It's the most wonderful time of the year!

Diana...talk about getting wires crossed  My marriage of 25 years is better than its ever been. I wasn't serious. I never said you attacked ME but your response to me was not particularly friendly.  Thats fine. I did not expect you to be but I thought the question was a good question.  I was just using my husband as an example  (i.e. hypothetical??)

Post Date: 11/18/11 3:41 pm
Last Edit: 11/18/11 3:43 am
Hi Diana:

I understand your stance on the DS and while I cringe at some of the vitriol (generally speaking), I respect what you are doing. The bottom line is getting the right  information out there, correct?  I would never be run off a forum. I have used my block button once but that was only because of a personal issue between the blockee and myself (she only joined to see my weight loss progress).  This doesn't make me superior to anyone because I don't block but I want to hear ALL sides from ALL people here from ALL walks of life and ALL manners of "support". 

I feel compelled to share with you why I would not get a DS.  It's not about being an example to my kids. The youngest is 18 next month and leaves the next next May.   For me, its about enjoying food with my husband.  He is  5'6''and 186 lbs with no weight problem. Sharing meals can be fun, intimate, loving, kind...unlike the stress inducing meals as a kid where I scooted the same food around the plate..that's so far behind me now. :)  If I were to get the DS, how would I be able to enjoy meals again in front of my husband.  Wouldn't it be natural for him to start feeling resentment because he wasn't able to indulge like me without harming his health?

I ask this question with all due respect. Your thoughts:?

How is this hypothetical?  You clearly state that this is why you would not get a DS.  Backpedal much?

"How is this hypothetical?  You clearly state that this is why you would not get a DS.  Backpedal much"

Sigh.  I apoligize for not being crystal clear in posting here on the main board.  I had a question and I poorly phrased it, using myself and the DH as an example.    .

hey  at least all of y'all can appreciate the hits I generated with my posts. ::shrug::

I am living at my son's house.  He eats what I cook and has lost weight AND his cholesterol has gone down.  That is what more protein and less carbs has done for him.

We don't eat every meal together, mainly breakfast and dinner. I pack his lunch. Anyway, lunch for him is different than mine and he doesn't eat a protein packed snack every 2 hours like I do but otherwise we eat the same. I may have to add some more complex carbs for him if he continues to lose.

Same here, I prefer a higher fat low carb meat heavy diet. It works for me, I feel great and lose great on it.. After reading several books on the subject of nutrition, carbs, and health, my husband had his yearly lipid panel pulled and his triglycerides and such were not good..  Doc wanted him on statins.. instead, he decided to join me fully in low carbing (his own choice) and effortlessly dropped what little excess fat he had (10-15lbs) over a few months time.

He recently retested- triglycerides and chol numbers are damn near perfect, no meds. Eating meat, butter, good oils, eggs, cheese and plenty of veggies.. with little carbs unless he decides to indulge on his own, which he does from time to time. He was eating pretty carb heavy there for a while. Now I'm in the same boat- he cannot lose anymore as his BMI is really on the low side of normal now.. so more winter squash and beans will make their way into his meals when I cook. Carbs cause lipid problems, not fats. This is known, it isn't just wishful thinking.

one of the many reasons that i chose to have a DS is because i wanted to eat normally.  i wanted food to be a total non-issue.  in our culture, many events are centered on communal meals.  i wanted to have a bite of my kids birthday cake without dumping.  i wanted to be able to have a regularly portioned meal (vs a tbs) without rushing to the bathroom to throw up, or getting foamies.  i want to be able to take what is available without saying "oh, i can't have that, i'll get sick".  i didn't want to time how long it's been since i've eaten, so that i can have a drink of water.  i didn't want some man-made device with a very real shelf-life, that would absolutely have to be replaced at some point.

many of us find that we don't HAVE to gorge on fat, and don't generally do so.  but it's nice that we CAN indulge a little without guilt - especially on a day like Thanksgiving.  no dieting for me, thanks.  gimme an awesome holiday meal with all the perks.  i am very grateful for the freedom that the DS offers.

Thanks for your reply, Mdae.   Reading some posts, one might get the impression that the DS diet is all about "gorging on fat..sweets..." wide open. Seriously, I GET it but the general population can't eat 3000-4000 calories without it causing problems.  I was just asking a question to get more insight into the DS lifestyle.

.

 You might check out the work of Dr Eric Westman at Duke Unitversity.  He's just written the New Atkins for the New You.  

I had the opportunity to hear him speak at The American Society of Bariatric Physicians Conference a few weeks ago (his lecture alone was worth the price of admission).  He advocates that Normies eat a high protein, high fat, low carb diet.  If they are actively trying to lose weight he restricts them to 20g of carbs a day.  People who are in maintenance have a higher allowance.  Cholesterol numbers drop as do blood sugars.

Eating fat doesn't make you fat, anymore than eating broccoli makes you crucifurous (sp?  Green, crunchy, leafy, a vegetable)  The link between fat consumption and high cholesterol is proving a tenuous one at best--in other words, it's more anecdotal than factual.  

If you remove the society-impressed fat phobia, what is it about eating like a DS'er that you presume would be bad for your spouse?

All these common misconceptions about diet and weight really confuse most people (and it's not surprising since these things are touted as facts by most "expeerts," doctors, etc.).

Misconception #1: it's ALL about calories in, calories out.
Not true. I can eat MORE calories and still lose weight while eating low in carbs and high in FAT. If I add more carbs back in, then I have to further restrict my calories. Eating 3000 calories a day of fat and proetin is NOT equivalent to eating 3000 calories a day in primarily carbs. This is true even without any WLS.

Misconception #2: eating too much fat will clog your arteries, cause high blood pressure, cause a heart attack, etc.
Not true. Studies even support that if you are eating high in fat WITH carbs, then yes, that's a bad combination. But eating low in carbs and high in fat, even saturated fat, typically results in weight loss, improved glucose and insulin levels (if you'd had such metabolic issues), lower triglycrides, increased HDL, and decrease in small-particle LDL (which is the dangerous kind of LDL). This is true even without any WLS.

I could go on, but those are the primary points I think are most important. My husand and I eat together every single day. He is in LOVE with my noodle-free lasagna. When he orders the steak and cheese at our local steakhouse, he eats all the insides and leaves the roll on the plate! I never asked or told him to do this, never even suggested it to him - he came to the conclusion all on his own that the good stuff is on the inside, and the bread is just filler/vehicle, NOT flavor and experience. Ditto for things like pulled pork sandwiches and when I make burgers at home - no bread/buns required. Carbs are generally used as a vehicle for something with the flavor you really want (such as butter on bread, sauce on pasta, etc.), so we just eliminate that "middle man" and go straight for the FLAVOR!   :)