I dunno. Forty pounds in nine weeks is still less than five pounds a week. Maybe ten weeks would be a better time frame? Does anybody have an information on what is considered a "healthy" or "safe" amount to lose in a week?
I have always heard one to two pounds a week is healthy. Maybe that's geared for women -- men seem to lose weight faster, so perhaps their healthy weight-loss rate is a bit higher.
In years past, I have lost two pounds a week by very carefully following a low-calorie diet and exercising almost every day. That's about as fast as I can lose and still feel healthy. Those quick-but-healthy weight losses didn't last forever, but they did generally last a year or two. (I've been gaining and losing pretty much the same 20 pounds on and off since high school.)
I have also lost weight at a rate of about eight pounds a week by dropping all carbohydrates. But that loss didn't last more than a few weeks.
I have lost 10 pounds since October with a more casual approach to dieting. That is, sometimes I'm really careful and good about eating and exercising, and other times not. I feel happy that I've been able to lose, and maintain that loss, over a bunch of birthdays and holidays. But now I need to step up the pace so I can get rid of the remaining extra 10 or 15.
What about whole-grain flours and brown rice?
Whole grains are much better than processed. But IMO it's best to limit your intake of grains of any kind. I try to have at least a meal or two a day without them.
It's hard, because grains are so ubiquitous in our diet. And we've been told for years that, to limit fat intake, we should focus on grains as the basis for a meal (e.g., sandwiches, pasta with veggies and meat, rice with beans, etc.)
But I now believe that the best approach is to make the vegetables the center of the meal. Add lean protein. A bit of bread/pasta/rice on the side, if necessary. So, for example, think of salads, pureed vegetable soups, grilled vegetables, stir fries, etc. Make one of the above from whatever vegetables you have around. Throw in some good combination of onions, peppers, garlic, herbs, vinegar, citrus. Add whatever lean proteins are handy -- chicken or fish from last night's dinner, smoked salmon, a can of tuna or beans, tofu or edemame. If needed, have a small scoop of pasta or rice or polenta or bread with it. (Or play with these proportions -- if your pureed vegetable soup is proteinless, for example, have a piece of cheese toast on the side.)
If I eat something bread-y, I like to think of it as my dessert. And in terms of what it does in your body -- in my limited layperson's understanding, anyway -- I think it's very similar to what a sweet dessert would do: spikes your blood sugar. Only not as quickly or drastically if it's whole-grain rather than processed.
Less healthily, I also like to think of a glass of wine as my dessert. It's fruit, after all!