Will PP help me loose the last 10 lbs?

[amerville]

Hey everyone,

I am new to PPLP - and have 10 lbs that I could stant to loose. Any feed back would be appreciated -

I have read most of the the PPLP book - I have started and DO really feel less bloated and puffy.... which is great already. I have tried most everything else - diet wise - and has anyone out there experienced positive results for 10lbs or less following this plan?

My concern is I have been told that hi protein diet really does a job on your kidneys....and I understand that in the first 30 days - you reduce your carb intake to 30mg per day.... my worry is will you keep the wt off after you go thru the intervention... and start the transition to maintenace phase......:(

Any feedback from seasoned PPLP ers - would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks

[Mitra]

Welcome :). I've used PP/PPLP to get to my goal weight and stay there for 2 1/2 years so far. I lost about 30 lbs altogether, about 25 in the first six months and the remainder gradually after that.

How difficult it is for you to lose those last 10 lbs depends on a few things:


How low you've set your goal. If you're aiming for the high end of the healthy body fat range, it will be easier than if you're aiming for the bottom end;
Your metabolism. It's just easier for some people than others;
Exercise - seems to make more difference at/near maintenance;
Calories also become significant for some as they get closer to their goal weight. I had to regulate my consumption of double cream :(.


This is not a high protein diet. It's an adequate protein diet, and kidney function isn't an issue unless you already have kidney disease.

As far as keeping the weight off - well, there are quite a few people here who've done that. The key is to increase your carbs carefully and gradually, so that you can see how you react at each stage, and judge how many carbs you can tolerate. If you return to the way you were eating before, then there's no reason not to regain the weight you did before. This will only work as long as you keep doing it. We have a maintenance forum to help with any questions you have about transition/maintenance, and for those who are at that stage to support and encourage one another.

[paleogirl]

Hi Amerville,

I had the very same question for the past few weeks! I seemed to be stuck at ~10 lbs off my ideal weight (MY ideal, not the government's ;) ), but more importantly than the weight, I really want to get back into 99% of my clothing, which is a size 2, and be back at the body fat percentage I used to have, which was 17-18%. Right now I'm 23% (all from an extra 10 lbs which insulin has kindly deposited around my middle - thank you hypoglycemia!). I'm 5' 4" btw. I was VERY happy last year at 17.7% body fat and 112 lbs, so I'm shooting for 17-18% or "size 2 jeans with a belt" :) . The offical standard min. body fat percentage for my age (31) is 21%, but that feels too much for me. I have a very small frame, narrow hips, etc. Nobody said I was too thin at 112lb btw (I still had a little stomach!), and nobody seems to be aware I've gained 10lbs (except me, cos I had to buy bigger clothes). So although the figures may sound low, for me 17%/112 are good, lean, strong, healthy figures. I have no interest in being boney, just strong, fast and toned. Just wanted to clear that up. :cool:

Anyway... I've fluctuated between 119-125 for the last few months. So recently I tried very low carb (always used to work like a charm) and got down to 123 but then stalled. So I tried zero carb, but found my calories were too high doing that, and the weight didn't move - well it moved a pound, then the pound came back, etc. etc. I think when you're THIS close to where you want to be, and you are already at a healthy weight (it's the distribution/body fat % I am trying to fix, not necessarily the scale weight), the body becomes very stubborn. According to the Eades being small framed makes it harder still.

Anyway, long story short, I did a combination of things simultaniously which have got me through my stall. They are:

- 10 min jog first thing, on an empty stomach. I basically just take the dog around the block but we gently jog instead of walking. Easy, but really kick-starts things. I hate exercise but this is something I'm having no problem with, esp. as it benefits my dog too. :) I follow that with a hearty breakfast, although I have cut my 6+ strips of bacon gradually down to 2, bulking up my omelette with spinach, onions, tomatoes instead. Which brings me on to...

- Tracking my calories via fitday.com. I'm weighing everything and trying to consciously combine meals a bit more. This is more to do with my blood sugar issues than anything though. Calorie-wise, I lose weight if I keep mine just under 1100. I maintain if I go up to ~1500. I gain if I go much over that without exercise. It's hard for me to go over 1500 UNLESS I'm doing super low carb, in which case my cals go up big time.

- Keeping net carbs below 20, usually nearer 10. If I go above 20 I start to plateau. I'm sure I would lose faster with even less carbs, but I'm trying to strike the right balance between low carbs and low-ish calories. If I lower the carbs <5 I eat much more fat which = more calories. I also want to give myself a carb buffer zone in case I stall again. That buffer zone would be a 10g carb limit. That's my 'plan B' if I hit a stall. It also gives me a very comfortable maintenance level for the future (<30g carbs, ~1500 cals). <30g carbs to me seems like a LOT since I can not eat grains or sugary fruit (celiac/hypoglycemic!) So 30g carbs 'buys' pretty much all the treats I would want anyway. Once I get there I will of course tweak it 5g this or that way to make sure I'm maintaining *and* eating balanced.

- I doubled my water intake from 75oz to 150oz a day. I seem to be peeing a LOT! :D

- Oh and also, I usually eat 6 times a day (good size breakfast then small snack meals every 2 hours until dinner then a snack supper). This is again for blood sugar control issues BUT I think it helps the diet. I never get too hungry and I don't overeat in one sitting.

I started these new habits on Sunday at 123.2 LB. Monday AM weigh in was 122, Tuesday was 121.4 and this morning was 121.6 (went over on cals yesterday (~1400) so maintained rather than lost). Live and learn! I will cram in a second jog today to try and make up for that.

Well, I hope some of that helps!

Paleogirl.

[cmcole]

Paleogirl - can I just say without fear of reprisal, that I'm just a little jealous of your size and weight and BF%, as it sits, now? My mind says that we are all different, and fit into our skin and bones differently, but that doesn't mean that I wouldn't want to do cartwheels (if I could) should the scale read anywhere close to that.

[paleogirl]

Of course you can say that cmcole - who wouldn't want to hear it?! :p Seriously, it's very easy for a person to get wrapped up in their own goals and not appreciate what they already have, so thank you for saying that, it was lovely to hear and it made me appreciate where I'm at. :) I think when I'm at 112/17% *next* time around I will REALLY appreciate it. I took it for granted last time (just cutting out gluten 'normalized' my weight in a few months), but this time around I'm having to actually work at it!

I do feel lucky to be where I currently am, especially considering what a sweet tooth I have, but my medical dietary restrictions are such that will power is not even an issue anymore - I simply can not eat anything sweet or starchy. It sucks to be Celiac and Hypoglycemic, but it does make a low-carb lifestyle a breeze! :) Sure I can over eat like the best of them, but it would probably be either bacon or almond butter, so as far as the Carb Police go it can't get me into too much trouble!

Anyway, I hope it didn't sound like I was complaining too much about my current size!! I appreciate most people actively seeking to change their weight or BF percentage probably have a lot more work to do than I do - I just thought my post would be relevant for Amerville as this is my last 10lbs and I've had to experiment quite a bit to figure out how to start shedding it.

Btw, today's weigh in was back to 121.4, so I am treading water somewhat (although my arms look more defined so I think I am turning some fat to muscle - I've been using 5lb free weights to do some arm/shoulder exercises). But as I said, my goal is more body fat related, I'm just using the scale as a guide based on knowing how 112 lbs = 17% body fat for me last time. Perhaps this time around I will build more muscle and I'll feel 'right' at 115 or 118. I'm certainly not going to obsess over scale weight. My run this morning felt easy, so tomorrow I'm going to try and beat my time. I also gave myself a new carb limit of 10g net, which I managed today whilst keeping cals under 1200, so I think that's a decent ratio. We shall see!!

Why are my posts always so long??! :eek:

[Reverie]

Not sure if I should answer since I'm just losing my second ten pounds -- with about 80 more to go. Earlier this year, I stayed strictly under 30 carbs, but did not pay attention to protein and fat. I lost 10 and then stayed the same for 5 weeks.

So I went back and read the eating plan in PPLP. I figured my minimum protein amount using their chart. Thank goodness they put the chart in PPLP that gives a rough idea of protein grams in how many ounces of meat. So I stick close to my minimum per meal which is 6 oz per meal right now. It goes down to 5oz when I lose another 15 pounds.

Then under the heading of "How much fat to eat" it said if you are not losing weight you are probably eating too much fat. So I am limiting myself to about 2-3TBs daily of butter or olive oil.

We often think low carb is about eating unlimited protein and fat, but I found that isn't the case for me! And it's not what PPLP is all about. I am also taking advantage of the lack of appetite and just eat what I'm supposed to eat.

[Mitra]

I'm 5' 2" and 112 lbs, about 22% BF and I did need to watch how much I was eating for those last few pounds. I maintain at about 16/1700 kcals, and need to go below that to lose weight.

There's a part of me that would like to drop "just a bit more." But at 45 I'm at a weight I was happy with in my 20s - and can wear the clothes I wore then. I know that much less than my current body fat level is too low for my body type, as well as being much harder to maintain, and requiring lower calorie levels, which makes it harder to get in all the nutrients. So I generally ignore that little voice :).

[paleogirl]

Your weight/BF percentage sounds EXCELLENT Mitra! I'm from a family of tall wirey people. At 5' 4" however I am the shortest of them all by a long shot, yet I inherited the family framework, as it were - kinda like a tall skinny person but scaled down! I think that's why my 'feels right' BF% is low.

Oh dear, now I sound like a freak! :p :lol: