Maintenance Check-In October 2006

[Mitra]

I haven't dug out a quotation for this week, but we haven't had a thread for a couple of weeks, and I was missing hearing how everyone's getting on.

I've crept up two or three pounds (that's not additional LBM) :( . I'm not totally sure why. Probably a mixture of being a bit indulgent, and overeating for days after getting so hungry when I tried IF :rolleyes:. I'd like to blame my recent yoga weekend, but it wasn't residential, and I only ate one meal that was provided on the course (Saturday lunch) so it's hard to blame that for too much damage. Whatever the reason, it looks as if I need to tighten up for a while. I don't want to head into Christmas with excess poundage already in place!

I'm managing my lower back problems OK at the moment, keeping on top of exercising, and just started a new yoga course that should give me lots in the "other 20%" areas, so things are going pretty well apart from this ongoing pattern of drifting up every time I relax a bit :rolleyes: .

How are you doing?

[Missy]

Hi hear there's a spot opening in boot camp!....after all, we ARE talking BOOTS at the moment! lol :D ;)

You Maintainer's are so inspiring! Do you know, that over the years of trying to find a "plan" for me...I never KNEW of any "maintainers"? It's because they didn't EXIST...and now, this board has many! Oh my word, that is so incredibly awesome!!! :D

One day....one day....sigh. :)

[Mitra]

Hi hear there's a spot opening in boot camp!....

I knew I was setting myself up for that :lol:. But definitely not if it means wearing stillettos :eek:.

[Missy]

Didn't think I'd be a WATCHIN' did ya? lol :D

Nope, THESE BOOTS ARE MADE FOR WALKIN'!!!! lol

[Relief]

Missy you are too cute! thanks for the kudos as well, a little validation is good for the soul!

sorry to hear about the upward drift, Janet-- ah, I know it well :lol:

I'm hanging in there. not much to report as far as results but lots of "doings" on the hormone front, so lots of hope! (and my upward drift has at least STOPPED! yay. still waiting for it to " drift" OFF :D )

all the tests back and everything pretty much as I expected--all homones low, especially testosterone. thyroid TSH right at normal --1.8 but free T4 and free T3 both at HALF of normal. upshot: I've got an estrogen patch, cream with progeterone, testosterone and DHEA in it, a slightly higher dose of Armour thyroid plus extra time release T3. also a recommedation for vitamins and minerals and some adaptogens to help a bit with adrenals. (Low adrenal function is related to the thyroid up-take/conversion problem) Also--which i really liked--a recommendation to see an acupuncturist that specializes in hormone balancing. The NP said that sometimes the body needs some help to adequately USE the homones that are being produced/ added. I think I'm going to go. sounds good to me!

still too soon to see any big changes, but as I said the upward trend seems to have stopped--hot flashes already seem less, and the boyfriend insists I seem to be a bit more frisky! :D

I started weights workouts again this week as well. so as i said--Lots of "doings" --hopefully some results to report soon!

[Missy]

Yep, Relief = another one of MY HERO'S! :D

[banshee]

Let's see...

This weekend I got into one of my smaller pair of jeans and wore them comfortably all day. (My inches had drifted up slightly over the last couple years to the point I could wear them but not comfortably sit in them.) This despite the scale claiming that I haven't dropped either weight or body fat. The big liar! ;)

Exercise is going well, and if I can keep this latest trend up it looks like it might finally be on the way to becoming a habit. I'm facing some changes this week as my knee started bothering me again last week after 5 weeks of bicycling 2-3 times a week. I think I'm going to try to do more weight work and less of the "pure" aerobics. My heart rate tends to get pretty high with the weight work, so I think I can still get in a good "aerobic" workout using lighter weights than on my "strength" days. (See Shadow, I was listening! :D) Plus I truly enjoy the weightlifting a lot more than the biking or walking. We'll see how it goes...

I started some minor hormone therapy a couple months ago. I had a lot of symptoms of estrogen dominance, so I decided to try some bioidentical progesterone cream. My temperature seems to be regulating itself a bit better, I seem to be sleeping better, and I have more energy since I started taking it. I also think it may be playing a factor in finally seeing some of the stubborn inches lost in my hip/thigh area, as estrogen dominance is supposed to cause fat storage in the hips/thighs. I've been working hard since February to try and lose those last stubborn pounds of fat and not seeing any progress until the last couple months, so I think it's reasonable to assume that the progesterone cream is having an effect in that area.

I think the abdominal surgery this summer has finally cleared up my abdominal pain problems. It is so nice to be pain free after literally years of mild intermittent nagging pain. Additionally, the surgery seems to have cleared up an intestinal problem as well. I used to get terrible excrutiating abdominal pain after eating that seemed to be caused by gas getting "stuck" in my intestines and causing cramps. Hubby almost took me to the emergency room a couple times because the pain was so bad. Since the surgery, I've had some very mild cramping when I eat something "gassy", but it's nowhere near the pain it used to be!

Food-wise I haven't changed much. I'm still averaging about 60 grams of carb per day and still enjoying my low-carb chocolates several times a week. (I switched to the Eat Well Be Well bars this summer, as I wanted to try and transition away from the sugar alcohols.) I still have an occasional treat that's made with sugar alcohols, but it's now only 2-3 times a month instead of almost every day. I haven't been actively IFing like some have tried, but I have let myself "not worry" if I don't eat 3 meals a day, and have occasionally gone anywhere from 16-20 hours without eating when I've been busy at work or on the weekend.

In all, I'm pleased with the way things have been going, and hope they continue! :)

[Mitra]

I've got an estrogen patch, cream with progeterone, testosterone and DHEA in it, a slightly higher dose of Armour thyroid plus extra time release T3. also a recommedation for vitamins and minerals and some adaptogens to help a bit with adrenals.
...
I started weights workouts again this week as well. so as i said--Lots of "doings" --hopefully some results to report soon!

Wow :eek: that's quite a collection!

I hope the weights will help - I remember you did well with them before (when we were running "honeybuns" :D ).

I'm going to weigh myself in the morning - my uptrend at the moment is based on an evening reading, so I want a morning one to get a better idea of what's really going on.

Mary, it sounds as if it's all coming together for you - nice to hear someone getting all the good results they deserve :cool:

Soopy - I saw you lurking, come and talk to us :).

Shadow, where are you?

[Mitra]

The morning number wasn't as bad as I thought - 113, so only 1lb up. I must have been holding lots of fluid the other evening for some reason, because it was 2-3 lb higher than I expected (even allowing for it being evening).

[Shadow]

Shadow, where are you?
Buried under at work :(. And as cranky as these guys are making me :mad: I figure I'd best not say anything anywhere :lol:!!!

[Mitra]

You can be cranky here :) - if it gets too much, we'll send Missy to sort you out ;). Did you see that you got a mention in yesterday's daily challenge (http://www.proteinpower.com/forum/showpost.php?p=17586&postcount=69) thread?

[Relief]

shadow--best wishes and we'll love to see you when you surface--

good news Janet! personally I nver weigh myself except in the morning, stark naked, after 7:30, after peeing, before drinking anything--that's always my lowest weight of the day-- so works for comparison the best. if I weigh before 7:30 even at 7:00 am I have seen the numbers up as much as a pound higher; half hour later and I've lost a pound! --do you suppose it's the barometric pressure? :D

and speaking of good news my own weight this morning was down 2 pounds from the high a week ago. please let it be so!

[Mitra]

I'll keep my fingers crossed for you, Deborah :).

[BeccainSC]

good news Janet! personally I nver weigh myself except in the morning, stark naked, after 7:30, after peeing, before drinking anything--that's always my lowest weight of the day-- so works for comparison the best. if I weigh before 7:30 even at 7:00 am I have seen the numbers up as much as a pound higher; half hour later and I've lost a pound! --do you suppose it's the barometric pressure? :D



I'm sneaking in from the October challenge as I'm definitely not on maintence but this caught my eye. I do the "get up, pee, strip, weigh" thing myself but never thought about how the different times could make a difference in my weight as it's not always exactly the same time. I just base it on when I get up. I'm usually majorly thirsty so want to get it out of the way so I can have my water to jump start the day. I'll try to stick closer to the same time and see if it makes a difference.

[cmcole]

Mitra, if my weight ever got to be the same as yours, I don't think you could shut me up.

Anyway, I was certain I was "maintaining", as my weight hadn't really moved after gaining a bit around Basic Training. I was convinced that it was muscle, and it is possible.

However, like many, I still step on the scale periodically, and it has moved somewhat recently. Now, that was not a huge drop, but it was enough to see, and wonder if, indeed, I still could lose a little, or at least even out the lumpy parts.

Would one still be considered in maintenance, or just a "wannabe" if there's some smoothing of the fat cells necessary for complete satisfaction?

[Mitra]

CM, I'm not very tall, and have quite a small frame, so it's not a number that would be healthy on someone taller or larger framed, or more muscular.

As to who's in maintenance, I think this section is for anybody who wants to be here: those who're trying to stay the same - who've dealt with the weight/health issues that brought them here; who're working on the last few pounds; who're well-established in this WOE for a long time; or who just see something in the discussion that they want to join in with. The more the merrier :).

[Relief]

Would one still be considered in maintenance, or just a "wannabe" if there's some smoothing of the fat cells necessary for complete satisfaction?

oh you betcha! I've always thought this thread should be called "Maintainers and VETERANS" anyway. when you've been on this plan like, FOREVER--then your issues are quite different from a newbie's doncha know?!??!!! (or when you aren't exactly maintaining but trying to get back to goal for the FOURTH time after gaingin AGAIN through NO FAULT of your own! dang those pesky hormones) do I sound bit touchy today..hmmmm?

you are definietly one of us down here!

[Relief]

oh and Becca about the weigh time. I must say that when I'm in weight loss mode I have been a compuslive weigh-er. I can tell you how much weight any of my outfits adds. just about how much I weigh at night compared to morning--how long after eating it takes for the food to be assimilated--way too much in other words!

the interesting thing is that having done that kind of imformation gathereing about daily wieght fluctuatons actually made be LESS crazy ( eventually :D ) about the day to day fluctuations. I know the difference between a higher weight that is from water ( sudden jump up after an evening meal that included alcohol and french fries!) a higher weight that can be disregarded due to the fact that I ate dinner late so haven't had time to fully digest it --or a steady creep up that means I've lost metabolic control and need to fix something.

NOT recommending this kind of craziness but it does have a kind of comfort to it!

[Missy]

lol....CM? lol....I even stop by and visit with these guys on occassion! :D But, I'm not shy....lol...nor timid. I'll bet wherever you feel comfortable is AOK with this group.

What better place to learn from then those who MADE IT! and make it AGAIN...and...again....lol :tongue:

[cmcole]

Well, Mitra, according to calculations on one particular site:

http://www.healthstatus.com/cgi-bin/calc/calculator.cgi

(http://www.healthstatus.com/videos/health_videos.html)

Results:
According to your height of 5' 2" your ideal healthy weight is 110 pounds. Your recommended weight range is between 109 and 136 pounds.
This was calculated using Hamwi formula, a simple formula commonly used by many clinicians.
These are recommended weights. Talk with your doctor about what weight is best for you and before undertaking any new diet or exercise programs.
You can learn more about BMI and see what it is for your current weight by checking out our Body Mass calculator.


I think that's a pipe dream. I'd really have to remove a body part to get there, I'm sure. I'd also have to shed more than 30 pounds.

[Mitra]

BMI calculations take your height into account, but nothing else. I have a small build and not much muscle, so I'm at the lower end of that range (though still over their "ideal" 110 lbs :rolleyes: ), but if you have bigger bones and/or muscles, that could still be too thin for you. BMI is a very inaccurate measure. Body fat percentage gives a better indiction - but is much harder to assess. But I'm much happier to be this weight than I was a 140+, so I certainly don't blame you at all for working to get a bit lower :).

[soopy]

Hi everyone,
Alright Mitra, you caught me! I got out of the habit of checking/posting when the board went down last year, and just haven't started again. It's been a rough year for me, with lots of family issues to deal with. I'm pretty much on auto pilot with diet and exercise. I just eat what I should and do what I'm supposed to, and weight etc. stay the same. (BTW, I'm also 5'2" and 110# would be way too light for me. I'd have to lose muscle to get there) I have to say I'm sure that good nutrition and definitely lots of exercise has a lot to do with how well I am able to cope with things, so I'm grateful to have had it under control.

So what's bringing me out of the woodwork now is Dr. Mike's blog on IF, and the subsequent thread in Community Forums. DH had been maintaining at a little higher than ideal weight, but after several weeks of forced inactivity (due to a car accident) and too much opportunity to snack, the scales are creeping up. He really doesn't want to be back up there when he's all better, so he opted to try IF rather than doing some serious carb counting. Being chief cook, shopper and supportive spouse, I'm joining him in this latest nutritional experiment. We're doing a basic 24 hours eat, 24 hours fast schedule and are on our 5th fast day. We are still eating mostly lo carb, but not worrying so much about keeping exactly within limits. The greater concern is getting adequate protein in. I'm finding it relatively easy to do. I don't get ravenously hungry, and don't notice a drop in energy levels. Also no drop on the scales for either of us (me-good, him-rats!). We plan on sticking to it for a month or so to give it a good test and then, who knows? We'll re-assess. I love that the Eades are constantly evolving. I'm looking forward to the blog on 'no-carb,' although I really doubt I'd want to try it.

So, that's where I am. As far as the 'other 20%,' I'm really trying to make time for some serious quilting. Something I enjoy, but it always gets pushed to the back burner. And Mitra, I almost signed up for a beginners Yoga retreat! DH's accident kind of got in the way, but I'm keeping it in mind for the Spring. I really am a complete beginner, never having done any type of yoga and generally being quite inflexible (physically anyway). It's about time I gave it a try.

Mitra-thanks for keeping this forum going, even if some of us drift away.
Relief-sorry to hear your struggles continue. If menopause hits, and bad things start to happen to me, I know who to turn to for advice.
Shadow-hope things calm down for you soon
Banshee-I sure hope the exercise becomes a habit, and I'm so glad to hear you are finally pain free.
Hello and welcome to everyone else, I hope to see you all here more regularly!

[LisaS]

the interesting thing is that having done that kind of imformation gathereing about daily wieght fluctuatons actually made be LESS crazy ( eventually :D ) about the day to day fluctuations. I know the difference between a higher weight that is from water ( sudden jump up after an evening meal that included alcohol and french fries!) a higher weight that can be disregarded due to the fact that I ate dinner late so haven't had time to fully digest it --or a steady creep up that means I've lost metabolic control and need to fix something.


me too! gathering info daily, over the whole day, over time has immunized me so to speak when I now weight (mostly) once a day - I know that an overnight gain of 2-4 lbs is no more real than the same lost overnight - and I'm less crazy when I see either - on the other hand, I can see an evening weight and pretty accurately predict what my next morning weight will be as well.

[Mitra]

Soopy, it's good to see you again. I'm sorry you've had a difficult time. Interesting how popular IF is proving! My husband's still working on weight loss, too, but had rather more of it to do than yours. At the start of this year he decided he was going to get serious about it, and he's lost 75 lbs :cool:. He's now comfortably in a 38" waist size, at 6' 3". He'd still like to lose more, but he's looking and feeling a lot better.

Deborah, Lisa, I did the same frequent weighing thing for a long time, and have been trying to reduce the frequency, but 1-2 lbs is what I'd normally expect to change through the day, not the 4 lbs I saw the other day. I suppose it was a combination of what I'd eaten at the weekend and ovulating!

[Shadow]

Mitra - Thanks, but if I get started, you'll never shut me up :lol:!

Soopy - Great to see you again :D!

Deborah - Yahoo - you are rockin' :nod:!!! I am keeping my fingers crossed for you!

[Shadow]

Okay - back to the topic at hand... Maintenance.

Actually, I've done quite well. I'm not at my lowest but am still within an acceptable range. Unlike Mary, I only thought I was estrogen dominent and was told I was in menopause the last 3 years. However, upon seeing a new doc this year (who actually tested my levels), I found that I am actually deficient in estrogen. So I am now taking hormones - and have yet to face menopause in the future. But, I can't complain since through it all I haven't had the battle of the scale that others here have experienced! It hasn't remained down where I want it, but the results are still not too shabby. Of course, I credit my exercise habit for that ;).

Deborah - I am so thrilled you're getting back into weights :thumbsup:!

Mary - I hope you have the success that I have had with more weight work! I know I like to claim weights are the best (and not only because I hate cardio, lol) but truth be told, I persevered on the cardio for years. Like you, I have a very cranky knee and cutting back on the cardio has done wonders for it - not to mention the added benefit of better-toned muscles ;). I'm just thankful Gabe convinced me the sky wouldn't fall if I cut back! Cardio is good for some things - but I will swear by my weights any day :D! Oh - PS - I have a bike too but it is definitely a killer on my knee! I do far better with step and kickbox than riding that thing :(.

Mitra - I have all the faith in the world in you and just know that this is only a fluctuation and you'll be right where you want to be come the holidays!

Missy - It was a whole new learning experience for me too! I honestly didn't think there was such a thing! I thought only the yo-yo of constant ups and downs was all there would ever be. And as long as you keep us laughing, you can come by whenever you want :lol:!

CMC - If you're down to just 'smoothing the fat cells' then I would say that certainly is a qualifier for maintenance! Or 'veteran' as Deborah says - which is more accurate, IMHO ;).

Soopy - How wonderful of you to show such support for DH! Please do keep us posted on how the IF goes for both of you! And I am so happy you're finding time for quilting and the other 20% :).

[cmcole]

Well, Shadow, I'm happy enough taking the size clothing I am in.
Certainly, the "ideal" weight charts place me at overweight by about 30 lbs, but I still am not sure that would accurately compute on my body. I keep thinking that if the scale stays the same, that's probably not bad. I shouldn't be delusional to think that I'll ever get rid of an additional 30 pounds without becoming anexoric, or something like a pic I saw online today.
http://img.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2006/10/mariannenew_228x745.jpg (http://img.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2006/10/mariannenew_214x700.jpg)

Seriously, other than a pot belly which my hubby insists only I can see, I don't know where else I would need to lose. My legs are not going to get smaller - they are just large and muscular. My shoulders and back are broad - I'd do well in football, perhaps. I also run and weight train, so am unlikely to get smaller there, either.

So, if you don't mind welcoming me into your little "inner circle" then I thank you for the acceptance.

[Mitra]

:eek: No, you don't have to look like that to post here :lol:. And we'd be delighted to have you in our circle :D. Maybe the thread should be called V&M for Veterans and Maintainers?

[Shadow]

Welcome aboard, CMC :D!!!!! We're thrilled to have you here! As for the picture - I'll take muscular over that any day :eek:!!!!