Martin Katahn's Rotation Diet?

Status
Not open for further replies.
Day 6

Back to 176 and feeling toned and good this morning.

Yogurt, apple, bran buds, lentil burgers, potato, salad, an egg, 1T pine nuts, a grapefruit, grilled cheese, cauliflower,celery
1150 calories Hunger level not too bad. Sure, I'd like to eat a lot more but want to be successful today so will resist the temptation - I hope!
 
Day 7

Holding at 176, finished first week with 1400 today. Going to 1700 tomorrow!
 
hey Aloe - glad to hear it's going ok - on your "modified" version....

cheers,
Maryann C.
 
Reporting In

Thanks, MaryannC - I enjoyed reading about your success on your diary thread.

Week 2 I generally maintained at 176; calorie levels were 1800,1650,1800,2600,1400,1400.1600
Week 3 I decided not to go too low since I was donating blood and I have found before that calorie restriction and
blood donation do not go well together; calorie levels were 2300,1700,2000,2300,2300,1900,1750
Week 4 So far calorie levels have been 1750,1200, and 1500.

This morning I was happy to see 174 :hurray:again. I think I will do another day of 1500, then move on up to 1800.

"Remember that this diet is meant to make you feel good, so if the addition of the free vegetables and safe fruit that I suggest...should not happen to be enough food to keep you energetic and in good spirits, do not hesitate to go up to 900 calories or even 1200...maintaining good health, mental and physical, during a diet is much more important than setting a weight loss record." The Rotation Diet, page 22

"During the 600 calorie rotations, just have two servings of a grain product, two servings of a milk product, two different vegetables, two different fruits, and about 3 ounces of lean meat, fish or fowl. During the 900 calorie rotations, add another grain product and another serving of lean meat, fish, or fowl. There is also room for 1 teaspoon of fat or oil for seasoning or spread. During the 1200 calorie rotation, make it a total of four grains, two milk products, two different fruits and two different vegetables, and two servings of lean meat, fish or fowl. And you also have room for 1 T. of fat or oil." Ibid, page 116
 
Read this whole thread today! I'm excited and read through the book and plan to start tomorrow! Jan.1,2013! Excited, ready, and motivated!!
 
Why it worked for me

Great thread. I'd like to share my successes with this diet:

I'm a male, 5' 9", and came off a cruise about 5 years ago weighing 215lbs. I saw this book in with the other diet books and liked the "Lose a pound a day and never gain it back" claim. Obviously, I was skeptical. What I liked about it was the fact that other than the book, the diet wasn't trying to sell you any special foods or services. You do have to follow the menus, and you do have to cook a lot, but it seemed doable. As a teacher, I have summers off, so I thought I'd try it when I could just eat from home every meal. I cut out all alcohol, got my safe fruit (oranges), and pledged to stick with the 3 weeks and see how it went.

I did lose close to a pound a day (average). The first week I lost most of the weight, and it tapered off as the next two weeks progressed. I also started exercising more regularly.

What this diet did more than anything else was to show me how easy it was to prepare 3 meals a day. At first it was hard, inconvenient, and time-consuming. But diets are supposed to be a lifestyle change, and any diet that doesn't alter your previous habits usually doesn't stick. True, I was on vacation, and when I started back in the fall I had to make some adjustments to my schedule to accommodate food preparation, but the lifestyle change stuck.

Once I transitioned to maintenance, I found that I had gotten used to preparing fresh food, going to the grocery store more than once a week, and being generally healthier. Even after I stopped "dieting" and went back to drinking lattes and wine, I was still cooking fresh food more often than I had before. I think this is the key to why the diet works for me.

After 6 months, I was down to 180lbs, I was running 10-15 miles a week, and most importantly I felt incredibly better. Although I lost most of the weight in the first month, I lost about 3-4 pounds a month after that.

I've kept off the weight for the most part, but holiday food and general laziness add pounds, so usually once a year I go back on the diet or just use the menus but add more healthy calories to the lower calorie days. I still don't eat fast food, and rarely do I eat something processed.

I was around 200-205 after this last holiday, so I've started again this week. I'm on day 5, and I've already lost 4 pounds again.

A few other things:
My wife tried to do the diet with me, and she had a hard time with the 600/900 days, so she just did the male menu with me and lost 10-15 pounds. I assure you, as a male, 1200 calories is definitely low, but 600 may be too low for anyone.

I also never cheated, not even one cookie or latte or doughnut or junk food for the first 3 weeks. I think that's important. Safe fruits work, and when it's January I like clementines. I just put a few in my coat pocket in the morning.

One rotation I did try to do the first week and increase exercise at the same time. I was running and going to the gym, and it didn't work. Now I make sure my exercise is plateaued during the less-calorie weeks.

I've also never been back up to 215.

Hope my story helps!
 
Greetings to Sunnyside. Happy to read of your success Waavygravy. Hope you both continued on to your goals. Sometimes its helpful to post at the start to get going but later you don't feel the need to.

Well I'm back to 180....again. So I will do my planned spring shape up. Had fresh strawberries and yogurt for breakfast, tuna rice veggie casserole for lunch and a grapefruit for a snack. Supper will be mozzarella broccoli on brown rice for a total of 1000 today. Feeling hungry but motivated. Have radishes and celery on hand to use as needed.
 
Day 3 - I'm back to 176. I love the quick start but I know most of that is water weight and now I have to maintain it while I actually burn the fat. Judging from past cycles I will likely stay at 176 now till the end of the third week.

Had fresh strawberries and yogurt for breakfast, a grilled cheese whole wheat sandwich plus salad for lunch. Snacked on grapefruit in the afternoon and had a greenbean fritatta topped with tomato sauce plus 1/2 a small potato for supper. Had celery and carrots for a final snack on days 1 and 2. Happy to have completed 2 days at the 1000 calorie level and going for day 3!
 
Last edited:
I have just completed day 4, went to 1300 calories today after completing 3 at the 1000 calorie level. That's another thing I like about the rotation diet, the joy of adding 300 more calories after those first three days. You've learned you can survive on less and you enjoy a bit more.
Yesterday I had oatmeal for breakfast, a salad and soy ham sandwich for lunch, grapefruit snack, and succotash and string cheese for supper. Celery and carrots for evening snack.
Today I had an apple in yogurt sweetened with molasses and cinnamon and topped with bran buds for breakfast - delicious and filling. Grilled rye sandwich and salad for lunch, orange and walnuts for snack, hamburger hash for supper. Used some of the extra calories for a piece of string cheese and a piece of bread.
 
Day 5 - had that apple bran yogurt again for breakfast. For lunch I had cheesy chard and rice. If it was a 1000 calorie day I would have used one serving of rice and 1 oz of cheese but with my extra calories I was able to go with another half serving of rice and 1/2 ounce of cheese which brought the meal total to 400 calories. Had an orange and 2 T. of walnuts for afternoon snack, rice and lentils with broccoli and carrots on the side for supper.

I have sorted my wardrobe and whitened my teeth as part of the rotation diet health and beauty shape up for March. Started at 180, was down to 178 on day to and 176 on day 3 and have stayed at that weight. I like that because I feel fat at 180 and normal at 176. I feel skinny at 172 - hope to see that again soon.
 
Last edited:
Day 6 not so good

Day 6 began well. Knowing that I would have pizza for lunch I had a light breakfast of an orange in yogurt. Four slices of pizza left me a little under 300 calories for the rest of the day. Had turkey vegetable soup for supper. If I had stopped there all would have been well. But I felt the need to have an orange. If I had stopped there all would have been well...but later as I was reading I thought I would have a few whole wheat saltines and have 1600 calories for the day rather than 1300. One saltine led to another and I ate the whole sleeve - 500 calories worth. That brought me to 1900 for the day.

I thought I would surely bounce back to 178 but was pleased to still see 176 this morning, on day 7.
 
Day 7 - one week down and two to go!
The bad news is I got the bounce back to 178 this morning even though I only had 1500 calories yesterday. Going up to 1600 anyway today. I haven't really been too hungry on this rotation so that's been great.
 
Finishing Day 12 - over half way through the three weeks. Still at 176. Have had 1600 each day of the second week and it's been pretty easy without much hunger. Still would like to eat more but it's mainly psychological. Chewing lots of gum to work the jaws. I'm having a 350 calorie breakfast and afternoon snack; a 400 calorie lunch and supper, and a 100 calorie evening vegetable snack, trying to establish healthy eating habits.
 
Day 16 of this rotation - back to 1100 calories. The scale finally budged again the day before yesterday to 175. This morning is 174. Thought it might be hard to go back so low after the 1600 week but had no trouble coming in at 1100 calories yesterday.
 
Still 174 and SO THANKFUL to be finishing the third 1100 calorie day. (I forgot I actually started with 1000 calories a day - always trying to get a break!) I've been pretty weak and tired on these low cal days and haven't done much exercise at all this whole rotation.
 
Goal Weight!

This morning I weighed in at 172. :hurray: I've haven't seen that number in a long time. Still 4 days to go so I should be able to maintain and solidify that weight - hope to stay at 172 long enough to make it my set point. Going to wear my tweed skirt today - the one that only fits at 174 and below.
 
Day 20

I've been good but still back to 174 this morning. Not so good today - pancakes and maple syrup for lunch. Looks like calories for the day will be 1600-1700. Finally did some exercise - 45 minutes arthritis weight training and stretching.
 
Another rotation completed!

Finished off with 1500 calories day before yesterday. Final weight is 174. Now to maintain or go lower!
 
I know this is kind of old now but thought I would post. I am starting my third week. I can't do it exactly as suggested because I have severe dietary problems. I am Celiac for one thing. Also though it is regularly suggested, I cannot eat grapefruit because of seizure medication. On top of that a large number of veggies and fruits do not agree with me (oranges, apples, tomatoes, cabbage, and avocado are just a few). I lost 5 pounds the first week and nothing the second. I would like to lose a total of 40 pounds. I gained close to 60 on my seizure medication years ago (it took my appetite and I gained 50 pounds in one month...went off that one but it has been impossible to get it off since) and I am down from my top weight but not where I am comfortable.

Oh and my best friend's friend lost 90 pounds on this several years ago. She has kept it off. When she feels she is gaining she just does a rotation and is back down. She looks like a different person!
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top