Giving up dairy

Avatar for shescomeundone2002
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Registered: 04-02-2003
Giving up dairy
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Mon, 11-01-2004 - 1:16pm
Someone told me today that she lost 15 lbs. by giving up dairy. Is that possible? She said that she had acquired some kind of allergy to it all of a sudden.

Jazzdiva

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iVillage Member
Registered: 03-11-2004
Mon, 11-01-2004 - 1:30pm
it's possible, it depends on what other dietary changes you make - give up dairy and replace it with french fries? probably not. give up dairy and eat
Avatar for shescomeundone2002
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-02-2003
Mon, 11-01-2004 - 1:42pm
Jen, I guess that it is possible but 15 lbs. just sounded like alot, and she lost it in a relatively short period of time. Also, she said that she now eats huge amounts of food but hasn't put the weight back on. I didn't ask her what she is eating because I don't know her well enough and felt funny asking her questions but I really wonder.

If it were that easy I'd give up dairy in a heartbeat, but I don't think that I would be successful in getting my calcium other ways. Also I read that dairy helps your skin's elasticity, something I need right now since I'm losing weight. Taking supplements are always an option I guess, but I wonder how the body breaks down a supplement as supposed to breaking down calcium in food.

Since I stopped Atkins I am not eating as much cheese, but that isn't necessarily a good thing.

Jazzdiva

iVillage Member
Registered: 05-01-2003
Mon, 11-01-2004 - 2:02pm
It's very common to have a sensitivity to dairy products. If you suspect that you may, it may not be a bad idea to give it up for 2 weeks and see if you notice a difference. Other common allergens are eggs, nuts, wheat, and soy. You can try getting rid of all of them and slowly start adding them in, one at a time, and identify which ones cause you problems.
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Mon, 11-01-2004 - 2:02pm
If she had an allergy to dairy, it is possible. But, with everything I have been reading lately, dietary calcium is important for weight loss and according to the lastest Fitness magazine, you can speed up your weigth loss 60% with 1200 mg of dietary calcium a day.

Now I also heard on Fox News from Dr Rosenfeld that the hormones or the antibiotics used in cows could cause allergic reactions or cause your estrogen to increase which will increase the chances of breat cancer. So you are darned if you do and darned if you don't.

Grace

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-11-2004
Mon, 11-01-2004 - 2:13pm

there are a lot of good dietary sources of calcium other than milk. people seem to have somehow gotten the idea that CALCIUM = MILK and it's so not true. the milk lobby has obviously earned its

Avatar for soleilune
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Mon, 11-01-2004 - 3:45pm
It wouldn't be an allergy it would be lactose intolerance. People are born w/ the allergy and it affects less than one percent of the population. Lactose intolerance on the otherhand is very common, most adults are somewhat intolerant but just haven't put two & two together do to the mild symptoms (usually flatulence and other forms of digestive upset). Humans aren't meant to consume dairy after the age of three and as a result the amount of lactase (the enzyme that breaks down lactose) decreases w/ age. Some of us however develop a much more severe intolerance. I've probably always been intolerant but it got so bad in the last year or so that I got it diagnosed. Yes I did lose a lot of fat (not weight) when I gave up dairy, but having already given up most meat I decided to become a vegan (w/ a nudge from Jen), so I don't know how big a part eliminating dairy was. I weigh about the same as before but I've gone from a size 6 down to a 3. I always ate well, but as a vegan there's almost no junk food to choose from, so I eat better than ever (in copious amounts I must admit). The same can't be said if you're only eliminating dairy. Jen is right, if someone replaces dairy w/ poor choices it won't make much difference, but if you choose to replace the dairy products w/ healthy foods that provide the nutrients you've lost then you'll probably see some fat loss. Its important to remember though that nothing affects everyone the same way. (I'm a prime example - I thrive on a high carb-high fat diet, although it's all healthy fats & complex carbs).

I've found, through both experience and research, that eliminating anything from your diet that is difficult to digest aids in fat loss & weight maintenance. When the digestive system functions efficiently not only are things moving through more quickly (resulting less being stored as fat) but we hang on to less toxins and the entire body functions better. This results in more energy & a greater sense of well being, often leading to being more active and making healthier food choices.

Hope this helps.

Soleilune
Avatar for shescomeundone2002
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Registered: 04-02-2003
Mon, 11-01-2004 - 6:17pm
that is what I figured Jen. This person was probably eating huge amounts of fatty cheese and whole milk products if she had such an significant weight loss when she gave up dairy. Or maybe there is more to her weight loss story that she isn't sharing. I was just curious what you all thought about giving up dairy, that is all.

Jazzdiva

Avatar for shescomeundone2002
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-02-2003
Mon, 11-01-2004 - 6:20pm
Yes, that helped alot, thank you. I just find it odd that someone can go through life being lactose intolerant and it not be diagnosed until you are in your thirties.

Jazzdiva

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-20-2003
Mon, 11-01-2004 - 6:40pm
People develop allergies and food intolerances all the time.





iVillage Member
Registered: 03-11-2004
Mon, 11-01-2004 - 7:55pm
that makes sense - i didn't know that. i guess that must play a part in why so many vegans lose weight when they give up dairy. i thought it was the high fat & calories of a lot of dairy - but you were already only eating low fat dairy so there is obviously something else at play.

i'm not at all surprised to hear it though - as i've said before, i think dairy has the worst actual healthiness to perceived healthiness ratio of any food - that is, it is the most unhealthy food that is mistakenly believed to be healthy. (most unhealthy foods people know are unhealthy)

dairy is bad for your digestion, bad for your heart, full of toxins and hormones and pus, most adults have an intolerance to it, i could go on - and at the same time there is absolutely no reason to eat/drink it. all health benefits from dairy can be gained just as well or better from healthier foods. i don't understand why anyone would eat dairy. as i said, the milk lobby has sure earned its keep.

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