Dieting, going Low Carb

[Lloyd777]

I've recently read "Why We Get Fat and What To Do About It", "Wheat Belly", "Grain Brain", and "The Big Fat Surprise". 

 

All point out the benefits of eliminating carbohydrates, especially sugar and wheat, that fat doesn't make you fat but is actually good for you, and that cholesterol isn't the villain we once thought it was.  I was rather shocked when I read those books, but I certainly see their logic.

 

Often the response to health info is something like "moderation in all things", but of course, that's not always true, examples being illegal drugs (and some legal ones!), poison and apostates.  And in fact, one author said that simple moderation in "wheat" can often result in misery or death!

 

Well, not to belabor the point, but it seems that many studies and scientists are moving towards an anti-carb position, and in fact I've lost almost 40 pounds on a no/very low carb diet.  But a recent Awake! quoted government officials saying that in order to lose weight one must use more calories than one takes in, a strategy that has failed me for over 30 years.  Instead, changing the TYPE or KIND of calories has made the big difference for me.  

 

So, in lieu of this information in the above noted books (the history of why most folks believe what they believe about most foods is stunningly revealed in the book "The Big Fat Surprise by Nina Tiecholz-highly recommended), I'll speculate that Awake! will do an article on diet, recommending (more or less) the low carb way of eating.  

 

[My speculation means absolutely nothing, but I saw the word "Speculation" in this forum and that set my mind a spinning, what with my recent reading on the topic]     

[CHecker]

I really like your thoughts, and you're funny too!

[Old]

My wife and I have found the low carb diet to be very effective. At first it is easy, steaks, bacon, eggs cheese and a reasonable of vegetables and fruit.

Loved it. 

Now an interesting thing, when we are adhering to our low carb diet, even with eggs every day, butter as needed, lots of cheese, salt everything to taste and all the other seemingly wrong things we consume, our cholesterol levels get very low and same for our blood pressure. Go figure.

 

The only problem with a low carb diet is after a year or so it gets boring . Then we slowly revert to potatoes and pasta, hamburger buns. Oh yes curry gravy with rice and beautiful wonderful bread !

I went on a low card diet for six months to get my weight down to go on a cruise (See my avatar). By the time our cruise* was over I no longer fit that tux and haven't since. 

 

*Those of you that have been on a cruise know the problem. Those that haven't been on a cruise, the problem is food, food, food.

[ava]

I have lost 30 pounds since March.  No secret and no special diet.  I got rid of junk food and fast food, eating lots of veggies and fruits and walking 5 days a a week and drinking lots and lots of water. Eating less red meet and more fish and chicken.  I am not counting calories or anything else.  

 

That is it.  Back to the basics.

[Lloyd777]

Hey Jerry.  Thanks for posting! 

 

I'm gonna have to send you my wife's recipes for "bread" and "blueberry muffins"-made with cashew meal from Trader Joe's (kinda expensive but worth it-hope you have a Trader Joe's where you live!) and Stevia,  They really hit the spot when you get those bread cravings.  And you can add as much real butter as you want!  Also, she's working on perfecting chocolate chip cookies, with almond meal, Stevia, and 85% chocolate chips.  Pretty good stuff to where I haven't strayed in a long time..............except for milk.  Yep, I buy organic whole milk, but even that tends to start adding on the pounds after a while.  

 

It actually got pretty serious for me in that I really didn't even want to go to meetings, being the blimp I was and particularly being most uncomfortable in the clothes that mysteriously kept getting tighter.  My feet would swell big time too!  Disgusting.

 

That led me to believe that the problem might be rather significantly affecting the spirituality of a lot of us, so I was happy to find some success going low carb.  

 

Hope you enjoyed the cruise! 

[Lloyd777]

Hey Ava. 

 

Congrats on your weight loss!  Whatever works, right? 

 

I'm eating a lot of fish too.  Costco has the best tilapia here in Austin, TX.  We add paprika and salt and cook it in Olive Oil and it only takes a few minutes.  One of my favorite meals!

 

Stay with it!

[Dan A.]

I have lost 30 pounds since March.  No secret and no special diet.  I got rid of junk food and fast food, eating lots of veggies and fruits and walking 5 days a a week and drinking lots and lots of water. Eating less red meet and more fish and chicken.  I am not counting calories or anything else.  

 

That is it.  Back to the basics.

 

Same here but I got a little help from the Doc's - he has me on phentermine cause my triglycerides are double what they should be.....lost 12 l/b since Oct 26  

[CHecker]

Hey Jerry.  Thanks for posting! 

 

I'm gonna have to send you my wife's recipes for "bread" and "blueberry muffins"-made with cashew meal from Trader Joe's (kinda expensive but worth it-hope you have a Trader Joe's where you live!) and Stevia,  They really hit the spot when you get those bread cravings.  And you can add as much real butter as you want!  Also, she's working on perfecting chocolate chip cookies, with almond meal, Stevia, and 85% chocolate chips.  Pretty good stuff to where I haven't strayed in a long time..............except for milk.  Yep, I buy organic whole milk, but even that tends to start adding on the pounds after a while.  

 

It actually got pretty serious for me in that I really didn't even want to go to meetings, being the blimp I was and particularly being most uncomfortable in the clothes that mysteriously kept getting tighter.  My feet would swell big time too!  Disgusting.

 

That led me to believe that the problem might be rather significantly affecting the spirituality of a lot of us, so I was happy to find some success going low carb.  

 

Hope you enjoyed the cruise! 

Nuh huh! You share with Jerry you hafta share with all of us!! I could use another recipe in my box of tricks!

[Dan A.]

^^^ Sharing is Caring ^^^ 

 

[Lloyd777]

I'll happily post those recipes Cheryl.  I'm just glad to find someone who's interested!

[CHecker]

I'll happily post those recipes Cheryl.  I'm just glad to find someone who's interested!

Interested??? Did you say interested?????? Bwhahahahaha........ You're only forgiven because you're a newbie!!  Post them recipes!

[Dustparticle]

 The only kind of diet I like is "see" food diet and NOT "sea" food diet. On the serious side, I hope the best on everybodys diet.

[Brother_Bliss]

[My speculation means absolutely nothing, but I saw the word "Speculation" in this forum and that set my mind a spinning, what with my recent reading on the topic]     

 

I moved this topic over to our Food & Drink forum, which we still call "A Banquest of Well-Oiled Dishes" (maybe needs a name change). Alt.News, Blogs, and Speculation is really a forum for alternative news media and journalism - the conspiracy theory and other wacky stuff we don't want to be seen discussing publcly, lol.

 

 

Low-carb, or as Atkin's would call them "controlled carb" diets do work! In 1996 I read "Dr. Atkin's New Diet Revolution" and applying the principles in it have worked wonders for me. In a nutshell, I stay away from sugar, flour, and processed foods and try to eat meat, vegetables, and all-natural. His reasonings as to why we should eat this way were fantastic, and essentially before the industrial revolution of the early 1900's this was the way that most people ate anyway. Atkin's himself usually gets slandered and misrepresented, but South Beach, Protein Power, You! On a Diet, Dr. Oz, Wheat Belly, and a host of other books today essentially just repeat everything he said.

 

I've got a host of low carb recipes. I need to post more in here. I can remember posting this: The One Minute Muffin - years ago.

[Brother_Bliss]

The only problem with a low carb diet is after a year or so it gets boring .

 

I don't think it get's boring. One eats better on a lower carb diet than on any other kind of diet. The problem I have is that living a lower carb lifestyle requires more effort to prepare food. Since everything we eat must be fresh and all natural, we can't just "eat on the go". Our "eat on the go" products are limited to low carb protein bars and pork rinds, lol, and if you are only ever eating these things because you are always on the go, then yes, it can get boring.

[Miss Mouse]

Brothers thanks for all your input. But lets compare apples to apples here A man cuts back on food and looses ......a women well now we are talking a different story. Most of us of the female race have to fight like crazy to make that scale budge!!! It must be the food you eat say some......well let me tell you this about that!!! No one eats healthier low carb no junk than maul" !

 

One day at my Dr. I was told I was " mildly obese" I almost fell off my chair I have a few curves but never considered myself obese!! The Doc is a female and skinny as a rake doubt if she has ever had a fat day in her life. So I have been lamenting over this statement for years trying to satisfy my Dr. expectations of me. Marylyn Monroe was a size 14 and she was considered to be pretty good looking and no one ever said she was "mildly obese" well at least not that I am aware of. Maybe I will Google that MM/mildly obese.

 

I agree that I feel better on low carb.  The general feeling now is all the low fat products has made the nations fat. The over produced food and GMO and the body can't assimilate it.

 

Every time we go to Europe ( Finland) to stay with family I come home at least five pounds lighter. I eat the bread, dairy, drink wine and loose weight!! There are no GMO there and they have everything full fat. Cheese, milk , home made Rye Breads with butter and they are divine. So why do I loose weight in Finland, my theory is NO STRESS and food the way Jehovah intended it to be.

 

Hey Lloyd you may want to do some home work on Tilapia ............it's the one on the list to stay away from. It is farmed and or it comes from some very polluted fish farms and rivers in the Orient. The best fish is Costco has Wild Sockeye Salmon ( Frozen ) of course it comes from our Pacific waters and Alaska I also don't mind the one from the Pacific Mahi mahi . I think wild snapper is a good choice as well.

 

I am sure we will have fun with all the advice on this thread............Lets all be healthy and eat clean .

[Brother_Bliss]

Every time we go to Europe ( Finland) to stay with family I come home at least five pounds lighter. I eat the bread, dairy, drink wine and loose weight!! There are no GMO there and they have everything full fat. Cheese, milk , home made Rye Breads with butter and they are divine. So why do I loose weight in Finland, my theory is NO STRESS and food the way Jehovah intended it to be.

 

I like to reference Atkin's a lot, since he is the diet and weight loss messiah who originally started publishing the truth about the sad American processed diet. That's why he says to go all-natural. Processed meats are a no-no (i.e. use sparingly). He advises fresh produce vs. canned or frozen and if the food can sit in a box at room temperature and not go bad, be very very wary (that's my spin on it).

 

On the Atkin's 4 Life plan, cheese, milk, home made rye bread, and many other foods that people mistakingly think are 'banned-for-life' are actually acceptable in moderation once you've achieved your goal weight.

[CHecker]

In my opinion the scale is over emphasised. I have weighed more than my friends even though I'd be a smaller size. I don't think the charts used for acceptable weight take into account for bone density and muscle density. I have always been a very physical person and have used heavy equipment for most of my life. Thus weighing heavier. So when it comes to the scale I don't give it much consideration. I think eventually the medical community will have to face this fact. But then maybe not, feeling guilty by being called mildly obese could make people reach out to Nutrisystem and other $$$$ choices and thus the money goes round and round again.

 

I get jealous when people go on a low carb diet and the weight falls off. I tried it and gained 7 pounds in 10 days. Apparently I'm unable to digest too much protein. So eating a piece of toast or 1/2 cup rice a couple times a week as I keep the protein to 4oz at a meal and lots of veg helps keep me stable.

 

I did some research, still trying to find the source but haven't found it yet, on wheat now and wheat we had in the 1870"s. The digestibility and clean genetic line made the 1870 wheat superior in every way. Highly  nutritious as well as digestible. No wonder we, who are subjected to GMO's, are having serious gut issues. And it even what they're proposing to do with cattle. There was an article I posted a while back about chemical companies jumping on the issue of bovine 'gas' and how it's a big contributor to ozone depletion so the chemical companies are going to help create a new 'food' for them, our poor innocent animal won't even be spared. 

 

And I do agree with Wendy's advice on Tilapia. I get sick every time I eat it. it's hidden in certain foods so I have just gone back to eating straight from my market and straight from the farm, ensuring a good protein source.  

[Miss Mouse]

That's why we go South of the border Bob I buy all organic meat etc. it is much

Cheaper in the US..... We stock up and it is much easier on the pocket book. Plus

It's always a fun day.

Edited November 28, 2014 by Miss Mouse

[Lloyd777]

Thanks for the tip about tilapia.  I had read somewhere and Snopes confirmed that tilapia was one of the safer choices because it is "short-lived and primarily vegetarian and therefore do not accumulate substantial amounts of mercury."  Further, Costco seems to have a pretty good policy on where they get their tilapia.  But then I did read where tilapia doesn't contain as much fish oil as many other species, fish oil being one of the foremost reasons for eating fish in the first place.  Here's what seems to be a pretty well-balanced article on the topic from Snopes:

 

http://www.snopes.com/food/warnings/tilapia.asp

 

I'm a little torn as well because I see that most folks are recommending "wild" fish, but as a scuba diver who loves the underwater world, it's troubling to see the seas decimated by over fishing and I don't want to contribute to that decimation.  Therefore my initial impulse is to favor farm raised fish so long as it is raised in a quality farm that avoids so of those disgusting practices that some farmers try and get away with.

 

Well, those are my thoughts on tilapia.  Of course, I'm not a primary researcher, and have never visited a fish farm.  "All I know is what I read in the papers".

[Musky]

No worries about depleting the fish in the ocean as regards Tilipia. It is a farm-raised fish that originated in the great fresh-water Lake Tanganyika in Africa. 

[maladee]

get the canned wild caught tuna(it is rod and reel caught no hurting the ocean evolved)

[Lloyd777]

That's why we go South of the border Bob I buy all organic meat etc. it is much

Cheaper in the US..... We stock up and it is much easier on the pocket book. Plus

It's always a fun day.

Hey Wendy, I loved your suggestion about heading to south to buy organic meat.  I'm in Austin, TX so it's fairly close for us.  Got any suggestions on exactly where to go?

 

Thanks!

 

Lloyd

[Qapla]

LLoyd, I don't think your idea of "South" and hers is the same thing.

 

It looks like you are thinking "Mexico" and she said "it is much Cheaper in the US."

 

So, south to her is the US, since she is in Canada.

[Sandyds61]

Our family has been trying to eat the low carb lifestyle. We also read "the Grain Brain" "Wheat Belly" and "the Calorie Myth" that is just a few I have many others I could mention too.  

 

My husband also purchased some online programs from Creative live one was the Bulletproof diet with David Asprey also Fat Burning with Abel James, and Jonathan Bailor's program. We also follow MarksDailyApple (Mark Sisson) we have a few of his books too. Abel James and Mark SIsson are our favorites. They are all very similar with the exception of David Asprey and his recommendations for high fat low carb and average protein, and he has some extreme ideas although we do drink bulletproof coffee (with butter and MCT or coconut oil) yes i said butter and oil . You can google that too for the recipe. We even purchase his coffee, we tried it for a few months than ran out and tried regular coffee and noticed a major difference with jitters and headaches so we will stick to the bulletproof coffee. 

 

We have also switched from purchasing meats at the store to going to a local farm and getting beef and pork, that is grass fed and finished, and we purchase as much organic veggies and fruits. 

 

We have all benefited from eating this way. 

 

Also we still have pizza its just a meatza (you can google that for the recipe) when we do have a pizza with a crust my son has mastered a cauliflower crust and its delicious. 

 

My husband has seen the biggest change since he has not had to use his power chair for meetings and the last one day assembly he was able to not use it. He still has back pain and always will (till new system) but he has dropped around 80 lbs and has gotten rid of alot of inflammation eating this way. His doctor said he needs to stick with it and he will eventually get his rid of his diabetes and other health issues. 

 

The benefits to me have been lowering my BP and being able to reduce my BP meds. 

 

PS we still have chocolate too. Just we eat the dark chocolate.

 

Just wanted to share our family's success eating this way. 

[Lloyd777]

What a great comment Sandy.  Congrats on all the success you and yours have had!

 

I read Sisson's "The Primal Blueprint-21 day total body transformation" and found he had some great advice.  I must admit though that it was tough to hear him constantly go on, especially in the first part of the book, about evolution, a negative for me. 

 

For most in the paleo/primal community, it's like their advice is based on a false premise.  Nonetheless, when they get off that horse and concentrate on what works, their advice is excellent.  I have just learned (as I'm sure you have too) to ignore their comments on how man has for "hundreds of thousands of years lived as hunter-gathers."  (If I hear someone say "hunter-gatherer" again, I may scream............just kidding)     

 

But I'm really encouraged by the comments here, aren't you?  It's just good to know that we're on to something pretty important for life in the world that we find ourselves in at the moment.

 

Hey, and thanks for the eating suggestions, 'specially the "meatza".  Gotta try that!!!

I'm gonna post my wife's recipes for this and that soon.  But she's the sort that doesn't measure how much of this or that that she uses in a recipe, so it's kinda hard for me to get the correct measurements from her, though she promises to write everything down soon.

 

See ya!