Starting (or starting over if it didn't work the first time)

[Maychi]

GnG, how are you taking the EVOO - in water, alone, noseclipped? Do you worry about the flavor? Whenever I try EVOO (the oil I'd be most comfortable taking long-term), I get a bit of flavor or burning either straight away or a bit later through burps. But I've been wondering if it really matters as it certainly isn't a flavor I like or crave, just the opposite - I find it rather unpleasant.

[GnG]

Maychi,

I actually just hold my breath and swallow my dosage...my tummy turned a bit the first day, but I think to myself its working so I will endure ~smile~ I also had a bit of it come back on me the first day, but I increased my 67 oz water intake to about 85 oz that seems to help me alot. I have always been a huge water drinker tho. I agree, it is definately not a taste I would crave all on its own.

[loser]

Seventh Join oa.org or a similar group (OA is free, which is why I recommend it).

I just have to say that this should not necessarily be done by everyone.  The way I see it this is a lifestyle, not a diet, and AS does not mean restriction.  I know that I'm new here but I know how dangerous OA can be to people who have the urge to restrict.  Unless you have a problem with binge eatting (which believe me, not every overweight person does) then OA is more than likely going to be bad news for you.  And if you have ever had a restricting eatting disorder DO NOT GO TO OA!!!

[Stephen M (Ethesis)]

Seventh Join oa.org or a similar group (OA is free, which is why I recommend it).

I just have to say that this should not necessarily be done by everyone.  The way I see it this is a lifestyle, not a diet, and AS does not mean restriction.  I know that I'm new here but I know how dangerous OA can be to people who have the urge to restrict.  Unless you have a problem with binge eatting (which believe me, not every overweight person does) then OA is more than likely going to be bad news for you.  And if you have ever had a restricting eating disorder DO NOT GO TO OA!!!

Something to be aware of is that twelve step programs differ in dramatic ways -- even within the systems.  There is no authenticating body, no certification, just a matter of people getting together.  In OA (overeaters anonymous) some groups don't allow cross-talk (talking while others are talking), some enjoy it and seem to make it the purpose of their meetings.  Some groups insist on rigid control over your life, others believe that the first step is to reject everyone else's control.  Some groups have a pretty defined concept of "higher power" other groups are run by atheists. 

OA actually split into four different groups, and has sub-sets.  It also has groups that you can audit by calling in (telephone groups) or watching (internet chat groups).  There is a specific sub-group for anorexic and bulimic disorders (which I think is what the poster above means by "a restricting eating disorder").

The advantage to OA is that you can find it just about anywhere and it is pretty much free.

The real point is that it helps to have a support group, and OA and similar things are at the bottom, support groups.

My suggestion is that you might want to try to find a support group, or create one (this forum is, in many ways, a support group for those who participate) -- not that you hook up with a fringe group of OAers, go down to a dark cavern, commune with demons from the abyss, and go a little strange.

Ok, you were supposed to laugh htere.  Maybe I should use a smiley 

But the take-away point is that many people benefit from being part of a support group.  By all means, audit (i.e. look at) groups first and get a feel for what works for you and where you are comfortable.  If you are not comfortable or if it doesn't work for you, move on.  Many, many people move on from groups or between groups until they find one that works for them.  But, with many things (such as weight loss surgery), success rates only become significant if people stay involved in a support group.

In the old days they would tell you to join a church (and give you suggestions about which Church to join).  These days we use support groups.  Maybe some day we will have a virtual reality internet that is as good as being there.

Perhaps we need a FAQ on how to find, evaluate, choose, maintain and make use of support groups.

I don't know enough about them yet. 

And I'm not quite up to sending the missionaries from my church to knock on your doors (virtual or real) yet.  I haven't noticed any of them doing much for weight loss other than riding bicycles and walking a lot.  Sure, they may lose weight, but I haven't seen it transfer to anyone listening to them.

[Stephen M (Ethesis)]

Seventh Join oa.org or a similar group (OA is free, which is why I recommend it).

I just have to say that this should not necessarily be done by everyone.  The way I see it this is a lifestyle, not a diet, and AS does not mean restriction.  I know that I'm new here but I know how dangerous OA can be to people who have the urge to restrict.  Unless you have a problem with binge eatting (which believe me, not every overweight person does) then OA is more than likely going to be bad news for you.  And if you have ever had a restricting eatting disorder DO NOT GO TO OA!!!

Sorry my post above, responding to this, was so long, but the poster isn't necessarily wrong.  Responding to someone who has several good points takes a lot more time and space than responding to someone who is wrong.

[happyislander]

Hi Stephen, I am confused about using the oil with sugar water. I thought you do one or the other? Thanks.

[karky]

I do both.
Most days oil, but occasionally I have sugar water too.

[typeo_girl]

Stephen, I just want to thank you for your suggestion for some folks to seek out OA meetings.  I am only speaking from my own experience. 

I fell off the "Shangri-La" wagon several times and for the same reasons I have been unable to maintain any healthy changes in lifestyle or adhere to any weight loss plan or "diet", regardless of how well I was losing weight.  I would hit my "wall of fear"--I guess I cannot concieve of what life will be like once I lose a fair amount of weight - I am going to be vunerable and scared.  Overeating food and being overweight is my personal cushion between me and the world.  This is why I sought out the OA program.  I need to deal with my emotional eating issues.  What Shangri-La does for me is shut off the "screaming" of my body for unnecessary, unneeded extra food.  Food is a drug to me.  I would "inject" my drug every night before bed alone in front of the TV until I was overfull and wakeup every morning "hung over" and sick from all the crap I ate the night before, and my drug worked less and less and I would have to eat more and more.  The comfort was fleeting.  Having AS, I am more clearheaded and able to work on my emotional eating issues without succumbing.

there are many types of OA groups - there are beginner groups.  If you go to the OA site, the groups will have descriptions of who they are meant for.  There are OA groups for bulimics and anorexics, though from what I understand they seek out additional one-on-one therapy.  Everyone needs to seek out what works best for them.

"We admitted we were powerless over food--that our lives had become unmanageable."

[Stephen M (Ethesis)]

You are welcome.  God speed and smooth sailing to you.

[beplot]

hey i just read about this in the freakonomics book so i decided to give it a try...
im a little confused, are you supposed to use oil or water or both or does it not matter which one you use
also i read your supposed to sip it for a half hour what do you do with oil? sip it for a half hour?
does it make a difference what time of day i take it (i.e. does it make a difference if i take it at 10 or 12 as long as i have a 2 hour window)and how close should it be net to the meals?
one last thing i don't really have a problem drinking two tablespoons of oil on my first shot...so could i go straight to taking full doses twice a day?

thanx in advance for answering my questions

[Ivy]

Beplot, I'm a n00b here (first post!) but I started doing this about three weeks ago. I think when you do the oil, you do it all at once. You can do it plain if it doesn't bother you. I mix mine with water and it goes down just like it was a glass of plain water. I don't bother adding sugar to it. If you do add sugar to the oil I think it is just a little bit, like a teaspoon, to make the oil/water more palatable, so you could still just slam it. But when you do the sugar by itself it's a lot more sugar than oil/sugar mixed, so you're supposed to sip it over 30 minutes to avoid blood sugar spikes. Hope this helps.

I'm getting mouth-bored. Any suggestions? I have ADD so I'm guessing the 2 month boredom just came early for me.    But I have awesome appetite suppression, and I've lost about 9 lbs so far (though many more to go, like A LOT). I keep telling my husband, "so THIS is what it's like to have an off switch!" THANK YOU SETH!

[karky]

Welcome to both of you!

The oil can be taken all at once, or spread out over a couple of doses.  It is up to the individual, it also depends on if your guts treat the oil like a laxative at first 
Sugar water should be drank slowly, so to avoid blood sugar spikes.
Timing of your dose is up to you also,
the only hard and fast rule is the 2 hour flavor free window.

I have sugar water premixed in a bottle in the fridge, when I take a dose I pour my oil in a shotglass, top it off with a splash of sugar water, and toss it back, chasing it with a glass of cold water.  The sugar water kills any oily texture.

Mouth boredom can be fixed with low calorie crunchy/chewy food, so your mouth feels like it is getting a workout.
carrots with no dip, pickles, raw brocolli with no dip, gum, etc.

Good luck!

[beplot]

thanx a lot guys for the tips
i pretty much figured out the rest of my questions by surfing the site...

i still have one question which im kinda confused....
how do i figure out which oil is good to use?
i started with canola( because i had a lot of it hanging around...)
and it seems to be working, is that fine?

[shovelqueen]

I started out using canola (same reason ) and had awesome AS, but soon purchased some organic, but processed canola, just to make myself feel better about GMO foods,etc.  After about a month and a half, I switched to ELOO, which has a much lighter mouthfeel, more pleasant to take. I've been taking it ever since, almost a year and a half.  My blood labs, taken this past summer, were awesomely good - even the doc remarked - so it hasn't done me any harm.

[Ivy]

I use walnut oil because of the omega 3s. It is also very, very light and had less flavor (to me) than the ELOO. I was getting tempura flashbacks when I took the ELOO.