! I really appreciate your advice and I'm, in fact, going to buy a kitchen scale and a spoon scale, as well as measuring cups and spoons. I just really wanted to follow an already existing plan.
Calorie counting is probably the easiest thing you could do, especially with an app or website like MyFitnessPal that pretty much does all the "work" for you. The food you eat is up to you, and you already know what obviously is junk food and generally what's healthy. That's a place for you to start. Trust me, I am no cook and I don't really spend a whole lot of time trying to figure out meals and recipes and stuff. I just go with what I know. You might have to do a little extra research, but really once you get into the swing of things calorie counting becomes something you won't even think about doing.
Start out with basic meals. I base my meals off of two main things -- protein and fiber, and I get those things from fruits, veggies, nuts, whole wheat and grain products, low/non-fat dairy and lean meats like chicken, turkey, and fish. Something as simple as eggs and fruit can be breakfast, a salad with nuts, meat, and/or cheese for lunch, and a 3-4oz skinless baked chicken breast with brown rice and veggies can be dinner. Of course you can expand this as you go along, but it's really no more complex than that unless you have food allergies/sensitivities/triggers that you need to pay attention to. Just try it and see if you don't see some sort of difference; if anything, you'll feel better than you do now.
Calorie cycling is basically what I do, just varying the amount of calories I eat in a week & focusing on the average. I have had a very large weight loss over a period of two decades & maintained it more or less over that time period.
Many diet plans, including Weight Watchers (although they don't say so) are based on calorie cycling.
It works well for me, anyway.
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Originally Posted by cocktailhat
How about calorie shifting? Has anyone tried it?
Last edited by Amarantha2; 05-21-2013 at 01:13 AM.
As far as exercise goes, most people here will tell you weight lifting is one of the most beneficial things you can do, and whole I don't disagree with that, I think as far as you're concerned, anything is better than nothing and whatever you can do and stick to doing is what the best exercise is for you. Me? I'm using an app on my phone that's called something like "free daily workout" that gives you various body exercises and cardio exercises to do that you can do right in your living room, and I'll probably do that until I get bored with it and then I'll go to the gym and use an elliptical for cardio and then do some work with weights.
But you don't have to do what I do; you could walk, ride a bike, do Zumba classes, go running, weight lift, swim, do yoga...anything that helps burn extra calories that you like to do. It's all up to you and what you feel comfortable and capable of doing.
