This can't be right! I've not even lost a pound in 5 weeks!

[NigellasGuest]

Ok - I did attack phase of Dukan, lost nothing, then moved on to simply cutting out fat and sugar from my diet. I gave up alchohol at Easter. I've been doing the Shred for 2 weeks.

I have not lost a single pound.

could the scales be wrong? [hopeful]

I am 47 years old and have not a had a period for 2 months. could this have anything to do with it? I have recently had a blood test and am not actually menopausal yet though.

However I do feel healthier and less tired so there are some benefits. BUT I want to lose weight! I am 11 stone and at 5 ft 5" that is TOO HEAVY. I want to see some weight loss - I DESERVE it!! - especially round my middle.

Please does ANYONE have any ideas? Thank you!!

thank you, Cerealqueen and everyone. Lucy - my clothes are just as tight.
but I'm hopeful.
I've started low carb Bootcamp and I recommend it so far.

Can I just ask please?

A lot of fat is not that good for you- total saturated amount per day is 20 grams for a woman.

We do need some fat- but it should not substitute all carbs IMO.

John Biffa's theory is just that- it's a theory. He is not a God! I've read his ideas but equally there are other "diets" which are different.

Ideally you should have carbs at every meal- but just a small amount, and wholegrain/unprocessed not refined.

Fat from oily fish, olive oil, nuts and avocadoes is good, but I'd draw the line at eating pork fat and any other saturated animal fat.

The other issue is portion size- there was a TV programme a while back which looked at calorific intake- someone having a large fruit salad thought it was low in calories yet when they worked it out it had as many as a muffin due to the amount and foods such as grapes and bananas. More healthy yes, but still high in calories .

It's not just Dr Briffa's 'theory', Amelia. It's not about his 'ideas'. His books are reviews of the scientific literature and trials. Have you read any of his work? Or work by Gary Taubes? There is no proof that saturated fat causes heart disease. In fact the evidence all points to carbohydrates being linked to it - and it's evidence that's been there all along, just ignored by the scientists, politicians and the media - since the 1950s - who were all determined to prove that fat was the problem.

Well, I have read several of his articles in The Times and his suggestions for eating- so no, not his entire book but I did spend a lot of time looking up his background & qualifications and he is not what I'd call any more qualified than a GP- he has IMo jumped on the "diet bandwagon" to promote himself and make money.

Both my parents have had circulatory problems- later in life in their 80s- and my mother had her carotid artery "descaled" by one of the best neurologists in the world, after she had a TIA.

The scaling was due to cholesterol deposits.

I know also that refined carbs- sugars- are implicated in inflammation causing narrowing of arteries.

But- the jury really is out on whether animal fat is the cause of heart disease- I don't think Biffa is an authority as other people equally or more qualified have other opinions .

it's a lot more complex than people think- genetics play a huge part, as does lifetyle. The French for example love their fatty foods, but they also eat foar more fruit and vegetables, drink red wine, and have a different lifestyle.

Biffa is, if you don't know, primarily a writer and journalist-for the popular press- look at his website.

His qualifications are an MB ( lowest qualification for a dr.)

He presents himself as an holistic practitioner.

I am not rubbishing everything he says- but what I am saying is that anyone who studies stats can come up with a theory and someone else reading the same stats will come up with another different theory.

The "latest" info out on health and weight says that waist measurement is the most vital as it shows how much internal fat you may have.

Your waist should be no more than your half your height, in inches- so if you are 5 foot= 60 inches, your waist should be no more than 30 inches.

You should read his books then. He does a lot more than just jump on any bandwagon, and you do his work a disservice. He isn't making theories - he is reporting on very many different pieces of scientific work/reviews.

The other book that is definitely worth you reading is The Diet Delusion, by Gary Taubes. An exhaustive review of scientific literature from the 19th century to the present day. And he comes to the same conclusions.

There is no evidence to link saturated fat with heart disease. The jury is not 'out' - it's just that the prejudice that fat is the problem has become so ingrained amongst scientists, politicians and the media that it's very difficult to overturn their views - even with clear evidence.

Also worth reading Taubes for his stuff on cholesterol. Presence of cholesterol is not caused by eating fat.

With respect- these are all theories.

There is a huge amount of controversy around these things. I am a media type person myself and I know that many of these people who are setting themsleves up as experts are often not.

I'd rather read stuff in the Lancet and BMJ .

And- my mother 's cholesterol went right down by following a low fat diet- so how do you explain that?

High cholesterol is not simply a result of eating fat- it's more complex- aas most of our cholesterol is made by the body and not food we eat. But there is still a link with diet in sone people.

I know it's complex. That's why I suggested you read Gary Taube's book.

He is an expert!

The whole cholesterol thing is really difficult and I am not going to pretend I understand it or could recite it here. Suffice to say it's not as straightforward as you present it. It's not even as easy as talking about 'good' cholesterol and 'bad' cholesterol. With LDL cholesterol there is also 'good' LDL cholesterol and 'bad' LDL cholesterol

Taubes Born in Rochester, New York, Taubes studied applied physics at Harvard and aerospace engineering at Stanford (MS, 1978). After receiving a master?s degree in journalism at Columbia University in 1981,

As i was saying about media types....

I have a huge amount of time for experts who practise intergrated medicine- I have a dr of my own privately who does just that- BUT I also think that it is a mistake to fixate on 1 person who is a self styled expert when many others more qualified will disagree.

What is your agenda here, Amelia? Why are you so keen to try and shoot Taubes/Briffa down?

For your information, Taubes work is a hugely scholarly piece - 460+ pages, 45 pages of notes, 60+ pages of bibliography.

The man is a scientist, who also has a qualification that means he can research/write well. What is the problem with that?

You also acknowledge that you haven't read Dr Briffa's books, merely his articles. Why so happy to criticise his work as well?

I wouldn't mind you stomping all over them if you'd even bothered to read any of their work. But no, you criticise without reading. A bit of Googling and that's enough? Poor.

I have read extracts of both of them, as i said, and I have read criticisms of both.

I agree that being a journalist means you research other people's facts. But having a degree in aviation does not make you a dr or a dietitian. One of my children has a MSc but they wouldn't call themelves qualified to write a book on dieting and food!

As I said, I would rather read research by someone with a more suitable academic background , than 2 people who are really media bods.

I wonder what on earth you consider to be a suitable academic background!

But there's none so blind as those who won't see, as the saying goes

An update - I've lost at least 3lb in one week doing Bootcamp.
Highly recommended!
to everyone for their contributions....

well done !! That's brilliant

I have skim read this but will now dwefinately look at bootcamp

Colette, why don't you look at This thread