Emergency diet needed!

Hey everyone, I really need some solid diet advice. I’ve got an appointment with my endocrinologist in about two months, and if I want this checkup to go smoothly, I’m hoping to drop maybe 10 pounds—maybe even a bit more if I can swing it. Do you guys think this specific diet is actually any good?

Absolutely not—no, no, and no! It is incredibly unhealthy, quite frankly, and you simply cannot do without addressing it. Another significant factor here is that since your system isn't currently stable, you really ought to be consulting an endocrinologist.

You actually have quite a wealth of nutritional advice already available on r&f; some of the threads are perhaps a bit exhaustive, but do try to read through them.

The idea is to swap simple carbohydrates for complex ones—so, essentially, it's goodbye to refined sugar and white flour, and hello to whole grains (though, mind you, that doesn't mean you can overindulge in those either!). Instead of white bread or processed grains, opt for whole wheat... instead of white rice, go for brown... and stick to fructose and glucose where possible. As for honey, don't go overboard, even if it is a much better choice than white sugar. And please, do avoid brown sugar entirely, especially if you aren't certain which "real" varieties you're consuming. Generally speaking, it’s best to consume your carbohydrates as early in the day as possible.

Regarding fats—keep animal fats to a minimum. You should eliminate heat-treated oils as much as you possibly can, as they are carcinogenic and contribute significantly to weight gain. Avoid anything fried or baked . No, simply dabbing it with a napkin isn't enough. Whatever you would have previously baked or fried, try cooking it differently instead. You will get used to it. Do increase your Omega-3 intake; more fish, less red meat. In fact, just less meat overall.

Do not eat hydrogenated vegetable oils.

Reduce or completely cut out harmful additives. Aim for as little processed food as possible.

Physical activity is key. Before exercising, eat as little as possible; afterward, focus on proteins with a low fat and carbohydrate content. And do remember to stay hydrated.

Eat frequently in smaller portions; feel free to eat before bed if you truly need to, provided you are mindful of what you choose.

Eat fruit, but don't overdo it because the sugar content can be deceptive.

Eat plenty of vegetables—not overcooked, perhaps sautéed or raw.

This year, I managed to lose 33 pounds since the beginning of summer.
I generally maintain a fairly healthy diet, but these specific changes were what helped me most—particularly the part in bold, which had the greatest impact in my particular case. There is much more to discuss, but I wouldn't want to repeat myself—just read the previous posts.

And please, do not try to drop the weight urgently. Adopt a healthy lifestyle for the long term, and do it for yourself—not just because you are seeing an endocrinologist and don't want to feel embarrassed or something.

Hey, look, I know I need to start dropping some pounds, but honestly? It’s just awkward. Every single time I see my endocrinologist, they give me the same speech: "Just stick to a diet, it's the best medicine for what you're dealing with." But I just can't seem to listen. I really can't. Every Monday morning I tell myself, "This is it, the diet starts now," and then... well, everything goes south. I guess I just don't have that ironclad willpower, you know? But at the end of the day, there's no other way around it—I've gotta get on track, if only for my own sake.

coppergardener said:No way, absolutely not! It’s incredibly unhealthy without it...

Come on, give us the expert breakdown! Why exactly is it so bad for you?
Thanks! 🙂

Yeah, true, but I actually know a few girls who managed to drop the weight on that diet without all the crazy setbacks

coppergardener said:... just don't go overboard with the honey, even if it is a much better alternative than white sugar. As for brown sugar, try to be careful with it, especially if you aren't quite sure which kind is actually "real"...

But then again, what counts as "real" brown sugar?
I’m not looking to drop any weight, but I really do want to start eating more thoughtfully...

jadesailor14 said:Oh, please—why don't you give me a professional breakdown of why it's considered so unhealthy?
thanks 🙂

Look, I’m certainly no medical expert, so I can't provide a "professional" lecture—but the core issue is that certain nutrients really ought to be consumed daily, in specific intervals and proportions. What is your take on the UN diet?

There are already threads over on Reddit where this has been discussed quite extensively; perhaps you might find a more technical explanation buried in one of those discussions.

I don't have a particularly brilliant link handy—I really don't feel like digging through archives—but this one is fairly straightforward:

http://www.mayoclinic.org/diet-and-nutrition/main.asp

And regarding those elevated ketone levels... well, if someone enjoys that, far be it from me to judge! Personally, I managed to "find happiness" through fasting—though not by choice, mind you—and let me tell you, those ketones feel just wonderful. Truly... you feel absolutely drained from head to toe, and once a cold catches you, you simply can't stop coughing for months on end; you become as weak as a kitten and pale as a ghost, even if you were perfectly fit and in great shape before starting... but then again, that is just my experience. Perhaps someone else would handle the malnutrition—which is so incredibly easy to fall into with such unbalanced, or rather, unnatural diets—a bit better? At least in my view, they are unbalanced because they don't align with how my body functions, especially if the system is already compromised. I mean, hats off to anyone who actually pulled it off while remaining perfectly healthy—I honestly don't know a single soul who did.

Though, perhaps I am being far too subjective.

Regardless, maybe I am indeed exaggerating, but I remain firmly convinced that there are plenty of much healthier dietary paths that aren't so taxing—one simply needs to tailor them to their own body's needs and maintain some discipline.

Ashley Brown64 said:But which brown sugar is actually the real deal?
I’m not looking to pack on the pounds, but I really want to start eating higher quality ingredients!

Honestly, I haven't the slightest clue—I don't really follow these specific brands or know how to spot the difference... so I rarely even bother buying any. My apologies.🤷

Perhaps you should try asking over in the culinary forums? I know there are plenty of Whole Foods enthusiasts over there🙂.

coppergardener said:I'm definitely no expert, so I can't give a "technical" breakdown here

If you're going to claim something is absolutely terrible, you really need to back it up with some reasoning! 😉
Just saying

jadesailor14 said:Oh, please—why don't you give us a professional breakdown of why it’s supposedly so unhealthy?
thanks 🙂

Look, any diet promising weight loss without hitting the gym is a disaster waiting to happen!

I actually know this woman who dropped a massive amount of weight using that specific diet in a really short window. Her figure looked incredible, sure, but then this terrifying health issue popped up out of nowhere. See, all the fat that was basically acting as padding for her skeletal structure just melted away, leaving her with zero muscle support—which, let's be honest, is what happens to most people dealing with extra weight who aren't active. Now her bones ache constantly, and there’s a legitimate fear she might lose the ability to walk entirely. Her doctors are basically telling her to head to a rehab center or go swimming just to manage the pain. Nobody warned her about this risk, and it is incredibly serious!

So, what are we supposed to think about a diet that literally lands you in a wheelchair?!

p.s. And she followed the rules perfectly. Nothing extreme, nothing outside the lines.

I have to say, this whole story doesn't really ring true to me.
🤔Fatty tissue doesn't actually support bone structure like that.

I’m not saying the woman isn't in a tough spot, but there had to be an underlying issue long before this happened.

How many pounds did she actually lose, and over what period of time?

jadesailor14 said:if you're going to claim something is terrible, you really ought to be able to back it up with some actual reasoning 😉
just that

Well, I realize that—honestly, I generally make it a point not to speak out of turn regarding topics where I lack expertise, so nothing I've posted was truly baseless—but we haven't actually received any solid counterarguments to what I mentioned yet (aside from that vague "I know a few girls who..." excuse). I didn't want to dive into an exhaustive explanation or get bogged down in unnecessary detail because I felt my initial point was sufficient; I simply wanted to rely on my own lived experience and certain fundamental truths that everyone should probably accept. I have no desire to write pages upon pages about something that has already been debated to death (and let's be honest, this isn't some high-level academic seminar), nor am I an expert here. Besides, when you see the same 150 identical threads popping up constantly—and don't tell me that doesn't get under your skin😁—your first instinct is usually to hit the search bar to see if there's existing discussion, which is exactly what I noted in my very first post.

Okay, okay, I knooooow, I'm derailing the thread...

(By the way, I would absolutely steal that avatar of yours—it is just stunning... damn! 😠)

jadesailor14 said:that whole story just doesn't sit right with me
🤔fat doesn't hold up a skeletal structure

I’m not saying the woman isn't struggling, but there had to be some underlying issue way before this started

how many pounds did she actually drop and over what timeframe?

Look, with healthy people, muscle is what supports the bone. When someone is overweight, their muscle tone is usually pretty weak, so the fat is basically doing all the heavy lifting. It’s actually pretty logical if you think about it.
She lost about 45 pounds in 3 months.

The story is legit, trust me—just a regular woman in her 50s, carrying some extra weight but otherwise healthy.
I only posted this because I genuinely think everyone on this diet needs to be careful. I mean it! 🙂
Believe it or not, that's up to you.

No, that just doesn't make sense

I mean, what was she actually doing? You can't just lie around when your muscles are that weak, right?

Besides, my doctor always tells me that losing about eight or nine pounds a month is the healthy way to go.

jadesailor14 said:Nah, that makes zero sense.

So what was she supposed to do? Just sit there and rot while her muscles were basically non-existent?

Plus, even doctors tell you that losing more than like 8 or 9 pounds a month is pushing it.

Look, she hasn't done anything active in years—zero exercise, nothing. Her job is just sitting in front of a computer all day, pretty much a standard desk gig. She’s honestly just a totally average person. Before she started this diet, she had a full checkup and everything came back perfectly healthy. I get that dropping weight that fast is sketchy, but she insists she followed the guide to a T, doing everything exactly how they recommended.
As for why it went south... nobody really knows right now. The doctors told her straight up that it was a dangerous way to lose weight. That's their take, anyway. You be the judge.

Hannah Doyle58 said:Honestly, nobody really knows why things turned out this way right now.

Everything in a woman's body starts shifting once she hits her 50s.
It’s totally possible the diet thing is just an excuse doctors use when they can't quite pin down what's going on.

Which specialist did she see, and what was the actual diagnosis?

jadesailor14 said:maybe this diet thing is just an excuse doctors use when they can't fully wrap their heads around what's actually happening

Honestly, you’re probably onto something there!

I can tell you're looking at this diet like it's some kind of holy grail that's gonna flip your whole life upside down. Look—if you manage to drop the weight using this method without wrecking your health in the process, nobody's gonna be more stoked about it than me.
I was just throwing out a heads-up. Good luck!

Oh my gosh 🤣

Where on earth did you read that?
I'm definitely not on that diet, nor do I actually trust it
You totally missed the mark there 😬

It honestly just stresses me out whenever someone jumps in saying "that's wrong" without giving any actual reasons why

Also, that story you shared really caught my attention because what happened to her sounds absolutely awful—though I still can't wrap my head around the idea that "fat protects your bones." That just doesn't sit right with me
If you feel like sharing, I'd love to know what she was diagnosed with and which specialists she saw, just in case anyone here can offer some helpful advice
But hey, only if you want to! 🤷

Hannah Bishop said:I really need a solid diet plan—I’ve got an appointment with my endocrinologist in two months and I need to drop at least 10 or 15 pounds if possible. Is this specific diet actually any good?

First off, hello—and please don't take this as a personal attack, because I saw your post on another forum and, honestly, from what I could tell, you probably have a lot more than just 10 pounds to lose. There is absolutely no shame in that, truly, but if people are going to offer help, they should be working with the actual facts rather than just guessing blindly. In my opinion, this particular diet isn't going to do much for you—actually, none of those "fad" diets will. If you check out that other forum where you posted, there’s a whole thread on Reductil—you might want to read up on how that works. But if for some reason you aren't interested in that or can't take it, then I guess your only real option is one of those Swedish slimming belts—you know, the ones you wrap around your waist—because you're way too young to start inviting all the other health issues that come along with carrying extra weight. I hope you aren't offended by this, I really am; I'm just saying this with the best intentions to hopefully nudge you toward something better or maybe prompt someone else here to give you some advice that actually helps. You just have to realize that at the end of the day, nobody can do the work for you.🙂

I've been dealing with anemia since I was a kid 😬
And honestly, my doctor nearly killed me—she practically brushed me off when I told her I’m working out almost every single day while sticking to this diet. Seriously, four protein meals in eight days? That is absolutely not enough fuel for anyone who actually trains 🙂
Look, you either stay on this diet and stop exercising, or you eat healthy and keep training 😬