To give up Our Path (diet) after 2 days?

[TigerJoy]

I've just started Our Path this week and I am feeling like an idiot for signing up. It seems to be just a low carb diet but I'm finding it's instructions both weirdly vague and also strangely specific. They have a "suggested" meal plan which has odd things like goulash soup, so I'm trying to follow the guidance while preparing my own food.

The "mentor" I spoke to seemed to have very little knowledge and couldn't really answer my questions (such as why are sweetcorn and squash regarded as low carb, why is snacking ok when these are both no nos on other low carb diets).

I've been around the block with diets - usually i have success and then can't stick to it long term but I am struggling on day 2 with this one! I had a stomach ache all day from eating so much protein.

Has anyone done it and find it worth it or should I throw in the towel? There's a 2 week cancellation period and it is expensive (£90 for 3 months)

Goulash soup is lovely, it's a pub regular in the Czech Republic.

I'm sure its delicious. I'm not a fan of goulash so it is probably not for me.

What are the rules? I've done lots of low-carb restrictive diets. It's not something I'd do forever because it's expensive and restrictive; it's good for feeling healthier and kicking the extra kilos.

I'm good at sticking to them for the allotted time frame though. Buy some low-carb cookbooks. Hemsley and Hemsley are good.

Diets are shit. They are restrictive and challenging, as you yourself have said, they don't work in the long term. You know what you have to do.

Make small but ongoing changes. Smaller portions. More veg. Less processed foods. More exercise. Exercise that raises your heartrate at least 3 times a week. Eat with friends and family. Don't use food as a crutch.

God I know it's easier said then done. It's the most boring answer in the world, i sometimes hate it, i can tell you, but throw in the diet and have a healthy, sustainable, happy life.

(ps - I lost a jeans size this week, so it does work!)

Cancel it. Download a calorie counting app (I like lose it, most people prefer MFP), calories in, calories out. You don't need to be spending money on crazy diets that don't work.

I know you're right and I do all those things except the "food as a crutch". Sigh

I’m on week 4 of the Our Path programme and it’s really working for me. My mentor is friendly and helpful and the members of my group are very supportive. You haven’t really given it a proper chance, so perhaps try doing it for another week or so before deciding whether or not to quit.

I’ve basically reduced my carb intake massively, cut out processed food and increased my daily exercise. I know I could do this on my own but the regular weigh-ins help to keep me on track and I am motivated to continue.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do!

If it's low carb you want, why not try keto or the Whole30. They are not for the faint of heart though. There are lots of free resources for both. The official Whole30 book is on kindle. I bought it for 99p. It's currently £3.99 but that's peanuts compared to £90!

If you want the rigidity of rules why not try intermittent fasting - my eating window is 12-8. I don't eat outside this period, no exceptions. It's easy to stick to, and when 12 rolls round I find I'm actually not that bothered about eating right that second.

After a couple of weeks getting used to it I signed up to Lose It (free version) and I'm down over a stone! And it feels so easy.

Ive lost a stone on our path (which is half of my goal). My hair is growing longer and stronger (as is my nails). Ive plateaud but thats because of eating chocolate. I really like it. If other diets dont advocate snacking and they havent worked, then why not try something different?

I'm also struggling with food as a crutch (emotional eating) and have ditched diets recently. I'm trying to keep anything I crave out of the house. It isn't easy though.

At some point you will need to come off the diet and need a plan for that. Maybe better to thing about long term changes and dealing with the eating as a crutch?

I did our path last year and it worked until the summer holidays then I gave up big time. I think it is more as whatwouldyou describes - it's aimed at making lifestyle changes rather than being a rigid diet. Later it focuses on exercise and motivation / emotions too. I think either commit and do it who le heartedly or quit while you can get a refund!

I’ve been loosely doing keto for 1 month. I’ve lost 5kg. I’ve cut out bread, pasta, rice, all high carbs and sugar but eat whatever else I like. I feel so much better.

Cancel it definitely!
Not consuming carbs is not good for you.
Your body uses carbs for energy and protein for repair... if you don’t eat carbs it’ll use protein for energy, making less of it available to the body to use for its normal function.
I watched a lecture on this once, the lecturer said it was akin to throwing £20 notes on the fire to keep warm instead of coal.
I agree with the lifestyle changes - aim to just be healthier to feel better! Sit down less, (this is actually more effective than exercising more if that makes sense) eat healthier food, eat less unhealthy food. Just aim to ‘feel’ better rather than to lose weight and I will bet you will do just fine.
Good luck and fair play to you

I’d suggest you take a look at the Michael Moseley Blood Sugar Diet - you can really go for it and follow it full time for a few weeks, or do it 2 or 3 days a week instead. Plenty of meal plans and recipes available. Use free apps like MFP to track calories and Happy Scales to log your weight.

I googled and it says Our Path is used by the NHS? Surely they wouldn;t use a very low carb diet? Seems a bit odd.

Go to the Bootcamp section in Weightloss here, it's a brilliant low carb plan that works and easy to follow.

user87382294757 Have you not seen the evidence that a low carb diet can reduce the risk of or even reverse the onset of type 2 diabetes?

www.diabetes.co.uk/diet/low-carb-diabetes-diet.html

Plenty of carbs in veg. Ditch the sugar and refined stuff, you'll be grand.

Yeah, i am tempted to just reduce carbs to what they suggest (60g a day or so) and ditch the sugar and see how I go. I'm not sure I need to pay anything as I know how to cook and the recipes are not that great anyway. Thanks everyone!