Progress to Plateau; requesting assistance

[ico7]

I did this diet thing back in the mid- to late-90's. It was successful. I stopped and lost it all ever since. I am 6'5" tall and am 25 years old. On 12/26/05 I weighed 290 lbs and started the program then: my target weight is 225 lb, which is 10 lbs higher than the upper-BMI estimate from FitDay. I'm not entirely sure what weight the book suggests what with its odd calculations, but the book really suggests going by how you look---225 just gives me a goal number is all. Today I fluctuate between 245 to 250. I did all that without an exercise program and many instances of cheating. For about a month now though I've not cheated but still fluctuating in this odd plateau. Since I started exercising a couple of weeks now I can't get away from 250. I'm assuming that's LBM, but I nonetheless re-read Protein Power (instead of going by memory) and am tweaking my diet.

Lucky(?) for me I hate variety and can eat the same ol' thing day in and day out. I've been in Phase 1 (except while cheating) since I started back on 12/26/05, but I was just going by a max 30g of carbs; they weren't broken up evenly throughout the day. I had a cholesterol test around the 3rd week in March and decided to add a salad and changed to a bread with a higher fiber content. I also started scrutinizing good and bad fats; for instance, I changed mustard brands because regular Heinz mustard uses hydrogenated soybean oil---their brown mustard doesn't and I now use it. The water thing gets me though; I'm real bad about committing myself to getting as much as I should get. I drink a lot of Diet Dr. Pepper too. I've today started spreading my carbs out and want some feedback on my current ongoing menu:

Breakfast: Turkey sandwich (12 slices turkey fried up in extra virgin olive oil/2 slices low-carb bread/liberal use of brown mustard and potassium salt)

Protein: 80g Carb: 20g Fiber: 10g Fat: 4g

Lunch: the same thing

Dinner: chili (1 lb 93% lean beef/6 tbsp low-carb ketchup/seasonings and such to taste), salad (1.5 cups 50% spinach-50% lettuce/1 pack of real bacon bits/4 tbsp olive oil & vinegar dressing)

Protein: 127g Carb: 16g Fiber: 6g Fat: 82g


Daily total: 2045 calories

Protein: 287g (56%) Carb: 56g (30g after fiber - 6%) Fiber: 26 g Fat: 86g (38%)

Think that might kickstart the weight loss and maybe get rid of the last 20 or so lbs before June 4th?

[Gaelen]

Ico, I'm going to guess that you're male...and with that information, according to the charts in Protein Power LifePlan (which just go by current height/weight) your daily minimum protein calculation is only 120 grams of protein, or three meals of 40g protein each. While that's just a minimum, and you can of course eat more, you're eating more than double your minimum protein--but by comparison, your diet really doesn't contain much in the way of fat grams at all, and it's nearly devoid of meaningful amounts of fruit or vegetables. You might want to tweak your diet by increasing your fats, decreasing your protein, adding in some fruits and veggies to balance things out, and ditching the deli meats to get your turkey from an actual bird that was once covered in feathers, not a deli wrapper. ;) You might also want to take a look at your salt/artificial ingredients consumption.

It looks like it took you six+ years to gain this weight; hoping you'll lose it in 6 months might not be realistic this time around, depending on your activity level, etc. You're also working on those pounds that have been around the longest, and they'll move in their own time (not yours!) Good luck, and welcome in!

Maybe instead of getting 56% of your calories from protein, you might consider changing up your exercise program and the balance of foods that you're eating. Btw, is that turkey you're frying up for lunch and breakfast fresh cut off an actual bird, or deli turkey? I ask, because deli turkey can be full of a lot of additives and artificial ingredients that could cause you to be retaining water, or otherwise impeding the way your system processes the turkey.

[Billie]

Welcome I hope we can be of some help to you.

Seriously the minute you started viewing this as a diet and setting a goal to lose X amount of pounds in a certain period of time you are bound to come up short. We can do our best everyday but making a time schedule and a certain date to lose so many pounds is really difficult.

1 pack of real bacon bits and lots of diet doctor pepper I would say you are loading your body with sodium, so you probably are also retaining some water weight.

You have lots a lot of weight very quickly but you probably have lost some muscle mass, how about adding some exercise in? It will make those inches melt a lot faster.

What about water, how much do you consume, it really does help to get that body moving.

The biggest problem will be when you hit June 4th and go off program (I am assuming here some big event). Really what you might want to do is learn to eat a little differently so you won't be in the same place again.

Congratulations on your terrific weight loss, you really have lost a lot! The next pounds may not be as easy, but I would definitely try to add some exercise, water, and change around just a little what you eat, I am betting that will help shake things up.

[ico7]

Gaelen: Sorry, I forgot to mention that I am male.

The ratio has shifted as I tweaked around with the diet; this latest approach greatly increased the protein and lowered the fat on purpose. It was once mainly fat, followed by protein then carbs. If I have to keep carbs below 30, then I'd be transferring protein to fat again. It worked for me before, but I'd prefer my body to burn its own fat than have just-consumed dietary fat. Of course, I'm hear for advice, so if you can tell me that line of thinking is wrong (and hopefully why), I'd like to know.

The exercise program started with simple weight lifting and using my own body weight as resistance and working from that---adding new approaches as the old ones become easier to do. It is rather rudimentary, but I guess necessary as I go from rather sedentary and build up enough willpower/routine to justify any further expenses (ie a gym membership and such).

The turkey is from Oscar Meyer, yes. I'm still a college student and I don't have a lot of disposable income. I just know this diet works and seems legit and right (I know, that's most likely truthiness, but still).

As for the vegetable/fruit variety... I don't know what to do about that. I'm shocked I'm forking spinach into my face. The only areas that I can shave off carbs would sacrifice the bread (and its fiber content). What do you recommend veggie/fruit-wise and where/when to eat it?

[ico7]

Billie: June 4th is my birthday, and I'll admit I'll have a hard time keeping my birthday cake from my face, and also close to the time the pool will be warm enough for swimming. After the birthday splurge, I still intend on getting back on track and focusing on being more persistant to get rid of the remnant body fat while also toning up more---I'll spend lots of time in the pool and I'll by then feel comfortable enough and have enough conviction to join a gym to make that happen.

Heh, about that sodium---I just realized Fitday tells me how much I eat, although I don't even enter in the Diet Dr. Pepper since it is carb-less (unlike the Diet SunDrops I used to drink). It claims I consume 13,218 mg of it. Again, not counting the Diet Dr. Pepper which I drink 3 or 4 bottles a day (at 70mg a bottle).

As for water, it depends---I take a water bottle to work (28oz) but that's just two or three days out of the week. Otherwise, I don't drink that much... I don't really get thirsty a lot.

Hmm... that sodium thing has me concerned now. Water may flush it out, but that still sounds high regardless. What range should it be at? I don't recall the book specifying.

[Billie]

I don't have the PP books handy but will check them tomorrow. I can't believe I am quoting something from the internet but here is what a couple different source said:

But you don't need much sodium -- 500 milligrams a day is enough -- or the amount found in 1/4 teaspoon of salt, according to the National Academy of Sciences.
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There is no Recommended Daily Allowance for sodium. But older Daily Values recommend you consume a maximum of 2400 milligrams a day, while both the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology recommend slightly less, or 2300 milligrams daily.

Most Americans consume more Like 5,000 milligrams, 90 percent of which comes from sodium-packed fast food. packaged snacks and prepared meals, according to Myron H. Weinberger, M.D., F.A.C.P., F.A.C.C., a professor of medicine and director of the Hypertension Research Center at the Indiana University School of Medicine in Indianapolis. Is that such a big deal?

Even if this is a bunch of hooey above and obviously from the Internet I am not sure this source is credible and we find out more getting out the PP books in the morning, I can't believe that much sodium intake would be good for you. Is there something else you could eat, eggs and bacon would still be less sodium and probably more protein than you are eating. The deli ham or Oscar ham is pretty thinly cut so not sure how much actual protein you are getting there from 12 slices. And water would be good to get down, maybe you can substitute some water for the Dr. Pepper. Stay with us here, we will help you figure it out, get you eating well and STILL BE IN THE SWIMMING POOL ON JUNE 4th!

[ico7]

Billie, 72g of protein from 12 slices of turkey. When I first started back in December and up to late February I had bacon (no eggs because I hate them)---it was only 33g of protein, 43g of fat, and 1500mg of sodium for the 6.5 servings that I ate. However, that much bacon led to a lot of grease I had to toss AND it was time consuming to cook.

Forsaking the water was rather absent-minded; the book often stresses it and I obviously just shrugged it off. It's a lot easier and more desirable for me to reach for a bottle of almost any diet soft drink than to drink water. FitDay has been really helpful in getting me to be conscious of what I eat; perhaps I should incorporate water into it so I can be more responsible of what I drink.

Thanks though, I'll be glad to stick around and get this done right instead of winging it and slacking off.

[Gaelen]

The ratio has shifted as I tweaked around with the diet; this latest approach greatly increased the protein and lowered the fat on purpose. It was once mainly fat, followed by protein then carbs. If I have to keep carbs below 30, then I'd be transferring protein to fat again. It worked for me before, but I'd prefer my body to burn its own fat than have just-consumed dietary fat. Of course, I'm hear for advice, so if you can tell me that line of thinking is wrong (and hopefully why), I'd like to know.

Ico, depending on your activity levels, your body WILL burn its own stores of fat as well as any fat that you consume--but you do have to be active enough to stimulate your metabolism to run higher than it runs if your'e sedentary. Also, in Protein Power Lifeplan, the Eadeses' upped the recommended carb level for Phase I to 40g ECC, so you don't have to limit yourself to 30gECC unless you want to. As for the science of how and when and why your body will burn its fat stores, check out the threads in "The Science behind Protein Power", especially the energy balance thread.

The exercise program started with simple weight lifting and using my own body weight as resistance and working from that---adding new approaches as the old ones become easier to do. It is rather rudimentary, but I guess necessary as I go from rather sedentary and build up enough willpower/routine to justify any further expenses (ie a gym membership and such).

If you're doing simple weight lifting, you do NOT need a lot of expensive equipment. A lot of cities have second hand sports stores, and nearly every one of them I've ever been in has more gently used dumbbells, bars, barbells and weight sets available than you can shake a stick at. I once saw a pair of adjustable bells, practically new in the box, for $15 in Play it again Sports--they adjusted from 1lb to 30lbs by adding/subtracting weight form the bar. Plain old pairs of dumbbells are usually $5 apiece. You can build up a pretty good set of home weight equipment for under $50--no gym equipment required.

But don't stop with weight training. Got sneakers? Then twice a week or more, WALK somewhere. Take the stairs in any building you can find. Balance your exercise. Reshaping your body and teaching your metabolism to run hot enough to burn off stored fat isn't all about resistance training--and walking costs nothing at all.

The turkey is from Oscar Meyer, yes. I'm still a college student and I don't have a lot of disposable income. <snip> As for the vegetable/fruit variety... I don't know what to do about that. I'm shocked I'm forking spinach into my face. The only areas that I can shave off carbs would sacrifice the bread (and its fiber content). What do you recommend veggie/fruit-wise and where/when to eat it?

Ico, I know all about restricted disposable income. But do the math--how much does Oscar Mayer Turkey cost you per pound? You could buy turkey thighs for $1.79/lb, or (gulp) the whole bird for 79 cents/pound in a rough week, cook it, and have WAY more protein for MUCH less money--and without taking in 13,000mg of sodium in the process! heck, even a rotissiere chicken costs less per pound of actual meat than deli turkey meat!

As for 'shaving off carbs,' as I mentioned before, you don't have to shave off any more carbs...in fact, you've got 10 more of them to spend per day if you choose to use them. That's raw veggies in whatever quantities you like, 1/2 cups of stewed or diced tomatoes, steamed cauliflower or broccoli, any kind of steamed green you like (or green cooked in melted butter, for that matter), mushrooms, summer squash---and now and then, get yourself to Aldi or some other no-frills store and pick up a big bag of unsweetened frozen mixed berries for $3 to mix into cottage cheese, ricotta, or half and half for instant "sorbet." They should run you around $1.50 a pound, 2 lb. bags. I'd eat the berries as part of breakfast or for a snack; I'd include a half-cup of some type of cooked veggie or 1 cup of raw greens in every meal.

Hope this helps.

[ico7]

Carbs went from 30g to 40 in phase 1!? Blasphemy!

I live out in the country; I have a phobia taking a walk around here because I was attacked by a dog when I was younger and dogs still yet run around unchained. Not to mention whatever wild animals there are. I doubt going for a walk is healthy if you stress out the whole time, right? = P

I could travel to a track, but that's hard to work inbetween my work and school schedule. I admit, it is something that I know I need to do, but school lasts until 5/10... so less than a month to go. Plus, the pool should be opening up by then too and that provides another activity---I prefer to actually swim in the pool than lounge about, so it is an activity.

As for buying and cooking the bird (or parts thereof) myself, I never thought of that, mainly because I'm intimidated. I don't know how to cook such things, but it is obviously better for me and cheaper; two complimentary reasons that demand I learn how to cook it.

Looking around here I came across how to make my own peanut butter that I could probably put on tasteless celery. The peanut butter balls also sound real good, but that's not really addressing my lack of veggies/fruits (outside of the cup and a half of salad and little bit of tomato in the ketchup). Sadly for me, milk is out of the question---dairy and I do not get along too well, so the berry sorbet is a no-go.

I'll work with it; I think my current main focus will be replacing the high-sodium OM turkey, which explains how it doesn't expire for months, and cook the bird (part) myself AND doing something about the atrocious lack of water intake.

Thanks for your advice. Hopefully I'll have good news in a couple of weeks about successfully implementing these changes...

[Billie]

ico7, you know what is great about reading your posts this morning is that you are willing to implement some changes to make things work better for you--that is a huge step, congrats! Turkey is not at all hard to cook, even a turkey breast with a little pop up thermometer to start will help you. I don't know if you have scanned the recipe section very much but there are some incredible things in that forum that have been assembled for all kinds of different needs.

Keep talking, good luck!

[Gaelen]

I live out in the country; I have a phobia taking a walk around here because I was attacked by a dog when I was younger and dogs still yet run around unchained. Not to mention whatever wild animals there are. I doubt going for a walk is healthy if you stress out the whole time, right? = P

I could travel to a track, but that's hard to work inbetween my work and school schedule. I admit, it is something that I know I need to do, but school lasts until 5/10... so less than a month to go. Plus, the pool should be opening up by then too and that provides another activity---I prefer to actually swim in the pool than lounge about, so it is an activity....

Ico...no excuses!okay, you don't like to walk in the 'country' because you don't feel it's safe...before you leave civilization when you're at school or work, walk there. It's like not making time to drink enough water...you're the pilot of your own ship, man, so start steering! ;)

As for buying and cooking the bird (or parts thereof) myself, I never thought of that, mainly because I'm intimidated. I don't know how to cook such things, but it is obviously better for me and cheaper; two complimentary reasons that demand I learn how to cook it. Looking around here I came across how to make my own peanut butter that I could probably put on tasteless celery. The peanut butter balls also sound real good, but that's not really addressing my lack of veggies/fruits (outside of the cup and a half of salad and little bit of tomato in the ketchup). Sadly for me, milk is out of the question---dairy and I do not get along too well, so the berry sorbet is a no-go....

Ico, if you can read, you can cook. As Billie mentioned, some parts and whole turkey's even come with pop up thermometers that tell you when it's done. But honest, unless you've got a gas stove and your oven is fruity, the oven won't bite. ;) Check out the library for a book called, "Help! there's a stove in my kitchen!" or "Cooking for Dummies" (not that you're a dummy; just that it's a good simple start), or if you're less into the humor in cooking approach, look for How to Cook Everything: The Basics by Mark Bittman. (http://www.amazon.ca/exec/obidos/ASIN/076456756X/702-6440131-4568038) Honest, try cooking--you'll do fine. And while you're still intimidated, check out those rotissiere chickens when they go on sale!

BTW, you don't need to add dairy to the berries to make a sorbet. When they're frozen, you can drop a cup of them into a blender and whir them away, and they'll create a soft sherbet consistency just because they're frozen. You don't have to add anything at all.

I'll work with it; I think my current main focus will be replacing the high-sodium OM turkey, which explains how it doesn't expire for months, and cook the bird (part) myself AND doing something about the atrocious lack of water intake. Thanks for your advice. Hopefully I'll have good news in a couple of weeks about successfully implementing these changes...

One step at a time; you'll do fine!

[Viking Dan]

... Check out the library for a book called, "Help! there's a stove in my kitchen!" ...

I think my wife would like me to check out "Goddamnit! There's a hamper in the bathroom!"