I have to share this posting by
65X65 -- I remember great advice from her during my first month on IP, and here she is stopping by on the
VERY DISCOURAGED thread to share some more good advice !! Very timely for some of us, too....
Quote:
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Originally Posted by 65X65
Hi lexukc;5168835 and all...
Haven't been around much in the last year, but was a regular for a long time prior to that...so hope it is OK if I "weigh in" on this....! {Pun intended!!!}
You did not post your height ...and I am not sure about your age. I am 4'10" and heading full steam to my 67th birthday this summer...(I lost 65 lbs on IP before turning 65...ergo my screen name). In addition; have the dubious whammy of a broken metabolism, got the short straw on genetics...and am older than most of the folks who contribute to this website.. Did I say whammy??? Hmmm...how about triple whammy.
There are a few factors here for anyone transitioning to P2...or heading to maintenance....short folks, older dieters, folks with a lot to lose and anyone with compromises metabolically...thyroid or insulin issues esp. You WILL MORE THAN LIKELY GAIN FASTER than young tall participants who did this to lose 20-25 lbs...This diet can't really fix that. Be honest about how you got overweight...but also that you may not be in possession of a normal metabolism, and when you reach goal...that is still an issue.
You should be married to the idea this diet is the first part of a major liefstyle change. The weeks/months on IP are not going to get you results that will last a lifetime if you do not only get your head wrapped around that idea...you need to embrace it. And not feel like life isn't fair..
Life...your life is unique. Take control.
I do advocate strongly for exercise. Adding it sooner rather than later...it is a good habit and there are some who unfortunately perpetrate the idea you don't need to or should not exercise while on P1...this is not the intent or a good idea. Once your body adapts to ketosis...you need to get on with those lifestyle changes. Are you looking for an excuse not to exercise???
I have read a lot of that on here and it is sad and not realistic. Exercise for most on this diet is safe after a few weeks. It is just as much about adopting habits. Good ones. And we are talking about light to moderate activity...not training for a marathon....there are articles on checking your heart rate and keeping within a targeted range according to your age. This is an important piece of understanding how exercise is helpful. READ!!!!! Don't depend on someone here to tell you what is OK. Everyone is different. What is important is the target range for your heart rate while exercising. Most gyms have a chart. Spend some time looking at it and digesting it...if there are trainers they or the gym manager may help you understand and figure out what kind of exercise will get you in the zone for weight LOSS...amazingly...heart rate for weight loss is not intense cardio....the effective weight loss zone is way less stressful to your heart!! YOU CAN (read---should) do this.
Once the weight is off there are a mountain of new things to confront you...emotional and social things you can not imagine early on in this process. Don't make getting the exercise habit started or established something else to deal with in the middle of all that...it is stacking the deck against yourself. P1 is the time to form the kind of new physical and mental day to day habits that will be easier to hang on to once P 1 is done.
Regular weighing...OK...this is another hurdle for many...
Not being able to determine the way your body reacts to stress...not enough sleep, certain foods and changes in your day to day life will unnerve you when you see the effect on your "weighings". P1 is the time to learn all about your body. The diet is so straight forward and the external factors are pretty cut and dried....so if you can explore and get used to the normal fluxuations for YOU, you will be less upset with the swings and the actual number when you know you ARE doing the right things. Look at it this way...when you had a week with little or no weight loss, and only weighed in once...it is possible you were fluxuating? And your weighin MISSED your low for the time frame...??? Just sayin'...weekly weigh-ins are not the only piece of data to this journey. I found out quickly how sodium sensitive I was. Tomatoes, esp canned...always impacted my weigh-in regardless of how much water I drank, or the fact I'd been 100% compliant. I learned to stay away from them for 48 hrs prior to a documented weigh in. Same with any kind of seafood. Less than 7 hrs sleep?? same thing....sick elderly mom...stressful telephone call from 500 miles away?? Yep....same thing. Daily weiging taught me. About me.
If you are older...you will aso experience the reality your metabolism is not as efficient as a younger you...and the weight can and will bounce back and forth. Yes, excercise adds muscle and weight...but is critical...so ...the scale shoud not rule 100%. How do your clothes fit? And how tall are you...5 lbs on some one who is 5'6 or 7" is not like 5 lbs on someone who is 5 feet tall. You may finally be where you need to be...BUT building both muscle and improving bone density..... are NOT insignificant things in reaching the goal of being healthy. Celebrate.
Just adding these things to consider for those who are ready to move to the next phases...there is a lot to process and understand in order to maintain. Don't wait to start understanding it. IP is not magic. It is a tool to get the weight off efficiently and in many cases quicker than other methods. It is not a get out of jail free card. You need to use what you learn while on P1...and build on those things esp on a personal level.. There is a considerable lot more to learn to be successful....so again I say...embrace it! Best of luck. Now the hard work begins. This diet was the beginning of me finally understanding how MY body operates....I did not lose quickly. Never had big losses even the first weeks. Did not lose anything on P2...or 3...and maintenance has been a personal journey of being 100% diligent to maintain. I can not have "fun" days...but do have special meals occasionally.... continue to increase my exercise varying what I do... 6-7 days a week. Wow...I am stronger!!! Do track carbs and calories in my head.(Too busy for the on line stuff...)Use a series of set meals/menus for breakfast and lunch...and they are things I can even order out easily. I avoid fast food places, chain restaurants and sugar. Am gluten free by necessity...but do not use the GF food substitutes...they are way high on the glycemic index. Bad stuff. I pay attention to that since on IP believing the low GI played a big part in my success. Still I do limit root veggies and some of the stuff we stayed away from (completely on P1)....esp starches and alcohol. NOTICE: I did not say never...I said limit.....And as I said..be honest with yourself.
No I'm not deprived... !!!
Instead, am happy to know "this is what I gotta do!" ...
And it works!!!
These days, I'm a thinner lady who is (past) middle age...LOL ...who looks healthy....looks younger than all of the 66.75 YOs I know, and feels good about myself... enjoying life. Every minute...and hoping I will be around for a while to continue to enjoy my 4 granddaughters and my spouse of 45 years, as we are now both retired!
Wishing you ALL luck and good health....and a long life. This is my story and if any parts of it help anyone else I'm glad to have shared. Everyone's journey is different. It comes down to taking control, being honest and knowing and understanding your own metabolic portrait. As we enter P2 and go forward....there is no simple solution or page of rules. It's up to us to wean off and go start to use what we learned!
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