Shangri-La Diet - setpoint success at last page 40

[heatseeker]

PaleoMom, that's an interesting chart. Maybe I'll switch up my oil just to play around, although I've had success with the coconut.

I'm back after not checking in with this thread for several days--we had a very busy week here in Austin with the Fittest Games. I was taking my oil as usual up until two days ago, and I have some interesting things to report:

1. My scale number has been at more of a bouncy hover than a steady downward slope this week--going back and forth between 154 and 156--but my clothes are looser and I'm getting more and more people telling me how slim I look, so I think I'm still losing fat and the scale is being affected by the muscle gain I expected from going back to crossfit 5x/week (plus extra workouts because we're on a challenge right now).
2. I took Friday, Saturday, and today off from SLD because I was judging at the competition and I suspected I wouldn't have time or the chance to go off and do the oil thing (as it turns out, I barely had time to eat or pee). I definitely ate more calories than usual the past few days, partly because the meals provided for me were huge portions (though all paleo--big perk of a xfit event), and partly because being on my feet all day in the sun and putting up/breaking down event equipment really increased my appetite. Even with the higher food volume, my weight has maintained at 155. I think it's not long enough of a test period to say for sure that my setpoint has actually been reset, but it's interesting. However, I should note that today, after two full days of being off the oil, the old pre-SLD hunger returned. I was ravenous all afternoon and unable to control my eating, even though I knew I'd had enough calories for the day (thankfully all I had in the house was super clean paleo stuff, so I'm not sweating the extra half pound of grassfed beef and the bowl of strawberries I had as a second dinner).

This week it's back to SLD as usual. I would love to see if I can break into the 140s. I'm now melting the oil in the microwave and knocking it back liquid, and I find this much easier than the solid oil method.

[aimlow]

I've been taking oil for about a week. Watching calories and with the exception of a couple of days, have stayed in 1200-1400 range (including oil). I tried to out on a pair of jeans this morning and couldn't hardly squeeze into them. Weighed myself, up 5lbs.
Is this something anyone else has experienced? Is the oil making me gain? Or maybe it's something else and the oil is a coincidence..
I guess I should call it quits on the oil

[AshleyL]

That figure of centimeters in height less 100, *2 would have me at like 15 or 16% body fat if I didn't lose muscle!

[Happy Paleo Girl]

I've been sticking w/the SLD but haven't checked in here recently. I am using refined CO and like taking it best when it's been in the fridge, because crunching through it is more satisfying than chugging liquid oil.
I initially lost about 3.5 lbs., but then my weight went back up by 2, due to that TOM I assume. And now I'm on vacation and away from a scale, so not sure where I'm at now.

However, my experience w/SLD isn't a good indicator for weight loss. The weight that I need/want to lose is pretty much all bloat, due to either leaky gut or some other mysterious ailment that I haven't figured out yet. I put on water weight when I drink a glass of water first thing in the morning. I can eat very restricted calories and still not lose weight. However, I do think that the coconut oil shots are working for me. Yesterday I had my tablespoon of oil around 11:30 (an hour after I'd finished my coffee), and then didn't eat anything until 3 in the afternoon. I wasn't even feeling all that hungry at the time, but I'd just gone snowshoeing for about an hour and a half and it seemed like a good time to have something to eat. I purposely skipped my second tablespoon of oil as I was going out to dinner at 6:30 and wanted to make sure I'd be hungry by that time.

I'm hoping that one day I'll get the bloat situation figured out and then I'll be able to see what the SLD does for my weight. For now, I'm happy to be able to use it as a tool to effortlessly IF and to be satisfied with less food. I was already having a couple of tablespoons of CO daily, in coffee or tea, now I just have them in a flavorless window. And the difference it's had on my appetite is nothing short of amazing.

[serenity]

I've been taking oil for the past 6 or so days. I ran out of coconut oil last Thursday, and when I went to the overpriced grocery store near my work (which I know carries the Spectrum Organic coconut oil that I use), they had run out of the coconut oil so I purchased a small bottle of walnut oil. I used the walnut oil on Friday and brought the bottle home to use on weekends. I have since purchased another bottle of Spectrum Organic coconut oil that I'm using at work on weekdays.

My observation is that the walnut oil seemed to have a small effect on my appetite, but this seems to be mostly due to the fact that consuming the walnut oil made me feel slightly sick. Coconut oil doesn't make me feel sick and so far has had no discernible effect on my appetite. I was also "bad" over the weekend--basically overate all weekend despite having taken the walnut oil. *Sigh*

[wannispearl]

Question: will ANY smell effect how this works? I take my oil in the kitchen and when I've finished eating it I notice the smell of coffee or some other food after I've unplugged my nose. Will this make any difference in effectiveness post consuming?

I'm on day 3. I don't know if it's working or not. I don't weight myself (it became too stressful and obsessive for me.. and not an indicator of health or actual size) but I have been measuring. In my 19 days doing PB (diet, workouts etc) and now 3 days of oil 2-3 times a day, I've lost 1.5 inches from my waist (and who knows how many from other places). I don't know how much of this attributes to a few days of SL.
First day I took a tablespoon of hard coconut oil and started feeling nauseous not too long afterward and ended up with stomach cramping. Switched over to olive oil and that went over much better. I don't know what was up with the coconut oil. I use it in cooking and have eaten it before without that effect. Much smaller quantity, also. Regardless, I am more happy with knocking back some liquid than chewing on tasteless (while pluggin nose) oil.

[RaeVynn]

Whoa... a blast from the past!

Maybe it is due to my advanced age, but I remember Set Point theory, and attempted for YEARS to somehow "reset" my Set Point. Trouble is, the CW on set point is backwards!! So, while the theory of the body/mind attempting to keep someone at a set spot has some merit, I believe that the early theories on how to "reset" were doing the absolute opposite.

I remember having to eat x calories, and exercise y amount, and have n number of meals, etc., for months, years... and doing nothing but slowly gain weight.
Makes sense, now looking back on it.
Yes, the body/mind has a set point in mind, based upon various factors, including food intake and energy expenditure. The more energy expended, the more food needs to be eaten, or else the body/mind will retaliate with increasing fat storage to ensure adequate levels for next time.

I have this mental picture of the body/mind suddenly being presented with a pile of fat calories (via a shot of flavorless MCT oil, for instance), with no clue where they came from, and reacting with "whoa, we don't need these extra calories. We must have too much stored. Let's start dumping some of the stored calories!" If they had shown up as a meal (... as a flavor...), then the body/mind would have identified them as food intake, and stored them accordingly in prep for energy expenditure. With no "tag" on them, the body/mind just dumps them, and assumes that they indicate excess beyond energy expenditure, and starts dumping excess fat.

It's been too long since I've tried this... and, I tried it briefly some time ago, without a good idea of the effective mechanism involved. Now, I think I have a better grasp of it, and will launch into this one now.

[heatseeker]

Question: will ANY smell effect how this works? I take my oil in the kitchen and when I've finished eating it I notice the smell of coffee or some other food after I've unplugged my nose. Will this make any difference in effectiveness post consuming?

You're probably fine. It's really just flavor receptors on the tongue that are key to block. As I said a few pages back, I don't think I've ever gone two full hours without smelling some kind of food or beverage somewhere around me, yet the SLD continues to work just fine for me.

[AshleyL]

If there weren't so many people saying this works for them, I'd think it was the stupidest thing in the world lol

[PaleoMom]

I'm only losing about .2 lbs. daily, but I'm happy with that since this is so easy and as long as it doesn't stop I'll be at my goal soon enough. The next few pounds will be a true sign of whether this is actually working or if it will be like everything else has been.

I feel like I'm not sure I would ever want to stop this simply because of how wonderful it is to lose all obsession with food. So completely liberating!