Help me narrow down to a diet that wont make me sick

[starwarsmomma]

I'm 40 now and weigh my most ever-- a whopping 236 pounds. sigh......

 

I want to lose 100 pounds.

I want to cry.

 

I need something easy to follow that doesn't make me have to think too hard. If I have to calculate or do anything complicated, I will drop it quickly.

 

 

Ok, a bit about me and some issues that make it harder--

I do have PCOS

I do have blood sugar issues but not diabetic

Thyroid is fine.

 

I did have a doctor who was fat-phobic and just insulted me and made me feel horrible instead of helping. I am not under the care of a doctor and please don't tell me to go to one- not gonna happen right now for several reasons.

 

I have a brand new allergy that I am HIGHLY allergic to artificial citrus flavorings-- including all citric acid. (real/fresh citrus is fine.) There are SO many pre-made foods that have some form of this, I am limited on what I can buy, even some brands of plain yogurt can make me very ill.

 

I will be honest and admit I am a person who does not like veggies or fruits. Only a handful of things I'm willing to eat. Forcing myself to eat foods will only make me vomit. I know, not good..

 

I do not have money to join a gym, but we do have a wii/xbox (workout fitness), some exercise DVD's, and an elliptical. We also have bikes, but that is only an option when son is healthy enough (see next issue)

 

I have a child that is chronically ill, so have to be available/ closeby to take care of him 24/7.

 

I have tried:

No carb/low carb-- didn't lose ANY weight and was as sick as a dog. I did this under the constant scrutiny of a dietician, and got so sick she took me off it. She had no explanation, as I did it exactly as I was supposed to...

 

I did the FirstPlace diet and lost 25 pounds a few years ago... I tried to research that again, but it looks like it's been revamped and now people are saying it's not as good as it used to be... It was based on a 1200 calorie diet and 30 minutes of exercise a day...

 

I tried WeightWatchers local-- the gal (only one in my area) was HORRIBLE and switched to the online but was totally confused and never really understood it enough to bother continuing...

 

No interest in the HCG diet-- it scares me. LOL

 

 

Suggestions, thoughts?

[Mama Geek]

Can you go to eating fish, chicken, beef, fresh veggies, fresh fruit, brown rice, cheese, nuts, and try to keep it to 500 calories per meal and exercise 1/2 an hour a day?

[starwarsmomma]

Yes, I can. I just have no idea how to calculate calories.

Is there a book or something that has that?

[Momof3littles]

Have you ever tried metformin? It can be brutal at first, but IME XR is easier to tolerate. Once you get over the initial adjustment, most people don't have bad symptoms.

 

There are also many kinds of LC diets. Did your dietician follow a specific program? LC diets really can vary widely!! South Beach to Atkins, you know? They are really quite different.

 

Can you tolerate things like small amounts of sweet potatoes?

 

Have you tried any LC diets on your own?

 

With PCOS, there's a good chance you are insulin resistant. Have you had a glucose tolerance test with insulin levels done? Are you diabetic? Have you ever had a hemoglobin A1C run? With a pcos diagnosis and weigh issues, watch for those things closely if you aren't already.

 

What do you like to eat?

 

With fruits and veggies, is it mostly a texture thing, since you mentioned they make you vomit? Can you handle them well-blended in a smoothie? Can you do berries? What veggies can you tolerate?

[Annie]

Are you willing to share what your diet looks like now? How long has your weight been moving up? Has much of the gain been recent, or has it been very slow over many years?

 

Which fruits and veggies do you like? How do you usually prepare them? Have you tried a wide variety of preparations of the vegetables you don't like? My husband would have said he didn't like beets or brussel sprouts until he tried them roasted with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

[Peach]

Calorie King has a great online counter: http://www.calorieking.com/

[Night Elf]

As far as Weight Watchers, if you were willing to do it online, then you feel you don't need a physical presence to follow the plan. It's a simple plan and easy to follow alone unless you need the accountability of the meetings, AND the meetings aren't even really necessary. I needed a physical place to go to weigh in have it recorded in a book. That is what made it easy for me follow. I also needed to track the food I was eating. Seeing it written down makes it real and let me know exactly what I was eating. But it' not for everyone. I'm not a fresh food eater so I can't just change my entire diet to follow a way of eating that doesn't require writing down what I eat. I've lost the weight I wanted to lose and I'm in maintenance now. It's harder than losing the weight because I have to be so vigilant to not let my weight creep up on me again. I'm always 3 lbs. heavier than I should be so that if I weigh in at that weight, I have to pay for the meeting. Staying in my weight range means weighing in is free. I do like that about WW.

[Momof3littles]

When you did LC before, what was sick as a dog? Nauseous? Shaky? Were you eating frequent meals? When switching to LC, did the dietician give you a generous allotment of fats? IME, many dieticians don't do really LC, or if they do, they would have you on low fat with the low carb, which can leave a lot of people feeling horrible. When transitioning to LC, I think allowing yourself more fats, more snacks, etc. is really important. Did you feel like you had flu-like symptoms? That isn't atypical. Tired? It can take a while for your body to adapt to burning fat as fuel. How long were you on it before coming off? What did your meals look like? Is it possible it was a version of LC that didn't work for you, but other versions of lower carb eating might help? With someone with PCOS, I'd be hesitant to do anything too carby due to the high probability of IR in those of us with PCOS.

[Momof3littles]

When you did LC before, what was sick as a dog? Nauseous? Shaky? Were you eating frequent meals? When switching to LC, did the dietician give you a generous allotment of fats? IME, many dieticians don't do really LC, or if they do, they would have you on low fat with the low carb, which can leave a lot of people feeling horrible. When transitioning to LC, I think allowing yourself more fats, more snacks, etc. is really important. Did you feel like you had flu-like symptoms? That isn't atypical. Tired? It can take a while for your body to adapt to burning fat as fuel. How long were you on it before coming off? What did your meals look like? Is it possible it was a version of LC that didn't work for you, but other versions of lower carb eating might help? As someone with PCOS, I'd be hesitant to do anything too carby due to the high probability of IR in those of us with PCOS.

[Laura Corin]

If you don't want to count calories or change your diet massively, the No S diet just involves avoiding snacks, seconds and sweets (including sweet drinks) from Monday to Friday, with more leeway for treats at weekends.

 

Laura

[starwarsmomma]

It was a good 5 years ago, so do not remember the exact plan she had me on- it was similar to Adkins though--, but i had no energy, felt weak and nautious ALL the time, could not concentrate, always felt like crying. People who knew me said I looked (green) sick. I don't think it was low fat though.

 

Night Elf described it well-- " I'm not a fresh food eater"==I don't do fresh veggies. Canned/frozen is my life. I HATE grocery shopping! LOL

 

So I will eat the typical "normal" veggies-- green beans, corn, sweet potatoes, regular potatoes, zuchinni, some squash, tomatoes, canned pumpkin (in recipes), avacados, edemame, fresh spinach (not cooked). Cooked cabbage. Lettuce if it's on a sandwich OR covered in some kind of dressing. Fruits have always been a hassle to me, never have gotten very excited about them, but will eat some occasionally.

 

Broccoli, asparagus, brussel sprouts, and Cauliflower will make me vomit-- even when prepared expertly.

 

 

Not interested in Metformin. That stuff is horrible. My mom has been on it for years and I don't want to go that route.

3 years ago, A1C was fine. Not diabetic, but do have some blood sugar issues.

Not going to specialist or even regular doctor for this.

[JenniferB]

I quickly lost the last of the weight I've been working to loose with the GAPS introduction diet. I have not had to exercise, and the weight is just falling off. The cravings to eat other foods rises up time and time again, but the weight loss is so worth it to keep it up.

 

Days 1-3 or longer if you wish - homemade chicken soup & ginger tea & probiotics taken with warm water. Here's how you make the soup & the tea:

 

You take a whole chicken and boil it in water for 2-3 hours, take the meat off, add it back to the broth, add carrots, celery and onion and you eat this soup for 3 days or longer (I did 3 days).

 

Take ginger root, a piece off of it and coarsely chop it. Boil the ginger in water for 5-10 minutes. Add honey and drink.

 

That is stage one and is excellent for eliminating sugar cravings and getting your stomach settled. The rest of the stages are mentioned here:

 

http://gapsdiet.com/INTRODUCTION_DIET.html

 

After a few weeks on this diet I transitioned to the SCD: http://www.breakingtheviciouscycle.info/.

 

It's important to start with the GAPS Introduction (just homemade chicken soup & ginger tea) because that really cleans out the sugar cravings and gets your stomach settled.

[Momof3littles]

Did the dietician's LC diet limit your calories? Were you snacking? I think most people who LC have a really rough start those first two weeks, but then it gets much easier. I don't know how long you were on it or what it looked like for you. Most people I know find they need to eat more frequently, even if not hungry, and they need to make sure they are getting enough calories, etc. to keep their energy up. Some people also benefit from a potassium supplement if not contraindicated for them as an individual. Dr. Eades (Protein Power) is a big LC expert, and I've seen him recommend it as helping with some of the issues during those first weeks.

[Mama Geek]

http://caloriecount.about.com/calories-apple-i9003 is the best one that I have found for looking up calories, if you mostly do canned goods they all will have the number of calories per serving. Once you figure out the meats it really won't be too hard, even though it can be kind of boring.

 

I did atkins and my muscles hurt all the time, but I lost weight. I have also successfully lost weight eating low glycemic index foods...proteins, green veggies cooked or raw, berries, tomatoes, dairy, and complex carbs like brown rice, bran, whole grain type of foods. Stay away from the sugars, most bread, corn, white potatoes, juices, and be moderate on things like melons, oranges, grapes, etc. This diet has been easier for me than most because I like most of the foods on it. Every now and then I will order a thin crust pizza and split it with dd. It is carb limiting, but not no carb.

[Momof3littles]

You said you like: So I will eat the typical "normal" veggies-- green beans, corn, sweet potatoes, regular potatoes, zuchinni, some squash, tomatoes, canned pumpkin (in recipes), avacados, edemame, fresh spinach (not cooked). Cooked cabbage. Lettuce if it's on a sandwich OR covered in some kind of dressing. Fruits have always been a hassle to me, never have gotten very excited about them, but will eat some occasionally.

 

Some sweet potatoes can be worked into some lower carb or paleo plans, depending on how LC you need to go. Squash, green beans, tomatoes, zuchinni, avocados, spinach, cooked cabbage, and pumpkin are acceptable on most LC plans. Can you pick 2 of those and then a protein for a lot of your meals? Do you not feel well when eating that way?

 

Cooked cabbage can be a great base in lieu of grains. You can serve a lot of things over cooked cabbage.

 

Have you tried spaghetti squash?

 

Lettuce wrapped burgers? With a slice of avocado on there? A piece of bacon, or some tomato? That's a summertime staple here.

 

We eat a lot of frozen veggies here, no harm in that IMO! We do a lot of fresh too, but toward the end of the week we've often used up a lot of our fresh ingredients.

[milovany]

Look up Thin Within dot org. Eat when you're physically hungry, stop before you're full. Eat a variety of healthy foods when you do eat. Doesn't get much easier than that. I've lost 35+ pounds doing that three different times and it really works. I gained it back because I used it for weight loss and didn't make it a permanent lifestyle. I'm back at it yet again!

[Momof3littles]

Here's a post from Dr. Eades on how electrolytes play a part in those first few weeks of LC "flu" and feeling yucky. He mentions considering a potassium supplement if you aren't taking hypertension meds. Obviously, it would be best to clear that with your MD.

http://www.proteinpower.com/drmike/saturated-fat/tips-tricks-for-starting-or-restarting-low-carb-pt-ii/

[Soror]

I quickly lost the last of the weight I've been working to loose with the GAPS introduction diet. I have not had to exercise, and the weight is just falling off. The cravings to eat other foods rises up time and time again, but the weight loss is so worth it to keep it up.

 

Days 1-3 or longer if you wish - homemade chicken soup & ginger tea & probiotics taken with warm water. Here's how you make the soup & the tea:

 

You take a whole chicken and boil it in water for 2-3 hours, take the meat off, add it back to the broth, add carrots, celery and onion and you eat this soup for 3 days or longer (I did 3 days).

 

Take ginger root, a piece off of it and coarsely chop it. Boil the ginger in water for 5-10 minutes. Add honey and drink.

 

That is stage one and is excellent for eliminating sugar cravings and getting your stomach settled. The rest of the stages are mentioned here:

 

http://gapsdiet.com/...CTION_DIET.html

 

After a few weeks on this diet I transitioned to the SCD: http://www.breakingt...iouscycle.info/.

 

It's important to start with the GAPS Introduction (just homemade chicken soup & ginger tea) because that really cleans out the sugar cravings and gets your stomach settled.

I did the SCD about 8 yrs ago and I dropped weight very easily as well and felt great(I didn't do it to lose weight but to figure out intolerances for my nursing 1yo and actually got down a bit too small for myself but once some more food was added back in I got back up to a good weight for me). SCD has a similar intro to GAPS fwiw. The thought of chicken soup disgusted me for years after the intro though! The website seems not as stringent on the intro though as when I did it. I do think that perhaps it wouldn't be the best fit though in terms of what food the OP likes and such though.

[MommaOfalotta]

I have had family that had health issues and they swear by Advocare. I'm not even really sure what it is.. I just know that they lost weight and said they felt amazing.

[SailorMom]

Paleo. No measuring, weighing, counting calories.... Just a "don't eat cr@p" philosophy :)

There are people who do low-carb paleo, but that's not really part of it.

I've been eating this way for about 2 months now, and the cravings are gone for sugar and bread. Yay!

It's great for PCOS and blood sugar issues, as well as losing weight.

Basically, anything packaged is out. No legumes, dairy, grains, or sugars.

I use honey and will occasionally eat quinoa.

There are levels of 'paleo' and everyone just needs to pick what they can live with and are comfortable with.

Primal is paleo with dairy added back in, but you may want to try to go full-paleo for at least a month and then decide what you want to try to add.

I'm not over weight - and I'm not eating this way to lose weight - but I've lost over 10 lbs while still eating until I'm full all day.

[momchiroto2]

Have you had your gall bladder checked? It sounds like you were having gall bladder issues especially since you were so nauseous during the low carb period.

[toawh]

This is my diet. Lost 60 lbs. already.

No condiments

Salt, pepper, and spices are fine; so is mustard and hot sauce. Condiments like salad dressings, mayo, and packaged sauces have ridiculous amounts of sugar that are stored as fat. Vinegar is awesome for loosing weight.

No soda or juice.

Drink water.

Make meals from scratch.

This can take adjusting but it's really the key.

Seconds only on veggies

Snacks = fruit

I do have a sweet a week, but I have to bake it myself. Ice-cream is the exception.

Meat once or twice a week

The rest of the time beans, eggs, tofu, etc..

Whole grains or real carbs like potatoes, sweet potatoes, brown rice, polenta, whole grain pasta, and whole wheat bread.

If the bread stays soft for more than a day out of the fridge it is stuffed with fake food.

No processed or fake fats.

Olive oil, real butter.

If you eat like this you really don't need to count calories. Real food will make you feel full quicker. It takes time to get used to it, but now I can't eat how I used to it doesn't appeal to me anymore.

 

I also ditched the car for trips shorter than a mile, parked at the end of lots when I used it, used only the stairs no elevator or escalator, and did 10 minutes of carbs a day.

The first month I didn't loose any weight. But after that it was about 5 -- 10 a month. I know that doesn't sound like a lot, but this is not a yo-yo weight loss. It's gone for good.

 

For what it's worth.

[Plateau Mama]

I second what SailorMom said. I love Paleo. Go get a copy of Practical Paleo and read it. Really read it. Then pick the meal plan that best suits you. She has weight loss plan, one for PCOS. The meals are delicious and so easy to prepare.

[SailorMom]

I have Practical Paleo and Well Fed. Both are great.

Re: condiments (someone posted about skipping them) - I have to make all of mine from scratch - but they taste awesome and I can have as much as I want (no sugar in homemade mayo :) All that's in it is olive oil, an egg, mustard powder and vinegar )

Right now, for lunch, I am eating a Waldorf salad. Romaine lettuce underneath. IN it :

homemade mayo, golden raisins, an apple, tuna, green onions, mustard powder, chopped pecans.

It is delish, takes all of two minutes to make, and I can eat as much as I want :)

It takes a lot of getting used to, and I even had the paleo "flu' for about 10 days while I detoxed, but now I feel great. I ate so well before (at least what society thinks is good) that I was shocked how different I started feeling and how much my body had to come off of sugar and grains.

 

[Spryte]

My doctor is a big proponent of the Mediterranean Diet. While you're checking out the other options, maybe check that one out too, and see which is most appealing.

 

:grouphug:

[milovany]

If the bread stays soft for more than a day out of the fridge it is stuffed with fake food.

 

Not to nitpick, but this isn't always true. My homemade soaked-grain whole wheat bread is soft for several days after I make it. No preservatives, just all natural ingredients. Putting bread in a fridge is a no-no. It makes it dried out and stale faster.

[Katy]

My weight has fluctuated a lot, but what helps the most is this:

1. Long slow exercise gets your blood sugar issues resolved. If you can rearrange your schedule to walk three hours a day your blood sugar issues will be resolved in 2-3 weeks. Then you can switch to one hour a day of walking and focus on diet. If you want to lose weight faster, you can always go back to 3 hours a day of walking.
   
2. Diet wise, focus on avoiding sugar and junk food, only eating when you are hungry, and not eating too much.
   
3. Pick one day a week where you can eat whatever you want all day long (want a whole pint of ice cream? Tell yourself that's fine, but only on Saturday. That way you won't binge).
   
4. Other days, try to eat only enough to satisfy your hunger and give you more energy. When you get sleepy after you eat, it's a sign you ate too much. It will take a couple of weeks for you to figure out what your appetite is if you're used to ignoring your body, so be patient with yourself. Avoid sugar, but otherwise eat whatever you want, just focus on listening to your body. For me this typically looks like 3-5 small salad-plate sized meals a day.
   
5. When you get to the point that your blood sugar is so in control you can go a whole day without being hungry, if you really want to speed things up you can try fasting once a week - the day after your splurge day is the most effective from a biochemical standpoint.
   

 

[Joyofsixreboot]

Yes, I can. I just have no idea how to calculate calories.

Is there a book or something that has that?

 

Myfitnesspal dot com

Easy to use, tons of calories entered but be warned their forums can be harsh. I just use it to calculate and have some " friends" from here.

[yslek]

I've lately been following this blogger on facebook: http://gokaleo.com/ She had (has?) PCOS as well & has managed to lose a lot of weight & keep it off. She's very anti-guru/anti-gimmick and encourages doing movement you love and eating enough but not too much.

[Murphy101]

Idk.

 

All I can say it what is working for me. I've lost 40 pounds since christmas.

 

First I just did No S and calorie counting with My Fitness Pal app on m iPhone. (it's on computer too and very easy to do)

 

Then I added in Walk Away the Pounds.

 

I lost about 30 doing that and then plateaued for a month. Didn't matter if I ate a lot or a little or what it was. No gain. No loss.

 

So I decided to give Whole30 a try with several modifications for my personal reality needs. And that has so far given me another 10 pound loss. I'm sticking with it until mothers day weekend. :)

 

I'm feeling so good that I think when my whole30 is done, I'll stick to it for the most part anyways. I'm thiing i will choose an S day to indulge in otherwise forbidden stuff.

 

I have also taken up my first ever effort at landscaping around our house in place of Walk Away the Pounds. Those on my FB can see its been a huge undertaking and I'm mighty silly proud of having done all of it ourselves.

 

So my advice:

 

Start slow and set a goal that is simple and close.

 

No S is very simple. Eat whatever, but no seconds, no snacks, and no sweets. I like a plan that isn't complicated.

Walk Away the Pounds is simple and some of the beginner DVD sessions are as short as 20 minutes. When first using the My Fitness Pal, don't even keep calorie count. Just look at your pie chart that shows your daily chart of carbs, fat, and protein. Just try to reduce carbs. Don't worry about fat and protein. See my laziness? I don't want to spend forever thinking about every bite and calorie!

 

See if any or all of that seems to help for about a goal of about 4 weeks.

 

Even if you only do ONE of those things, I bet you'll start to see some improvement slowly but surely.

 

Good luck!

[2boysmom]

"Walk away the pounds" by Leslie Samsone, commit to 5 days a week.

No dieting for now. Just do this.

You can do it indoors. Don't worry about the time of day.

Print out a blank calender and determine to fill in at least 5 days a week with the words "walked...miles today" for at least a month to get you started.

You don't have to diet (at this point anyway, just commit to walking)

You WILL lose weight if you commit to walking everyday.

You WILL feel better.

You can do it!

 

There is a lady on "Walk away the pounds (5 mile") who lost over a 100 pds. just walking. She is an inspiration.

Walking is so easy, once you start.

And, you will begin to feel better and better after a few days and will be able to see progress pretty quickly.

 

I'm also over 40. So, I know, it is so tough!

Hang in there.

[Murphy101]

Oh yes, I agree. Don't jump in e deep end. Start SLOW. Just ONE change is a positive change and a good start.

 

Also the Walk Away the Pounds DVDs have 5 day plans, so each day is different. One DVD with 5 days work out on it is on,y about $10.