giving up on the Tony Fergerson?

[~Saram~]

So hubby and I have been on the TF diet for 5-6 wks and I am thinking I will do better on my own. Anyone else had more success just eating a healthy lower carb diet?

Hubby and I embarked on a healthy eating about 3mths ago and got rid of all the junk. I lost 5kg in the first month which I was happy with but then got stuck. Thought we would try the TF but I really struggled as so much of my diet was dairy and carbs. So in the first 2 wks I put back on everything I had lost previously. I am now back down to where I started and I am beginning to think I would do better using the recipes and info on low carb eating I have gained but just going back to normal food. Problem I am finding with the TF is if I even diviate a tiny amount I start stacking on the weight. It was my birthday last week and I had a few choccy biccies at a morning tea, we went out for chinese and icecream and had a slice of birthday cake the next day and I put on 2kg???? It just doesn't seem to be right for my body and feels like my body is hording any carbs it can find?

Would love to hear about others who have gone with a low carb or who have tried TF and gone on to have success after coming off.

Thanks so much

[Willow]

Hey Sara,

I've got no personal experience with it but my DH, mum and MIL have all had more success long term with plain old healthy eating and excercise than they did with TF. It was HUGE down here a few years ago because TF is a local chemist and it all started at the local pharmacy he used to own so I know a stack of people who tried it.

Both my mum and MIL have lost heaps more weight and kept it off by going to WWs.

Sounds to me like you were on the right track before!

[~Saram~]

Thanks Willow - to be honest I am feeling so much more enthusiastic about the whole journey just thinking about not doing TF anymore it has been a huge battle and I am a little over it. Great to hear your mum and MIL have had great success after it on WW- might have a squizz at their info

[Astrid]

Hands up here for someone who has lost weight with low carb! It is so much better for you to make your own meals using minimaly processed foods than to be drinking shakes. It might take a bit longer to lose the weight, but you will have a greater chance of keeping it off. Normally though if you go from having low carb into high carb quite quickly that your weight will jump up, that should quickly go once you start watching the carbs again.

I find if I eat a lot of carbs, I just get hungrier. Some of it is to do with GI, but not all of the craving can be explained that way. I think for me wheat is a baddie, I find I do better if I am in a situation where I have to eat carbs that I am better off getting rye based products. When I am really good with carbs I find I sleep better and just generally feel better over all.

[Amaunet]

I haven't done TF or any of the meal replacement programs. People I know who have done them have ended up heavier than before they started. It has to be confusing for your body and screw with your metabolism. You need to be careful on "low carb" as well - friends who have done Atkins had bizarre personality changes and were grumpy all the time. (ETA: PLEASE NOTE: It has been pointed out to me that done PROPERLY Atkins can work well. I acknowledge that the two people I knew may have not been following the program properly or it may not have suited their particular circumstances. I am merely sharing my own personal experieces and am not an expert in Atkins (or an other diet program)

My success with weight loss came via low calorie rather than low carb. I have done Weight watchers and their "energy in/energy out" or "eat less/move more" philosophy was excellent. I found WW habit changing and I learnt a lot about balance, portion size and those foods that look/sound healthy (eg 98% fat free) but are actually terrible for you. What I have learned has helped me gain sensibly during this pg and I will go back (to WW) after he is born for the support.

I also wanted to add that 'plateauing" or going through a period of no or little loss is normal too and you can use variety of exercise and diet to help overcome/get thru this frustrating time. 5kg in your first month was awesome! Good luck with your WL journey!

[LaDeeDa]

Hi Saram,
The reason you are stacking it on when you deviate is you have sent your body into starvation mode.
So whenever it gets real food it hoardes it because it doesn't know when it's going to be fed again - thats why when people go on crash diets they end up putting more weight on when they finish than what they lost in the first place.
Healthy eating and exercise is the only way to lose it - the more muscle mass you have the more calories you burn when your not doing anything ...
Hope this makes sense

[LaDeeDa]

Just wanted to add - hopefully without freaking you out...

When you go on diets like TF your body cannibalises itself - meaning that it metabolises your muscle tissue to function NOT FAT....

So the weight you may have lost would have been fluid and muscle not fat....

I

[Muffy]

Hi,
My sisters MIL is on the TF diet and it has really worked for her. She looks fantastic.
She didnt see results straight away but when she did it was a massive change!
I am currently on the BL shakes and i have found them to be great aswell.
GL xx

[Astrid]

I haven't done TF or any of the meal replacement programs. People I know who have done them have ended up heavier than before they started. It has to be confusing for your body and screw with your metabolism. You need to be careful on "low carb" as well - friends who have done Atkins had bizarre personality changes and were grumpy all the time. Tho Atkins is basically "no carb" - I guess you just need to "balance" your food groups.

Sorry but that is completely incorrect. Atkins is not "no carb" it is low carb. There is carb in it. The first 2 weeks are on the low end of the scale and then the carb count is increased to a level just below where you would stop losing weight. Please do not make wild statements about an eating plan that you have not followed or read up on fully. If your friends have had personality changes then they were not doing it properly. Many people do not do the right thing like reading before going on it. They get bits of information from friends and the media, or just read one chapter of the book.

I have done Atkins quite successfully, I was healthy, I had muscle mass, I was a blood donor, I conceived quite quickly after being on it. I ate more fruit and vegetables on Atkins that what I had ever done in my life! My IBS settled down. I know I am not the only one out there who benefits from its way of eating.

I am sorry but I will no longer sit by on this site and have rubbish said about the Atkins diet any longer!

[Amaunet]

Sorry Astrid - I was just sharing my experiences. I did not mean to offend you or anyone else who has done Atkins.
I feel a little attacked by your reply (but my 37wk pg skin is a bit thin atm) - If you had pm'd me or pointed out my shortfalls less forcefully I would have been happy to edit.... which I have done now . I hope that this is OK. I don't go out of my way to cause offence.

[Janine1511]

Both my parents have had great success on the TF diet. Now they have reached their target weight, they still use the shakes for breakfast and lunch but might be a bit more lenient with dinners and indulge in some carbs every now and then

[~Saram~]

Don't get me wrong, the TF worked brilliantly for my SIL - she looks and feels fantastic. My hubby is also doing very well on it and happy with the program. We have both changed our eating habits enoumously having vegetable soups and other things for lunch that we never would have considered and these are habits I hope to keep. We are def getting our 5 & 2 every day

Controlfreak - I get very moody for a few days each time I am strictly on the diet and I think it is just withdrawls from sugar/carbohydrates. Lots of headaches and fatigue but once I push through that it works well but if you deviate by a small amount ie have a full cream latte or high carb food you have to start all over again

I do believe that most diets probably do suit some people but that trying to fit a dietry system onto everyone doesn't work so well.

LaDeeda - yes I understand what your saying and this is the ketosis phase they are talking about which is suppose to keep your body just above the starvation level but even they admit there is a very fine line to ketosis and falling either side will result in no weight loss which is why it isn't working for me. I think the weight I have lost is fat as it has gone from my breasts thighs and bum - have lost 2 dress sizes so not unhappy with the weightloss but looking for something I can maintain with my lifestyle a bit easier.

Astrid - yes I agree, when I say low carbs I mean for us. Previously we would be have high carb breaskfast cereal, sandwhich, and then potato or pasta for dinner. We don't eat a lot of "processed foods" as my kids are on the FAILSAFE diet which means we make most of our food from scratch but also has a big focus on carbs as many of the low carb vegetables contain salicylates and glutamates so essentailly I have been cooking two seperate dinners for the past 6wks - in itself a pain in the butt. Hoping to find a nice middle road.

[familygirl]

Hi Sarah,

Have you tried The CSIRO total wellbeing diet? I have had success with this - I found that even when I stopped doing it strictly, I was still able to lose weight as I learnt quite a few things from having prepared meals whilst being quite strict about what I ate.
While I know TF works wonders for some, I couldnt' afford to do it and don't want to be preparing separate meals for the whole family. Also I think the shakes don't help you to learn about what you need to do to eat well - could be wrong there as I know you prepare meals for dinner on TF. I have even used some recipes off the TF website.

If you are not happy to eat large amounts of protein doing the CSIRO diet, there are variations that you can make and the authors address those. It is also safe for pregnant and breastfeeding women. It is a moderate carb diet I think...there is an emphasis on low GI when you do consume carbs. It is a pretty high protein diet. Check out a few websites that discuss it before purchasing any books. There are lots of recipes online and I think you will even find a copy of the plan online too. You don't need to eat everything everyday - just learn the basics and adjust it to suit you and your family.