[Montignac] Is there anyone who is following the Montignac diet?

[Marfiah]

Hi! I am about to clean my refrig out and do some 'good food' shopping, so that I can begin my eathing healthier plan tomorrow, first thing! I have been living in The Netherlands for the past 17 years and have followed the Montignac Diet several times with much success. I've now been in Florida for less than a year and I'm putting on weight, due to the combination of lack of exercise (In Holland, we bike and walk everywhere!), and the temptations of unhealthy foods here in The States. So, if there's anyone who is on any type of Mediterranean diet (Somersizing, combination diets), please let me know! I'll need the support!
Thanks!

[razzle]

hi Marfiah, and welcome to the board!

I'm not following either Montignac or Sommers, but various people here are...one way to find them is to try a search (little globe icon in upper right hand of your screen) of the journals for "montignac" and see if anyone's journal pops up!

I guess in Florida, it'd be most comfortable to do one's outdoor exercise very early, eh? Or take up swimming!

[02BSlim]

Hello

Good luck on your diet. I have just started the Montignac plan as well. I have about 18kgs (40lbs) to lose. I live in Richmond, London. I am no expert on the plan, but I thought you might like to correspond with someone who is starting at the same time. Living in Richmond upon Thames I walk a lot. I used to go to Amsterdam and Leiden a lot on business, so I know what you mean about walking. I think it is a European thing, and when I lived in the US (Boca Raton and New Orleans) people used their cars for even the shortest journeys, so I know your difficulty. I also lived in NZ and people walk there too.

I am happy to share any recipes I concoct and would welcome your tips and recipes as well.

One of my problems is that I eat even when I am not hungry, but I am bored or stressed, especially in the evening. I don't eat bad things, but my body doesn't need it and hence I am becoming chubbier and chubbier. I am 5'2" and weigh 148lbs.

[jan9]

I have been on Scwarzbein for 5 months. and haven't lost anything and I am also 5ft. 2in. and 137lbs. not gaining. nor losing. Could you please tell me the guide lines of this the Montignac diet is.

[02BSlim]

This diet was devised by a Frenchman, Michel Montignac and is based on eating foods which have a low glycemic index (under 50). He has written several books and the one I am following is called Eat yourself slim...and stay slim!

It is a low carbohydrate diet, eliminating sugars, but differs from the Atkin diets in that less fat such as butter and cream is allowed. You can eat a wide range of fruit and vegetables. It is similar to the Sugar Busters diet, but again differs in key areas.

However the food range is wide and the diet is relatively easy to follow at home or dining out.

You really need to read the book to understand it, but you can consult some good glycemic indices on the web. If you do a search on Michel Montignac you will come up with his web site which gives more information on the regime.

Hope this helps. :wave:

[jan9]

I was just looking up the book to purchase and he has another one called The Montignac Method just for Women. Has any one read this book and if so is it better or the same then his other book because it's $40. 00. But since I am 50 the diet might be different. I hate buying another book I have so many already. I tried getting it at the library but they didn't have it.

So any help I can get to start would be helpful. I also went to the web site and that helped a little. I tried to subscribe but the page wouldn't come up.

I just would like to know a typical days menu. I understand you shouldn't go over 35 grams of carbs at any meal.

Thanks

[02BSlim]

Hello Jan

I looked at several of the Michel Montignac books before I started the plan including: Dine out and lose weight (the first of his books), The Montignac Method - Just for women, Recipes & Menus and Eat yourself slim...and stay slim!. I think the last book is the best. It cost £12 (about US$18) in the UK (no tax on books here). The Just for Women book was the same price, but contained a lot less information.

Banned foods include: Sugar, potatoes, beetroot (beets?) cooked carrots, rice, turnips, parsnip, pumpkin, swede (rudabaga?) gnocchi, sweet corn, millet, pastas, noodles or macaronis, ravioli, lasagne, maltodextrine, aspartame, processed mayonnaise, tomato ketchup, puff pastry, quiches, pancakes, souffles, blinds, toasts, croutons, pizzas, doughnuts, cheese fondue, filter or instant coffee, sodas and diet sodas, bananas, melon, popcorn, industrial orange juice, chestnut, cystallised fruit, tinned (canned) fruit salad, all bread except wholemeal organic bread (feed labels carefully), honey, maple syrup, all buns, cakes, cookies.

I've tried to put the American names for foods alongside those used in Europe/Australasia, but if I have them wrong, my apologies.

My typical day's menu would be:

Breakfast: Large oat porridge (oatmeal) made on the stove with skim milk. No added sweetener except four organic dried apricots which I had chopped small and soaked overnight. Three cups of weak black tea, but water is probably better, but the English couldn't live without their tea! This doesn't differ much from my normal breakfast. You could instead have a peach (eat any fruit at least 30 mins before other food) a slice of wholemeal bread, sugar free jam (jelly) made without sugar, sweetener or grape juice (fructose is okay), weak tea or if you can't live without it, decaffeinated coffee with skim milk.

Lunch: any vegetable except the ones mentioned above, lentils, quinoa (a bit like rice when cooked) any fish or shell fish, eggs, meat (there are some banned meats such as sausages), poultry. Avoid the skin of poultry, fatty cuts of meat and breaded or battered fish are banned. I am having tomatoes, cos (romaine) lettuce, red capsicum (bell pepper) and drained tuna for lunch with some leftover quinoa, to which I will probably add some lemon juice, balsamic vinegar or soy sauce to pep up the flavour

Dinner: use the guidelines for lunch, but lunch is typically a larger meal (not always in my case). Tonight I plan to start with a tomato and basil salad, then have a good sized salmon fillet (cooked in tinfoil (aluminium) in the oven seasoned with coriander (cilantro), black pepper and a slice of lemon. With it I will have courgette (zucchini), new season's asparagus with almonds and a green lentil sludge which tastes better than it looks. I will cook the lentils up with some flavourings and probably add some finely chopped chillis and spring onion (scallions). Green lentils have a low glycemic index. I also have a little bit of leftover tomato from last night which I might have as well. I sweated an onion in the pot with a smigden of olive oil, then added a tin of tomatoes, then some sliced capsicum and button mushrooms. I might also have a small glass of wine (allowed). It sounds a lot but I won't eat a huge amount, however I try not to eat after dinner in the evening and this should keep me going until breakfast. Immediately after dinner I brush my teeth. I also drink water or boiling water with a bit of lemon squeezed in during the evening, but not with my meal. In Europe we typically eat our evening meal later than in the US. Normally I wouldn't eat before 8:30pm, but now I am trying to eat by 7:00pm (five hours before bedtime).

If I get peckish during the day I might have some fruit and or nuts, but remember not to eat the fruit at the same as anything else. You don't eat as much fat as the Atkins diets, and the method of cooking affects the glycemic index of some foods.

I'd also advise you to check glycemic indices on the web. There is a very good Australian one, and I will send you a link if I can find it.

I hope this helps. By the way, the diet is easy to follow, It is popular in Europe and also in the French speaking parts of Canada and Australasia. Famous devotees of Montignac include Kylie Minogue. Why don't you go to your local bookshop and flick through Montignac's books to see if they suit you before purchasing. :wave:

[jan9]

Thank you OB2Slim for answering alot of questions. What is the rule for fat, I noticed you said a smidgion of fat. Is there any rules for combining certain foods together?

This way of eating seems very restrictive compared to the Schwarbein Principle and Somersizing. I happen to like cheese where would that fit in?

I also tried to get the book at our local book store but there supplier didn't have it. So I might go online to Amazon and get it.

One last question is a carbohydrate indix the same as the glygemic count?

Thanks Again,
Jan9

[02BSlim]

You can eat cheese at any time, including soft cheeses such as brie and camembert, but in moderation. Try and stick to cheeses that are not overly processed. I know from living in the US for a few years, American cheese typically is very highly processed, almost orange in colour and has doesn't seem to have much flavour. Europeans tend to eat cheeses from specific regions, each with their own distinctive flavour and generally very light in colour as no artifical additives are allowed by our strict European Community regulations. NZ cheeses are also very good, which you might find in the US.

Eating more strongly flavoured cheeses will be more satisfying and you will likely eat less. Part of the Montignac philosophy is to eat food which has little or no processing, because processing raises the glycaemic index. Zero fat, soft white cheese (cottage cheese, etc) low in carbohydrates (approx 5%) is recommended, providing it has been well strained to remove the whey which contains lactose (disaccharide/sugar). Creamy white cheeses that have been homogenised by an industrial process (cream cheese) are best avoided.

I have eaten stilton, gorgonzola, strong matured cheddar, red leicester, cantal and tomme. I might have several different cheeses at the end of a meal, but on their own. Don't combine them with crackers, bread, fruit, etc.

As for fat, yes you can have cold pressed olive oil, plus a couple of others, but I forget which. Again think about minimal processing in extracting the oil. Cut the fat off meats and don't eat the skin on poultry and don't eat anything deep fried. Fish oils found in mackerel, salmon, etc are particularly recommended.

You can also eat nuts which contain fat. In fact peanuts have a GI of only 20. You shouldn't overdo the nuts though, I think I might have been doing that and it will slow down weight loss.

I also have the no or low fat versions of yoghurt. I buy the plain unsweetened yoghurt and sweeten it myself with soaked, finely chopped dried apricots, ripe cherries, etc.

Fructose is allowed, and apparently there is a sweetener called stevia is okay. The book says the best one comes from Paraguay. Oddly enough I haven't needed to sweeten anything apart from using fruit. Before I started the diet I would crave sweet things, particularly chocolate and I could eat 200gm at one sitting. I could also eat a whole packet of chocolate biscuits (cookies). A little chocolate is allowed, it must contain not less then 70% cocoa, but dark, strong chocolate like that is my favourite, however I haven't even been tempted.

Meals should be either:

A carbohydrate/protein mix with no saturated fats and little poly or mono unsaturated fats. Carbohydrates must have a glycaemic index below 50.
Or, a protein/lipid mix (lipids are fats). This means meat together with fat, but minimal fat. Carbohydrates with a very low glycaemic rate such as green lentils, chick peas mushrooms, tomatoes, aubergines (egg plant), capsicums (red bell peppers), salad and green vegetables are allowed with this mix.

I don't know whether the glycaemic (US spelling glycemic) index is the same as a carbohydrate count. It does signify the amount of carbohydrate but the GI can change depending on the way something is processed or cooked.

I don't find the diet restrictive. There are 2 Phases. The first is to lose the weight, and the second is much more relaxed to maintain the new weight. I am two weeks into Phase I, and because the food is satisfying I didn't weaken over Easter and feel really well. I like to cook and have never eaten a lot of ready-made, processed or takeaways (hamburgers, pizzas, etc) so it might be easier for me. I am almost enjoying it, because I am cooking things I never had before and some them are really tasty. For instance green lentils. Yesterday I soaked some then cooked them up, then pureed them with lots of fresh mint, chives, juice of half a lemon, fresh black pepper and salt. We ate it hot alongside skinned chicken breast sprinkled with cajun seasoning before cooking in tinfoil in the oven, lightly steamed petit pois (tiny fresh peas) and fresh vine tomatoes and the lentil mix was really outstanding and everyone wanted more.

I meant to say last time that I think the Montignac plan is suited for people of all ages. I know you asked me last time. It is a plan for life and is well balanced, but like normal eating, you must design your meals to ensure you get a balanced diet containing sufficient vitamins, minerals, protein, fruit/veg, etc.

Hope this helps. Good luck. It would be great if you started the diet, then we could compare notes. Converting from centimetres and kilos to Imperial measurements, I am 5'2" and want to get back down to 110, and have 35 pounds to lose. I'm in my early forties and have never been this heavy before. I have had success with weightwatchers in the past, but the Montignac approach appeals because it is not necessary to count calories or units.

[02BSlim]

Here's a good site to look at a range of foods.http://www.glycemicindex.com/
If you find a more comprehensive one, please let me know.

:wave:

[skiwi_nz]

I read "Eat and Stay Slim" end of last August and immedately followed the diet and lost 25lb. by Christmas. I was never a big sweet eater and never used to eat fat. Now I eat fat (butter on 12 grain toast for breakfast ) and sour cream gravies. Also enjoy eating cheese. My problem is I would like to loose another 10lb, any suggestions as to how to drop those final lbs?

[jan9]

Hi O2BSLIM,

Thank you for all your help!

I think I understand the diet pretty well and I have a book called The Glucose Revalution which I will read again it should help me with the glycemic index.

You mentioned not to eat friut with anything but I noticed you put dried friut in your yoghurt. I eat alot of yoghurt and I like to put frozen strawberries and yoghurt in a blender it tastes like ice cream. ( I guess that would be a no no!)

Next what do you mean by Whole meal bread. I make my own bread and use whole wheat and oatmeal plus some grain cereal would that be okay?

I am a little confused about the protien/fat. Does that mean if you cook with or have oil on your salad that would be a protien/fat? Would cheese be considered a fat in this case, if so how long would you have to wait to eat the cheese?

I think that is all I am confused about. I am going to try your lentil dish that sounds really good.

Thanks Again,I think I am going to give this a try it might not work because I think I might have a problem with my thyroid. I am checking my basal temperature for a month to see if it's a problem. I am 5ft. 2 and I would like to get down at least 10lbs. more would be great.

Jan9

[02BSlim]

There are some exceptions to the "no fruit with meals" recommendation. By the way, Montignac says "Ideally, fresh fruit should be eaten on an empty stomach. This advice has nothing to do with helping us lose weight, but rather to help ease our digestion." He goes on about the way it digests and ferments in our stomachs, etc and advises eating fruit on an empty stomach to stop digestion and wind problems.

The exceptions are low sugar fruit which can be eaten with/after other foods, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, redcurrants, bilberries. I am sure that logan berries, boysenberries, black and white currants are also allowed.

You should be okay with your yoghurt and strawberries. That sounds great, do you freeze it, and do you add anything else because I might try making that. I presume you use fresh strawberries, or do you use frozen fruit to make it like ice cream? We can buy a frozen mix here called summer fruit (used to make summer pudding, a really popular and yummy dessert) which contains strawberries, blackberries, raspberries and currants which might work too.

Cooked fruits can be eaten too, because being cooked they will be unable to ferment in the stomach. I chop three or four dried apricot halves into a small pieces, pour on boiling water, sometimes give them a minute in the microwave, and then put them in the fridge overnight. They are lovely and plump and tasty in the morning and make the porridge really nice. I must admit that because I love oranges, I often eat an orange soon after a meal and have suffered no ill effects.

About the bread issue, I have been avoiding bread so you will need to read the book on this. Certain grains are allowed, and he talks about the lower GI of unrefined organic flour, less processing, etc. I know rye is okay because ryvita crackers are allowed. Pumpernickel is also allowed, as are oats so oat flour should be okay. You can also get quinoa and soy milled into flour, both of which are allowed. Even so, I think in Phase I bread should only be eaten at breakfast, and then only one slice. I think I would find home baked bread too tempting and would eat too much. Also no butter in Phase I. Margarine, even that made from olive oil, is not recommended because of the processing, but you can have soft white cheese.

The book is 230 pages and packed with detail, some of which I can't recall. That's why you probably need the book to follow the plan. Certainly you can use some oil when cooking, because he does in the recipes supplied in the book, but it don't go overboard with it. I've stuck with olive oil because I already use it. He also suggest others, but I forget which ones they are and I can't find it in the book just now as oils/fats appear in so many places according to the index.

I feel really well and full of energy on this diet. I also take a multi-vitamin and a kelp tablet every day, something I did before starting on the Montignac plan. Kelp is supposed to stop the metabolism becoming sluggish. You don't have much to lose, but I think you find the benefit of the plan not only in Phase I, but in Phase II where you need to maintain your weight at your ideal level. :wave:

[02BSlim]

http://www.boverwey.cistron.nl/~boverwey/montignac/

[02BSlim]

Congratulations on losing 25lbs. You are more advanced than me on Montignac, but it sounds as if you are stuck on the final 10lbs. Do you eat many nuts or high fat content foods? From reading other Montignac postings on the web, they advise on Phase I to reduce the fat intake if you stall. I guess the other thing would be check the amount water you are drinking and how much exercise you are taking. I put a link to a web site up that I thought you might find useful, but I forgot to write my message.

Looking at you screen name, I wondered if you are originally from NZ. I lived there for many years (mainly Takapuna on Auckland's north shore), and now live in London. I was back in NZ in February, and it was as good as ever.
:wave:

[skiwi_nz]

Thanks for your reply. I do eat nuts (for snacks) and fat - which I never did for years. I will cut back and see waht happens. I do drink alot of water, but have even cut back on that as it tends to bloat me. I exercise regularly, last summer I swam, then in the fall started walking, which I will start again as soon as the weather warms up. During the winter I do a work out at home, alot of sit ups, and work with weights. As a client leant me the 'Eat and Stay Slim' book, I don't have it for a reference. Thanks for replying and we'll see what happens.

Yes I am a Kiwi, been in Canada many. many years now. I lived in London, England ( we have a London, Ontario, where I also lived) before coming to Canada. Was back in NZ in 1999, my husband's first trip, he just lo :) ved there, especially as it was the middle of winter and he could play golf!!

[jan9]

Hi O2BSlim,

In answering your question about the strawberries and yoghurt. I use the frozen ones and put them in the food processor chop them up and add a little yoghurt and some Splenda ( sugar sub.) if the berries aren't sweet enough and a touch of lemon. It tastes like ice cream.

I have been doing alot of comparing diets and I think that Somersizing is about the same as Montignac except a few things are different. One is she insists that you eat nothing with your friut, no nuts, and you cannot mix any protien with carbs. except beans. Also you eat protiens with fat. And you can have pasta if it is whole wheat or articoke just not white or semolina flour also brown rice is allowed. But other wise it seems close to what you are doing. Also no sugar or frutose.

The web site you just sent doesn't seem to have much good to say about Montignac. but it does tell alot about the diet, thanks for sending it.

Keep in touch hope you do well!
Jan9

[Smultron]

Great to find a board for this. I started Montignac in October, but skipped the first stage entirely. I felt like I needed to start thinking about what I was eating and I knew my cravings always lead me to baked potatos and bread. I have always suffered from extreme mood swings and I've noticed a big difference in this area.

I didn't entend to lose weight, but 5 pounds later, I'm happy and healthy. And the best part is that it is so easy I don't think about it. My husband jokes that it is my "lifestyle" and it is. I've never thought of it as a diet and plan to continue following it forever.

I can't answer any questions about Phase 1, but if you guys want to know about more longterm continuing the method, I could answer some questions.

Smultron :wave:

[Bloom]

02BSlim and skiwi_nz Ive been reading this thread with great interest and all I wanted to add is a high from New Zealand :wave:
I grew up in Devonport on the north shore. I now live on a farm on the kaipara harbour.

[02BSlim]

I've just lost my tenth pound (quarter of the way there now!). I feel great and am not tempted to go off the rails.

A big hello to everyone, especially the fellow NZ'ers who are struggling with their weight, wherever they may be now. I was in NZ in February and the pakeha population there mainly seemed a very slim, fit lot. I know that polynesians are prone to carrying more weight; possibly it is genetic or perhaps partly lifestyle.

I am lucky because it is Spring in the UK and I live in an area where there are lots of wonderful places to walk -- along the Thames, Richmond Park, Kew Gardens, etc, so there is really no excuse for me if the kilos do not drop off over the next few months.

Good luck from one of the shrinking Kiwis.

[Awal]

So glad to find fellow followers of Montignac. I've been following the diet for a few weeks now, but have several questions. And I do have the first of the Montignac books, Dine Out and Lost Weight. But there seem to be a number of contradictions as well as ambiguous areas. :confused: And I've read the book cover to cover - more than once.

I would love answers to the following:

1. First, in Dine Out and Lost Weight, fructose is on the "no-no" list. But I've read on this site that it is in fact allowed. If it is allowed, in what amount and are there rules as to what it should and should not be mixed with?

2. Dried fruit. Do the same rules apply as with regular fruit? Again, in Dine Out, dried fruit appears on the banned list on one page, and a bit further in the book, is listed on the good carbs list. Very confusing!

3. How much fat (olive oil) is OK? I used about four tablespoons of olive oil to stir fry some veggies in the wok (then added shrimp - very good!). I am accustomed to using no fat at all and am very nervous about using any kind. So, my question: are there any fast guidelines?

4. Is it allowed to mix legumes with fat (not lard, but chicken, cheese, etc.)?

Thanks in advance! I do have a lot more questions, but they'll follow soon!

[02BSlim]

In his book" Eat yourself slim...and stay slim!" the diet is in two phases. Phase I is for the first three months, and phase II is lifetime maintenance.

As far as I can see some dried fruit is allowed in both phases. These are dried apricots (GI 35), prunes but not raisins. I'm not sure about other dried fruits, but I would know banana chips would be out.

Fructose is allowed as it has a GI of 20, but don't eat too much.

Olive oil is also allowed but be careful of having too much. 4 tablespoons sounds quite a lot for one person at one meal.

I agree that his books are confusing, and I am sure the diet would be alot more popular if he did not contradict himself and gave a comprehensive and clear GI guide. Basically try and keep the GI of everything to under 50. On phase II you can have some higher GI foods, but try and eat very low GI foods first to balance them out. According to Montignac you need to eat low GI foods first to keep the blood sugar level stable.

There are some really good glycaemic/glycemic indices out on the web so if I was you I would use one of those as Montignac's is not much help.

Good luck
Juliette :wave:

[Awal]

Hi Juliette,

Thank you for the answers and tips. It was all very helpful. It would be fantastic if we could share menu ideas as they do on other areas of this forum. I have a hunch now that I may be eating too much cheese, based on comments I've read here. I had a completely different impression from the book. Anyway, giving up the potatoes, white rice, pasta, etc., isn't so difficult. But avoiding trace sugars and refined flour, starch, etc. in foods certainly isn't easy. Especially when eating out.

Another unrelated comment: I read in your journal a Montignac book review someone had posted. It seemed so little food was mentioned! I don't think I eat too terribly much, but I must admit that it is near impossible for me to eat three meals a day without even a tiny snack in between.

One last note: I didn't realise all artificial sweeteners were frowned upon by M. I thought there were exceptions. Am I completely wrong?

Thanks again,

Awal

[02BSlim]

You are right, he doesn't allow artificial sweeteners because apparently most still raise the GI. He is also anti anything artificial or heavily processed. I have to admit to having some diet jelly (jello) which is artificially sweetened, because I love jelly and it contains only about 8 cals per serving and it doesn't contain much artificial sweetener per portion.

I used to eat popcorn, home popped and unbuttered or sweetened, but of course that is an absolute no-no on Montignac.

I'm eating really well. I have porridge (jumbo oatmeal) in the morning made with skim milk. I make it in a saucepan on the top of the stove and takes about 5 minutes. I soak some finely chopped dried fruit (apricots, peaches, prunes, apple) in hot water and then put into the fridge and use a tablespoon of that each day to sweeten and flavour the porridge. The good thing about it is that I am not hungry until lunchtime.

If I do get hungry between meals I eat an apple or an orange or something like that, but as I am drinking more water I don't get as hungry. I also drink tea during the day, which I have also drunk without milk or sugar. I ocasionally have coffee, (espresso) but I try to have no instant coffee as he doesn't allow it unless it is decaffinated.

I am having friends around for dinner tonight. We will have olives and raw almonds for nibbles. A small rocket salad with some smoked salmon as a starter, roast lamb done studded with rosemary and garlic, (potato slices cooked underneath the lamb on the roasting rack for those not on Montignac), cherry tomatoes oven roasted with rosemary, a little rock salt, pepper and drizzle of olive oil, and fresh green beans. I will also be drinking wine and probably have a coffee afterwards.

No pudding, but will have cheeses which I will eat with a knife and fork and leave the cheese biscuits and bread to others. Normally we only have one course at home, but we do cook rather than rely on ready-made or convenience foods. We eat a lot of fish which is highly recommended on Montignac.

I will send you some basic meal ideas over the next few days as I am in a bit of a rush today.

I am definitely losing some weight with Montignac and can also see the difference which is fantastic. It is not a quick fix plan, but more about educated eating choices.

[Awal]

Hi,

Thanks for the additional info. It sounds as if you think very similarly to the way I think. Starting Montignac hasn't been difficult for me either. I have long believed in the benefits of eating unprocessed foods. Where the question of the artificial sweetener came in was in regard to fresh strawberry jam, which I love! (OK. So there were a few other items as well, sugar free ice-cream and yoghurt, which I can't get here in Oslo, but are available in the states, etc.)

Another question that comes to mind is in regard to beans. Do you eat them with fats? I love homemade hummus, but was curious whether it is allowed with grilled chicken.

I do love fish as well - one of my favourites at the moment is Escolar, which I grill in my heavy "grill pan".

Oh! Another questionable item: coconut milk. I was in the habit before of making Thai soup with low-fat coconut milk. But I couldn't find the GI and felt it could in fact be a "poor choice" item. Do you know?

[02BSlim]

I don't think coconut is a good choice because it is very high in fat, however I also love Thai food and sometimes make Tom Yum and Tom Ka Kai. I use a little bit of the pastes available from my local Thai supermarket, but because I use so much water and add lots of vegetables, e.g. chopped green beans, peas, celery, a bit of onion, capsicum, a chilli and fresh coriander (by the way sweetcorn is not allowed), shrimp and some al dente egg noodles I think it probably balances it out. Adding those vegetables makes it less authentic but it fills me up and I would eat each of these soups at least once a week for dinner.

By the way cooked carrots are not allowed, but raw carrots are okay. Cook your noodles al dente and add them again just as you serve the soup. Noodles like spaghetti, etc have a higher GI the longer you cook them. Montignac advocates unrefined organic flour pasta products, but they are still not a very low GI food. I put a much smaller amount of noodles in the soup than I would have in the past, but it is just as good and I don't miss the extra noodles.

About icecream, he says you can eat low fat alginate(spelling?) icecream occasionally in phase II, but I haven't seen that in our supermarkets. I think it probably better to steer away from icecream completely during Phase I and indulge yourself occasionally with the real thing in Phase II after your have eaten some very low GI food first.

Here's a recipe from Montignac's book as I can't find anything about Houmus in the index.

Chick Pea Puree - serves 4

400g chick peas
soya cream (no quanitity given)
1 onion
1 tbsp chopped fresh coriander
3 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper

Soak the chick peas overnight. peel and chop the onion. Put hte onion and drained chick peas in salty water and cook for 2 hours.

Drain and transfer to a blender. Blend, adding olive oil and cream of soya graudally. Sprinkle in chopped coriander. Grind in some salt and black pepper to taste. Serve hot. This makes agood accompaniment to a spicy dish.

I'll put another recipe on a separate posting.
Juliette

[02BSlim]

This is what he says before the recipe part of the book. There are only about 20 recipes in the book, you are encouraged to use them as a guideline to create your own.

Eliminate all carbohydrates with a high glycaemic index, partiuclarly sugar (sugar or saccharose), white flour, potatoes, cooked carrots, modern maize or sweetcorn, white rice (except Basmati), noodles, macaroni, ravioli, etc. He contradicts the bit about noodles, macaroni in another part of the book, saying choose ones that are organic, use unrefined flour and cook until just tender for a lower GI

Try to include carbohydrates that have good nutritional qualities and will help weight loss, uch as lentils, dried beans, chick peas, peas, green vegetables (lettuce, broccoli, cabbage, french beans, spinach aubergine, capsicums, tomatoes, courgettes), unrefined cereals, fruit.

Use good fats - olive oil, goose fat, duck fat, sunflower oil, walnut oil, rapeseed oil.

Eliminate bad fats - cooked butter (including clarified butter), palm oil, lard, margarine.

If possible, choose to eat fish rather than meat (chicken meat without its skin, however is fine).

Avoid cooking at high temperatures, particularly deep fat frying.

[Karen]

Oh! Another questionable item: coconut milk. I was in the habit before of making Thai soup with low-fat coconut milk. But I couldn't find the GI and felt it could in fact be a "poor choice" item. Do you know?

I did a Google search by typing in coconut milk glycemic index and came up with this:

Diabetes Update (http://www.mendosa.com/diabetes_update_34.htm)

Coconuts "Recently, several people have asked me about the glycemic index of coconut. I had no idea what the GI of coconut was until I looked into it.

Remember, the GI measures how fast the available carbohydrates in the food raise blood sugar. By available carbohydrates I mean (as explained on my GI page) the total carbohydrates minus the fiber. That's because while we count fiber as carbohydrates (in this country), they have no effect on blood sugar.

So, look at the composition of coconut and coconut milk at http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/cgi-bin/nut_search.pl :

It finds 32 types. For example, 100 grams of Nuts, coconut meat, raw is mostly fat—33 grams. It has a bit of protein, 3 grams, and only 6 grams of available carbohydrate (carbohydrate minus fiber).

Similarly, with 100 grams of Nuts, coconut milk, raw (liquid expressed from grated meat and water). It has 24 grams of fat, 2 grams of protein, and 3 grams of carbohydrate.

These numbers would put coconut and coconut milk within the range of those products that are not feasible to test—since they have to test 50 grams of available carbohydrate. That would mean, for example, that the test subjects would have to drink 3333 grams of the stuff, which is too much to ask of anyone!

All the fat in the coconut will also slow down any blood sugar rise that the carbohydrates might provide. Therefore, I would have to conclude that the GI of coconut and coconut milk has to be quite low."

Karen

[02BSlim]

Fructose is allowed, and apparently there is a sweetener called stevia is okay. The book says the best one comes from Paraguay.
Meals should be either:

A carbohydrate/protein mix with no saturated fats and little poly or mono unsaturated fats. Carbohydrates must have a glycaemic index below 50.
Or, a protein/lipid mix (lipids are fats). This means meat together with fat, but minimal fat. Carbohydrates with a very low glycaemic rate such as green lentils, chick peas mushrooms, tomatoes, aubergines (egg plant), capsicums (peppers), salad and green vegetables are allowed with this mix.

Here's another recipe from his book:

Spaghetti with sweet and sour aubergine and tomato sauce - serves 4

400gm spaghetti (try to get organic, unrefined, wholemeal)
2 aubergines
200gm tomatoes
1 onion
4 tbsp olive oil
1 bouquet garni
2 tbsp chopped basil
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
salt, pepper and cayenne

Cover the tomatoes iwth boiling water for 30 seconds. Drain peel, remove seeds and dice. I'd probably use a tin of tomatoes for speed. Wash and dice the aubergines. He doesn't say anything about salting, standing and then rinsing the aubergines to get rid of the bitterness, but I would advocate this..

In a pan, sweat the onion in a little olive oil. Add the tomatoes. Cook for 15 minutes with bouquet garni, chopped basil, salt, pepper and cayenne. Add the balsamic vinegar at the end of the cooking.

In another pan, saute the aubergine in olive oil. Seaon. Allow to cook for 6 or 7 minutes then stir into the tomato sauce.

Cook the paste until al dente and drain.

Remove the bouquet garnie from the sauce. Add the sauce to the spaghetti, mix and season to taste.

Enjoy! :wave:

[02BSlim]

You can have your strawberry jam, providing you choose or make the right kind.

Here's what he says about jam:

"You should not have traditional jam as it contains about 65% sugar. Instead I would suggest a sugar-free jam; one that contains neither sugar nor juices like grape juice, which contain the sugar dextrose.

Sugar-free jam can be made with fructose, or the juice of apples and pears, which is even better. Finally, the more fruit pulp reduced to aj elly there happens to be in a pot, the better. These jams have a low glycaemic index, are delcious and make an ideal accompaniment to good bread."

Also, here's the GI details of "good icecream"

Icecream made with alginates - carbohydrate concentration 25g, Glycaemic Index 35. Good luck with finding it!

Juliette :p

[Awal]

Thanks, Juliette and Karen, for all of the information.

I do have more questions, though! I have noticed that you (Juliette) are quite careful with fat, even olive oil. You also mentioned that you eat primarily fish, with the exception of skinless chicken breasts. The information which you've quoted from the latest Montignac book is much more detailed than that provided in Eat Out and Lose Weight. MUCH more detailed. Also, it seems quite different. Rules on meat consumption, to my understanding, are much more liberal in Eat Out. The focus in this book is mainly concentrated on "bad carbs", namely refined flours, sugar, potatoes, cooked carrots, etc.

And also, your reason for placing low-fat coconut milk on the bad list was high fat content. Does Montignac now advocate a more conservative approach to fat consumption, even when the carbs are minimal? This would eliminate a number of other foods I originally thought were permissible, such as homemade peanut butter.

On another note, have you considered subscribing to the Montignac program advertised on his international web site? I tried registering several times, but had technical problems with access. I do also plan to buy the books to which you keep referring, however, I couldn't find English versions here in Norway. And even though I am fluent, I would prefer the North American edition.

OK. I suppose that's all for today. However I am in a quandary now over the coconut milk issue after reading two conflicting posts! I suppose I'll simply have to decide what works for me. I must say though that I am enjoying eating meat again. And I notice a huge difference in how long I remain full after meals.

Thanks for all the tips!

[02BSlim]

Hello Awal

I do eat meat, but only a couple of times a week. Here are Montignac's guidelines for Phase I regarding a balanced weekly eating plan.

Meat or dried meats, twice a week;
Chicken (skin removed), twice a week;
Eggs, once or twice a week;
Fish, three or four times a week;
Good carbohydrates (pulses and unrefined foods) as main courses (not side dishes), three or four times a week.

Regarding fat, which Montignac calls lipids, they are divided into good and bad lipids which I have outlined in a previous posting. Apparently they are more easily stored as fat if eaten in the evening, so he doesn't like meat being eaten in the evening unless it is skinless chicken. I eat chicken with skin in the evening and meat and I have still lost weight, so I guess there is some leeway. :devil:

His book is not very clear and contradicts itself. I have read it twice, plus I am forever flipping through trying to find information in it. It certainly doesn't advocate as much fat as the Dr Atkins diet.

I can't find anything about coconut, but Karen's advice seems sound. You could look it up on one of the online GIs. If you are only going to have a small amount I would go for it. The whole point of Montignac is to eat well and feel satisfied.

Homemade peanut butter should be fine as peanuts have a low GI (20).

Phase II allows alot more lenient (which is followed in the Dine Out book) . It really does depend on how much weight you have to lose. If it is only a few kilos I would be more inclined to follow Phase II.

You might be able to order the book on www.amazon.co.uk. I have the European version in English ISBN 2 91273 700 1 which gives metric measurements and apparently is more up to date than the US one.

By the way, don't eat alcohol before a meal as this inhibits weight loss. If you are out eat a few olives, small bit of cheese or some nuts first. :angel:

Have you lost anything since starting Montignac ?

Enjoy Montignac and don't deprive yourself of your Thai dish or peanut butter, life is to short for donning a hair shirt.

Juliette

[02BSlim]

You might find these useful, especially the Australian searchable one.

http://www.glycemicindex.com/
http://www.anime.net/~go/glycemic.html

Regards
Juliette

[Awal]

Hi Juliette,

First, I really want to lose only a couple pounds. My main motivation for beginning with Montignac is that I am sick to death of counting calories and feeling hungry, hungry, hungry! (A little background coming...) I was always very thin and never gave a thought to what I ate. I am also very active. Suddenly two years ago, I jumped from 119 pounds to 133 in one year. I began a very low calorie diet and followed it for a year. Not fun. I began eating a bit more, still being careful in the traditional diet sense, and gained back to 125, where I am now. Sick of the calory counting, I began looking for other alternatives and remembered a colleague telling me about Montignac three years ago. I bought Eat Out and Lose Weight, as it was the only Montignac book in English in Oslo. (I know I can order from Amazon, but I'm going to the states on holiday next week and plan to pick up the version you've mentioned while there.) Since being on Montignac, I believe I've lost a pound, which I'm happy about. If I can continue to eat the way I do now and not gain, I will be extremely satisfied. Ideally, I would like to get back to 119, but it's not worth starving to get there...

Regarding our discussion of meat, until the past couple weeks, I had eaten red meat maybe three times in the past year. Cheese had been banished as well, and I very rarely ate chicken. Fat too was all but eliminated from my diet. So I've really enjoyed being able to eat it once more... and I am amazed at how much more satisfied I feel. But all of your tips have been helpful as I can now see that I've been eating too many eggs, plus a couple other items. This is what I ate today:

Breakfast:
1 Slice whole wheat bread, no added fat
1 Large bowl oatmeal with 2 Tbs. cottage cheese.
1/2 cup fresh strawberries

Snack:
1Tbsp. organic peanut butter

Lunch:
Rocket salad with marinated mushroom and squash, feta cheese, balsamic vinegar and olive oil
2 boiled eggs

Snack:
2 Tbsps. organic peanut butter
1/2 cup fresh strawberries

Dinner:
"Breakfast burrito" without the tortilla: Scrambled eggs with lean ground beef seasoned with cumin and chili powder, green onions, fresh tomatoes and mushrooms.
Steamed broccoli
Fresh strawberries

Any input of your would be greatly appreciated!

By the way, I did subscribe to the Montignac site, but I wouldn't recommend it to anyone else. It is useful to a certain extent since I don't have the second book, but overall quite amateur and a bit more lean information-wise than I had hoped it would be.

Thanks! :wave:

[02BSlim]

Awal

Lucky you only a couple of pounds to lose. :cheer:
Also lucky you going on holiday :dazzle:

I'd like to lose another 20lb, but I would be happy with 12-15lb if I keep feeling this good.

Your eating plan sounds very healthy. I agree that Montignac leaves you feeling satiated and full of energy. It is also very easy to follow when eating out, hence his first book which you have. You can even have chocolate providing it is one with a high cocoa content >70%.

The one thing I would mention, which you will see when you get his book is that he prefers rye to wheat bread. Try and get bread which is organic, unrefined - pumpernickel is ideal. Ryvita is also okay and when I feel peckish I often have some ryvita with cottage cheese and tomato slices or regular cheese.

My weight loss has not been rapid with Montignac, but also I haven't been tempted to stray because I don't feel hungry until meal times. I think I had got into the habit of eating when I was just slightly hungry or if I was a bored.

The one reason I chose Montignac over Atkins (which I have done in the past), is that Montignac allows much more fruit and vegetables which I think is really important to keep healthy in the long term.

I have been eating green lentils as well, something I never tried before and they are really nice. After soaking them for about 4 hours, I simmer them for 30-40 minutes, drain, then blitz or mash, adding juice of a lemon, a dash of salt, lots of fresh black pepper and a handful of chopped fresh mint. Sometimes I add a chopped onion for the last 15 minutes of cooking time. I have also added some tabasco sauce and natural yoghurt along with the other ingredients as I blend it and then add some finely chopped red capsicum and chives. I eat it both hot and cold, and I cook up 250gm at once which gives me enough for a few meals. Yummy.

Green lentils GI 22, Onion GI 10.

I also sweat an onion and sometimes a few stalks of celery in a pot until transparent and then add a large tin or two of chopped tomatoes, salt and pepper. It is really useful to have alongside the lentils with a piece of meat or chicken or over spaghetti. If having it over spaghetti I might add some garlic when cooking the tomato sauce and some olives, capsicum, sliced mushrooms or something just before serving. I usally grate a little parmesan or strong cheese or sprinkle some fresh oregano or parsley over the top.

Tomatoes are very low - 10GI as are all the other vegetables in the above recipe. Use organic, unrefined wholemeal spaghetti if you can get it and cook it only until it is al dente as the GI rises the longer you cook it.

If I eat those and maybe some green beans (GI 30) or petit pois (GI 40) I don't feel too bad about leaving the skin on my chicken or having a large piece of grilled or salmon pan fried in a 1 Tbsp of oil.

By the way plums also have a low GI of only 22, so they are a good fruit to snack on.

Have you tried Quinoa, which Montignac raves on about?

Have a great holiday. The good thing with the Montignac plan is you can still enjoy yourself and keep losing weight. :Party:

Bye for now
Juliette

[02BSlim]

Nearly forgot, hardgrain spaghetti cooked al dente has a GI of 45. Other pastas are around 70.

Juliette

[Galaxygrl]

Hi I'm a newbie here (this is my first post) and Ijust wanted to jump into this topic because I just started the Montignac method with a lot of worry. I have been following the Atkins diet since April of this year and was able to lose over a stone and a half (about 25 pounds). For the last month my weight has been at a standstill. A co-worker of mine lent me the 'Eat Yourself to Slimness' book and I just started today, but after being on Atkins for so long I'm afraid of eating the fruit! I'm also afraid of introducing the bread etc as I hope it will not make me gain any weight. I'm not going to weigh myself for a week in order to give this diet a chance and see what happens. Perhaps my metabolism had adjusted to such a high protein intake and I need carbs now? Anyway I have to agree that the book is very confusing and contradictory. How can he have a recipe that uses instant coffee? Also how can you have the dark chocolate when it does contain trace amounts of sugar? I suppose hellman's mayonaise would be okay in moderation because that has the smallest amount of sugar and is the most "real" mayonaise? I'm also wondering if I can still incorporate many of my Atkins products such as muffin mixes and such into the protein portion of this diet? They are all made from low carb flours like soya and whey protein. Also is Splenda okay to use? I wonder if Soya ice cream would be okay-I don't know how much sugar it had but I remember seeing it in the health food store. Would no sugar peanut butter be okay on rye in the mornings?

I have so many questions and I was so happy to find this forum!
:wave:

This is what I had today:

Breakfast: bacon and eggs ( I still have a fridgeful from Atkins dieting)

Lunch: salad with iceberg lettuce, carrots, green leaves and two cups of cottage cheese

Late snack: cherries

Dinner: the same salad I had for lunch but topped with two pieces of grilled chicken and some feta cheese. I actullly couldn't finish this because I was full from the fruit!

[02BSlim]

Hello

Sorry for the delay in replying, but I'm been away and offline for a few weeks.

Your average day's diet sounds fine to me. I have lost about 15 pounds on Montignac and I find it very easy to follow. I have done the Atkins plan before but I found it too hard to eat so much meat and fat and cut out fruit and some vegetables.

Montignac is more a plan for life than a quick loss system. Saying that I am really happy with the results, and even when I cheated a bit with the occasional piece of cake when I was away recently, I still have maintained my weight. I want to lose another 10-14lbs and I am sure I will do it with Montignac.

One thing I will mention is don't eat too many nuts. I did and found it slowed my weight loss. Just keep them to an occasional treat and don't eat too many.

Good luck

Juliette

[Angeline]

Hi people,

I am new to this forum. I just started Montignac a few weeks ago, and so far I'm very happy with the program. I'm never especially hungry and I get to eat things I would have never dreamed of, while still loosing weight.

Sometimes I go and read things on the Atkins side of the board and I'm appalled at what they are forced to do. One poor girl was saying she had trouble eating enough calories in a day because she was sick of all the meat and creams and feeling guilty for cracking and eating some cantaloup !

I think I'm going to stay with Montignac unless it totally stops working for me. I've already gotten a confirmed 5 lbs loss (probably more but I didn't weight myself before I started). And that's in 2 weeks. So the rate of weight loss isn't that bad ...I'm just happy at having lost weight period. And delighted that it's on a diet that feels like something I can sustain forever.

Thanks for the tip on nuts. I had been indulging myself maybe a bit too much. When I feel hungry between meals, I usually have either cheese or nuts. Did you notice it was all nuts ? or just a particular kind. So far I've eaten almonds, soy nuts and peanuts.

BTW, I'm from Quebec, so I have all these revised editions books by Montignac, including 2 cookbooks adapted for North America. Maybe I could post a recipe or two, unless you are all sticklers about copyrights.

[02BSlim]

Hello

I was eating lots of nuts, and by that I mean about 200gm a day. Mainly peanuts but also a nut mix. I was eating unsalted nuts so I don't think the lack of weight loss was due to water retention. Some nights I would get home and have some nuts and not bother about cooking dinner, but then be ravenous before going to bed.

I also find that eating lots of salad type foods - tomatoes, celery, cucumber etc is a good way of keeping hunger at bay between meals. I sometimes have ryvita (a rye crispbread) with sliced tomatoes and plenty of fresh black pepper. They are really nice, sometimes I also add a bit of cheese or cottage cheese.

I found the Montignac book rather confusing at first. I don't have any of his recipe books, but there are a few recipes at the rear of the book I have. The main benefit of the diet, apart from losing weight is that I feel great and I haven't been suffering from as many headaches (migraines) as usual.

5lbs in too weeks sounds a lot of weight to lose, so don't worry if you don't sustain that speed of weight loss Angeline. Some of that could have been water and that will slow down. Montignac is probably a bit easier on the heart etc with less fat and meat and more fruit and vegetables than Atkins. I have learnt alot about good and bad carbohydrates in terms of the GI, and that I think is the secret to the success on the Montignac plan.

Also being able to have the occasional piece of dark chocolate and a glass of red wine is great, and a little slip up here and then can be easily remedied by eating low GI food. It doesn't upset the balance as much as when I was on Atkins and put on at least a pound or two for a minor dietary indiscretion.

I don't crave foods I can't have with Montignac, and I am not fooling myself by eating artitifically sweetened food or drink, apart from the occasional diet jelly (jello). I think part of the long term Montignac success secret is that, over time, it changes the food you want and desire to eat because you feel satisfied. I never felt that way with Weightwatchers, Atkins or fad diets, and as soon as I went off them, back came the weight. Montignac has permanently changed the way I eat.

Good luck with your weight loss.
Juliette

[Angeline]

Hi Juliette, thanks for the reply and tips.

I already have some rye crips. Maybe I'll eat them with a recipe from an old weight watchers book. Back in the days before they embraced the low fat mantra, they were *almost* low carb. It's a mixture of cottage cheese and canned salmon pureed with veggies in the food processor. It's pretty nice. My mother is bringing me tomatoes from her garden so that sounds like a good time to try your suggestion.

I'm not especially worried about loosing weight fast. Right now I *almost* fit into my previous skinny clothes, so I am quite happy with that. Once I fit into the clothes anything else is cake. In fact I would worry about loosing too much, because I really rather not buy a whole new wardrobe :)

And while we are on the subject of artifical sweeteners, I tried a simple recipe yesterday with Splenda. OMG that stuff is GROSS. In the Atkins recipes on this site they put Splenda into everything. Taste or not, I really mistrust that stuff. It's chemical, therefore suspect.

One thing that really bothers me about the Atkins WOL, is the seeming reliance on substitute products. Artifical sweeteners for instance. Low-carb breads. Instead of using sugar and white flour, they use sweet-n-low and white gluten flour. Maybe they are just replacing one evil with another. I'm often struck by how the demon of fat has simply been replaced by the demon of carb. It was simplistic then, and it's probably simplistic now. Focusing on a single nutrient, instead of as a whole, could make us loose the big picture, that maybe it's not so much too many carbohydrates that is the problem but too many overprocessed over-refined foods displacing and/or replacing healthy foods.

That point became clear to me on a personal level when in an attempt to find something appropriate for lunch, I revisited a local fast food counter that served slouvakis. Slouvakis are chicken/pork brochettes served either on a plate or in a pita with tzaziki sauce. Of course, true to it's fast food designation they would serve the meat with plenty of french fries, rice and bread. In the past I would eat the meat and fries and have no more appetite for the salad that would end up in the garbage. Well this time, I told them our usual refrain, no rice, potatoes or bread, extra salad please. Well guess what. The salad was delicious ! Fresh and crisp with a tasty dressing. I ate every last bit with relish.

So at that moment it became clear. All the refined starchy food I've been eating more often than not simply replaced vegetables and other healthy foods. I think that's what's wrong with the way we eat today and the cause for so many health problems.

[Angeline]

I tried this dessert recipe today, it was pretty good even though it's not quite level 1. I liked it because it wasn't too sweet.

2 egg whites
3 tbsp fructose
1/2 tsp almond extract
1 1/2 cup rasberry, fresh or frozen, defrosted
1 1/2 cup Ricotta 5%
2 tbsp sliced almond

Whip the egg whites until soft peaks form. Add the fructose and almond extract. Whip till firm peaks.

Process the rasberries in a food processor.

Add the cheese and rasberries to the egg white mixture and mix delicately with a spatula.

Sprinkle with the almonds.

[02BSlim]

That recipe sounds delicious Angeline. I am going to try that as we have plenty of fresh raspberries in the shops at the moment.

I also adore almonds. Yum yum.

Juliette

[Angeline]

I hope you like it.

I used frozen rasberries and it turned out nice. Fresh rasberries are too wonderful (and expensive) to be eaten any other way than out of hand like candy....at least in these parts :)

[Quincy]

I am interested in the Montignac diet as it seems to be so similar to Sugar Busters. The types of foods and their glycemic index are very similar. I think that phase 1 and 2 are a benefit in the Montignac diet though as SB does not have phases. Consequently weight loss can be slower with SB I think. However if one does not have too many "legal" carbs then it works just fine.
Has anyone tried Sugar Busters and then Montignac? And why did you settle on Montignac?

I'm not trying to switch people to SB, just wondering if anyone has done an actual comparison and if Montignac is maybe a better WOE or WOL.

Quincy.

[Angeline]

I've never read Sugar Buster so I couldn't compare the two approachs. I choose Montignac because it's very popular here in Quebec and very well known. Also there are plenty of ressources available in the form of several books, cookbooks, and even some Montignac products. His chocolate is YUMMY.

One thing I know when you compare it to other programs, is that Sommersize (Susanne Somers's) is so very similar to Montignac, on so many details, I often wonder if there is some plagiarism involved on her part.

Despite different approaches, all the low carbs programs agree on one thing however : cut out refined carbohydrates.

What is different about Montignac's approach however is he doesn't restrict carbs quite as much as let's say Atkins. What he does advocate however is that all carbs must be unrefined, low on the glycemic index and eaten with little or no fat. So his meals are either protein/fat or carbos/low-fat. Non starchy vegetables can be eaten with either type of meals. I think the rationale is that fat needs the presence of insulin to be stored, therefore anytime you eat carb meals you should avoid fat. Whatever. Maybe it works that way. I'm open to the idea.


I think that his approach is lower fat that Atkins because he has taken a more conservative approach to the whole fat issue in order, I assume, to generate less criticism. Atkins as you know is considered the bad boy of the diet gurus.

So Montignac, I believe, is good for people who want a relatively simple approach that doesn't involve endless counting, that is proven to work and that won't raise the hair off your more conservative doctor. It favors a lower carb/no junk/healthy food/ good fat diet and discourages the consumption of artifical ingredients and limits highly saturated fats. A nice middle of the road approach IMO.

[Quincy]

Thank you Angeline.
That was very helpful information. I think there is little difference between Montignac and Sugar Busters but I do like the idea of Montignac's phase 1 for weight loss. I think I will try this to see if I can reach my goal weight in a more reasonable amount of time. I also like the fact that I can enjoy a glass of wine with my meal. A good dry French Bordeaux adds a nice touch to the evening meal.

Quincy.

[Angeline]

You forgot chocolate !

[Quincy]

Ah Yes!
How could I forget the chocolate!

What a diet........... wine and chocolate. :D

[Spang]

Hi there

I'm on the Montignac Method, and have been for nearly 5 months.

I've lost about 25 lbs and counting - following the "diet" fairly well. This is a sensible eating plan that is a change for life, not just a diet to get me where I want to be, to then revert to old habits. My roommate is a pharmaceutical biologist, and has warned me off the Atkins diet for some time.

What I like best about the Montignac Method is that it seems to incapsulate many old wives tails about "good eating practices" that I have heard over the years and explains them scientifically.

It certainly took a while to get in the montignac GI way of looking at foods. Some foods you think are good for you are really bad and vice versa.

Good things - high cocoa solid chocolate... red wine late / after a meal... cheese... has anyone ever tried the nut based "I Scream" - fructose sweeted / nut paste type fake ice cream? It's so good!

The most difficult adjustments for me where cutting out bread, potatoes and pasta - the standard "filler" foods. Plus the hidden horrors of high fructose corn syrup! No more ketchup for me!

I would recommend it to ANYONE. Just read the books - it is not a simple plan to quickly sum up in a post on a forum.

[Angeline]

Hi Sprang, welcome to this forum.

I started out doing Montignac but have sort of switched to Atkins after being "corrupted" by this forum :)

I switched because I had stopped loosing weight with Montignac. Mind you I am not loosing weight with Atkins either. I seem to be quite stuck.

I still like the method however, and would like to go back to it for maintenance.....if only i could loose this damn weight !

The only thing I have started to doubt is the concept of making your carb meals lowfat. I have never seen that repeated anywhere else, in any method, so I have started to doubt its validity. Anyway, it makes composing your meals harder.

Furthermore his method needs to be updated to depend more on glygemic load rather than just GI. Cooked carrots for example have a high GI but a relatively small amount of carbs, so the glygemic load remains small if you compare it to let's say a baked potato.

Also fructose seem to be very frowned upon by everyone, so I am in a quandary about its usage. I finally decided it can't be that bad so long as it's used in small quantities. Sometimes I use Splenda, but I'm not comfortable with using something chemical, so I vacillate a lot.

Anyway, I am rambling. Welcome to this forum but let me warn you, if you start reading it extensively you might get as confused as I am ! But it's sure is nice to talk with someone who even knows what Montignac is all about :)

[Spang]

Hi Angeline!

Sorry to hear that Montignac wasn't working for you.

As far as glycemic load versus GI index is concerned, I agree to some extent. The book I first read, Eat Yourself Slim... and Stay Slim, the European version, does touch on the glycemic load theory, and to a certain extent, the phase 2 of the diet concentrates more on that, with the whole substition "eat a little bit of bad after a whole load of good"! But it is a potential mindfield.

I'm still in phase 1 of the diet, so most of the foods I eat all have a very low GI - i don't eat either cooked carrots or potatoes. It's in phase 2 when you can use "compensation" where the load of the food becomes more important.

As far as fructose is concerned - its low in the old GI index, and used sparingly, seems fine. However it can raise trigylceride levels, so may not work for some people. (Maybe that's why people don't like it?). As far as any chemical sweetners are concerned, I stay well clear of them. My take on the whole Montignac thing is that everything you eat should be as fresh and natural as possible (without becoming obsessive about it!) as the whole theory is balancing the blood sugar / insulin / digestion process as much as possible - chemicals tend to mess that up.

To be honest, to avoid any meal construction confusion, I bought the book "Micheal Montignac, Recipes and Menus" - North American adaption. I tend to stick to the recipes in there for lunch / dinner and it takes out the confusing low fat / high carb / good carb / bad carb decisions. I've been using it for about 5 months, and haven't exhausted my choices yet. It has some fantastic recipes for things like creme brulee and chocolate mousse - it certainly doesn't feel like a diet. The main concessions I make towards low fat carb meals is just picking the types of fat carefully as well (olive oils / sunflower / fish oils - all used sparingly - Forman Grill is great for that too!)

My final random note - have a sprinkle of brewer's yeast on your breakfast - it helps to reduce the bodies glucose intolerance

But I appear to be ranting now :) Or rather, sound like a montignac marketing rep!

[02BSlim]

Welcome to the forum. I have dipped in and out of Montignac, but I feel really good with it and it allows a very balanced diet unless Atkins which I have done in the past. The problem with the Atkins plan is once the weight is off and the one starts to relax a little, the weight goes back on and quickly.

The good carbs before bad carbs actually seems to work because I have not gained weight with those little cheats.

Like any diet, it is not worth becoming obsessional about, there will be stalls and weight plateaux, but most of it is down to common sense. I don't want to have potential problems in the future because I have eaten a diet consisting of huge amounts of saturated fat. Surely it can't be good for you in the long run especially to the exclusion of most fruits and vegetables.

Happy dieting! :yay:

[Spang]

I there

Thanks for your welcome to the forum :)

Your note about the Atkins plan and stopping / putting wait back on is one of the reasons why I keep to the Montignac plan rather than Atkins.

I had a 2 week lapse, when my mum and sister were visiting me in SF (from the UK!) and I we were eating out all the time, and I wasn't eating well ;) I didn't put a single ounce back on! I put this down to the fact that my body is getting back into the "proper" insulin release pattern - which is the basis of Montignac.

I'm actually finding this forum not as much use as I was hoping when I started visiting. It appears that the majority of people are following Atkins, so advice is normally biased towards this plan, and the low carb tools do not have any mention of GI value or load of foods - just carb counts.... there is not a discription of the montignac plan in the "low-carb diet plan page". But I'm moaning now. It's a pity, because I've been looking for Montignac support and tips, but oh well!

Good luck with your dieting too!

[Angeline]

Hi Spang,

I guess you are right this place isn't much use for the Montignac method, but that just means we need to make it a good place for it !

When I came here I was doing montignac, but the sheer volume of Atkins advice (and absence of Montignac) made me veer away from it.

I agree that Montignac seems much healthier than Atkins, more balanced and less of a focus on artifical ingredients. I should get back to it.

Maybe we just need to make this place more active

[02BSlim]

I'm finding Montignac really good for steady long term weight loss, but not fast weight loss. I have a friend who is doing Atkins and one of the side effects is his breath. Apparently it means he is in ketosis, but believe me, it is not pleasant.

One of the good things I have found with Montignac that you can have a little cheat if you eat or drink it straight after foods that have a very low GI. I try and drink plenty of water as well, sometimes hot water with a squeeze of lemon, or iced water and I think that helps a lot, especially if you do splurge out on something you shouldn't.

I stopped for a while because my mother was ill and then died 3 months ago and dieting just didn't seem to matter, but I am back on track now.

I know you both have Thanksgiving coming up in a few weeks, but try and keep away from the pumpkin pie as it is really, really high GI. Have a dessert you really love, but preferably not pie. Fresh or defrosted raspberries in cream might be nice.

I make up a diet raspberry jelly (Jell-O), and then when it is just starting to set, I whip it with a mixer. I also whip up some double (heavy) cream (or you can also use unsweetened evaporated milk) and add that to the jelly mix and whip it a bit more. The quantities aren't important but it's about 2/3rd jelly and 1/3 cream. Sometimes I also throw in a few raspberries.

You can do this with any diet flavoured Jell-O. I know strictly speaking that artificially sweetened foods aren't part of the Montignac plan, but believe me it certainly helps if you crave something sweet and creamy.

Juliette

[Angeline]

Originally posted by 02BSlim
You can do this with any diet flavoured Jell-O. I know strictly speaking that artificially sweetened foods aren't part of the Montignac plan, but believe me it certainly helps if you crave something sweet and creamy.

Not to knock your recipe Juliette, but instead of jello, why don't you try my Rasberry Dream dessert that I posted earlier in this thread. It's probably somewhat similar to your recipe as it's a light mousse made of ricotta cheese, rasberries and egg whites, but so much better. It's very easy to make and quite delicious. Smooth, creamy with a hint of tartness. I got it from a Montignac recipe book.

Try it, you wouldn't be sorry. And no artificial ingredients either, unless you choose to substitute fake sugar for the fructuose.

[Spang]

juliette - for me, steady weight loss seems to be much more healthy long term than rapid weight loss :)

It seems like it is Juliette, Angeline and me as montignac people (you know you want to come back to the fold, angeline!)

As another desert option, Juliette - if you are a chocolate fan, there are some great chocolate mousse recipes in the montignac book too - give me a shout and L'll post them up.

Thanksgiving? Being English, and living in the US - I've never really celebrated it, or eaten pumpkin pie... so its easy for me to stay away! Christmas, on the other hand will be difficult...

I've been on a stall for the last few weeks - but nothing I'm freaking out about at all.

I've tried the raspberry desert that Angeline mentioned - its GOOD!

[bingo]

Hi, I'm new, and glad to have found this board. I've been on Montignac on and off since September -- with great success. Now my husband is on it too (Atkins was too much for him, the same problems I've been reading about in other messages). Here's the thing -- gas. Tremendous gas and heartburn, particularly at mid-day. I was on it for 2-3 weeks before it really became a problem, now it's steady, and it started for him almost as soon as it began. In all my life, this has never been a serious problem for me. I've read that the rapid introduction of fiber into my diet can cause it and blah blah blah, but I've been eating this way now for a couple of months and don't see it getting any better. Interestingly, the times I've cheated (like when I got married), I got the bad-sugar/carb woozy feeling, but the gas went right away. I'm rambling, but any suggestions would be greatly appreciated! :spin:

[Angeline]

Thanks Spang, you are right I do want to come back to the fold. When I first started, Montignac sounded (and still does) so right, while Atkins sounded unbalanced... too focused on substitutes and artifical foods.

One thing stuck me reading Gary Taubes's now famous NYT article was that when this whole fat-is-evil movement started, it had the effect of making an entire food group off-limit and efforts made to find substitutes. I see the same pattern with Atkins. One food group is demonized and attempts are made to replace the food, often with artificial unproven ingredients.

I keep wondering if that's not just falling into the same old trap we did with lowfat.

Anyway I'm rambling, this isn't where I wanted to go with this post :)

Bingo, that's a strange problem. Most of the time cutting down on carbs eliminates hearth burn and gas. Well I've never had heartburn but I do notice much less bloating and gas.

What you need to do is play a bit of detective work. I know it's stating the obvious but something you introduced into your diet is causing this problem. It would be helpful if you list what you typically eat in a day.

All I can tell you is that's it's not a typical reaction to Montignac as far as I know.

[Spang]

Welcome to our newly revived fold, Bingo!

Hmmm... heartburn and gas...

I've read somewhere (and I forget right now, but it would have been in one of my montignac / "pick your carbs right" books) that you should always try and drink plenty of water with fiber to lessen the "gaseous side effects" of fibre.... Plus, if you are cooking stuff like lentils / pulses / wild rice and such, it aparently helps to change the cooking water. I've no idea if that works, as I've not noticed a change for me as I've not had that problem before - but it may work for you...

As for heartburn - I've noticed that I used to get heartburn before I went on the diet, but it has stopped since on the diet - except for rare occasions now. However - I drink a lot of milk, so the calcium may help that (I drink it with my dark chocolate - instead of cookies ;) Sorry, I can't help on that one.

On the occassions that I deviate (either self imposed croissant moments, or slips when eating dinner out) I do get the carb coma effect

[bingo]

Thanks for the tips, everybody.

Spang, I'm not sure what you mean by 'change the cooking water'?

I've been paying attention this weekend, and it's certainly brought on my my best friends, the beans and lentils. Also, garlic, which I've never had a bad reaction to before, and so probably some other spices as well. I've been tempering them with carbs so they don't land too hard in what my body must perceive as an empty (ie, carb-free) stomach.

:daze: Isn't is amazing how even a good and healthy diet requires so much of your time and energy? My friends must be getting pretty bored with hearing me talk about Montigac.

[Angeline]

2 tips which I heard about but have never tried.

I was told that freezing the bean/lentil dish after it's cooked will lessen the gas problem. If all else fails, there is always Beano :)

Also regarding garlic. I was told that what makes garlic indigestible to some people is the germ. To solve that problem cut the garlic clove in two and remove and discard the "heart" located at the center.

[Spang]

Hey Bingo

Sorry to be obtuse! By "changing the cooking water" - If you are cooking lentils / beans in water for, say, 30 minutes - the book suggests that you change the water you are cooking the lentils in half way through.

e.g. - pan on stove with uncooked lentils and water to cook them in, you have to cook for a total of 30 mins (or whatever). Instead of cooking for 30 mins in the same water - cook for 15 mins, strain the water out, and replace with clean water, and continue cooking for 15 more mins.

Does that make sense? It may be worth a try - who knows, it may help. I've never tried it myself as it seems like a bit of a hassle just to cook some beans!

I spend half of my spare time cooking or shopping for food... and my roommates are going mad with me talking about it! I don't think one of them will forgive me for looking enviously at popcorn she had made herself, and saying "that is SO VERY bad for you" - I've learned to keep quiet, just to remain friends! LOL

Spang

[KoKo]

In doing a search for something I came up with this and it has such good info for a beginner like me that I thought it a good idea to keep it current

Originally posted by 02BSlim
Hello Jan

I looked at several of the Michel Montignac books before I started the plan including: Dine out and lose weight (the first of his books), The Montignac Method - Just for women, Recipes & Menus and Eat yourself slim...and stay slim!. I think the last book is the best. It cost £12 (about US$18) in the UK (no tax on books here). The Just for Women book was the same price, but contained a lot less information.

Banned foods include: Sugar, potatoes, beetroot (beets?) cooked carrots, rice, turnips, parsnip, pumpkin, swede (rudabaga?) gnocchi, sweet corn, millet, pastas, noodles or macaronis, ravioli, lasagne, maltodextrine, aspartame, processed mayonnaise, tomato ketchup, puff pastry, quiches, pancakes, souffles, blinds, toasts, croutons, pizzas, doughnuts, cheese fondue, filter or instant coffee, sodas and diet sodas, bananas, melon, popcorn, industrial orange juice, chestnut, cystallised fruit, tinned (canned) fruit salad, all bread except wholemeal organic bread (feed labels carefully), honey, maple syrup, all buns, cakes, cookies.

I've tried to put the American names for foods alongside those used in Europe/Australasia, but if I have them wrong, my apologies.

My typical day's menu would be:

Breakfast: Large oat porridge (oatmeal) made on the stove with skim milk. No added sweetener except four organic dried apricots which I had chopped small and soaked overnight. Three cups of weak black tea, but water is probably better, but the English couldn't live without their tea! This doesn't differ much from my normal breakfast. You could instead have a peach (eat any fruit at least 30 mins before other food) a slice of wholemeal bread, sugar free jam (jelly) made without sugar, sweetener or grape juice (fructose is okay), weak tea or if you can't live without it, decaffeinated coffee with skim milk.

Lunch: any vegetable except the ones mentioned above, lentils, quinoa (a bit like rice when cooked) any fish or shell fish, eggs, meat (there are some banned meats such as sausages), poultry. Avoid the skin of poultry, fatty cuts of meat and breaded or battered fish are banned. I am having tomatoes, cos (romaine) lettuce, red capsicum (bell pepper) and drained tuna for lunch with some leftover quinoa, to which I will probably add some lemon juice, balsamic vinegar or soy sauce to pep up the flavour

Dinner: use the guidelines for lunch, but lunch is typically a larger meal (not always in my case). Tonight I plan to start with a tomato and basil salad, then have a good sized salmon fillet (cooked in tinfoil (aluminium) in the oven seasoned with coriander (cilantro), black pepper and a slice of lemon. With it I will have courgette (zucchini), new season's asparagus with almonds and a green lentil sludge which tastes better than it looks. I will cook the lentils up with some flavourings and probably add some finely chopped chillis and spring onion (scallions). Green lentils have a low glycemic index. I also have a little bit of leftover tomato from last night which I might have as well. I sweated an onion in the pot with a smigden of olive oil, then added a tin of tomatoes, then some sliced capsicum and button mushrooms. I might also have a small glass of wine (allowed). It sounds a lot but I won't eat a huge amount, however I try not to eat after dinner in the evening and this should keep me going until breakfast. Immediately after dinner I brush my teeth. I also drink water or boiling water with a bit of lemon squeezed in during the evening, but not with my meal. In Europe we typically eat our evening meal later than in the US. Normally I wouldn't eat before 8:30pm, but now I am trying to eat by 7:00pm (five hours before bedtime).

If I get peckish during the day I might have some fruit and or nuts, but remember not to eat the fruit at the same as anything else. You don't eat as much fat as the Atkins diets, and the method of cooking affects the glycemic index of some foods.

I'd also advise you to check glycemic indices on the web. There is a very good Australian one, and I will send you a link if I can find it.

I hope this helps. By the way, the diet is easy to follow, It is popular in Europe and also in the French speaking parts of Canada and Australasia. Famous devotees of Montignac include Kylie Minogue. Why don't you go to your local bookshop and flick through Montignac's books to see if they suit you before purchasing. :wave: