I live in Chino, near Pomona. There is a bioidentical hormone treatment center in LA that I could go to, but they don't take insurance and I suspect there would be much money changing hands. Not out of the question, if this doesn't help, but not my first choice, of course.

I am cautiously optimistic about the new local OD. I just got back from my first visit and she really listened to me! None of that stupid "don't drink coffee after dinner" throat clearing that most doctors waste time with. She completely understood my resistance to premarin and seemed very open to working with me. Now. Whether my insurance will pay for any of the medications is another thing. . . I suspect not. I may still have high out-of-pocket costs.

I totally agree about bariatric surgery. It has a high mortality rate, it has an even higher rate of complications, and it doesn't always work. I don't want any part of it. I spent an hour talking to a doctor about it about 25 years ago. He was very enthusiastic because I had great insurance that would have covered 100%. But after a very long discussion about it I finally asked, "You mean this works only because you're too afraid to overeat because you know you'll tear your stomach open if you do?" He said, "Yes." I said, "No thanks." It was clear that bariatric surgery was nothing more than a very low cal diet plan that worked by threatening your life if you cheated.*

I've been thinking the same thing as you -- that this Cure is a low fat, low calorie, low carb plan. But I don't have any better ideas at this point.


I'm right there with you. I've been stuck in the 280s all year. I've lost only about 10 pounds this year. There's been a little wine and vodka, and maybe two dietary lapses that were brief, but I've been quite diligent with little to show for it.

I laugh every time someone writes that I must be swapping fat for muscle. If that were true, I'd look like one of those bodybuilders with rippling muscles right below the skin. I've been mostly low carb for 10 years.

I do, however, feel better on low carb than I ever did on any other plan. I feel healthier and more energetic than I did as a kid or as a teenager. That's what keeps me here.

*(I don't know what's changed in bariatric surgery in 25 years.)

This *is* definitely the Eades' version of a crash diet. They invented it to help themselves get ready for a tv show they were hosting.

But

I think it's only low fat for the first two weeks. Meat weeks (weeks 3 and 4) are supposed to be much higher in fat.

Yes I've thought of that too, but the only change really has been to add some extra potassium, so I have trouble seeing how that could cause the joint pain.

Yes I thought about that too. I would say that probably the main "take away" has been nuts and/or nut butter. I love almonds and almond butter in particular, and would often have a handful of raw almonds, or some fresh almond butter. Other than that I guess I'm eating just about the same things I ate before, except less of it and less variety - since I only get one meal a day.

Yes very true. Naturally I can't ask my liver how it's making out these days, but I do feel I was not overly stressing it before I started the 6W plan anyway. As I've said, I've been stalled quite a long time now, and I gave up caffeine and alcohol months ago as one of my futile stall-breaking efforts. And I've occasionally had a dose of ibuprofen but I'm not a chronic or daily user, and I have been taking daily milk thistle supplements since I had gallbladder problems in 2007.

Yes I do worry about the hormonal thing - mainly because it's a hard thing to work on without medical intervention, and I just don't have the time and/or mental energy to try to find a doctor who would work with me on that issue -and I *hate* going to doctors anyway and would rather lose weight by cutting off my legs than by going to a doctor. I'm sitting here starting to hyperventilate just from *thinking* about going to a doctor. I've been trying to see what I can do on my own. I've been supplementing with Iodine (kelp) for months now as, at the time, I had read some recommendations highly suggesting them over Iodoral, naturally can't recall now where I read it. And I have been using over-the-counter progesterone cream too at the recommendation of a friend who said it broke a long stall for her. Been doing that for months also.

Well it's possible I have not been having enough carbs either. The book is so vague and unclear about what your carb intake should be, and I've been just trying to "guess" based on the sample menus provided, and they are so all over the place that it was really hard for me to figure out what the count should be, so I sort of just said to myself, "The heck with it, I'll just keep my carbs super-low and not worry about trying to guess what the number should be."

Yeah, I think that's true - but I *hate* feeling hungry every waking minute of the day. Clearly it's not "for life". That would never be sustainable. But even for two weeks it's hard to be hungry constantly. OK, maybe it's just me. Other people seem not to be hungry on the plan. But I'm sitting here right now and all my mind can tell me is *food food food* because I'm so hungry. I don't want to wind up in on of those darn rebound situations where you end up eating everything in sight.

And heck, sitting at 294 pounds this morning, so I'm doing the 3-scoop shakes, but it still does not hold me.

Adding an egg does help a bit. But the Eades warn you not to use the raw eggs unless you plan to drink the shakes immediately. And two of mine are made at 6:30 AM to bring to work in a thermos to have for breakfast at 10 AM and lunch at 1:30 PM, so I don't want to add eggs to them.

I sure know the feeling. I started out the year at 312 and actually reached a low of 282 at one point, but over the next couple weeks it sprang back up to 292, which I had first hit the end of February, and I've been hovering around there, give or take 2-3 pounds, ever since. I might have had a total of 2-3 glasses of wine the entire calendar year, and that is it for my alcohol intake. I've been caffeine-free for several months. I had a tiny sliver of the cake I'd made for my daughter-in-law's baby shower in July, and in late August I went out with my sister to a local ice cream place and had a cup of their sugar-free chocolate-peanut butter ice cream.

And those are the only two things that I would call an indiscretion this entire calendar year. Other than that I've been very diligent too - and I eventually gave up on the TDC Monthly Challenges as it got too depressing seeing everyone losing and losing while I just sat in one place!

Now, for the big question of the hour? What flavor shake will I have when I get home later?

I know what you mean about starving, and not being able to concentrate on anything else but thinking about that one meal.

My husband seems totally normal - he says he's hungry, but he can ignore it. I, though, wake up with the cat staring at me and I'm thinking, "could I eat it?" But I couldn't concentrate hard enough on it to make it happen (run Riley kitty run! ). I love my kitty Riley, I'm just saying - I'm really hungry!

The whole reason I have loved low carb (in the past) was that it meant not being hungry. I guess the only good news is that what I'm craving is meat. I'm completely obsessed with protein and fat combinations - like over easy eggs fried in coconut oil served beside or on top of spicy pork chops.

BTW, are you really taking advantage of all the carbs you can have? Some cauliflower or whatever? We weren't.

I totally don't feel like I have full use of my brain until after the one meal a day. I keep wondering if we should have it first.

Aren't you on week 3 soon? We started last Sunday, so we're on day 2 in Week 2.

Sarah

You know, I find a really huge steak, like 6-8 oz is enough to hold me like all day. I just don't get hungry after I have a big portion of protein like that. I think I'll have no problem with weeks 1 & 2 (still haven't started) if I have a steak for lunch everyday.

I'll probably be jonesing for veggies though.

I'm struggling a lot today. Hungrier than usual between shakes, but that's normal. I can eat like a pig the day before TOM and not gain. But I'm struggling with whether or not to continue...

However, I think I have to keep trying because I promised myself that if I bought ANOTHER diet book (my last!), I would follow it to the letter for the 6 weeks and see what happened. I give up way too easily. I even like just doing the shakes because it's teaching me not to eat for emotional reasons. I don't know if that will stick after 6 weeks, but we can hope!

You know, that's actually one thing I really appreciate about the shakes *and* the hunger.

I'm not one for any delayed gratification. I've gotta eat *now*! When I was at that mentor/mentee event Saturday I was so aware that I could just not eat for 8 hours, and it was going to be ok.

Also, have to say that the original intermittent fasting idea called for a lot more than 8 hours at a time. So hopefully I'm learning that I can survive with a small fast every so often too.

Pellegrino really helps - the fizzies make it more filling than regular water.

Sarah

re: 'the meal'

made the Cauliflower Rice - 'fried rice' again tonight. Finished off the head of cauliflower. Have you guys tried it? It looks way easier with a food processor, but it's not too hard just cutting it yourself if you cut across the whole head and all the florets in really thin slices, and not separate the florets.

Big hit with the husband - and it provides more volume - as I added a couple eggs (MD Eades suggests 1 egg).

Made the cauli-rice to use up the pork loin from the other day. phewww - eating only one meal a day - that took all week! I keep coming up with new ways to serve it.

Going shopping for chicken now. But I want curry chicken, and I think that means once again ... dunh dunh duhhhh - cauli rice. Or maybe I will serve it with some of that spaghetti squash I have lurking in the fridge..

What are you all having for *the meal*?

I am having my usual low carb dinner for the most part. Meat and some veg. Last night was london broil - teriyaki pot roast style w/onions and green beans w/ slivered almonds. I ate way too much meat. But I couldn't have a morning shake as I had to fast for blood work. So, I barely got a 2nd shake in before dinner. Actually down a bit this morning to where I was before the weekend.

I may extend the shakes an extra day or so - to make up for some that I missed. Weekends are harder for me. Then its on to all meat all the time!

I love cauliflower! It's been one of my veggie staples ever since I first low-carbed back in 1997. Creamed cauli, steamed cauli, cauli rice, cauli-crust pizza, creamed cauli soup .... It's just great.

My meals have been pretty boring as I live alone, cook for one - so I don't want to get too many complicated ingredients that will go bad long before I ever get to eat them all! I've decided for now that bags of flash-frozen veggies are probably a better deal than buying fresh. The green beans in my garden are producing like mad right now, but even with them the instant I pick them I just pop them straight into the freezer. My entire crop of raspberries got popped directly into the freezer too, and not sure when I will ever get to them. I'm thinking I might try to toss one or two into a shake. My tomatoes were pitiful this year and my squash rotted after producing only 3 squashes, so that is it for my home-grown produce this year - though my next-door neighbor has promised me a few zucchini.

But as for my meals? Hmmm, I suppose I should have been better about my journaling. I have to get back to that. Got sidetracked back around when my new grandson was born on Sept. 8 (2 weeks old today!) so have not kept track as closely.

When I have been cooking at home my meal has often been bacon and eggs. I'll cook up about three slices of bacon, then remove them to a plate. Then I put a tablespoonful or two of chopped onion into the bacon grease and cook until soft, then add about a cup of frozen chopped spinach and continue cooking. When the spinach is totally well heated through I add 2-3 eggs to the mixture and continue cooking. Sometimes I add some shredded cheese.

So that has been a big "at home" meal. I also had some organic, free range, grass-fed beef left hotdogs in the fridge when I started, so two meals were 2 hotdogs each for the meat - one with sautéed spinach and one with sautéed green beans from the garden. One time I was at my son and DiL's (who currently are living with DiL's parents) and her mom served me a bowl of beef/ginger soup - just a thin, salt-free ginger/beef broth with big chunks of beef in it - and that was my meal, no veggies with that one.

Twice I was out to eat with family at a place called Irving's which is a sort of Jewish deli place (not kosher though, since they combine both meat and dairy). Both times I got the reuben without bread and Russian dressing - so it was just pastrami and sauerkraut topped with swiss cheese, and had it with their spicy brown mustard, and ate a small pickle also. Once I also got a burger from a new fastish-food chain in my area called Elevation Burger which serves only organic, free range, grass-fed beef which is ground right on the premises, and right on their menu board they said if you are avoiding bread let them know and they will wrap your burger in lettuce - plus you can get tomatoes, pickles and onions as toppings, so the lettuce and toppings were my veggies for that day.

Last night I took some frozen chicken thighs out of the freezer to cook up for a meal whenever they defrost. Not sure yet exactly how I will cook them. That's about for my meals so far.

Last night dinner was very simple: baked chicken breasts, broccoli w/ slivered almonds. Since all I did was put s&P on the chicken, I made gravy afterwards by adding white wine to the drippings, then cream and some guar gum. Is that kind of alcohol illegal this week? It sure was good!

This morning my kids made waffles before I got up and I had a fourth. bad, bad, bad.

I like making Pad Thai out of cauliflower rice. I just substitute it for the rice noodles.