Martin Katahn's Rotation Diet?
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I'm wondering what everyone's progress is like? Aloe? Michelle, you seem to have started out around the same weight I did, I'm in the middle of my rotation now and will be weighing myself at the end. Did you finish your second rotation? RDfive you also have similar goals to mine, how are doing? Please keep posting everyone!!
Thank you, RD2012 -- I was able to post before receiving my confirmation email! It's a bit late for me to say all that I wanted to when I first found this site (I usually turn into a pumpkin long before midnight!
-- suffice it to say that I am so glad there are folks still using this diet!!! It worked exactly as it said it would when I followed it back in the 80's. I gave up on the maintenance program out of sheer laziness, though -- and, 30 years later I need to go back on it. The problem with me is that I haven't quite found the motivation to start, again. Is there anyone out there who is considering this diet, but hasn't yet found the motivation to do so?
-- suffice it to say that I am so glad there are folks still using this diet!!! It worked exactly as it said it would when I followed it back in the 80's. I gave up on the maintenance program out of sheer laziness, though -- and, 30 years later I need to go back on it. The problem with me is that I haven't quite found the motivation to start, again. Is there anyone out there who is considering this diet, but hasn't yet found the motivation to do so?What motivated me were several things:
1) A friend who is also having trouble losing weight telling me a doctor had told her, after she'd been trying the "reasonable 1200 calorie watch what you eat and exercise approach" and seeing no results, that she should try going down to 1000 calories. And since I'd been getting no results with 1200 calories, and at the back of my mind I had the rotation diet in mind, I decided to take the plunge
2) I have all these clothes that I'd love to wear! I try them on and imagine how I'll look when I lose weight
3) I've been steadily gaining weight, and something has to change, I can't keep going up like this. Also I'd lost some weight in the past and I am angry with myself for having allowed that advantage to slip away. I really hope not to celebrate myself back to fatness in future whenever I've achieved some goal.
4) I'm 31 years old, and though I've been overweight all of my life, I at least used to exercise consistently, and I thought I was probably more fit than lots of my thinner friends who didn't work out. All of a sudden lately, since I haven't been exercising, I'm starting to notice that I have these body aches and pains, and I realized that even if I don't get results, I HAVE to get back in shape as far as exercising, otherwise I am aging myself and turning into a person who can't energetically move around. And therefore I can learn to be happy with any fitness goals I achieve, even if the scale doesn't budge, and this is a lot more attainable
5) I have a wedding overseas in March and my family is there and I want them to see that I've lost weight!
As for a tip that has helped me in the past:
- The concept of "Later". Sure you'd love that chocolate, or pizza, or whatever. But it will be there when you're done with your diet (when you will be able to have it occastionally in reasonable amounts of course). So just tell yourself you can have it, just "Later".
Another tip I've thought of now:
- Sometimes when I was half-heartedly on a diet and lets say I would go out with a friend and we'd say, "What the heck, let's order a brownie", I guess we were imagining that we were simply postponing the diet a little without much thought to consequences. So now I think it'll be useful especially after I hopefully lose the weight and am trying to maintain, to acknowledge the fact that this brownie does have calories, and that 1) either I can eat less that day or the next day to compensate, 2) I can burn it off through exercise, or 3) the calories WILL get added as pounds on to my body....the calories won't simply disappear as I guess I sometimes tricked myself into thinking!
Also, it's good to find out what is likely to ruin your efforts and have a plan for it. For example, I know I can crave chocolate. In the past I used to sometimes get some dark chocolate (which I don't like very much) and decide to have that if I had a craving, but I could sometimes overeat even that, and on this diet you can't really afford those calories. I recently found something called Tissano cocoa tea, which is just cocoa shells that you brew like tea. It is NOT hot cocoa, no one should expect it to be sweet and lots of people may be disappointed, but it DOES smell like wonderful chocolate, and I find that it can take the edge off a craving with ZERO calories!
Finally, you should know that the first three 600 calorie days are absolutely the toughest, once those have passed it is pretty easy, you learn to find the extra calories you get in other days an indulgence, and become eager for the next 600 calorie days!
I'll weigh myself January 24th (last day of rotation), I hope I'll be happy with the results!
1) A friend who is also having trouble losing weight telling me a doctor had told her, after she'd been trying the "reasonable 1200 calorie watch what you eat and exercise approach" and seeing no results, that she should try going down to 1000 calories. And since I'd been getting no results with 1200 calories, and at the back of my mind I had the rotation diet in mind, I decided to take the plunge
2) I have all these clothes that I'd love to wear! I try them on and imagine how I'll look when I lose weight
3) I've been steadily gaining weight, and something has to change, I can't keep going up like this. Also I'd lost some weight in the past and I am angry with myself for having allowed that advantage to slip away. I really hope not to celebrate myself back to fatness in future whenever I've achieved some goal.
4) I'm 31 years old, and though I've been overweight all of my life, I at least used to exercise consistently, and I thought I was probably more fit than lots of my thinner friends who didn't work out. All of a sudden lately, since I haven't been exercising, I'm starting to notice that I have these body aches and pains, and I realized that even if I don't get results, I HAVE to get back in shape as far as exercising, otherwise I am aging myself and turning into a person who can't energetically move around. And therefore I can learn to be happy with any fitness goals I achieve, even if the scale doesn't budge, and this is a lot more attainable
5) I have a wedding overseas in March and my family is there and I want them to see that I've lost weight!
As for a tip that has helped me in the past:
- The concept of "Later". Sure you'd love that chocolate, or pizza, or whatever. But it will be there when you're done with your diet (when you will be able to have it occastionally in reasonable amounts of course). So just tell yourself you can have it, just "Later".
Another tip I've thought of now:
- Sometimes when I was half-heartedly on a diet and lets say I would go out with a friend and we'd say, "What the heck, let's order a brownie", I guess we were imagining that we were simply postponing the diet a little without much thought to consequences. So now I think it'll be useful especially after I hopefully lose the weight and am trying to maintain, to acknowledge the fact that this brownie does have calories, and that 1) either I can eat less that day or the next day to compensate, 2) I can burn it off through exercise, or 3) the calories WILL get added as pounds on to my body....the calories won't simply disappear as I guess I sometimes tricked myself into thinking!
Also, it's good to find out what is likely to ruin your efforts and have a plan for it. For example, I know I can crave chocolate. In the past I used to sometimes get some dark chocolate (which I don't like very much) and decide to have that if I had a craving, but I could sometimes overeat even that, and on this diet you can't really afford those calories. I recently found something called Tissano cocoa tea, which is just cocoa shells that you brew like tea. It is NOT hot cocoa, no one should expect it to be sweet and lots of people may be disappointed, but it DOES smell like wonderful chocolate, and I find that it can take the edge off a craving with ZERO calories!
Finally, you should know that the first three 600 calorie days are absolutely the toughest, once those have passed it is pretty easy, you learn to find the extra calories you get in other days an indulgence, and become eager for the next 600 calorie days!
I'll weigh myself January 24th (last day of rotation), I hope I'll be happy with the results!
Thanks for the motivation tips, RD2012 -- they were all great ideas! And, I know what you mean about 'doctor diets' -- it seems they're all afraid to put you on something that really works. As for my wardrobe, unfortunately, I've been this size for so long that I finally gave my old clothes away. But, it sure would be nice to go shopping for something smaller! I, too, have steadily gained weight & not lost any for a long, long time -- getting on that scale & seeing it go down sure would be nice! And, with a support group, maybe I'd not get lazy on the maintenance diet, this time. I have had a harder time getting around, too. So, for me this is crucial if I'm to remain mobile in my senior years (I'll be 55 next month). Be careful of caring about what your family thinks, though -- it can be a double-edged sword. I was slender in my early adulthood and discovered later, when I gained weight, that they actually treated me differently as a 'fat person'. The entire world does, actually. So, do it for yourself, not them ok? In retrospect I've come to believe their 'approval' is not as important to me as it used to be. But, showing off your weight loss I'm all for! It does make you feel good when someone notices you've changed -- or, notices you for the first time! Whether it's something as simple as a new haircut, or as difficult as losing weight, I can tell you that your sex life gets a real boost from changes like these -- and, in my experience, the boost is directly proportional to the way the change makes you feel! So, go to that wedding to show off -- but, not just to hear your family's feedback. And, you're absolutely right about 'later': this diet does allow you to return to your favorite foods -- in moderation -- when the weight loss is completed. You never have to make a commitment to give up something for the rest of your life -- good point! As for 'cheating', I think what I really loved about this diet is that if you do commit to follow it he asks you to follow it exactly. So, when I cheated, I started over. After a couple of times of doing that, I began to stick with it! And, it was worth it -- my 'cheating' weeks were all over the place, but the 'honest' weeks resulted in the fantastic weight loss that the program promises. (I used to say they should stamp the word 'guaranteed' on the book's cover! As for what might do me in (if I start I think my only weakness will be the hunger. I'm so glad you found the 600 days to be the only real tough ones for you -- but, I remember the entire first month (basically the 1st rotation) being very, very difficult -- even though those 900 & 1200 days were much appreciated! I think any reduction in calories produces a certain amount of hunger in everyone -- but, I had developed a habit of eating so much at any meal (and, fast -- a habit that stemmed from me not wanting to hear my firstborn cry while I stuffed my face that I felt hungry almost all the time! That's what I will need help with!! I will want to get on this site and scream, "I'm hungry -- help!" -- and, hopefully hear from one of you that you're hungry too! I figure that together we might be able to give each other the pointers -- or, just our sympathy/empathy -- to make us each strong enough to stick with it. Thanks, again, RD2012, for all your help! I hope to 'see' you -- and the others online, again, soon.
Whether it's something as simple as a new haircut, or as difficult as losing weight, I can tell you that your sex life gets a real boost from changes like these -- and, in my experience, the boost is directly proportional to the way the change makes you feel! So, go to that wedding to show off -- but, not just to hear your family's feedback. And, you're absolutely right about 'later': this diet does allow you to return to your favorite foods -- in moderation -- when the weight loss is completed. You never have to make a commitment to give up something for the rest of your life -- good point! As for 'cheating', I think what I really loved about this diet is that if you do commit to follow it he asks you to follow it exactly. So, when I cheated, I started over. After a couple of times of doing that, I began to stick with it! And, it was worth it -- my 'cheating' weeks were all over the place, but the 'honest' weeks resulted in the fantastic weight loss that the program promises. (I used to say they should stamp the word 'guaranteed' on the book's cover! As for what might do me in (if I start I think my only weakness will be the hunger. I'm so glad you found the 600 days to be the only real tough ones for you -- but, I remember the entire first month (basically the 1st rotation) being very, very difficult -- even though those 900 & 1200 days were much appreciated! I think any reduction in calories produces a certain amount of hunger in everyone -- but, I had developed a habit of eating so much at any meal (and, fast -- a habit that stemmed from me not wanting to hear my firstborn cry while I stuffed my face that I felt hungry almost all the time! That's what I will need help with!! I will want to get on this site and scream, "I'm hungry -- help!" -- and, hopefully hear from one of you that you're hungry too! I figure that together we might be able to give each other the pointers -- or, just our sympathy/empathy -- to make us each strong enough to stick with it. Thanks, again, RD2012, for all your help! I hope to 'see' you -- and the others online, again, soon.Thank you so much for all your tips! And you're right, I should be doing this with only me in mind to impress
And I do plan on staying here to support you, so just let me know when you start! I don't get an email for some reason to let me know when someone's posted even though I subscribed, so I'll just keep checking as long as I am still on the diet and as long as you or others don't go too long without posting!As for dealing with hunger, don't forget your free vegetables! Since I stand at work all day I'm usually too tired to cook or clean pots and pans so a very easy option I've found is just to put some vegetables on some foil in the oven. For example, asian stir-fry mix, just mix in some garlic powder, ginger powder and a little low-sodium soy sauce and it's pretty good. If you're willing to get a pan dirty you can use the same seasonings on some baby bok choy, I really like that. Or just some mushrooms which you can buy already cut up at trader joe's mixed with garlic powder or other herbs you prefer. Obviously if you have the time and energy fresh seasonings are better of course, but this is my low-hassle method. If you do use soy-sauce or salt though try not to weigh yourself the next day due to water retention. I plan to avoid anything salty for three days or so before I do my final weigh-in. You can also snack on celery sticks and salsa. All of this you can eat as much as you like of.
An early Happy Birthday to you!!
Maybe I just never explored how much you can 'jazz up' those free vegetables -- your ideas for doing just that sound really good! I sense that you -- and, maybe the others? -- are able to achieve a comfortable level of satiety during this diet (maybe not at the beginning, but eventually). I wish I could say that that was my experience!! I was hungry (almost! all the time. I mean, wouldn't we all be able to lose as much weight as we want to if it wasn't for the hunger? I do admit that going from 600 to 900 to 1200 calories helped a lot: those 1200 days were certainly a welcome relief! But, even during the 1200 cal days I found myself hungry and, after indulging in my free vegetables & safe fruit, was still hungry. I don't want this to come out wrong -- it's not that I want some of you to be suffering! -- but, is there anyone reading who feels the hunger is what you need the most support with? That's what I'm going to need -- someone saying, "Yeah -- I'm hungry, too! How can we help each other get through this?!?!"
all the time. I mean, wouldn't we all be able to lose as much weight as we want to if it wasn't for the hunger? I do admit that going from 600 to 900 to 1200 calories helped a lot: those 1200 days were certainly a welcome relief! But, even during the 1200 cal days I found myself hungry and, after indulging in my free vegetables & safe fruit, was still hungry. I don't want this to come out wrong -- it's not that I want some of you to be suffering! -- but, is there anyone reading who feels the hunger is what you need the most support with? That's what I'm going to need -- someone saying, "Yeah -- I'm hungry, too! How can we help each other get through this?!?!" funkyonions
New member
Hi Everyone!
WOW is all I can say! I was surfing the web to find the menu plan for the rotation diet and came across this site...I am so excited because now I hope to have the support I need to actually make my weight loss dream a reality.Six years ago, I came across the rotation diet book at a garage sale. Basically, I tried it and lost 55 lbs! I felt amazing and looked great. Unfortunately, with a move across the state for a new job, I did not maintain it and I gained all the weight back. I kick myself almost every day because I was 25 lbs away from my goal of losing 80 lbs. But now I want to start again and keep it off this time. I am starting TODAY. No more excuses, no more " I will start tomorrow" or "next tues". It has to be now because frankly I don't like the way I look. Even when I lost the 55 lbs, I still felt fat even when people I knew told me "you look amazing! what are you doing?" That is the part I need help with. I need to change my way of thinking in that dept. I have been "big boned" my entire life pretty much and how does a person incorporate into their life the fact that they have been big their whole life and that is what they know and then all of a sudden they start losing weight and people are noticing and then you say, "wow, I am getting skinny. How does my brain handle that change?" Is anyone going through that? And how do you get your mindset in the right direction so you when you hit the maintenance stage, you are alright with the way you look?
I look forward to getting to know some of you. I have signed up to my local gym and can't wait to start Zumba and/or Turbo Jam!
Happy Rotation!
WOW is all I can say! I was surfing the web to find the menu plan for the rotation diet and came across this site...I am so excited because now I hope to have the support I need to actually make my weight loss dream a reality.Six years ago, I came across the rotation diet book at a garage sale. Basically, I tried it and lost 55 lbs! I felt amazing and looked great. Unfortunately, with a move across the state for a new job, I did not maintain it and I gained all the weight back. I kick myself almost every day because I was 25 lbs away from my goal of losing 80 lbs. But now I want to start again and keep it off this time. I am starting TODAY. No more excuses, no more " I will start tomorrow" or "next tues". It has to be now because frankly I don't like the way I look. Even when I lost the 55 lbs, I still felt fat even when people I knew told me "you look amazing! what are you doing?" That is the part I need help with. I need to change my way of thinking in that dept. I have been "big boned" my entire life pretty much and how does a person incorporate into their life the fact that they have been big their whole life and that is what they know and then all of a sudden they start losing weight and people are noticing and then you say, "wow, I am getting skinny. How does my brain handle that change?" Is anyone going through that? And how do you get your mindset in the right direction so you when you hit the maintenance stage, you are alright with the way you look?
I look forward to getting to know some of you. I have signed up to my local gym and can't wait to start Zumba and/or Turbo Jam!
Happy Rotation!
Well, hopefully someone will respond soon with some more ideas! But I've noticed that several posters have done the men's calorie rotations or some variation, like 1200/1500/1800, so maybe you could start with that and in a few rotations go down to the 600/900/1200. A poster called "Free" has another thread where he varied it eventually by alternating 1200 calorie days with 1500 calorie days for the first week, that is something else you could try. If you find one of his posts on this thread you can click on his name and use the link to see his other posts.
Welcome! That is so inspiring that you lost 55 pounds on this diet! I know what you mean about kicking yourself, I too lost some weight (about 25 pounds at the time) and was about 25 pounds from my goal! I travelled overseas at that time and came back 6 pounds heavier but for some reason the diet/exercise I did afterwards made me gain 20 pounds and I've now crept up another 10! (and it wasn't muscle, my clothes were tighter....it was weird). So I'm hoping the RD can bring me down again. I guess I have to carefully guard my losses and be wary of gaining weight back. I think I read somewhere that exercise or participating in a sport helps you get that mentality that you are now a thin person. I am sure it is important to work on your mindset. For me I feel I now have a dysfunctional relationship with food, not knowing what to eat anymore or what's "normal", but I think the RD has helped with that
belleadonna
New member
Howdy. I started this diet 6 days ago. I am in the 900 calories a day part. I have lost 4 lbs so far. I am sure that most of that is water weight loss but loss is loss!!
I had no problems with the 600 a day because I started on the days that I was only doing light workouts at the gym. I really wasn't very hungry. On Tuesday of this week I did a very heavy workout at the gym (15 minutes treadmill and 1 hr and 15 mins weights). I was much hungrier that day and so I upped my calories to almost 1200 that day. Today, Wednesday I just did 45 mins treadmill and 10 minutes abs and I am not so hungry and back to 900 cals. I think that I will keep that system on the day of my heavy work out with my trainer.
I like this diet. It is intriguing to me and has enough variety to keep me interested.
I am 58 years old, female, 5'3 and I started at 162.8 lbs. My goal is to lose at least 30lbs on this diet. I will try and keep everyone up to date. My next weigh in will be on Friday Jan. 27.
I had no problems with the 600 a day because I started on the days that I was only doing light workouts at the gym. I really wasn't very hungry. On Tuesday of this week I did a very heavy workout at the gym (15 minutes treadmill and 1 hr and 15 mins weights). I was much hungrier that day and so I upped my calories to almost 1200 that day. Today, Wednesday I just did 45 mins treadmill and 10 minutes abs and I am not so hungry and back to 900 cals. I think that I will keep that system on the day of my heavy work out with my trainer.
I like this diet. It is intriguing to me and has enough variety to keep me interested.
I am 58 years old, female, 5'3 and I started at 162.8 lbs. My goal is to lose at least 30lbs on this diet. I will try and keep everyone up to date. My next weigh in will be on Friday Jan. 27.
Welcome beleadonna and please do keep us updated! Yesterday was the last day of my first rotation so I finally weighed myself today. I've lost 7.4 pounds. I do feel slightly disappointed to be honest based on results other people have had. I did a few weight workouts during the three weeks, nothing too intense, mostly lower weights high repetition, but since I did feel sore afterwards/they got easier, I'm wondering if I should assume I've gained a little muscle weight. Still, it's not like deciding to end the diet is going to make me lose weight, obviously it will make me just gain more weight so I feel I have no choice but to press on and go for another rotation. I will be doing one week of maintenance. I haven't decided whether to do 1200 calories for the whole week or to increase to 1500 after three days then maybe 1800 on the last day, both to hopefully rev up my metabolism for the next rotation plus to see if I will gain weight on these calorie levels. I don't want to be disappointed though if i find myself gaining weight this week. So I'll decide what to do in three days, perhaps after weighing myself on the fourth day.
Meanwhile, today I have the day off and I do feel motivated to get a good workout in. I've been doing a mixture of Jari Love weight training DVDs and elliptical, but since it can get pretty boring to follow a DVD, I will use a kettlebell workout book that I have so I can listen to whatever music/audiobook that I want rather than the same DVD.
Of course I've lost greater than an average of 2 pounds a week on this diet so of course it is preferable to the "sensible" 1200 calories every day that was getting me nowhere, so although it is not an overwhelming loss, 7.4 pounds is still progress. I also do feel that I look slimmer and my clothes fit better, so I will keep going!
Anyone else have any progress to report?
Meanwhile, today I have the day off and I do feel motivated to get a good workout in. I've been doing a mixture of Jari Love weight training DVDs and elliptical, but since it can get pretty boring to follow a DVD, I will use a kettlebell workout book that I have so I can listen to whatever music/audiobook that I want rather than the same DVD.
Of course I've lost greater than an average of 2 pounds a week on this diet so of course it is preferable to the "sensible" 1200 calories every day that was getting me nowhere, so although it is not an overwhelming loss, 7.4 pounds is still progress. I also do feel that I look slimmer and my clothes fit better, so I will keep going!
Anyone else have any progress to report?
belleadonna
New member
Hey, 7.4 lbs is great. I think that to do the diet justice is to do a rotation, take a break as he says and then do it again. If you are anything like me, it may take a while to get your metabolism back in good working order.
I plan to go to 1500 calories a day after my first rotation and if I start to gain more than two lbs (accounting for fluid gain) then I will cut back by 100 cals and see if I level off. If I do, I will stay at that level for a week and then go back up to 1500 before starting a new rotation. That will give me approximately three weeks off of the diet.
Good luck to you and stick with it. Any diet takes time but this one seems optimum for seeing quick results without tanking our metabolisms. I am preaching to myself!!
I plan to go to 1500 calories a day after my first rotation and if I start to gain more than two lbs (accounting for fluid gain) then I will cut back by 100 cals and see if I level off. If I do, I will stay at that level for a week and then go back up to 1500 before starting a new rotation. That will give me approximately three weeks off of the diet.
Good luck to you and stick with it. Any diet takes time but this one seems optimum for seeing quick results without tanking our metabolisms. I am preaching to myself!!
Thank you so much belleadonna for your support and encouragement! Yes, I guess in retrospect 7.4 lbs is pretty good compared to just steadily gaining weight as I was before! I met a friend who is also trying to lose weight at the beginning of January and we both decided to go on diets and meet again at the end of the month, so I guess I am happy that I have a loss of 7.4lbs to report! And though the diet can be a little tough some times I guess it really isn't too bad and at least I always have the positive feeling while I'm doing it that I am doing something to take control rather than just letting weight gain happen to me. Sounds like you've got a great plan for maintenance! I have a wedding to attend in March so I'll only be taking a week off. When you said " If you are anything like me, it may take a while to get your metabolism back in good working order.", does this mean you've previously done other diets or the rotation diet itself, and had better results further along?
belleadonna
New member
I tried to respond to this earlier but the website wouldn't let me. I lost 3.4 lbs the first week. Not bad but I need to tweek this diet. It does not have enough calories for the amount of lifting that I do. I will have to play with it. what I meant was that over the years of yo yo dieting that I have probably damaged my metabolism. So, how are you doing on the diet so far?
aloe1
New member
Hello to RD2012 and belleadonna. I definitely do not want to call anyone 1fatmamma and recommend that you choose another screen name that will be more motivating - I'll call you 1fitmamma so hello to you as well. Well, I'm back to 180 so time to do another rotation. Yes, I've thought I could just cut back a little, maybe do 1600 but didn't stick with it so time to do what works.
Congratulations on your weight loss RD2012! You stuck to the plan and accomplished your goal and have set the groundwork for more success in the future.
You know the author was a BIG man when he originated the diet and men always lose weight faster. The 10-12 pound weight loss for women in the trial was an average so some lost more and some lost less. 7.4 pounds gone is a BIG accomplishment. I like to visualize each pound as a package of butter. Even four sticks of butter from a pound coming off my stomach would make a big difference. I will be very happy if I can lose six pounds in the rotation I am starting. That doesn't sound like much but it will take me from feeling fat to feeling trim. And the exercise is an important component so let's all follow belleadonna's good example. I'm pretty wimpy about both dieting and exercise.
Got to get out for a walk this morning so will check in later. I am happy to have all this company on the weight loss/maintenance journey and look forward to your posts.
Congratulations on your weight loss RD2012! You stuck to the plan and accomplished your goal and have set the groundwork for more success in the future.
You know the author was a BIG man when he originated the diet and men always lose weight faster. The 10-12 pound weight loss for women in the trial was an average so some lost more and some lost less. 7.4 pounds gone is a BIG accomplishment. I like to visualize each pound as a package of butter. Even four sticks of butter from a pound coming off my stomach would make a big difference. I will be very happy if I can lose six pounds in the rotation I am starting. That doesn't sound like much but it will take me from feeling fat to feeling trim. And the exercise is an important component so let's all follow belleadonna's good example. I'm pretty wimpy about both dieting and exercise.
Got to get out for a walk this morning so will check in later. I am happy to have all this company on the weight loss/maintenance journey and look forward to your posts.
aloe1
New member
Oh, I forgot to say hello to funkyonions - now there's an interesting name. I'm back from my walk - it's a beautiful 50 degree day which is extremely warm for my area in the winter so it was nice to take advantage of it.
As far as the hunger issue, 1fitmomma, I hear your cry. I also find hunger to be the problem with dieting. I agree with RD2012 that the cooked free vegetables can be lifesavers. I like to use a little cooking spray and cook zucchini slices till they are browned on one side flip them over, add some mushrooms and cover and cook till tender. Also soups made with free vegetables are good to use.
I recently read YOU on a Diet by Dr. Oz and a co-author which gives an easy fun to read description of the biochemistry of hunger. To summarize the info I got from that book mono and unsaturated fats, high fiber foods, and proteins will produce the chemical messengers that quell hunger while saturated fats and sugars will increase hunger, wreck your blood sugar levels, cause inflammation and damage your blood vessels. Exercise will also release some biochemicals to reduce hunger and promote feeling good.
I started with some yogurt and grapes for breakfast then was still hungry so I had a slice of whole grain bread with butter oil blend which added up to 350 calories. I am still feeling comfortable now at 12:15. I think I will use a 1000, 1300, 1600 calorie rotation this time, with 3 meals of about 300 calories and only free veggies for snacks the first three days.
As far as the hunger issue, 1fitmomma, I hear your cry. I also find hunger to be the problem with dieting. I agree with RD2012 that the cooked free vegetables can be lifesavers. I like to use a little cooking spray and cook zucchini slices till they are browned on one side flip them over, add some mushrooms and cover and cook till tender. Also soups made with free vegetables are good to use.
I recently read YOU on a Diet by Dr. Oz and a co-author which gives an easy fun to read description of the biochemistry of hunger. To summarize the info I got from that book mono and unsaturated fats, high fiber foods, and proteins will produce the chemical messengers that quell hunger while saturated fats and sugars will increase hunger, wreck your blood sugar levels, cause inflammation and damage your blood vessels. Exercise will also release some biochemicals to reduce hunger and promote feeling good.
I started with some yogurt and grapes for breakfast then was still hungry so I had a slice of whole grain bread with butter oil blend which added up to 350 calories. I am still feeling comfortable now at 12:15. I think I will use a 1000, 1300, 1600 calorie rotation this time, with 3 meals of about 300 calories and only free veggies for snacks the first three days.
At 250 pounds I am 1fatmomma -- hence, the name. I actually find it motivating to call myself that because it reminds me that I have allowed myself to become something other than what I was intended to be -- what I, in fact, used to be -- which is a normal sized (and, very healthy woman. You can call me momma for short, if you'd like.
woman. You can call me momma for short, if you'd like.Thanks for your encouragement aloe! Hope all of you are doing well Well, after a couple days of maintenance where I stuck to 1200 calories I found that I had gained a couple pounds, and unfortunately this did discourage me and I didn't really watch what I ate the rest of the maintenance week, I'm ashamed to tell you. I weighed myself at the end of the week and I had gained almost all the weight back, though I was wearing heavier clothes than when I had weighed myself before. This shouldn't discourage anyone, I had my psychological issues with the whole process that probably sabotaged me. I also did not exercise at all that week. During the rotoation I exercised about half an hour every other day. What I've decided to do now is exercise a full hour almost every day and try to keep just below 1200 calories. I eyeball quantities so if I aim for 1100 calories I'm sure I'll be getting 1200 so hopefully my metabolism shouldn't suffer. I don't think I've tried this exact combination before. Part of me wonders if I should not count calories and instead just eat "reasonably" but with no starches and no eating after 6 or 7pm. Obviously it would be more effective and wise to actually count the calories, so I'll try to stick to that. Of course varying your calories daily to average out at the desired level is supposed to be better than eating the same amount every day. I am not sure if I can aim to do this, e.g. 1000 calories one day, 1200 another, to average at 1100. That would also be incorporating some aspects of the Rotation Diet (otherwise would it be wrong for me to continue to post on this forum? ) I am also thinking I should allow myself a "cheat meal" once a week. A "cheat day" can easily ruin all you've been working for over the week if you overdo it. Also, it might be more natural and less binge-like to have just a cheat meal, since the rest of the day you aren't throwing caution to the wind and eating things you don't even want. It might teach one to be able to enjoy something decadent and yet still maintain control the rest of the day, so hopefully it would train me lose my dysfunctional relationship with food.
Well, after a couple days of maintenance where I stuck to 1200 calories I found that I had gained a couple pounds, and unfortunately this did discourage me and I didn't really watch what I ate the rest of the maintenance week, I'm ashamed to tell you. I weighed myself at the end of the week and I had gained almost all the weight back, though I was wearing heavier clothes than when I had weighed myself before. This shouldn't discourage anyone, I had my psychological issues with the whole process that probably sabotaged me. I also did not exercise at all that week. During the rotoation I exercised about half an hour every other day. What I've decided to do now is exercise a full hour almost every day and try to keep just below 1200 calories. I eyeball quantities so if I aim for 1100 calories I'm sure I'll be getting 1200 so hopefully my metabolism shouldn't suffer. I don't think I've tried this exact combination before. Part of me wonders if I should not count calories and instead just eat "reasonably" but with no starches and no eating after 6 or 7pm. Obviously it would be more effective and wise to actually count the calories, so I'll try to stick to that. Of course varying your calories daily to average out at the desired level is supposed to be better than eating the same amount every day. I am not sure if I can aim to do this, e.g. 1000 calories one day, 1200 another, to average at 1100. That would also be incorporating some aspects of the Rotation Diet (otherwise would it be wrong for me to continue to post on this forum? ) I am also thinking I should allow myself a "cheat meal" once a week. A "cheat day" can easily ruin all you've been working for over the week if you overdo it. Also, it might be more natural and less binge-like to have just a cheat meal, since the rest of the day you aren't throwing caution to the wind and eating things you don't even want. It might teach one to be able to enjoy something decadent and yet still maintain control the rest of the day, so hopefully it would train me lose my dysfunctional relationship with food.- Status