cindylynnwho's Journal, 08 January 2008

If you don't mind telling me what diet you are on, I might be able to offer some suggestions. I have tried lots of different diets and it is through lots of reading, trial and error that I found the right one and figured out why I wasn't losing on the other ones. Personally, I have a sensitivity to soy, milk and wheat. If I eat any of these foods I do not lose weight. That is a fact. I'd like to help you but I need more information. If you feel more comfortable sharing it privately, send me a personal message. What book did you read? 

Hi Sararay, thank you so much for your offer to help me. I really appreciate it. It is very interesting to me that you mention allergies to wheat, milk, and soy, because I suspect myself of being allergic to the very same three things. I went to see this doctor who was going to test me for allergies but he was a huge jerk and way overcharging me so I decided not to go back. But that may be the key. I have a very hard time not eating these things without proof that they are negatively affecting me. Was it very obvious that you were allergic to these things? Maybe I will give my soy, wheat, and milk products to family members. If it works it will be worth it. I really am kind of addicted to soymilk, which makes it harder to give up but I also think is evidence that I am allergic. The book I was referring to in this particular post was Jorge Cruise's 8 minutes in the morning. The exercises work very well at making me strong but I had to stop the diet part because I was really starving. So perhaps that's part of why the program didn't help. Food-wise, I mostly follow the Diet Cure, by Julia Ross. This is a high protein, high veg diet that I think is a lot like Atkins (though I havent read the Atkins book), but I think it has more calories (although I don't necessarily eat as many as she recommends, because its a ton) and slightly more carbs. I also just try to follow my intuition about what my body is asking for and generally eat natural and healthy and in a balanced way.  

I went to a naturopathic doctor that tested me using a biofeedback machine, but I suspected I was allergic to some foods for a long time. My chiropractor also did muscle testing and told me to stay away from wheat products and sugar. I don't test positive to allergies for any of those foods on blood tests, but the fact is that if I don't eat them I feel SOOOO much better. I stopped getting migraines when I stopped eating wheat and I stopped having stomach issues (colitis to be exact) when I cut out milk, though I tolerate butter, some cream and some cheeses. Soy was a more recent one for me, I think I developed it because I drank so much soy milk after not being able to drink milk. I have read from different sources that we tend to crave the foods that we have sensitivities for, the good news is you stop craving them if you eliminate them from your diet for long enough. The later stages of Atkins allow more carbs than I am eating now, but it recommends low glycemic fruit and whole grains. I also eat organic as much as possible and I supplement with probiotic foods. Just so you know it took a few months of not eating those foods that I was allergic to to feel a lot better and it took years of not eating them at all to be able to tolerate even a little bit if it ended up in my food. I think that a diet that focuses on nutritionally dense whole-foods is great. That is what the Atkins lifetime maintenance is all about. However, to lose weight you might have to limit your carbs a little bit more. There are several books that led me to where I am today. If you're interested I'll send you a book list. You'll find a way, don't worry. It may take some time, but the answer is out there. 

Thanks, Sara. That's interesting that you didn't test positive to those foods on blood tests, and also that it took you a while before you felt better after not eating them. I have tried not eating these foods for a little while, but I never last long. I probably need to try it for longer. I also eat organic and I belong to a community supported agriculture group so my produce is local, too. I'd love to see your book list if you have time. And thanks for accepting my buddy request. I don't have too many buddies yet and it seems like we have a similar perspective on things. Also, Sara is my cat's name. ;) 

Patient Heal Thyself and The Maker's Diet by Jordan Rubin, MD; The Body Ecology Diet and BodyEcology.com by Donna Gates; Dr.Atkins' NEW Diet Revolution by Robert C. Atkins, MD; South Beach Diet by Dr. Arthur Agatston. The first book tells you how to do an elimination diet to discover what foods you are allergic to. The second book tells you about whole foods. The third book emphasizes probiotic foods and balancing out your body. The Atkins book explains the importance of eliminating bad carbs and eating healthy fats. The SBD book is another perspective on the low-carb dieting. I have done both and I have better results with Atkins. By re-reading the Atkins book I understood why I didn't lose weight past phase 1 of SBD, but I believe SBD focuses on good healthy foods too so if you are not as metabolically resistant as I am you may lose weight on it. I suspect, though that until you eliminate allergens your body will be resistant to weight loss as mine is. Let me know if you have any questions on any one of those books. 

Thanks, Sara. If I have allergies, I'm pretty sure I know what they are (though I'm going to do the elimination thing anyway), so I plan to go to the bookstore today to look at recipes free of these foods. I actually had a dream once telling me to stop eating soy but I dismissed it. I'm going to check out your favorites while I am there. I'm very interested in looking more at what Dr. Atkins actually has to say. So many strong opinions about the guy!