Results from cutting out dairy?

[DressageLover]

Just wondering if any of you totally cut out dairy and saw any results from that. I've been reading some information that dairy proteins are major triggers of insulin. I don't eat a lot of dairy, but I have never tried cutting it all out either.

[afurrything]

I really need to try it, but cheese is my favorite food. If I could only eat one food for the rest of my life, it would be cheese.
Other than that I don't eat a lot of dairy. I don't like milk or yogurt. I rarely buy HWC and make cream soups, but the last time I did, I just didn't have a taste for it and since it's hopefully going to get warmer soon I probably won't make it any time again soon.

[MSN08]

I am curious as well. drinking black coffee with 2 tb hwc causes my blood sugar to go to low but just the coffee with no HWC doesn't so I am believing in the insulin response to the dairy.

[BigRunner]

The main effect has been 30 years of acne disappeared. If I have any dairy, it immediately comes back. I avoid it for that reason. I am losing weight, but not sure as to how much the cutting dairy is contributing.

[DressageLover]

I have noticed that my weight tends to go up if I eat soups with cream in them. My plan is to cut it totally out for two weeks and see what happens. I can live without cheese if it will make a big difference. I've read on some paleo sites that people report cutting dairy can kick them out of a stall.

[Madmarsha]

I eat very little dairy but still eat cheese. No cheese is almost a deal breaker. I do eat butter but very little. Much less than I used to when I was spreading it on bread all the time.

[Arctic_Mama]

Too much sugary dairy (like milk and yogurt) as opposed to fatty dairy (like butter, cheese, and heavy cream) definitely makes me break out. It doesn't seem to affect the scale but my skin goes nuts.

[Avicenna]

Originally Posted by BigRunner

The main effect has been 30 years of acne disappeared. If I have any dairy, it immediately comes back.

Me too (although I only suffered 8 years of adult acne before figuring this out). I have found that, after several years of staying away from cow dairy, I can handle small quantities (such as butter or cream) as long as it is not on a daily basis.

However I can eat non-cow dairy (goat, sheep, etc), and I have recently discovered that I can eat ultra heat treated/long-life milk (the kind in a box on a shelf) because apparently the heat breaks down the proteins that were causing a reaction - I am not sure if it still has hidden negative effects but I have been using it lately anwyay for making cheese and so forth.

[Larissima]

I am gearing up to a 3-week non-dairy challenge, mostly for my skin (although more fat loss can only be a good thing!).

I'll be OK with coconut oil and goose/duck fat instead of butter (though I'll miss the taste), and I can survive without cheese for only 3 weeks. Cream worries me, though, as it's one of my staples in cooking, especially veg. I use it for mashes/purees, as a side and as topping for pies, in gratins, as a sauce for meat and fish... I'd use coconut cream, but my OH doesn't really like it, he'd it once a week, but not every day. Maybe I'll just have to finish our food separately... but that's so much work! Any other ideas?

[DressageLover]

I read this on a page titled the 15 Reasons You're Not Losing Weight on a Low Carb Diet:
7. You’re Eating Too Much Dairy

Cheese

Another low-carb food that can cause problems for some people is dairy.

Some dairy products, despite being low in carbs, are still pretty high in protein.

Protein, like carbs, can raise insulin levels, which drives energy into storage.

The amino acid composition in dairy protein makes it very potent at spiking insulin. In fact, dairy proteins can spike insulin as much as white bread (6, 7).

Even though you may seem to tolerate dairy products just fine, eating them often and spiking insulin can be detrimental to the metabolic adaptation that needs to take place in order to reap the full benefits of low-carb diets.

In this case, avoid milk, cut back on the cheese, yogurt and cream. Butter is fine as it is very low in protein and lactose and therefore won’t spike insulin.

[BubblyRen]

Wow, I didn't realize dairy could be a cause for acne. I have adult acne too. But I don't know how I'd eat LC without any dairy! I use HWC and cream cheese a lot. And regular cheese. Oi! Maybe I should try this. What does an LC non-dairy menu look like? Where do you get your fat from?

[BigRunner]

For me, I can have butter and not break out. Heavy cream however makes me break out the quickest. I don't use any cheese. I use canned coconut milk in most places I would use heavy cream. I even had to find a replacement for whey powder due to break outs.

Of course, YMMV.

[GME]

I have been off dairy for a while now. It was causing asthma every time I exercised. Since I have been off it my sweet cravings have gone way down too.

I found it very difficult to do straight low carb without dairy. Very difficult. I wound up not sticking with it more than a day or two at a time and finally switched to another plan. I'm not eating high carb by any means, but have more options. It is early still, but I am losing much better than in the past.

[CSH]

While I've never had the courage to quit dairy cold turkey myself, my sister suffered from horrible cystic acne and in her research she came to the conclusion that dairy was the cause of her acne so she cut it out of her diet completely and has seen a total remission of the cystic acne.

I'm not a big dairy eater in general, but I can't live without my morning coffee, which includes cream. I don't eat yogurts or much cheese (unless it's part of a recipe), but before low carb I could eat my weight in ice cream, which of course is all dairy. I wish I could find a low carb dairy substitute for coffee cream and then I would give it a try.

But as for acne, according to my sister she swears it's the cause of all cystic acne.

[GME]

Originally Posted by CSH

I'm not a big dairy eater in general, but I can't live without my morning coffee, which includes cream.

I usually drink my coffee black, but when I feel like cream I use coconut cream (in the can). I like the Whole Foods brand best because it has a stabilizer that keeps it mixed and creamy. Sometimes I pour the can into an old salad dressing bottle and add whatever flavor of DaVinci's I want.... viola.... flavored creamer.

[CSH]

Originally Posted by GME

I usually drink my coffee black, but when I feel like cream I use coconut cream (in the can). I like the Whole Foods brand best because it has a stabilizer that keeps it mixed and creamy. Sometimes I pour the can into an old salad dressing bottle and add whatever flavor of DaVinci's I want.... viola.... flavored creamer.

Reeeeeally? I'm going to have to try that! Thanks.

[cabrioluvr]

I also use coconut milk in place of hwc in coffee. I lose better without dairy except grassfed butter. I miss cheese but do fine without it

[Mr_Geiri]

Which do you guys think is a biggest factor here, the protein or the lactose?

I've been thinking about trying this since I'm losing so slowly now but I was hoping I could still have cheese that is close to 0 in carbs.

I cook with cream and sour cream pretty much every day. My protein intake never goes over 20% of my energy intake, including the days I have cheese.

[Skinny Train]

I cut out dairy and dropped three pounds of water weight practically overnight before. I haven't completely cut it out 100%, but I avoid it when I can. I used to drink cream in my coffee and have cheese everyday. No more. I've found that after I cut it, I just don't enjoy it so much. We still use some butter at our house and only have cheese from time to time. Before, I was using too much and my system didn't like it.

[Mr_Geiri]

I assume butter intake doesn't matter here since its close to 0 both in carb and protein?

[GME]

For me, I think it must be the protein. I don't have any of the digestive problems of people that are lactose intolerant.

Lots of people have told me I should be OK with high-quality butter, but I haven't done a good experiment yet to find out for sure. I seem to react to just a small amount in things like some dark chocolate. Overall, it is getting easier every day as I get used to it.

[Samantha42]

Cutting down on dairy helped me as well, especially with my skin. I still have some butter and more aged cheeses (like cheddar), but not the more fresh cheeses. Not only does my skin get bad with dairy, but I get nasal congestion and I'm pretty sure it has caused sinus infections in the past.

I will say though -- when I cut out dairy completely, and then reintroduce it (ie a meal out that has butter in it, some cheese etc), I get major GI issues/upset stomach and pain. To the point that it's better to have a low level of dairy every day to prevent that from happening. Not sure if anyone else has experienced this.

[Samantha42]

Oh, also! I still eat whey protein, seemingly without any issues.

[palegirl]

A quick tip for cheese lovers, try using nutritional yeast in food where you might have used cheese in the past. It's delicious and cheesey! I've been putting it on everything lately.

[leeloo]

Originally Posted by Samantha42

I will say though -- when I cut out dairy completely, and then reintroduce it (ie a meal out that has butter in it, some cheese etc), I get major GI issues/upset stomach and pain. To the point that it's better to have a low level of dairy every day to prevent that from happening. Not sure if anyone else has experienced this.

This is what happens if you have an intolerance at some level. I did a food allergy elimination diet a couple of years ago, where I eliminated all dairy, grains, and some other stuff for 6 weeks, then reintroduced these foods one by one.

Goat yogurt and goat milk were fine - I introduced those first with no problems.

Then cow yogurt - instant tummy rumbling, gas and diarrhea. Tried it again the next day - same thing.

Even so, in small amounts, I don't have obvious problems with cow dairy. But who knows - maybe I should give it up altogether. I'll be sad with no cream in my coffee, though. I tried every other LC substitute and none were as good as regular old cream .

[Its me - WENDALINA]

Originally Posted by afurrything

I really need to try it, but cheese is my favorite food. If I could only eat one food for the rest of my life, it would be cheese.

This! I have even bought tea and plan to switch to hot tea in the mornings. Currently, I drink 1 -2 cups of coffee with half and half but that about sums up my dairy. I may limit my cheese, but honestly I don't want to live in a world without cheese

[ozley62]

Originally Posted by DressageLover

Just wondering if any of you totally cut out dairy and saw any results from that. I've been reading some information that dairy proteins are major triggers of insulin. I don't eat a lot of dairy, but I have never tried cutting it all out either.

I challenge everyone to give up dairy for 2 weeks & see if it doesn't make a difference. I can eat high carb/low fat or low carb high fat without any sugar spikes, it's only when I add dairy to the mix that I get high sugar readings. Humans are the only spiecies on earth that keeps drinking milk after we're supposedly weened, and we pay a price for it with our health. I've lost weight & never felt better since giving up dairy about a year ago.

[MSN08]

Originally Posted by ozley62

I challenge everyone to give up dairy for 2 weeks & see if it doesn't make a difference. I can eat high carb/low fat or low carb high fat without any sugar spikes, it's only when I add dairy to the mix that I get high sugar readings. Humans are the only spiecies on earth that keeps drinking milk after we're supposedly weened, and we pay a price for it with our health. I've lost weight & never felt better since giving up dairy about a year ago.

I am accepting the challenge!

[afurrything]

Originally Posted by MSN08

I am accepting the challenge!

I think I will too!

[moondogii]

I'm in also...Starting in the morning