Yeah, Yoga11, I was bummed out to have to give up dairy. I struggle with this particular group of food... it keeps sneaking back into my diet. But I can't argue with how much better I feel when I don't eat it.

I also tend to gain weight when I have dairy.

While looking up diet and mucus i did come accross this:


maybe you've upped your eggs? it's the only food causing mucus left on the list that you are consuming. I however USE to have mucus in my throat constantly, now that i've gone low carb my throat is super dry, i drink a TON of water also now though that was one suggestion to help get it out.
Also, in the past i knew a guy who produced an abnormal amount of yeast in his mouth (he took medication to try and control it) but he always had a gobby mucus in the back of his throat, and sometimes it would be white and "stringy" like you described. They say yeast can be flushed out with this diet so maybe it's your bodies way of getting rid of that excess? Something possible to look into.

Yoga11, Something jumped out at me from your post. You asked Jamie V for help? The last I read she was still claiming that her food intake and "low carb" recipes had absolutely nothing to do with her weight issues. We all have our struggles, but her writing reminds me of that river in Egypt. De-Nile

I started with NANY, but lost best on a simple Atkins plan, with strict limits on dairy. Some people read the plans and say they abide by the four oz cheese limit, but think cheesecake and mock Danish don't count towards that limit. Be honest about the amount of ingredients in her recipes.

The casein in cheese and the whey in other dairy or protein powders are insulinogenic in accordance with their growing/storing function for baby cows. If you are insulin resistant, then that same large insulin response will work against your desire to lose weight. Butter and cream are mostly fat and may possibly be OK, but you won't know until you try a time without them.
But first step, eliminate any "recipes" from sites like Lighter Side and stick to the earlier Atkins limits on cream, cheese, mayo, and sour cream.


Costello, Kristi may be onto something. That's what is usually meant by a "healing crisis", a term used with yeast reactions. Sometimes it gets worse before better...or it's just a cold. Let us know how you are doing.

Jey, I agree people do not abide by the "oz" recipe. BUT people are having success with not counting oz. I mean like A LOT of people... I know everyone is different.

I have a question about this 'insulin resistance' bit....

what do you mean by that? I don't think i've ever heard that before.

Nancy, I think I'm the same!

Yes. i'm going to have to switch to that plan mmmee thinks

Do you eat nuts?

Yoga11, Many people who are overweight are insulin resistant, their body "not hearing" the hormone insulin signals. A simple explanation:
http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/pr...linresistan.htm. The opposite, the goal we have besides being a healthy weight, is to be insulin sensitive again.

A plan that may be working for someone who is morbidly obese with a history of extreme dieting, may not be the best for you, who is only slightly overweight. Sadly, It is much slower and harder so near goal, so you may need be a bit more careful with amounts.

To lose weight I followed the Duke/Dr Westman plan, Based on early Atkins, in the excellent book, Why We Get Fat by Gary Taubes. It has 2T limits on cream and mayo, and no nuts allowed. Now at goal, I will add some nuts, but if weight creeps up, the nuts and dairy go. Nuts are way too easy to overeat, even if low in carbs. The plan is on the web if you google "why we get fat bonus", and drop those 4T to 2, and if plateaued, drop to cheese limit to 2oz or eliminate.

If you want to try a complete elimination diet to see if you are sensitive to dairy, the Whole30 plan, found free on-line is excellent. They likely have info on dairy on-line, but the chapter on dairy in their book It Starts With Food Is Very Interesting...or depressing...almost as scary as Cordain's chapter in The Paleo Answer.

Costello,I don't often read journals but happened to see yours on the main page. Read you feel "something is missing" without dairy.
It Starts with Food includes many problems in their chapter on dairy, including the Casein exorphins, or casomorphins (morphine). Good for bonding of mother and baby cow... But also that hit you are missing??Cheese is very concentrated casein...the item people claim is the hardest to give up. Coincidence?
Casein also causes a histamine response, related to asthma and allergies...maybe your mucus?(or the healing thereof)

Happen to be reading the Hartwig book at the moment. Dr. Georgia Edes writes that neither of these theories have scientific studies to back them up, but other writers on dairy have suggested the same.
http://diagnosisdiet.com/food/dairy/

Jey, interesting that you remind me that Casein causes a histamine response.
I'm sitting here sniffing, but don't have a cold.
Last night we moved the office here at work so they bought us Pizza with lots of cheese and little meat or fat, I just ate the toppings so I had a ton of cheese...

so cheese definitely affects me!

You're not coming off as a downer to me. I've been low carbing for years and have never managed to move even out of the obese category. I have learned from long experience, however, that low carb is healthier for me than other ways of eating. I wish it weren't so, because I love sugar and carbs, but it's a fact I simply can't get around. I begin gaining weight, my FBG rises, and I had other minor health issues when I start eating too much carb.

Yes, the whole cream, butter, etc. thing is used as a selling point. If it's not working, though, you have to re-evaluate and try something different. That's what I'm doing now.

No, I'm not eating more eggs. That's how it works, though, isn't it? You eliminate one food, you're eating more of something else to replace it. Then you can't be sure if any results you see are from the food you got rid of or the food you added.

The mucus problem has greatly reduced from the two days of yuck. Maybe it was a coincidence, maybe a temporary reaction to the diet change.

It did seem hard to give up the dairy. That could be for a variety of reasons. Could be biochemical. Or maybe it's just like I feel like I've given up so much and this is just one more thing. Or maybe I've tried so many different failed experiments with different diets that that enthusiasm that usually carries me through the first difficult part isn't there this time.

Whatever. My willpower has powered me through the first week and a half. (I just hate people who say fat people don't have willpower. Willpower is my frickin' middle name. )

It's great to come back to this thread and find it's been so active! Thanks, everyone.

I ran across this page this morning: http://www.diabetes-warrior.net/201...s-dairy-and-me/

Very interesting. I realize it's a n=1 type of thing, but my fasting blood glucose hovers in the low 100's at the best of times. This guy's glucose rose when he added cream back in. Cream but not butter. So ... I think I'll buy some strips this morning and test. I'd be happy to see my fasting blood sugar drop.

Steve is thorough about his testing and info, AND right now I am listening to Fat Burning Man's new podcast with Gary Taubes.

http://www.fatburningman.com/gary-t...-wont-kill-you/

At the 51 minute mark, Gary talks about how he stopped using cream in his coffee, and lost 15-20 pounds. Insulinogenic effects of dairy, or lower calorie counts, or the fact he was five years older? ....what changed?
Much of this podcast I have heard before, having listened to many Taubes talks and interviews...but this tidbit was new...and so pertinent to this thread.

Wow, that is amazing. Gary used to be accused of being a little pudgy, dough-y. While I think that was overstating it, I have noticed he looks sleeker lately. Wow, 15-20 lbs would put me at what I weighed in my 20s and 30s. Could it be that easy?

My husband leaves tomorrow for 6 days...this is the perfect time to drop dairy and see what happens. I'm joining the experiment, Costello.

This is good news. Thanks for letting me know.