Have you ever tried to lose weight? Well, for two months now, I’ve been trying. I started by trying to follow the Atkins diet. Atkins is low carb high protein. It’s not about counting calorie.s I stopped buying bread, and got rid of the rice and pasta in my cupboard. I stopped buying sugary drinks. I ate lots of egg and bacon. (Protein.)
I also bought more vegetables, berries, and some protein grains (barley, chickpeas.) However after a couple of bouts of abdominal pains which took me to hospital, I found I had to up the fibre in what I was eating and reduce the meat and eggs in favour of more vegetables and berries: I won’t go into the unpleasant medical details here.
My weight went down from 96 kg to 90 kg. (211 lbs to 198.) That’s not terrible good for a 6 foot guy in his late 50s, but it’s more than I should be. But then 2 or 3 weeks ago it seemed to plateau.
Part of the problem in my weight plateauing is eating things when it‘s not meal time. Snacking, in other words, even if the “snack” is a bit more bacon and egg, which according to Atkins should be Ok, because it’s not carbohydrate.
Part of the problem is exercise. For me, exercise sucks. I’ve never found a sport I really enjoyed, and I’ve been told I’m just showing the first signs of arthritis in my knees, so jogging would be insane. Walking the dog looks like the best option, plus using some weights I have at home.
I wonder: have any readers found diets that work? Are there any simple rules apart from just “eat less, and stay away from the sugars?” what worked for you?
Richard Snow Writer 
Hi Rich
About 4 years ago I got my weight down from 105 to 86 kg. It took about a year. The diet was a Low GI diet, very similat to what you describe.
The other thing that really helped me was regular walking – starting at half a kilometre a day, and working up to 1 to 2 kilometres every morning, boefreo breakfast. That seemed to bump my metabolism into action.
I have also been having Meusli with fruit and Soy milk and yogurt for breakfast, and a Protein shake (Iso Whey) for lunch (with Soy milk) Then a fairly normal tea, but cuttig down on potatoes etc…
I then went through aperiod of slowly putting on a few kilos. When I got back up to the mid 90s I just gritted my teeth and started sticking to the regime once again. (I lapsed, and began eating bread and crumpets etc again – cos I really love bread). Sour dough rye is supposed to be the best bread for weight loss.
Good luck. It’s never easy. I’ve been steady around 94-95 for a while now. I had intended to start walking every day during the school hols, but … alas – I had a chest cold, was on anti biotics and didn’t have the energy or inclination to wlak much.
Keep well
Fond regards
Barry C
Hi Richard
Sadly, it’s the old story of a balanced diet and exercise … but …we are all different. I found that getting the FAT out of my eating made a big difference. Good oils are fine but fats are useless. There seems to be fat in things that have no business having fat in them! And strange kinds of fat that aren’t based in the real world.
The trick is to make as much as your own food as possible so you know exactly what has gone into it; the less preprepared and processed, packaged foods the better. Alcohol is also a killer because of its metabolic action.
Eat heaps of veggies, roasted, steamed, dry fried. Replace potato with sweet potato. Brown or coral rice are good healthy foods, it’s the processed white rice that has the carbs without the benefit of the fibre. Eat foods in season.
Exercise doesn’t necessarily mean running or hurting yourself, I do weights at home and some other basic, keeping-still exercises which keep me strong and fit. Like you, I despise exercise and have always somehow gotten out of having to do any sport!
I witnessed many people on low carb/high protein diets when I worked at a ‘health centre’. It seemed that everybody plateaued, so I think that is part of the diet process. I also noticed that particularly during winter, many people became depressed.
Dr Atkins died of heart disease.
Actually, Sarah, he slipped on ice on the way to work and died from a head injury.
http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/atkinsdiet/a/dratkinsdeath.htm
I’ve been getting more and more into Clean Eating. Like Sarah said, eat as little processed foods as possible. There are a few books on it, by Tosca Reno. It’s an easy way to eat and it’s not a diet so much as a natural way to prepare food for everyday. Even the Hubs and the Kid like it. As for exercise, have you ever tried yoga? That might be a cool thing for you. If not, then try to find something you do like, maybe riding a bike? Something that won’t trash your knees. The Hubs and I like to go out walking every day, but sometimes I will add in a 20 minute yoga session at night. Then I work out with weights two days a week with my trainer. Even so, if I’m not eating the right foods and right amount of calories, I won’t lose weight. There are loads of good online food tracker/calorie counting sites. Plugging in the food you eat every day is tedious, but I was amazed at what I thought I was eating versus what I was really eating. Calories are not created equal.
In May I’ve set a challenge for myself to go sugar free. I’m amazed at how much sugar is in everything! Even bread, which shouldn’t have sugar at all.
Good luck my friend! I hope you find something that works for you. I don’t like Atkins at all. I found the Zone easy to follow as well as South Beach. Fairly similar principals and less picky than Clean Eating.