best diet for losing weight? best food plans?

I'd like to hear from folks

that lost a lot of weight.

What did it for you?

How did you eat & what?

I have done Atkins type eating

& find I do well "graze" all day!

What is this "eat nothing white

but cauliflower"?

I have to get a grip on what 

 how much I am eating.

Especially now that I'm leveling out

on my nausea from the Byetta.

Appreciate any & all input-

Heylank78

(Heylank, I gave this post a subject line aimed at getting more responses.)

Post Edited By Moderator (LanieG) : 6/19/2008 11:26:16 AM (GMT-6)

Heylank, "no white food" refers to an eating plan that stays away from rice, potatoes, breads, cereals and pastas, anything made with flour or sugar - carbohydrates that will raise your blood sugar.  Some diabetics might prefer to eat whole grain bread or some fruits like berries or cherries but will need to compensate with meds for a rise in blood sugar.  Fats do not raise blood sugar.  You can eat cheeses and eggs and butter in addition to using olive or canola oils for salads or cooking.  Those who are concerned about cholesterol may want to read this article about that. www.frontpagemag.com/Articles/ReadArticle.asp?id=1726   However, it is your choice to stay away from them if you feel doubtful.  The diet plans like Atkins, South Beach Phase 1, Dr. Gott's No Flour, No Sugar diet and Dr. Richard Bernstein's generally are based on meats/chicken/fish, all vegetables except potatoes and corn, lots of green leaf salad food, eggs, cheese, and nuts.  Some people do fine linking their proteins with complex carbs as in the Insulin Resistant diet; others don't have the same good results.  There are many factors involved here as to why some of us metabolize food the way we do.  You could choose your food according to their glycemic index or follow one or a combination of plans mentioned above.  There is one bottom line:  your own blood sugar readings.  Whenever you start a new eating plan, you must test your blood sugar to see how it reacts to the food eaten.  Maybe you can eat beans, maybe not.  Maybe you can eat half an apple with cheddar cheese or peanut butter, maybe not.  So, in the end, we have to find our individual plan that works for us.  Carbs not only drive blood sugar up,  they also make you more hungry later on which leads to more snacking.  A snack like a boiled egg with a wedge of cheese or some walnuts and almonds and maybe a celery stalk (for crunchiness) would help keep your blood sugar more stable and stop you from being hungry later.  I'm glad the byetta isn't causing too many problems now! 

jdub-
Thanks for all the great ideas!
You're right about the 1800 calories.
I have to stop buying all
the on sale goodies I find at the store.
Especially Sam's Club.
I buy granola bars I think
my husband will like in his lunch,
but guess who really likes them?
Me!!!
And I won't just eat one !
Hubby's a diabetic also.
Seems we sabotage each other.
So tomorrow at Sam's club,
I'll get nice fruit & good veggies
& by-pass the sale items!
You mentioned kefir.
Can you get it sugar-free?

Thanks again-
Heylank78

Jeannie-

Thanks for the input.

I just got a big block of cheese today.
I bet you're right about the sugar-free products.
That's like they did years ago with fat-free products.
They just pumped them up with sugar instead of fat!

I understand about total carbs.
Is this right?
You look at the carbs & subtract the grams of fiber & get a more realistic number of carbs?

I know to get the bread, pasta, etc. out of the house.
You're right about oats not being a big problem.

Congrats on getting rid of so many of your meds.
That's just what I need to hear-
the success stories
& that it can be done!!!
I haven't been serious enough
about this for too long.

Thanks.
Heylank78

Heylnak, after a period of about six months of denial on my part, "me? diabetic?  There's something wrong with this meter.  There must be a mistake..", I finally realized the truth and started to look into how food affected blood sugar.  I read everything, everywhere I could - online, books, magazines and here on the Forum.  I would go to bookstores and read through the books on diabetes.  Some days I tested all day long.  I was a serial tester.  Before, during, after.  One hour, two hours, three hours after eating, before walking, after walking, sometimes ten times a day until I ran out of test strips and had to wait until my doctor re-wrote the prescription for me so I could get more test strips a month than originally.  It was the only way I was able to find why my blood sugar would be high or near normal.  Now, about two years later, I know how to eat (and live because it also involves exercise, movement, just be active in general) so my blood sugar will not spike.  I know what will set it off so to speak.  So, what I mean to tell you is that you yourself will find the same thing.  By testing your blood sugar, you will know what foods you can eat and what you shouldn't.  I've lost weight because I've cut out the carbs and because I do regular exercise including strength training - and this can be done in your own home, no need for fancy gyms.  Do I live on a starvation diet?  Not at all.  I eat a lot.  And at times, I do endulge.  There are birthdays, holidays and other special occasions when I will eat food that will make my blood sugar higher than I want, but I don't go overboard.  I'll eat half a piece of cake, no frosting, at a party (or taste of my husband's), a spoon of this or that - but I keep these exceptions to those special times.  I'm no angel.  In the end, it's not the food that makes the occasion but being with the people.  I'm familiar with those "donut" people that Sandy talked about but they don't bother me because I know that I'm the one in control of what goes into my mouth.  If I choose to eat a bite, I know it'll have an effect later but I rarely do that, so I feel fine.  You will also comes to terms with food.  Remember that it's not a game but your life and quality of life!