Back to the Beginning!

[JAYJOY]

I'm a fairly new member, and just wanted to add my 2 cents to this forum.

Right after this past Christmas, once again feeling bloated and out of control and unhappy about my weight and fluctuations of mood and health, I thought about going on a lo-carb diet (as low fat never did anything for me except keep me snacking all the time and feeling hungry). So I went to the bookstore and looked at all the books and bought Dr. Schwarzbien's latest book. It made a lot of sense, but after a few days of trying it out, I felt it was too purist and I couldn't stick to it. So I got all kinds of lo carb books from the library and found this site and did tons of research and reading. I began to really restrict my carbs and I was losing weight, but I felt I was leaning toward a lot of unhealthy aspects of lo-carbing, (LOts of artificial sweeteners and shakes and protein bars. I was also getting really obsessed with carb counting and what and when I would eat. Then the weight loss stalled and I thought to myself, I just want to eat healthy, and not be so obsessed. And since the lo-carb has given me more energy and more even moods, I knew I could never go back to the amount of refined carbs and sugars I had been eating most of my life.

To make a long story short, here I am again, committed more to my health and trying not to obsess with the weight loss, and back to the Swarzbien principles. I realize that the weight loss is an attractive short term goal, but ultimately I want to eat healthy whole foods and feel good about my WOE. I've also committed to more resistence exercise as is suggested in the book, as in the past I've always leaned toward more cardio, as a way of "controlling my weight, and "feeling" more like I'm burning fat. Now I really want to change my body composition.

Anyway, I was wondering if anyone else has felt this way, that we may not make the immediate great losses in body weight that other lo-carbers boast about, but we may find a WOL that is very healthy and satisfying. :roll:

Thanks for listening, (or should I say "reading")......JAYJOY!

[CaroleSP]

I'm lucky, I guess, because I don't have a lot of weight to loose. My goal weight is about 5-10 pounds away, so losing lots of weight on a plan isn't my main motivator. I want to eat healthy because I want to BE healthy. That's why I like Schwarzbein. She focuses on natural eating; no caffeine, no artifical sweetners, no alcohol, no hydrogenated fats, etc. She also stresses the importance of exercise, yoga, and pilates. I think she has a really balanced approach. Not like Atkins, where he advocates artificial sweetners, protein bars, and fake food mixes while also limiting nutritional fruits and veggies.
Carole
:)

[rosarugosa]

:wave: Welcome JayJoy! and :thup: to what both you and Carole stated. I have come to the same conclusions about 'diet programs'. I have found that loss does come and most importantly it *stays* while following TSP. I especially like the fact that nothing healthy is excluded.

[gingertea]

I like her balances approach as well. The focus is on personal health and eventual weight loss (if needed) is a bonus. Yes the weight does come off more slowly but you can eat this way for the rest of your life. I also like that it emphasizes all natural foods and exersize. THough I do have to admit like some of the others that I liked her first book better. It's been successful for me so I'm sticking with that. :)

[Suni]

Oh, how I could relate to your post.

I was on a low-fat diet, then I did WW and nothing would move the weight off my middle. I knew exactly how much fibre and fat was in every morsel I ate! I didn't have a lot of weight to loose - aobut 15 - 20lbs. but it just wouldn't come off. Besides being extremely frustrated, I disliked what I ate - nothing tasted good - I had these awful cravings for "sweets" - I'd eat low-fat and think I was in control then I'd binge on sweets - I just couldn't seem to stop once I began. Then I'd berate myself for being so weak etc. and it seemed to be a self-defeating cycle.

I knew there had to be a better way and while searching a low-carb website I discovered different lists of books with a small statement from each author - it was like Dr. S was speaking to me - I could relate to everything she said. I went to the library and rented the book. I read it twice, from cover to cover. I was so impressed with the information I insited both my daughters read it. The results have been (literally) amazing!

I know I (might) sound like a Dr. S. evangalist, but you did ask for feedback. Stick with the plan - it works - my family and I are happy, healthy, living proof!

Good luck. :wave:

I, like you, used to do just cardio (to burn fat) but had never seen any results in the two years I had been doing step aerobics + weights. I have been eating TSP for over a year now, I have lost all but 2 - 3 pounds I have wanted to loose, I (carelessly) count my carbs and ocassionally on the weekend, I will allow myself a "treat" - during the week I (usually) don't injest any sugar. I am down a size in clothes and I can actually see some improvement in my body - less fat and more toning. I cut once cardio class and concentrate on warming up on the tredmill and do free weights one day a week. I also joined a yoga class one evening a week - for stretching and strengthening. (I am 55 in in the Big M and everything that wasn't sagging was tightening up!)

But the BEST part for me is - I no longer suffer from cravings. It feels incredible to be free of cravings. Not to look at a cinnamon bun and begin salivating! I cook with cold pressed olive oils and almond and peanut oil and use only the salad dressing listed in TSP Cookbook. Food has never tasted so good! And I've been able to eliminate sugar in my coffee and tea - something I thought I'd never be able to do!

I have more energy, I sleep well, I feel wonderful, take 100% natural HRT and I will never go off this WOE. My daughter, who was carrying post-pregnancy weight, has lost two clothes sizes and threw out most of her other cookbooks and cooks low-carb and TSP recipes only.

[workinmom]

That's great to hear that SP is working so well for you and your family. Did you find that you gained weight prior to losing, as she indicates can happen in her book? :q:

[BethanyM]

Your post is SO inspiring! I just switched from Atkins, after a couple weeks and feeling very sick. I'm in the big M also, have scrawny arms and legs, and I look about 8 months pg with about 10 pounds extra weight in my belly. I've done all the diets, and all I did was crave and binge.
I haven't read book 1 yet, and perhaps this will become more clear when I get it. (I started with book 2.) I understand about limiting to 15 carbs at meals and snacks, but how do I know how much other food to eat? Are you careful howmuch? Do you eat at little as you can and get away wtih not bingeing? I'm afraid to trust this! I've gained 1 1/2 pounds in the 3 days since I went off of Atkins - I'm figuring that may be water weight from going back on carbs.

[Suni]

Hi & Good Morning

My advice is to read TSP book #1 first - it is an easy to understand read - I bought TSP II and it is much more in-depth and not as easy to comprehend (at least for me - I have to really concentrate and sometimes re-read).

I was never a junk food person to begin with but with the Big M I gained about 15 - 20 pounds that refused to leave my body - no matter what I did. I was so distraught with the "fat middle" I began saving for a tummy tuck. Like you I have slim arms and legs, hips and thighs but I looked like a balloon from my underarms to my groin - no waistline at all.

Once I got off the low-fat diest and began Dr. S's low-carb WOE, I immediately felt better - I noticed the improvement within 3 days - I thought I was immagining it. My energy level - WOW!

In the back of her book Dr. S. lists acceptable snacks and there is a 30-day dinner plan. I am not saying I followed either exactly but what I did was photocopy her lists and tacked them up on my kitchen cupboards. Then when I was hungry I would look at the list and see what came in at her suggested carb numbers. I am very thrifty and this almost killed me, but I threw away anything not whole foods (like pancake mix/muffin mix, white flour, etc.) and if the package wasn't opened, I donated it to a food bank. I was a sugar addict and I slowly weaned myself off of sugar - first one raw sugar cube in decaf coffee - then half a cube - then a 1/4 cube then none. We cut way back on potatoes, pasta and rice (this was the toughest for hubby) and now we have controlled portions of these high carb foods (as suggested 1/2 potato, 1/2 cup of brown rice). We eat more veggies in place of the carbs. (The noise you hear is my husband sobbing!) I found large bags of organic salad greens at Costco - buy one every week and eat it with one of Dr. S's salad dressings I made up from a recipe of hers. We eat eggs two morings a week - oatmeal the day in between - then eggs again. I use lots of olive oil and butter - love it! Substituted orange juice for a blended veggie juice.

The cravings have stopped - for me this is the best part. The weight gradually came off - it has been about a year - 15 - 17 lbs. - my body is toning with my gym workouts (something it never did before) and I have tons of energy and sleep well.

I don't keep a running tab of every carb I/we ingest but since I know the lists almost by heart, I sort of loosely count up during the day. I still have a bit of good chocolate on the weekend - life is just too short not to indulge in a bit of chocolate (just my opinion).

Hope this helps.

[tigersue]

I started working out about 15months before I started TSP. I have been doing it since last july. It really has made a big improvement for me. Yes, I do think that those of us using this plan have accepted slower weight loss, and truely recognize we are doing this for our total health, and not just weight loss. I do think other people in other plans are doing the same. The beauty of LC is that there is something for everyone.
I love my real foods, and induction would have been very hard for me, but most people doing Atkins are eating real foods, and doing the best they can.

I have found going to other journals have been very helpful in what other eat and do. You can get great ideas from them.
I make sure my family has a good breakfast everyday, with eggs, some kind of carb, usually cooked multi grain cereal, or grapefruit or some other LGI fruit, and sometimes bacon, sausage, and veggies that I sautee up. It all depends on the time I leave for myself to cook in the morning.
Tanya

[kmarie1351]

I too have returned to this WOE, and I generally follow Dr. S's principles, but I find that she is too strict about many things for me (calling some fruits "poison," "damaged fats," etc.). I can't obsess that much, or I'll go off the WOE.

I follow my own modified plan. I drink coffee and alcohol, eat fruit, and even have a few carbs (potato skins, etc.). I've been back on this WOE for a week, and have lost 4 lbs. (lifting weights helps too, I think). There are a few of us on this site who do the same. Stop by the journal entitled "Twiggy Time" for some great inspiration... she's got a great head on her shoulders, and a great bod below them.

[BethanyM]

THank you both for your help. I just got book 1. I'm going to put photocopies of those back pages on my cabinets - that's a great idea. It's still hard to believe I can actually eat all that stuff -- its been years. I feel such a sense of delight, and already can tell that I won't need to eat as much because of not feeling deprived. I don' t mind going on the lower carbs, as long as I don' t have to be HUNGRY all the time!!

[rosarugosa]

KMarie or anyone that knows, I thought I had read the books , at least TSPI, thouroughly,( I am still trying to understand TSPII completely) but I must have missed where Dr. S called any type of fruit "poison" . What fruit was that?

[cgar]

Hi,

I just bought SP. I never saw book one or two. How can I tell if I have book one or two?

Thanks

[rosarugosa]

cgar, the first TSP is titled: ' The Schwarzbein Principle' the rest of the cover says "the truth about Losing Weight, Being Healthy and Feeling Younger. Lose body fat and transform body composition/Prevent and correct chronic conditions and diseases/ Reverse accelerated metabolic aging/ Stop yo-yo dieting/quit addictions and food cravings/ Cure depression and mood swings"/ Diana Scwarzbein, M.D. Nancy Deville

TSPII is titled: 'The Schwarzbein Principle II/ The Transition'
"A Regeneration Process to Prevent And Reverse Accelerated Aging /Heal or improve your metabolism/Lose excess fat weight/ Prevent and reverse the degenerative diseases of aging/Achieve your ideal body composition/Stop chronic dieting/ Eliminate craving and addictions" diana Schwarzbein,M.D. with Marilyn Brown / also the TSPII has a picture of the smilling Dr. on it either thinking about how much help her program is to us or that new vacation home she can purchase now (just kidding!) :D

[tigersue]

I wondered the same thing too. I think the only fruit I really avoid are banana's which is not to difficult since I don't like them, on the other had, it seems to me the only "bad" carbs she wants people to stay away from are man made. Even in SP2 she suggests some people to stay away from Higher and mod glycemic fruit, I can understand that to a point and think it is wise until a body heals, but still there is a great deal of room for variation in what we eat.
Hope all is going well with you.
Tanya