GI/GL Diet Support Thread - It's 2006!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[puff]

The shiny new thread folks !

I'm planning to carry on posting my progress on a Monday, but anyone else who want to should choose a day they feel most comfy with.

I'm going to have a look at the GL diet properly in the next couple of weeks and see where it is similar/different and whether I should change anything now that I am closer to target.

I am aiming to lose another stone (that would be 8 stone in total), but I'd love to get another 2 off where I'd be fitting in a size 10 (I think). I need to see how I look and feel after a stone though as 2 may be going too far.

Good Luck everyone, I personally really appreciate the support of this thread - it has got me where I am now .

[franch]

I'm amazed by your progress puff, that's fantastic.

Is anyone else slightly confused by the differences between the various GI books? Gallop seems the strictest and I'm inclined to stick to his rules to be on the safe side for weight loss, but his recipes are rubbish and the other books I have seem a lot more permissive - positively encouraging bananas, raisins, sweet potatoes etc which are yellow-light foods for him. I just got the AWT book and was surprised how many of his recipes contain quite a bit of sugar! I'm finding this is making it harder for me to be clear about what to eat and not eat at the moment, and I'm not terribly good with blurry boundaries.

[puff]

I know what you mean franch - I thought exactly the same when I looked through all my books.

I tend to stick with Rick's rules, so avoid or adapt/reduce quantities in recipes that don't concur with his recommendations - I feel "safer" doing things this way as it's continued to work for me.

[sarochka]

Puff can I ask you a question one which you'll have been asked a 1000 times before ? How long has this taken you - losing weight I mean ? Were you always quite big - what gave you the inspiration ? How has your body changed - have you exercised ? Sorry to be personal.
I am going through a real down phase at the moment and am so trying to get into the right mind set as want to be slim and healthy again. Thanks

[puff]

sarochka - it's taken 18 months, so steady and sensible I hope.

I wasn't always big - I put the 8 stone on in 4 years - long story involving a very very difficult bereavement and 2 pregnancies. I stopped looking after myself and ate rubbish. The weight piled on alarmingly. I didn't have the will to do anything about it for quite a while, I was so upset at what had happened.

Then there came a point where I knew I had to stop the rot - my weight was completely out of control and affecting my health significantly. I honestly didn't know if I could stick it out - it felt like such a mountain to climb, I know I avoided the issue for a while because I thought I was a lost cause . But then, I realised this wasn't an insoluble problem, just one that would take some time to tackle.

I knew it would take a while and decided that 7lbs at a time and about 2 years out of my life, was a good investment in my long term health. I also have tried to be realistic - there are times where I've been away for a weekend/hols and put on 5lbs, but immediately got back on the scales, told myself I had a nice time and then got back on track.

Taking a long term view has really, really helped, but hey it took 4 years to put on 8 stone, but only 18 months to get the majority off, so not that long really.

I had a lot of back/joint problems because of the excess weight and just couldn't cope with any focused exercise programme for a while because of it. So, focused on rethinking my eating at first and only in the last 4 months have I gone into a gym, which is really helping with regaining fitness and some muscle tone!

I understand when you say you feel down - it got me down for a long time. I learnt to be patient with myself - any loss must be celebrated, any "staying the same" means I am still in control of what I am eating, and any weight gain is not the end of the world, but a chance to review what happened that week and start the follwing week afresh but not give up.

[franch]

Thanks for your comments re. Gallop et al puff - very sensible. And your latest post is a hugely inspiring start to the new year. Thank you

[franch]

Well puff you were right, I've lost my Xmas dinner weight plus an extra pound, so that's 4lb since Boxing Day which is quite a surprise since I haven't been totally strict this week.

So... I've lost over half a stone since the end of Nov , and have 9.5lb to lose, which makes me not far off half way. I know how stubborn the last few pounds can be ....

[melbob]

Hi Puff thaks for your emssage onthe old thread. I am still on for MOnday weigh ins. fell relieved that festivities are all over and GI back in place

Hi everyone else and good luck

[sarochka]

Thanks Puff for answering my many questions - I do feel much more inspired now and have read through the Rick Gallop book for some ideas to get me started. I think you are right and that I am best to approach this as a 7pound thing. I so much want to feel better. Hi everyone else too. I am off now to continue preparing for tomorrow and making soup for lunch. Byee

[Saker]

Thanks for starting this thread, Puff. I am going to start tomorrow with the GL diet with the aim of losing about a stone. I might switch back to the GI diet if I don't get on with the GL one.

In a way you have no reason to change from what has worked so well for you but if you are interested in the GL diet I would recommend having a look at these books by Patrick Holford - GL diet and GL cookbook . I have borrowed the cookbook from the library - it seems to have a lot of nice recipes, a 4week meal planner and for each recipe it gives the total GL so it's easy to decide what you eat. However because you are limited to a set number of GL each meal I suspect it will be more like counting calories. I quite like that because then I can feel surer that I am doing it right but I can imagine it might get on some peoples' nerves. The other thing I don't quite like about these books is that he is quite pushy for his own "brands" and website selling his stuff etc.

[Saker]

The other thing that Patrick Holford recommends is using xylitol as a sweetener. I have heard of this before - it's a natural plant sweetener but has 1/7 of the GI of sucrose and actually seems to protect the teeth. It sounds a bit good to be true but might be a good alternative to artificial sweeteners or fructose on the GI or GL diet.

[puff]

franch - well done !!!!!! You have done brilliantly over the festive period!

Thanks for the GL info Saker - I think I'll order some books from the library rather than commit to buying, then perhaps buy later.

I put on 2lbs over Christmas, but have lost a pound, so am fairly pleased because I did enjoy a lot of treats !

I'm also happy to be back on track with GI - my digestive system definitely prefers it .

[melbob]

The Sunday Times are starting a 4 week GI diet from next week. I have used some of the recipes from a previous Sunday Times GI and they were v good.

This weekend I made AWT spicy chicken fillets, pork in ale with prunes and broad bean amd rosemary mash. All very good.

[melbob]

How's everyone doing?

[puff]

Hi melbob - I'm doing ok - glad to be back to normal!

Did anyone see the diet programme presented by Lorraine Kelly last night?

10 popular diets including Scarsdale, F Plan and GI were reviewed, with 10 women following them for 3 weeks I think.

Everyone lost weight except the lady doing GI who put on 2lbs!!!!

The GI diet was reviewed last and it was the only one (apart from F Plan) that got a thumbs up from the medics and other commentators.

I have to say, I'm doubtful that the lady followed it properly - of all the participants she seemed the most negative, but I may be wrong .

[Saker]

Hi Melbob and Puff,
doing okay so far I think. I have given up caffeine though and had a headache all afternoon on Tuesday and some of yesterday - hoping I will have got over it by today!

I saw that programme Puff. The woman on the GI diet said she found it difficult to fit around her lifestyle for which I read that she didn't stick to it. I suppose it takes a bit of getting used to and you do have to go and get quite a lot of new things in the beginning. But I would have said she was lucky to get that diet compared to some of the others so she could have tried a bit harder .

[Piffle]

I'm still 95% on GI/GL I'm aiming as much for improving health and feeling better as weight loss.
I've been eating fo doctors muesli as it was on special at Sainsburys and have subbed a few cups of tea for hot water and lemon and have well and truly gone teetotal - no drinking since xmas night and 2kgs have disappeared
Since I'm not technically over weight but unfit I thought this is a testament to the principles of GI/GL

Also did anyone watch that Super Slim me last night
Has anyone here ever eaten a plate of over cooked broccoli as a part of the GI diet?
Calling the food boring, unable to fit in with her life ...
pah

[butty]

Hi,

I have just started on the DoctorDiet plan as i have 5 stone to lose and have have tried everything else.

The books are available from Lloyds pharmacy which are £4.95 for them both.TOTAL BARGAIN:RRP £12.99 each.

Over the past 2 nights i have been reading over them and am very inclined plus very determined to lose the weight this time, i have even agreed to stop drinking and totally cut out bread!!!!!!

My god i'll lose a stone in the first month and also be like a cabbage with no bread!!!

Anyway, i weighed myself this morning and i am a staggering 15 stone 1. I will post this time next week to let you know if i have lost anything!!!

If i havn't then you wont hear from me!!!!!

Butty.xxx

[puff]

Some good weight losses already - well done!

Saker - it will take a few days I expect to get used to being caffeine free, but well worth it I'm sure. I'm still drinking tea, no coffee, wonder whether caffeine free tee is any good?

Buttie - book sounds interesting.

[Saker]

Puff, don't have a headache yet this afternoon so hopefully that might be it . I have been drinking some decaf tea by TeaDirect and I have to say that is very good and not a lot different to the real thing. I read that Clipper decaffeinate by non-chemical processes but I couldn't find out what method TeaDirect use, so I might try Clipper when I get through this box. The problem is going to be when other people offer me drinks because I don't want to make a big deal of it.

[puff]

Thanks for the tip saker - I'll buy some of thr clipper on my next shop

[melbob]

Hi was doing well until today but back on track tomorrow. Agree with you Saker about GI on super slim me. All she seemed to have was overcooked broccoli and salmon

[franch]

OK here's a challenge for you all: some low-GI recipes that I can make with DD1. She's not quite 2 so they have to be dead simple. So far we've made jam tarts, mince pies, scones and cheese stars. I've generally been pretty strong-willed around the results (mainly by giving them away at every opportunity), but this evening guzzled 2 whole jam tarts - grr. Is there anything we can make together that won't sit beckoning seductively to me from the other side of the kitchen?

[Saker]

Oh I sympathise Franch, I can do well until I bake some naan bread for my boys or a sponge pudding......then I just have to have a little taste or two.....

Do you have the Rick Gallop book? There's a recipe for low GI scones in there and muffins which are quite nice. There are quite a lot of ingredients but it's just a case of mixing them all together.

[franch]

ah, i'll have another look at gallop saker, thanks. i seem to be letting things slide these last few days, not sure why - keep finding justifications for a little extra this or that, or a little bit of something 'red light', which all adds up. Prob because holiday's over, DH back at work and i'm on my own with baby & toddler again - it always takes a lot of adjusting to and the first couple of days were particularly tough. Must stop making excuses tho.