[patns]

Originally Posted by evepet

Congrats!

(Quote): Most people do not realize how energy is stored in their body, and so do not understand the significant biological steps towards a healthy weight. The first step is using up your excess glycogen, which is where the "water weight" comes in.
When you eat, your body first breaks down the carbohydrates, fats, and proteins into the simplest form that it needs to be able to use them. The primary nutrients released into the bloodstream for our bodies to use are glucose, triglycerides, and amino acids. Glucose is the main energy fuel for most of your body's energy needs. When there is more glucose in your blood than your body can use right away (which is usually the case after any meal), it is modified and stored for later use. One of these stored components is glycogen. The process that turns glucose into glycogen for storage takes in over 2 grams of water for every 1 gram of glycogen (so for each gram of glycogen stored you have over 3 grams of total weight added).

Glycogen is stored in liver and muscles tissues in your body, though some is also stored in the kidneys and intestine. When your body is active (even sleeping your burn energy) and runs out of glucose in the blood, the body begins to break down the stored glycogen so that your cells have the fuel they need. As your body converts glycogen back into glucose, it releases those extra grams of water, which are then filter through your kidneys and out they go.

How much glycogen a person stores is directly correlated to how much the person weighs. Your body normal stores enough glycogen so that your body has easy access to energy for multiple days in a starvation situation. The maximum amount appears to be 5g/kg of your body weight (1 pound = 2.2 kg). So if you are around 150lbs (68.2 kg), you could be storing around 341g of glycogen. At 3-4 grams total (remember over 2 grams of water is stored with each gram of glycogen) that is over 1348 grams of excess weight that as you burn off your glycogen, you lose in water as well. Once the stores of glycogen are depleted, then the body can begin to break down fats. First it takes the triglycerides that are in your bloodstream and liver, and breaks those down for energy (either as fatty acids for direct energy of broken down further into glucose). Then the stored fats are released, broken down first into glycerol and fatty acids, and then if needed into glucose. (end of Quote)

Thanks for posting that Evepet! So often people post really upset when they use huge amounts of weight in the first week or so then it really slows down,I can never understand why people would expect to continue losing weght at that tremendous rate.

I have to recommend that everyone look at Evepet's protein soups in her blog. They are very tasty and a great help to me after IP. I can't have grains (except for oats) and very limited dairy so phase 3 was not the wonderland for me that most people report. So the soups really helped as they are very filling. They are also phase 1 compliant but I didn't discover them until I was past that stage.

Pat

[evepet]

Originally Posted by patns

Thanks for posting that Evepet! So often people post really upset when they use huge amounts of weight in the first week or so then it really slows down,I can never understand why people would expect to continue losing weght at that tremendous rate.

I have to recommend that everyone look at Evepet's protein soups in her blog. They are very tasty and a great help to me after IP. I can't have grains (except for oats) and very limited dairy so phase 3 was not the wonderland for me that most people report. So the soups really helped as they are very filling. They are also phase 1 compliant but I didn't discover them until I was past that stage.

Pat

Thx Pat! I still love my soups! In fact, I'm eating a cream of asparagus version right now. Yum.

[kdspirited]

First and foremost thank you for starting this thread. I was on IP 2 years ago and lost 22lbs. I have since gained it all back. So I am back at it again. I do a lot of travelling in the US and overseas for work. So its hard to be 100% on IP when I am travelling. I try and dont have major slip ups but occassionaly things are cooked a certain way you cannot always control what you are eating so by default I am never 100%.

Having said that I have never measured my meats or vegetables. The only thing I measure is my water. But I know I am supposed to have lots of vegetables and proteins.

So I have to make a confessions and also have a question. I started on septemeber 8th and the first month I lost 5lbs. Yay! and my last weigh in where I have lost weight was september 22nd. Since then I have been stuck and the scale has not moved. I have to say that I did have a little cheat. I was in Paris for work and I was OP the whole week. On my way back the food on the plane had a macaroon and I ate it. In my mind it wasnt that big a deal but the scale has not moved since. I have to say that last week was TOM so I ruled out weight loss that week. But this whole week again there has been no movement. Has this happened to anyone else? I have not cheated since that incident and have been 100% OP.

My second question is, and this is the only forum where I can ask it. Some people say that in order to break a plateau sometimes it helps to have a little cheat. That gets the scale moving again. I am interested to know what you all think. I dont want to cheat but I feel it is too early to hit a plateau and not loosing any weight is very frustrating

[JLUS]

Originally Posted by kdspirited

First and foremost thank you for starting this thread. I was on IP 2 years ago and lost 22lbs. I have since gained it all back. So I am back at it again. I do a lot of travelling in the US and overseas for work. So its hard to be 100% on IP when I am travelling. I try and dont have major slip ups but occassionaly things are cooked a certain way you cannot always control what you are eating so by default I am never 100%.

Having said that I have never measured my meats or vegetables. The only thing I measure is my water. But I know I am supposed to have lots of vegetables and proteins.

So I have to make a confessions and also have a question. I started on septemeber 8th and the first month I lost 5lbs. Yay! and my last weigh in where I have lost weight was september 22nd. Since then I have been stuck and the scale has not moved. I have to say that I did have a little cheat. I was in Paris for work and I was OP the whole week. On my way back the food on the plane had a macaroon and I ate it. In my mind it wasnt that big a deal but the scale has not moved since. I have to say that last week was TOM so I ruled out weight loss that week. But this whole week again there has been no movement. Has this happened to anyone else? I have not cheated since that incident and have been 100% OP.

My second question is, and this is the only forum where I can ask it. Some people say that in order to break a plateau sometimes it helps to have a little cheat. That gets the scale moving again. I am interested to know what you all think. I dont want to cheat but I feel it is too early to hit a plateau and not loosing any weight is very frustrating

What about measuring your meat and veg for the next few weeks? You could be getting too much BUT you also could be getting too little!! More than once people have commented that they thought they were eating enough (tho the had not been measuring) and when they started measuring they found they were eating too little!

Either way once you measure you will know and really you don't know you are 100% unless you are measuring!!

Also are you measuring and getting in your oil? And what kind if meat? A nice steak instead of fish and chicken is an OP way to sometimes break a stall!!

[kdspirited]

I put olive oil on my salad 1-2 teaspoons. I usually have most of my meat at night. I think you are right I am only taking about 4 oz of turkey or steak I should be having 7OZ. But its too much to have 7 ounces of meat in one sitting. Is it possible to divide it up between lunch and dinner. I use sea salt in all my cooking and drink 64OZ of water. I take a packet of chocolate drink in the morning and then have a bar or another drink at night.

For my veggies I have tons of lettuce cucumbers banana peppers,tomatoes, red onions and bell peppers

[nolasmurf]

hey everyone. Had a **** of a couple of days. my honey passed out thursday and hit his head . we spent the night in the ER and he had to have 6 stitches. yesterday at worked and I ate a cupcake. today we diid the warrior dash and i was faint the whole time. I've completely derailed. I know I can start over tomorrow but I fell terrible

[patns]

Originally Posted by kdspirited

I put olive oil on my salad 1-2 teaspoons. I usually have most of my meat at night. I think you are right I am only taking about 4 oz of turkey or steak I should be having 7OZ. But its too much to have 7 ounces of meat in one sitting. Is it possible to divide it up between lunch and dinner. I use sea salt in all my cooking and drink 64OZ of water. I take a packet of chocolate drink in the morning and then have a bar or another drink at night.

For my veggies I have tons of lettuce cucumbers banana peppers,tomatoes, red onions and bell peppers

Hi, I remember you from last time you were here. I am rebooting now. I am same height (and a bit) as you and stalled at your weight for a month when I was in phase 1. The stall broke when I upped the oil. Maybe if you can't handle all the meat put some flax in your shakes. Turkey won't give you much fat even if you eat all 8 ounces.
Two teaspoons of oil is pretty sparse in the first place and you seem to be cutting back on that. The body needs new fat to burn old fat.

[DJ72]

Originally Posted by nolasmurf

hey everyone. Had a **** of a couple of days. my honey passed out thursday and hit his head . we spent the night in the ER and he had to have 6 stitches. yesterday at worked and I ate a cupcake. today we diid the warrior dash and i was faint the whole time. I've completely derailed. I know I can start over tomorrow but I fell terrible

Oh no! What a run of bad luck. Hope you are feeling better and your Honey too!
Just take care of yourself and everything else will fall into place.

[nanbarbree]

Went to a wedding today...it's the 3rd one I've been to since starting this program. Stayed strong but today I decided I was going to have cake...maybe I felt I deserved it after losing 43 lbs! Tomorrow is a new day.3fatchicks.net/img/bar098/cartoonstar01/lb/197/150/156.5/.png[/img] [/url]

[kdspirited]

@PATNS
Yes indeed we have the same stats. I will up my Oil as well. The IP protocol sheet says 1-2 TSP oil. So I have been following that. I will try flax in my shakes as well to see if that moved. At this point I am willing to try anything. I mix up the Turkey and beef as my meat choices. I will try a steak as well.

[kdspirited]

Thanks Patns I will try both. I am desperate for this scale to move. How is it going this time around with your reboot?

Originally Posted by patns

Hi, I remember you from last time you were here. I am rebooting now. I am same height (and a bit) as you and stalled at your weight for a month when I was in phase 1. The stall broke when I upped the oil. Maybe if you can't handle all the meat put some flax in your shakes. Turkey won't give you much fat even if you eat all 8 ounces.
Two teaspoons of oil is pretty sparse in the first place and you seem to be cutting back on that. The body needs new fat to burn old fat.

[Tuscany123]

Well, I fell flat on my face yesterday. You name it, I ate it. So I am back on track today, I refuse to continue in my bad ways from yesterday.

So it was one day of slipping up. I am going all day today IP and no restricted. Will my body treat the one bad day of food as a phase 4 cheat day, and provided I am straight back on IP the carbs will not convert to fat?

I'm not condoning what I did, but I see this thread as the Be Honest thread so I am here, out in the light, being honest.

[Meeshellee]

Originally Posted by Tuscany123

Well, I fell flat on my face yesterday. You name it, I ate it. So I am back on track today, I refuse to continue in my bad ways from yesterday.

So it was one day of slipping up. I am going all day today IP and no restricted. Will my body treat the one bad day of food as a phase 4 cheat day, and provided I am straight back on IP the carbs will not convert to fat?

I'm not condoning what I did, but I see this thread as the Be Honest thread so I am here, out in the light, being honest.

I know the one day that I made bad choices it took about 3 days to lose what I had gained (about 3lbs) and start making progress again. Although ketostix showed me being in ketosis the whole time. The things off plan I had that day were cocktail sauce, diet Pepsi, tortilla pinwheels (4), low carb burger (carls jr) with catsup and cheese (had them hold the mayo, but forgot about the catsup). I was surprised how much one day of bad choices set me back, but I did the best I could in the situation I was in.

I'm not sure how the phase 4 cheat day works, but I wonder if since phase 1 is so restricted , if you add a bunch of carbs or fat suddenly (rather than going through the phases) if your body reacts differently. I am by no means an expert in this, but this has just been based on how my body reacts.

[Tuscany123]

Originally Posted by Meeshellee

I know the one day that I made bad choices it took about 3 days to lose what I had gained (about 3lbs) and start making progress again. Although ketostix showed me being in ketosis the whole time. The things off plan I had that day were cocktail sauce, diet Pepsi, tortilla pinwheels (4), low carb burger (carls jr) with catsup and cheese (had them hold the mayo, but forgot about the catsup). I was surprised how much one day of bad choices set me back, but I did the best I could in the situation I was in.

I'm not sure how the phase 4 cheat day works, but I wonder if since phase 1 is so restricted , if you add a bunch of carbs or fat suddenly (rather than going through the phases) if your body reacts differently. I am by no means an expert in this, but this has just been based on how my body reacts.

Thank you for your reply. I wondered the same thing, a phase 4 Cheat Day comes after weeks of properly phasing off, but what I did was like a bomb going off in my body figuratively speaking.

I will watch the scale and accept it, and move on! Thanks again!

[kaplods]

Originally Posted by Meeshellee

I know the one day that I made bad choices it took about 3 days to lose what I had gained (about 3lbs) and start making progress again. Although ketostix showed me being in ketosis the whole time. The things off plan I had that day were cocktail sauce, diet Pepsi, tortilla pinwheels (4), low carb burger (carls jr) with catsup and cheese (had them hold the mayo, but forgot about the catsup). I was surprised how much one day of bad choices set me back, but I did the best I could in the situation I was in.

I'm not sure how the phase 4 cheat day works, but I wonder if since phase 1 is so restricted , if you add a bunch of carbs or fat suddenly (rather than going through the phases) if your body reacts differently. I am by no means an expert in this, but this has just been based on how my body reacts.

When I was on a ketogenic diet I would also see a 3-5 lb gain after a low-carb fast food or restaurant meal (with or without catsup).

For me, it wasn't the tablespoon or so of catsup I was consuming, it was water retention from the extra sodium, and it almost always took about 3 days to get rid of.

I'm really glad I experimented, because it showed me that I CAN eat out on plan, but I will pay for it with 3-4 days of water gain (so long as I stay on plan or very close to it).

What was hard to change was my irrational reaction to the scale gain. Every dieter's instinct told me to have a binge day and start fresh tomorrow, because I had "blown it."

That's STILL my problem. I do well until I see a gain on the scale. Even when I've been 100% on plan AND know the weight gain is being caused by pms/tom, sodium, exercise, iillness, injury, constipation.... I STILL want to binge in response to the scale.

Weighing weekly instead of daily only made it worse, because the gains still happened and would trigger a week-long binge instead.

Weighing twice a day (or whenever I bloody well felt like it) helped most IF (and it's a BIG if) I celebrated and focused on "not gaining" as much or more so than I ever did on losing.

That way, the very next weigh-in can be a success (even 15 minutes later).


Weighing like that helps nip failures in the bud.

For me, accepting less than 100% has been very difficult, and a work in progress over the last 10 years.

I may not have the words and exact numbers right, but someone in the 100% thread said something to the effect that the 90% thread was ok, but that it needed to be limited to only the one thread because "What's next? An 80% thread? A 50% thread? A 5% thread?"

Personally, I agree that we really only need this one thread, because I see us as the "Never give up and do as much as you can" thread.

Occasionally my best is 100%, more often it's 95%, even more often it's 80% and sometimes it's 10%.

Accepting the middle ground has been extremely hard. When I can't do 100% or when my efforts are 100% but my results have not been, every inner voice tells me to give up (at least for today).

I used to think giving in to those irrational inner voices made me crazy, lazy, or stupid, but then I started thinking about where those inner voices came from and realized that I had not invented them. They had been given and even forced upon me, by my family, friends, teachers, doctors, fellow dieters, the dieting industry, the media, from every corner of our culture.

We're taught that we not only will fail, we are doomed to fail if we can't accomplish and maintain 100%. In many ways, we're taught that anything less than 100%, even 99.99% will doom us to failure. If we succeed at anything less than 100%, it's seen as a fluke, that we've somehow escaped the wrath of the diet gods. We're told (or hear behind our backs) that our imperfection will be our downfall and that only the truly righteous (100%ers and a select few of those trying to be) will enter the kingdom of weight loss Heaven.

I still have a really hard time accepting that my best really is good enough because of the cultural messages that tell me that my best isn't good enough and that really only 100% counts for anything at all. Accepting less is virtually seen as heresy.

I know I've gotten off topic and begun ranting. I tend to get emotionally stirred up easily this time of month (and have the hardest time being anywhere near perfect). It's just so hard to ignore the judgment of others and harder still to ignore the inner voices that echo them.