? Speedin up the weight loss, liquid dieting?

[Tigerfly]

Until now, my low carb efforts have done okay. I have lost weight, and I was pretty happy about it.

But...

When I went to work today, I noticed that one of my colleagues had just lost a lot more than me, and she wasn't even doing low carb... :(

I know you are not suppose to compare yourself to others but it's a bit hard when her clothes seem so loose on her and mine are still just barely roomy.

The big question is how she did it, and the answer was...

Clear liquid dieting. (She is post Tonsil Removal surgery)

So, as of today...

I (while keeping my Tonsils) am going to start a clear liquid diet.

This means a lot of water, some Sugar Free Jello, and no-sugar-added Dole Fruit-cicles. By the way, I'm also going to take a multi-vitamin.

Now a question for you... have you ever done a liquid diet, and for how long?

[LukeA]

I started a liquid diet like that in the past, I then became anorexic and would only eat sf jello and water........

that was the most unhealthy i have ever been in my life, and i would never reccomend it to anybody. You have a high chance of putting on the pounds after coming off of it anyway.

[Rosebud]

Hi Tigerfly,

What you are doing is a type of fasting and I do not recommend it. It is the sort of thing an eating disordered person would try. Eating disorders are too serious to risk. :exclm:
This will actually lower your metabolism, making future weight loss attempts more difficult.

You will also lose a lot of muscle rather than fat, as you seem to be planning on eating no protein.

Please, do not do this to yourself. Slow, steady weight loss is much the best. I know it may seem frustrating at times, but the weight is much more likely to stay off when you lose more slowly. And low carbing is about permanent weight loss, and a healthy way of eating. Fasting is okay if done for medical or religious reasons, but otherwise can be very dangerous.

Rosebud:rose:

[nowonder]

Sounds like a great way to ruin your metabolism.

--nw

[Tigerfly]

I see... you don't think liquid dieting would be a good thing... but what would 1 week hurt?...

[LukeA]

Even in one week it can cause significant bone density loss, and irreversable brain damage even in some people.

[Rosebud]

I see... you don't think liquid dieting would be a good thing... but what would 1 week hurt?...
Tigerfly, have you ever been treated for an eating disorder (ED) before? Because you are sounding more and more like a person with an ED. If you have had an ED in the past, I would seek treatment before this gets out of hand. If you have never had an ED, please, just continue with your plan.

You could lose a lot of muscle in one week. And you would also probably find that any weight lost would return once you recommence normal eating. And as I said earlier, weight loss would then be that much more difficult. My strong advice is to not do it - in case I haven't made myself clear. ;)

Rosebud:rose:

[Tigerfly]

I don't have an ED, I just don't want to be fat anymore.

[Dylan]

If you are looking for evidence that it is possible for you to lose weight perhaps there are other methods you could try without putting yourself through horrendous torture for a week.
Lets say you do this for a week, you'll most likely recieve headaches and mood swings, not too mention being tired and irrational since your brain wont be getting enough nutrients to make reasonable choices. I would also think that a week wouldn't be long enough anyway to see dramatic results and realistically as many people have tried, you cannot sustain it. Once you go back to eating "normal" or low carb- the craving might increase, and you could end up putting it all back on. It will affect your metabolism and it will make you feel miserable. This is from personal experience, and reading other members opinions throughout the board.
What is the percent ratio right now.. Really though, a different perspective on when and what you are eating could be a better advantage than doing a liquid diet. Besides, perhaps she is doing other things such as exercise or whatever. Lifestyles are different. You can definately learn from what other people do but unless you follow them around 24 hours a day and take unhealthy measures it will eventually take its toll.
Just a thought...
I think it would be more reasonable to post some of your daily menus, that way, we could give you a clearer

[joanne42]

I say don't do it.. I have to agree with others.. You are only messing with your metabolism.. Why not try and stick with something you can do long term instead of a temporary fix.. Don't compare yourself with your co worker.. The minute her tonsils are out she will more than likely go back to regular eating and gain the weight she lost back..

[Tigerfly]

Honestly, I think I've already messed up my metabolism... My life is so busy between work and my kids, I only eat once a day... when I do eat, I usually eat spinich taco salads (I love salsa, sour cream and guacomole.)

[joanne42]

Im telling you.. A liquid diet is a temporary fix.. The minute you put solids back into your stomach you will gain weight back.. Please do this the sensible way.. With real food.. Not empty calories...

[Tigerfly]

Everybody seems to have good points on what a dumb idea liquid dieting is, I'll have to give it a bit more thought.

...Regardless, I'd like to thank all of you for your insight on the matter.

[Dylan]

Honestly, I think I've already messed up my metabolism... My life is so busy between work and my kids, I only eat once a day... when I do eat, I usually eat spinich taco salads (I love salsa, sour cream and guacomole.)
OMG- well if you are only eating once a day, no wonder your friendis losing more weight than you! Your poor body is saying hold on to it, store it, don't let this energy get away!
Eat moer often, and don't skip breakfast! I was always of the mindset that skipping or only eating once a day would be far more benficial and a truer test of my "will power". I don't think so...
My blood sugar is way more stable (less cravings, no insulin spikes to hold on to the incoming energy) and increased metabolism from eating more often.
Stabilizing blood sugar is the ultimate goal, can you do that on a liquid diet? no. Can you do that by eating once a day? no. Who are you trying to fool? Your body is like a machine....will your car run effieciently if it doesn't have fuel?no.
Hope you work something out for yourself. I still have to verbally outloud tell myselff sometimes that changing the methods constantly will not produce faster results. :wave:

[Lunasphere]

If you are only eating once a day then you are NOT doing Atkins properly. If your life is so busy that you cannot eat then you need to change your schedule. I am not trying to be mean but that is just crazy that you cannot find the TIME to eat. Point blank, eating should be a priority even if you have to eat while doing something else at the same time. What do you do for lunch at work? When your kids eat you can eat along with them.

Are you sure you really don't have the time to eat or are you giving yourself an excuse not to eat? Please really ponder about that. Again I am not trying to be rude or mean, I am just trying to understand how someone doesn't have the time to eat.

When you start eating more you will see more weight starting to come off. It may sound crazy but this is the truth! Please eat!

[lilli]

Hi!
You don't sound like someone with an "ED" to me, just someone who really really wants to lose weight. I've struggled with ED forever, and let me tell you, liquid diets don't work. If you did it for a week, you would ONLY lose water weight, and a little muscle. Plus, if you eat way too little calories (I'm talking less than 1,00 here. 1,200 is fine to lose weight, and you won't go into the much overblown "starvation mode") for more than 4 days, you WILL go into starvation mode, and you will start eating up your good muscle, along with fat, and you don't want to do that. It puts your vital organs at stake. Don't go below 1200.
If you want to go on a cleansing fasting type diet that badly, I wouldn't do it with sugar free jello and fruit bars. There's absolutely no nutrition or fiber there. Not good at all!!!!! Do it with vegetable juice. No, it isn't clear, but you won't be dealing with such severe malnutrition. If you don't have a juicer, you should think about getting one, if you're serious about a liquid diet once in a while.
I don't think there's anything wrong with giving our bodies a break with a mini- healthy juice fast once in a while. I think it's good for us- you should read up on it on the web, if you haven't already. Beware, alot of people think any type of fasting is a bad idea.
But once you're in water fasting territory to lose weight, that's where you go wrong and can give people the impression you have an "ed". Water (and jello and sugary fruit bars) diets are definitely anorexic territory, and I wouldn't go there. Especially if you have kids and have to have energy to take care of them and give a good example.

[Tigerfly]

Thank you so much lilli for your post! I feel a lot better!

[nikkil]

I hear you on feeling like you're too busy to eat sometimes. I have 3 kids and 3 jobs, do volunteer work at the kids school and do all kinds of other things, plus I do the majority of the housework and kid stuff. What works for me is to cook lots of meat at a time so that it's cooked and ready for a quick snack or meal. Also, cheese and boiled eggs come in handy, bagged (prewashed) salads and spinach are great, too. Look here on the forum for all kinds of ways to save time while still eating healthfully.

Your co-worker may have lost weight because of the liquid diet, but like somebody else said, as soon as her throat heals and she's eating normally she'll be packing that weight right back on again faster than she lost it. So, it's a Tortoise and the Hare kind of thing..... :D

I'm an impatient person myself and it's gotten me nothing but trouble when it comes to this WOE. I get impatient about losing weight and then end up getting frustrated, going off plan, regaining some weight and putting myself further behind. Concentrate on all the good things about LC and how good you're feeling, make sure to take measurements and document them. Also, keep a graph or something of your weightloss. One time I was so frustrated and felt like I wasn't making any progress. I went back and made a graph of my weightloss for the 4-5 months previous and discovered that I'd been having nice steady losses. It was very motivating!!

Take care,

Nicole

ps - if you did do the liquid diet you would have no energy and be groggy and grouchy and you'd probably end up binging out of desperation.

[weigh down]

tigerfly,forget about the liquids it will not work take the advice of all those I have read and do the Atkins i eat four or five times a day grazing so to speak but low carb and I feel great the research that I have read says when you eat large meals the body will store it as surplus even if it is one meal a day i have been low carbing 20 months I have lost from 265 down now to 171 I exercise everyday Atkin's is all about good nutrition and good health I no longer take blood pressure medication and I have never felt better in my life. I have done liquids don't waste your time.
weigh down