Friday, September 15, 2006

Starting (or starting over) the SLD method

I've been working on different protocols to suggest to people, here is one I started to post on my site when blogger crashed and took the entire original post with it.

First you need to start with a commitment to taking a long, slow approach.

Second this approach is based on oil. When you use oil you need to realize that all oils are not the same thing. Your body metabolizes them all differently. Switching oils is the same as starting over, and for most people, switching oils means a loss of a week or two. Anyone who reports trying 4-5 types of oil in a couple months should not expect any success.

Third you will start with one tablespoon of sugar, one cup of water and one tablespoon of oil. To start use a 50/50 blend of canola oil and extra light (not extra virgin) olive oil. Dissolve the sugar in the water, pour the oil on top, swirl and drink at 10:00 a.m. every day. No flavor, no cigarettes, no mints, no snuff, no flavored lipstick, etc. from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.

Do this for a week. At the end of the week, if you have appetite sup presion, continue. If not, then.

Fourth, adjust. If your appetite hasn't reduced, go up to a second tablespoon of oil. Do a week at two tablespoons. If it works, stay at that level, if it doesn't, go up to three tablespoons of oil. Stay there for a week, if it works, fine, if not, go up another tablespoon.

Fifth, use a food plan to start. Check out a South Beach recipe collection from your local library. Use that as a rough guide for the first two months -- using it to avoid ditto foods, to avoid high gylcemic index foods and to make sure you are getting enough protein in your diet. An easy substitution is to eat eggs and whole wheat toast (dry) for breakfast, fat free yogurt for lunch, sandwich, green beans and salad for dinner. Diet soda for a snack. May get a little boring, but what you are after is stabilization and enough bulk and enough protein in your diet.

Sixth make sure you are getting enough water and enough vitamins. Note how much tea Seth reports that he drinks. I get a lot of fluids myself, even if I don't drink tea.

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

Give this regimen two months, eight to nine weeks, if you have had problems and have decided to start, or restart, the diet.

I'm still working on a second two month program.

Co-thread at: http://boards.sethroberts.net/index.php?topic=2126.0

19 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi Stephen,
Thank you for the entry on starting(starting over) on SLD. thats a lot of effort, I will restart my SLD base on your recommendation. You only suuggest taking the SW and ELOO once only ie at 10 am?
I have been taking protien shake and vitamin as well. On the food intake do i have to restrict my calorie intake as well?
Thank you, sari

Stephen said...

Sari,

I'm all for the protien shakes and vitamins.

I think you should plan your food. See what happens then. If you feel like eating more, do. But if you don't, you will have gotten the nutrition you need.

I just found it easier to take the calories once a day. There is nothing wrong (and a great deal right) in splitting them up into two doses, once at 10:00 and once at 2:30 p.m. That just takes more work.

Robyn said...

Stephen, I have been less than stellar in promoting the SLD program. I believe it works as my husband has had huge success with it. I am not currently participating as I am managing a bakery and first thing in the morning is filled with smells that sabotage everything. When I was a faithful participant, it worked very well. The bakery has possibly been sold, and I will be leaving its' employ when the deal is done. At that point I will join the SLD quest in earnest.

This is all a long way of saying thank you for the intro to SLD and keeping it in the forefront. I appreciate your effort.

Stephen said...

I'm glad it has helped.

Anonymous said...

Hi Stephen,

I will restart SLD in a few weeks. I have a few personal preferences I learned from my first try. Please give me some feedback on my plan:

Next time around I will start out taking only Canola and/or ELOO (1T) once a day, adjusting to that amount, and building to my original 4T per day. Taking the oil in the middle of the night worked best for me - I don't like taking mid morning or mid afternoon. The 'second best time' is a few hours after dinner (right before bed). I don't do well on sugar.

4T of oil seems like an awful lot to take at once. I may split it between the two times.

My first time at it I experimented with several oils and different times of day over a short time span. I didn't give myself enough time to adjust to changes - big mistake - and I dropped out after 7 weeks. I had noticable appetite suppression, but little weight loss.

Last time I also took Flaxseed and/or Fish Oil capsules, in combination with the Canola/ELOO.

Too many combinations and sudden changes over a short period of time.

I walk about 15 miles per week, and do strength training at the fitness center 3x per wk.

I am not on any diet. (btw, I don't consider SLD a 'diet' in the usual sense.)

Thank you,
Susan

Anonymous said...

Stephen, greetings! Why do you suggest mixing 50/50 canola and ELOO?

Thanks for your help!

Anonymous said...

Stephen, greetings! Why do you suggest mixing 50/50 canola and ELOO?

Thanks for your help!

Stephen said...

The more you blend, the less flavor and the more diverse the actual oil elements your body is digesting, the less of any one enzyme it needs to produce.

That tends to make for it to be easier and faster for your body to adjust to the oil. On the other hand, most people don't have any problems and can start without blending.

This is a methodology for people who have had problems.

I would note that if you decide to change oils (the most common change is from extra-light olive oil to walnut oil, either 100% walnut oil or half walnut and have ELOO), it is best to blend the oils and make the change slowly, so your body can adjust.

Starting with blended oils also helps make it easier to think in terms of gradual adjustment and moving by blending.

Finally, the side effects some people get from Canola oil seem to go away if you blend with ELOO, and Canola is as cheap as it gets.

Anonymous said...

Hi Stephen!
Where do I begin? I've been doing the SLD for two weeks and not lost a pound. While doing the oil, I can't believe how much less that I'm eating. I KNOW IT WORKS! I don't know why my scale isn't moving?
I'm 145 pounds and 5'3", 50 (maybe more information than you need but going through menopause) I'm doing 2-4 tablespoons of walnut oil a day. I would say about 1200 calories a day. No specific diet? I've done every diet possible and this is my last try at loosing weight. I need some advise here,please. I feel sure SLD will be my answers prayer.

Mayo Clinc, Adkins,South Beach? Protein drinks

Rita7@netins.net

Anonymous said...

Many people find that their weight does not move for a while, even though their appetite is sharply reduced. Clothes are often lose before weight loss shows up.

Most of those reporting this sort of thing call the first weight loss "the whoosh."

My favorite example is a poster named Jenn who took five weeks before she had any weight loss show up, and then lost five pounds in week six.

I'm not sure what is going on in those cases. The people are eating a lot less, and as far as I can tell, eventually lose weight.

I don't know why the delay.

Anonymous said...

Err, loose, not lose (though there is a funny story about someone who lost their pants, but it isn't what I was referring to).

Anonymous said...

Okay guys, you are using abreviations that may be obvious to you but not me. What is ELOO, SLD?

Also please explain in simple detail a novice could understand, about the sugar water and oil. Is it either or both?
How much sugar in how much water? How much oil how many times a day? I'm so confused!!!!

I'm a little confused about the timing of the oil and/or water. Is it an hour before meals and nothing for how long after?

Help please. Thanks

Anonymous said...

SLD = Shangri-la Diet.

ELOO = Extra Light Olive Oil

You need a two hour period without any flavor -- an hour before and an hour after you drink the oil.

Start with four ounces of water, one teaspoon sugar and three tablespoons of oil, drink it down while holding your nose, and see what that does to your appetite.

After a week of doing that, adjust -- more oil if you aren't losing weight, less if you aren't eating enough.

Make sure you get enough protein and enough calcium. Drink a good deal of water.

Post back with what happens.

Anonymous said...

hi there
is it ok to start with 1)ELOO
or 2) walnut oil
either is ok to start and end the day with?

Anonymous said...

Yes!

N said...

I've done a fair bit of research on the SLD but found your blog to be the most helpful and really appreciate your encouragement.

My only concern however, is that I find it pretty difficult to have a two hour window in the morning where I can drink the sugar/oil water due to my schedule for work or school. Usually when I get up in the morning, I brush my teeth right away and out the door within 45 minutes. The only way I could have it is to pack it with me and drink it while I'm commuting which can be quite bothersome over a period of time. This led me to question whether I can drink it at night one hour after dinner instead. So instead of having it between 9-11AM, It would be between 9-11PM. Please let me know if you think it would make any difference. Thanks.

Stephen said...

N -- yes, you can drink it during that window.

N said...

Hi Stephen,

I was just wondering, is there a specific reason why drinking the SW and ELOO together be more effective than doing one of them alone? Thanks for reading.

Stephen said...

I would not take sugar and oil together, though I tried it for a while.