Induction Babies

[LowCarbinIt]

Thank you so much Trillex for the reply! I have seen a lot of your posts here on the forum and respect your knowledge!

[Anastasis]

Hey Guys,

Wanted to introduce myself. Been reading a lot on the forums and you guys are great. Thanks for all the helpful hints.

In short, I've always been athletic but a little "fluffy" - technically in the overweight BMI range but healthy body fat range. Started college at 162 and after a long-term relationship with an inactive, very unhealthy eater and a year living abroad, I was up to 207. Started medical school and in fits and starts, mainly using WW, I was down to 172 the day I graduated. But then intern year started and I'm all the way up to 190 by the end. I've been eating primal/paleo-ish for the last month and I definitely feel amazing and my clothes fit better, but not a huge move on the scale. Decided to try low carb to see if I can jump start this and get the scale moving. Getting married in 06/2013 and want to be at 160 by then. Let's see if I can do it working an 80 hr week!

[Tilly]

Originally Posted by Anastasis

Hey Guys,

Wanted to introduce myself. Been reading a lot on the forums and you guys are great. Thanks for all the helpful hints.

In short, I've always been athletic but a little "fluffy" - technically in the overweight BMI range but healthy body fat range. Started college at 162 and after a long-term relationship with an inactive, very unhealthy eater and a year living abroad, I was up to 207. Started medical school and in fits and starts, mainly using WW, I was down to 172 the day I graduated. But then intern year started and I'm all the way up to 190 by the end. I've been eating primal/paleo-ish for the last month and I definitely feel amazing and my clothes fit better, but not a huge move on the scale. Decided to try low carb to see if I can jump start this and get the scale moving. Getting married in 06/2013 and want to be at 160 by then. Let's see if I can do it working an 80 hr week!

Anastasis!!!!! There is so much on this forum. Ask if you need to find something. I wish you well in your low carbing, your internship, AND wedding planning!!!! You have a lot on your literal and figurtive plate.

[Big Stevie]

Welcome Anastasis. Congratulations on making it through school. The internship hours have to be brutal. Sleep is important and you are getting it consistently. To be successful you are really gonna need to do some planning. Having short periods of time to eat and being tired is not a good recipe. But you can do it. You will feel better once you do. I have been really surprised on how much more energy I have and how much clearer my brain is.

Try to stick with real food and not rely on the the bars and shakes. Make your food for the week on your day off. Stock up a fridge at the hospital and you will be in good shape. I find that the eating the food is the easy part. It is just having it there to eat when you need it. Plan for it and you will get the results.

We are with you.

[Miche124]

I've just finished my second week, and have lost a total of 4 pounds during this time. I also lost 2 inches from my waist, which is encouraging. However, I suffer terribly from sleep problems and am not feeling an energy boost from this diet.

I'm taking mineral supplements during the day and at bedtime, but still frequently feel "shaky", as if my blood sugar is too low. I thought that was supposed to go away by now. I'm a bit concerned about that, as I want to stay on induction until I drop significant weight. I'd appreciate some comments from those more experienced.

I should add that I've also gone off caffeine, gluten, aspartame and other sugar substitutes, and Diet Pepsi.

[Trillex]

Originally Posted by Miche124

I've just finished my second week, and have lost a total of 4 pounds during this time. I also lost 2 inches from my waist, which is encouraging. However, I suffer terribly from sleep problems and am not feeling an energy boost from this diet.

I'm taking mineral supplements during the day and at bedtime, but still frequently feel "shaky", as if my blood sugar is too low. I thought that was supposed to go away by now. I'm a bit concerned about that, as I want to stay on induction until I drop significant weight. I'd appreciate some comments from those more experienced.

Congratulations on your progress!

Even at the very beginning, I didn't experience low energy or "Atkins flu" and I have been on induction since 11 May of this year. I believe (just my opinion) that this is because my trainer (who has years of experience with using low-carb diets to cut his bodyfat for bodybuilding competitions) gave me some sugar-free, starch-free electrolyte pills that bodybuilders use to keep from feeling ill while they eat a ketogenic diet. The pills contain sodium, potassium, phosphorus, calcium, and magnesium. Your kidneys change the way they handle sodium while you're eating a very low-carb diet, so you don't retain as much sodium from the food you're eating. And when you dump your glycogen reserves at the beginning of a low-carb diet, you flush a lot of sodium out of the body along with the water that is attached to your glycogen stores. When you flush sodium, you also leech the potassium out of your muscle tissue. Potassium is a key component in muscular energy production, so flushing potassium out of the muscles causes weakness. Not just weakness in terms of actually lifting things but also less energy for movement, respiration, circulation, and all of the things in your body that rely on processes inside your muscles.

My trainer also gave me some CoQ10 capsules, which support energy production (of a substance called ATP) within the muscles -- the heart is a muscle that relies on ATP energy production.

My trainer let me formulate my own diet -- using the Atkins induction rules and my own personal food preferences -- but he made sure I kept my fat ratio as high as I could tolerate. The reason he pushed me to aim for 75% of my calories from fat, he told me, was because he has seen a lot of bodybuilders try to "speed up" the process by cutting out the carbs, eating just enough protein to feed their muscle growth, AND trying to keep calories low by just eating essential fatty acids in fish oil and flax oil supplements, and eating the minimum amount of fat that came with the low-fat chicken breast and fish they were eating. These guys who ate a low ratio of fat, he said, were MISERABLE so then they would increase their protein intake to raise their calories without eating more fat (because they thought that more protein would be healthier than eating more fat), but they eventually all quit the diet because they couldn't produce enough energy to work out as hard as they needed to, even when raising their calories near their maintenance level. So he made sure that my diet isn't high-calorie -- I usually eat between 1,200-1,600 calories per day -- but it's high-fat with moderate protein and less than 20g carbs.

During the first month or so, my stomach would feel *greasy* by the end of the day. But I was eating A LOT of mayonnaise everyday, and then I read in the book The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Performance that polyunsaturated fats (like the soybean oil in the Hellman's mayonnaise that I was eating) can cause queasiness and stomach upset. So I switched from mayo to butter sauces (saturated fats) and olive oil (monounsaturated fat), and the queasiness stopped.

It is possible that your blood glucose level is sometimes falling into the hypoglycemic range. According to Jenny Ruhl's book, Diet 101, a lot of people who test as "normal" in their doctor's glucose tolerance test (GTT) actually have irregular blood glucose patterns. She says that the GTT isn't an effective enough tool to tell if you genuinely have irregular blood glucose patterns because many people's blood glucose reacts irregularly to different types of carbohydrates, and different combinations of fat, protein, and carbs. She says that the only way to tell if you're one of those people is to test your blood glucose reactions 60 and 120 minutes after eating different meals. If you have irregular blood sugar patterns and are eating a low-carb diet, it is possible that you could have an insulin-release reaction to something in your meal and then, when there isn't actually a high-number of carbs in that meal, the insulin will clear too much glucose out of your bloodstream and push your blood glucose level into the hypoglycemic range, which would cause dizziness, sweating, shakiness, and other hypoglycemic symptoms.

Ruhl's book mentions artificial sweeteners as a potential cause for this type of hypoglycemic reaction in some (but not all) people. Apparently, the human body has "taste receptors" as well as "glucose receptors." The glucose receptors will ignore artificial sweeteners, because they don't contain a substance that can be converted to glucose, but the taste receptors (on the tongue and in the digestive tract) will respond to any chemical that "tastes" sweet, and in some people these receptors will send a message to the brain to release insulin. But there isn't actually an increased amount of glucose in the bloodstream, so the insulin lowers the blood glucose to a level that is too low.

I don't remember reading -- or being told by my bodybuilding buddies -- anything about sleep problems...

[Miche124]

Trillex: thank you for the wealth of information. I'll need to chew on that for a little while.

[Tilly]

Originally Posted by Trillex

Congratulations on your progress!

Even at the very beginning, I didn't experience low energy or "Atkins flu" and I have been on induction since 11 May of this year. I believe (just my opinion) that this is because my trainer (who has years of experience with using low-carb diets to cut his bodyfat for bodybuilding competitions) gave me some sugar-free, starch-free electrolyte pills that bodybuilders use to keep from feeling ill while they eat a ketogenic diet. The pills contain sodium, potassium, phosphorus, calcium, and magnesium. Your kidneys change the way they handle sodium while you're eating a very low-carb diet, so you don't retain as much sodium from the food you're eating. And when you dump your glycogen reserves at the beginning of a low-carb diet, you flush a lot of sodium out of the body along with the water that is attached to your glycogen stores. When you flush sodium, you also leech the potassium out of your muscle tissue. Potassium is a key component in muscular energy production, so flushing potassium out of the muscles causes weakness. Not just weakness in terms of actually lifting things but also less energy for movement, respiration, circulation, and all of the things in your body that rely on processes inside your muscles.

My trainer also gave me some CoQ10 capsules, which support energy production (of a substance called ATP) within the muscles -- the heart is a muscle that relies on ATP energy production.

My trainer let me formulate my own diet -- using the Atkins induction rules and my own personal food preferences -- but he made sure I kept my fat ratio as high as I could tolerate. The reason he pushed me to aim for 75% of my calories from fat, he told me, was because he has seen a lot of bodybuilders try to "speed up" the process by cutting out the carbs, eating just enough protein to feed their muscle growth, AND trying to keep calories low by just eating essential fatty acids in fish oil and flax oil supplements, and eating the minimum amount of fat that came with the low-fat chicken breast and fish they were eating. These guys who ate a low ratio of fat, he said, were MISERABLE so then they would increase their protein intake to raise their calories without eating more fat (because they thought that more protein would be healthier than eating more fat), but they eventually all quit the diet because they couldn't produce enough energy to work out as hard as they needed to, even when raising their calories near their maintenance level. So he made sure that my diet isn't high-calorie -- I usually eat between 1,200-1,600 calories per day -- but it's high-fat with moderate protein and less than 20g carbs.

During the first month or so, my stomach would feel *greasy* by the end of the day. But I was eating A LOT of mayonnaise everyday, and then I read in the book The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Performance that polyunsaturated fats (like the soybean oil in the Hellman's mayonnaise that I was eating) can cause queasiness and stomach upset. So I switched from mayo to butter sauces (saturated fats) and olive oil (monounsaturated fat), and the queasiness stopped.

It is possible that your blood glucose level is sometimes falling into the hypoglycemic range. According to Jenny Ruhl's book, Diet 101, a lot of people who test as "normal" in their doctor's glucose tolerance test (GTT) actually have irregular blood glucose patterns. She says that the GTT isn't an effective enough tool to tell if you genuinely have irregular blood glucose patterns because many people's blood glucose reacts irregularly to different types of carbohydrates, and different combinations of fat, protein, and carbs. She says that the only way to tell if you're one of those people is to test your blood glucose reactions 60 and 120 minutes after eating different meals. If you have irregular blood sugar patterns and are eating a low-carb diet, it is possible that you could have an insulin-release reaction to something in your meal and then, when there isn't actually a high-number of carbs in that meal, the insulin will clear too much glucose out of your bloodstream and push your blood glucose level into the hypoglycemic range, which would cause dizziness, sweating, shakiness, and other hypoglycemic symptoms.

Ruhl's book mentions artificial sweeteners as a potential cause for this type of hypoglycemic reaction in some (but not all) people. Apparently, the human body has "taste receptors" as well as "glucose receptors." The glucose receptors will ignore artificial sweeteners, because they don't contain a substance that can be converted to glucose, but the taste receptors (on the tongue and in the digestive tract) will respond to any chemical that "tastes" sweet, and in some people these receptors will send a message to the brain to release insulin. But there isn't actually an increased amount of glucose in the bloodstream, so the insulin lowers the blood glucose to a level that is too low.

I don't remember reading -- or being told by my bodybuilding buddies -- anything about sleep problems...

Wow, loved reading this, thank you for taking the time to type it all!

Just a guess here, but if you get your body regulated then perhaps the sleep will come? Never had problems sleeping. Maybe that comes with a lot of working out?

I still have a hard time with the high fat, lower protein. Love protein but also love fat, just have to remember that. Just made some fat bombs this morning. They were okay, not bad.

Thanks again, Trillex!!!!!!

[Trillex]

Originally Posted by Miche124

Trillex: thank you for the wealth of information. I'll need to chew on that for a little while.

Chew! HaHa! I thought that maybe most of this would not be useful. But I figured that if *some* of it sounded like something that you can relate to, then you could use that info to help make things better.

Originally Posted by Tilly

I still have a hard time with the high fat, lower protein. Love protein but also love fat, just have to remember that. Just made some fat bombs this morning. They were okay, not bad.

It is SO DIFFICULT for me to enjoy fat without having the *traditional* foods to put it on! Like, I didn't realize how much less I like butter when it isn't on a potato. Honestly, soft-ripened cheeses like brie and St. Andre's save my fat ratio some days. I stay under 4 ounces of cheese per day, according to the induction rules, but even 2-3 ounces of brie is a lot of fat, with a moderate amount of protein. And I've been frying salmon croquettes, made with chopped salmon blended with an egg, cream cheese, and olive oil. And I make chicken croquettes, too. So I've been able to enjoy foods like that, which have a good protein-to-fat ratio. But it's more difficult than I would ever have believed before I started Atkins!

[Tilly]

Originally Posted by Trillex

Chew! HaHa! I thought that maybe most of this would not be useful. But I figured that if *some* of it sounded like something that you can relate to, then you could use that info to help make things better.



It is SO DIFFICULT for me to enjoy fat without having the *traditional* foods to put it on! Like, I didn't realize how much less I like butter when it isn't on a potato. Honestly, soft-ripened cheeses like brie and St. Andre's save my fat ratio some days. I stay under 4 ounces of cheese per day, according to the induction rules, but even 2-3 ounces of brie is a lot of fat, with a moderate amount of protein. And I've been frying salmon croquettes, made with chopped salmon blended with an egg, cream cheese, and olive oil. And I make chicken croquettes, too. So I've been able to enjoy foods like that, which have a good protein-to-fat ratio. But it's more difficult than I would ever have believed before I started Atkins!

It is difficult to get the fat in. I started making my salad dressing everyday and making sure I use quite a bit of olive oil in it. And that is my fat for the day. Not sure if that is enough for the day, and I know I should measure.

[Miche124]

Originally Posted by Tilly

I still have a hard time with the high fat, lower protein. Love protein but also love fat, just have to remember that. Just made some fat bombs this morning. They were okay, not bad.

I'm in induction so can't have fat bombs, at least the recipe I found in this forum. I do add fat everytime I eat, plus avocado, 3-4 oz. cheese, and cream each day, so I think I'm good.

According to the Atkins book I have, my symptoms of dizziness, weakness (especially going up stairs), and shakiness should have subsided by now. He recommends having another serving of vegetables to help with that, but I fail to see how more lettuce in my salad is going to make a big difference. I'm taking broth, calcium, magnesium, zinc, and potassium supplements, and as I mentioned, have given up artificial sweeteners, caffeine, gluten, and diet sodas.

I continue to take my blood pressure meds, per my doctor, and my BP is still well in normal range. I'm beginning to think I should have my electrolytes checked, but I know what my doctor would say: eat more carbs -- which I don't want to do since my metabolism has always been very resistant to weight loss, and I want to hang in there with induction to fundamentally change how my metabolism works. I interpret my symptoms as saying that I'm not there yet, never mind that I have lots of weight to lose still.

Sleep is always a big problem for me, with very bad Periodic Limb Movement Disorder, apnea, and insomnia. Since being on this diet, Ambien is no longer working for me, and it's taking me hours to fall asleep even with it. At first my muscle activity at night got much worse, but the supplements I'm taking seem to be improving that at least to the level it was before beginning this diet.

I've been dizzy and weak for two full weeks now, and I know that's not how it's supposed to be. My resolve is strong, and I'm not asking for miracles of weight loss, but I'm frustrated to no end that I'm still sick from this way of eating.

[Tilly]

Originally Posted by Miche124

I'm in induction so can't have fat bombs, at least the recipe I found in this forum. I do add fat everytime I eat, plus avocado, 3-4 oz. cheese, and cream each day, so I think I'm good.

According to the Atkins book I have, my symptoms of dizziness, weakness (especially going up stairs), and shakiness should have subsided by now. He recommends having another serving of vegetables to help with that, but I fail to see how more lettuce in my salad is going to make a big difference. I'm taking broth, calcium, magnesium, zinc, and potassium supplements, and as I mentioned, have given up artificial sweeteners, caffeine, gluten, and diet sodas.

I continue to take my blood pressure meds, per my doctor, and my BP is still well in normal range. I'm beginning to think I should have my electrolytes checked, but I know what my doctor would say: eat more carbs -- which I don't want to do since my metabolism has always been very resistant to weight loss, and I want to hang in there with induction to fundamentally change how my metabolism works. I interpret my symptoms as saying that I'm not there yet, never mind that I have lots of weight to lose still.

Sleep is always a big problem for me, with very bad Periodic Limb Movement Disorder, apnea, and insomnia. Since being on this diet, Ambien is no longer working for me, and it's taking me hours to fall asleep even with it. At first my muscle activity at night got much worse, but the supplements I'm taking seem to be improving that at least to the level it was before beginning this diet.

I've been dizzy and weak for two full weeks now, and I know that's not how it's supposed to be. My resolve is strong, and I'm not asking for miracles of weight loss, but I'm frustrated to no end that I'm still sick from this way of eating.

I know you must be frustrated. I just sent you a private message, just a suggestion for help with your specific problems.

[Miche124]

Thank you, but for some reason I don't see any way to access private message, nor send them.

[Trillex]

Originally Posted by Miche124

I'm in induction so can't have fat bombs, at least the recipe I found in this forum. I do add fat everytime I eat, plus avocado, 3-4 oz. cheese, and cream each day, so I think I'm good.

According to the Atkins book I have, my symptoms of dizziness, weakness (especially going up stairs), and shakiness should have subsided by now. He recommends having another serving of vegetables to help with that, but I fail to see how more lettuce in my salad is going to make a big difference. I'm taking broth, calcium, magnesium, zinc, and potassium supplements, and as I mentioned, have given up artificial sweeteners, caffeine, gluten, and diet sodas.

I continue to take my blood pressure meds, per my doctor, and my BP is still well in normal range. I'm beginning to think I should have my electrolytes checked, but I know what my doctor would say: eat more carbs -- which I don't want to do since my metabolism has always been very resistant to weight loss, and I want to hang in there with induction to fundamentally change how my metabolism works. I interpret my symptoms as saying that I'm not there yet, never mind that I have lots of weight to lose still.

Sleep is always a big problem for me, with very bad Periodic Limb Movement Disorder, apnea, and insomnia. Since being on this diet, Ambien is no longer working for me, and it's taking me hours to fall asleep even with it. At first my muscle activity at night got much worse, but the supplements I'm taking seem to be improving that at least to the level it was before beginning this diet.

I've been dizzy and weak for two full weeks now, and I know that's not how it's supposed to be. My resolve is strong, and I'm not asking for miracles of weight loss, but I'm frustrated to no end that I'm still sick from this way of eating.

Since you mention the Periodic Limb Movement Disorder -- and since you are supplementing your electrolytes (with broth and potassium), and not using the usual culprits of caffeine or artificial sweeteners -- maybe you have special circumstances that would mean that the Atkins diet is not the best choice for you.

Have you looked into the 4:1 ketogenic diet that is used to treat children with seizure disorders? It's not the same as Atkins. I don't know a lot about it but, from what I've read, the ketogenic diet for seizure disorders has a very specific nutrient ratio of 4 parts fat to 1 part of combined protein and carbs, all measured by the physical weight of the food. There is a lot of clinical research on the diet's effectiveness with children, and it's about 50% effective in either reducing or, in some cases, completely stopping seizures. From what I've read, though, no one has done comprehensive studies on its effect on adults.

I haven't read enough about it to know why the diet isn't typically prescribed for adults. Apparently, this nutrient ratio changes the body's hormones, enzymes, and metabolic processes in a way that has a beneficial neurological effect on troubled systems. I don't know if there is some reason why this effect wouldn't apply to adults, but I'm sure if you are interested and you google a bit about it you can find more information.

Since you are taking blood pressure meds, if your blood pressure medication is the kind that is "potassium sparing" then taking more potassium with that medication could create circulatory problems, including destabilizing your heartbeat. I read about this in Jenny Ruhl's book, Diet 101, so you may be able to check her website, Blood Sugar 101, to get more information if you think this might be cause for concern.

I've also read about a condition called "postural hypertension" that produces symptoms of dizziness or lightheadedness when changing positions, like moving from sitting to standing, or climbing stairs. But that happens because of irregular changes in blood pressure, and your blood pressure appears to be under control. I just thought I would mention it, just in case...

Also, if any of your nutritional supplements or medication contain substances that stimulate the adrenal system, like the amino acid tyrosine, or if you use nicotine, this could cause an increase in your production of stress hormones, including cortisol and epinephrine, and that could cause increased restlessness and anxiety that taxes your system and would leave you overly tired, but still wired because these hormones act as stimulants. Normally, the release of these hormones is shut down by insulin in the bloodstream, but when eating a very low-carb diet your insulin release is much lower.

I'll check with some guys I know who have a lot of experience with bodybuilders and ketogenic diets, to see if they can direct me to some information would apply to your situation. My uncles have been doing ketogenic bodybuilding diets since the 1980s, and they've read a ton of books and medical research about low-carb diets. I'm not sure how much help they can give me, because their focus is on men with very low bodyfat, but sometimes they know a lot more stuff than I give them credit for. Anyway, it can't hurt to ask!

[Miche124]

You're both very kind. I appreciate your thoughtful suggestions, and will look into them. I hate to hijack this thread any longer, so I hand it back to all of you.

[Tilly]

Originally Posted by Miche124

You're both very kind. I appreciate your thoughtful suggestions, and will look into them. I hate to hijack this thread any longer, so I hand it back to all of you.

I think this IS related. You are looking for help, suggestions, and support on the LC way of eating, so to me this is useful for all of us. And frankly if I or anyone else can offer helpful suggestions, then that is what this thread is for.

Miche124, to get a private message, scroll to the top of the page you are on. Look at the upper right corner where it says "[B]Welcome, Miche124[B]", right under that greeting it says in blue, "Private Messages", click on that.

[Miche124]

Originally Posted by Tilly

Miche124, to get a private message, scroll to the top of the page you are on. Look at the upper right corner where it says "[B]Welcome, Miche124[B]", right under that greeting it says in blue, "Private Messages", click on that.

Apparently new members have to be here for 25 days before getting Private Message privileges.

[Trillex]

Tilly is right! Trying to help someone who is having a bit of trouble is the most important thing that any of us can do. I think that's true of this thread, the whole forum, and life in general. I just wish we had the solution.

[Miche124]

<3 <3 <3

[Tilly]

Originally Posted by Miche124

Apparently new members have to be here for 25 days before getting Private Message privileges.

Remind me and I will resend when it is time.

[Big Stevie]

Hey Miche124 Welcome to the Induction Baby Thread. Your blood sugar will stabilize. I had really bad hypoglycemia and this diet has cured it. I am also taking blood pressure meds. Post your diet and go over to the website ******.com and put your diet into the machine. It will tell you the percentages of fat, protein and carbs you are taking in along with a lot of other good information. Let us know what they are. By the second week you should be feeling better. Once we know, we can help you figure out what is causing it.

For me, the things that have caused my blood sugar to have problems are these things: too much caffeine, Atkins shakes, alcohol, and zero carb diet drinks. If you are using any of those items, you might want to take them out of your diet.

[Trillex]

Originally Posted by Miche124

According to the Atkins book I have, my symptoms of dizziness, weakness (especially going up stairs), and shakiness should have subsided by now. He recommends having another serving of vegetables to help with that, but I fail to see how more lettuce in my salad is going to make a big difference.

Hey, Miche!

I talked with my trainer about your problem and he had a couple of questions:

1.)
Do you check your blood glucose levels -- your fasting blood glucose in the AM, and then your blood glucose after meals?

2.)
What do you usually eat for breakfast?

I've read your posts to him and he thinks you're a person whose blood glucose tends to stay in the low range and then get forced lower when your muscles need to take glucose out of the bloodstream. In a ketogenic state, your muscles are mostly fueled by fat (as ketones at the beginning of the diet, then directly from triglycerides when you're keto-adapted after 2-4 weeks of eating low-carb). However, bursts of speed (like a quick sprint) or bursts of strength (like walking up stairs, which exercises the largest muscle groups in your body) will continue to be fueled by glucose. So if your blood glucose hovers around the low range, taking some of that glucose out of circulation to fuel little bursts of strength or speed could drive you into the hypoglycemic range.

My trainer thinks you might be able to maintain steadier blood glucose numbers if you eat a good portion of slow-releasing proteins in the morning, to give your body a food source that it can use to produce a steady amount of glucose. Apparently, meat takes 7-10 hours to be broken down by your digestive system. It will steadily produces amino acids during that release time, and your body can convert these amino acids into glucose as your body needs it.

Just a thought! It's from someone who doesn't actually know you... But at least it's something new to consider.

[Trillex]

Hiya! Today isn't my usual monthly weigh/measure day. But I did an experiment with "waist training" (using a corset) starting on October 1st, so I've been weighed and measured today to see if squeezing myself into a very uncomfortable garment for 30 consecutive days made any difference to the size of my midsection. Here's what happened:

9/11/2012
Waist - 36"
Weight - 198 pounds

10/11/2012
Waist - 35.5"
Weight - 196.5 pounds

10/31/2012
Waist - 34.5"
Weight - 189 pounds

Here's the full-body overview, to put the pound loss and waist size into context:

Monthly Weight History
11 May - 235 pounds
11 June - 225 pounds
11 July - 215 pounds
11 August - 206.5 pounds
11 September - 198 pounds
11 October - 196.5 pounds
31 October (today) - 189 pounds

Measured Size Loss From 11 May To Today
Ankles - Left -0.50", Right -0.50"
Calves - Left -1.50", Right -1.00"
Thighs - Left -2.25", Right -2.25"
Hips - -3.00"
Waist - -3.50"
Upper Arms - Left 0.00", Right 0.00" (Annoying!)
Wrists - Left -0.50", Right -0.50"

I'm still on Induction-level carbs (less than 20g total carbs per day = 1 cup of veggies + 2 cups of salad veggies). I weigh and measure all of my food, and track my nutrition values on an app on my phone. On Sundays, only, I don't limit my cheese to less than 4 ounces. And I have allowed myself to have nuts and heavy cream on Sundays, since the second month. My birthday was October 2, and I allowed myself to have more than 4 ounces of cheese on that day.

This is only the second month that I've allowed myself some of the Induction foods that the book (DANDR) warned about as "potential stalls" (such as avocados, cream, and artificial sweetener).

I work out 5 days per week with a trainer. I do upper-body weight training on Tuesdays, and lower-body weight training on Thursdays. I do interval cardio on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Since it's gotten cold in Michigan, I've been doing my intervals by alternating walking and running in the hills near my house. It feels great to be out in the cold air! And there is a (theoretical) metabolic advantage to spending time out in the cold, where my body has to use additional energy to regulate my body temperature.

Cheers, all!

[Tilly]

Originally Posted by Trillex

Hiya! Today isn't my usual monthly weigh/measure day. But I did an experiment with "waist training" (using a corset) starting on October 1st, so I've been weighed and measured today to see if squeezing myself into a very uncomfortable garment for 30 consecutive days made any difference to the size of my midsection. Here's what happened:

9/11/2012
Waist - 36"
Weight - 198 pounds

10/11/2012
Waist - 35.5"
Weight - 196.5 pounds

10/31/2012
Waist - 34.5"
Weight - 189 pounds

Here's the full-body overview, to put the pound loss and waist size into context:

Monthly Weight History
11 May - 235 pounds
11 June - 225 pounds
11 July - 215 pounds
11 August - 206.5 pounds
11 September - 198 pounds
11 October - 196.5 pounds
31 October (today) - 189 pounds

Measured Size Loss From 11 May To Today
Ankles - Left -0.50", Right -0.50"
Calves - Left -1.50", Right -1.00"
Thighs - Left -2.25", Right -2.25"
Hips - -3.00"
Waist - -3.50"
Upper Arms - Left 0.00", Right 0.00" (Annoying!)
Wrists - Left -0.50", Right -0.50"

I'm still on Induction-level carbs (less than 20g total carbs per day = 1 cup of veggies + 2 cups of salad veggies). I weigh and measure all of my food, and track my nutrition values on an app on my phone. On Sundays, only, I don't limit my cheese to less than 4 ounces. And I have allowed myself to have nuts and heavy cream on Sundays, since the second month. My birthday was October 2, and I allowed myself to have more than 4 ounces of cheese on that day.

This is only the second month that I've allowed myself some of the Induction foods that the book (DANDR) warned about as "potential stalls" (such as avocados, cream, and artificial sweetener).

I work out 5 days per week with a trainer. I do upper-body weight training on Tuesdays, and lower-body weight training on Thursdays. I do interval cardio on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Since it's gotten cold in Michigan, I've been doing my intervals by alternating walking and running in the hills near my house. It feels great to be out in the cold air! And there is a (theoretical) metabolic advantage to spending time out in the cold, where my body has to use additional energy to regulate my body temperature.

Cheers, all!

Fantastic work, Trillex!!!!!! You must feel wonderful! Keep it up, never heard of the waist training. What is DANDR?

[Trillex]

Originally Posted by Tilly

Keep it up, never heard of the waist training. What is DANDR?

Hi, Tilly!

DANDR is the abbreviation for Dr Atkins' New Diet Revolution.

The waist training is a thing my cousins put me onto. They got into it to get their figures back after they had babies. You wear a rubberized corset, called a "squeem," and it's supposed to compress your waist if you wear it a certain amount of time each day. Then, after a few weeks, you're supposed to be able to move from the largest hooks on the garment down to the lowest hooks, which fit a waist that's 1-inch smaller. It sounded kind of dubious to me -- just squeezing your body to make it smaller -- but my cousin bought the things for me, so I figured I would at least give it a try. It seemed to work, BUT I also lost a few more pounds so maybe I would have lost that inch anyway. Who knows?!

[Tilly]

Originally Posted by Trillex

Hi, Tilly!

DANDR is the abbreviation for Dr Atkins' New Diet Revolution.

The waist training is a thing my cousins put me onto. They got into it to get their figures back after they had babies. You wear a rubberized corset, called a "squeem," and it's supposed to compress your waist if you wear it a certain amount of time each day. Then, after a few weeks, you're supposed to be able to move from the largest hooks on the garment down to the lowest hooks, which fit a waist that's 1-inch smaller. It sounded kind of dubious to me -- just squeezing your body to make it smaller -- but my cousin bought the things for me, so I figured I would at least give it a try. It seemed to work, BUT I also lost a few more pounds so maybe I would have lost that inch anyway. Who knows?!

Gosh, sounds like something women used to wear decades ago, what goes around comes around?!

[Miche124]

Originally Posted by Trillex

Hey, Miche!... But at least it's something new to consider.

Thank you so much, Trillex. I didn't realize that proteins release at different rates. I've been eating eggs, cheese, and a handful of cherry tomatoes at breakfast, but I should try meat or salmon at breakfast.

Congratulations on the results from your hard work! Twenty years ago I swore I'd never again wear pantyhose, so a corset just sounds like torture to me!

[Tilly]

Originally Posted by Miche124

Thank you so much, Trillex. I didn't realize that proteins release at different rates. I've been eating eggs, cheese, and a handful of cherry tomatoes at breakfast, but I should try meat or salmon at breakfast.

Congratulations on the results from your hard work! Twenty years ago I swore I'd never again wear pantyhose, so a corset just sounds like torture to me!

I would be careful with the tomatoes. They are kind of high in carbs. I now eat them sparingly.

[Big Stevie]

I have eaten tomatoes and avacados since day one and never had an issue. But all people are different. The key to making this diet work is to really focus and figure out what works and doesn't work for you as an individual.

Trillex you gotta post a picture of you in the corset. That sounds funny. Great job on the continued weight loss.

I went to buy some we pants yesterday. Size 38. I started this diet at size 44. It was a gret feeling. I bought new ones this time instead of from the thrift store. I think I will be at this size for awhile. It really helped to motivate me to stay off all of the Halloween treats that everyone was eating in my house.

[Trillex]

Originally Posted by Big Stevie

I went to buy some we pants yesterday. Size 38. I started this diet at size 44. It was a gret feeling.

That's a BIG difference! Wow! Way to go!