Hi,

I'm Sandra and started with the Montignac Diet this weekend. I've done so many low-calory and low-fat diets, but I always ended up where I started or above, and that happened when my life changed (exams, children, move to another country).
A friend told me about Montignac, I bought the book Eat yourself slim, and it sounds to me that it might be a plan that can withstand changes. I don't know, I will try.

I've read all the postings in this section and am glad that all of you have had the same difficulties that I had reading the book, that it takes time to figure out what Montignac means, and that there are contradictions in his book. What I really miss are more examples for the allowed carb-meals.

But as I said, I just started. My biggest problem right now is that I'm hungry between meals, and that I don`t know what is allowed to eat.

I'm also not that great a cook, but I think that I'll get used to it. I actually like the idea of getting away from all the processed and full-of-chemicals-food, but I will need my time to get used to it.

A question: How much time do you girls stick to Montignac now, and how much weight were you able to lose?

I really need to loose weight, because I had 2 very stressy years and have gained lots. I promised myself not to buy another size more for my wardrobe, and this change in eating habits seems to me quite healthy. And if it works fast, the better.

It is not that easy to buy healthy food (according to Montignac) here in Spain. The meditereanean diet should be so healthy, but they eat so much deep-fried things, and only white flour in everything....

Well, I'm planning to weigh myself again in 4 weeks, because if I start doing it daily, it will make me nervous. But I hope to find some people to share experiences with. I would be very glad about answers...

Sandra.

Hi Sandra!

Welcome to Montignac and welcome to the board!

To answer your questions in as organized a fashion as possible for me (I tend to rant on!).

I do find Montignac a little contradictory as you noted. However - I never really got into the whole protein carb vs. protein lipid meals, or whatever he suggests. I based my whole approach on the following simple points taken from the book you have, and the Montignac cook book:-

Never eat the following:-
white / refined bread / flour
white pasta
white rice
anything with refined sugar in it - especially high fructose corn syrup
drink nothing but water or tea - no sugar!
no cooked carrots
no potatoes

That was my 1st huge leap when I started the eating plan about 8 or 9 months ago. I lost about 30 lbs in about 5 months - and have been at a plateau since then, give or take a lb or 2. If I'm honest with myself (and lets face it - I need to be when talking about weight lose!) I've plateaued because I shifted to Phase 2 of the diet too soon. Depending where you are in Spain - I bet you can get some great sea food - yum! At the same time I started Montignacing, I started excercising for the 1st time in years with any regualrity. I started a yoga practice that I have continued today. I find it way more exciting and fullfulling to running on the spot for hours or lifting heavy bits of metal over and over again - but that is just me. I strongly suggest kicking up your excerise if you don't do much right now. in tangent with the new eating plan. Not only will you be healthier, you'll help tone yourself

If you are hungry between meals - I suggest the following snacks:-
nuts (preferably raw / unsalted)
fruit - certain ones with low gi or glycemic load
celery
raw carrots
some cheese
some dark / plain chocolate - over 70% cocoa solids

A site you might want to check out is http://www.mendosa.com/gidigest.htm

It clarifies the GI index and some of the contradictions in the Montignac book, it also has a great list of GI and glycemic load (the really important figure) foods - and some "free" foods which can be eaten as snacks.

I don't want to talk badly about the other plans represented on this site too - but if you start reading their message boards and the advice they give, you could find yourself slipping out of Montignac and into something else I find the plans differ quite a lot, and something that is perfectly acceptable on, for example, the Atkins plan, would be awful for Montignac. The reverse is true, of course.

Trust me, I live in America, and I'm sure that the American diet is just as high in the "bad for Montigancers" foods as in Spain. Just remember - get fresh veg as much as possible, and avoid processed foods like the plague!

For what it is worth, I've just got a new book that my favorite mendosa site mentioned - I'm hoping it helps to clarify some Montignac contradictions!

Good luck, and I hope this helped!

Hi Sandra

So glad to hear that you have started with the Montignac Method. I have battled well and truely with my weight for all of my adult life and most of my teenages years....done all the diets, but this one really really works!!!

I have lost 3 and half stone since last May....and i have not been tempted at all to come off the plan because I can actually eat loads of food and its very healthy.

I am still losing weight but its very slow now...but I am happy to stick to phase I as its so very easy
The advice you have been given so far is excellent, although I would add snacking on nuts might mean the weight loss is slightly slower. Even though they have a very low GI I did find (only because I ate huge amounts) that the weight didn't come off so fast. I actually substituted nuts for olives...they fill me up better and they don't seem to slow down the weight loss.

The only other thing I would add is drink copious amounts of water and not diet fizzy drinks.

I told my an old school friend about Montignac last year, and she has nearly lost 4 stone on it!!!

So sandra stick with it...it's worth it! and what ever you don't do half heartedly...it's not a like the other diets where you can be naughty every so often. If you are naughty on the MM it can set you back quite a bit especially in the early part of Phase I.

Good Luck!

Best Wishes

Hello there

and thanks a lot for the fast replies... it is amazing to see the weightloss you have achieved already on Montignac. And I think you are right, it is not really a diet but a change of habits. After getting acustomed to all the cooking I think I will be fine with it. What I like about it is that the overall intake of food is very balanced, you are not cutting out anything (well, of course, the bad carbs, but didn't we always know that white flour, hamburgers, cookies and coke aren't very good for health...?)

I have to get used to not having bread with everything and am looking for substitutes such as aubergines to put my cheese on (do you have other ideas?)

one question: If I can have a glass of milk or a joghurt in the morning with a piece of bread, why can't I put a slice of chickenbreast on it? I always thought that it would be more protein than fat... I really like dark bread, but I don't really like it with jam, or joghurt...

I wish I already was as far as you two.

Hope you keep in touch...

Sandra.

Hi Sandra

me again!

As to your last message...bread!!! hmm pretty hard for you out there in sunny Spain.
If I ever eat any, it's usually wholemeal or Granary...either of which I think is pretty impossible for you to get out there.
If I was you I would try and be bread free for a while...not easy I know but worth it. If you need to eat something snacky try oatcakes...the organic kind if you can get hold of them.

Breakfasts: I usually have egg, either as an omlette...mushroom or cheese is a fave, followed by plain yog (bio and low fat if possible)

OR

Porrige (organic jumbo oats if possible), with a little fruit puree that I have made myself from plums or pears...cooked fruit is ok to eat with other foods! or berries...depends on what is around.

OR

lots of yog with fruit puree (usually a weekend breakfast when I don't need too much energy)

OR

All bran with semi skimmed milk and yog (lots)

OR

Lean bacon, with grilled mushrooms and tomatoes...

If at any point during the day you want to eat cheese, I tend to eat it on its own in chunks, but on slices of cucumber is yummy too. Cheese in vegetable dishes is fine (as long as there is no meat in them).

The bread and chicken issue is more to do with the fact that the idea of the MM is to keep the over all GI of any one meal as low as possible. Bread (even the good stuff) is pretty high, and when you couple this with meat (however lean it is) which is also pretty high you get a GI which is too high for you to loose weight. From the book you need to be aiming for GI less that or around 35 per meal in order to loose weight.
Around 40-50 to stay the same weight.

My Golden rule is: if I want to eat meat the I team it with very low GI foods like veg and lots of it, or lentils. Chicket curry and lentil dahl is yummy, no need for rice or nan bread!

if I want to eat veg then i can team it with past or rice

For example if you want Paella...its no good on Montignac as there is meat with rice, so i make my own type of Paella with Pearl Barley....which only has a GI of 23 so it's OK with shellfish and chicken.

Montignac takes a bit or getting used too I admit, but the rewards are huge, and you'll soon get used to it.

Just one last thing...gosh don't I go on...

any how...from your last mail you said that you were feeling hungry between meals. To be honest, with Montignac you shouldn't. It sounds like you are not eating enough at the 3 meal times. Don't forget you are no longer on a calorie controlled diet...so eat well and good food, and eat until you are full. Please don't feel guilty because you are having good size portions.

Well take care

Hope it all goes well

and keep up the good work, and don't forget to let us know how you are getting on.

Best Wishes

Hi Pink Pebble

WOW - your stats are crazy! Congrats on your progress!

Finally - some people active on the MM board apart from Daneo and me

Pink Pebble is right - if i were you, I'd cut bread out entirely for now. I know it will be odd not having your cheese on toast, but a sacrifice now will get you on the right track. At a later point, you can add it back into your diet. But hey - you cans till eat cheese! Another acceptable option in PHASE 2 only, would be cheese on some high fibre rye crispbread.

For breakfast, some types of oatmeal and muesli (home made not store bought) are fine too. I can post the recipe for either if you like. As well as PP's suggestions.

I can only confirm all the other advice you have been given.

Treat this as the 1st step in changing your eating habits for life, and you are now on your way!

spang

Hy there,

thanks a lot for the breakfast suggestions, I really had few ideas on that one. I'm so stuck in my old eating habits (bread with cheese or mortadella, cornflakes, cookies), that I find it hard to imagine other things.

Today I'm a lot better than yesterday. I had 2 scrambled eggs with a liitle cheese and ham this morning, along a glass of skim milk. For lunch I had salmon with spinach (a liitle cream in the spinach, is that ok?), and now it is 7pm and I had an apple, waiting for my dinner, but I'm not really hungry. that is a lot more than yesterday, when I was really hungry in between and also felt a little stomach- and headache.

I think you are right, all that calorie counting makes you get so used to it that it is hard to forget about it. Another problem for me is the drinking. I forget about it. Today I carried along a bottle of water all day long to remind me of it, and it worked. I drank 2 litres till now, no headache, no hunger.

Pebble, you told me to eat good portions. I know that I should, the problem is that I can't. I'm so used to tiny meals that I'm stuffed after only a little, and an hour later I'm hungry again. Well, normally, because as I told you, today I was fine.

I really like the MM, for me it's still not a diet, it's another way of eating. I only wish I was 4 weeks ahead of now to know if it also works for me to loose weight.

A curiosity: I met a friend of mine this afternoon in the kindergarden of my youngest, and talking a bit we came to the subject Montignac (because I didn't want a coke). She is also following it for two month now and very happy with it. She's not that strict with it, though, but it is nice to have someone around.

I will try the breakfasts you posted, and maybe with a little time a can also come up with some useful recipes...

One more general question. Do you think it is better to have more protein/lipid meals or more low carb meals?

Until soon.

Sandra.

Hi Sandra

Hope this message finds you well and happy

Following on from your last post...a little cream in the spinach is fine!!! Good for you!

Well done in drinking the 2 litres of water...you'll notice the difference if you drink that amount everyday...your skin will look fab and your weight loss will be pretty excellent too.

As for portion size....well that sounds like it's a bit of a problem with you at the moment. I am sure when you get further into the MM then the potion size will grow. For the moment though any food you can't eat at meal time, put to one side.

When or if you start to feel hungry again, then re-heat the food if necessary and then finish it off.

I would stay away from snacking on fruit between meals even if it's well with the time ranges MM gives. I find eating fruit at the very start or very end of the day is fine, but during the day it really bloats me out. I really LOVE fruit so this isn't always easy for me but it really helps.
You said that you were eating an apple while waiting for your dinner...that might bloat you out slightly so you don't get to enjoy the main meal portion. You might be OK...everyone is different..

If you can't face eating left overs from the previous meal, try cucumber and carrot chunks with some fresh coriander, or slices of tomato with freash basil to snack on...its a little easier for your body to digest than fruit.

The Protein/lipid or low carb choice is a very personal thing. As you carry on with the MM you'll come to realise very quickly what your body needs and when.

For me breakfast can go either way.

Lunch is usually very high protein with lots of veg or salad.

My evening meal is also high in protein , and tends to actually be bigger than lunch even though the MM says the opposite. But because I tend to get more hungry at night and I wish to share the meal time with my partner we always have a substatial amount.
Sometimes though (the time of the month, or crap day at work) I tend to have a very high carbo meal...lots of pasta, or rice (no meat though). I find past and rice more of comfort food!

High protien low carb meals make me feel better anf fuller for longer. They are also very good if you reach a plateau in your weight loss later on...extra protein kick starts everything again!

Please feel free to ask for recipes at anytime...it would be a pleasure to share them. I love cooking so a lot of my old recipes have been "converted" to the MM, and they taste really good.

Just as a post script.... I TOTALLY AGREE with Spang in that you are now on your way to the new you and your new eating habits for life.

The MM is a very healthy well balanced way of eating...please please please don't ever think of it as a diet otherwise you'll only think of this way of eating in the short term, and won't get round to embracing it fully.
Over the months I have followed this I have found that I can go up to 3 weeks without loosing weight but just staying static, then the following week I'll loose 7lbs...so it can jump about like that...so don't dispair if the weight doesn't come off at the way you want it.... your body has gone through a lot from all the diets you have been on in the past...and now its slowly getting back to normal.
Just think about how healthy you are eating and that the weight loss is a wonderful bonus that goes with it...so don't wish your life away for 4 weeks down the line, enjoy each day for all the yummy food you get to eat and knowing you are being good to your body and yourself!

Take Care Sandra
All the best

PP

Hi Pink Pebbles,

thanks again for your support... I have to think about your hint about the fruits during the day... actually I just got home from the supermarket and bought lots of carrots and tomatoes. I used the apples before because the are so easy to carry with me, and when I'm on my way home and know that it will take me one hour more to prepare lunch, I'll have one on the train. And since in spain dinnertime is so late, I had another at around 7pm. but now I'll try to switch over to the veggies, because of the sugar, and because I want to see results at the end of this month... but I really like apples and pears so I don't know if carrots will do for me, I don't want to feel like a rabbit...

Last night I had shrimps with white wine and herbs, it was fantastic. The variety of fresh fish here in the stores is amazing. I found out that the recipes for fish here in the mediteranean go very well with the MM, I have a fish cookbook which is very good. Many recipes come with breadcrumbs, but there are still a lot without any carbs. In the restaurants everything is served with pasta, potatoes or rice, but since you can easily order a salat instead, I'll be fine.

The only thing bad here is the white flour mania. If you ask someone where you could find wholegrain stuff, they will look at you as if sick or from another planet. But Madrid is big and I will keep searching. One day I will find the tiny little healthy-food-store I'm looking for...

You live in London, don't you? Was it easy for you to find all the foods required? Or did you have to look too to find shops ? Was it easy for you in the beginning to adapt your life (and maybe your surroundings) to the new lifestyle? I find that I'm more at home than before because I'm cooking my food and don't go to Macdonalds or similar anymore. And that it is a little more difficult to be spontaneous. Today I was invited after class to the house of a friend (I'm doing a spanish class), but I turned it down until next week because I didn't have any food with me and also didn't want to come to her house and find only toast or pasta to eat. but on the other hand I don't want to tell everybody that I'm trying to change my eating habits. I've done that so often, and afterwards it didn't work out. Now I'm a little embarassed to admit that I'm trying it again... After all, for many people this is just another diet, and I want to avoid that. How did your surroundings react to you?


Hope you're having a nice day.

Sandra.

Dear Sandra

Thanks for your lovely mail today.

I live just outside London in Slough to be exact.....but hoping to move to the SW soon...

Anyhow no problems with me finding any of the foods, even Fructose is readily available in the Supermarkets here. I do feel for you as it must be pretty hard trying to get Organic, wholemeal food stuffs in Madrid.....I'm sure if you have a bit of a search on the internet there might be a few companies that supply customers in Europe.

Try this link......it maybe of some use. I haven't looked at it too closely but you might strike it lucky here:

http://www.biomarkets.com/magasin.php?magid=7&lang=GB

The only problem I had when I started the MM was that everyone thought it was a fad...they used to take the Mickey out of me a lot and ask me how my "Diabetic Diet" was going. It was only when the weight loss started to show did they start to come up to me and ask what I ate etc, and all of a sudden their attitudes changed. My partner was very understanding and supportive, and he is trying to do it properly now as he needs to lose a few lbs....

I am very lucky as I really don't like junk food, so not eating McDonalds or Burger King etc was no big deal for me. I haven't eaten a potato in any shape or form for 9 months and I don't miss them at all..... my other half loves that sort of food, so he is finding the MM slightly harder to stick to than me.

As for adapting to the MM? well I tell you...I bought the book on a Wednesday at lunchtime....and by the following morning had a pretty good handle on what was going on....and I haven't looked back. Between myself and my friend who lost 4 stone on the method we have managed to do a lot of fact finding from the internet and have helped eat other out with recipes, but have both admitted that we have felt like we have cheated our way through this because it has never seemed a chore.....as eating goes, this has been the most enjoyable way to loose weight ever....and we never feel like we are on any sort of restriction.


I did have a bit of a battle when visiting friends and relatives as they would always try to force me to eat potatoes or have rice with meat. I would be very strict with myself in these situations and thank them kindly for their lovely food, but not touch the offending food items! Now they are used to it, they don't bother me with all the lectures.

The easiest bit was in restaurants, I found the chefs and waiters etc very helpful. For example when I go to Pizza Express I would order a Salad Nicoise, but I would say to them I don't want the dough balls, or the new potatoes, but can I have extra olives and tuna.....they are always happy to do that. So don't just stick with salads when you go out in Madrid...if you see a pasta dish you like...say you want it without meat/seafood and ask for a salad on the side or extra sauce or cheese....or be cheeky (like me ) and ask for a glass of wine for free...hehehehehe

It was a shame you didn't go round to your friends house after your Spanish class.....I am sure if you explained you are changing the way you are eating rather than saying you are on a diet people would be very interested and understanding. Don't stop your social life because of food. Lord knows I did that for years...and it's miserable. So next time you get an invite ....go. If you get offered toast or whatever, decline it, but say your happy with some olives or some fruit.

Anyway...Have to go and do some work ...yawn

Oh while I remember...a very nice snack....get a can of chickpeas....drain them and pat them dry with kitchen towel.....pre heat the oven...gas mark 6 or so....place the chickpeas on a shallow roasting tray sprinkle some chilli, or salt or what ever spices you like...the roast them in the oven for 15 mins......after about 7 mins though check them and give the tin a bit of a shake....after 15 mins.....enjoy..........................delish!!!!!


Take care....all the best

Hi,

I am new to Montignac. I bought one of his book five years ago and took a lot of good eating habits, but it was only two weeks ago that I really started to follow his method. I went on his Web site (I hate almost everything about it) and got started with a personalized menu. I don’t follow it to the letter but it helps me figures out how many times a week I can have pasta, cheese with fat or cheese 0% fat.

Sandra, the snacks on my menu for a week are basically

2 times: cheese up to 40% fat
2 times: cheese 0% fat with fruit puree (no sugar) or juice
3 times: yoghurt 0% fat with fruit puree, juice or muesli
1 time: skimmed milk with fruit puree
1 time: fresh fruit
1 time: Montignac bread with juice

Now that I’m reading that, I understand why I didn’t loose any weight this week. I loved that late vintage cheese so much that I ate it more than twice in my week!

Please Spang, could you post your recipe for home made muesli? I am looking forward to trying some.

I still don’t really believe that I can loose weight and eat as much as I want but I hope I will be proven wrong

CC

Hi CalicoCat (what cute name u have)

I am new to Montignac, in fact I'm not even doing yet but it sounds like something I could really live with. Do you mind me asking how much it cost to sign up at the website. I went there and got really no useful info from the demo's or maybe I was doing it wrong I hate spending time clicking things only to find out its not what you think.

I hope you'll be proven wrong to

Hi KoKo,

At the bottom of the home page, click « subscribe ». At the bottom of that page were they ask for your info, they give you the price: 13,95 US$ per month or 149,95US$ per year. I took only a month to get myself started. I don’t think it’s worth a year for a few recipes and not much of anything else.

I am not surprised to hear that you had trouble finding what you need on that web site. The whole thing is poorly design and trying to contact someone there, is pure waste of time! On my experience anyway… I have only try the French part, I wish you better luck on the English side

home made muesli with mixed fresh fruit

1 cup rolled oats
2/3 cup low fat milk
1 tablespoon raisins
1/2 cup of low fat plain yogurt
1/4 cup whole almonds, chopped
1 apple grated
lemon juice (optional)
mixed fresh fruit to taste (such as strawberries, pear, plum, blueberries...)

1. combine the oats, milk, and raisins in a bowl. cover and refridgerate over night
2. add the yogurt, almonds and apple - miz well
3. to serve - adjust the flavor with lemon juice. serve with fruit of choice.

Serves 2
Low GI (ie less than 30)
Info per serving (if you are into this kind of info)
Cal 365
carb 50 g
fat 11g
fiber 5g

This is courtesy of new glucose revolution book.

If you don't want to mix your fruits with the rest of your meals (a la traditional Montignac, try leaving them out!)

spang

Thanks Calico

Gee I just noticed you are in Quebec, I'm in Ontario - near the border - Hull is just accross the river and some small towns I forget the name of - I am in Prescott-Russell area if that means anything to you. Just over an hour away from Montreal. Unfortunately I am not biling but can understand a bit spoken and am really good at reading labels in French Especially as the town I live in is mostly Francophone, so in the store everything is French side out on the shelves (till I go turn one or two around )

I don't think I will suscribe to it, I'm pretty cheap. But yes the site is pretty limp at giving away anything helpful for free. The little animated man is quite charming though, I could fall in love with his accent.