Cutting Dairy - how is this supposed to help?

[PoWdA]

So I am losing very slowly, more like stalled, and have decided to cut dairy as I have heard that some people do not lose unless they cut dairy.

So, I am down 45 lbs since November and ate dairy the entire time. In all honesty, most of the losses were in November/Decemeber and the last 5 pounds have seemingly taken 2 months.

Anyway, I have decided to try cutting dairy, can anyone explain the theory behind why this is supposed to help?

[SoHappy]

My guess would be - and this is only a guess - is that you have now lost enough weight that you are down to the range where your calorie intake is about at your maintenance level for your current body weight... no longer at a weight loss level.

By cutting out much/most/all dairy at this point, you will be cutting your daily calorie consumption, so should be able to expect some weight loss to resume.

If you don't wish to give up all dairy, you might also opt to just lower your dairy consumption a bit combined with cutting a few calories from other daily food sources, and that may well put you just enough lower that your weight loss will resume and continue for awhile longer, or quite awhile longer.

Often as we lose all those pounds and become smaller and smaller, we require fewer and fewer calories, as we are now eating for a slimmer person. If we forget to gradually lower our overall calories, we can reach the maintenance level at all of our various weight levels.

(Some people seem to start at a much lower calorie level just naturally and never seem to run into this problem. They just keep up the weight loss at their lower calorie level, and never seem to run into these periods where their calories are at, and remain at, the ideal level for maintenance only, not loss.)

(And some folks still have a pretty darned good metabolism, even though they've become quite overweight, and they often have a much easier time with weight loss without having to cut their calories down too much at all.)

Just try to follow your chosen food plan pretty darned closely and cut your portions just a bit overall and see how that helps you.

[ravenrose]

nope. some people just think it does. there is someone around here who thinks almost anything either helps or hurts loss... we are all different. try it and see?

[Leo41]

I'd like to second SoHappy's advice. Many people don't realize that losing a significant amount of weight means that the body requires less food.

Rather than eliminate dairy, you might want to simply eat smaller portions or cut out snacks or something.

I cut out dairy myself but only because I was having some digestive upsets and did an elimination diet (no dairy for a month and then some cheese). I found that it was the cause of my heartburn, and I haven't had an episode since. The only reason to cut out a food is because of an allergy or sensitivity.

I suspect that when people claim to break a stall by eliminating dairy, the fact is that they've reduced their calories in the process, and that's what made the difference.

[ljguitar]

Originally Posted by PoWdA

...I have decided to try cutting dairy, can anyone explain the theory behind why this is supposed to help?

Hi PoWdA…

I think people adopt theories all the time about how things supposedly help either based on a study, or some guru's supposed expertise.

They eat low carb for a while, a slow-down occurs and they begin looking for reasons, and experimenting with things, so one day they don't drink their normal cup of coffee and the next day they are 2-3 or 4# lighter; so coffee becomes the culprit and they give it up.

Then they find a study that ties weight loss to forsaking caffeine - or whatever other target food they have experimented with.

A frequent list of potential suspects accused for stalls include:

• Dairy
• Non-sugar sweeteners
• Carb Creep
• Too many calories
• Not enough calories
• Caffeine
• Sugar Alcohols
• Vegetables
• Exercise
• Lack of Exercise
• Frankenfoods
• Snacks
• Nuts
• Diet soda (and other diet drinks)
• Entering Starvation Mode
• And so on and so forth…

My point is while overindulgence in any food could potentially stall a person (if the daily amount of carbs it takes to support your weight is maxed out), I think often it's impatience that causes people to succomb and begin randomly cutting things.

Sometimes weight loss accompanies the cutbacks, so people believe they have their answer, and a new part of their diet is born, and a new stall food 'identified' (which I believe is often mythical; either distorted-from or antithetical-to the original Dr A plan as designed).

Experimenting is cheap (cutting things out of our eating plan saves money). Sometimes pounds actually leave or change, and they might even be tied to the things we have cut - or loss may merely be coincidental to the cuts.

No faulting folks for trying, just saying that most often slow and steady with a proper carb level wins the day/race…

[EveH]

When you think about it, it is just common sense to cut your portions the smaller you get. A child doesn't eat adult portions. Why? Because they are smaller. Common sense. When I was at 165, I ate twice as much as I do now. Do you really need to eat that big bowl of Chili or could you just as easily feel full with 2/3 of it? That's the type of changes I made. Do I really need three scrambled eggs or would 2 work. And just because DH is having six strawberries with whipped cream,,do I need that or would three or four plain strawberries be good enough. Small changes but over the period of a week they add up. JMHO

[sistertzu]

I have recently cut out dairy because I was suspecting I have problem with it, I have felt so much better not consuming it, I have continued to leave it out of my diet. When you have lost a significant amount of weight, for me it was after 50 lbs, I did need to consume less to keep the weightloss continuing. I don't think it's any one thing.

[alligatorpie]

the other thing about eliminating things is if it works, by coincidence or not, it is very hard to justify introducing them again...."because they stall you"......im trying to eat less of everything....fat,protein, calories, etc...think about the dairy you eat...can you give it up, and sustain this woe...?? i simply cannot.

[Lizzy K]

What Larry said

Also, as one poster mentioned - IF you give this up - can you still sustain your way of eating? That is super important too. You have had great success so far, and I would hate to see you get too restrictive, get frustrated, and throw in the towel. This has to be something you can do for life, you know?

Anyway, not sure why people always look to dairy as the culprit. Maybe it is the calories or some people don't tolerate it well. Personally, I didn't eat dairy for a long time (I was vegan - but that's another story) and I'm now enjoying it in limited quantities. I mean, how much dairy are you eating?

Also, people tend to stall out all the time for what seems like inexplicable reasons. 5 pounds in a few months isn't really a stall...just a slow down. It's super frustrating, yeah...but you aren't gaining either and you are maintaining the losses you have made already. Hang in there, try a few modifications (why not try something), just don't get too crazy that you won't be able to sustain the new plan you have created.

Good luck

[Beeb]

Originally Posted by sistertzu

When you have lost a significant amount of weight, for me it was after 50 lbs, I did need to consume less to keep the weightloss continuing. I don't think it's any one thing.

Same here and when I eat at the level of calories I ate at 24 pounds ago I gain weight, pure and simple.

Smaller portions, that's the ticket!!

[stardustshadow]

Sometimes a stall is just a stall...you may not need to stop eating anything to get losing again. I stalled for a long while (and then was losing REALLY slowly too, after the stall broke) and it drove me NUTS. I posted a lot of frustrated threads. I tried cutting a lot of things. In the end, the fat fast helped me. My stall broke, but then I lost at a SNAIL'S PACE.

Things have just started up again (thanks to weight training and patience, I think). I think sometimes you just have to wait it out until your body decides it is not starving to death and can let you lose again. But that waiting can drive you mad.

Cutting dairy may help, and it may not. You can always try it. But no matter what you try, keep in mind that you might just need to give your body time to get over it naturally...and that cutting things may not help that process. Give it a go if you want to, though. BEST OF LUCK TO YOU!

Don't stop believing!! Stalls are hard and slow weight loss is just as frustrating. But you will get through this!!

[IslandAnne]

It could be *if* you have a sensitivity to Dairy (aka, it causes inflammation in you), you'll start to see more losses? Or, in the very least a reduction in swelling?

when I cut out a few things I noticed bad reactions too (breakouts, achy joints), the results were almost instant.

[b_lou_who]

Since most dairy is lactose and mostly not compatible with our bodies it is sugars we don't need and gets stored.
Homogenized dairy is terrifying, our bodies just store the broken up fats since they don't know what to do with it.
We use uber heavy cream sparingly throughout the year, have mostly replaced with coconut milk. Hard cheeses we try to get raw. Of course fresh goat cheese made by a friend is irresistible so good thing that is rare too.

[ljguitar]

Originally Posted by Lizzy K

...You have had great success so far, and I would hate to see you get too restrictive, get frustrated, and throw in the towel. This has to be something you can do for life, you know?
...Also, people tend to stall out all the time for what seems like inexplicable reasons. 5 pounds in a few months isn't really a stall...just a slow down.

Hi Lizzy…

Yup...I returned to eating low carb after 15 yrs away from it, because it is the only way I can eat, stay in control, and not gain weight. What I've hated about every other form of dieting is it's all about cutting, depriving, restricting in order to lose.

I'm just happy as can be to hit a good solid medium spot (30 net carbs a day) and enjoy all the foods I can at that limit.

If I have to reduce this, count that, eliminate this, adjust that, tweak this, and avoid that…it just ain't gonna happen for very long, and certainly not for the rest of my life.

I think for some low carb is only about weight loss at all costs without regard for maintaining in the future.

If I had to cut out all that good tasting food to get to a magic number, then I would probably have to live that way the rest of my life to keep it off - and I'm sorry, that ain't gonna happen for me…

It's why I continue with an uber-simple plan.

If I knew for a fact I could lose quicker by eliminating yogurt, cheese, and cream from my food list, I'd choose to keep it in my food list, and lose more slowly. I'm not in a race…

If I knew I could lose 5 more pounds by eliminating them, I'd weigh 5 pounds more. I've already lost 110 pounds and 8'' off the waist, and have not given them up, so I see no need to.

[afuentes]

Well it yields a leaner body for me b/c I don't react well to dairy. I could still lose w/dairy but I get leaner without it.

[PoWdA]

Great advice in this thread! Thank you!

I started kind of cutting back on eating overall about 2 weeks ago. I went from a 3 egg omelet every day to 2 eggs with bacon in the morning and went from my triple cheesburger no bun (yeah, kind of a lot, I know) to a double hamburger no bun.

I am still working on cutting eating in the evening but my daytimes are pretty steady. In the evening I will snack on a ton of cheese, way too many peanuts, and my biggest weakness in the world, a Chipotle Salad bowl (steak, lettuce, hot salsa, guacamole). The strange part is that on paper I am well under 20g carbs but I am still losing at a snails to non-existent rate.

I guess if there is no real evidence that cutting dairy will help weight loss (on Atkins) than I will bring it back in but like everything else, in moderation.

Thanks for all of the great advice!

[SoHappy]

Originally Posted by PoWdA

Great advice in this thread! Thank you!

I started kind of cutting back on eating overall about 2 weeks ago. I went from a 3 egg omelet every day to 2 eggs with bacon in the morning and went from my triple cheesburger no bun (yeah, kind of a lot, I know) to a double hamburger no bun.

I am still working on cutting eating in the evening but my daytimes are pretty steady. In the evening I will snack on a ton of cheese, way too many peanuts, and my biggest weakness in the world, a Chipotle Salad bowl (steak, lettuce, hot salsa, guacamole). The strange part is that on paper I am well under 20g carbs but I am still losing at a snails to non-existent rate.

I guess if there is no real evidence that cutting dairy will hurt weight loss (on Atkins) than I will bring it back in but like everything else, in moderation.

Thanks for all of the great advice!

Just my personal thought, but for myself.. the problem would have certainly been in the ***snack on a ton of cheese, way too many peanuts*** part of this post. The Chipotle Salad of steak, lettuce, hot salsa, and guacamole sounds wonderful, and an excellent low carb supper or 'snack'. LOL

[cleochatra]

I'm probably mimicking what someone else has said, but dairy contains lactose and a decent amount of carbs, as well as calories, especially if you're using full-fat.

As well, if you're dealing with any kind of yeast overgrowth issues, the sugars from dairy as well as the moldy predisposition will help feed the albicans.

[24Fan]

What Larry said x2.

I think it's a stall, wait it out bet your loss starts up again. I lost ALL my weight slowly slowly. Still came off

[IDT]

one line of thought is that dairy and AS are inflammation inducing foods for many people and that reducing the inflammatory response will allow your body to release the weight. I have never had negative reactions to dairy or sweeteners and can't speak to the science of it but I can say that since I dropped both a few days ago, my tummy is flat.

[CARLINI]

Originally Posted by IDT

one line of thought is that dairy and AS are inflammation inducing foods for many people and that reducing the inflammatory response will allow your body to release the weight.

This. My PERSONAL thought on dairy - it's not meant for human consumption. It's meant for baby cows. It's mucus forming and inflammatory to the body.

The human body has a wonderful way of adapting to foods that are irritating. So a lot of people won't feel any bad effects when eating diary, even though the inflammation is there. Don't eat it for a week and add it back in. That's the only way to know for sure rather or not it's bothersome to your frame.

I put off eliminating dairy for a long time. I really thought there was no way I could ever do Atkins without dairy. But researching cystic acne lead me to data that implicates dairy in acne. So we stopped. After the initial shock of it, it's easy now. Very easy. No acne. No bloated tummy. More energy. I'm also really losing weight fast... and it's not because my calories are lower. I replaced my dairy calories with fat.

[Sunny7]

Originally Posted by CARLINI

This. My PERSONAL thought on dairy - it's not meant for human consumption. It's meant for baby cows. It's mucus forming and inflammatory to the body.

The human body has a wonderful way of adapting to foods that are irritating. So a lot of people won't feel any bad effects when eating diary, even though the inflammation is there. Don't eat it for a week and add it back in. That's the only way to know for sure rather or not it's bothersome to your frame.

I put off eliminating dairy for a long time. I really thought there was no way I could ever do Atkins without dairy. But researching cystic acne lead me to data that implicates dairy in acne. So we stopped. After the initial shock of it, it's easy now. Very easy. No acne. No bloated tummy. More energy. I'm also really losing weight fast... and it's not because my calories are lower. I replaced my dairy calories with fat.

does this mean sour cream, cream cheese and hard cheese also------ or are you talking about milk and cream---i have always heard about milk causing mucus in the body, but didn't know about the others---i do use a couple T of cream a day in my tea, i would hate to give it up