Most people gain weight when they say “ah screw it” and decide to eat “high-everything.” That’s not the case all the time though. In fact, sometimes eating nutitrious foods to appetite triggers the release of stored fat – even in the short term. This is a rare testimonial, but fascinating. I’ve asked this guest poster to do something more interesting though – report back 1 year later on longer-term weight changes eating 180-style vs. Isagenix, a popular protein powdery starvation regimen that has actually made a really good friend of mine blow up like a balloon in increments over the last several years following short periods of Isagenix weight loss. Enjoy, and special thanks to our guest poster Tiffany P.!
My story is the same as most of you. I went on my first diet when I was eleven and thus started the viscous dieting cycle. I’ve been on every diet you can name. I would lose weight, then gain it back, plus some. In the last five years my weight has ranged from 175 lbs to 265 lbs.
My family and friends decided to try this diet called Isagenix. They’ve always been healthy eaters, so I thought that maybe this was a good program. I did some research and wasn’t too excited about it. You only
eat once a day and you juice cleanse once a week. I have to be honest, I’m a diet addict (hopefully ex-diet addict now!). If I wasn’t nursing my baby, I probably would have tried this diet. Thankfully, I care enough about my baby’s health to not try something so stupid.
So while my family was starting their diet I found this crazy place called 180 Degree Health. I started to read up on Cortisol, Leptin, Fructose, and The Milk Diet. I put my scale away and stopped dieting! I now eat what I want, when I want, as long as its nutritious. Some days I eat a ton of carbs, other days I eat a lot of fats. I just listen to what my body wants.
Last week I had a major sweet tooth and wanted some ice cream. I decided to eat a pound of bacon instead! Curious as to how my new way of eating was affecting my weight I decided to weigh myself. After two months of not dieting I’ve lost 14 pounds!
Pretty amazing when you compare this to my Isagenix friend who has now lost 18 pounds in two and half months. My calorie intake varies from 2,200 to 2,500 calories a day. My friends intake is 900 – 1,100 calories a day.
One of my family members stopped Isagenix and started eating three meals a day. They gained the weight back very quickly and are now back on the program (which cost $270 a month).
After 14 years of dieting I’ve finally found the answer to weight loss and overall health. I’m going to continue to FEED my body nourishing and natural foods, rather than starve it!
Thanks to Matt for all your hard work!
-Tiffany P.
Thanks for the post and reaffirming that I need to to keep eating the right foods in abundance.
I have a mother in law that is on one of those types of diets and it is freaking me out.
Two drinks a day, for breakfast(250 cal.), and lunch(250 cal.). And then a 500 cal. dinner. That is scary.
"I feel so good" is her defense.
Funny enough when she comes over for dinner or to family parties she just goes crazy and devours everything in site. Unfortunately this of course creates great feelings of guilt and failure.
Duck Fiets!
I can't believe people will pay to go on Isagenix which they claim is "transforming lives" ye F*&%ing them up…..
Plus well done to Tiffany who has found a way to make nutritional freedom work for her! Duck Fiets!
Ha! I have a friend who just signed up for the Isogenix program, even after I warned her about the rebound weight gain she will no doubt experience.
"F*ck it" she said, "Bikini weather is right around the corner. I'll deal with it later."
Oh yes, she will.
Ditto to Jannis.
This was an interesting post. I hope that Tiffany would write another post or at least a little update after a few months for some more "long-term"-information.
Yep, pretty clear how this one will turn out long-term, which is really what 180D is all about. Weight changes that take place in a few months time are insignificant. Duck 'em!
Great story. When you think about it, Matt's advice is the only health advice that makes sense in the long-term. But it's incredible how deeply ingrained in the mass consciousness it is that to lose weight means you must go hungry. Why punish your body?! How can this be seen as a GOOD thing? Yet, it's so deeply ingrained that no one stops to question anymore: does it have to be this way?
Yeah- that whole Protestant work ethic, virtue of self sacrifice, zero sum world cadre of beliefs persists so strongly, and seems so obvious to me in the world of health advice nowadays. Thanks for helping me pierce through the veil Matt.
I don't think weight loss needs to involve hunger or even should involve hunger but you can't just keep eating as much as you want of everything you like. I love chocolate chip cookies. I mean I really love them. If ate them every day like I want to, I'd gain even more weight and definitely wouldn't lose any. There are some sacrifices required. Not eating when you're hungry is not one of them. Not eating what you really want most, is one of them.
Yep. You're right Taylor. I have to eat pretty clean to lose weight. Even eating sugary junk and lots of white flour over the past 3 weeks has dropped my body temperature and increased my weight (a little). But hunger is not required. In fact, not obeying hunger is counterproductive to weight loss, health, you name it.
^ I agree Taylor. If you're eating a lot to raise the metabolism, or even just eating to satiety (which I have got great results from), you'd better make sure it's good quality food.
Amen Daisy. The free eBook will have a huge emphasis on "whole foods" overfeeding and food quality – especially during recovery. When healthy, certain liberties can be taken in moderation for sure.
On the other hand, after a solid period of overfeeding on plenty of real foods, I doubt you'll be having massive cravings for chocolate chip cookies. There was a time when I could devour ice cream by the carton on a daily basis. Now I have no desire to do anything like that every day, not even every week anymore. Many times at the end of a meal the idea of dessert is a turn off to me, which is weird after coming from years of craving desserts almost constantly.
Agree, Elizabeth. I've experienced the same.
Tiffany, thanks for the encouraging story. Eat on!
Elizabeth has it right. If we're in communication with our real nutritional needs our bodies won't be asking for sugary desserts all the time. Once the initial anxiety of legalizing food wears off and the junky processed stuff is cleaned out of our guts I think we crave what we need rather than what we want.
This site is a shining light in a wilderness of darkness when it comes to healthy eating and food.
about 10 pounds of fat have suddenly disappeared from my body, y'all! my face looks thinner and my ass looks smaller. i weighed myself yesterday for the first time in several weeks.
i started HED in Jan at 267 lbs. did it for a solid 3 months, and was up to 285-290, no DOUBT a good portion of that was muscle weight as i am so much stronger now. i had a couple unhealthy stressful weeks in the beginning of April and so spent the last 2 weeks eating HED again.
looks like those recent two weeks of HED really revved up my engines :) i'm weighing in around 276-279
please lord i hope this continues. i am naturally doing a lot more work and running around because i feel strong and want to get the air flowing through me. i am still too nervous to try cutting calories at this point though, after those bad 2 weeks in april.
this is exciting!
Good to hear Crazy Mama. You don't have to fear not eating enough or exercising too much as long as your body really wants you to do that. It's when you make a real conscious effort and fight against your desire to rest and eat that causes trouble.
But when things are revving and you've got over 100 pounds of extra body fat, that's a lot of stored energy that counts as food – supplying calories to your lean tissues. The key is triggering its release, and it appears to be happening.
Hopefully your body will continue to release fat. If it doesn't, don't argue with it, just keep eating well and doing what makes you feel so strong and vibrant.
thanks for the reply Matt :) i really really want my body to eat this fat. i'm optimistic.
Awesome post Tiffany! I followed the Isagenix diet for a month and am so glad that you introduced me to this blog and lifestyle before a went too far in that direction (Tiffany is my sister-in-law). After just one month of the Isagenix diet routine I was completely devoid of energy, my hypoglycemia was at it's worst, and my basal temperature was only 96.4 (the low basal temp might also be partly due to a life time of dieting mishaps but I'm sure this recent venture didn't help much). As soon as I found this site I quite dieting, put a stop to my 5 mile a day running regimen that I hated (but believed was completely necessary for me to maintain my weight), and started monitoring my basal temperature daily. After three weeks living this new lifestyle my basal temperature leveled off at a nice 98.1 and I have had more energy than ever. And it's funny that you mention that you lost relatively the same amount as a family member on the Isagenix diet because after I stopped dieting I lost twice the amount I lost during the 1 month I was on Isagenix. Horray for real food!
Nice work Amanda. Oh wait, that's not work. That's easy!
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This blog is completely misleading about what Isagenix is. Rather than a "diet" Isagenix is superfoord nutritional products which may be consumed in whatever way is best for a particular person as part of a lifestyle change rather than a strict diet. Anything one treats as a diet will get them diet results. My health is better now after three years on Isagenix (plus whatever else I decide to eat) than ever before in my life. Also I have seen many other lives transformed as well. The IsaLean Shakes alone have helped my Mom regain muscle after a debilitating condition which regular doctors could not help with. The shakes and Cleanse for Life are also helping my Uncle to get off medications, release excess fat, gain lean muscle and feel better than he has in years. Weight loss (a misnomer in itself as what folks are looking to do is release excess fat while building lean muscle) is simply a side benefit of becoming vibrantly healthy. 1000s of Medical professionals (MDs, nurses, etc.) nutritionists, athletes at all levels including professional and Olympic, fitness trainers, and folks from all walks of life use and recommend Isagenix products because they offer excellent nutrition for the body.
The previous post is so true. The people who have posted about Isagenix have not done any research into what it is. I have lost 100 pounds of fat while adding lean muscle. I feel great in so many ways and have not "starved myself" at all. That is what I sued to do. I just eat healthier. And these foods are part of it. I have seen it make my family healthier and boosted mental perfomance. Too bad that you have to slam something you know nothing about. Feel sad for all of the people making those commnets.