Breaking Plateaus

Well, 23 days into a 40 day round and I've been on a plateau for a week and a half.  I've lost 7 pounds overall, but the scale is now stubbornly refusing to budge.  What to do, what to do?

1. I am going to add exercise back in, slowly and gently.  I haven't been going to the gym because of mental and emotional overload, I'd prefer to work out outdoors in the fresh air and sunshine.  So, now that the warm weather seems to be coming to stay, I plan to do interval walking/running for 30 minutes every evening before bed.

2. A more fun way to spike the metabolism is the cheat day.  On HCG, we take our "cheats" at the beginning in the three load days.  I have heard doctors and health professionals say that one "cheat" day a week helps boost the metabolism and break a plateau.  I believe I can hold out and have a Saturday cheat day this week and see if that works.  (And by "cheat," it will be a full-on eat-till-I-want-to-puke load day.)  That's if I don't break the plateau before then.  Sometimes, too, we just can't take dieting anymore.  I'm hoping the "re-load" will help. 

3.  Add breakfast.  Something as simple as a protein shake in the morning may help.  A scoop of vanilla protein, a double handful of frozen strawberries, and water, and whirl in the blender.  The nice thing is that it almost feels like a cheat in and of itself.  Another good breakfast if you're in a hurry would be simply to hard-boil some eggs the night before and eat them in the morning. What you want in the morning is protein - it keeps the hungries away.

I can see some differences, however - jeans fitting a bit looser, tummy feeling a bit more toned - but not the differences I had expected this far into the round.  Evidently I'm not doing what I need to do  So....hopefully these tweaks will help me stay on protocol, and break the plateau.  I'll keep ya posted!

Apple Day

Pounds and Inches says that when you stall for a few days, you're to do an "apple day."  Today, for this round, is that day.

For an apple day, you eat 6 apples.  And that's it.  Simeons says to cut back on fluids, too, but that's folly - I drink more liquids on an apple day to keep me from being hungry all day.

The interesting thing is that by eating just apples (even though it's the same calories!) I will drop about 2 pounds overnight.

The reason for my stall this time, is that lovely Aunt Flo has come to visit, and she has a habit of stalling things for me.  So, ladies, be aware that this is a reason for a stall.  (Sorry, guys, I know it's TMI, but it's also a fact of female life.)

This morning I had my water and Diet Coke.  For the rest of the day, I will have my six apples.  Tomorrow morning, I'll be back on the regular protocol.

Still stuck at 165.2.  I'm looking forward to progress in the morning!

No running today....

Unfortunately, the weather did not cooperate with me.  And I've been exhausted all day.  Ugh.  Tomorrow, I will go to the city rec center and run there.  (I hope they have treadmills.)  At least it will be warm. 

I noticed yesterday that I was a lot more winded than I had been after running.  It will take some time to build up conditioning and shock my body into releasing the weight.

I also plan to do a salt water flush in the morning.  Sounds pretty nasty, but if it helps me lose weight, I'm all for it.

Getting back to workouts....

I injured my shoulder about 6 weeks ago.  After 3 weeks of trying to work through/around it, I finally had to let it rest.  It was bad enough that working was agony - and I work at the computer!

It's starting to get better, so I decided to start running again.  I do interval runs only, 5 minutes of warm up walking, then 6 rounds of running for one minute, walking for 2.  Then a 5 minute cool down.

Interval running burns more fat than "steady state" cardio does, and gets you into shape faster. I don't know if it's desirable to do the hard, hard, intense workouts - I know trainers who promote them, but I believe I can reach my goals with a much gentler approach.  What good does it do me to work out hard if I keep hurting myself?

My plan is to maintain my nutrition, plenty of vegetables and fruit, lean protein,  a gallon of water a day, and stay off the Diet Coke.  I'm using this weekend to start easing myself into it.  Then I'll do the "hard core" dieting during Lent, appropriately enough.  :)  Actually, 40 days ought to be enough time to take the bulk of the weight off and get used to a new eating plan.  I will also do the interval runs every day except Sunday.  I may run tomorrow anyway to establish the habit.  (There is a major winter storm supposed to be coming in tonight, so the weather will be a factor in running tomorrow.)

So, anyway, I just finished my run, and it was very difficult this time.  I was winded - I hadn't been winded during an interval run in ages.  The lack of exercise has been showing up in a tighter (almost uncomfortable) fit to my jeans, not just on the scales.  But since I know what to do, I'll keep up the hard work and know it will come back off.  Then it will be a matter of working off the rest of the extra weight....

Headed the wrong way....

My weight is edging back up, partly due to a shoulder injury (can't work out without re-injuring myself) and eating too many processed foods.  Evidently cheddar-jalapeno Cheetos are not good for weight loss, lol!  I am finding myself unable to stick to my diet plan - any diet plan. Too much emotional eating....

 I'm still anxious to reach my goal weight of 125, though.

I did get my interval run in this morning and last night.  I run intervals because I hate running, and because spiking the heart rate burns more fat.  I think for me, activity is almost more important than nutrition - partly because when you're more active (at least for me) there's less tendency to eat junk.

Going Low Carb

"All normal people love meat. If I went to a barbeque and there was no meat, I would say 'Yo Goober! Where's the meat?'. I'm trying to impress people here... You don't win friends with salad.” ~ Homer Simpson


OK, maybe Homer was taking it a little too far.  Salad is great - but the fact remains that most Americans don't eat nearly as much protein as they need.  (Or fat, either, but that's another post.)  American women are the worst of the lot!  A few strips of grilled chicken on a salad is not enough protein for a 130 pound woman.  And salad is not very filling.


I have decided to go rogue on the HCG.  For one thing, I've been gaining weight, and that is not acceptable to me.  Remember, for my height and frame, I should weigh about 135.  I'm at 170 - I've gained back 20 pounds.  Yes, it was emotional eating.  Yes, I kept the weight off for over a year.  I'm not knocking HCG.  But I'm also looking at other options.  Low carb seems to be the way to go.

I've noticed that cookies and chips will pack on pounds rapidly, but ice cream (high protein and fat) does not.  When I did low-carb for a few days, I saw a 5 pound weight loss in just a few days.  When on HCG, I would lose weight faster if I skipped the apple and the Melba toast and ate a ribeye steak (more fat) instead of lean meat. 

So I'm going to begin following a very low carb diet for a couple of weeks.  I'm interested to see how I react to it.  I'm loading up on saturated fats - bacon drippings to cook my eggs in, butter (real butter, not margarine!), whole milk, a tablespoon of coconut oil in my protein shakes, and meat with lots of fat on it. 

Yum.

I will keep everyone posted on my progress!

Struggling

"You've got to say, I think that if I keep working at this and want it badly enough I can have it. It's called perseverance." ~ Lee Iaccoca

I have been struggling with my weight since November, when I was at my lowest weight in years.  It's been going the wrong way on the scale, creeping back up to my high weight.  This is just no ok.  What am I doing wrong?

For one thing, I've been underestimating the amount of food I eat.  Today, I signed up with FitDay.com to start a food diary. I'm good at journaling anything, so hopefully (!) I will start to see where I should be adjusting my diet so my weight comes back down.

My intention is to go with a high fat, high protein, low carb diet.  Lots of natural fats (lard, butter, whole milk, olive oil, coconut oil, etc), not Frankenfats (margarine, shortening, etc), and delicious meats.  All the green veggies I can hold.  And gallons of water.

Given that you can't manage what you don't measure, I decided it was time to start measuring, instead of guessing (and forgetting about the bag of chips I absent-mindedly scarfed down while reading, etc).  I'm also going to include more walking in my plan - when switching tasks, taking a few minutes to walk around the block.  The idea is just to get moving, instead of sitting still for so long.

I am committed to this weight loss. My goal weight is 135, and I plan to get there by the end of the summer.  :)  I can do this! You can, too!

Eat Fat to Fight Fat?

I'd rather eat this than a salad any day!

Rich, fatty foods are like destiny:  they too, shape our ends.  ~Author Unknown

I've been reading about Gary Taubes and his work concerning weight (fat) loss.  I've found an interesting thesis - much like drinking water can help you stop retaining water, eating more fat can help you stop retaining fat.

Specifically, eating more saturated fat.  You know, the meat on a delicious ribeye steak, eggs, bacon, coconut oil, olive oil....


It turns out that as a nation, we eat too much sugar and not enough fat.


"Wait, Donna, what did you say?"


Sugar is the culprit.  Sugar and refined carbs.  We eat too much sugar and not enough fat.  


You see, calories in/calories out is a myth, as I discussed in a previous post.  Any self respecting woman will tell stories about eating nothing but salad for weeks trying to lose weight, while her husband, who eats big greasy steaks, decides to forgo a beer and maybe go easy on the Doritos, and loses weight like crazy.  Why?

Saturated fat.  She is starving.  She's hungry.  Salad just doesn't fill you up.  Ever.  (Ask me how I know.)  Lean meat isn't filling.  But throw some good, natural fat on it, and it will fill you up.

Sugar, though, sugar is another story. Sugar and refined carbohydrates.

Sugar causes insulin levels to spike, leading to a sudden drop, which leaves me (at least) shaky and hungry.  Not just hungry, RAVENOUS.  As in, I will eat anything if it will just hold still long enough ravenous.    Going through the pantry in desperation at 2am ravenous.  


Fat doesn't do that.  Fat triggers satiety, which means that you eat less because you feel full.  Come on - when did anyone binge on eggs, cheese, bacon, or meat?  You can't - the fat in these foods causes you to feel full.  


Commercial salad dressings are loaded in fats --- and sugar to match, so they are not very helpful in weight loss (unless you can find one that is higher fat, that's sugar free).  


Just as a helpful ancedote - I'm Southern, which means that anything that can be fried, will be fried.  My grandfather was put on cholesterol medication and a low fat diet following a mild heart attack.  His numbers kept going up and up - so, in true Harris fashion, he started to eat the way he liked again.


Fried potatoes.  Fried chicken.  Fried green tomatoes.  Fried eggplant.  Butter.  Eggs cooked in bacon drippings, and bacon.  Biscuits and gravy.


His numbers went back down.  


Maybe we're going about weight loss all wrong.

How Stress Affects the Body

I am convinced at this point that stress affects the body in ways that we can't even predict or understand.  Usually, when I'm stressed out, I end up eating more.  Yesterday and this morning, I was physically ill and unable to eat. 

Kind of unusual for me.  Nice, in a way, except for the nausea.

And it's all due to stress. 

Our bodies will react to stress in different ways, possibly related to the different kinds of stresses on the body.  One way, that every dieter has heard of, is the starvation mode.  Basically, when you go on a calorie restricted diet without HCG, your body then holds on to every single calorie, because it thinks there's a famine and there's no telling how long you'll need to go without food.

Which totally defeats the purpose, and causes more stress!

Other ways stress affects the body as pertaining to weight loss: It can lead to insulin resistance (which leads to weight gain), release cortisol (which leads to weight gain), and play havoc with your hormones.  And guess what that does?

I keep saying over and over.  Calories in/Calories out is nonsense.  There are too many other factors that lead some to eat like horses and be thin (oh, how I envy them) and others to simply smell dinner and gain weight.

How do you handle stress?

How to Deal With A Cheat Day

OK, so you've stuck to your protocol.  The weight has been shifting, coming off, you're so excited!  And then, something derails your plan.  (Like, oh, your son's birthday and your adult daughter's overenthusiastic purchase of a huge chocolate cake.) 

Dang it, now what do you do?

Well, the first thing you do is forgive yourself.  You're human!  It's ok, life moves on, keep moving forward, tomorrow is another day. 

And then - you have an apple day.  6 apples over the course of the day, with water only to drink.  For some reason, this will help you overcome your cheat.  And if you do what I do, and buy big apples, you'll end up eating plenty! 

You can also have an apple day when you've stuck to protocol and the weight just isn't coming off.  It jump-starts things again.

And then, keep moving forward.  A cheat day is a cheat day.  It's not the end of the world.  It's not an excuse to wolf down the rest of that chocolate cake.  Pick up right where you left off, and you'll be able to keep releasing weight with grace and ease.

Headachy And Still Want Sweets! More on Emotional Eating (VLCD Day 2)

Yup, I'm still dealing with the emotional eating aspect.  I want to go on a monster binge - and that has nothing to do with hunger, but everything to do with sadness.  I'm still using EFT to manage the emotional process. 

Eating is such an emotional activity.  We eat when we're happy, we eat when we're sad.  We eat to celebrate (Thanksgiving, Christmas, Valentine's Day), and to commiserate.  We tend to eat more when we're with others (not me, though, as a binge eater I eat more alone).  Staying on a diet like this brings the emotional component of eating right up front.  I can't sit down and binge when I'm trying to lose weight, I have to feel my feelings.

Which usually isn't fun.  When I want to binge, I'm trying to fill an emotional void, which means I'm just not very happy.  I don't like being not happy, and I don't like feeling sad or blue, so I have a tendency to stuff those feelings right down.  Usually washed down with a half gallon of ice cream, eclairs, cheesecake, frosting right out the can....  Somehow salad doesn't quite work as a comfort food. 

Give me Southern fried foods, mashed potatoes loaded with gravy, and sweets any day. 

But for now, I need to forgo the comfort and remember the discipline.  I know what I want to look like.  I know what I want to feel like. 

I can do this. 

Discouragement

I'm having a tough time maintaining my weight loss.  The frustration is two fold - one, I kept it off easily for over a year, and two, I know I have no one to blame but myself.  No matter how good a diet is, the weight won't stay off on a regimen of sweet and highly processed comfort foods.

I am beginning to wonder if I just needed the break from the constant dieting.  I think so....

I've decided to wait till March 1 to start again, and in the meantime I plan to enjoy all the foods I cannot have (and do not want) when I'm actively dieting.  There's a caveat to this - that doesn't mean I'm going to be gorging or binging.  Just that nothing is off limits, within reason. 

My hope is that this temporary switch of diet and energy will do what switching up a workout does - confuse the body.  I'm not sure I would recommend this to just anyone - but I hope I am disciplined enough to "let it go" for a few weeks and pick things up again soon.

Will you gain it back?

Possibly.  It depends on whether you choose to.  And it doesn't matter what diet or diet supplement you use.

Will you gain it back?

If you go back to your unhealthy eating habits, if you stop weighing in regularly, if you scarf down chips and dip? Yes. 

If you continue with a nutrition plan that works well for your body, and you eat lots of veggies, and keep your carbs down?  Not likely.

Will you gain it back?

Will you choose to?

Returned to Boot Camp

Yes!  I'm back to boot camp after 3 weeks off.  (No, not the military type - Mat the Trainer is an amazing trainer - no one else around does what he does!)  It felt so good to be using my muscles again.  I'd been stressed to the limit with Tim's hospital stay just before Thanksgiving and trying to get all my clients caught up for the end of the year.

I am a firm believer in the importance of exercise.  I always feel better all over after I work out (even if I do squawk and complain before and during)!  I sleep better, the weight drops off faster, the little black cloud that follows me around lifts. 

My weight is up, largely from uncontrolled emotional eating.  Remember the stress I was telling you about?  Couple that with the holidays - and I ended up with a gain.  That's OK though - I can take it off!  I've already proven that to myself. 

I'm excited to be back to boot camp, and excited about the possibilities 2011 brings!

Stalled!

I've been stuck at 155 for a week now.  Even after an apple day, it's not moving.  I dropped two pounds and gained it right back.  I'm wondering what to do to shift the weight a bit faster. 

Boot camp started back up today after a week off, so maybe the exercise will help move things along. 

I am so frustrated!  Argh.

And this time I can't say that it's because of a cheat.  I've been following the protocol perfectly!

What does stress do for weight loss?

I'm asking because I'm curious.

My day has been strange all day - beginning with the power going out at my place this morning (it actually made for a peaceful morning), going to the Salt Lake Agile group this afternoon (very nice group, I like them), and ending up with car trouble along I-15.

Sometimes when I stress out, I gain - other times, the extra weight just slides right off. 

I've heard both theories - stress causes the secretion of cortizone which creates more belly fat, and stress causes you to lose your appetite so you end up losing weight.

I've almost decided that the correct answer is "We don't know, so we're going to make it up and get you to accept our authority." 

Surprise!

Yesterday was just generally stressful.  My day started at 6am, with a client appointment at 8am.  (I am NOT a morning person.)  I had an apple at the office, a Diet Coke, lots of water, and then spent the evening with Krista since the man I'm breaking up with was coming to my house to get the scooter he "gave" me - and I didn't want to see him.

I ended up having Wendy's for dinner instead of the dinner I had planned (grilled steak Parmesan with broccoli and a salad).  Ick.  Fast food is quickly losing its appeal.  Then I had a couple of glasses of water before bedtime, while I was reading to the kids.

I was down nearly 2 pounds over yesterday, though - and I'd braced myself for a gain. 

Losing weight is always a multi pronged approach.  I had a great workout this morning at EXL Fitness. And I followed that up with a delicious breakfast burrito - 2 eggs, cheddar cheese, and salsa wrapped in a flour tortilla.  Yum!  I'm drinking a ton of water at the office again today, and saving my Diet Coke for a treat or for the caffeine - too much sweet isn't good for you, even without calories.

And I'm looking forward to dinner with my kids tonight!  Family dinner will do wonders for me and for the kids.

Eating thoughtfully

One of my personal rules when deciding what to eat these days is simply this.  If I'm going to spend the calories on it, it had better be absolutely delicious.

Fortunately, I love to cook.  Last night my kids spend the night with their nephews, and I had Chicken Supreme (from Saving Dinner) and a large green salad.  I put the tablecloth on the table, set myself a place, and had a lovely dinner.

What a change from the days when I'd scarf down whatever is in sight.  Ok, I'm still doing that sometimes - but not as often, and I'm more aware of it.  And I'm still working on not eating "just to be eating" and the late night munchies.  I have to often ask myself if I'm hungry, or just want to eat.  If I just want to eat, maybe I can take that walk around the block.  If I'm hungry, am I really thirsty?  Get some water and see if that helps.  (Note to self - Water, not soda.)  What is it I want to eat?  Is that double cheeseburger really worth the calories?  Or can I find something else that will satisfy me and nourish me better?

Being thoughtful about what you eat can help you release the weight you're looking to get rid of.  It's the mindless munching that will get you!

Apple Day

I made the mistake of going to a Mexican restaurant for dinner yesterday (I had a date - that's what he wanted).  I usually find something I can eat - nearly every restaurant has a grilled meat of some kind - but blew it last night.  So today, I'm doing an apple day to recover.  I gained back 1.6 pounds! 

What is an apple day?  Well, all ya get to eat is 6 apples.  And water.  Why it works, I don't know - but it does.  It breaks stalls and helps you recover from a cheat.

And I'm going to have to re-think dating this guy.  The first thing I want is someone who understands that my weight is important to me - and doesn't sabotage me.  I miss Tim like crazy, he was probably the only man I've dated who would ask me what I could eat on my diet and then choose the restaurant based on that.

A little backslide

Not just on the weight, but on the blogging.  Yesterday I weighed in at 157.2,  and today I gained 2 pounds.  What went wrong? 

Well, a good chunk of it was the 2 bowls of raisin bran I ate at bedtime.  During the protocol, carbs are not allowed.  It might also have been lack of sleep. 

Hopefully, though, that 2 pounds is MUSCLE from all the boot camp training I've done for the past 9 months or so.