First off, I’ll say that I’ve never really taken dieting seriously. I am a bit of a hypoglycemic and used that to justify my significant appetite (as well as my internalization that I’m a “big guy”).
But coming home from a vacation this summer I just felt so fat. I was 277lbs., I’d inched over into an obese BMI (even when adjusted for my height) and I was trending towards 300lbs. — a barrier that I just did not want to cross. And this was back up from 257lbs. from when I got back from New Zealand at the beginning of the year.
So searching my options, I remembered the Shangri La Diet. It’s a plan for self-experimentation really. And I’d been reading and thinking about it for 3.5 years, but never had the gumption to try it.
Now was my time. Those close to me know that both my parents are struggling with weight related health issues (type II diabetes and morbid obesity) and both of my grandfathers had heart disease (one heart attack and one congestive heart failure). I wanted to put myself into realm of Normal BMIs, 18-24.9.
So that meant that I should weigh at most 219lbs (that’s just under 25 on the tall adjusted BMI) and I could/should probably lose even more weight to be in the 200-210 range — though BMI says I could be down to 160 (WTF!) and still be in the normal weight category.
I set my initial goal weight at 219, and set a mini goal of 257 (below which I know I hadn’t been in years). When I reach 219, I’ll make a decision with consultation of those around me if I need to keep losing to put me lower on the BMI scale — or if I already look too skinny I’ll stop there.
Shangri La isn’t a diet. It’s not subtracting anything from your diet. It’s adding calories — flavorless calories — during windows where you’re not tasting other flavors. These windows are an hour on either side of consuming the flavorless calories.
My daily routine is wake up, drink four tablespoons of canola oil, wait an hour, eat breakfast, and then go on with my day. The oil basically suppresses my appetite and the no flavor turns on the natural fat burning mechanisms in my body.
Since July 29th, I’m down over 25lbs. And it’s been fairly easy to do. I’m eating a lot more salads — and I’m enjoying it, but I also eat a cheeseburger every now and then too. I can eat ice cream, but I feel so full that I generally don’t want to. I eat anything I want, but I just eat less of it — and then I’m not hungry after it.
The community discussion boards are helpful and here, and buy the book if you want a little more on the theory and whatnot.
Here’s my fatsecret profile.
As you point out, eating fat is a great “trick”, since it makes your body feel that there is “plenty of food”, so it doesn’t go in to hoarding mode.
How can I put this delicately… has the canola oil cause any “spotting”?
Regardless, keep up the awesome!
Well, I am a tad less regular since I just eat half of what I used to. No oily discharges, etc. There’s more oil in a large french fries…
Well done sir. I start SLD July 1 and I have lost 9 pounds. I am quiet happy with the downward trend, but a bit jelous of your rapid drop!