[knit1purl2lose3]

These forums are pretty confusing for the newcomer to the site. There doesn't seem to be any one really good place to begin. I'm on several other forum sites, and they are a bit more organized. For instance, sparkpeople.com is arranged better. In fact, I am thinking of starting a Rice Diet team on sparkpeople.

Anyway, I have to be honest: I did not want this diet to work. I wanted an easier way. So I tried a bunch of easier ways. And you can pretty much guess how far along they all got me. (for anyone interested, I have a blog where I detail it all, here.) Other plans have worked for a few days, maybe almost a week, but then I would just spin around a 3lb scale vortex for days on end, or I would get bored of the plan. Nothing much ever made me lose interest in food or decrease my appetite. I found some Scandanavian Bran Crispbreads that made me feel full for hours, but they weren't something I could eat for days on end.

I've tried the Rice Diet in the past. But I never could get through even just one day. Going from what I was eating down to the detox day aka jumpstart day aka turbo day aka basic rice day was more than I could do. Over and over I tried and failed. Bought The Rice Diet Solution book and I've read it through about 5 or 6 times, so my head knew it wold work, but I just could not pull through just one day.

This time, though, it's different. I'm different. How?

• I've been following several different diets for the past 2 1/2 months, so I had already reduced sodium to 1,500mg a day, as well as reductions in fat. I haven't eaten junky carbs on a regular basis for a long time, either.
  
• I had an acquaintance recently diagnosed with CHF, my dog diagnosed with CHF, and another dear friend whose CHF has worsened. That's a lot of CHF around me. It's in my future if I don't turn my health around NOW.
  
• Another good friend had WLS last summer. But when I look at that option, it seems that it's just a way to force a person to eat, well, a lot like the Rice Diet. So why go through surgery when I can do the same thing without surgery?
  
• 2 1/2 months ago, I made the firm decision that the only failure will be to quit. I am determined to keep going no matter what. If something doesn't work, then I need to switch it up or change my strategy, but QUITTING is not an option.
  
• But the biggest difference this time was that I started following the Rice Diet plan backwards. Yes, backwards. In other words, I started with the Protein Day menu, worked my way into the Lacto-Vegetarian Day menu, and after 9 very successful days of those two plans, only today am I trying the Basic Rice and Fruit Day menu. (The entire time, though, from the very beginning 10 days ago, I have reduced my sodium to 500-1,000mg, and that has made all the difference in the world for me!)

So, with all of that behind me, there is no way I can lose. Well, except for excess weight. And after trying some other diet plans, including Weight Watchers and a whole host of other "moderate" plans, I finally decided I needed to try the Rice Diet one more time. And this time, because I "backed my way into it," it's working for me, in a big way.

On December 1, 2010, I weighed 306lbs. (My highest weight ever was 325lbs, but I lost 40lbs a dozen years ago and I've never allowed myself to go over 306lbs in the intervening years.) Last year, I did Weight Watchers and dropped 10lbs in December. And then I circled the wagons for January, February, and March of this year. I managed to struggle out another 3 lbs in April. Then on April 25th, I quit WW and decided to begin my Grand Experiment (detailed on my weight loss blog). I lost an additional 5 lbs in May and another 5lbs in June by experimenting with various diet plans. I had fun, even though I did not lose much weight. I was scale vortexing again, so on July 9th, it was time to begin a new diet plan. So, I started The Rice Diet.

That was 10 days ago. I've now lost 9.4lbs since July 9th! I'm down to 274.4lbs. A long ways to go, but off to a great start!

But even better than the weight loss? I'm feeling better, and I just don't have much of an interest in food other than to eat when I am hungry and then stop when I'm full, and that's NEVER happened to me before!!! I honestly did not believe Kitty in the book when she wrote about the reduction in appetite and hunger from dropping the sodium intake. I figured it was because the body went into starvation mode, and that just wasn't a healthy way to lose weight. But it's not that at all---it really is the sodium! I can eat as much as I want; but with the lower sodium, I just don't WANT more. I hear my body telling me it's full, and that it's not hungry. I never heard these signals very well before. And I don't have to have a boatload of fiber in my belly to give me that sensation of being full.

So, that's how I got here, and I'm going to see this all the way through.

I just received the new book, Walter Kempner and the Rice Diet, because I want to know more about the research behind it. I read 129 pages last night, so I'm just to the really good parts. I also just ordered, this morning, the Rice Diet Renewal book.

As I like to say, onward and DOWNWARD!

[Leeney]

Hi knit1, what a fascinating story! I don't think I've heard of that approach to the RD before, but whatever works! I like your comments about not quitting. That is the only thing I have managed to do right. Keeping that in mind, it's hard to fail.

[kylakae]

Wow, how clever of you to recognize your own challenges and find a solution that worked for you! I look forward to hearing more of your story and if you start a RD group on Sparkpeople please let me know!

[karolinakat]

WTG on the research and loss!

[knit1purl2lose3]

Wow!! I got lost and couldn't find my way back, and THEN I couldn't remember my log in info......but now all seems to be well.

I am now officially out of time for the day, though, so I'll have to come back in the morning and update.

Briefly, I have not lost any more at the scale, and I've struggled more this past week. I'm taking a bit of a break, and I'll be back on track come August 1st when I get the house all by myself for 12 days!!!! I can eat whatever I want without having to worry about feeding others or having others question what I eat!!!

So, back soon....... onward and DOWNWARD!

[knit1purl2lose3]

Okay. I still find these forums very confusing, awkward, and not user friendly. I'm on a LOT of other forums around the 'net, so I guess I've gotten used to a higher level of programming! LOL.

I did make a team on Sparkpeople.com, called We LOVE Rice (and other whole grains)! It is for talking about the Rice Diet, or just talking about rice and whole grain recipes, or talking about Rice Cookers and sharing recipes for the Rice Cooker. sort of all purpose. didn't want the "experts" at Spark getting all up in arms about the Rice Diet...you know, there is a LOT of opposition to it all over, because of people's misconceptions. They hear rice diet and think all one can eat is rice. And I doubt many people use the original RD plan, where it WAS only rice and fruit for weeks. Sadly, though, that misconception lingers, and once people have their minds made up..... I don't need the judgements of ill- and mis-informed people. They have their mins made up, and they make it their business to tell me how "bad" the rice diet is. If only they knew!

Okay, the scale has hit one of my famous vortexes. Every month, I lose a lot of weight quickly at the beginning of the month, and then no matter what I do, the scale just swirls around a 3 pound range for days on end. It gets discouraging, but I am determined not to give up. But so far, no matter what technique I try, this is the pattern that repeats months after month.

I call it a scale vortex, and it is during these times that I get discouraged, and begin to struggle with staying on plan. I like to see immediate results; who doesn't? I hate feeling like days and weeks of really hard effort seems to have no scale payoff at all. My head can know that things are shifting and it just takes time to show up on the scale, but my spirit gets discouraged during that interminable waiting for the scale to catch up.

One thing I have learned is that cutting down TOO far on sodium does not make my body happy. I can't sleep, I get depressed, etc. For me, 500mg is a minimum. Even that bothers me some. My body does better when I am closer to 1,000mgs. I wish I could keep it lower, because I want to be off these b.p. meds and I want my body to heal from the metabolic syndrome, and I believe this eating plan can do that. But it's so hard!

What happened with the awareness of people needing to be on low sodium diets? It's as if hypertensive meds all of a sudden did away with anyone needing less sodium, and then restaurants not only did away with their few low sodium offerings, but began dding more and more and more sodium and MSG to everything! I'm even seeing it happen with fat now. Many restaurants used to have at least a couple of low fat offerings, but even that seems to be going by the wayside. To get both low fat AND low sodium is now nearly impossible. And I'm not a huge fan of paying $10 or more for a salad. I enjoy salads from time to time, but I don't want it to be the only option I have for when I go out to eat.

I have done LOADS of research on this rice diet, as well as many many other diets and weight loss studies. I have two health-related graduate degrees, so I spend hours every day reading the latest scientific and medical studies. It can be so seemingly contradictory. Bottom line, for now, I believe there is MUCH evidence that the Rice Diet will really work for me to improve my health. I believe sodium has been a missing key to many other eating plans. BUT, making it work, sticking to it day after day for weeks and months, is proving very hard. I haven't even made it through ONE month, yet, and I'm struggling. I wish I weren't, but I am.

I'm glad I never met Dr. Kempner. I was very disturbed by a few revelations in Newborg's book. I have worked with a lot of physicians, and most of them are real ego maniacs, so I wasn't totally surprised by that. But whipping patients for going off the diet, and being okay with that because either they suggested it or pre-consented to it???? No wonder Dr. K. held such a tight control over his rice diet plan, and felt no one could duplicate the study! Not when patients faced those sorts of shaming techniques!

But, the diet itself must be separated from the man who brought it into the world, thankfully. I think there is more to the sodium key than even Dr. K. knew. Although the scientific evidence of how sodium triggers adrenaline is a real key puzzle piece for me that no one else has found, and it was an almost-in-passing comment in Newborg's book that helped me tremendously.

Okay, my ramble is lengthy. I am glad I have somewhere to come and talk about the Rice Diet, because of the prejudice about it everywhere else. I do need to find a way to make this work a bit easier, though, so it's not such a struggle to stay on. AND I need that scale to head south again! Soon!!!!

[Leeney]

Quote

These forums are pretty confusing for the newcomer to the site. There doesn't seem to be any one really good place to begin.

True. It's kinda like life though...just jump in and start swimming.

Here's what I'm hearing from you: That you would like the RD to work for you because it seems like a sensible, scientifically based food plan and you are hoping that it will help alleviate some health issues. That some of the issues you are having are getting discouraged after maybe two weeks of terrific initial weight loss...and then relaxing the plan a bit...and having difficulty managing your food plan while keeping your family happy. Which version of the RD are you using, the newer one in the Renewal book, or the previous one from the RD Solutions? The Renewal version allows for a bit more flexibility and might suit you better. Personally, I don't eat that much animal protein, so I stick to the Solutions plan. One of the things that I love about the RD is its flexibility. I've been at this a long time, so trust me when I say that there is a way to make this work for you.

You sound like a very high energy person...I'm enjoying reading your blog...and I applaud your dedication to research. One of the differences that I truly appreciate about the RD is the attention that is paid to our inner healing journey as we correct eating habits that may have gotten us into trouble in the past. I don't think it's enough to change our eating plan without addressing the reasons that we (over)ate to begin with. With its focus on knowledge as well as emotional and spiritual healing, the RD offers us every opportunity to make changes that will stay with us throughout our lives.

There is a lot of information, wisdom, humor and support on these forums. Yes, it's more like a maze than an outline, but take it at your own pace, share your ups and downs with us, and please ask any questions that occur to you.

Sounds like your 'bachelorette' time will be perfect for getting into it. Happy Ricing

[karolinakat]

knit1purl2lose3, on 28 July 2011 - 02:48 PM, said:

Okay, the scale has hit one of my famous vortexes. Every month, I lose a lot of weight quickly at the beginning of the month, and then no matter what I do, the scale just swirls around a 3 pound range for days on end. It gets discouraging, but I am determined not to give up. But so far, no matter what technique I try, this is the pattern that repeats months after month.

When I hit a plateau, I allow myself one meal with more protein/fat than usual, and it usually gets me back on track. And yes, these forums are a bit harder than some others!

[knit1purl2lose3]

karolinakat, on 29 July 2011 - 07:25 PM, said:

When I hit a plateau, I allow myself one meal with more protein/fat than usual, and it usually gets me back on track. And yes, these forums are a bit harder than some others!

Well, for years now I've tried all sorts of different things, but every time it's always the same..... that scale vortex. I can tweak the plan, do a different plan, fast, eat protein, eat fat, whatever, it doesn't matter what I do or don't do. I lose weight at the beginning of the month and then a week later it stops. I ranges anywhere from 3 lbs to 8 or 9 lbs up and down and all around for the next 3 weeks. It's very frustrating. But since it happens without fail month after month year after year, I guess I just need to expect it and move on. But it hardly seems "fair" to be so careful with what I eat and it really doesn't matter when it comes to weeks 2 through 4 of the month anyway. It's frustrating. Oh well. It is what it is. It just gets so flippin frustrating.

[knit1purl2lose3]

[btrfly]

Hi Knit...let me add my two cents if I may. I too vented and screamed because of the scale vortex. It never failed, M-Th my diet was on point from breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks, and I could lose 2-4lbs. I might even have a great Fri breakfast and lunch. But after work, oh boy. The feeling of feeling like I "deserve" to treat myself felt like a craving for narcotics (from what I hear). Even if I got through Fri and woke up on Sat with a 5lbs loss, by Sat night I was itching for a "treat". And I treated myself right through Sun night. So by Mon weigh-in I would have gained back 2-3 of the lbs I had lost the week before.

My version of the vortex, pretty frustrating and discouraging...you bet. For months I vented about my frustration without truly acknowledging my role in the situation. It wasn't until I forced myself to write down what I ate (which I hate doing) and then one step further of using my camara to truly capture every food thing I ate in a weekend did I begin to understand how much I was sabbotoging my weightloss efforts.

I continue to struggle with not getting caught in my weekend vortex. My desire to understand the mental and emotional reasons that I sabotage my efforts has been a huge part of stopping the vortex. I have not conquered it yet but now I am honest with myself. I don't scrath my head and wonder why I don't have a loss or swear my diet was soooo clean how could I have gained. I now accept responsibility for my choices from eating something with too much sodium to having a late night snack which took me over my calories for the day. I also now meditate if you will, on the internal trigger for my food choices. It is RARELY driven by true hunger. It mostly comes from a desire to soothe an emotion or ignore a feeling.

My weekends now consist of mostly trying to eat as clean as possible with as little sodium as I can manage. I have been trying to "treat" myself during the week now and not waiting until the weekend. My favorite treats so far is a movie after work or if I'm feeling especially fragile, I have discovered no salt added potato chips.

Knit, if you can lose weight for half of the month there is no physical reason you can't lose during the rest of the month. I encourage you to explore the mental blocks, laws of attraction, intention setting or whatever source of insight work you feel comfortable with to determine your body's purpose of holding on to the weight. I AM NO EXPERT and have so much more work to do, I am just sharing MY journey.

I wish you well on your journey. Happy ricing.

[btrfly]

Hi Knit...let me add my two cents if I may. I too vented and screamed because of the scale vortex. It never failed, M-Th my diet was on point from breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks, and I could lose 2-4lbs. I might even have a great Fri breakfast and lunch. But after work, oh boy. The feeling of feeling like I "deserve" to treat myself felt like a craving for narcotics (from what I hear). Even if I got through Fri and woke up on Sat with a 5lbs loss, by Sat night I was itching for a "treat". And I treated myself right through Sun night. So by Mon weigh-in I would have gained back 2-3 of the lbs I had lost the week before.

My version of the vortex, pretty frustrating and discouraging...you bet. For months I vented about my frustration without truly acknowledging my role in the situation. It wasn't until I forced myself to write down what I ate (which I hate doing) and then one step further of using my camara to truly capture every food thing I ate in a weekend did I begin to understand how much I was sabbotoging my weightloss efforts.

I continue to struggle with not getting caught in my weekend vortex. My desire to understand the mental and emotional reasons that I sabotage my efforts has been a huge part of stopping the vortex. I have not conquered it yet but now I am honest with myself. I don't scrath my head and wonder why I don't have a loss or swear my diet was soooo clean how could I have gained. I now accept responsibility for my choices from eating something with too much sodium to having a late night snack which took me over my calories for the day. I also now meditate if you will, on the internal trigger for my food choices. It is RARELY driven by true hunger. It mostly comes from a desire to soothe an emotion or ignore a feeling.

My weekends now consist of mostly trying to eat as clean as possible with as little sodium as I can manage. I have been trying to "treat" myself during the week now and not waiting until the weekend. My favorite treats so far is a movie after work or if I'm feeling especially fragile, I have discovered no salt added potato chips.

Knit, if you can lose weight for half of the month there is no physical reason you can't lose during the rest of the month. I encourage you to explore the mental blocks, laws of attraction, intention setting or whatever source of insight work you feel comfortable with to determine your body's purpose of holding on to the weight. I AM NO EXPERT and have so much more work to do, I am just sharing MY journey.

I wish you well on your journey. Happy ricing.

[btrfly]

(*?*)

[Leeney]

Great post, btrfly!

[knit1purl2lose3]

btrfly, on 03 August 2011 - 01:47 AM, said:

It wasn't until I forced myself to write down what I ate (which I hate doing) and then one step further of using my camara to truly capture every food thing I ate in a weekend did I begin to understand how much I was sabbotoging my weightloss efforts.

...if you can lose weight for half of the month there is no physical reason you can't lose during the rest of the month. I encourage you to explore the mental blocks, laws of attraction, intention setting or whatever source of insight work you feel comfortable with to determine your body's purpose of holding on to the weight.

I track EVERY morsel that goes into the pie-hole. I track it over on Sparkpeople.com, so I can see EXACTLY how much sodium and potassium, calories, fat, protein, carbs, fiber, etc etc goes in. I've been tracking meticulously for months, and off and on for years.

For whatever reason, my body seems to like to dump weight at the beginning of the month, and then that's it until next month. When it lets go, it lets go in huge chunks. No ounces here and there, but several pounds at a time. That just seems to be how it works. And it also has shown me a pattern of losing at the beginning of a month, and then stopping. Every month, month after month, no matter how faithful I am to an eating plan. ANY eating plan. EVERY eating plan I've tried! Trust me, I've been tracking this for years! I still get frustrated with it, but it's still how my body works.

I consider myself a scientist collecting data, and this is simply one pattern I have noted that happens over and over and over again with regularity. I even do meta-analyses of all the data I collect from my meticulous food tracking to look for patterns! So, it's just a matter of me simply being okay with that's the way my body works. It's data that can help me realize that the vortex/stall is simply how my body works, and is not a reflection of how "faithful" I am to an eating plan. Because I am limited in my mobility, I can't move more to get it to shift. When I can begin moving more, this may change.

As far as "determining my body's purpose for holding onto the weight", I'm a trained psychotherapist (used to have my own private practice). This kind of reflection certainly works for some people. It's not work I've found particularly helpful, but if it works for others, then yay rah!

My body was holding onto weight because I was eating too much sodium and not enough potassium. My body was holding onto weight because my blood sugars were not controlled, and I had way too much insulin circulating through my body, and way too much resistance to my body being sensitive to that insulin. Even most cravings can be traced to bio-chemical functions, and not a matter of willpower. My body was holding onto weight because my estrogen was out of control, and the fatter I got, the more estrogen I produced, leading to more resistance to weight loss. My body was holding onto weight because of malfunctions that began when I was born 2 months too early and not fully developed internally or externally. My body was holding onto weight from the undiagnosed multiple sleep disorders I've had since childhood that negatively impacted several bio-chemical-hormonal processes that all disrupt normal functioning and cause weight gain. And on and on the circle went. It wasn't psychological issues that were the core of the weight problem; it was bio-chemical-hormonal issues that affected a downward cascade of events, eventually landing me disabled, home bound, in a wheelchair, and in CONSTANT severe pain. No pills help. I've been searching for nutritional keys for years and years and years.

So for me, the FIRST course of action has been to find an eating plan that manages ALL of my whacked out bio-chemical-hormonal malfunctions. I have a lot of health issues most people do not have, and that impacts my weight loss tremendously. Research research research and trial and error has helped unlock several critical components. My docs sure can't help me--they just want to keep throwing pills at me! In fact, my primary care doc does not believe I can impact my health at all by diet, except of course to lose weight. That's the entire purpose of a diet, in her mind--just to lose weight. She didn't even want to run another blood lipid panel since my cholesterol--in her words--"can't be treated" (because I cannot/will not take statins)! She does not believe I can impact my cholesterol one iota by diet!

A few months ago, I suddenly loss use of my left arm, and suffered EXCRUCIATING pain in every position I sat or laid in. My doc of course wanted to run MRI's and this and that and the other. My research led me to magnesium depletion. I had all the symptoms of severe magnesium depletion, and had been having them increasingly all winter long, but I didn't realize it. So I had nothing to lose by megadosing on magnesium. Within 24 hours, the pain was reduced by half, and I could move my arm a few inches. Within 48 hours, I had full functioning of my arm again, almost no pain, PLUS some other pains that had grown worse over the winter were clearing up as well. My doc still doesn't believe that it was magnesium depletion that caused it. Of course not; that would be too easy. It wasn't a drug she could prescribe. She really knows nothing about nutrition!

The point is, no matter how healthfully I eat, I simply cannot get enough magnesium from my diet alone. So I must take a daily magnesium supplement. If I miss a day or two, or don't take enough, my left upper arm begins aching a little. My doc wanted to spend tons of $$ for no good reason because she simply does not believe any of my health issues are related to nutrition, other than my weight. I happen to believe that they are ALL related to nutrition, and fixable without drugs and by nutrition and supplements alone! I aim to prove her wrong!

The other point is, it's not always about emotions or deep-seated psychological "issues". Sometimes, it really is about the bio-chemical-hormonal processes. And mine have NEVER been normal. Ever. I've had health issues since the day I popped out of the womb 2 months too early, and my body simply does not work like most people's. Even my doc doesn't believe me when I tell her of the side effects I get from drugs. She tells me most people don't. Well, I'm not most people. I'm so far off from most people it's not funny. And it's also not fun. Which is why I have now taken my health into my own hands and I am bound and determined to find a way to health through nutrition alone. Well, except for the deformities. They won't change. But if I can just get those bio-chemical-hormonal pathways working right, I know a lot of things will heal.

So no, it's not about sabotaging myself. It's not about my body being able to lose weight like "normal" people's do. I have health challenges most people don't, and I'm on drugs that severely interfere with weight loss. I have to work with and around all of that. My body isn't going to respond the way other's do. And it just is what it is. The scale not budging for days on end is NOT a reflection of "cheating" and lying about it. I can eat "clean" and 100% on track for DAYS and that scale doesn't budge. Some days, it even goes UP, like it did this week. 100% on plan, and the scale went UP. And no, I'm not cheating or forgetting to write something down. It's how my body works right now until there is more internal healing.

[knit1purl2lose3]

Oooooooooooooooooh! The weight stall and even weight GAIN I've had this week while staying 100% true to the RD plan is stopping the b.p. pills!!!!! In the past, any time I have missed even one dose of b.p. meds, the scale bounced up by 4 to 5 pounds!!! That's because of the diuretic effects, and immediately went back down once I resumed my normal dosing.

So with NOT taking b.p. pills this week, of COURSE the scale would stall and even show a gain! I've probably been losing, but going off the b.p. meds masked it!

So, yet another bio-chemical-hormonal explanation. I totally forget this effect of the b.p. pills!!!

While the low sodium does indeed have a diuretic effect as well, my body still needed to respond to the loss of the artificial effects induced by the pills I am no longer taking!!!! Yes!! This makes PERFECT sense now!

I hate it when people think I'm crazy or lying or cheating or going off plan or just not trying hard enough or not looking inwardly enough or not WHATEVER enough, when there is actually a perfectly logical scientific explanation to it that proves I am NOT lying. cheating, going off plan, whatever! Meds interfere with weight loss. Period. Some more than others. And they affect some people more than others. I am highly sensitive to all pills. I'm even allergic (body hives!) to an over the counter med my doc assures me has nothing in it someone could be allergic to. Then why do I get hives when I take it? The rules of normal just do not always apply to my body, sadly. It's not fun. That's why it has taken to long to find enough pieces of the puzzle to begin to make a difference.

My doc is going to be in for a huge surprise next week when I share the b.p. results and then tell her I haven't take a single b.p. pill, and I am personally going to love it! I am trying to re-educate her about the use of food as a medicine. Yeah, I know, it's a hopeless cause. But I have no idea how to get any doc that will be any better, and maybe even far worse. I have very limited medical options.

In any case, I am happy to have cleared up this mystery, so now I know that if I continue to stick to the plan, that scale is gonna bust loose once again very very soon!!! It wasn't me going off plan; it wasn't a psychological need to hold on to the weight; it was my body responding to a change in medication!

I'm trying to poke around the other threads a bit today and tomorrow......

[karolinakat]

Meds can definitely have negative and positive effects.

[Leeney]

What remarkable progress you've made in the short time you've been on the RD. Any time we can let go of meds we no longer need is great in my book.

Do you have any experience with chiropractors? The one I see is very knowledgeable about nutrition and has helped me a lot. MD's probably have about 3 weeks training in nutrition, so unless they take it upon themselves to learn about it, and some do, they know about as much as the average lay person. It's a shame because in most ancient civilizations, and in some places today, food was medicine.

[Aomiel]

knit1purl2lose3, on 04 August 2011 - 03:49 PM, said:

I hate it when people think I'm crazy or lying or cheating or going off plan or just not trying hard enough or not looking inwardly enough or not WHATEVER enough, when there is actually a perfectly logical scientific explanation to it that proves I am NOT lying. cheating, going off plan, whatever!

Been there, done that and ditto.

Due to my age and insulin resistance, my weight loss is sloooowwwww. I also track everything I stick in my mouth at fitday.com (although I tend not to use their calculations and instead set up custom foods). What I've discovered a year and a half later is that 1800 calories *with* at least an hour of strenuous exercise every day is maintenance. I won't lose or gain. The same activity level and 1200 calories a day *consistently* means a 4-5 pounds per month loss...maybe.

Even with the documentation and my food and exercise log, people still like to tell me I'm 'doing something wrong' because it's just 'not possible' to not lose more than I do.

.

[knit1purl2lose3]

Aomiel, on 05 August 2011 - 01:19 PM, said:

Been there, done that and ditto.

Due to my age and insulin resistance, my weight loss is sloooowwwww. ...

Even with the documentation and my food and exercise log, people still like to tell me I'm 'doing something wrong' because it's just 'not possible' to not lose more than I do.

Aomiel!!!! I think we are twins!!! Maybe we can be buddies here!!!

Sadly, after much analyses over several years' worth of data, I found that I will not lose an ounce above 1300cals, and even then it will be painfully slow, at maybe 2 or 3 lbs a MONTH. Only when I cut it to 900 cals a day do I lose about 5bs a month. That was all pre-RD, though, so I think the drastically reduced sodium and greatly increased potassium may change that a bit, now that I am past the whole blood pressure med shebang.

As for maintenance, we'll see when I get there (in a few years), but it's not looking hopeful for much over 1200 for life. But, maybe that, too, will shift, especially if I can get some movement back over time as things heal.


I;m not sure how old you are, Aomiel, but I never believed how much menoPAUSE puts EVERYTHING on PAUSE mode. Younger women don't realize, I don't think, that once you hit menopause, you can forget losing weight at anything more than a snail's pace, and that's even IF you're really healthy and active! When you add other factors like meds, health issues, metabolic syndrome, mobility challenged, etc etc etc, you can gain weight at alarming rates but losing it takes Herculean efforts! The data shows I **should** lose weight at a certain rate, but the body says "no flippin' way!"

But I'm determined to follow Tim Gunn's advice, and to "MAKE IT WORK!" WE CAN ENCOURAGE ONE ANOTHER, AOMIEL!