The FastDay Forum

Over the years I have learnt that any diet that excludes any food groups or just any food doesn't work for me as I end up wanting it more. ...Since I started fasting I have naturally reduced the amount of carbs I eat at meal times, I am not low carb just lower carb that I used to be and I think that is the way to go for me.

@wildmissus, I strongly feel that this is why the Freedhoff quotation resonates with me:

All this to say, and I've said it before, success is about consistency, embracing imperfection, and being proud of your best, where your best is the healthiest life that you can enjoy living, not the healthiest life that you can tolerate.[My emphasis: from post214703.html?hilit=Freedhoff#p214703 ]

I'm mostly paleo (for about 18 months now), but every now and then I get attacked by the cheese monster which makes me very poorly afterward.

Most paleo eaters have a very high plant base in their diet which makes it healthy. However as with everything, you can eat too much, and gain weight (I gained this year), because it is not always low carb and easy to let the calories creep. Very popular with young males.

Extremely popular in the US and helpful for those trying to give up sugar and want to moderate carb intake.

The best thing about it is that my skin looks great!

Also I do eat quinoa. Many paleo's do not eat it even though it is not a grain due to the saponins content and also it is quite a high GI.

Even today on Aussie radio i heard it. .. Dr Norman Swan disses the Paleo diet cause of the "people died at 24" back then

see at minute 6.33 on this link

http://mpegmedia.abc.net.au/rn/podcast/ ... 2_0819.mp3

Paleo is getting a lot of attention in the Australian media when Pete Evans tried to publish a book about the diet for infants.. (it was dropped by publisher due to apparent unhealthy recommendations fo what to feed your baby, but apparently he will self publish.

this is a thoughtful read from The Guardian

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfre ... n-ideology

I think most diets that encourage people to ditch the highly processed foods with additives let people feel better. So vegans, raw dieters, paleo, that sort of thing, gets similar results. I once saw a breakdown of these more extreme ways of eating and they all basically have you eat more veg than the average person too.

Other than that I think Paleo is bunk. I've seen too many claims by paleo adherents about how hunter/gatherers eat that aren't accurate. It's like they have a idealized or even cartoon version of caveman diets in mind. Hunter/gatherers did eat legumes and grains and high carb foods when they could get them. That makes sense doesn't it? If they hadn't eaten them, then why on earth would they have started down the path of domesticating them and eventually farming them?

I think @Tracieknits has hit the nail on the head when she said if you cut out a food type you'll most likely end up bingeing on it. Personally I think we should eat a little of what we like. If we don't allow ourselves certain foods we'll more than likely obsess about it and eat loads.
I don't think Id like to cut out grains but I think it does benefit some people...like Phyl @Mountainmyst.
Good luck if you're going to try it xx

Quote SSure..." I strongly feel that this is why the Freedhoff quotation resonates with me:

All this to say, and I've said it before, success is about consistency, embracing imperfection, and being proud of your best, [b]where your best is the healthiest life that you can enjoy living, not the healthiest life that you can tolerate.]

"
I love that quote @SSure thanks x makes perfect sense to me..
And i agree with @tracieknits and @nursebean..many folk of my Mums generation used to say," a little of what you fancy does you good" ( and stops you bingeing..tho my Mums generation didnt say that..i have no memories of folk bingeing back then,and very few were overweight..i dont think anyone was obese)
Hi @collie13 sorry, i dont know a lot about Paleo,but i' m sure someone else will help. X

Other than that I think Paleo is bunk. I've seen too many claims by paleo adherents about how hunter/gatherers eat that aren't accurate. It's like they have a idealized or even cartoon version of caveman diets in mind. Hunter/gatherers did eat legumes and grains and high carb foods when they could get them. That makes sense doesn't it? If they hadn't eaten them, then why on earth would they have started down the path of domesticating them and eventually farming them?

I think it depends also on where the hunter gatherer lived. And wherever they were, they ate whatever edible things they could get their hands on so they wouldn't starve to death.

Hi all, like nursebean mentioned, I have given up grains, at least for now. I started for the anti inflammatory effects as I have been diagnosed with inflammatory arthritis, and the meds were really making me sicker. Plus at least for some of us, grains tend to cause addiction, cravings and increase cholesterol, none of which I needed. I am not celiac, although many of the blood tests indicating celiac was positive in my case.
So are I have lost about 8lbs, which puts me about 3 lbs below my goal weight. My hands are working better, less joint pain, and with the weight loss due to fasting and then the grain avoidance, my thyroid and blood pressure meds were both decreased yesterday. I'm a happy camper!,:-)
That said, I'm not trying to imitate the cavemen. I still am eating some sugar, can't drink my cuppa without it. I only eat real food, cooked at home. Except on fast day(I'm maintaining now days)i don't pay attention to calories or fat. So far I have had no cravings, no withdrawal, but some people who haven't been fasting and cutting down on carbs already, may have flu like symptoms when going grain free.
I feel truly blessed to have found the fast diet, and wheat belly diet, I think it is perfect for me. Everyone has to find what works for them, and experiment to find that. Good luck, and thanks for letting me ramble. Phyl

I feel truly blessed to have found the fast diet, and wheat belly diet, I think it is perfect for me. Everyone has to find what works for them, and experiment to find that. Good luck, and thanks for letting me ramble. Phyl

Couldn't agree with you more - I eat lower carb (for example) because I have a familial tendency to diabetes (my brother is 154kg, type 2 insulin dependent and awaiting gastric bypass surgery and is finding it impossible to lose weight because of the insulin he uses). I am not saying EVERYONE needs to eat like I do - like @MountainMyst I do what I do because if I eat like this I feel better and am healthier - my Hba1 is in the normal range and I am now a normal weight but I love all the 'wrong' things for MY body - bread etc. If I eat them in large quantities I will eventually become ill. We're all different but I do firmly believe that what we eat has a huge effect on our feeling of well being and general health. My body doesn't do well with carbs - therefore I reduce them - it doesn't mean everyone has to but to work out what works for you and is sustainable is the key, as pointed out by @MountainMyst

Hi, I agree @loversghost, if I had not discovered the fast diet, I would never have suspected I had a problem with carbs. I would have continued with almost constant heartburn and digestive difficulty. Shortly after bringing fast, I no longer head heartburn unless I ate a lot of bread etc. I also found the only time I had serious cravings was after a carb binge. After seeing the problems that are associated with grains, at least for some people, I thought I would give it a try.
I would suggest that if you are having difficulty losing on the fast diet, or if you have a lot of inflammation, why not give it few week trial. I find it fits right in with my fast days. You may find it helps, or you may hate it. At any rate, you will have learned more about what works for you. Good luck all, and good fasting. Phyl

Oh, I love typos. The above should read no longer HAD heartburn, not head. and @loversghost, glad you are having good results with your blood sugars, and wish your brother the best of luck with his surgery. I have a brother that I am telling about fasting and grain avoidance as he is developing blood sugar problems and is about 80lbs over where he needs to be. He's still thinking about it. you have to be ready for things before they click with you. Take care. Phyl

you have to be ready for things before they click with you. Take care. Phyl

So true! I've just started a new job (I am a practice nurse) and part of my role is to do diabetes clinics. So far I am really pleasantly surprised to have met lots of people who are motivated to make changes and keep themselves healthy; where I worked before (for all sorts of reasons) people seemed less motivated and it is hard trying to convince people who don't want to change that small things will really help

Hi@loversghost, so glad you are liking your new job, and that you are doing diabetes education! So often here in the U.S. The education seems to be "here take these pills, and here is a sheet with foods you shouldn't eat" no personal instruction at all. And glad you have patients who want to take care of themselves, that is great! I was a nurse back in the dark ages before my body decided that I should retire. drives my doctors crazy because I actually read all the side effects of those drugs they want me to take, and sometimes say no thank you.
Wishing you a great Sunday and successful fast days! Phyl

I love reading your posts and your personal experiences. I am very much with @Wildmissus re not to cut out a particular food stuff unless medically necessary, or you know it increases the well being like it has for Mountainmyst. But if this is the case then it is not a big deal because the new well being outweighs any cravings we have.

For many years, on and off, I did a diet called Food Combining and I always lost weight on it, if I stuck to the rules. All natural food stuff was allowed but only in a certain combinations which made it quite laborious if extremely effective. I felt really well eating this way and once I was on the wagon it seemed easy and the sugar craving went. Whilst it did not officially cut out carbs it recommended only one (unprocessed) carb meal a day but without proteins and one protein meal a day without (concentrated) carbs (only vegetables). Processed foods were not part of the diet and grains only to be eaten whole meal. When I stuck to the diet, I usually lost my sugar craving and felt so much better in many ways. Even though I didn't manage to stay with it all the time (which is why I gained some weight) I have kept to eating my meat with vegetables only (no potatoe or swedes though). These days I find that not eating any carbs on a fast days gives you so much more filling food, like a good portion of grilled meat or fish or eggs and lots of vegetables.
The thing is that I do like pastries (processed foods) pizzas, and sandwich with some ham or cheese on it and above all some cake or biscuits. I found it not sustainable permanently despite the fact that I felt really good on it. All natural home-made food no calorie counting etc. The thing that attracted me to 5:2 was that there is no falling off the wagon and it is easier for a social life. If don't manage a fast then I do it the next day and during a fast I know that tomorrow I won't feel deprived any more.

I have signed up to nursebean's post Easter challenge and I am thinking that I could definitely try and do some food combining every other day - eating just protein and vegetables maybe at 600cals giving me a substantial meal at the end of of a fast day. Maybe I can merge my two favourite (and only) diets I have ever tried. It could keep my sugar cravings in check, which is my biggest problem.