hello Erastes I have seen your posts and wanted to share my story,
I saw your other post and noted Dr Robert Lustig's video on sugar. Obviously there are people on here who know better than him!
I saw his video about a year ago and I do think Dr Lustig speaks so much sense. I bought his book Fat Chance, which is really good. The thing is this is a book for everyone, because it's how we should all be eating. It made me look at being fat in a completely different way. The majority of people eat things we shouldn't, more than we should whether we are overweight or not. I could eat what I liked and not put on weight. so some days I would have no fruit and veg at all, I was addicted to cakes and i did no exersize (I suppose I walked a bit). Some people might say I was lucky - but truth be told I was a fat thin person with a flat stomach and a horrendous diet and while people who don't put on weight look down their noses at extra fat, the fact is most of those people will still eat unhealthily - they don't all follow the mantra of 5 fruit and veg a day. I was eating sugary things like they were going out of fashion. Now I only have sugar that's in fruit (not fruitjuice mind) - apart from the odd treat.
However, my unhealthy lifestyle didn't last forever, my very fast metabolism slowed down and after two children I did put on weight, not loads, but I could put a stone on easily, I also now have hypothyroism, so despite taking after my dad's side of the family who are built like rakes, my eating habits won out. I have tried to control it, by doing weightwatchers for a bit, but that never made me think about eating the right things, it was about saving points up for a Friday, or trying to eat fruit and veg a bit more, but because I had to and i hated being dictated to and after a fortnight, I was hungry.
What I should have been doing is cutting out all the junk and sugar and eating more fruit, veg and wholegrains. Dr Lustig's book really helped me do that. Food has become really enjoyable, I'm never hungry and I eat so well, cut out processed food and I've gone six weeks of this, I think this is how I will eat for the rest of my life.
This is not a diet, it's how everyone should be eating. Dr Lustig doesn't promote it as a diet, because it's not, but he does say, your visceral fat (fat around your organs) should go down and you may lose weight as an extra benefit. Which I have. I don't beleive in cutting down on fat, because I have an overweight mother who has eaten a lifetime of lowfat products that has done absolutely nothing for her, so I do eat butter, cheese etc.
After 6 or 7 weeks (lost count), I've lost 5/6 lbs and 3 inches around my waist and I've not calorie counted once, I just eat sensibly and take regular exersize. That's not to say I don't have a treat a couple of times a week, but that is what they're supposed to be.
The thing that has made the biggest impact, is how much better I feel. I don't feel sluggish, I don't get those afternoon lulls, I'm not constipated anymore and my insides feel really good, I can't imagine going back to the way I ate. So my message is: ditch the sugar, ditch the low fat and sweeteners and eat proper food (I don't means pies btw!), do some exersize if you can and you will feel better and you'll probably lose some weight as well.
For anyone who is interested in what the book is, it isn't a plan, it talks a lot about how the body works, obesity and his research, but there are a few pages that just indicate what you can eat everyday, what you can eat three to five times a week and occasionally. I found this bit very useful. I've simplified it somewhat, but it is very good.
My husband, who is obese has lost half a stone too.
For anyone who jumped on Eraste for taking into account what Dr Lustig has said, I would say, this is a man who has years of research on obesity at Harvard university, he is well worth taking seriously. He doesn't sell diet plans, or diet products, but he has some good information out there and I think his book is very well worth reading.
sorry for the long post - if you read all of this thanks for sticking with me.
Anyone else totally confused about food?
Newbie. Trying to eat more mindfully.
What's the right advice to follow!
Calorie counting or low fat? 
