Monday, February 20, 2012
# 3 Official Weigh In
Since the last check in (two weeks ago) I've lost another 2 pounds, and gained another .5% in hydration. This brings the total to: 11.2 pounds lost, 3.5% fat gone, and 4.9% increase in hydration.
It's great news for someone who has literally been unable to drop weight for the last five (or more) years, but it's still a bit disappointing. Almost every testimonial I read, or friend who had tried it, or FB comment I saw on GP, everyone was saying how they lost 15, 21, or even more in the first three weeks. I've been going strong, rarely cheating, and drinking a gallon of water a day, and I'm stuck with only 11 lbs lost SIX weeks into it?! Ugh.
It's a good thing I've seen other positive changes (like my eyesight getting better, low blood pressure, more energy), or I might be tempted to just give it up. Hopefully in another few weeks my body will get the hint and start letting go of the extra fat. I hope.
Two weeks ago I cut down (but didn't entirely throw it out) on cheese and dairy, since I read that some people won't lose any fat while consuming dairy. I also cut down on the amount of nuts I was eating. And I threw in a few days (about once or twice a week) of Intermittent Fasting.
Doesn't seem to have helped much.
Today I started my first of 18 sessions with a personal trainer at our local gym. After four long pregnancies, one horrible c-section, and constant holding of babies, I have no core strength or tone, so I think the resistance training will help a little. I already told the trainer I'm not out to look like Miss America, and that I don't want to train hard--just to do what Mark Sisson recommends. And maybe now that I have a gym close to the kids' school, I can fit in 45 minutes of steady paced walking.
If this doesn't help then I don't know what will.
This lifestyle is still worth doing because of the many other benefits, but geesh it stinks to think it will be an entire year before I can meet my goal.
In other news, Veronica seems to have finally (praise the Lord!) snapped out of her little mood of hating all food because she can't have grains. And she loved the Cowboy Cookies, which was shocking since she's so picky. Maybe we're on a upswing :)
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Hi Heather,
ReplyDeleteYour blog is great; thanks for sharing. I've never tried the Primal diet, but I did do the Adkins diet a few years ago which has some similarities. I'm looking at going back to it to stabilize blood sugar and lose fat. During the induction phase of Adkins (the most strict) you are to avoid not only grains/legumes, but all fruits, too. You can have up to 3-4 oz of hard cheese per day, or a teaspoon or two of heavy cream, but no other dairy until the less strict phases.
I wonder if the carbs you are consuming with the fresh fruit, though healthy and full of good nutrients, may be slowing your fat loss. Whatever one may think of Adkins, I think the science of his diet is pretty solid, and I did lose more fat on his diet than anything else I've tried. It's just so darn hard to make in a long term lifestyle in our S.A.D food choice world and it's more expensive, too.
Anyway, you are doing great. Hang in there.
We started within a couple of days from you, and my husband has only lost 12 pounds. I am not weighing myself. I just watch how my clothes fit better, and I'd say I probably lost about the same as him. People with faster weight loss may be much more overweight than we are, or it can be a factor of redistributing fat, since you said before that you have lost inches. I am making this dietary change to reduce arthritis and improve my health. Weight loss is a side benefit. I think you'll go through periods of faster weight loss now and then. Just keep doing what you're doing and the results will come.
ReplyDeleteAs a 220 lb male eating less than 30g carbs per day, I lost about 15 lbs in the first six weeks. I'd say that you are losing weight at a healthy rate. You're doing fine.
ReplyDeleteGiven being pressed on time I suggest two cooking methods:
ReplyDelete1) Sous Vide
2) Pressure Cooking
Sous Vide is an investment, but it is a time save AND allows individual meals.
www.nomnompaleo.com
Based on my own personal experience, the weight loss comes fastest when you're in ketosis. The way I know I've reached this stage is when I really lose my appetite, but still feel energetic. When I first switched over to more primal eating, it seemed like I was following everything correctly but I think you misjudge how many carbs you're actually eating because in comparison to your regular SAD diet, you're eating very few. However, once you start eating primally, it's not just about giving up soda and hamburger rolls, it's giving up bananas and squash, etc. However, this is only if you're trying to lose weight. If you're maintaing weight loss, you can incorporate more healthy carbs.
ReplyDeleteIt's kind of a chicken and egg situation - does cutting carbs cause weight loss because you start eating less due to loss of appetite, or are you losing weight just because you cut carbs? Either way, I know that I only started losing serious amounts of weight when I lost the hunger as well. Once you know what ketosis feels like and how to get there, controlling your weight becomes simpler. Strict carb controls, some primally approved exercise and some light fasting generally works for me (although sometimes it's as simple as skipping dessert for a few days).
Hi Heather!
ReplyDeleteI am reading a great book right now called "Why We Get Fat" by Gary Taubes. I got the e-book version from Amazon. I had heard about it and just now got around to getting it. I am about half way through and I would say it is very eye opening about why we get fat - duh! It is nothing like anything we have learned from conventional wisdom. You might want to take a look. It will convince you that you are definitely on the right track - especially the part where I learned that carbs in any form are not my friend! I am losing about 1 pound a week by eating 1 fruit a day (apple or berries) and virtually no starchy vegetables. And that is with daily exercise, walking or strength training. I guess we just have to be patient...but I believe it will come off and STAY off eating this way!
You are doing a wonderful job of preparing primal food for you and your family. I love that you are trying to keep your girls happy and fitting in while they learn to eat healthy real food! I'm glad you like the Coconut Bread, it is a great pantry staple!
I read "Why We Get Fat" and it was amazingly eye opening. It really explains not only how wrong conventional wisdom on the subject of weight gain is, but it also explains why it became conventional in the first place. Gary Taubes is a science journalist and he methodically goes through the evidence. I had already gone Primal but this book really cemented things for me.
DeleteYou really do have to keep the carb count very low to induce weight loss. For me this means almost no fruit. You could try tracking your carb intake on fitday.com. That really helped me to see how many carbs I was still consuming. Once you are where you want to be with your weight, then you can add more carbs back in. Hope this helps. You are doing an amazing job!
One pound of fat is approximately 3500 calories. One that eats 2500 calories per day without gaining weight that drops to 2000 calories per day can expect to lose 1 pound per week (without drugs or Jillian!). Conversely, if a 150 pound person (who the heck weighs 150 pounds? Sorry, taken from a website with easy math - 120 was the other option) jogs 1 mile in 12 minutes each day of a week, that person can expect to lose 763 calories. After about 4 weeks of that, that person will have burned the energy equivalent to one pound of fat. Keep your expectations in the realm of reasonable. It takes years to put it on - it may take years to take it off.
ReplyDeleteHi Heather,
ReplyDeleteI would highly recommend to alter your water intake. If I remember correctly primal guru Mark Sisson himself said in an interview that the reference daily intake of 3.7 litres per day is basically garbage and that he only drinks when he is thirsty.
There is a whole article about this issue on Mark's website:
http://www.marksdailyapple.com/8-glasses-of-water-a-day/#axzz1n2qSXLsU
In my opinion too much water can disrupt your digestion and especially all the veggies include enough fluids by themselves to be processed correctly within the body.
Thanks all! We'll keep chuggin' along :)
ReplyDeleteRe: water intake. Yes, I know. But I am thirsty all of the time, so only drinking when I feel thirsty still leads me to drink between 75-100 ounces of water. It's kind of annoying. And, yes, diabetes has been ruled out. :)
As a mom of seven kids, six of the seven over a week past the due date, and 4 of the 7 almost 10 lbs at birth I totally get the lack of core strength. I've been doing the t-tapp basic workout twice a week since November and it really helps core strength. I can do the basic workout in 15-20 minutes in my own house, so at least for me it is doable. I appreciate your blog!
ReplyDeleteHi Heather,
ReplyDeleteFirst off, don't worry about the scale. It's not how much you weigh, it's how you wear it.
For me personally, I plateaued after 15 lbs for six weeks. Then I started playing with a variety of combinations of fat/protein/carb ratios. I found that my body stabilized maintaining a certain way of eating and I had to change it up so my body had to keep changing the way it was processing what I ate. I lost another 15 and plateaued again, so I had to keep changing it up.
And as for my wife, she only lost 15-20 lbs in total, but went from a 14 to a 4. We haven't been strictly primal anymore, but incorporated a paleo variety to keep our bodies constantly adapting.
Another good source, especially for variety and inspiration is Everyday Paleo. Go to this link as a starting point for a great post saying that weight doesn't matter.
http://everydaypaleo.com/2011/06/22/attention-scale-addicts-part-2/