Has Anyone Lost Weight Without Dieting?!

purpleshoes_2

clara75 wrote: »

@Anoneemoose: I lost all the weight I wanted to lose in about 4 months or so - about 10% of my body weight at the time. I have an office job but I do walk to the train station every day, about 15-min each way. And doing yoga 1x week and some light walking during the weekends, so not that active physically.

This is the food 'philosophy' that worked for me - low sugar and carbs, high natural fat. No counting calories, no pills, no extra money for advice, etc.

http://www.dietdoctor.com/lchf

For 4-5 months I tried to cut sugar and starches (bread, pasta, rice etc) completely from my diet, and that's what made all the difference. I am now back to eating carbs but I try to get them from vegetables rather than pastas and bread. I will have rice and bread once in a while, but not daily, as I used to before. I try to stay low sugar and get it mostly from fruit and honey, if needed. I don't drink any juices or fizzy drinks, coffee, water, and tea does it for me. And I drink wine, not beer.

Below is a very good summary:


Eat all you like

Meat: Any type, including beef, pork, game meat, chicken, etc. Feel free to eat the fat on the meat as well as the skin on the chicken. If possible try to choose organic or grass fed meat.

Fish and Shellfish: All kinds: Fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel or herring are great. Avoid breading.

Eggs: All kinds: Boiled, fried, omelettes, etc. Preferably choose organic eggs.

Natural Fat, High-Fat Sauces: Using butter and cream when you cook can make your food taste better and make you feel more satiated. Try a Bearnaise or Hollandaise sauce, check the ingredients or make it yourself. Coconut oil and olive oil are also good options.

Vegetables that Grow Above Ground: All kinds of cabbage, such as cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage and Brussels sprouts. Asparagus, zucchini, eggplant, olives, spinach, mushrooms, cucumber, lettuce, avocado, onions, peppers, tomatoes etc.

Dairy products: Always select full-fat options like real butter, cream (40% fat), sour cream, Greek/Turkish yogurt and high-fat cheeses. Be careful with regular milk and skim milk as they contain a lot of milk sugar. Avoid flavored, sugary and low-fat products.

Nuts: Good to eat instead of candy in front of the television (preferably in moderation).

Berries: Okay in moderation, if you are not a super strict or sensitive. Good with whipped cream.

Basic tip for beginners: Maximum 5 grams of carbohydrate (excluding fiber) per 100 grams of food


Avoid if you can

Sugar: The worst. Soft drinks, candy, juice, sports drinks, chocolate, cakes, buns, pastries, ice cream, breakfast cereals. Preferably avoid sweeteners as well.

Starch: Bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, French fries, potato chips, porridge, muesli and so on. “Wholegrain products” are just less bad. Moderate amounts of root vegetables may be OK (unless you’re eating extremely low carb).

Margarine: Industrially imitated butter with unnaturally high content of omega-6 fat. Has no health benefits, tastes bad. Statistically linked to asthma, allergies and other inflammatory diseases.
Beer: Liquid bread. Full of rapidly absorbed carbs, unfortunately.

Fruit: Very sweet, lots of sugar. Eat once in a while. Treat fruit as a natural form of candy.

Once in a while

You decide when the time is right. Your weight loss may slow down a bit.

Alcohol: Dry wine (regular red or dry white wine), whisky, brandy, vodka and cocktails without sugar.
Dark chocolate: Above 70 % cocoa, preferably just a bit.

Drink most days

Water
Coffee: Try it with full-fat cream
Tea

Sounds very like Paleo, although Im on a diet similar to Paleo just now and we've been told porridge is ok to have.

Also, some fruits are very good post exercise such as pineapple and kiwi fruit, they assist in lowering levels of cortisol in the body and help with fat burning as a result.

Anita75

I couldn't possibly advise based on your medical situation, I know someone with FM who struggled with weight loss because of the ups and downs.
I and she, both came up with carefully planned and a little strict food plans that involved pre-planned snacks during the day between meals, such as a banana in the morning and an apple in the afternoon.
We also used good food recipes healthy eating and 5 a day sections as they have some simple to make bulk foods that are really nice.
By planning my meals and not eating after 8, I've found that I've been able to lose little bits of weight here and there. I try to go for a thirty minute walk at some point each day, not including my usual walking and I think thats helped too.

Hope that might be of some help!

squirrelchops

OP it sounds like you have issues with emotional eating rather than just choosing to eat foods that perhaps arent good for you.

The examples you have given such as binging on the christmas cake is a prime example.

As an emotional eater myself I recognise the patterns you are describing. This can be incredibly hard to address but is doable.

Anoneemoose

squirrelchops wrote: »

OP it sounds like you have issues with emotional eating rather than just choosing to eat foods that perhaps arent good for you.

The examples you have given such as binging on the christmas cake is a prime example.

As an emotional eater myself I recognise the patterns you are describing. This can be incredibly hard to address but is doable.

Oh yes, I definitely do! Sometimes, when my OCD rears its ugly head, I eat to try and block out the anxiety and horrible thoughts. I have also binged a few times in the past. My doc says there's nothing they can do to help.

I am having some help with my OCD at the moment and my therapist is going to go over my self esteem issues which might address this.

Can I ask how you have tackled this?