Quote:
Originally Posted by lil' annie
|
OK, I went and read this thread, and now I finally feel like I've gotten the first chapter of the book back!
Right now I'm thinking I want to be "in" on this too. I guess the one thing holding me back is that I *hate* to weigh, measure and track my food. I've done it, but it takes so much of the pleasure out of eating that it almost is enough to make me go off plan. Well not really, after reading GCBC I can't believe I'll *ever* go off plan again!
But I'm one of those who loses a bunch initially, and then hits a *brick wall* even though I still have tons more to lose (let alone merely the last 20 pounds). I first did LC in 1997-98 time frame and lost 80 pounds in 14 months and then STALLED - and sat there in my stall for 2 1/2 years, even though I still had at least another 80 to go. Finally gave it up and started eating anything and everything again, and of course gained it all back "and then some".
But I read GCBC, I'm back on the straight and narrow, I'm down 80 pounds again, though this time with another 130 more to go!
I can't say I'm in a true stall right now, but I have only lost one pound in the last month, which is damned slow for someone who is still almost 300 pounds, and is being strict about LC.
I had read about the Optimal Diet somewhere, was it over on Hyperlipid? I follow a bunch of incredible blogs, and I know it was on one of them. I looked at the website but it was just too confusingly Polish for me to try to pay much attention. I shrugged it off thinking, "Heck, who cares about all that Polish stuff? I already *know* low carb is the way to go for me."
Apart from the weighing and measuring I think, from what I've read here, that this might be a good fit for me. I like meat but I'm not crazy about it. I read about people talking about sitting down and eating 1-lb steaks, etc - and that is so not me. 4 oz of hamburger is more than enough meat for me. My typical lunch is a 3oz can of sardines packed in olive oil, and that's fine. And I love fats like butter, coconut oil, olive oil, etc. No problem at all for me to get in my fats! I'm one of those who is perfectly happy to eat plain coconut oil on a spoon. I love to make my own chocolate treats where I melt some 85% dark chocolate with a tbsp of coconut oil, a few tbsp of butter, a few tbsp of almond butter or sesame tahini. Pour into those paper cupcake liners and chill. A wonderful treat, and lots of fat there! I used to add a couple scoops of whey protein to these to make them "healthier" (e.g. more protein) but maybe I'll just have to stop that.
It does seem like guys are able to eat more protein than women and still lose, like Richard Nicoley of the "Free the Animal" blog, who seems to eat huge slabs of meat all the time and is doing great on it. I don't think *I* can do that.
But it also seems that details about the Optimal Diet are scarce. Lisa seems to have lots of great details. I want her for my Guru too! If the mods are willing to spin off an Optimal Diet thread she can be our guide.
So I'm still befuddled a bit. One poster (sorry, not sure who said what here) posted a ratio of protein/fats/carbs based on your goal weight in kg - ratios of 1kg/1.5-3.5kg/.5-.8kg
With my goal weight of 73 kg that would make my protein/fat/carb intake: 73g/109-255g/36.5-58.4 g
Hmm, seems like a *wide* swing there in the fats! Even on my fattiest days I'm not sure I've hit 255 g. Though I have certain had protein days as low or lower than 73g, and I worried I was not getting enough as I was well below the values recommended by Protein Power, and I do *love* the Eades. I like the carb range also. It gives you a little leeway without being overly high.
But Lisa seems to indicate that over time your protein requirement gets *lower*. Damn, guess I'm going to have to download this 'calculus victus' thingie. But I'm still not sure if there are restrictions at all on *types* of fats, the types of carbs you eat, etc. Hmmm, more research, but I am very interested in this thread.