Dieting: how much loss is unhealty?

When I was getting the rabies shots I lost 15 pounds in two weeks. I ended up with two hernias because I didn’t have that much body fat. It was muscle loss. I’d say you’re going fairly rapidly at that pace.

Well, how do you feel? Did you want to lose the weight?
Also, what is a “17 day diet”?

I don’t feel too bad, a little bit hungry all the time. Celery just don’t make it. I am doing the diet to help my wife so she doesn’t have to do it all alone. Just doing the moral support deal trying to be good, because she does need to lose weight. At 54, I have a little bit of a tummy going, but not beyond a 38 inch waist.
The 17 day diet is a book my wife picked up at the mall a few weeks ago, Low Carbs, Increased proteins, Probiotics and ‘cleansing vegetables’ (whatever those are) I don’t like broccoli any more. It seems to be kind of similar to South Beach and Paleo diets.
I had heretofore been told to shoot for 2–5 pounds a week. I’m doubling that and a bit concerned it’s too fast. I can’t exercise so this is completely diet driven.

Well, I’d say you’re fine, really, unless your body starts acting funny.

So, does she get to quit the diet after 17 days?

The diet is structured in cycles of 17 days each. The second cycle begins to re-introduce some carbs every other day, such as corn, beans and whatever else she tells me is OK.

Some of my concern is I have lost a LOT more than she has. I’ve read this is not uncommon, but I lost 3 pounds overnight sleeping!

The recommendation that I see most frequently is that a healthy long term target is 2 pounds per week, and that a large initial loss is common.

If your loss doesn’t slow down soon, you might start sneaking some high calorie snacks behind your wife’s back!

Some of it is definitely water weight. Your eating less, which means less salt, which means your body is shedding water. Not that it matters, water counts.

Losing weight too fast can be downright deadly. Water and electrolytes is part of the worry. That gets out of whack and it can cause cardiac arrest.

The rate you lose weight will depend on how heavy you are (were) in the first place. If you were a 115 pound man, you’ll be losing slower than if you were a 300 pound man.

Yes, as @JLeslie some of it is water weight for sure. The body can easily fluctuate a couple lbs. a day with fluid retention/release. 21 lbs. in 12 days is extremely hardcore. Healthy normal weight loss should never exceed 2 lbs. a week or so. I’d slow it down and pay attention to what @JLeslie said. 12 lbs. in a month is fine, 21 in 12 days is extreme IMO. Yes, also what @jca says.

Also, remember, if you starve yourself you WILL, eventually go nuts and eat everything in sight. Always best to take the slower approach, move more, eat less but do not starve yourself. It’s a set up for failure. You need to make lifestyle changes for the long term, not the short term.

How much do you have to lose? If you are 50+ lbs overweight and are a man, it’s not unusual to have crazy weight loss in the first two to three weeks of a diet. It usually slows down after that.

i started at 215 last Thursday. I used to be pretty athletic, but illness and a sedentary lifestyle made my massive chest migrate a bit south. I weighed in at 183 this morning. I asked my doctor if I was getting fat (my weight actually didn’t change much from being active other than during chemo and i bounced right back) he didn’t think I was in too bad of shape given my condition. I’ll shock them all when I go in for my annual irradiation later this month. heh heh heh. Mostly my belts are now a functional support system for my trousers now.

If you’re hungry all the time that’s really not good. I took a look at some of the medical reviews on this diet and it does come out as generally well balanced and something you could sustain as a regular regimen. So, it’s not one of these crazy fad type things.

Here’s a few suggestions I read about. In this first stage you’re allowed unlimited amounts of lean protein as well as certain veggies (non starchy types).

Since you said you don’t like the veggies all that much, how about satisfying your hunger with lean protein. Things like Salmon (canned or fresh) Tuna, water packed, chicken or turkey breast.

I’m assuming your wife typically does the cooking. Do you cook at all? Would you be comfortable to cook an extra chicken breast in the toaster oven?

If not, then maybe stock up on canned salmon and tuna. As for what you could put it on, that’s a different story since the diet prohibits grains (bread, crackers etc.).

You might try baking zuchini rounds with a tiny bit of oil on them and a little seasoning. Let them cool and use them like crackers for the tuna or salmon.

The above suggestions are all permitted by this diet so you wpuidnt be cheating. I was a little surprised that it allows unlimited lean protein, but it definitely does.

BTW: at dinner time does your wife give you a larger protein serving than hers or are you both eating identical portions? If your portions are identical, that might be part of your hunger problem right there. You need to negotiate for a larger amount. Protein will go a long way towards alleviating hunger.

If someone is on ANY type of diet, they should not be feeling constantly hungry. That’s not just my opinion but that of medical experts as well.

That’s why sensible diets have certain foods which are classed as unlimited. And that word means what it says.

You’re fortunate that this diet allows unlimited lean protein. As long as it’s lean, you can eat as much as you need to satisfy hunger without doing anything wrong.

So, take full advantage of that. Stock up in canned tuna and salmon (and chicken breasts and fish, if you cook) and eat whenever hunger strikes.

I think it’s wonderful that you’re being supportive of your wife this way. But it’s totally unnecessary for you to be hungry while doing so. That’s not healthy.

While my wife is at work, I prepare most of the food so she can eat when she gets home. I haven’t read the book and am/was following what she told me to do. So..I didn’t know I could eat between meals and stuff! I am very happy to hear that! I have been broiling chicken and turkey on the grill and putting them in boxes in the refrigerator, then weighing out the portions while preparing the recipes she marks in the book. I jokingly refer to most of the recipes as ‘white people food’ because it is a wild difference to my regular primarily Asian diet. I gotta tell you I would wrestle an alligator for a bowl of rice right now. I am experimenting with incorporating some of my native foods into the diet. Some of the ingredients are off the diet, so I am compensating. The first cycle is just very limiting, but will be over this Friday! Then I get some more flexibility I’m told.

If you are not eating carbs (or very low carb), your body is probably in a state of ketosis, where you will lose weight very rapidly. Be warned once you start eating carbs again, you may be alarmed how quickly you regain the weight if you are not careful.

Have you tried Quinoa as a substitute for rice? It’s quite high in protein and is similar to rice in terms of looks and mouth feel. But it’s not a high starch grain cuz of the high protein content.

I’m not sure which one of his books your wife bought but in addition to the first book there is a second one of primarily recipes.

I also know that in addition to the main list of approved foods, there’s a list of ethnic foods of different countries which I didn’t read thoroughly but I did see Asian eggplant.

I have no idea what the position is on soy sauce or dark sesame oil, both of which add a really good flavor punch.

The Asian type diet does contain quite a bit of fish, so you could explore that as well. It did mention Salmon as approved (even tho it’s known as a fatty fish.) but it’s the good kind of fat with Omega 3s.

You should probably browse through at least the basic food lists (the entire book would be better) for each stage of the diet so you can get some variety.

It’s good that you’re the one doing the cooking so you don’t have to be constantly hungry :)

Being hungry all the time is a miserable way to be. I’m a bit surprised that your wife overlooked the word “unlimited”. That’s a critical point. I’m sure they wouldn’t use the word unlimited if they didn’t mean precisely that.

Apparently the reason that unlimited lean protein is ok is because it aids in burning fat which makes sense.

I’m not sure whether that’s the same in the next stage but it seems to make sense that it would stay the same.

Anyhow, enjoy.

Nothing wrong or unhealthy about being hungry, @Buttonstc. It’s just the body’s way of saying, “Hey! You aren’t feeding me as much as you used to!”
When it gets used to the fewer calories, it will stop nagging him to do what he was doing before.

Massive protein intake also ups your risk for kidney stones, and sudden, rapid weight loss increases your risk for gallbladder attacks too.

@Dutchess

Actually I respectfully disagree. There is definitely something wrong with a diet plan that constantly leaves you hungry.

(I’m not talking about food cravings. That’s different. I’m referring to actual hunger.)

A diet plan should not just be a temporary thing. Ideally it should be a healthy method of eating habits and lifestyle that can be sustainable for the rest of your life.

That’s the chief reason why so many diets are successful for a limited period of time only. Once it’s over, people revert back to their old eating habits and the pounds come back on.

Then it’s another diet. And on and on. Yo-yo dieting is definitely EXTREMELY UNHEALTHY. you don’t have to take my word for it. Ask a medical professional about the deleterious effects of constant up and down weight swings. There is no question about that.

This is why healthy diet plans have a built in protection against constant hunger by having an approved list of unlimited foods which you can eat at any time.

The trick is finding items that you will eat from that list. He said that he didn’t like the vegetables, so lean protein is the logical next best choice.

And apparently this particular diet is only so severely restricted for the first 17 days.

But I don’t care how “good” a diet is at shaving off pounds. If one is constantly hungry they will not maintain that. I don’t care who it is. That’s just normal human nature.

Why do you think they even bothered to include an approved list for unlimited if not to prevent the constant hunger which eventually leads to discouragement and the inevitable weight swings ?

For years people lost huge amounts of weight on starvation diets and everybody was impressed. Except that follow up studies revealed that it wasn’t lasting weight loss. Therefore, pretty much worthless.

So, they’ve realized that constant hunger does not produce LONG TERM results. And there’s just no good reason for it. Do your own research. TODAYS diet plans are far different from the crazy dieting of yesteryear. They are more like a system for revising ones relationship to healthy foods and balanced eating which is sustainable as a lifetime method.

And constant hunger just is not sustainable as a lifetime habit. And with so much HEALTHY food available it’s simply not necessary to be in a constant state of hunger. Makes no sense at all

Yes, I know. I changed my eating habits about 18 years ago, lost a lot of weight, and never gained it back.

And we don’t know if the OP is feeling actual hunger or just the echo’s of when his body wanted more food, whether he needs it or not.

When I start feeling hungry, I wait a few hours. Sometimes it goes away. Sometimes it comes back like a lion, then I know it’s really time to eat.

Well, he’s an adult and I would assume knows what his body is telling him.

And he can read both of our opinions and make up his own mind.

I still think it would be best if he read the whole book to get a better understanding of the author’s methodology but I am impressed enough that he’s going to these lengths to support his wife. She hit the jackpot with him :) and I’m sure he feels the same about her.

I think it’s really cool too!

I’m not sure that many Americans really know the difference between a craving and real hunger.

While it’s true that America in general is a nation of overeaters that doesn’t necessarily mean every single person.

He describes himself as in his mid fifties with still a 36 Inch waist.

That’s pretty damn good and it’s clear to me that he isn’t a chronic overeater or he’d certainly be significantly larger and would have popped out of a 36” waist quite some time ago. So, when someone like that states he’s “hungry ALL the time” I tend to take that at face value.

If someone who has had a problem with weight control their whole life and is used to pigging out complains of hunger, then waiting awhile to be sure it’s true hunger makes sense.

But it’s clear he isn’t in that category (even tho an American, LOL ).

My body tricks me too, even though I am far from over weight. Like, this morning I had an Egg McMuffin, with a bagel subbed for the muffin. That was plenty of food for me, but my body kept trying to tell me I was still hungry. It finally went away. After I drank a small milkshake 3 hours later! LOL!

@Buttonstc I’ve always been heavier than I look. When I was in the service I failed every swimming test they threw at me because my body doesn’t float. i took a lot of teasing and was nicknamed ‘lead-bottom’ (or words to that effect)
Thanks to your advice, I’ve been snacking on fried tofu strips like my mom used to make for me, and edamame, a childhood favorite. That has helped the hunger problems significantly. When I was in the service, we ate 6 meals a day to keep our energy up and I remember feeling like this after I retired and started eating just 3 a day. I still had to exercise like a madman for years tapering down so I wouldn’t turn into a lump. Now that my lifestyle has taken a bit of a turn, I don’t really need all the calories I consume. Particularly an apparent addiction to Coca Cola. Been Jonesing pretty hard for one. And there are plenty in the Frig. I just won’t drink ‘em. I promised myself one after this cycle is done.

Boy, I admire you, @majorrich. Although I will brag that an uneaten Payday bar can sit in my crisper drawer in the fridge for, like, a week, unseen, therefore untouched. Until I suddenly remember I have it. Then it gets touched.

I’m glad it’s working out well for you. And the Edamame and Tofu are certainly healthy options.

I hear what you’re saying on the Coke. I just recently discovered a soda that I really really like. But it’s a imited item so I only allow myself one a day so the supply I have stocked up on will last me till this time next year when they’ll bring it out again (I hope.)

I’ve never been a Mountain Dew drinker, but they came out with a flavor called Sangrita Blast and it is so incredibly refreshing. Very citrusy and tart. There’s nothing else like it on the market. If I don’t limit myself to one per day I’d run out completely way too soon :)

Anyhow, keep us posted on how the diet goes. I’d be interested to see what the second 17 day cycle includes.

Stage one is over and I lost 22 pounds. Stage 2 I get back lean red meats, some rice, some beans and lean pork every other day. I have to take an interruption because I have to go in for some testing so no raw vegetables or seeds or anything colored red or blue. (Yes, a colonoscopy) so I am modifying a little this week, but that will give my wife a chance to catch up. I seem to have plateaued because I didn’t lose any additional weight past 22. I have to do some research on how to break through the wall without exercise. It appears the majority of my excess fat is visceral fat (on the inside) I do still have a little bit of thick skin around my belly, but hell, I’m 54! I should be allowed a little. I’ll still follow whatever my wife is doing so she won’t see me eating something she would be tempted by.

@majorrich: how tall are you?

Are you happy with your weight now, or do you want to lose more?

5’9” and a little on the broad side in shoulders. When I was in my prime I had a 48” chest and 34” waist. I weighed about 170. I have settled a little over the years. Still need the 48 because of my shoulders, but my waist is up to 38 (or so) since I don’t exercise any more. And my legs are like little twigs down there. LOL. I’ve not consulted with my MD as to what weight is ideal for me, 194 doesn’t feel too bad, but I would like to lose a little more, but make sure Kristi loses more weight than I do. It would do her ego a lot of good. She never lost her baby fat,

Today at weigh in I am now down 33 pounds! I haven’t even started exercising yet. I think it may be the probiotics and all that dadburned rabbit food.183#

Well, 183 at 5’9 isn’t bad at all!

I’m getting ready to start exercising next. Not a lot of paraplegic home exercise equipment so I will be improvising in a most excellent manner.

”...paraplegic home exercise equipment…” LOL~!! Exactly WHAT is that? :D

The plan is to have a neighbor, who is in the tree removal business, bring over a log that I can wheel up to and hold between my knees. Then, I will use mallets of increasing weight to pound on the end of the log. If my figuring is right, it should use all the muscle groups in my upper body but gently at first. I am only starting with 18 ounce mallets. I figure as I progress, I will be able to work up to heavier weights and should eventually become a complete beast. My only concern would be the shock of impact in which case, I may have to tape my wrists like a boxer.

I have just the stump for you. A tree service dude, who is also a friend of ours, cut down a huge elm tree in the back yard. To save $300 I said just leave it, don’t haul if off…..