Advice Needed for a hard loser to get started page

[phillymny]

Hello,
I am new to the forum, but have been eating low-carb for a couple months - I got started when I came across the Taubes book, "Why We Get Fat". I fairly quickly lost the 16 lbs that was my goal and am now where I want to stay. My inquiry concerns my wife. After see what happened with me, she is coming around to the idea of changing her diet. She is 60 years old (I am 64), and has been about 25 lbs. overweight for some time now. She is very serious with much discipline and has tried "cutting back" for a couple years. She exercises most every day, rising at 5:30 for an hour on treadmill etc. She is one of those people who can gain a couple pounds "for no reason" - one glass of wine can seem to wreck everything. It is VERY discouraging to say the least. For the last few days, she has been staying away from carbs, more salad etc., but no change yet. I am asking for ANY tips anyone can give foe someone starting out who has been SO good, but just can't make progress! ANY ideas at all would be GREATLY appreciated!!!!!!
Thanks,
Philm

[Annieh]

Hi welcome and goood start. glad your wife getting on board too. She sounds very disciplined, it will be just a matter of getting her head around the right information, which can be quite hard when you have been so convinced for so long about low fat, high cardio etc.

The low carb is a great start, equally important is NO grain. Cut the bread, pasta etc. She will feel different and reduce bloating almost straight away (well, I know I did and pretty sure others have experienced the same). Even cut rice, potatoes and so on at this stage. I am hoping she is staying away from sugar and all processed products and oils too.

She should also consider some weights work. Maybe squats and ladies pressups, for starters. If she joined a women's gym she would be able to find a class or routine that would help. By building some muscle she will decrease in inches and increase her energy needs. Then, rather than "cutting back" she will be able to "add" important nutrition to her diet while achieving a loss of fat at the same time.

Eggs are a wonder food. Meat and many colourful veges. Don't be afraid of butter and cream - though not in vast quantities while trying to lose weight. Good luck.

[phillymny]

Hello Annie,
Thanks for the note. Yes, she is disciplined, but has spent many years loving carbs. I think it started when she was a child, as she suffered from hypoglycemia - to this day, she is fearful of ever missing a regular meal. So I think the carb dependency started very early. She is especially discouraged over the fat on her belly, but I expect that should lessen with generalized weight loss. What about breakfast? You mention eggs, but she really enjoys her (plain greek) yogurt with fruit or oatmeal.... The rest of the day, she is good about salads with protein, etc. I read it is important to have any carbs early in the day...?
Thanks again,
PhilM

[sbhikes]

In my opinion, she should eat only meat, fat (olive oil, bacon, butter, fatty cuts of meat) and vegetables for a while. She'll probably lose weight that way. Best of all she will lose the fear of missing a meal. The treadmill doesn't do anything at all except maybe keep her mobile. She needs to build muscle and bone. She needs to build enough muscle and bone that it offsets most of the weight she loses from fat. She can only do that under a load so she's going to need to lift some heavy things.

This is a very long video and you and I are not the audience, but I was floored by the information in it.
Jonathon Sullivan video
Roughly the same information from the same guy, in text instead of video

[AussieNana]

I'm an over 60s woman who has great difficulty losing weight despite being disciplined. I have two particular issues. The first is a problem with sugars. If I eat them at all I get cravings that are very difficult to withstand and it can take 3 weeks of being very disciplined to actually completely drop them out of my diet for more than 2 days. This is sugars/grains in desserts primarily as these are my weakspot when I'm socialising and everyone else is eating them. Then when I get home the cravings continue. I substitute a nice fruit for a few days for other sugary things and have to fill up my time from 3pm onwards which is when my cravings are the most difficult to withstand.

My second issue is that when I have active inflammation I don't lose weight. I have multiple auto-immune diseases and when they are active the weight doesn't come off. I can usually maintain it, but can't lose it. I'm struggling with this now. However the best way to reduce active inflammation is to stay away from grains and sugars and too much fruit. For me this means a small plate of blueberries and half an orange or a small apple per day as maximum fruit intake. As inflammation is at the core of autoimmune disease, not to mention heart disease and cancers I console myself that by eating paleo I'm forestalling other problems. Its taken me five years to lose 20kg and I have another 10kg to go. So I do lose, but very slowly.

I have to admit though that it is very disheartening to eat the diet faithfully 95% of the time and not lose weight over a three month period. Its easy then to let it slide so I'm only 80% compliant and then its 12 months without weight loss. Like now.

I have to say that I'm concerned enough at the moment to be grain free, sugar free, solanum (potato, peppers, tomato) free, and egg free to see if that helps. I'm also considering the approach of Jack Kruse and might have to try his cold treatment.

[Annieh]

Hello Annie,
Thanks for the note. Yes, she is disciplined, but has spent many years loving carbs. I think it started when she was a child, as she suffered from hypoglycemia - to this day, she is fearful of ever missing a regular meal. So I think the carb dependency started very early. She is especially discouraged over the fat on her belly, but I expect that should lessen with generalized weight loss. What about breakfast? You mention eggs, but she really enjoys her (plain greek) yogurt with fruit or oatmeal.... The rest of the day, she is good about salads with protein, etc. I read it is important to have any carbs early in the day...?
Thanks again,
PhilM

Well, I only know what works for me, but in my experience starting the day with carbohydrates only kickstarts the cravings for more of the same which makes the rest of the day a battle.

Greek yoghurt and berries make a healthy snack or dessert but I still wouldn't start the day with them. Oatmeal is a grain so not allowed on primal. Fruit is allowable but I found not helpful in the early stages, even now best kept to a minimum and really enjoyed.

Starting with eggs and veges on the other hand means everything gets off to a much more even start and it's easier to resist temptations later on.

For fat loss, I kept carbs as low as possible all the time, now I do allow more in but I find it's better to get to the end of the day and decide whether I need a milk drink or dessert than to have it earlier and then wish I hadn't - if that makes sense. . .

Also, what sbhikes said - meat and veg.

[Annieh]

In my opinion, she should eat only meat, fat (olive oil, bacon, butter, fatty cuts of meat) and vegetables for a while. She'll probably lose weight that way. Best of all she will lose the fear of missing a meal. The treadmill doesn't do anything at all except maybe keep her mobile. She needs to build muscle and bone. She needs to build enough muscle and bone that it offsets most of the weight she loses from fat. She can only do that under a load so she's going to need to lift some heavy things.

This is a very long video and you and I are not the audience, but I was floored by the information in it.
Jonathon Sullivan video
Roughly the same information from the same guy, in text instead of video

WOW. Awesome article!!! ThankX

[phillymny]

Hi All,
Many thanks for the last few comments, esp. the emphasis on meats and veggies. This morning she had a ham/eggs/mushrooms omelet which I think would be acceptable! She is really not a fan of RED meat, so any suggestions in the protein department are welcomed. I appreciate the comments by Annieh and AussieNana about how eating carbs can trigger the cravings..... Makes sense to me. Best to avoid them as much as possible! I am really appreciating the input!!
Thanks,
PhilM

[Dirlot]

Have you read the book or http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/thread17722.html
Although people are always here to help both are better places to start than the forum.

[phillymny]

Dirlot - thanks for the lead! I'll follow some of these threads.........
PhilM