My Maple Syrup Diet Diary. Feel free to read and comment!

[TheFutureIsUnwritten]

So a wee bit of background.... I'm 21. At the start of the year DH and I decided to try for a baby. In March I got pregnant and in May I unfortunately miscarried. We have decided not to try again for a while and I am starting university in a month and moving on with life.

In May after I miscarried, I weighed 11stone 4lb. I'm 5 foot 7. From May until a couple week ago I had managed to go from 11st 4lb to 9st 6lb. However in the past couple weeks I had gone back up to 9st 12lb so I am embarking on the famous maple syrup diet to lose more weight and get down to my goal of 8 and 1/2 stone. This week I can only do it to Friday morning because I'm making dinner in the evening and I'm out at the weekend so will start again on the Monday.

So, yesterday was day 1.

I had the drink in the morning which consists of:
1 tbsp maple syrup
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
water (however on this ocassion I exchanged the water for green tea)

It was alright but tasted a bit funny. At about 3pm I had about 1/4 cup of rice (uncooked at time of measuring) with a boiled egg and some soy sauce.

At about 6pm I was feeling fine but thought I better have another drink so had one with the water not green tea.

Throughout the day when thirsty I was drinking tea with skimmed milk or no added sugar blackcurrent juice.

Weighed myself this morning and I have gone from 9st 12lb to 9st 9lb. This is probably just water retention or something but I feel healthier and I'm not bloated like I usually am.

Thanks, see you again tomorrow for an update! xx

[foreverondiet]

Do you want my personal opinion?

1. At 5 7 and 9 12 your BMI is 21.6 which is not only a healthy weight but actually a "slim" healthy weight. 8 7 your target would be borderline underweight, and not ideal for TTC.
   

1. The maple syrup diet is a faddy crash diet and is extremely unhealthy, even more so when you are not carrying much extra fat. But continuing on this diet you'll lose muscle mass, which will make you lighter, but not especially thinner.
   

See here - link

You risk having to wear the diet dunce's hat. Further once you lose muscle it will be even easier to gain more weight in the future. Do you want to lose weight so much that you don't care whether its fat or muscle?

1. A bit of weight movement is normal - mine varies by up to 7lbs depending on TOTM, what I have eaten, what excercise I've done etc.
   

1. That all being said, fair enough you want to lose a little bit of weight (although think a bad idea at your height to go below 9 stone), but the best way to do it would be to eat a clean healthy balanced diet. Cut out all processed foods (including no added sugar squash), drink gallons of water, eat stacks of veggies. If you want a bit of a boost cut down on carbs for the first few weeks, and even when you add them back in go for the low GI sort.
   

1. For TTC best to have healthy unprocessed diet - what I suggested above would help with health as well as weight loss.
   

1. To ensure you don't lose muscle eat protein at each meal and do some resistance training (ie weights.)
   

In short (and I have never said this here before) I think you are totally mad / stupid to continue with this diet. FWIW if someone came on and actually was overweight (and wasn't TTC in the near future) I'd say that I thought it was an unhealthy fad diet but I could understand they wanted to kickstart their weight loss.

If you want another option, why not ask your GP, but I'd be surprised if their reaction was any different to mine.

FWIW I weigh 8 7 and I am 5 4. My BMI is 20.5 (so I little less than yours) but I don't want it to be any lower as it wouldn't be healthy. I've worked hard to maintain muscle as I lose weight so I am well toned.

[foreverondiet]

Actually on thinking about it I hope you are a troll, and there isn't actually a person out there embarking on this course of action.

[CotesduRhone]

Foreverondiet is completely correct, this is not a sustainable method of weight loss, and is extremely likely to jeopardise your health. And your stated height/weight sound completely normal; have you considered that you might be using the excuse of TTC to justify disordered eating, OP? And that in fact being underweight will also lower your chances of conception?

[ZZMum]

forever - excellent post - said everything I was thinking...

[2wwmadness]

Not read the whole thing and can't be bothered with people talking me how dangerous this is, I know. It's my choice to put my body through it. I do this 2wice a year for 5 dAys. I lost a stone doing it in janurary and half a stone in July, it's not a long term and you do put a few pounds back on obviously but it a good quick fix. I have lost 8.5 stone in the last few years so this keeps me extra trim before I go on holiday.

[foreverondiet]

2wwmadness": No its not a good "quick fix" its a dreadful* fix - as I said above each time you do it you lose muscle mass, making it easier to put the weight back on (which you acknowledge)

Each time you've done it you've lost several pounds of muscle that are so very hard to replace. This course of action is risking your long term health.

[TheFutureIsUnwritten]

Hello,

wow, I wasnt expecting this kind of reaction :S No I'm not a troll, I'm just trying to lose weight. :S I had read a lot about this diet online and people do it a lot more extreme than I am... I'm eating a meal a day. Many people dont!

I'm not TTC anymore. I spent 3 days in hospital when I MC'd and I dont fancy that again anytime soon. It was the worst experience of my life. As I said, Im starting uni next month so Im planning on joining the gym and going somewhere between 3-5 times a week to gain muscle mass.

I wasnt planning on sharing so much info but...I just want to try and look pretty for next summer. I have never worn a bikini because I have a horrible flabby belly and thighs. I hate it. So I'm doing this diet then joining the gym and hopefully I will look alright by then.

Good luck on your diets girls xx

[2wwmadness]

I don't agree with you I'm afraid. I lost 14lbs and put 5 back on in a two week food holiday in freezing Austria! I work out and eat well that's how I lost my 8.5 stone. I find it keeps me focused for a special event. It's only 5 days. It keeps ne focused. But, I acknowledge that it's not long term. It's a quick cleanse.

[CotesduRhone]

No, understand TFISU - but the major issue here is you will lose muscle so a) you will find it a great deal harder to get results in the gym (your body needs fuel to perform) and b) you might end up thinner but flabbier! Which is not the desired outcome.

[foreverondiet]

If you want to look good for next summer don't do this diet! As I said above it will cause you to lose muscle which is very very hard to regain, even with regular gym sessions.

Last summer I was 12 5, 40% fat and at 5 4 that was not a good look - think flabby post pregnancy belly and big thighs and huge bum.

Now I am 8 7, 18% fat, and have a well toned healthy slim bikini body. Flat stomach with definition, can almost see 6 pack!, well toned thighs, good shape on arms, much smaller bum etc.

Choose something like the Lean and Clean Diet (he explains exactly how to get sexy bikini body) and combine with gym.

link

[2wwmadness]

I agree this will do nothing for a long term bikini body. I have th muscle definition and slim body and use the master clense as an extra before a big event. To make me very slim. It's not a diet in the long run. It's quick. I hot my siz pack from core training. I used to be a size 20 and never imagined it possible to get the definition I have now. You can do it, and certainly in a year but you need to work out. Like a say I don't think the master clense is the devil, jut use it before a holiday so you don't come back feeling over weight and slide down that slippery slope!

[CotesduRhone]

Just to kind of agree with 2wwmadness, which I didn't for a while yes, you could do a day every couple of weeks of fasting or whatnot, and it wouldn't be any different. Lemon juice, maple syrup and cayenne pepper do not have any magical powers!

But it's absolutely NOT a diet.

[2wwmadness]

Were on the same wavelength cotes! I call it the master clense! I fast for a few days so I am extra lean then enjoy myself on holiday and don't come back feeling deflated and 1/2 a stone over my idea weight! It is so far from a "diet" it is not healthy and a way to live your life, but for a short term "oh my god I need to be in that LBD in a week and Its a bit snug. It bloody works, quickly. But eating rice and soy sauce ect defeats the object as it's conflicting the point of it! All or nothing. For 3 days quickly will do the job a few days before you want to be in your bikini next year. Until then lower your calorie intake and work out. OtherwiSe you are wasting your time.

[Joby1970]

It's your own body to ruin as you like. Enjoy & the rest of us will carry on being healthy.

[2wwmadness]

bit harsh joby!

[Joby1970]

Trust me I could be harsher. It's up to the individual what they want to do.

[2wwmadness]

Then why post on a thread if your not giving advice?!? Although you did give advice, it was just snidy and un helpful.

[cyb]

Don't even get me started on this

Hi forever! We seem to meet a lot on threads like these!

[foreverondiet]

Whilst doing this "diet" for a week to lose half a stone / a whole stone whatever might be worth it for some, for me I'd never take the chance of losing a couple of pounds of lean muscle that I've worked to hard to gain.

I think I could get the same weight loss benefits (without sacrificing the muscle) by doing the lean and clean diet (ie veggies & lean protein with a little fruit and nuts) for a couple of weeks beforehand.

Or shock horror I might not bother at all and lose the holiday indulgence pounds on my return. It might take a whole week .

[2wwmadness]

Maybe that's why your foreveronadiet then!

[foreverondiet]

I should change my name now! I'm at target, have been for a couple of months, but yes to maintain weight need to watch what I eat!

My goal now is to regain the muscle mass I lost whilst dieting, without gaining fat, ideally I'd lose a little more fat .

Judging by my tanita scales I am around 5lbs-6lbs of lean body mass down. And that was with a high protein sensible diet with lots of resistance training.

Thats why I'd never do the maple syrup diet no matter how tempting!

[smartyparts]

Yes OP totally bonkers blah blah.

But I'm more interested in foreveronadiet!

You were 12 5 last year and now you're 8 7?! That's amazing, well done!! I bet you look fabulous.

[2wwmadness]

Forever i went from a size 20 to a 6. I'm an 8 now as I've toned my body more. I found pilates really good alongside resistance training to really give me definition. You've done fab! Well done. You'll get there

[foreverondiet]

*2wwmadness" Yes, currently focusing on a duathlon and a triathlon I am doing in september, but over the winter will focus on heavy weights, bodypump and maybe pilates too, next goal is to increase muscle mass - important phase 2 of diet that most people omit.

BTW, on another thread someone was asking about loose skin from massive weight loss - is this a problem?? (its not a problem for me), I posted a link which said that skin would shrink back if you got body fat right down and increased muscle mass. Would be interested to know if this was the case.

[2wwmadness]

Wow you have great fitness levels! Good luck with your training. I didn't have and loose skin (an still don't) even though I lost the weight pretty quick. I trained everyday for 45- min intervals in-between my classes (there's was a gym in my college) I also did pilates and swam every other night. I used Clarins body shaping and firming creams and oils and that helped the elastin in my skin firm which helped. I guess I was just lucky aswell. Like I say, I still detox when I need and have had no problem. But you are training and working on your fitness levels. Mine was purly vanity! Looked good! I could never do q triathlon ect! I am not a sporty girl. I admire the determination