Hello Everyone,

I am new here and have gained back some weight I previously lost and need to get back on track. I am 52, have IR, PCOS, Celiac as well as hypothyroid and Hashimoto's (talk about genetics that suck!!!). I'm also in peri menopause . I am in a bad way and am currently out of control with my eating and if I don't do something fast I will keep gaining. I have no excuse other than emotional eating and possibly addiction, as I know how to eat right.

I am not sure which diet to do. In the past I've done WW (my own low carb version) and HCG which worked great (3 years ago I lost 30 lbs and felt great) but I lost lots of hair afterward and I don't have any to spare.

I was all set to do Ideal Protein or HCG again but might not be a candidate for HCG according to the doc I saw, and Ideal Protein has only a couple of foods that are both gluten free and no soy.

I know any low carb would probably work. Any ideas on which to do ?

Thanks!

PS I hope this forum will be helpful for me as I phoned to join WW today and they have closed the one in my city.

I think I posted this in the wrong spot :-(.

No, you are in the right place. Welcome. Most of us are or were in a similar situation. You just need some wins.

First you have to pick a strategy. we know various ways of losing weight, I think the danger is knowing a little about everything. You have done the under graduate work, now pick a major!

Make a plan, Stick to it. In your stats I see you have lost two pounds. Great! I think you can lose 2 more pounds.

There are great people in this forum that can help support you. Hang in there. Next stop 197!!! I would love to see one hundred anything on my scale!

Please post any questions you have. Someone will help.

Welcome! You have read Atkins, PP and South Beach. Which plan fits your personality or way of eating? Do you want a straightforward Eat This, Don't Eat that plan? Or something with more flexibility? Atkins induction, especially the earlier versions with 3 cups of vegetables to start, is simple to follow and includes no gluten or soy unless you add it. SouthBeach has a bit more flexibility through the phases, and I noticed there will be a new gluten "aware" book for it next month. Some of the plans are summarized in the top bar, or read the related forums to see how current users are doing with their plans.

Nancy is a good resource for knowledge in these areas. She may be around later.

YOU have to get this under control. Many of us here have comfort food issues in addition to other stuff. Even the best diet plan for you would be undone by this.

You have decided to do something about it, thats a big part of the battle right there.
Best of luck and welcome...

Thanks, I have read these books in the past but never done the diets. I lost the most weight with WW and an Insulin Reducing plan from my Naturopath in 2006/2007.

Atkins sounds good as fat makes me feel better and keeps my bowels regular - when I cut it out, my bowels seem to stop dead.

If I'm going to do Atkins should I just buy the book (I don't have it anymore)? What do you mean about the earleri version - do I need an older book?

I really appreciate your reply and see that you've had masssive success, congratulations!

I did start with New Atkins for a New You (NANY) which has much new science and tips to be successful on a flexible plan. It emphasizes the concept of Net Carbs (subtracting fiber so many vegetables are allowed). Then I went to the clinic of one of its authors, who uses a plan based on 20 total carbs and 3 cups of salad/veg per day, which is simplier to follow and similar to the 2002 Atkins DANDR book. Dr. Westman's diet is in the excellent book by Gary Taubes Why We Get Fat or a bonus on-line. DANDR is easy to find used, millions of copies sold. All of them, inc. the popular Taubes, may be in your library and is a good way to review the different plans and decide what may work best for you.

Some on this forum like the very first Atkins, 1972 DADR. You can find the rules to that right here: http://forum.lowcarber.org/showthread.php?t=386471

And thanks, it took 16 months to lose 51 pounds to reach a normal BMI, and now have been hanging around a good weight for over 2 1/2 years. If you stick with low carb, which is easy to do because hunger is satisfied, you can keep the weight off for good.

Is Dr. Westman's full diet (and instructions etc.) in the book "Why We Get Fat"? If it's easier, I might just get that book (and they have it here in the local health food store).
Thanks!

Thank you for this!

Yes, I do. It's helped me gain 17 lbs in a year and I want to get to a good, healthy size! Funny thing is my pants are only size 12 so I hold it rather well but am tired of doing so!

Hopefully you've got your thyroid well treated. I'm in a similar position to yours and having an almost impossible time losing weight without restricting calories. I'm going to try the highly ketogenic diet that Dr. Ede is doing on http://diagnosisdiet.com. She and I sounded like we might be identical twins with pokey metabolisms and food intolerances.

Yes, the whole program used in the clinic is in the Appendix. Taubes covers how low carb works, why it is healthy, and the history of how nutritional guidelines changed to low fat, from the previously accepted "cut out sweets and breads". It is an eye-opening book that started and keep many eating low carb again.

On the program, most everyone starts with 20g total carbs/day that you don't really have to count, because if you eat only the allowed foods and stick to or under the limited foods, that is about right. Although it can vary by individual, if under 50g carb/day you will likely be in ketosis, burning body fat for energy, and successful. Dr Ede's experimenting with a diet that is used for therapeutic reasons, cancer and epilepsy, IMO not a plan to begin a low carb diet lifestyle.

After the first appointment at the Duke clinic, there is an information session about how to do the diet, on video here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dSLf4bzAyOM
There is a Google Doc on this YouTube page, which has the diet, and list of allowed foods (called page four but not the same on Google doc) as well. Actually this one 40 minute video and all the links has everything anyone needs to know how do a 20g low carb plan correctly.

Thanks SO MUCH for this! I am going to do this diet. Do you know how long you have to stick to 20 carbs/day? Is it until you loose all the weight or just for a couple of weeks (and then up the carbs)?

I have the diet (page 4), have watched the video, and will take a multi vitamin and have the broth 2x per day and wondered if there is anything else I need? I am also thinking I will take psyllium to keep me regular.

I would like to start Monday but am worried I might have some withdrawal and have some important meetings on Tues. and Thurs. so I might start Thurs.

Woohoo, I'm so excited...I SO hope that I can get down into the 155-160 mark (that has been almost impossible for me).

PS I love this forum and the support - a special thank you to you Janet , for being here to help others, even after you've lost your weight.

I am taking compounded T4 and T3 for my thyroid as the synthroid just didn't do it for me and I had a problem with the Armor (probabaly due to the Hashimoto's). I think my thyroid is better now than it has been in years.

oops, double post!