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Plateaus
28 Apr 2013, 20:02

4 replies Page 1 of 1

Plateaus

by BarbieCat1 on 28 Apr 2013, 20:02

I started off on this weightloss journey around Mar. 17, not fasting, but using the 17 day diet, which I'd successfully used to lose 30 lbs last year. I started to gain it all back as I went into stress mode eating during my mother's sad final illness which involved over 6 months of angst, worry, sleeplessness and bad eating. Then, after she passed away, I went into comfort eating mode mourning her. Over the holidays and after, I didn't deny myself anything and even binged occasionally, which is not normal for me. Weight just poured on, and I gained back about 25 of the 30lbs I'd lost, and very quickly. But... at least I recognized what was happening and now have found the will to take myself in hand.

By Mar. 30, I'd shed 10 pounds in 2 weeks !!! I knew that rate of loss wouldn't last, but wow... I hit the plateau wall big time. :frown: My body rebelled at my weight loss. The backlash has happened before, but it's never been this bad. Without changing what or how much I was eating, and not cheating at all and sticking with my careful diet program, my body went into "You're starving and I won't allow that" :curse: mode and the weight loss stopped for almost 2 weeks.

Yes, I've started to slightly move downwards lately, and I lost 5 pounds in Apr, but it's coming off oh so slowly now. Days will go by without the scale budging an oz.

I started adding on the 5-2 fast two weeks ago to try and kick start the weight loss again. It's not really hard for me, thank goodness, but still, losing hasn't sped up beyond the pound a week rate. Is it too much to expect to shed about 2 pounds a week? :starving:

I'm scared to eat my daily maintenance amount on non-fast days, afraid I'll stop losing altogether. I probably eat about 1,400/1,500 cal. on those days and strictly 400/500 on fast days. I've been exercising more.

I eat a healthy well balanced low carb diet, with plenty of fruit and veg and lean protein. No problem there. I've eliminated almost all sugars. I drink black tea and coffee and 0 calorie flavored sparkling water, as well as tap water. The past couple weeks we've added a glass or two of wine once a week. That's it.
Last edited by BarbieCat1 on 28 Apr 2013, 20:14, edited 2 times in total.

Changing my relationship with food, 2 fast days a week.
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Comments

Re: Plateaus
29 Apr 2013, 00:08
Hi BarbieCat1 ..I've found a bit of support from others helps enormously, so I'm here to say, keep up the good work. As a little guide to find perspective, I would encourage you to weigh out l lb of something & leave it around so you can see how much weight you lose each time a lb. Pick it up and contemplate it when you are feeling things aren't moving fast enough. We'll get there, it'll just take a little time. Good luck. Caz
Re: Plateaus
30 Apr 2013, 13:11
Thanks for the suggestion. I think it does help visualize what is gained... and lost. I had a pound of ground turkey in the freezer and took that out, hefted it a bit, held it up to my belly... then put it in the fridge to defrost for tonight's dinner. ;>}

I stopped weighing myself every day as I realized seeing the normal fluctuations we females experience on a daily basis, weren't doing my psyche any favors. So, after not weighing myself for the last 5 days, I stepped on the scale this morning and was pleased to see another pound gone. The progress tracker says I lost 6 pounds in April. That's not bad, and it is fat, not water, at this stage. I'm not stuck at that damned plateau any longer. Slowly, but nevertheless surely, the scale confirms that I'm losing.
Re: Plateaus
07 May 2013, 12:28
Another week, another 1 1/2 lbs gone. I've learned I don't lose weight if I overindulge on feed days, even on top of two strict fast days a week. In order to lose at a slow and steady rate, it's obvious, I need to be moderate ALL the time.

My indulgences, few as they are, are becoming small and infrequent. But this is OK. As my motto suggests... I'm trying to change my personal relationship with food. Over indulging... giving in to mental cravings and excess... has not done anything good for me, ever.

The pleasures of food are fleeting on the tongue, lasting seconds. But the negative results of overeating linger, causing lasting harm. It's just not worth it. I need lasting harmony instead. One of the best things I've learned from the discipline of fasting days is that hunger and cravings are also fleeting. Resisting them is becoming easier with that knowledge.

I've been bothered by some of the claims made for this program, which suggest you can eat whatever you want on feed days and still lose weight steadily. For myself, at least, [and many others given what I read here on the forums] that just doesn't seem to be true. While some may lose doing that, many, probably most, don't. We have to be sensible about our food intake and not believe in magic.

A big test will be coming up in late June when we go on vacation for 3 weeks and I won't be preparing my own meals. I'll need to jot down some notes and thoughts on that.
Re: Plateaus
10 May 2013, 11:08
It was nice to see minus 2 lbs on the scale this morning. I've been trying to be more active, and keep my meals moderate on feed days. It seems to be working. Mother's day is coming up, along with a brunch at Le Metro. I think I'll be OK. My plan is to keep my intake to two meals for the day.

Joy will be here... annoyed that I'm losing weight and sticking to my diet. I guess she takes it as a reproach, given her inability and/or unwillingness to moderate her own weight. She's so heavy. It breaks my heart, but I never say anything about her heft.. I don't tell her what to eat, or express my worry about her health. Maybe I give something away in demeanor?
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