6 Week Cure for the Middle Age Middle

[MellaBella]

Hi Everyone,

Still here & on plan, just busy these past few days.

Still loving the shakes but will be moving into weeks 3 & 4 next week.

Continued success to everyone!

[Tril]

Checking in...

Got up early and met a friend for a long walk... 7 - 8:30. Love to start my day that way. I think we exercise our jaws and vent buttons more than our legs. We agreed that we walk for our "heads", not our butts. Came home and had two fried eggs and some more coffee.

Weight was down 1/2# this morning. I'm now only 1/2# higher than my low on Wednesday of LAST week. BUT... I got an order from Coldwater Creek and I tried it on this morning. Everything fit perfectly!!! A size small swing jacket, size 6 black jeans and size 6 cropped pants. Makes me quite happy. Four weeks ago I wouldn't have even ordered those things.... not wanting to buy a larger size. OH... I almost forgot. Yesterday during my showing I went and walked around TJMaxx (it was raining... not much else to do). I bought a fitted sheath dress in dark dark chocolate... it has horizontal seams. I thought, no way... but it's on clearance so try it. Well, it FIT like it had been tailored for my body. I bought it... for $10! I'm going on a cruise this spring with my mom, which just happens to fall on my 50th b'day. I'm thinking this might be my 50th b'day dress! OR, maybe I'll try it on for dh and see if he wants to take me out for a nice filet ..

Later!

[NGJ26]

Tril~ I am sure DH will see no problem taking you out for a nice filet~ You must look fabulous... we need a picture

I am one inch shorter than you 5'3" and weighed 130 in High School... scary because I thought I was "fat" then... ... I'd kill to get even close to that now.

[Stevie Renee]

~Week 1, Day 6~
The week seems to be going faster. I will say those chicken thighs are so easy to get to that I am going to make more. lol - My waist is still at 29" - these last 8 pounds are gonna be a major hurdle. lol

HOMESTRETCH!!!

Fantastic!

Hi all..I gotta go get the kiddo as he stayed at grandmas last night so i could go to aerobics.

Be back soon to chat.

[Tril]

I was just reading the blog comments and saw this Q & A... thought it might be a good one to share, since I see post here where people ARE adding eggs and/or fruit to each shake:

"I have a question about putting low carb fruit in the shakes. Is it permitted to put fruit into all of them? It seems to me that the carbs for the day would then be much higher. I can see doing it occasionally for variety, but I’m noticing that some people are really hitting the fruit portions hard. Eggs, too. In each shake? If I put fruit, eggs, cream, etc. in every shake along with the scoops of protein, each one would be upwards of 400 calories each. Is this what you intended?

MD here: No it isn’t. But in point of fact, 400 calories 3x a day plus a meal will still put you in at about 1600 to 1800 total calories for the day. I wouldn’t recommend doing a ‘real fruit’ addition to every shake, but to use it now and again for variety. As to the egg addition, those people who already get plenty of cholesterol from eating red meat, bacon, and pork in their meat meal don’t need to add an egg. As it says in the section ‘Add and Egg?’ this recommendation it’s an addition for people who tend to be eaters of fish and egg whites–ie those who have avoided cholesterol. Where the idea that everybody ought to add an egg to all three of their shakes came from, I haven’t got a clue."

[MellaBella]

Originally Posted by Tril

Where the idea that everybody ought to add an egg to all three of their shakes came from, I haven’t got a clue."

Thanks Tril. While I don't have the book in front of me, I recall the "Add an Egg?" section addressed more of a persons concern regarding consuming raw eggs. I add them to each of my shakes, but have only been doing 2 shakes a day because I was getting too full with 3 shakes & a meal. But on days when I'm extra hungry its good to know I can do that 3rd shake.

[DiamondDeb]

Originally Posted by homestretch

I finally weighed in today after 3 weeks and I am down 9 POUNDS!!!! Woooooooohooooooooo!!!!! Honestly, it was completely unexpected. I realized that my clothes were fitting much better but I had no idea that I had lost this much. I learned a couple of things:
1. I don't have to get on the scale twice a day and obsess over it in order to lose weight.
2. Clothes are a bad weight gauge for me. I cannot trust clothes to tell me when I have gained or lost because I cannot tell until the weight goes up or comes down a lot.
I really think the reason that I have been able to stick to this is staying off the scale for a while. It kept me focused on eating right instead of eating to lose. I know that I will use the scale as a tool from this point forward but I do not know how much I want to get on it. I am now down 2.5 inches in my waist and one in my hips!

Have a great day!

Great news!

[DiamondDeb]

Originally Posted by Tril

I was just reading the blog comments and saw this Q & A... thought it might be a good one to share, since I see post here where people ARE adding eggs and/or fruit to each shake:

"I have a question about putting low carb fruit in the shakes. Is it permitted to put fruit into all of them? It seems to me that the carbs for the day would then be much higher. I can see doing it occasionally for variety, but I’m noticing that some people are really hitting the fruit portions hard. Eggs, too. In each shake? If I put fruit, eggs, cream, etc. in every shake along with the scoops of protein, each one would be upwards of 400 calories each. Is this what you intended?

MD here: No it isn’t. But in point of fact, 400 calories 3x a day plus a meal will still put you in at about 1600 to 1800 total calories for the day. I wouldn’t recommend doing a ‘real fruit’ addition to every shake, but to use it now and again for variety. As to the egg addition, those people who already get plenty of cholesterol from eating red meat, bacon, and pork in their meat meal don’t need to add an egg. As it says in the section ‘Add and Egg?’ this recommendation it’s an addition for people who tend to be eaters of fish and egg whites–ie those who have avoided cholesterol. Where the idea that everybody ought to add an egg to all three of their shakes came from, I haven’t got a clue."

I had days where I added no fruit to shakes, others where I added it to one shake. A couple times I added it to two when my carbs were low. Fruit once a day is pretty normal for a lower carb plan.

My calories were pretty low so I usually added an egg to my shakes to help get them up a bit. When calories were looking OK I'd skip the egg. That is what I am doing it for in Week 3.

[DiamondDeb]

If you're in Weeks 3 & 4, tracking calories & see they have gone down I think it is important to add more protein & fat to get both calories and protein higher than in the first two weeks.

[Tril]

Originally Posted by MellaBella

Thanks Tril. While I don't have the book in front of me, I recall the "Add an Egg?" section addressed more of a persons concern regarding consuming raw eggs. I add them to each of my shakes, but have only been doing 2 shakes a day because I was getting too full with 3 shakes & a meal. But on days when I'm extra hungry its good to know I can do that 3rd shake.

The "I haven't got a clue" was a quote of what Dr. Mary Dan Eades said on the 6WC blog (on their website)... not something I said. What I took from that question and her answer was that people should add an egg to a shake if they typically eat a lower cholesterol protein diet... fish and eggs whites. If your protein choices are red meat, bacon, or pork for your one meal, then you don't need to add an egg to your shakes.

The Enova/DAG oil thing is similar... they said to add 1 tsp to ONE shake a day... not all 3 shakes.

You can read all of the comments/questions/answers on Dr. Mike's blog on their website at Drs Eades.

[DiamondDeb]

Originally Posted by Tril

The Enova/DAG oil thing is similar... they said to add 1 tsp to ONE shake a day... not all 3 shakes.

I have the book in front of me. On page 109 it states to add one tablespoon of Enova/DAG per day. One teaspoon 3 times per day added to shakes. It was also suggested to use Enova in salad dressing as an alternative to adding to shakes.

[Just4Me]

Originally Posted by homestretch

I finally weighed in today after 3 weeks and I am down 9 POUNDS!!!! Woooooooohooooooooo!!!!! Honestly, it was completely unexpected. I realized that my clothes were fitting much better but I had no idea that I had lost this much. I learned a couple of things:
1. I don't have to get on the scale twice a day and obsess over it in order to lose weight.
2. Clothes are a bad weight gauge for me. I cannot trust clothes to tell me when I have gained or lost because I cannot tell until the weight goes up or comes down a lot.

Wow, homestretch, way to go!!

... focused on eating right instead of eating to lose. ...

QFT

Originally Posted by NGJ26

... I am one inch shorter than you 5'3" and weighed 130 in High School... scary because I thought I was "fat" then... ... I'd kill to get even close to that now.

Hon, I could have written this, too. I'm 5'4", was 127 senior year in high school. Gained 5 lbs (omgz!) before college, spent all of freshman year trying to diet off those 5 lbs and got no where (Thank you, Diet Center). Now, I look back over 20 years and wonder if maybe I wasn't smoking something back then!

Originally Posted by Tril

I was just reading the blog comments and saw this Q & A... thought it might be a good one to share, since I see post here where people ARE adding eggs and/or fruit to each shake:

"I have a question about putting low carb fruit in the shakes. Is it permitted to put fruit into all of them? It seems to me that the carbs for the day would then be much higher. I can see doing it occasionally for variety, but I’m noticing that some people are really hitting the fruit portions hard. Eggs, too. In each shake? If I put fruit, eggs, cream, etc. in every shake along with the scoops of protein, each one would be upwards of 400 calories each. Is this what you intended?

MD here: No it isn’t. But in point of fact, 400 calories 3x a day plus a meal will still put you in at about 1600 to 1800 total calories for the day. I wouldn’t recommend doing a ‘real fruit’ addition to every shake, but to use it now and again for variety. As to the egg addition, those people who already get plenty of cholesterol from eating red meat, bacon, and pork in their meat meal don’t need to add an egg. As it says in the section ‘Add and Egg?’ this recommendation it’s an addition for people who tend to be eaters of fish and egg whites–ie those who have avoided cholesterol. Where the idea that everybody ought to add an egg to all three of their shakes came from, I haven’t got a clue."

I add the egg depending on how hungry I feel. This morning, I didn't feel hungry at all, so skipped it. Yesterday, 1st 2 shakes I was hungry for, so added it, skipped it for the 3rd. Also, it helps for peace of mind to have a source for fresh pastured eggs---my friend's hens come running out their door and mill around the law furniture eating whatever chickens eat, and the eggs they lay are amazing!

[Tril]

"Hon, I could have written this, too. I'm 5'4", was 127 senior year in high school. Gained 5 lbs (omgz!) before college, spent all of freshman year trying to diet off those 5 lbs and got no where (Thank you, Diet Center). Now, I look back over 20 years and wonder if maybe I wasn't smoking something back then!"

I'm 5'4"... graduated from HS weighing 128. Met my future husband that October... weighing 118. Yup, I LOST my Freshman ten. LOL Poor guy... he thought that was my "normal" weight. I was 118 about a year ago and felt great, but right now I'd be really happy to be solidly back into the 120's. Like 123. I have bird bones. I wear a size 5 ring because that's the smallest you can get without having to resize it. My real size is about a 4.75. I wear bracelets as anklets because they fall off my wrist. No wonder I've broken so many bones, huh?

[DiamondDeb]

I'd love to know how anyone is getting enough protein in Weeks 3 & 4 to get an increase in calories and protein. I feel like I need to eat a cow per day or something.

[Tril]

Well... I didn't count calories in weeks one and two. I'm still not counting calories. But I can tell you that I'm a LOT less hungry in the middle of week four than I was ALL of weeks one and two. I'm also not counting fat or protein grams... just following the guidelines of the program. Meat, eggs, no more than 6g of carb per meal, zero carbs per snack, no dairy, limited alcohol...

And... I'm SO ready for this to be over. LOL I've gained a totally new appreciation for my Atkins OWL WOE. I can't wait to get back to it. Heck, I might not wait.

[MellaBella]

Originally Posted by DiamondDeb

I'd love to know how anyone is getting enough protein in Weeks 3 & 4 to get an increase in calories and protein. I feel like I need to eat a cow per day or something.

Your post got me thinking as I'm about to start weeks 3 & 4. Can anyone who uses 2 scoops of protein powder per shake throw out about how many calories per day you've been getting in weeks 1 & 2? I'm getting quite a bit and am now wondering how many I should be consuming in weeks 3 & 4??

[DiamondDeb]

Originally Posted by Tril

Well... I didn't count calories in weeks one and two. I'm still not counting calories. But I can tell you that I'm a LOT less hungry in the middle of week four than I was ALL of weeks one and two. I'm also not counting fat or protein grams... just following the guidelines of the program. Meat, eggs, no more than 6g of carb per meal, zero carbs per snack, no dairy, limited alcohol...

And... I'm SO ready for this to be over. LOL I've gained a totally new appreciation for my Atkins OWL WOE. I can't wait to get back to it. Heck, I might not wait.

A lot of my meat/chicken didn't have nutritional info on it so I really don't know either. I used things already in the tracking database. But my calories plummeted when I started Week 3. Meat/fat are naturally filling and calories naturally drop. If they hadn't stated in the book that this is supposed to increase both protein & calories I'd think it was a drop.

Lots of protein powder and/or eating at least 4 times per day is the only way I see this working for me.

[DiamondDeb]

Originally Posted by MellaBella

Your post got me thinking as I'm about to start weeks 3 & 4. Can anyone who uses 2 scoops of protein powder per shake throw out about how many calories per day you've been getting in weeks 1 & 2? I'm getting quite a bit and am now wondering how many I should be consuming in weeks 3 & 4??

it should be pretty easy to figure out how many calories you get in a shake by checking the protein powder label and adding in the calories from the other ingredients. What kind of protein powder are you using and what did you put in the shakes?

[MellaBella]

Originally Posted by DiamondDeb

it should be pretty easy to figure out how many calories you get in a shake by checking the protein powder label and adding in the calories from the other ingredients. What kind of protein powder are you using and what did you put in the shakes?

Sorry, my question wasn't very clear.

I was wondering how many total calories per day (shakes & meal included)people are consuming when they are making their shakes with 2 scoops of protein powder. 1200, 1500, 1700???

[DiamondDeb]

Originally Posted by MellaBella

Sorry, my question wasn't very clear.

I was wondering how many total calories per day (shakes & meal included)people are consuming when they are making their shakes with 2 scoops of protein powder. 1200, 1500, 1700???

That will vary with the protein powder, too. I'm not really sure of my actual calories because my food doesn't all come with nutritional info. The tracking program I use shows an average of a little over 1300 calories and 175g protein for Weeks 1 & 2.

[MellaBella]

Thanks Deb.

[Cathieinut]

OK, so I just won a copy of the book on Ebay so once it gets here and I have a chance to read it I will see how soon I am going to try the 6 Week Cure.

[Just4Me]

I too am having difficulty with the meals weeks 3&4. I was supposed to start week 3 this past Monday, but couldn't eat all the meat. My calories have been lower than in during the shakes week, as has my protein, in spite of my best efforts. So yesterday (Wed.) I decided until I can figure out how to get all the meat in, I'm sticking with shakes, upping the fat I add to them, and lowering the carbs in the meal/s I eat. So at least I don't reverse direction.

Eating enough food has been a real struggle for me. I started a fresh, strict Atkins induction this past 5/12, but was using PP guidelines for protein. I couldn't eat all the food. Not only that, it was difficult for me to get myself to eat at least every 5 or 6 hours as Atkins says. I was never hungry, and was often just slightly enough nauseated so as not to want to eat.

When I did the shakes week on this plan, after the adjustment in caffeine, I started to feel good and feel NORMAL----I'd feel hunger, which was almost revelatory: not the snacky peckishness, but the tummy rumbles "hey, it's time for more down here!" healthy hunger I remember from childhood. And the enormous amount of protein (~204g from shakes alone) started to make me feel good in many ways. Now, with trying to eat meat and veggies, I've gone back to feeling like crap---tired, not hungry, every so slightly nauseated, unmotivated, and kind of down.

Sigh. This turned into more than a reply to the "how to get all the protein in during Weeks 3/4", sorry. I'm just frustrated.

Is it so much to ask to lose excess fat while feeling nourished and happy?

[Tril]

Originally Posted by Cathieinut

OK, so I just won a copy of the book on Ebay so once it gets here and I have a chance to read it I will see how soon I am going to try the 6 Week Cure.

Yeah!! Glad you decided to give it a shot!

[Tril]

"I've gone back to feeling like crap---tired, not hungry, every so slightly nauseated, unmotivated, and kind of down."

It sounds like carb withdrawal. Are you eating significantly less carb in week 3 than in weeks 1 and 2? Are you taking the supplements and getting enough water? Being dehydrated will also result in the symptoms you're having.

When you say "all that meat"... how much are you trying to eat? I just eat to my hunger. Usually that's no more than 2 eggs, a burger patty, a steak about the size of my palm OR 4 - 5 chicken wings.

-----------------------------

On a personal note, I'm down to 131.5. Off now to walk again with a friend!!

Dinner last night was fabulous, btw... dh came home late (gone all week) but he brought me sirloin strip steaks from a meat market. YUM! I had a salad and "to die for" steak. He's not a big eater, either, so we split one. I have a bit leftover for lunch today and another whole steak in the freezer for later. AND, I had 4 oz of a nice German Riesling. I haven't had wine in FOREVER. It was really good.

[costa5]

Hi everyone!

Starting in on week 2 here and Dh and I are both still losing. He's down 8 lbs since the beginning and I'm down over 3 lbs. Not too shabby for a week's work. I think it helps that I've been lifting this week. It is hard for me to lose weight without exercising, too. Or at least it goes so slowly that I lose motivation.

We went out to dinner last night and were able to have a nice dinner on plan. He had a steak and salad and I had some kind of chicken with a creamy sauce and a salad. Tonight we're having steak to make sure we have plenty of iron in our systems for giving blood on Saturday morning. I couldn't find anywhere near us that does the plasma/platelet separation thing (forget what its called) so we're just going to the local Red Cross. Must remember to bring a shake for after.

I am not tracking on this diet so I don't know my calories - only that they must be low cause I feel pretty hungry. My guess is they vary from 1100 to 1600 depending on dinner and whether I have a 3rd shake (2 scoops per shake). I eat 2 hard-boiled eggs a day with my first 2 shakes in lieu of putting them in the shake (you're probably not supposed to but they help me immensely). Since I am 5'9", active almost all day (2 preschoolers), and work out 3x week this puts me at a pretty big deficit.

Deb - my guess is that during the meat weeks I will still be in this calorie range. Maybe the Eades figure that after being somewhat starved during shake weeks people will naturally eat more calories. Or perhaps that's the pattern they've noticed in themselves. I'm not going to sweat it. Just going to be sure to get in protein and not skimp on the butter.

[costa5]

Originally Posted by Tril

On a personal note, I'm down to 131.5. Off now to walk again with a friend!!

[costa5]

Originally Posted by Cathieinut

OK, so I just won a copy of the book on Ebay so once it gets here and I have a chance to read it I will see how soon I am going to try the 6 Week Cure.

Great! It's not the easiest diet in the world but think most of us are seeing some great results.

[costa5]

Originally Posted by homestretch

I finally weighed in today after 3 weeks and I am down 9 POUNDS!!!! Woooooooohooooooooo!!!!! Honestly, it was completely unexpected. I realized that my clothes were fitting much better but I had no idea that I had lost this much. I learned a couple of things:
1. I don't have to get on the scale twice a day and obsess over it in order to lose weight.
2. Clothes are a bad weight gauge for me. I cannot trust clothes to tell me when I have gained or lost because I cannot tell until the weight goes up or comes down a lot.
I really think the reason that I have been able to stick to this is staying off the scale for a while. It kept me focused on eating right instead of eating to lose. I know that I will use the scale as a tool from this point forward but I do not know how much I want to get on it. I am now down 2.5 inches in my waist and one in my hips!

Have a great day!

Wonderful! 9lbs! I can only dream!

Originally Posted by NGJ26

Just checking in, not feeling as wonderful as yesterday... I think I am suffering from too much sodium... yesterday I made up some chili spiced meat and I followed the recipe, but as I was pouring in the tsp. of salt... I knew it was going to be too much, since I still needed to add 1 can of beef broth.... so lots of water today!!


Breakfast was 2 scotch eggs... lunch is open.. maybe tuna or chicken salad.

The modertor on the 6WEEKCURE forum answered some good questions here:

The 6 Week Cure for the Middle-Age Middle - discuss! - Page 41 - Protein Power Forums

Thanks for that link - going to check it out.

Ugh, salt! I cooked some pork tenderloin in the crock pot yesterday with broth, tamari, garlic, and ginger and it came out a lot more salty than I had wanted. Now I have no idea what to do with it. I want ot save it for meat weeks but not sure how to keep it good for another week... put in a soup and freeze it?

[NGJ26]

Click on the link I inserted on post # 630. This goes directly to the Eades 6WC forum, there is a question answered that gives a great explanation on calories needed

My take:

Although the book suggest we should be eating MORE calories, the Moderator explains that it is not the quantity of calories, but the quality... If you are getting your calories, from nutrient dense Proteins and Fats, you will need less calories to supply you body with all the nutrients you need, opposed to getting your calories from carbage.

Costa5~ SALT try shredding and rinsing the meat with hot water. This is what I did and it worked