Starting Out.....Maybe (Long)

[ChrisSuperstar]

Years ago, when I was a teenager, I did Atkins and lost a lot of weight very fast. I also was an idiot (hey, I was 16) and NEVER ate any vegetables or took vitamins, so my hair fell out and I got gallstones. I kept the weight off for years, however, until I was 25 when I suddenly developed fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome. In a short period of time, I blew up to 227 due to the meds I was on, and being bedridden and depressed (I have always been an emotional eater.) I tried low-calorie diets because my Atkins experience had rather soured me on low-carb, and lost about 10 pounds. However, I couldn't seem to lose any more and had terrible food cravings for sugars and starches. Last month, I decided that enough was enough and signed up for Medifast, which is a lowish carb, VERY low calorie (about 800-900 day) program under medical supervision. It started off ok, but after a week or so the very low calories left me so dizzy and sick that I was afraid for my health, though I did lose 12 pounds. Also, the products were full of soy protein and artificial sweetener, which I have some concerns about.

I came across Protein Power online and have to say, I am very interested. It sounds much more do-able than Atkins, especially as my Medifast experiment showed me that I can go into Ketosis even with as much as 80 grams of carbs a day. I do better on lower-carb regimens since as I noted above I just can't lose weight on high carb/low calorie diets. Also, I notice my food cravings are much, much less when I cut out sugar. The only problems I can anticipate is finding good stuff to eat, since I only cook for myself and I don't want to go back to the old "eggs, cheese, and meat" thing I did before.

Sorry this post is so long! I just meant it as an introduction, but I figured I might as well put my background in. Any advice?

[jilly27]

Chris,

Welcome! :)

I don't know much about Medifast but from what you say it doesn't sound like a healthy and maintainable way to lose weight. Especially the healthy aspect.

Have you read any of the Eades books yet? That would be the best starting point. I read Protein Power first then Protein Power Life Plan and I'm glad I did it in that order.

Cooking for one can almost make it easier really, nobody complaining about not having bread, potatoes or pasta! ;) I do a lot of my prep for meals all at once (cut up vegies, cook and cut up a whole chicken etc) and package them out to cover several days. I keep some in the fridge and freeze some, that way there is always something good to eat handy and I don't grab bad stuff on the run.

I do eat quite a bit of eggs, cheese and meat :lol: but you can make it interesting by trying different types and cooking them different ways. Make sure you're adding in some veg you like. Berries are really good too, and some fruits aren't too high in carbs.

Check out the rest of the forums too, lots of great info here.

Jilly

[Kisha]

Welcome!

I did medi-fast also for a few months. I did lose about 15ibs but I noticed the longer I stayed on it, the more snacking I did between meals. IE, I just wasn't hitting Ketosis as and often felt hungry. It's supposed to be low calorie, low carb, but it is also fairly low on the fat scale, at least compared to PP. The cost was the kicker for me. $300 a month is just outrageous and you still have to supply the 1 lean and green.

I'm currently trying the "six week cure" and then following that up with PP foods. There is alot of great info. But if you decide to reboot your system by trying PP. Then my suggestion is to buy "the six week cure to the middle-aged middle." Then follow it up with the recommendations for maintenance. The book is amazingly informative on simple things you can do to improve your health immediately.

You can likely easily obtain a copy of the Protein Power book as well through any library. If cost is an issue. The beginning of the cure has some heavy restrictions, and can be even be calorie restricted, but you'll never have to count them. And I assure you, you should not be hungry if you are doing it properly.

They discourage the use of artificial sweetners. Accept for products like Splend or Stevia. Stevia I have been trying out in the new commercial brand called "Truvia" and I am really enjoying it.

ProteinPower also allows some (in very moderate proportions) fruits and low sugar vegetables.

Anyway, I hope that this helps you. So far these forums have been a great aid to me. I can talk about what I believe in and I don't get discouragement here, but rather lots of encouragement.

[Frank Hagan]

Chris, just a word of encouragement: PP is easier than I thought it would be. Since you have been through the mill with very strict diets, I would recommend reading either "Protein Power" or "Protein Power Life Plan" as a starting point. The "Life Plan" book allows you to select the level of commitment you have to the diet with three categories; I find myself in the lowest group, the "hedonist" one. Other than counting the carbs and making sure I get the right amount of protein, I don't worry about grass-fed versus feed-lot beef, etc.

The thing that attracted me to Protein Power over Atkins is that it is a bit more lenient. You can still drink coffee, have wine, and eat a wide variety of foods. You just count carbs. I found that absolutely liberating.

Low carb alternative snacks include nuts (almonds, walnuts, peanuts, etc.), raw 'dark green' veggies (you may find you like them better raw than cooked), cheese, berries (strawberries, rasberries, blueberries), etc. There are a lot of suggestions in the books, and a lot about the science of eating, what to expect as your body adapts to its new food sources, etc.

[ChrisSuperstar]

Thanks for the help, everyone! I think this is probably going to be the diet for me. I ordered the Protein Power Life Plan online, and will go to Half Price Books today to get Protein Power. Thanks to Medifast (where veggies are required for one meal) I have really developed a love of vegetables and salads, which I think will make it a lot easier to vary my low-carb diet.

I think the hard part is accepting that no, I cannot eat "in moderation" like so many other people can, and that sugars and starches have an almost drug-like effect on me. I think what I liked best about Medifast and the Atkins Diet was how freeing it was not to have the constant food cravings that I get even when following a so-called "balanced" diet. Even whole grains can be sometimes enough to set off an eating binge, and one chocolate is all it takes to cause intense sugar cravings. I just had some Raisin Bran and am still ravenous! I'll go pick up the book and start tomorrow.

[Frank Hagan]

I'm the same way with food cravings when I eat carbs, even if I'm stuffed, I'm still hungry. So the low carb, adequate protein WOE is liberating for me too.

I switched to "vinegar and oil" on my salads, using extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) and a variety of vinegars. Some of the vinegars have carbs, so you have to be careful of them, but man, is it tasty.

I never ate broccoli before, but love it raw in salads now. It adds a surprising crunch to the salad. We often make salads of romaine lettuce, broccoli, and cilantro ("Mexican parsley"), then sprinkle on grated romano or parmesan cheese. I love it now, and never thought I would.

[Kisha]

Well thats the great thing about PP, you can eat till your satisfied of the proteins and fats usually. And just add a cup or half of cup veggies on the side. Two fresh hamburger patties, I swear, fills me practically for the whole day.

I am too tempted to eat carbish foods, but Im really not hungry enough to allow myself any of it.

[maxlharris]

Chris: If your hair fell out on Atkins, you were probably not eating enough food and enough fat. Dr. Mike (eades) talked about this in a blog post a year or two ago, about the Kimkins diet or Kimkins Survivors.
http://www.proteinpower.com/drmike/metabolism/hair-loss-and-kimkins/

Ultimately, if you do Atkins by the book, by week 6, it looks an awful lot like Protein Power. It eats that way. It's really a job of framing.

I do not eat much in the way of vegetables (a few servings a week, in a big vegetable week), and do not report the things you report from your attempt at Atkins.

[ChrisSuperstar]

Chris: If your hair fell out on Atkins, you were probably not eating enough food and enough fat. Dr. Mike (eades) talked about this in a blog post a year or two ago, about the Kimkins diet or Kimkins Survivors.
http://www.proteinpower.com/drmike/metabolism/hair-loss-and-kimkins/

Ultimately, if you do Atkins by the book, by week 6, it looks an awful lot like Protein Power. It eats that way. It's really a job of framing.

I do not eat much in the way of vegetables (a few servings a week, in a big vegetable week), and do not report the things you report from your attempt at Atkins.

I am sure the reason my hair fell out was that I wasn't eating enough, taking any vitamins, and never ate veggies; any weight loss diet can cause hair loss, if you don't get enough nutrients or lose too fast. I will be much more careful this time around.