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[MSE Lawrence]

This is the discussion to link on the back of Martin's blog. Please read the blog first, as this discussion follows it.

Read Martin's 'I lost 1 stone in 6 weeks on the “do I really look like that?!” plan' Blog.

Click reply to discuss below.

[beer tins]

Well done Martin. Myself, I recently dropped about a stone and a half through exercise and not much else. A couple of points though:

1) Diet drinks like diet coke contain aspartame, which makes you crave fat. Try to stick to natural sugar free (or low sugar) drinks.

2) Special K contains more calories than normal corn flakes. A lot of food branded as low fat has more sugar to make up for it and no less calories.

3) Not eating late. This one is a bit of a myth, as long as you burn off more calories than you consume (or the same if you want to stay the same weight) it doesn't matter what you eat or when. it is based on research that says that obese people eat more late at night than people of normal weight. It neglects the fact that they also eat more during other times of the day (in most cases).

[PleaseDont]

Congratulations, Martin! As you note, though, the hard thing is keeping weight off. May I suggest you do some investigation into low-carb eating? Your diet plan includes a lot of what the body considers sugar (cereal, fruit, milk), and as beer tins noted, aspartame is very, very bad for you. If you eat low-carb you can eat more calories and still lose and/or maintain. You could even have your original breakfast of eggs and mushrooms, without the baguette. You would also not be hungry.

[tibsie]

Congratulations Martin!!

Couple of points...
First, you can't stop a diet and keep the weight off because you will go back to eating more calories than you need. Gradually introduce more calories into your diet until the weight stops falling and stays steady. Then just keep watching the calories and the scales. Don't let that weight creep back again!!

Second, not eating late isn't a myth, if you have calories swimming in your blood and not being used (while you sleep) your fat cells will be "helpful" and store them for you. If you've had a chance to burn them off before bed then this won't happen.

Tom
Losing weight as well.

[beer tins]

Originally Posted by tibsie

Congratulations Martin!!
Second, not eating late isn't a myth, if you have calories swimming in your blood and not being used (while you sleep) your fat cells will be "helpful" and store them for you. If you've had a chance to burn them off before bed then this won't happen.

Tom
Losing weight as well.

Sorry to take issue, but it is a myth. From the bbc just today: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7789302.stm

Your body will balance it's energy as you sleep. If your body has used less calories than it's taken in, it will store fat. If it has used more, it will replenish your glycogen stores instead.

As for low-carb diets, they do help fast weight loss, but I'm not convinced about the long term benefits. Sadly, most of the weight you lose is muscle tissue and water. On top of that you go into ketosis, which can cause bad breath, fatigue and nausea. You also miss out on essential vitamins and nutrients, as you can have little fruit & veg. I'd stick to a balanced diet and not cut out any major food groups. Calorie control and exercise is the healthy way to go about it.

[lisa21]

Well done Martin! I plan on doing the same just after Christmas....mind you I have been planning on doing it for the last 5 years

[jorichste]

well done!! losing weight can be tough, especially when you're so busy. Good luck keeping it off

[kezbabybabe]

Hey Martin,

Glad to hear someone else call it 'healthy eating' and not a diet.

I had to lose a stone and a 1/2 last year, as I'd put this on after my cycling accident. I found I was sluggish, tired and my digestion was not working too well.

I made a conscience decision to start exercising more (Cycling back and forth to work) and reduce my snacks. I did this by having salads in summer and soups in winter.

As you're a numbers person, you'll probably agree with me on this one, but I weigh myself each week and keep track of how much I weigh. This helped me to figure out if I was up or down.

I can successfully say that I've been able to keep my weigh at a stable level this year, without too much change to my diet. (I'm still allowed choccies and things, as long as I counteract it with exercise.

Keep up the good work Martin! A lot of people will look up to you for your honesty!

Kerry

[PleaseDont]

As for low-carb diets, they do help fast weight loss, but I'm not convinced about the long term benefits. Sadly, most of the weight you lose is muscle tissue and water. On top of that you go into ketosis, which can cause bad breath, fatigue and nausea. You also miss out on essential vitamins and nutrients, as you can have little fruit & veg. I'd stick to a balanced diet and not cut out any major food groups. Calorie control and exercise is the healthy way to go about it.

Sorry, but this information is as inaccurate as the myth about eating late. This is not the place for an extended discussion about it, but I do need to address your statements.

You do lose a few pounds of water during the first few days, as you do with any diet. After that you lose fat, not muscle, because you are eating sufficient protein, unlike with a low-cal diet. It does take two or three days for ketosis to kick in, but after that most people experience increased energy, as well as a reduced appetite. Most people on low-carb diets eat a lot more vegetables than the average person, and moderate amounts of fruit, especially berries. You can also incorporate a modest amount of whole grains. What you do cut out is sugar and refined carbohydrates, which are not only not necessary for a balanced diet, but detrimental to health. These foods did not even exist until very recently in human history.

[Airwolf1]

Well done me old son, I'd like to lose some too.

When I married (nearly 3 years ago) I was 11.5 stone, and got up to 12.5. A gew weeks back, I was in hospital being sick etc, so couldn't eat, which has got me down to 12.2, there or thereabouts.

I may give what Martin has done a go, but what foods should I eat then? Directed to PleaseDont or someone else.

Thank you

[PleaseDont]

Airwolf1, you can do something as simple as cutting out sugar and white flour, and that might work for you, especially if you are a man (men lose weight more easily than women due to a lot of factors).

If you want to get into low-carbing, there are a lot of different approaches, including South Beach, Protein Power, Atkins, etc. Here is a page that discusses these and others. With Atkins you go through a two-week induction period wherein you keep your carbs very low (20 grams per day). This is to get you into ketosis quickly. Here is a list of the allowed foods during the induction period; essentially you can have meat, fish, eggs, cheese, cream, butter and olive oil, and three cups of vegetables per day. After the two weeks you introduce more carbohydrates (beginning with more vegetables, then nuts, then fruits, etc.) each week. (If you're interested in Atkins, I suggest you buy his 2002 book, which you can get used for very little money. The people who are running the foundation now have strayed from his program.) Here is a link to download a short version of the Protein Power program, which is similar.

You're better off sticking with real food and avoiding packaged "low-carb" foods, which sometimes have misleading carb counts, and are usually full of chemicals anyway. Be sure to look at ingredients lists on packaged and prepared foods, as you'll be surprised to see how many of them contain some type of sugar, even foods that aren't sweet.

You can Google "low-carb" and get a lot more information. Good luck!

[JanineB]

Well done! Im wanting to lose a stone as well. I was for years 9 stone and wanting to get back to that. Never dieted in my life and Ive always ate what I wanted (usually junk). I was always a size 8/10 and now Im a 12......

Who cares?!? I hear folk shout!

Well my whole wardrobe doesn't fit me anymore and Im living in the same 2 pairs of jeans as I cant get any of the rest over my bum never mind closed! So from a mony saving point of view I cannot afford a new wardrobe. lol. Its knocking my confidence as well something awful.

As an aside Im also wanting to get back to regularly modelling again and push it further for a last bash since Im finnishing uni soon.Wish low confidence I wont end up going for it.

My main issue though is cellulite. Ive had it even when I was a skinny as hell 15 year old and over the years its got worse. Its all over my thighs and bottom. If anyone has and tips (that actually work) for trying to get rid of it, please do share.

Im sticking to a smililar plan such as the one you posted Martin. Speciak K, no snacking etc. I dont drink coffee/tea anyway. My fix though is energy juice. I love the stuff. Ill need to try and curb that one.

Wish me luck!

Many Thanks

Janine

[Airwolf1]

PleaseDont,

I have actually stopped having sugar in my tea, which is a good step, as I'm a tea addict. (I guess too much tea isn't good for me either?!)

[PleaseDont]

Well, they do say to cut out coffee and tea, but I drink two cups of coffee a day and haven't had a problem.

Good luck, Janine!

[beer tins]

Well, until a high profile organisation backs the Atkins Diet and declares it safe, I won't touch it with a barge pole. I'm concerned about the risk of raised cholesterol. It's also hard to get the right level of nutrients and vitamins on this diet.

As for refined carbs being unnecessary and detrimental to health, give me a break! Bread is one of the oldest forms of prepared food. Some form of it has existed since the stone ages I believe. Humans seem to have survived OK on it for many thousands of years, so I'll continue to have it in moderation.

I'd be very weary of any diet that cuts out entire food groups, it goes against the advice of all mainstream nutritional bodies. Carbohydrate is a nutrient, not a poison. And if you take part in any high energy sport, you shouldn't cut out the carbs, as it's the main source of glucose. Almost all professional athletes have a diet high in carbohydrate. Runners, cyclists and swimmers indulge in "carb loading" before big evens to ensure they have a high supply of ready energy.

[bylromarha]

Just wanted to add my congratulations.

It's always good to achieve a personal goal whether it's losing weight, saving money, paying a longstanding debt or anything else where you can experience success.

And sharing the story encourages others...though whether I'm encouraged enough to actually stop eating so much junk myself is another matter...it all tastes soooooo good.

[PleaseDont]

Beer tins, I don't want to hijack this discussion away from Martin's weight loss blog, but you are repeating a lot of incorrect information. It's not your fault; the mainstream press just parrots what the received wisdom is.

- It's low carb, not no carb. Atkins does not eliminate carbohydrates as a food group.

- Humans developed over hundreds of thousands of years and for much of that time hunted animals, fished, and ate wild fruit and honey when they could find it. Agriculture did not begin until about 8500 BCE. Bread made in 5500 BCE or even 1600 AD did not resemble today's Hovis loaf.

- People on Atkins usually lower their cholesterol, not raise it. Dietary cholesterol has little effect on blood cholesterol, and in any case more recent studies are indicating that coronary disease has far more to do with chronically elevated blood sugar and inflammation than cholesterol levels.

- It's hard to get the right level of nutrients on any current diet, due to soil depletion and modern farming and ranching techniques. I wonder which vitamins and minerals you think are missing in a low-carb diet that are provided in a high-carb modern diet.

- It is perfectly possible to run marathons on Atkins. Thousands of people do.

- As to mainstream nutritional bodies and high profile organizations, you might find this 2002 article by Gary Taubes, What If It's All Been a Big Fat Lie?, interesting.

[shykins]

just wanted to let u all know there is a huge bunch of us doing atkins/lowcarb on the health and beauty board with our own thread, so if u want more info come over and say hello

pleasedont thanks for correcting some of the myths, i have been on atkins for over 4yrs and am not dead (obviously cos i am typing this lol) and have maintained my weight loss and as it was 8 stone i am pretty sure it wasnt just water!!!

x

[shirlgirl2004]

Well done Martin. I could do with losing a stone too I just need to figure out how

[bails]

Well done Martin! If you need help with the maintaining side of things (always the hardest part) feel free to come and join us on the Lose Weight thread (currently No23) Thanks for providing a space where we can all help each other, with money and so many other things besides; you're a legend! x