No More Down Day Drudgeries - Glucomannan

Over the years, I've bought two big bottles of glucomannan capsules.  The first one I bought after hearing the hype.  Used it up, with an "oh-hum".  Heard it hyped again, so bought another big bottle of capsules.  The last time, sometimes taking more than a handful at a shot:  hoping.  I noticed nothing!  Chalked it up to another media pumped diet tool.  Lots of them out there. Surely glucomannan's no different.   

Amazon glucomannan

I now beg to differ.  Why?  My mom and sister are constantly trying the latest and greatest diet cures.  I get their castoffs.  This last "latest and greatest" was the "Gastric Bypass Alternative".

Neither of my loved ones could stomach the pink goo, and gladly offered me their leftovers.  I thought, "Maybe this would be a good DD tool", optimistic.  Assuming this would be yet another disappointment, I took it anyway.  My eyes were opened!  WoW!

When buying their whole program, GBA is very expensive.  Plus, I learned right away that the only tool in the kit that works is their pink goo.  See this link to see how they recommend it be ingested.  It tastes even worse than it looks.

Frugal ol' me, I glanced at the ingredients.  Glucomannan.  It is my opinion that this pink goo is a mix of Crystal Light and glucomannan.  Which is fine, but I wanted varied flavoring options, not to mention the price.

I bought plain glucomannan on Amazon, and have now been adding it to a lot of different things.  Key is to not use capsules.  Powdered is cheaper, and can be sprinkled on food, barely noticeable.  Will take some experimentation to see how much you will need.  Some achieve fullness with only 1/2 teaspoon, while others who have a difficult time achieving satiety, will need 1 tablespoon added to something.  One T in a large bowl of soup gives a tremendous amount of satiety, no matter what type of soup.

Another example of how unnoticeable gluc is, yesterday, I added it to coleslaw.  It wasn't textually noticeable at all, as long as I ate it within a couple of hours. (It does not need to be "activated" as that will occur in your gut.  Just be sure to drink a couple of cups of water.)  Next time, I will add the gluc just before consuming the coleslaw, because it got a bit slimy after several hours in the fridge.  This makes me very happy, as I love coleslaw, never dreaming that it could ever become part of a DD.

One thing about using glucomannan that is so beneficial is that I don't have to have just one meal on a DD anymore.  Now I can have 2 meals (and get full both times!) as long as I include gluc in both times.

Glucomannan Powder needs to be mixed in either liquid or mixed into wet food.  Or, keep some in a shaker and sprinkle liberally directly onto your food just before you eat it.  Glucomannan is tasteless.  Experiment.  You will be glad you joined the gluccie club.

You need to be aware that you must drink a lot of water when taking this.  I'm not a fan of Dr Oz, but he has a good explanation here on things to be aware of.

Perfect DD crutch:  1/2 tablespoon in cup broth, whisk, drink, then follow with a glass of water = 17 calories!  Glucomannan is a remarkable tool.  No more "hangry" days for me.

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NOTE: I do not coach, but I do interact in these groups:

Basic alternate day fasting support https://www.facebook.com/groups/alternatedayfasting

Advanced Support for obese & formerly obese (in maintenance) women
https://www.facebook.com/groups/480540602310396

Keep Calm and Eat a Donut

I'm still 5 lbs up from my goal weight, hitting my "goal" every few months. Ya know, I've been struggling with these same 5 lbs for 3 years.  I feel like a bit of a fraud.  I think too much and wonder if some think I should instead say I've lost "125" rather than "130", but I didn't weigh myself until I'd been on my journey for a month. Only God knows how much I weighed to begin with.  That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.  😁  

For maintenance, I can't seem to let go of are the 2200 calorie UDs. I try to shoot for 2000, and then just get frustrated. Something about that beautiful 2200 number, which is closer to 125% my TDEE.  Yes, it's all about the food. 

I now usually do 1000 calorie DDs.  I do MDs (1300-1600) regularly, too, with my calories bobbing up and down, keeping an overall average at 1750-1800.  

I still say that "Clean" fasting, eating windows, keto, demonizing food groups, etc. are only tools to aid in controlling appetite. Creating calorie deficits is what gets the weight off and keeps it off. Insulin will never ever supersede calorie intake.  Once you accept this, it'll make this journey much more pleasant.  All of these rules frustrate the old me, as I know that there is a better way!  Ultimately, statistically, weight loss in the long term is uncharted territory, so we need to carve out our own path and quit listening to the latest diet guru, no matter how many followers they may have.

Almost every day I wake up with renewed determination. And every day I wake up with thankfulness for this lifestyle.  I'm a better shoulder to cry on, for sure, than a diet coach. I know how hard this journey is. In my mind, I'm still a 600 lb woman in the making. One day at a time, one DD at a time. 👍

I'm nearing my 5th year in maintenance (March 21, 2019), which has been my ultimate goal.  Statistically, those who maintain for 5 years will keep their lost weight off.  Ya know, I believe I'm going to make it.   God has been soooo good to me.  

How I Lost 130 lbs

ADF support

Advanced IF support

It is Better to be Thin and Eat "Bad" Food Than it is to be Overweight and Eat "Good" Food

Excerpt from my diet bible "Alternate Day Diet", by Dr. Johnson, author of JUDDD...

Walter Willett states, "Your body weight is more important than the precise balance of healthy and unhealthy fats or whole grains versus refined carbohydrates or the number of servings of vegetables you eat."

In two major studies of the relationship between fruit and vegetable consumption and major chronic heart disease, stroke, cancer, and diabetes, the incidence of heart disease was 25 lower among those people who ate five or more servings compared with those who ate fewer than 1.5 servings.  There was no significant overall reduction in cancer risk.  In contrast, for women, having a BMI of 30 (the definition of obesity, 180 pounds for a 5'5" woman) is associated with a nearly 50 percent higher likelihood of dying and three times the incidence of heart disease than having a BMI of 21.

While I'm not advocating bad eating - in fact, it's just the opposite - it is important to understand that body weight supersedes other risk factors.  Following the Alternate Day Diet will minimize the impact of bad food for two reasons:  First, because you will weigh less, and second, because it will activate a critical stress response (discussed in the book).

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I've shared the following video in the past.  This man (OMAD Revolution Guy) speaks so much sense, has so much wisdom, primarily because he's lost 100+ pounds and maintained his loss for many years.   (Note: I don't advocate a solid diet of OMAD long term [it lowered my metabolism], OMAD does not challenge my metabolism enough. It's fine every other day, but OMAD on a daily basis allows me less food overall.   If you know anything about me, you know that my goal is ALWAYS striving to be able to eat more, to be able to eat as much as possible and still maintain my losses.) 

If you see the reviews on this video it is really very sad to see the comments. Where will all of the diet gurus' lemmings be down the road, in a year, in 2 years? Their tools are tools that should be thought of as "tools".  In the real world, they're not long term sustainable for the masses, especially for those of us who've been obese.

"Clean" fasting, eating windows, keto, demonizing food groups, etc. = These are only tools to aid in controlling appetite. Creating calorie deficits is what gets the weight off. Insulin does not supersede calorie intake. Calories put into your mouth far outweigh the insulin you release with an occasional diet pop or stick of sugar free gum. 

That is not to say that we shouldn't be eating more healthy. That's a no brainer, but who will be able to forever give up foods that they've been attached to for years, forever, let alone for weeks or months at a time? Not many.   Set the bar so high, it'll end up making more and more casualties. What's wrong with the mantra of basically eating in moderation, which is basically the lifestyle I preach?

Other than migraines (since age 8), which are few and far between since I entered menopause, at 56, I am never EVER sick. I mean NEVER! I attribute it to the fasting itself. If it's the fasting, why make things harder than they need to be?

Intermittent Fasting Advanced Support:  
https://www.facebook.com/groups/480540602310396