DDF Weight Watchers

[alpicone]

It also has to do a lot with the quality vs. the quantity.

1,000 calories of processed "foods" is not equal to 1,000 calories of fruits and vegetables.

Diet is very much effected by culture and American culture is heavily  influenced by advertising which promote fad diets and quick and easy processed foods as good healthy alternatives to natural food products.

[Achas Veachas]

It also has to do a lot with the quality vs. the quantity.

1,000 calories of processed "foods" is not equal to 1,000 calories of fruits and vegetables.

Diet is very much effected by culture and American culture is heavily  influenced by advertising which promote fad diets and quick and easy processed foods as good healthy alternatives to natural food products.

+1,000
All calories are not created equal, the 240 calories in 1 avocado are NOT the same as the 240 calories in a 20oz bottle of coke.

[ryg]

In general what has not yet been fully discussed which is nogea to the healthy/unhealthy fat topic - is the calorie counting vs carbohydrate counting.
Research has shown (Atkins etc.) that on a low (really low) carb diet then eating fat does not affect your cholesterol levels. The opposite is true and your levels improve.
I have been a low carb dieter for three years - dropped 75 pounds - back up 25 - down another 10 - and my cholesterol levels are unbelievable. Totally healthy. And this is eating red meat 2-3 times a week, chicken or salmon every day. Mayonnaise, oil, butter - no problem.
In addition low carb dieting stabilizes blood sugar, lowers blood pressure and for diabetics reduces insulin dependency.
In my experience the keys to success are:
1) Force yourself to eat regular meals including breakfast. I flipped my meals and eat a big breakfast to give me energy and a small dinner.
2) Drink water and more water and even more water
3) Make sure to have 2 cups of salty broth/soup every day.
4) Aspartame inhibits weight loss.
5) I haven't done exercise - and I know that it is hurting me long term - it is my next goal.

I think a support thread like this is a great idea - being overweight is a life long battle and is an addiction like any other. Let's channel our addiction into credit cards and miles instead of food (-;

[ilherman]

In general what has not yet been fully discussed which is nogea to the healthy/unhealthy fat topic - is the calorie counting vs carbohydrate counting.
Research has shown (Atkins etc.) that on a low (really low) carb diet then eating fat does not affect your cholesterol levels. The opposite is true and your levels improve.
I have been a low carb dieter for three years - dropped 75 pounds - back up 25 - down another 10 - and my cholesterol levels are unbelievable. Totally healthy. And this is eating red meat 2-3 times a week, chicken or salmon every day. Mayonnaise, oil, butter - no problem.
In addition low carb dieting stabilizes blood sugar, lowers blood pressure and for diabetics reduces insulin dependency.
In my experience the keys to success are:
1) Force yourself to eat regular meals including breakfast. I flipped my meals and eat a big breakfast to give me energy and a small dinner.
2) Drink water and more water and even more water
3) Make sure to have 2 cups of salty broth/soup every day.
4) Aspartame inhibits weight loss.
5) I haven't done exercise - and I know that it is hurting me long term - it is my next goal.

I think a support thread like this is a great idea - being overweight is a life long battle and is an addiction like any other. Let's channel our addiction into credit cards and miles instead of food (-;

Yey.... Finally I start getting some real support.

[KK]

A low carb diet works based on the fact that a person becomes ketotic. Ketone bodies are produced from fatty acids as a fuel for the brain. Normally the brain would use glucose as a fuel, however when a person is on a low-carb diet, glucose becomes rare and fatty acids are used to conserve the glucose for glycolytic tissues (tissues that can only use glucose as a fuel).

However this only works if a person is really on a low carb diet (ie: less than 50 g per day - obviously this will be different from person to person).
So if a person follows a low-carb diet correctly there is nothing wrong with it - it causes calorie restriction - since a person can only eat so much high fat and high protein foods (you become really nauseous if eat too much). If a person is calorie restricted, eating a diet high in saturated fat is not a problem because you can clear the lipid and have a healthy lipid profile.

However, it is extremely difficult to maintain such a low carb intake. The problems start happening when a person lets their carb intake rise slightly. Most people on low carb diets consume more than 50 g of carbs per day - their intake is still low (say under 150 grams a day) but not low enough. (Normal carb intake is 250-300 grams per day)

Once a person is eating more carbs, they are no longer calorie restricted and they no longer have the ketotic effect (since they are getting enough glucose for the brain so the brain doesnt need ketone bodies any longer). If a person keeps up the high fat intake this can cause them to develop an awful lipid profile.

[ryg]

@ kk
100% - you need to restrict your carb intake to less than 50g. However the side benefits of keeping that edge are huge. Once your body is in ketosis then you have energy, clear thought, no "carb crash", "Carb block" falling asleep after eating - none of that.
All dieting is hard - and everyone finds the mehalech which works for them. I found it easier to restrict carb intake while eating 2000 calories of protein a day than restricting calorie intake to 1500.
Atkins works. It really does. Like all diets - there is the potential for "yo-yo-ing" however no more so than with a calorie restricted diet.
The other big maale of ketosis/low carb is that you can actually test your body if it is in ketosis - so you can monitor your potential weight loss without resorting to the scale every two minutes. Psychologically this can be a big motivator.
Happy to answer pm's on this topic.

[ilherman]

A low carb diet works based on the fact that a person becomes ketotic. Ketone bodies are produced from fatty acids as a fuel for the brain. Normally the brain would use glucose as a fuel, however when a person is on a low-carb diet, glucose becomes rare and fatty acids are used to conserve the glucose for glycolytic tissues (tissues that can only use glucose as a fuel).

However this only works if a person is really on a low carb diet (ie: less than 50 g per day - obviously this will be different from person to person).
So if a person follows a low-carb diet correctly there is nothing wrong with it - it causes calorie restriction - since a person can only eat so much high fat and high protein foods (you become really nauseous if eat too much). If a person is calorie restricted, eating a diet high in saturated fat is not a problem because you can clear the lipid and have a healthy lipid profile.

However, it is extremely difficult to maintain such a low carb intake. The problems start happening when a person lets their carb intake rise slightly. Most people on low carb diets consume more than 50 g of carbs per day - their intake is still low (say under 150 grams a day) but not low enough. (Normal carb intake is 250-300 grams per day)

Once a person is eating more carbs, they are no longer calorie restricted and they no longer have the ketotic effect (since they are getting enough glucose for the brain so the brain doesnt need ketone bodies any longer). If a person keeps up the high fat intake this can cause them to develop an awful lipid profile.

You are putting down too many facts...... I have to believe everything is exactly like you explained.....

However, this days I am eating more then 50 carbs a day and my lipid panels are great, and I keep on with my weight bh.

[KK]

You are putting down too many facts...... I have to believe everything is exactly like you explained.....

However, this days I am eating more then 50 carbs a day and my lipid panels are great, and I keep on with my weight bh.

I haven't done the research myself and you have no real reason to trust me. But I have learned nutritional biochemistry from several prominent and reputable researchers/professors in the field.
Hatzlacha with your diet. I dont want to discredit what works for you. If you keep yourself regularly informed on your health status you should be fine.

I just want to point out that there is so much misinformation out there regarding health and nutrition that it is so hard for people to make sense of all the information. Additionally, there are many people that consider themselves nutrition experts and advise others on diets and health, yet have no credentials.
Basically, be careful where you get your information from, use your seichel, and take everything with a grain of salt. And when reading studies that were published in journals make sure they were peer reviewed, check the populations that were studied and check the experimental design - many studies have significant flaws that are ignored by the media.

[ilherman]

I haven't done the research myself and you have no real reason to trust me. But I have learned nutritional biochemistry from several prominent and reputable researchers/professors in the field.
Hatzlacha with your diet. I dont want to discredit what works for you. If you keep yourself regularly informed on your health status you should be fine.

I just want to point out that there is so much misinformation out there regarding health and nutrition that it is so hard for people to make sense of all the information. Additionally, there are many people that consider themselves nutrition experts and advise others on diets and health, yet have no credentials.
Basically, be careful where you get your information from, use your seichel, and take everything with a grain of salt. And when reading studies that were published in journals make sure they were peer reviewed, check the populations that were studied and check the experimental design - many studies have significant flaws that are ignored by the media.

Yes, its sad that all the studies that show that saturated fat is not bad, actually good, were ignored by the media.

[ryg]

100%

There is no question that before you make a drastic change in you eating habits and diet you should go and discuss it with your family doctor and do a set of blood labs as baselines to make sure that you are making healthy choices. Especially if you are going with the low carb option.

[Adlebo]

Just wanted to chime in. I lost 23 lbs in about two months on the "Dukan diet", which is based on Atkins but without the high fat. It's pretty strict with lots of rules but surprisingly not as difficult as I first thought. Anyways, I got another 36 lbs to go...

[george]

Just wanted to chime in. I lost 23 lbs in about two months on the "Dukan diet", which is based on Atkins but without the high fat. It's pretty strict with lots of rules but surprisingly not as difficult as I first thought. Anyways, I got another 36 lbs to go...

Keep it up, good luck!

[Super Speed]

Just wanted to chime in. I lost 23 lbs in about two months on the "Dukan diet", which is based on Atkins but without the high fat. It's pretty strict with lots of rules but surprisingly not as difficult as I first thought. Anyways, I got another 36 lbs to go...

Wow good luck! Are you exercising also?

[Adlebo]

Wow good luck! Are you exercising also?

Dukan advises you to exercise for 30 minutes in the "cruise phase" (which I'm in until reaching goal weight) but unfortunately, no, I'm not really exercising religiously as I should. Although, I plan to!

[Yehoshua]

IMO, there are a few points to losing weight and keeping it off:
1. Exercising (cardio) regularly
2. Eating a balanced diet (not health-nut crazy; balanced)
3. Drinking lots of water
4. Portion control (this means you can eat what you want, just not a ton of it)

If you want the weight to stay off it needs to come off slowly. Diets where  you loose weight too quickly don't seem to work in the long run. It's more about a lifestyle change than losing lots of weight quickly.

[ushdadude]

Just wanted to chime in. I lost 23 lbs in about two months on the "Dukan diet", which is based on Atkins but without the high fat. It's pretty strict with lots of rules but surprisingly not as difficult as I first thought. Anyways, I got another 36 lbs to go...

what do you do about challah on shabbos?

[KK]

It's more about a lifestyle change than losing lots of weight quickly.

+1000
Changing your lifestyle to eat mindfully and healthfully and incorporating exercise in your daily routine is the best path for most people.

[Adlebo]

what do you do about challah on shabbos?

On Shabbos I limit my challah to 1 (or two the most). It's probably best to stick to Matzah instead of challah. It is difficult on Shabbos, especially if you like to drink wine by the meals or whiskey by a kiddush. I bought the "diet grape juice" from Kedem, carb free gefilte from A&B and I use sugar free horseradish. I still gain over shabbos about two to three pounds but I lose it quickly back by Monday after following Dukan. Then I still lose till Friday morning (which I "officially" weigh in) about three pounds more.

[ilherman]

On Shabbos I limit my challah to 1 (or two the most). It's probably best to stick to Matzah instead of challah. It is difficult on Shabbos, especially if you like to drink wine by the meals or whiskey by a kiddush. I bought the "diet grape juice" from Kedem, carb free gefilte from A&B and I use sugar free horseradish. I still gain over shabbos about two to three pounds but I lose it quickly back by Monday after following Dukan. Then I still lose till Friday morning (which I "officially" weigh in) about three pounds more.

Why is wine a problem? (I am talking about dry wine, I was told this haves even less carbs the the Kedem low carc grape juice)

[Adlebo]

Why is wine a problem? (I am talking about dry wine, I was told this haves even less carbs the the Kedem low carc grape juice)

Its not only the sugar in the wine that has calories, but the alcohol. Dry wine is probably better than sweet but I doubt that it has less carbs than the low carb Grape Juice. Anyways, wine is officially not allowed according to Dukan. I'm not sure about Atkins though.