Need Help

[wineaux1962]

I have tried starting this several times. I lose 7 lbs immediately and then stall out. I really believe in this and I have stuck with it for 3 weeks now this time. I was 212 and am now 204. I have tried changing from beef to fish. I can't tolerate pork. My typical day is 3 eggs for breakfast, cheese for midday snack, meat for lunch, meat and cheese for supper. I don't feel hungry a lot of the time mid day. I am a type 2 diabetic and I have no thyroid. I take levosynthroid. I take Ambien or Tylenol pm. I do love coffee. I am rearranging my lifestyle to accomodate working out. I would appreciate any input. I really do believe in this program.
Thank you.

[Frank Hagan]

I can really relate to "stalling" after losing some weight. I sometimes go three weeks without any change in the scale, then drop 4 or 5 pounds within a couple of days.

Which diet are you following? The reason I ask is that I don't see any veggies in your list of foods. There are a lot of low carb veggies you can eat ... almost all of the dark green leafy kinds, cauliflower, broccoli, and green beans. Then most of the peppers, some squashes, etc. are all within my carb allotment per meal (10g or so per meal). Walnuts, almonds, pistachios and other nuts are "legal" in regular serving sizes too.

[maxlharris]

How do you take your coffee?
How many cups are you having a day?
How much cheese for the midday snack?
Why are you eating a midday snack if you aren't hungry?
How much meat for lunch?
How much meat and cheese for dinner?

[Belfrybat]

And to add to Max's post: how many and what kinds of veggies?

[wineaux1962]

Let me see if I can answer the questions. I have had salad three times in 21 days and these were in the last 2 nights. That's all the vegetables I have had. I like low carb vegetables. I got some broccoli and green beans to microwave yesterday, but I haven't yet. I think I haven't eaten the vegetables for I eat the meat and it satisfies me. It's convenient.
I eat cheese on a varying basis. My appetite has picked up the last 2 days and I have had 3 to six slices Colby Jack daily. I have specialty cheese too, but the other is my staple.
I have cream in my coffee. I drink 2 small pots and then another 20 oz daily. I try to drink as much water as I can. I think that would translate into at least four cups of coffee plus at least one large cup of McDonald's coffee daily. I start drinking water in the afternoon. I would be willing to go creamless and substitute warm water for part of the coffee if I need to.
My appetite decreased with a cold and I was undergoing NAET treatments from a chiropractor the last 2 weeks. I think all of it caused me to not be as hungry. I haven't had hardly any meat for lunch the last week due to not being hungry. I have had cheese for lunch. One day I had egg salad. I did add a cup of pecans a day for the last 2 days.
My intake today for example was 3:rolleyes: eggs with Trader Joe's tartar sauce, 3 slices cheese, one cup pecans. I snacked on some more cheese on way home from store and then I ate grilled salmon with the tartar sauce for supper. I love salmon. I ate a fourth of a lb. of it for supper. I did eat a few more pecans.
I do have positives. My blood sugar is no longer in the 140's fasting. It's been 91-110 with and without metformin at night. I went from 18 W pants to 16 W. I was able to get back into XL tops instead of 2X.
I appreciate the feedback.
Thanks,
Wineaux

[mcsblues]

Welcome Wineaux! :) ... for some reason I think we already have something in common!:lol: (cheers!)

Some quick thoughts.

If you have regularly been getting fasting BGs of 140, you need to be on a very low carb diet, weight loss or not. Make sure you check out the diabetic section here - other people's experience can help a lot.

Coffee, Ambien and Tylenol ... plus given you name some alcohol as well? - perhaps not when you are dieting?? I imagine you are following one of the PP books? Even if you are, I suggest you check out the Eades latest book (known as 6W around here). There is a good section on how and why to give your liver a bit of a break from caffeine and alcohol and non essential medication. It might help you.

I know its hard to accept, but you can't stall after 3 weeks - well not really - yes, your weight might stabilise for a week or two (but your measurements/clothes sizes may keep changing) - but stick with it! The scales will start to move again soon. and you are going to eat like this from now on right? So what's a few weeks, or even months between friends?;)

I know patience is difficult, but concentrate on the positives. From your blood sugar alone, I'm guessing you already feel better ... right? And you health is the #1 priority ... little things like weight loss might just take a little longer.

HTH

[wineaux1962]

Thank you, Malcolm. I really do feel better with the lower blood sugar. I do concentrate on positives. I am trying to increase low carb veggies today and I have been successful. I love wine, but yes I have not been drinking. I have even avoided tequila, so I am committed. I read the 6 W book and gave it to my friend. I liked it. I read the part on detoxing the liver and I tried it. I didn't stick with it long enough. I got tired of making the shakes, but they were fabulous and filled me up. I worked nights for 6 years and I got hooked on Tylenol pm. I prefer Ambien and I rarely use the other unless I have a cold. Coffee is my comfort food as it reminds me of my mom and having a cup of coffee with her when she was alive. It is my chocolate.
Thanks,
Wineaux1962

[mcsblues]

No problem. I'm a little bit confused as to why you treat Tylenol (which we would call paracetamol) and Ambien as interchangeable. I also think if you gave yourself a caffeine holiday - even if you gradually cut down by using decaf - you may just find you will sleep better, without either. Just a thought.

Personally I would steer clear of Ambien (we call it Stilnox!) because of the probably small number of side effects (but pretty bizarre side effects when they arise!) One Mike Eades had a tale - well Mary Dan did (http://www.proteinpower.com/drmd_blog/?p=175) ... a while back ...

[Belfrybat]

Might I suggest you join the monthly challenge thread? You can share your menues and we might be able to help you tweak things a bit. In the back of the PP book, there is an excellent graph of what kinds of protein combinations you can try to make up for your protein needs. The Eades do not recommend eating a lot of cheese. Both nuts and cheese are foods that stall a lot of people. Plus they are very high calorie. 1 cup of pecans is about 680 and 3 oz of cheese about 400. So you are getting over 1000 calories on top of whatever else you are eating. You won't gain weight with high calories when also low carbing, but neither will you lose.

An excellent book (and forum) for those with high blood sugars is Dr. Richard Bernstein's Diabetes Solution. He recommends no more than 12 carbs per meal (which is in line with PP), BUT recommends not eating enough bulk to extend the stomach as he has discovered that will cause higher blood sugars even if still low carb. There's also some evidence that among insulin resistant folks that high protein will cause a spike. That certainly is the case with me -- if I go over my minimum protein intake by 50% I'll see a spike even if all I eat is meat.

Please come join us in the challenge -- I think you will enjoy the support and encouragement we give each other there.

[Belfrybat]

No problem. I'm a little bit confused as to why you treat Tylenol (which we would call paracetamol) and Ambien as interchangeable. ...

Malcome, here in the States there is a kind of tylenol that has a sleep inducer in it -- called Tylenol PM. Not sure what the sedative is as I don't use it.

[maxlharris]

Depending on how much cream you use in your coffee, that could be a lot of extra dairy/calories that isn't necessarily against the program, but can cause people to stall. Ditto the cheese. That's why I asked about both. You might try replacing some of the cheese with some nuts or something to see if it's the dairy or the calories. If you improve, it's a dairy thing. If you don't, it's a caloric issue.

Since you have lost inches, it could simply be that you are experiencing recomposition rather than weight loss. Good thing, because really, the goal is to look and feel better, which is achieved through recomposition more than a scale number. Less fat, more lean tissue, which is heavier than fat, but a lot better looking and a lot healthier to have.

[gitfiddle]

I have tried starting this several times. I lose 7 lbs immediately and then stall out. I really believe in this and I have stuck with it for 3 weeks now this time. I was 212 and am now 204. I have tried changing from beef to fish. I can't tolerate pork. My typical day is 3 eggs for breakfast, cheese for midday snack, meat for lunch, meat and cheese for supper. I don't feel hungry a lot of the time mid day. I am a type 2 diabetic and I have no thyroid. I take levosynthroid. I take Ambien or Tylenol pm. I do love coffee. I am rearranging my lifestyle to accomodate working out. I would appreciate any input. I really do believe in this program.
Wineaux, don't worry about jumping through all the hoops. Just start with the basics (carbs & protein). Once you're in tune with that, you can move to the next step. Patience really helps on this journey. :)

[Sunny]

Hi there, I haven't posted in a while since my DH had a stroke and my time is no longer my own.... i agree with gitfiddle about patience being the key.... I have been on the 6 week cure for several months now and my weight has gone down 5 # and then nothing more.... BUT.... my clothes are looser .... waist, hip, thighs..... this has never happened for me before.... always the weight came off too.... so being so busy with my DH's care I just am too busy to worry or obsess about "why it isn't working" the way I did before.... there are so many other things that are occupying my mind now.... ike: will he have another stroke... will our house sell ( offer made but he also wants me to replace the roof instead of repair the 10% that is bad) why hasn't the Dr. returned my call about the coumadin levels being off.... so I realize now that I was getting uptight about this new eating plan and wanting it to work so bad that I couldn't trust the program and my body;s slow response to it.... it does work... for some dramatically fast (I'm jealous!) for others it's pathetically slow.... like me!! But all my clothes are now too big and I don't know how that is happening when my weight is still the same as it has been since initial 5 pound loss.... all this to say.... hangeth thou in there!!!:o

[mcsblues]

Malcome, here in the States there is a kind of tylenol that has a sleep inducer in it -- called Tylenol PM. Not sure what the sedative is as I don't use it.

Not saying you guys are weird or anything ... ;) ... but why on earth would you mix totally unnecessary paracetamol with (I looked it up) a antihistamine/sedative (Diphenhydramine)?:rolleyes: