6 Week Cure for the Middle Age Middle

[DiamondDeb]

Anyone else have problems with calories going down instead of up in week 3???


I may have to eat a stick of butter or some such thing. lol...

[Stevie Renee]

Originally Posted by DiamondDeb

Anyone else have problems with calories going down instead of up in week 3???


I may have to eat a stick of butter or some such thing. lol...

Yes, so I added some coconut oil to my coffee and cooked my eggs inbacon grease. lol - I was under 900 at one point so I added a shake.

Todays I am at 1100ish and 10 carbs.

Maybe I will snack on some meat later to bump it up a bit.

[DiamondDeb]

Originally Posted by Stevie Renee

Yes, so I added some coconut oil to my coffee and cooked my eggs inbacon grease. lol - I was under 900 at one point so I added a shake.

Todays I am at 1100ish and 10 carbs.

Maybe I will snack on some meat later to bump it up a bit.

I added a lot of butter & coconut oil when cooking but I am still under 1200 calories after 3 meals. I've got 12g ECC

[snaggle]

Yeah, today I wasn't even hungry and just made a shake for lunch. Plus I worked out. Putting butter on my steak tonight and will probably make more coconut bark.
Love that stuff and It also keeps me regular!!!

DDeb!!! You are smokin'! Great losses!
I started measuring a week in, and never did do the wierd thing with the rulers.
Will be curious as to inches lost. Especially in my big ol' gut.

[Just4Me]

Originally Posted by snaggle

Just4me-- you and I had the same exact numbers for phase I, including the second week 1 lb gain because of the darned TOM.
If I hold true to my usual pattern, I will drop that lb and 2 more after I am done. (2 more days to go)

The bummer is that at my peri-menopausal age, they come every 24 days, so like a third of my life is pms/tom. Not to mention the night sweats!
Just want to be done with it already!!

I so hear you.

I just hope I do NOT hold true to my usual pattern---that would mean an initial drop in weight (those first 4 lbs) and then nothing. Zero. Zilch. Bupkus. Nada. Rien.

[Just4Me]

Originally Posted by DiamondDeb

Phase I/Weeks 1 & 2 Results:

Bust: -1"
Braline: -1.25"
Natural Waist: -1.5"
Navel: -2"
Hips: -3"
Waist to Hip Ratio: -.1

Both L-SAD & S-SAD decreased but I think the margin for error on those measurements is extremely high.

Even so, it's nice to see numbers (oh, we worship those numbers! lol) go down. And even if they're inflated, you know your liver thanks you.

[Just4Me]

Originally Posted by Kisha

I'm with you! The scale makes me crazy! Sounds like you are doing fantastic! Keep up the good work!

Thanks, hon!

Originally Posted by DiamondDeb

...

We can only have green onion in weeks 3 & 4??? You can take away my coffee, alcohol, dairy...fine, but do NOT mess with my onion intake!

lol... I do mean that.

What????!!!!!?!!?!??!? No white or yellow onion?? woe woe woe woe Deb, do you know where that is? Oh, man, I thought no cream would be hard, but made it. I thought no cheese would be hard, but scraped by (there is, after all, butter). Onion is what helps me get pork down. Onion is what makes the burger smile (and just a touch of sherry in the frying, but that's now allowed-ish).

What about onion powder?????

[Just4Me]

Originally Posted by DiamondDeb

Anyone else have problems with calories going down instead of up in week 3???


I may have to eat a stick of butter or some such thing. lol...

Yes, my calories were too low today. I had a shake for breakfast, and doubled the coconut milk, then sucked on a patty of butter. I had extra butter with my steaks. I sucked on another patty of butter in the middle of the day (missed the mid-day feeding due to unforeseen schedule craziness).

Calories were lower, as was protein. I wish I could stay on 3-and-1 and lose the weight. But I'm determined to do this by the book, at least once through, without "tweaks" before I've even tried.

[costa5]

Here we go - day 6 of week 1!

The more I read about the meat weeks, the more I can't decide whether it will be a blessing or a curse! Are you guys getting full at fewer calories or do you just not feel like eating any more meat? Are you purposefully adding in more calories at the end of the day so you will have taken in a certain number? I can't remember anything about that in the book.....

Aside from everything else, I just realized this morning that by sticking to this diet for 6 weeks I'll be proving to myself that I can go that long without sugar and dairy. Once I get back to eating primal, this knowledge will be so useful to me. It is so easy to start letting one thing slip and then another.

Scale is still moving down, albeit somewhat more slowly. I lifted for the firs time since starting the shakes yesterday. Took it easy on myself and was encouraged that I felt energized and LESS hungry as a result of the workout and not the other way around. I think the brain fog may have started to lift yesterday, too, although I still feel like I've gone down a few IQ points since going this low on carbs. I was always around 100g/day before.

Dinner last night: Leftover chicken with half a sausage, brussel sprouts with sauteed apple, lettuce salad

Today's gonna be easy - taking shake equipment to mom's for 'lunch' (she might give this a go, too!). Picture day for the kids, today.

[whippetlady]

Week 3, day 5. Not a single pound lost this week. I really really detest this way of eating, makes me nauseated. And I have no appetite, so why am I not losing?


Darn it, i have to go to Vegas on business in one month and I want to be in some of my better suits which now are a tiny bit too tight in the seat. Not a good look for business, though not bad for fun...

[moonius]

Today is my second day on the 6 week cure. Yesterday I was lethargic, foggy and grumpy from the lack of caffeine and had a mild headache all day. I was famished when I got home from work and ate more steak than I planned to. Hopefully I will feel better today and be able to control my appetite at home. I notice that some people are shooting for a target of 1500 calories daily. Is that amount mentioned in the book? If so, I must have missed it.

[NGJ26]

Since we are being honest here... I had a small set back yesterday. My BFF, made made me a celebratory dinner for a new job I start in November... ..

The main meal was great, grilled Chix over salad greens... but I also indulged in 4 pita chips w/hummus, one glass of red wine & a smartfood key lime pie...
Yes, this celebration could have and should have waited until after weeks 3 & 4...

Today is another day.

DiamondDeb~

It sounds like your body composition is changing. You'll very likely see more positive changes in the next two week.

I sure hope so, but NOT with the behavior listed above I am my own worst enemy

Anyone else have problems with calories going down instead of up in week 3???

Nope, never... another problem I have

On a positive note, congrats on your fabulous results!

Snaggle~ thanks for your support!

Just4Me
Went from size 9 to size 8 jeans (this is the big shocker to me)

[Tril]

Hey everyone... back from hunting last weekend and getting back into a regular routine. We had a GREAT long weekend, though. Even got enough partridge to have a big feed of it one night.

My PLAN was to stick to week 3 & 4 those four days... and I DID!!! I didn't bring any cream so I wouldn't be tempted by it. However, I did bring milk for dh and friend... and twice I put about a TBS of low fat milk in my morning coffee... blech. I have now learned to drink (and LIKE) black coffee. I may not go back to cream in my coffee after this. The other small "deviation" from the plan was Saturday night. I had one drink Friday night (measured it even). Saturday night I planned to have my one other drink of the week... but ended up having two. Small infractions considering all of the temptations that were there. We brought our lunch with us... I brought steak/boiled eggs/turkey with either lettuce or a cucumber. The guys enjoyed their crabs rolls, chips, rice krispie treats, gorp, apples, etc. OH... BIGGEST victory was NO CHEESE and NUTS all weekend. I usually live on those up there.

Now... despite my successful eating, I am gaining. I gained 2# over the weekend (between Wed and Monday weigh ins)... AND I gained another 1/2# as of this morning. Trying to ignore it... trying to just wait it out... trying to convince myself it's ok... trying to stay the course. The only thing that's making that possible is that I FEEL thinner. I think I look thinner. My clothes fit better. I know that these things are a better gauge of my progress than the bathroom scale. I ask myself... do I want to be smaller in size, or smaller in number? SIZE. See? Size DOES matter. LOL

Plan for today...

1. Stay positive in thought and action.
2. Drink more water.
3. Get into the freezer and find some protein that sounds appetizing (maybe shrimp... or ribs... or both).
4. Finish mowing the lawn before the rain hits tonight.
5. Take the dogs for a walk.
6. Call my kids, call my mom.
7. Do some self pampering... maybe buy a new nail polish and do my toes.

Sounds like everyone is trying really hard to make this Cure work. I'm inspired by the successes... and by the determination of those who are working it, even if the plan isn't working so well for them. Thanks to everyone who checks in and posts something... we all learn from each other and the support is priceless.

[homestretch]

Just checking in to say hi and that I am still here! Honestly the last 3 days have not been the greatest for me. I have been way too busy and not eating exactly on plan. I have not been overeating but probably had a few more carbs than I should. I do not like this and would like to go back to the shakes!

[Tril]

UGH.. not me!!! As boring as all this meat can be, it's better than those shakes. Even the ones that tasted good never satisfied me... and they made me SO COLD. Give me a hot crispy chicken drumstick over a protein shake any day.

Speaking of chicken... I bought a bag of wings/drums. I bake them in a hot oven until crispy and wow... are they good. I don't put anything on them, they don't need it. Two or three of those make a great snack... a bowl of them makes a good dinner.

Still missing the cheese... but not as much. Cheese is just so convenient. I always kept a single serving (one ounce) in my purse for while I'm out. I do miss that when I get hungry away from home. I also miss having nuts.... that dry salty crunch.

I'm at week 4, day 2.... gotta decide what to do next Monday. I haven't reached my goal wt (and with my 2.5# gain this week, I won't even be close). I don't want to do the shakes, that's for sure. Weeks 5 & 6 are too much like maintenance for me... so I guess my choices are more of weeks three/four or go back to what I was doing before (Atkins OWL). I think I'll wait and see if I keep gaining to decide. I'm certainly NOT going to continue with this plan if I keep gaining. I can do that much more enjoyably on my own.

[Stevie Renee]

~Week 3, day 4~

Busy morning so just wanna say hi. Hang in there guys...don't lose faith.

Meals:
coconut oil coffee ( weak, half water, half coffee. 8 oz)
Hamburger patty, sauted mushrooms
Hard boiled eggs


Anyone know how to accurately count a devils egg recipe? Thinking I may make some for a coupleof days.

Need to get off my tush and get busy.

[Stevie Renee]

Originally Posted by homestretch

Just checking in to say hi and that I am still here! Honestly the last 3 days have not been the greatest for me. I have been way too busy and not eating exactly on plan. I have not been overeating but probably had a few more carbs than I should. I do not like this and would like to go back to the shakes!

Me too! I am not a big meat eater anyway. lol - but I am doing it.

[Stevie Renee]

Originally Posted by moonius

Today is my second day on the 6 week cure. Yesterday I was lethargic, foggy and grumpy from the lack of caffeine and had a mild headache all day. I was famished when I got home from work and ate more steak than I planned to. Hopefully I will feel better today and be able to control my appetite at home. I notice that some people are shooting for a target of 1500 calories daily. Is that amount mentioned in the book? If so, I must have missed it.

I am not sure Moon. I dont even have the book! lol
I just eat to hunger....hopefuly someone can answer. By the way, when I first started,my meat portions some times were 8 ounces. I did not worry about it.

[snaggle]

Sounds like we are all quite a mixed bag of feelings and results with this plan!!

It is interesting with a short term plan like this because it naturally creates a short term
results mentality, which is not what most of us know is necessarily good for the long haul. Part of it is the strict nature of the phases and the whole concept of "NO this , No that". I have always felt that these type of "quick fix" diets are stupid. Of course, we all trust the Dr.'s E. and know they are all about long term health, and some of us may think this whole concept is a bit of a sell out. BUT...................here we are throwing our
selves at this and feeling all the crap that it brings about: frustrations with the limitations and severe restrictions, expectations of quick loss and dissappointments when those do not materialize.
I think this forum is so good because without it, this kind of plan, especially, could really be easy to abandon. Lets all stick with this, see what happens and try and see the good parts. rah rah.

I can't believe it, but I am down a lb and I am not even done with tom. First loss since starting phase 2. Overall, I have lost 6 lbs since starting and 1" off my gut in the week that I have been measuring.
Pants are crazy saggy in the lower butt. As I mentioned on my juddd board, I feel like I am always running around with what my mom always called, "droopy drawers"( aka:
dirty diapers.)

[chrysalis]

Moonius - I went through the first few days feeling foggy, headachy and just not all there from the caffeine withdrawal. Now that I'm over that hump, I'm not even sure I want to add it back in! I seem to be doing OK without it.

Tril - I used to a be a "coffee with my cream" kind of girl - now I'm drinking it black and decaf and liking it, too. You did such an awesome job staying on plan on your hunting trip!

[Kisha]

Originally Posted by moonius View Post
Today is my second day on the 6 week cure. Yesterday I was lethargic, foggy and grumpy from the lack of caffeine and had a mild headache all day. I was famished when I got home from work and ate more steak than I planned to. Hopefully I will feel better today and be able to control my appetite at home. I notice that some people are shooting for a target of 1500 calories daily. Is that amount mentioned in the book? If so, I must have missed it.

Originally Posted by Stevie Renee

I am not sure Moon. I dont even have the book! lol
I just eat to hunger....hopefuly someone can answer. By the way, when I first started,my meat portions some times were 8 ounces. I did not worry about it.

I don't think that there is a calorie restriction other than the fact that the food is restricted. I assume if you are hungry you should eat. Maybe address the hunger with eating the 1 meal when your just feeling famished. You should not go hungry!! As it states in the book, that if your feeling hungry its because a drop in blood sugar and you need to address it. You should eat some protein/fats/low carb veggies etc.. to get it back to normal.

Since the shakes have more restrictions... this is when calories in are easily countable. And the calorie intake will seem or even be less than the meat phase will be. If your expending more calories then you will likely need a little more to avoid hunger pains.

From what I've read in all low carb diets. Calories in isn't as important as the quality foods your consuming.

I've heard reports that some people are having a difficult time being hungry on this plan. That is a good sign in my book.

Snaggle - I want to lose weight on this plan too. But more over I want to FEEL good! That is my driving force. No more daytime sleepies, no more feeling hunched over all day long, and no more food cravings that are un-controlable. I think long term that is what everyone should be thinking about. But for me, carbs make me sick, VERY much. And I am avoiding them like the plague because it is poison to our body's unless it's restricted and in short moderated proportions.

I still luv U Drs. Eades! Positive is everything right? Reading their book has filled me with such inspiration. I'm so totally jiving it.

[Birdstreet]

Happy Tuesday Everyone!!!

Added an egg to my shake for the first time today... didn't even taste it. I am going to add an egg to 2 of my shakes everyday. Hopefully that will trigger some inches lost

Is anyone using D-Ribose???

I don't know if I have lost any weight so far, because TOM is visiting and when he arrives I usually gain anywhere from 5-9 lbs and it does not matter if I am eating healthy. It is 100% hormonal! So I am voting not to look at the scale. I feel good... retaining a little water, which is to be expected. But clothes are not fitting tight, even during TOM. This is a good sign

I have been tired lately, so my gym workouts were only 4 days last week. Tonight is weight lifting arms and spin class. Looking forward to it.

I really hope this program works for all of us!!! Why these things work better for some and not so much for others, I will never understand.

3 Shakes Today and Tonight Dinner Italian Sausage with sauteed onions and red/yellow bell peppers.

[Birdstreet]

Originally Posted by snaggle

Yeah, today I wasn't even hungry and just made a shake for lunch. Plus I worked out. Putting butter on my steak tonight and will probably make more coconut bark.
Love that stuff and It also keeps me regular!!!

What is the coconut bark that you speak of??? It sounds delicious... I love coconut. Can you post the recipe or a link where to find it?

Thanks,
Sarah

[snaggle]

Recipe for coconut bark (be careful, it is highly addictive)
Over very low heat stir 4 level tb coconut oil (I use nutiva organic),
1 TB, plus 1 Tsp. cocoa powder (I prefer hersheys dark)
1 packet truvia
1-2 tsp banana (or coconut or almond or whatever) Davinci sugarfree syrups
1-2 tsp peanut butter (adams)

Meanwhile- chill a cookie sheet in the freezer.

When the mixture is melted and smooth, spread it evenly over the parchment on the
cold cookie sheet. I top with a few chopped almonds, or toasted raw coconut or pecans and a little fancy pink salt or kosher flake salt (my secred ingred.)
Chill, then break apart.
Lay a piece of parchment paper over

[DiamondDeb]

Originally Posted by Just4Me

What????!!!!!?!!?!??!? No white or yellow onion?? woe woe woe woe Deb, do you know where that is? Oh, man, I thought no cream would be hard, but made it. I thought no cheese would be hard, but scraped by (there is, after all, butter). Onion is what helps me get pork down. Onion is what makes the burger smile (and just a touch of sherry in the frying, but that's now allowed-ish).

What about onion powder?????

That's right, no onion. I had some on my burger last night but it used up most of the carbs for the meal so I was not able to have the broccoli I planned on. MNo more onion.

Originally Posted by Just4Me

Yes, my calories were too low today. I had a shake for breakfast, and doubled the coconut milk, then sucked on a patty of butter. I had extra butter with my steaks. I sucked on another patty of butter in the middle of the day (missed the mid-day feeding due to unforeseen schedule craziness).

Calories were lower, as was protein. I wish I could stay on 3-and-1 and lose the weight. But I'm determined to do this by the book, at least once through, without "tweaks" before I've even tried.

I ended up making some banana coconut oil candy to increase the calories but they were still low. Protein was half what it was the day before with the shakes on Week 2.

I ended up making decaf coffee this morning & adding coconut milk to it. The decaf tasted like water & the coconut milk didn't help. Maybe regular coffee would be better. It did get the calories up there though. lol...

I think eating 4-5 meals spaced out will help. Honestly, dropping carbs and increasing fat usually means a drop in calories.

[DiamondDeb]

Originally Posted by snaggle

Recipe for coconut bark (be careful, it is highly addictive)
Over very low heat stir 4 level tb coconut oil (I use nutiva organic),
1 TB, plus 1 Tsp. cocoa powder (I prefer hersheys dark)
1 packet truvia
1-2 tsp banana (or coconut or almond or whatever) Davinci sugarfree syrups
1-2 tsp peanut butter (adams)

Meanwhile- chill a cookie sheet in the freezer.

When the mixture is melted and smooth, spread it evenly over the parchment on the
cold cookie sheet. I top with a few chopped almonds, or toasted raw coconut or pecans and a little fancy pink salt or kosher flake salt (my secred ingred.)
Chill, then break apart.
Lay a piece of parchment paper over

Peanuts & peanut butter are not allowed on this plan. I suggest skipping them. I did not miss where peanuts are allowed did I?

If anyone wants to add coconut candy to increase calories I suggest just mixing in whatever extract & sweetener or syrup you want & stick it in the freezer. It can be on a cookie sheet or on waxed paper or even on a plate or in a bowl.

[Tril]

"That's right, no onion. "

There's onion in the recipes... the Mediterranean Chopped Salad, the Warm Sesame & Ginger Spinach Salad, and the Sunny Day Garden Salad both have red onion in them. The Olive Salad has shallots. The Chicken Club Salad Lettuce Wraps have thin slices of red onion in them. Granted... not a LOT of onion, but there's some. For onion lovers (like me) a little is way better than none!! And, FWIW, many of the recipes have onion powder in them as well.

[homestretch]

Originally Posted by snaggle

Sounds like we are all quite a mixed bag of feelings and results with this plan!!

It is interesting with a short term plan like this because it naturally creates a short term
results mentality, which is not what most of us know is necessarily good for the long haul. Part of it is the strict nature of the phases and the whole concept of "NO this , No that". I have always felt that these type of "quick fix" diets are stupid. Of course, we all trust the Dr.'s E. and know they are all about long term health, and some of us may think this whole concept is a bit of a sell out. BUT...................here we are throwing our
selves at this and feeling all the crap that it brings about: frustrations with the limitations and severe restrictions, expectations of quick loss and dissappointments when those do not materialize.
I think this forum is so good because without it, this kind of plan, especially, could really be easy to abandon. Lets all stick with this, see what happens and try and see the good parts. rah rah.

I can't believe it, but I am down a lb and I am not even done with tom. First loss since starting phase 2. Overall, I have lost 6 lbs since starting and 1" off my gut in the week that I have been measuring.
Pants are crazy saggy in the lower butt. As I mentioned on my juddd board, I feel like I am always running around with what my mom always called, "droopy drawers"( aka:
dirty diapers.)

Great post, you are so right. Glad to hear your pants are bagging yay!

[DiamondDeb]

Originally Posted by costa5

The more I read about the meat weeks, the more I can't decide whether it will be a blessing or a curse! Are you guys getting full at fewer calories or do you just not feel like eating any more meat? Are you purposefully adding in more calories at the end of the day so you will have taken in a certain number? I can't remember anything about that in the book.....

Aside from everything else, I just realized this morning that by sticking to this diet for 6 weeks I'll be proving to myself that I can go that long without sugar and dairy. Once I get back to eating primal, this knowledge will be so useful to me. It is so easy to start letting one thing slip and then another.

Scale is still moving down, albeit somewhat more slowly. I lifted for the firs time since starting the shakes yesterday. Took it easy on myself and was encouraged that I felt energized and LESS hungry as a result of the workout and not the other way around. I think the brain fog may have started to lift yesterday, too, although I still feel like I've gone down a few IQ points since going this low on carbs. I was always around 100g/day before.

We're supposed to eat until full but trying that leaves my calories very low. The books states weeks 3 & 4 increase calories. Mine decreased. There is no set number of calories to shoot for, just follow the guidelines in the book. Unfortunately doing that causes my calories to do down.

Going without sugar is pretty easy once you get your mind set right, that it is your choice and not about deprivation. Dairy is tougher for me since I like half & half in my coffee & enjoy most other things dairy, too.

That is great to hear on the workout. The IQ should jump back up soon too. lol...

Originally Posted by whippetlady

Week 3, day 5. Not a single pound lost this week. I really really detest this way of eating, makes me nauseated. And I have no appetite, so why am I not losing?


Darn it, i have to go to Vegas on business in one month and I want to be in some of my better suits which now are a tiny bit too tight in the seat. Not a good look for business, though not bad for fun...

Measure after week 3 & see if you've lost any inches. Honestly, if I paid attention to the scale I'd be freaked out 3/4 of the time. For me the scale hardly moved in week 2 but, with the exception of one measurement, I lost the same amount in inches everywhere as in week 1. If I was judging progress by the scale I'd have called week 2 unimpressive compared to week 1.

Originally Posted by moonius

Today is my second day on the 6 week cure. Yesterday I was lethargic, foggy and grumpy from the lack of caffeine and had a mild headache all day. I was famished when I got home from work and ate more steak than I planned to. Hopefully I will feel better today and be able to control my appetite at home. I notice that some people are shooting for a target of 1500 calories daily. Is that amount mentioned in the book? If so, I must have missed it.

I hope you're feeling better today. It can take a few days to adjust to the drop in carbs.

There is no calorie amount to shoot for. The 1500 you're seen is because a comment was made & taken out of context & now people think that is what they should aim for, They're mistaken & messing up the plan by doing that. Calories will vary quite a bit on this plan since there are 3 different levels of nutrition for different weights. The protein powders will cause more variation. Just stick to the guidelines in the book and you'll be fine.

On eating too much- the books says eat until you're full so if you were famished you did the right thing.

Grr...I've been having internet connectivity problems and it is so frustrating trying to browse and post. They can't get here to fix it until Thursday afternoon.

[DiamondDeb]

Originally Posted by Tril

"That's right, no onion. "

There's onion in the recipes... the Mediterranean Chopped Salad, the Warm Sesame & Ginger Spinach Salad, and the Sunny Day Garden Salad both have red onion in them. The Olive Salad has shallots. The Chicken Club Salad Lettuce Wraps have thin slices of red onion in them. Granted... not a LOT of onion, but there's some. For onion lovers (like me) a little is way better than none!! And, FWIW, many of the recipes have onion powder in them as well.

Even in the week 3 & 4 version?

According to the list of weeks 3 & 4 veggies on pages 282 - 283 in the book the only onion we can have is green onion.