A Shangri-La Diet Blog

Hiatus Continued

2006-07-18T20:18:00.000-04:00

It's been eleven days since I've taken in any oil.

My initial startling increase in appetite settled within a few days. Maybe it was just the shock of the sudden change? I'm not sure, but my cravings didn't last at the initial "oh my GOD I'm hungry" pace.

Today's weigh-in: 194.2 pounds.

Interesting. Eleven days without SLD and I actually LOST a couple pounds. What does this mean? I'm beginning to think that I'm one of the few for whom the diet doesn't work. I really wanted it to, and I've continued weight training and getting good exercise and watching what I eat. A minor bicep injury limited my weight training for the past few days, but I worked out all weekend and all last week.

I really need to rethink how I'm doing (or was doing) the diet. Maybe the switch to walnut oil will help. Maybe sugar water would make a difference. I just don't know right now. I think I'll continue and make it two weeks off of SLD and see where my weight is and decide what to do from there.

Any advice welcome on this. I hate to give it up, but if it isn't working, I'd only be continuing for the "soft skin/soft hair" benefits, and any possible health benefits of the oil, not for weight loss, which was my primary goal.

A Brief Hiatus

2006-07-10T22:15:00.000-04:00

My last post concerned the fact that I seem to be struggling to lose weight with the Shangri-La diet.

I received a comment to that post from Dr. Seth Roberts, the author of the book, and I hope he doesn't mind me sharing it here:

Forgive a self-serving comment but I have to wonder whether your recent weight gain is due to the effects of whatever you did to get from 225 to 190 wearing off. For example, if you lost that weight by eating unfamiliar food (which my theory says is less fattening than familiar food), well, unfamiliar food eventually becomes familiar. And the lost weight is regained.

The test of my explanation is to stop the Shangri-La diet and see what happens. If you stop gaining weight, probably the diet was causing it. If you continue gaining weight, probably the diet was not causing it and may even have been slowing it down.

An alternative is just to add to the oil the "extra credit" stuff in the book to increase the strength with which your set point is pushed down.

In reply: I lost the weight from 225 in a rather non-healthy way (addressed in The Back Story). I skipped meals, I fasted, I basically didn't eat for days on end, all the while subsisting largely on Diet Pepsi, beer and cigarettes. I wish I could say that I lost it by eating unfamiliar food, but I didn't know of the diet at that time and I probably lost it in the most unhealthy and unsustainable way possible. But, I've kept that weight off for the most part.

Since I read that comment, I decided to stop taking the ELOO and see what happens. Well, my appetite is back in full force. I'm suddenly hungry for snacks, I feel like I need dinner when I often skipped it on the diet, and I can't wait for lunch by 10:00 am (I don't eat breakfast). Those are some pretty severe changes for 2 days without a simple dose of ELOO. So I still believe in the effectiveness, even if it's mildly psychological.

I think I'll have to go back to the ELOO, or substitute sugar water, or I'm going to be gaining some weight here real soon based on my hunger level. I have to re-read the "Extra Credit" section of the book and try to implement some of those options as well.

Thanks for taking the time to comment and offer insight Dr. Roberts. I appreciate it.

While I'm at it, today's weight: 196.4 pounds.
No real gain or loss.

Since I haven't gained, I think I'll give it one more day without the ELOO, just to see if my hunger settles any.

Doubt Creeping In

2006-07-07T19:40:00.000-04:00

Despite my lack of posting here, I have continued the diet. I've been very busy with work and family obligations, but I always find time to take my daily dose of ELOO.

Today's weigh-in: 196.2 pounds.

I'm not sure what's going on, but it doesn't seem to be having the effect it once did. My appetite is back, and seems to overwhelm any hunger-reducing effects of the ELOO intake.

I keep using this excuse, but maybe it's the weight lifting, replacing fat with muscle? I do feel a lot better physically strength-wise. But my belt isn't getting any looser and I kind of feel like I haven't been losing much at all in the waist.

Maybe I should try switching to sugar water? I've been enjoying the added benefits of the oil in the form of softer skin and hair, but the dieting benefit just seems to have trailed off, although I do remain pretty steady at around this weight. I can say that I haven't once exceeded 197 during this time, which is an accomplishment in itself, but I'm interested in losing more.

I know I should probably post for help in the forums at SethRoberts.net, but I've just been way busy lately and haven't really found the free time to do it. I think I'll most likely finish out my current huge jug of ELOO (it's almost gone) and then try the sugar water. It seems more of a pain to do, but something's got to give and I have confidence this diet has its merits after reading of all the people having success.

Wish me luck.

Slow but sure...

2006-06-27T18:49:00.000-04:00

While I realize I haven't posted on here much, I do continue the diet and weight training.

I'm convinced by the lack of comments that no one's reading this and I'm pretty much writing it for myself, so my lack of posting probably doesn't matter much.

Today's weigh in: 193.8 pounds.

Yeah so I've only lost 3 pounds since the last weigh in, but I've definitely added quite a bit of muscle. I feel better and stronger and my arms are shaping up nicely.

I'll continue the diet and post the results here even if only for my own eyes.

Back At It

2006-06-15T17:58:00.000-04:00

The scale problem I mentioned in my last post didn't turn out well.

It seems the new scale is accurate. Meaning the weights that I've been posting have been wrong, and wrong by almost 10 pounds. SHIT! You have no idea how much that frustrates me. People have said "you look like you've lost weight" and I've been replying "almost 35 pounds since Christmas". Now if I'd bought a new scale and found out the old scale was wrong in the other direction, meaning I was 10 pounds lighter than I thought, I'd have been ecstatic. But that's not the case.

A word of warning to those of you who put your trust in a scale with the dial-type reading: if you don't own a very expensive doctor's-office type scale, I'd consider one of the newer digital ones. I checked my weight on a shipping scale, on my mom's scale, and a couple others, and the new digital scale is accurate. Again, though: shit. This really discourages me.

Okay, so on to the diet. I've been taking the ELOO once a day, and I've upped my dose to four tablespoons (yuck on that fourth one) and I've been weight training a bit, so my weight is hard to calibrate (muscle weighs more than fat and all that, yadda yadda).

Today's weight (on the new and Godawfully accurate digital POS scale): 196.8 pounds.
This will have to be the new starting point considering the old scale was inaccurate. Anyone wanna buy a scale? Kidding.

So I'm showing no real loss, although my pants do seem to fit better, and maybe I'm replacing fat with muscle? I had a hell of a workout two weekends in a row. Now if I can just bring myself to weight train every day (or every other day) I might see some real muscle gains. I know I already feel better about my body with the weight lifting.

On the hunger front, I have to say that my hunger seems reduced with the ELOO intake. I eat lunch at work and if I don't think about it too much, I'm full after probably half the food I would have eaten previously. Today I threw out more than half a Chinese lunch special. I didn't eat the egg roll (which I love) and ate less than half the rice and chicken. And it just dawned on me! The lady forgot the fortune cookies (which I love)! I would normally have noticed that immediately; I just thought of it now. Kinda cool.

So I'll continue weight training and taking the ELOO. If you've never really worked out, I can't recommend it enough. Sure, your muscles are sore after a good workout, but that means you've accomplished something. The old "no pain no gain" BS line they feed you, but it's true, and the pain is minor compared to getting yourself in better shape. I'm working out using only dumbells, which is highly recommended by experts. The bonus is it's cheap to get started. I spent just over $100 on a dumbell set and a basic incline bench. Hopefully the combination of this diet and the workouts will further my "get in shape" cause. You know what they say: diet and exercise.

Fate Intervenes

2006-06-03T13:05:00.000-04:00

Sometimes life just doesn't seem fair.

I know "fair" is a word for children for the most part. Most things aren't "fair" in the same sense you grew up believing. A close relative very dear to me passed away after a lengthy struggle. The subsequent arrangements, consolation, commiseration and deep grieving and depression caused me to abandon the diet. I know it's no excuse, but when something like that happens, my own petty wishes to be in better shape pale compared to the fight for someone's life.

It's difficult to think about a diet when you cry at the mention of someone's name, and spend your days grieving for all the things that could have been and now never will.

This doesn't mean I've given up. It's cliché to say "he would have wanted it that way", but he would never have stood for me giving up on anything or anyone.

So I'll continue the diet. I hadn't really progressed far enough to see if it was working for me, and I'm still interested to find out, and eager to lose the excess pounds.

Before all this happened, I bought a new scale. My old scale was very cheap, and had the dial that turns as you step on it. I've had it for a few years, and I began to question its accuracy because day-to-day it read different odd things, sometimes off by several pounds until I'd step on, step off, step on to get some kind of consistency. But it always was pretty consistent, and I could pretty much tell by the looseness of my pants that it was accurately gauging a 1 or 2 pound loss (or gain).

So I get the new scale, a medium-priced digital model. While my old scale is reading 189 pounds, the new one reads 198.2! I stepped on and off that thing several times, not believing my eyes. I've stepped on scales at relatives homes, at a place where there's a shipping scale, and several other places. I am convinced I don't weight 198.2. But of course, I threw out the box before ever trying the scale (doh!). So I can't return it.

Anyone out there have an experience like this with scales? I'm going to my mom's today, and I'll try her scale and see how it compares. Really frustrates me though, I was hoping to post some more accurate weights here with the new scale. Now I'm not sure I can trust it.

I will continue this diet regardless, and post the results as they happen, good or bad.

Day Six

2006-05-15T15:11:00.000-04:00

The weekend, as I predicted, didn't go so well. Maybe it was a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Friday night I partied a bit. Saturday I didn't get up until almost 11:00 am, and had Stouffer's French Bread Pizza for lunch. Unfortunately I was famished from not eating dinner Friday night, so I ate all of it. I had a lot of running around to do, and after visiting my mom and getting everything else done, we went to visit my aunt, who's undergoing chemotherapy, and brought her some Chinese food. I ate a very small portion of pepper chicken (yum) and rice, and skipped the egg roll and dessert items my aunt offered. We stayed and visited for a while, and by the time I got home it was after 9:00 pm. I really had thought I'd be home earlier than that and able to take my oil dose.

I had plans to meet friends for a small party, and I just couldn't find a two hour window in which to take the oil. I knew I'd be drinking once I got to the party, and that would be in about a half hour, so I decided that I'd have to skip a day. Not the best way to go about the fourth day of a new diet, but I just couldn't make more time in the day. Feeling guilty about it, I left for the party.

The gathering lasted into the wee hours, and afterwards (of course), my friends decided we should go eat. I had told myself that under no circumstances was I eating late at night like that, but heady conversation conspired with a quantity of beer to thwart that plan. So I ate, and not too lightly. Something about a late-night after party meal is just so appealing to me. Food seems to taste better, and good conversation clouds the mind to the amount being consumed. Thank God it wasn't a buffet!

So Saturday was a complete bust diet-wise. Way to go me. My lack of recent social stimulus is probably partly to blame; I was very eager to see these people and have fun that night. Still, the guilt tempers any fun I had a bit.

Sunday I rose at around 10:30 am. Mother's Day. I spent the day doing the things one does on that day, heading out to see my mother, taking her to see my grandmother, and then over to my aunt's. We headed out to a restaurant, at which I ate a normal-sized meal, and I did eat it all considering that would be my only meal of the day.

I got home around 8:30 pm, and since it had been two hours since any food intake, took my three tablespoon dose of oil. Not as gross this time. I washed back the greasiness with almost two glasses of water, made sure to wait an hour before any Diet Pepsi, and it worked out well. I think the once-a-day routine is going to have to be how I do this. I just can't seem to find enough time to do it any other way between work and family obligations. And I don't want to be sucking down oil in front of everyone. It's not that I'm that embarassed to do it, I just don't want to be explaining the diet to everyone I come into contact with.

Today's weight: 189 pounds. No improvement. I wasn't really expecting much after the way this weekend went, so I'm not surprised.

I honestly have to say though that my appetite doesn't seem any different than before I started. Maybe it will just take time. On Friday, I was stuffed after a smaller meal, but this weekend I just seemed to be hungry all the time. Maybe it's all the drinking I did, which also doesn't help my weight any. But the way I look at it, if I'm not having fun, what use is it to be skinny? I'm not going to make myself miserable to lose this weight. Social interaction remains higher on my list of needs than weight loss. That could be a detriment to my continued weight loss, but I'll keep plugging away.

In the comments, Stephen mentions that "consistency made more of a difference to me than anything else", and I'll keep that in mind as I try to work out a doable schedule for the oil consumption.

Day Three

2006-05-12T21:19:00.000-04:00

Things got a bit messed up today.

It was so busy at work, I just didn't have a chance to get out to my car and get the oil to take it before lunch. There just wasn't a spare moment. I would be stuck taking my full dosage of three tablespoons all at once in the evening. While the book doesn't specifically recommend that, Dr. Roberts has said in his forums that it shouldn't be a problem.

For lunch we went to a place that has a superb fish fry. This may be part of my problem with losing weight: we go to way too many places that have excellent food. It came with a cup of clam chowder and bread. I ate the clam chowder and one piece of bread, and honestly was pretty full at that point. I should have stopped, but when the fish came out it looked and smelled so good, I dug in. I ate the first piece of fish and about half the french fries, a little chunk off the second piece of fish, and skipped the coleslaw and tartar sauce. Not eating the entire meal was very different for me. I can always eat the whole fish fry! But I was very full. I really should have stopped after the soup and bread. I felt literally stuffed.

Honestly, three tablespoons of ELOO all at once this evening was kind of disgusting. I know I've written that the oil isn't that bad at all, but that was half this dose. That third tablespoon seemed really greasy and didn't go down as smoothly. My mouth stayed oily-tasting even after two glasses of water. I'll have to avoid that happening again, although it'll be difficult with my current work schedule. I can see a lot of mornings in the future during which it'll be hard finding the time to take the oil (we're always very busy in the morning).

Either I'll have to start skipping lunch to allow the two-hour window, or figure something else out. Maybe I can work out doing a dose when I get home from work and another before bed. Someway I want to avoid doing all three tablespoons at one time.

Since it's Day 3, I weighed myself: 189 pounds, a gain of two pounds. Not exactly what I was hoping for, but I'm not discouraged yet. It's only been three days, and I've averaged 190 for so long that I'm right about at the no gain/no loss point. Maybe it'll take a bit longer for my body to respond (as the book suggests happens with some people).

I've certainly not had a consistent schedule with my oil intake so far. I have to figure out a schedule that works and stick to it somehow. Now it's the weekend, and I'm sure I'll have a hard time figuring out when to take the oil without a structured workday.

It's only the third day though. I'll get it worked out and I'm sure it'll become second nature before long.

Day Two

2006-05-11T18:47:00.000-04:00

Today I didn't forget to take the oil to work. I consumed 1-1/2 tablespoon Extra Light Olive Oil at around 11:15 am, which was a full hour after my last sip of coffee, and ate lunch at 12:15 pm.

Lunch went about normally. I didn't notice any great drop in my appetite, and ate maybe slightly less than I usually would. For some reason I hade a taste for breakfast food, and since I was at work and we always order in, I ordered eggs/bacon/homefries from a particularly good little restaurant.

I ate it all save about 1/3 of the homefries. At my heaviest, I was never full without ordering much more food: perhaps the "crazy eights" (two pancakes, two french toast, two sausage, two bacon slices) or the "hungry man" (three pancakes, three eggs, two bacon, two sausage). My appetite hasn't been that large since I lost 35 pounds, so it's not a good comparison, but leaving some homefries is a bit rare for me.

I didn't weigh in today, as I don't think the results would mean much after a whopping 4-1/2 tablespoons of oil in a day-and-a-half. I'll continue the oil the same way tomorrow, weigh myself in the evening and post the results.

Day One

2006-05-10T20:46:00.000-04:00

I weighed myself for the first time in at least two weeks: 187 pounds!

I'm at least three pounds below where I thought I was, which could be attributable to a lot of things, but I like to see my weight that low. I continue to stand 5'9" (dang--still not getting taller). I'm wearing 38 waist jeans for work, but I fit nicely into several pairs of 36 waist shorts I bought for the summer. My belt remains at the 6th hole (5 holes showing) comfortably. When I bought this belt, I could barely get it to the 2nd hole, but I refused to buy a bigger belt. I'm hoping this diet gets me further along than sheer willpower has thus far.

I've decided that I'll start with just Extra Light Olive Oil, forgoing the sugar water. Summer's fast approaching here, and I just can't see myself drinking cold sugar water on a hot day ever since I gave up regular Pepsi. I suppose I could dilute it enough to not be "icky-sweet", but I'd also have to watch the rate at which I drank it (my father was diabetic) and I like the idea that olive oil has certain health benefits that sucrose does not.

According to the book, if I want to lose 20-40 lbs., I'll need to consume approximately 330 calories of ELOO. This amounts to around 3 tablespoons, which I think I'll take at separate times: once between waking and lunch (I don't do breakfast--never have) and once in the evening, or before bed if I plan to eat dinner, which isn't very often.

Of course I forgot to take the oil to work with me this morning (doh!). I got a late start, and it just completely slipped my mind. So, I'll fill a small container with oil to keep in the car in case this happens again.

I took 1-1/2 tablespoon ELOO this evening. I hadn't eaten since 12:30 pm. I have to say, it wasn't nearly as nasty as I thought it might be. It has virtually no flavor whatsoever. It's like drinking an oily version of water. I've read horror stories about the greasy feeling in the mouth after drinking pure oil, but I must say it just isn't that bad. I drank about 8 ounces of ice cold water immediately afterwards, and that took care of any greasiness.

I don't know if it was coincidental or not, but after around half an hour, I had a bit of stomach distress. I can best describe it as "gripey" or unsettled. My stomach audibly growled. This was alleviated by a trip to the privy, and didn't return. This may be just my stomach being shocked at the intake of pure oil. It's mentioned in the book that this happens with some people. Hopefully it won't be a recurring thing, and I'll get used to the oil quickly.

Tomorrow I'll take the oil between waking and lunch, and again in the evening, allowing an hour without food on each side of the oil intake. I also think I'll buy a better scale; I just don't trust this cheap one I'm using now.

I'll post results as they (hopefully) progress.

The Book Itself

2006-05-09T16:53:00.000-04:00

Is it necessary to own Dr. Roberts' book The Shangri-La Diet to "do" the diet?

I had researched quite a bit about the diet, and although I had read that it wasn't really necessary to own the actual book, I was interested in the research that led to the theory. So, I made the $11.97 purchase.

"Quite possibly the smallest diet book ever written." - Sean Curley, from SethRoberts.net

It's true: the book weighs in (no pun) at 194 pages, but the content itself constitutes a mere 157 pages. Don't let the picture on Amazon fool you, this is a "small format" hardcover, roughly the width of a paperback and only slightly taller.

The beauty lies in the simplicity of the theory and of the diet itself. There are exactly two rules to The Shangri-La Diet: take in flavorless calories daily, and do it at least an hour away from any other food. The calories are from either a flavorless oil (extra light olive oil) or sugar water (sweetness is not a "flavor" to your body's set point).

There you have it: I've given away the entire diet. Don't worry, it's been done countless times by others. But I'm happy with my purchase, because even though it only took a weekend of occasional reading to complete, the theory behind the diet was understood. How something so simple, so elegant, so utterly at odds with everything that's been written and suggested to weight-loss seekers could actually work is explained in this book.

My only complaint might be that the disadvantages (and a few have been raised: tooth decay, diarrhea, nausea) are for the most part glossed over, save for the discussion of blood sugar elevation possible with rapid intake of sugar water. Is this because most of these symptoms are minor, and that olive oil is part of a healthy Mediterranean diet, and that most adult's sugar intake already far exceeds the amount the diet recommends? It would seem so, as the tenets of this diet are largely considered safe, especially contrasted with something like Atkins.

So, do you need the book to understand the diet? Short answer: no. Does it help you understand the theory behind why it works, and help you explain the diet to incredulous friends and family? Yes.

The diet starts Wednesday May 10th.

The Backstory: Read This First

2006-05-08T20:04:00.000-04:00

I was born into a family of big eaters.

We always had good food available, thanks to a mother and grandmother who are both excellent cooks. My father favored fine restaurants, and always had room for dessert. My aunt, despite undergoing continuing chemotherapy (a regimen that causes most to lose their appetite), routinely eats meals that would have most NFL linebackers loosening their belts.

I was a chubby child, and although I grew out of that in my high school years, I reconvened with my overweight self in my late twenties, my love of beer no doubt contributing to my round abdomen. Two years ago I quit smoking, further exacerbating an already advancing weight problem. A leg injury and subsequent four-month immobility added further pounds.

I found myself at Christmas 2005 standing 5'9" and weighing 225 pounds. I was very dissatisfied with my body image. I became depressed, and started smoking again. I decided it was time to do something about my weight. I tried Atkins for two weeks, but the diet apparently just wasn't for me. I grew irritable and tired and the cravings for something, anything containing carbs overwhelmed me. I just never felt satisfied after eating. Something else would have to be my salvation.

I cut back on the beer. I started to eat less, and less often. I eliminated (for the most part) snacks, which was particularly difficult considering a wide range of tasty junk food was always available at work. My weight loss after a month or so was about 5 pounds.

My weight and life's issues (some of which were very major, life-changing occurences) deepened my depression and lack of self-worth. During a particularly dark period, I had had enough: I fasted. One Sunday afternoon I had a light meal, and food did not pass my lips until late Thursday night. Water and Diet Pepsi were my only intake (beer, of course, does not count).

I lost 11 pounds that week. I know: not healthy. Not a sustainable loss. But it really lightened my spirits to see the scale. Something had finally worked. I went back and forth, eating lightly, limiting my beer intake, and fasting for short periods. I continued to lose weight. Then, it seemed, I'd hit a wall. I simply could not get my weight below 190.

I am steady at that weight now, but less than happy with it. People say "my, you've lost weight", but I know that I'm not personally satisfied with my size. My father was heavy, my mother is somewhat overweight (although she manages it very well, and most people consider her thin), so I resigned myself to 190 as my "permanent" weight. But, of course, there are mirrors in this world. I see myself in them and I'm the "fat guy". I don't want to be that anymore.

I stumbled across the Shangri-La Diet. Somewhat jaded by my Atkins experience, I wasn't searching for a weight-loss plan. It was from a link on reddit.com that I discovered Dr. Roberts' book. I did a fair amount of research into the plan and its underlying theory, and it seems scientifically interesting. I won't bore you with all the details of the theory and plan itself, as there's been plenty written about it elsewhere. I will however enlighten you to the basics.

Seth Roberts is a Ph.D. and a professor of psychology at UC Berkeley. His theory is that one's weight is controlled by a "set point", like the setting on a thermostat, and that certain foods raise or lower your set point depending on flavor. Familiar flavors associated with rapid calorie uptake raise the set point, while unusual flavors or "flavorless" foods lower the set point. By consuming a certain amount of "flavorless" food each day, you break the taste/calorie association, lowering your set point and therefore your hunger level.

His idea is that our weight regulation mechanism was evolved during times when food was either plentiful or very scarce. By responding to familiar tastes, presumably only available when food was plentiful, the body causes itself to overeat, to store away fat for times of food scarcity. When unfamiliar flavors were consumed, the body took this to mean that food was scarce (or else it'd be eating the foods it preferred), and lowered hunger levels, allowing itself to burn the fat it had stored.

The upshot: a small amount of flavorless oil or sugar water (sweet is not a "taste" in the psychological sense, Dr. Roberts discovered) causes the body to assume these are "lean times" and lower hunger levels, burning stored fat instead. The set point is lowered, and thus the weight your body "wants" to be is lowered.

Dr. Roberts' conducted a successful experiment on himself using this theory. He lost weight, reached the weight he desired and has stayed near it for years. Self-experimentation isn't widely respected in the field of science, but it has a long and successful history.

I decided to give it a go. I ordered The Shangri-La Diet from Amazon.com on Wednesday May 3rd. It arrived Saturday May 6th. At 160-some pages, I read it over the weekend. I'll follow up with a brief review of the book, and begin the diet this week.