BS: Cereal, Salad & Soup Diet

Subject: BS: Cereal, Salad & Soup Diet
From: Crow Sister (off with the fairies)
Date: 30 Aug 10 - 11:28 AM

As I've mentioned before on here, I somehow managed to put on a crazy amount of weight in the last 18months or so (combo of depression, tendon injury & asthma), and I'm getting increasingly cheesed off at being a fatso. Mainly because I can't go hiking which is something we used to love to do quite regularly, or indeed fit my millions of clothes (I'm a real charity shop addict) which are now bagged up according to sizes I've almost forgotten I could fit into not all that long ago (what's a size 12?) and being housed in the loft!

Anyway, I love food - especially vegetables and I love to cook, and I hate cranky starvation diets. Then I saw this idea on interwubby and I thought "Huh! That looks a sensible plan! Think I'll give that 'un a go."

So, has anyone else heard of it or tried it?
Naturally it's basically what it says on the box (or rather thread title):
Cereal for breakfast, Salad for lunch and Soup for supper. Plus a piece of fruit or Ryevita or similar, for a snack if needed. Obviously all salad dressings, milk & soup recipes need to be low-fat for it to work out (no point in eating soup if it's loaded with cream or salad if it's slathered in a rich oily dressing!)

This will force me to be adventurous with making soups, and salads especially, as I'm a notoriously unimaginative iceburg lettuce/chopped tomato & chopped cucumber "salad" maker. So that will be fun.

If anyone fancies doing so, please feel free to post favourite salad & soup recipes here & I'll do the same as I go along.

Right, now where did I leave that mini-trampoline?

Subject: RE: BS: Cereal, Salad & Soup Diet
From: pdq
Date: 30 Aug 10 - 11:45 AM

"Cereal for breakfast, Salad for lunch and Soup for supper. Plus a piece of fruit or Ryevita or similar, for a snack if needed."

If you try to follow something that is that structured, you are almost certain to fail.

Try doing things that fit you, rather than follow plans set out by other people.

Common sense is what is needed.

Eat a reasonable amount of quality food, space meals far apart, and don't eat anything that has a ton of calories such as candy, cake, nuts or potato chips.

Many vegetables such as lettuce, carrots and celery make the body burn more calories than they contain. Essentially "negative calorie food", so munch a carrot between meals when you feel like eating something.

Subject: RE: BS: Cereal, Salad & Soup Diet
From: Ebbie
Date: 30 Aug 10 - 12:55 PM

That diet, CS, doesn't address the need for protein. How about adding nuts and cheeses?

Subject: RE: BS: Cereal, Salad & Soup Diet
From: Becca72
Date: 30 Aug 10 - 01:26 PM

There is no such thing as a "negative calorie food". Even celery contains calories; the body simply has to work harder to digest some foods than others.
The diet in the OP is far too restrictive to work long-term. As Ebbie asked, where is the protein?

Subject: RE: BS: Cereal, Salad & Soup Diet
From: Crow Sister (off with the fairies)
Date: 30 Aug 10 - 01:37 PM

Yeah, I see what you mean Ebbie. Depends on how you go about it though I'd think. Salads *can* incorporate protein foods like seeds, nuts, cheese and eggs - within reason of course. Tofu too, sits well in oriental salads and soups. We only actually need about 1oz of protein a day, which approximately equals one boiled egg, or the same weight in cottage cheese. I definitely won't be living on bowls of lettuce and tins of Heinz anyway :) Hopefully quite the opposite, as I want to really explore the options that such a diet offers, while being judicious with fats of course.

Funny PDQ, I thought this plan was common sense! It apealed to me anyway because I get bored with weighing this and that and counting calories! Anyhoo, if this thread goes dead in the next few weeks, maybe you'll be proved right! We'll see ;-)

Subject: RE: BS: Cereal, Salad & Soup Diet
From: Stringsinger
Date: 30 Aug 10 - 02:22 PM

Here's the truth about protein. Americans eat too much of it. When too much is absorbed it is expelled through the urine disproportionately. You do not need dairy or meat for adequate protein. This is propaganda by the meat, poultry and dairy industries.

Tofu might contain GMO's. It's based on soybeans.

Psychology plays a role in eating habits.

Now here's something to cause controversy. Cooking food diminishes enzymes particularly in vegetables.

The solution is to balance diet and exercise. One without the other doesn't work.

Also, vitamins are expensive urine. They don't substitute for fresh veggies and fruit.

Bound to have some discussion here.

Subject: RE: BS: Cereal, Salad & Soup Diet
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 30 Aug 10 - 02:23 PM

How active are you? Caloric intake should be linked.
Protein- many soups contain beans, small amounts of meat, etc.; we use them when we don't feel like cooking.
At dinner, we eat a vegetable salad before the 'main course', cut up veg. including carrots, small zucchini, celery, red onion, etc.-whatever is handy- with a little olive oil and salt.

Our food including store-bought soups all have dietary information-
This from a can of pinto beans on my desk because I need to buy more. I season or add vegs to vary the rather flat taste-
Calories per 1/2 cup-110 (following all based on 1/2 cup)
Fat-1gm, saturated-0, 2% daily needs
Cholesterol-0
Sodium 15 mg- o (too low to bother with)
Potassium-350 mg, 10% daily needs
Carbohydrates 18gm-6% daly needs
Fibers-6gm, 24% daily need
Sugars-1gm too low to bother with
Proteins- 6gm
Calcium-iron - 6%-15% daily needs
(vitamins listed- small amounts
Phosphorous-10% daily need
Magnesium- 10% daily need.

We make a lot of stews and soups; careful with fats, use only extra lean meats.
My wife eats a lot of yogurt at lunch, but I can't stand the stuff.

Desert is often fresh mango, melon, peaches, banana, etc,-whatever looks good at the store.

Subject: RE: BS: Cereal, Salad & Soup Diet
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 30 Aug 10 - 03:17 PM

Nothing wrong with cereal for breakfast. I am wedded to oatmeal with milk and demerara (perhaps too much of the latter). With a glass of orange juice.
The common dry cereals are good with cut-up fruit, berries and milk.
(Not considering the high sugar boxed stuff that kids like).

Subject: RE: BS: Cereal, Salad & Soup Diet
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 30 Aug 10 - 03:46 PM

CS - a TV programme last year identified 10 ways to help lose weight, based on research and measurement of people...

1.Serve food on a smaller plate to reduce appetite
2.Eat 3 meals a day – don't skip or you will crave high calorie food
3.Count calories – keep food diary, count everything (really, everything, it's amazing what people think doesn't really count!) - eaten or drunk
4.Substitute lower calorie versions for higher calorie ones
5.Eat soup to keep stomach fuller for longer - the research indicated that people eating a certain combination of foods as solids and taking liquid separately felt hungrier sooner than people eating the same combination of foods as soup
6.Eat lean protein to feel full for longer
7.Eat high calcium low-fat dairy products to increase excretion of visceral fat
8.Limit choice to avoid overeating what's available
9.Exercise to burn off fat as well as carbohydrates
10.Move about more to use up energy

Good luck!

Kitty

Subject: RE: BS: Cereal, Salad & Soup Diet
From: katlaughing
Date: 30 Aug 10 - 03:59 PM

Sounds like a starvation-type diet to me. The thing is to eat smaller portions of vegetables, fruits, grains, nuts, cheeses, and proteins in 5-6 smaller meals per day. My docs are happy with me when I have only 40-50gms of protein per day and you'd be surprised at how quickly that can add up from seemingly unlikely sources such as bread.

With weight watchers online, there are no calories to count and nothing to weigh, food-wise. I eat anything I want, just by watching my "points." It is easy and satisfying, plus it is not a diet, it is just a way of eating which makes more sense for me.

In her book "Menopausal Years the Wise Woman Way" Susan Weed recommends giving up all white food...breads, pastas, sugar etc. You could still have bread and pastas, just not the ones which are "white." She also cautions older women against losing too much weight as she says our bones need a bit of cushioning for protection.

Typical day of food on WW, for me:

breakfast smoothie with two figs, frozen blueberries, and almond milk.

lunch: either a tuna sandwich or a Lean Cuisine traditional spinach and mushroom pizza (personal sized, WW 7 pts.) OR, a bowl of puffed wheat cereal with brown sugar and almond milk (NO fat or sodium in puffed wheat!)

Supper/dinner: three corn tortillas fried in olive oil, lettuce, tomato and half of a raw avocado stuffed in the cooled-off shells for "tacos."

In between, I might have a couple of stalks of celery with cream cheese stuffed in them and/or a few grapes, a bowl of above-mentioned cereal, popcorn popped in olive oil, or a WW frozen chocolate bar.

Good luck, whatever you decide to do!

kat

Subject: RE: BS: Cereal, Salad & Soup Diet
From: gnu
Date: 30 Aug 10 - 04:08 PM

6AM... 3 heaping teaspoons of 2% cottage cheese. Same for pro-biotic yoghurt. A half serving of cereal in skim milk (I cover the bottom a a bowl with brown sugar frosted mini-wheats, on the flat, add milk to 2/3 the height of them, and nuke that for 30 seconds on m-h). Half a banana (or Dole fruit salad, plastic jar... 2 pieces of pineapple, 2 slices of peaches, one slice of pear). Whatever you desire, just keep it small.) 100mg vitamin B. One "senior" multiviatamin. One Omega-3 fish oil pill (repeat twice more daily).

8AM... Whatever. Small. Maybe a hard boiled egg and a glass of water. Maybe repeat 6AM less the cereal and youghurt. Maybe just the fruit.

10AM... 2 glasses of V8 Plus (twice the veggies, low sodium) spaced 10 min apart.

Noon... A SAUCER of lean meat stir fry. Don't worry about the amount of meat. I use a frozen Thai veggie mix, Ben's instant rice and low sodium soya sauce. Perhaps a half tin of salmon mixed into a coleslaw with no dressing. Maybe a bowl of coleslaw with a low cal dressing. A cup of pure cranberry juice with a few drops of lemon juice.

2PM... Anything at all but small. I prefer a tin of sardines from the Bay of Fundy packed in soya oil. Omega-3 on yer ass.

4PM... Anything at all but half of what you would normally eat and a WHOLE small can (frozen) of veggies like green/wax/French style beans, spinach, peas, or other like celery or... whatever. LARGE glass of water.

6PM... Every second day, a treat... especially a LARGE bowl of ice cream. But, if you do this, skip the 8PM.

8PM... 2 slices toasted multi-grain bread. One with salt-free marg. The other with Partridge Berry Jam from Newfoundland... >;-) Or both with not too much peanut butter. Small glass of water.

8:30OM Floss and brush teeth vigorously and meticulously, knowing that there is NO WAY you will eat any more this day.

Note re alcohol... you may consume as much 5% beer as you wish between 4PM and 8PM. If you prefer wine, red wine. I don't drink wine, so I don't know about limits. I wouldn't know about whiskey and the like because I am of Irish descent and it makes me really Irish.

The above may be modified in any way that suits you. I think you can catch the drift of the METHOD. Essentially, you know you should eat to get what you need... fat, sugar, protein and fibre... It's HOW you eat. Eat sommat every two hours. And, try to eat things that don't require a lot of cooking. I make enough stir fry to last 3 to 4 days. I hard boil 6 eggs at a time.

Does it work? Well, when I meet freinds who haven't seen me for a while they ask me if I have been sick. You do the math.

As for the diet cited in the original post.. no. That'll just make you sick as well as hungry.

I agree with Q, especially about soup (I make boiled dinners/stews with lean meats, few spuds, carrots, turnip, cabbage - cabbage is a weight killer) but if your goal is LOSING weight, try to get into what I have suggested first and incorporate Q's suggestions.

Most important, once a week, for the EARLY evening meal, no later than 6PM, PIG OUT! I mean, just go nuts and make it decadent. This week... I am gonna get me some Vito's lasagna and eat until I can't move. Next week is macaroni and old cheddar cheese covered in salt and pepper with fresh bread or tea biscuits slathered with cold margerine and drowned with freezing cold skim milk.

BTW... I am 4 pounds away from eating an entire coconut cream pie from Nana's Bakery. Less the meringue of course! Too fattening.

Fact is, after being on this "diet", I can't move after eating half the amount that made me fat in the first place. At an average of 2 pounds per week, without ever feeling hungry, it beats any and all diets I have ever tried. If I had given up beer from the start of it, I'd be in need of sustinence to put weight on. But there is only so far I am willing to go.

Subject: RE: BS: Cereal, Salad & Soup Diet
From: Anne Lister
Date: 30 Aug 10 - 04:58 PM

And I'm doing really well with Slimming World. Nothing cranky, just good food and plenty of it. But low fat stuff, very little bread or bakery items and lots of fruit and veg. And support from others in the group, which helps.   It's giving me a slow but steady weight loss (26 lbs since March) and, as I'm in it for the long haul, it's easy to maintain AND eat out from time to time. Have even managed to fit in a cream tea or so along the way.

Subject: RE: BS: Cereal, Salad & Soup Diet
From: Paul Burke
Date: 30 Aug 10 - 05:04 PM

Falafels, CS. Add them (and variants), and you'll live till you die.

Subject: RE: BS: Cereal, Salad & Soup Diet
From: VirginiaTam
Date: 30 Aug 10 - 05:28 PM

put 1 heaping tablespoon of hemp hears in your cereal, salad and soup

Three tablespoons of hemp hearts contain 174 calories, 12.5 grams of unsaturated (healthy) fat, 1 gram of saturated fat, 11 grams of protein and 1 gram of fiber. They are also rich in magnesium, iron, zinc, phosphorous and vitamin E.
Protein
Hemp hearts contain all the essential amino acids. Amino acids are the building blocks for protein. The essential amino acids are the ones our bodies cannot produce; we must get them through our diet. When a food contains all eight essential amino acids it is considered a "complete protein."
Essential Fatty Acids
Hemp hearts are a rich source of essential fatty acids, especially omega-3 fatty acids. The U.S. Department of Agriculture highly recommends regular consumption of omega-3 fatty acids. Like essential amino acids, essential fatty acids must be obtained through diet.


Read more: What Are Hemp Hearts? | eHow.co.uk http://www.ehow.co.uk/facts_5796288_hemp-hearts_.html#ixzz0y7vMjoNg

want a diet buddy?

I just bought 2 sainsburys roast chicken ready meals low cals, low salt low fat low sugar and very tasty. chopped them up put them in pot with a couple extra potatoes and more brocoli made into 4 containers of soup. Fast way to make two meals into 4.

Subject: Lyr Add: STILL GONNA DIE (Shel Silverstein)
From: Ebbie
Date: 30 Aug 10 - 05:37 PM

Gonna Die

So you're takin' better care of your body
Becoming more aware of your body.
Responding to your body's needs.
Everything you hear and read about diets,
Nutrition and sleeping position and detoxifying your system,
And buying machines that they advertise to help you exercise.
Herbs to revitalize you if you're traumatized.
Soaps that will sanitize.
Sprays to deodorize.
Liquid to neutralize acids and pesticides.
Free weights to maximize your strength and muscle size.
Shots that will immunize.
Pills to re-energize you.

But remember that for all your pain and gain
Eventually the story ends the same...

You can quit smokin', but you're still gonna die.
Cut out cokin', but you're still gonna die.
Eliminate everything fatty or fried,
And you get real healthy, but you're still gonna die.
Stop drinkin' booze, you're still gonna die.
Stay away from cooze, you're still gonna die.
You can cut out coffee and never get high,
But you're still gonna, still gonna, still gonna die.

You're still gonna, still gonna, still gonna die.
Still gonna, still gonna, still gonna die.
You can even give aerobics one more try,
But when the music stops playin', you're still gonna die.
Put seat belts in your car, you're still gonna die.
Cut nicotine tar, you're still gonna die.
You can exercise that cellulite right off-a your thigh.
Get slimmer and trimmer, but you're still gonna die.
Stop gettin' a tan, you're still gonna die.
You can search for UFO's up in the sky
They might fly you to Mars where you're still gonna die.

You're still gonna, still gonna, still gonna die.
Still gonna, still gonna, still gonna die.
And all the Reeboks and Nikes and Adidas you buy
You can jog up to heaven and you're still gonna die.

Drink ginseng tonics, you're still gonna die.
Try high colonics, you're still gonna die.
You can have yourself frozen and suspended in time,
But when they do thaw you out, you're still gonna die.
You can have safe sex, you're still gonna die.
You can switch to Crest, you're still gonna die.
You can get rid of stress, get a lot of rest,
Get an AIDS test, enroll in EST,
Move out west where it's sunny and dry
And you'll live to be a hundred
But you're still gonna die.

You're still gonna, still gonna, still gonna die.
Still gonna, still gonna, still gonna die.
So you'd better have some fun
'Fore you say bye-bye,
'Cause you're still gonna, still gonna, still gonna die.
--Written by Shel Silverstein



lol

Subject: RE: BS: Cereal, Salad & Soup Diet
From: gnu
Date: 30 Aug 10 - 07:20 PM

Ebbie... lolololololllllll

Subject: RE: BS: Cereal, Salad & Soup Diet
From: Crow Sister (off with the fairies)
Date: 31 Aug 10 - 02:42 AM

LOL! everyone else thinks this diet is pants and I thought it seemed such a common sense, no hassle idea! Anyway, I guess we'll see how I go for a bit, if I feel like I'm gonna faint or something I'll have to have a rethink.

"want a diet buddy?" Tam, YES!

Also the added superfoods idea is a smart one. I already have brewers yeast powder (B vits) in the cupboard to add to soups. Hadn't heard of hemp hearts before but I know hemp's really good for Omegas, something you need to watch if on a low-fat plan. I was thinking about getting this stuff: Good Oil to use a bit in salads. But I like the sound of hemp hearts (shelled hemp seeds) so I'll see if I can get hold of some from the health food shop.

Weighed myself this morning.. I have about six and a half stones to lose. Eek :-o

Subject: RE: BS: Cereal, Salad & Soup Diet
From: Anne Lister
Date: 31 Aug 10 - 03:04 AM

CS, if you have that much to lose you really need something you can stick with for a long time. If you lose weight too fast it'll just go back on really fast, so a gradual diminishing is what's best. You'll also find it easier with support, because most people it seems hit various plateaus (should be plateaux, I know!) when the weight loss either gets stuck or even runs backwards into slight gains, and that's when it's really hard to stay motivated.

Good luck! But PM me if you would like more support, and/or if you'd like to know more about Slimming World (which I really do recommend).

Subject: RE: BS: Cereal, Salad & Soup Diet
From: I don't know
Date: 31 Aug 10 - 07:58 AM

Well I would say that smaller & more often works well for me, I have lost 2lb a week for 6 weeks & now seem to be staying steady. As I said in another post finding something to take your mind of food helps (in my case you guys on mudcat) & dancing.
Good luck with the diet but do have a variety of foods or you will soon lose interest.

Subject: RE: BS: Cereal, Salad & Soup Diet
From: Maryrrf
Date: 31 Aug 10 - 08:34 AM

I think that diet could work, because it allows for a lot of variety, as long as you're careful, of course about what kind of cereal, what you put in the salads, and what goes into the soups. I've been known to go overboard on the nuts and cheese in a salad.... Spark People is a website that has been helpful to me, and it's free. It's US based, but a calorie is a calorie. They have a lot of nice features for tracking your weight and measurements, on-line support groups, sample menus, recipes and a place where you can track your daily calories by recording what you eat - it does the calculations for you. Good luck!

Subject: RE: BS: Cereal, Salad & Soup Diet
From: MikeL2
Date: 31 Aug 10 - 09:37 AM

hi CS

Just this week in one of our news papers they gave some info that you might like to consider.

Eat normally but reduce the quantities that you have been used to having.
PLUS drink two glasses of water (still) before each meal.

Not tried it but it seems to make sense.

We eat (drink) a lot of soups which mainly I make.

We find that having cold soups eg Spanish style gazpacho and cold almond soup are both very refrshing in the summer.....and we lose weight too.

If you need recipes just shout.

Regards

MikeL2

Subject: RE: BS: Cereal, Salad & Soup Diet
From: Wesley S
Date: 31 Aug 10 - 11:25 AM

Two things that worked for me was - lots and lots of water. And never eat after 6:00 in the evening. Good luck. I was able to loose 45 pounds a little over a year ago and that enabled me to stop insulin injections.

Also - walk as much as you can considering your tendon. And if you must wach television - at least get up and move around during the commercials. I did sit-ups and pushups.

Subject: RE: BS: Cereal, Salad & Soup Diet
From: GUEST,Patsy
Date: 01 Sep 10 - 06:34 AM

This diet sounds ok but I know I wouldn't be able to stick to it not sure it would be satisfying enough. The high fibre of the cereal the low calories of the salad followed by soup would probably be got rid of quite quickly. Older women would have to be careful of brittle bones with this diet and you would have to make sure to take supplements like vitamin e, d or codliver oil/multi vitamin capsules. Drinking plenty of water makes so much difference to your well-being anyway. Mainly cutting out the bad things like sugar, too much salt and saturated fats and also processed foods can make a difference to how you feel.

I used to make fresh french bean soup I started growing them and found that they were such an abundant crop to grow, I had plenty to make soups with. The only snag was that beans seemed to be on the menu nearly every day or every other day in some form or another!

Subject: RE: BS: Cereal, Salad & Soup Diet
From: Crow Sister (off with the fairies)
Date: 01 Sep 10 - 11:04 AM

Well yesters I had puffed wheat with honey & skim milk for brekkers plus a glass of breakfast juice, then Cajun Rice Salad (brown rice, red kidney beans, green pepper, celery, spring onions with a hot dressing) at lunch, and Curried Carrot, Lentil & Chicken soup for supper. I also had some crisps! Well, they were there... :-/

Today I had puffed with with honey & skim milk plus a glass of Virgin Mary (piquant tomato juice), leftover Cajun Rice Salad with cold roast chicken breast for lunch plus a nectarine, and laters it'll be freshly made Creamy Marrow and Roasted Garlic soup.

So far so good. So long as I allow myself occasional treats (which I intend to) I reckon I could get along quite happily doing things this way for a while.

Spark people looks massive, might be fun. I've signed up, but I gotta get my head around it!

Subject: RE: BS: Cereal, Salad & Soup Diet
From: Crow Sister (off with the fairies)
Date: 01 Sep 10 - 11:04 AM

Patsy, what did you put in your french bean soup?

Subject: RE: BS: Cereal, Salad & Soup Diet
From: Maryrrf
Date: 01 Sep 10 - 02:01 PM

I don't use all the features on Spark People, but the calorie counter feature is very useful. I know you aren't counting calories per se, but it helps to give you an idea. Also there is a place where you can chart your weight and measurements, and I find that helpful.

Subject: RE: BS: Cereal, Salad & Soup Diet
From: VirginiaTam
Date: 01 Sep 10 - 02:17 PM

Wesley - I drink lots and lots of water more than the recommended 8 to 10 8oz glasses a day. I do not eat after 6pm. My calorie intake is quite low and diet is very balanced, no white flour, no salt, no processed foods, little sugar, low fat, little caffeine small portions.

I have 3 physical/medical concerns conspiring to pile the pounds on. Women naturally have more probs with weight because of the way we are designed. (bloody mother nature, bitch grumble grumble)

Anyway.. I need help to lose weight, because diet ain't doing it and exercise is out of the question for a number of reasons.

Gonna have my pudding now... a tall glass of ice water, with lots of ice to crunch up.

Subject: RE: BS: Cereal, Salad & Soup Diet
From: Ebbie
Date: 01 Sep 10 - 06:12 PM

I have a horror story to share that happened to a musician friend of mine this month. We tell him he's going to be a rich man.

He is a big man - well over 6 feet tall and big around too - but he is diabetic and has reached an age - late 40s - where things tend to pile up. His doc told him that he had reached critical mass.

He has often tried to lose weight but it's been his experience that whatever he takes off comes back doubled in volume.

So, with his doctor's blessing, he decided to have the lapband surgery done. His surgeon told him he'd be able to go home the same day and recovery would be swift, that no incision would be more than 2 inches long.

I'll cut (no pun intended) to the chase here. When he awoke, his wife (NOT the surgeon or his doctor or his nurses) told him that he had a nine-inch incision, that the surgeon had inadvertently punched a hole in his stomach and had to repair it, and that therefore they would not be able to do the lapband procedure... He was in hospital four days.

He is one P.O.-ed man.

Subject: RE: BS: Cereal, Salad & Soup Diet
From: VirginiaTam
Date: 02 Sep 10 - 03:04 AM

I would never never opt for surgery.   

My daughter (due to complications of hypothyroidism and poly-ovarian cyst syndrome - her immune system went haywire after passing of her sister) had gained a lot of weight. Correction. A LOT of weight!

She has now lost 96 pounds and over 71 inches in little less than 2 years. The first 6 or so months she was given a carefully monitored drug which suppressed her appetite and gave her loads of energy, a specific diet and exercise regime to follow. Weaned off the drug and continued the diet and exercise. Given a very high dose of thyroxine which they have been able to decrease as she lost weight and hormone supplement to meet what she was not getting due to poly-ovarian cysts. She is now off all meds accept thyroxine and she is still losing and will soon be near her goal. But she is 26 and she does not have the physical pain associated with age. She had the energy required to do the special shopping and cooking and the exercise. Easier to lose the younger you are. Better when you have proper treatment for medical conditions.

Crow Sister... Shall I set up a table where we can log what we eat each day, the exercise we take, and weight and measurements changes and how we feel generally on the day? We can share it by email on a weekly basis. Could text each other when afraid of succumbing to temptation.

Subject: RE: BS: Cereal, Salad & Soup Diet
From: GUEST,Patsy
Date: 02 Sep 10 - 05:39 AM

>Patsy, what did you put in your french bean soup?<

Hi Crow Sister I fried finely chopped onion in virgin olive oil with a chopped leek (and garlic if you want it a bit spicier) and the french beans. I added water to the pan to boil and simmered it down, scooped out the vegetables. Putting some whole or chopped ones aside. I put the strained vegetables in a blender whooshed it up and put it back in the pan with the liquid then adding black pepper and salt and some basil. Then I boiled the soup back up and then when simmering added the whole or chopped french beans back in with the soup. Nice with warm French bread.

Your soup sounds a lot nicer than mine! Know what you mean about the odd treat I am a cake freak. I love coffee cake, any cake and pastries unfortunately and have to wrench myself away from bakeries and patisseries.

Subject: RE: BS: Cereal, Salad & Soup Diet
From: Joe Offer
Date: 03 Sep 10 - 03:43 PM

I don't think I can tolerate two of the three anchors of this diet. I have the deepest respect for the noted health reformers, Mr. Post and Mr. Kellogg and Mr. Weetabix, but the thought of a constant intake of cold cereal leads me to depression.
And SALAD????? How boring!

I like soup, though. Can somebody design me a diet with soup, hamburgers, and beer?

-Joe-

Subject: RE: BS: Cereal, Salad & Soup Diet
From: Crow Sister (off with the fairies)
Date: 03 Sep 10 - 04:08 PM

Joe, I'm loving the soup part too, but finding it tougher to be enthusiastic about salads - but salad seems to be the cross us fatsos have to bare as punishment for all those "just one biscuit then" moments, that end up being ten buscuits. I need to explore some classic salads and seasonings. And I should make a special effort to concoct proper tasty low fat dressings too, rather than keep resorting to plain old lemon juice and sea salt.

Today I had Puffed wheat wiv a drizzle of runny honey & skim milk (all outa puffed wheat now, muesli tomorrow), Pasta salad with sweetcorn, tomato, onion & cucumber. And yummy Mushroom, Noodle & Barley Broth - made with a dark miso broth. Buckwheat noodles were added as an afterthought because I made it too salty at first, but they were topper.

I also really like cereals, just so long as they're not too sugary and over processed. If I had to eat that stuff you set kids 'Toffee Choccy Clusters' or 'Golden Sugar Bix' every day for brekkers, I'd feel squiffy.

VTam, yes please.. :)

Subject: RE: BS: Cereal, Salad & Soup Diet
From: Crow Sister (off with the fairies)
Date: 03 Sep 10 - 04:11 PM

"If I had to eat that stuff you set kids"

Oops? I meant: "If I had to eat that stuff advertisers sell to kids.." etc.

Subject: RE: BS: Cereal, Salad & Soup Diet
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 03 Sep 10 - 08:48 PM

None of the above, but we wanted something very quick yesterday.
Acorn squash, cut in half, remove seeds, bake cut side down.
Add butter and brown sugar, or butter and salt, mix.
Vegetable salad on the side.

The seeds go outside for the birds.

Subject: RE: BS: Cereal, Salad & Soup Diet
From: I don't know
Date: 23 Sep 10 - 07:52 AM

Hello Crow Sister, see you last posted on the 3rd Sept. How are things going? I have lost 1 stone since Easter, just watching what I eat & trying to exercise a bit more. Keeping occupied in bad weather is the hardest thing, if I get bored I pick, so the cupboards are very low on "goodies". Home grown salad has helped alot these past months but that is nearly over so I will have to find some alternativies.

Subject: RE: BS: Cereal, Salad & Soup Diet
From: freda underhill
Date: 23 Sep 10 - 09:52 AM

What a great thread. I lost seven kilos in the last 10 months, and soup,salad and walking were the main causes.

Salads - I chop tofu (soaked in tamari or something) with crisp vegies (capsicum, celery) and various green bits - with lemon juice or cider vinegar, and seeds, nuts - they are great in summer.

beans, lentils, bread etc - during the day but not after 6pm.

I make soups on the weekend and feeze in containers for nights when i'm too tired to cook - two or three green veg (broccholi, asparagus, celery)+ sweet potato (low GI) cooked and blended with powdered vegi stock.

good luck Crow Sister!

Subject: RE: BS: Cereal, Salad & Soup Diet
From: GUEST,Patsy
Date: 23 Sep 10 - 09:54 AM

The trouble with soup is I tend to want lots of bread to go with it and end up feeling bloated. My stomach doesn't always feel satisfied for long enough and so end up letting myself nibble on something naughty like a piece of cake defeating the whole object.

Oh I did try making a healthy alternative to a hamburger, gluten free rolls or baps and burgers made with grilled lean minced turkey instead of beef. It was ok. There is no healthy alternative to real beer unfortunately.

Subject: RE: BS: Cereal, Salad & Soup Diet
From: gnu
Date: 23 Sep 10 - 10:01 AM

... or fortunately.

Subject: RE: BS: Cereal, Salad & Soup Diet
From: freda underhill
Date: 23 Sep 10 - 10:01 AM

the bread association with soup is difficult. istead of bread with, I settle for some nuts afterwards - despite what I was brought up to believe, nuts have something in them that actually helps you lose weight.

Subject: RE: BS: Cereal, Salad & Soup Diet
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 23 Sep 10 - 01:16 PM

The thing about the 'soup, salad, cereal' diet is that there is so much variation among different soups, salads and cereals.

To me, a salad is chopped up lettuce and vegetables. It's low in calories because it's high in water. (If you add tofu, cheese, or hard-cooked eggs, it's not just a salad anymore.)

Soup can be thick, rich and full of protein and starch, or it can be thin and watery. The more watery, the lower in calories.

A bowl of cereal also contains a lot of water, whether it's cooked in (oatmeal) or in milk (Cheerios.)

I think Crow Sister's diet should be called The Water Diet.

Subject: RE: BS: Cereal, Salad & Soup Diet
From: Crow Sister (off with the fairies)
Date: 23 Sep 10 - 02:59 PM

Bit hit and miss at the moment! Lot of distractions past few weeks, but that should be smoothed out shortly. Haven't been sticking to it all the time, but I am going to continue with the basic principles because it doesn't actually feel like a diet. And it has made me feel good.

Subject: RE: BS: Cereal, Salad & Soup Diet
From: gnu
Date: 23 Sep 10 - 03:44 PM

Say... it might be okay if I could substitute beer for soup. Any leeway there?

Subject: RE: BS: Cereal, Salad & Soup Diet
From: Jack Campin
Date: 23 Sep 10 - 09:24 PM

For some reason the thread next to this at the moment is "Natural Gas Explosion in California".

Subject: RE: BS: Cereal, Salad & Soup Diet
From: Crow Sister (off with the fairies)
Date: 24 Sep 10 - 02:08 AM

"Say... it might be okay if I could substitute beer for soup. Any leeway there?"

Well, seeing as you asked so nicely.. Danish Beer Soup