~*Stillman's February 2009 QWL Get 'Er Done!*~

[eetinmeet]

Originally Posted by Marie.B.

Any other responders? I don't think I can stay on this much longer but I don't want to give up what I've gained (more accurately lost for that matter).

I'm feeling like you didn't like my response (sorry).

...but yes...I think it will effect you weight loss if you go from a relatively strict WOE to "eating anything you want". THAT is exactly why we got overweight.

if you read the Atkins thread and posts carefully (and I have) you will see that the people who are successful on Atkins don't overeat. the ones that eat whatever they want are always "stalling" and asking why they didn't lose. "was it the cheese?' "was it the cream?' ....NO...it was the fact that you ate 5000 calories every day and only burned 2000!!

the bottom line is this: GETTING thin is not as much fun as BEING thin....

is Stillman's QWL a pain in the butt..? YES!! but it's quick. if you switch it WILL effect your weight loss. perhaps you would prefer to lose more slowly but have more choices...well then, you should do that. it's certainly an option. but you will likely gain weight if you eat too much, even if it's "legal".

I sense that you're feeling a little unmotivated right now(?) it happens to me 5-10 times a day. just know that whatever plan you choose should be comfortable for YOU, because that will increase the likelihood that you will stay on it. and staying on plan IS the most important thing.

[icandoit]

To answer some of your questions from the Stillman book:

Is it necessary to limit calorie intake to under 1,000 calories a day in order to lose weight?
No-on some of my quick weight loss diets you can lose pounds rapidly yet eat 1,300 to 2,500 calories daily (depending on your height) of permitted protein foods.

`

[icandoit]

I was meaning to post more but my daughter pressed, omg lol.

[icandoit]

Is it necessary to limit calorie intake to under 1,000 calories a day in order to lose weight?
No-on some of my quick weight loss diets you can lose pounds rapidly yet eat 1,300 to 2,500 calories daily (depending on your height) of permitted protein foods.

Do I need more sleep when dieting?
Limit your sleep to no more than eight hours daily, as you lose weight more rapidly when you're active than when you're lying about and sleeping.

Is it all right to switch from one diet to another?
The imprtant point is to get those excess pounds off so that if you get tired of one diet, such as all-protein, and go on another, like all-fruit, you'll be taking weight off and there's no harm done-only good.

Isn't it true that my skin will sag and I'll look scrawny from losing weight rapidly?
Mostly it's your clothing that will sag when you lose weight. If your skin sags at all, it will soon firm again and you'll look far better than before in every way.

Does the amount of salt in foods make any difference?
use salt sparingly and even omit it, if possible, since salted foods tend to retain more water and make you weigh more; also, salted foods are more tempting, and you eat more.

What can I do about getting bored with dieting?
If fattening food is the only thing that keeps you from boredom, you'd better find some new intrests instead of blamming the diet.

[paleopaleo]

sassy, thanks for typing all that out - daughter 'n all

[paleopaleo]

Cycling off:
I don't actually have any personal experience with cycling off from Stillman's, but I'm guessing it's a bit like breaking a fast. You start slowly and add a bit more food every day.

I'm planning to add a little bit more veggie carbs every day and keep my fat and protein about the same. In fact, I'm committed to eating this way for the rest of my life to make sure the poundage doesn't creep back on.

[paleopaleo]

Originally Posted by anniethepooh

I did some googling myself and read a few interesting links... made me feel a bit better. Also, found this one that I thought was interesting, though not much of a reference or anything - but even the comments were interesting.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/05/health/05diet.html

If you haven't come across it, the acronym CRON stands for Caloric Restriction with Optimal Nutrition. To eat like this on an ongoing basis you'll have to do your research to make sure you stay adequately nourished. If you can manage it however, chances are it will keep you very healthy in the long run.

There haven't been any longitudinal studies in humans to establish whether CRON really works, but in most animal studies it was very effective at keeping degenerative diseases at bay. Please note however, we're not talking starvation levels of calories here. Some proponents eat a flat 1200-1600 cals a day. Others try to eat about as much as their BMR requires, but no more than that.

More info at Calorie restriction - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia and CRON - Calorie Restriction with Optimal Nutrition.
You can simply google CRON and you'll find a whole society dedicated to it.

My personal opinion is that CRON works because it keeps your blood sugar levels low throughout your life. You can aso achieve this by eating a balanced, low glycemic diet your whole life, and you won't look emaciated doing it.

[paleopaleo]

Originally Posted by farmgirl

I don't think you'll gain on Atkins, unless you overeat. I wouldn't go underweight. I believe Stillman rec'd switching up his diets when w/in 20 lbs of goal. i don't have the book w/ me, but it was something like that. When I got down close to goal 2 years ago I went back to just eating regular food in moderation. I did fine until about 6 months go when things went crappy. Totally my fault.

I don't eat as low fat as Stillmans rec'd. I eat quite a bit of fat. I just don't post it. I suppose i should really be posting on the m/e thread cause I can't do the low fat thing for very long. I feel my very best on m/e, high fat. I don't know why, but I have more NRG, less moodiness (not today peeps have been ticking me off ), no cravings/binging. It's awesome. I don't think it's for everyone, but for some metabolisms it seems to work. I feel good. I don't feel deprived. I'm in control. I see no reason to change.

Glad to see everyone doing so well!

Catch ya'll tomorrow!

Lisa

I'm totally in the same boat Lisa. I really hope no-one minds me still posting on the Stillman's thread knowing that I actually eat a lot more fat than typical on this forum. LOL, if you knew how I normally eat, you'd realize that 45% fat is actually super low for me.

[Cat430]

[COLOR="DarkSlateBlue"]I have been MIA, I have been really busy with school. This going back to school and working and family...its enough to drive someone to carbs Anyway...I have been off and on again, but mostly on. I have maintained my loss but not any more. Can't seem to get to the 120's. Maybe a little more focus. I have been exercising...Turbo Jam cause I love to punch and kick imaginary foes

I can't respond to all the posts since there was so much stuff. I do take vitamins, vitamin D, Biotin, Kelp for my thyroid etc... I don't count my calories but I don't think they are too low. I read Stillman's Doctor's Quick Weight Loss Diet last night and feel so motivated to get back on track.

Congrats on the weight loss Marie! I would try to QWL for a few days a week and Atkins (?) the other days and see how that goes. That way if it doesn't work out you probably won't be set back too much.[/COLOR]

[farmgirl]

[COLOR="Navy"]TGIF Stillmaners!

Just a quickie post....Surprise, surprise I lost another 2 lbs. That's 4 lbs in 2 days! It's right before my TOM and I ususally lose the best right then.

I just contacted my state's senators re this stimulus plan. I won't go political, but encourage everyone to take an interest and contact their senators to let them know what you think either way. They work for us!

Going to go find some more meat today and eggs. Our krogers has eggs 18 ct 3/5 which is a good price here.

I will try to w/o everyday this weekend. It's supposed to be beautiful so maybe we'll go hiking!

to everyone! If I get time I'll check in later.

Have a great Stillmans weekend!

Lisa[/COLOR]

[anniethepooh]

TGIF indeed!

I am so impatient! I have been having an affair with the scale this week, because I'm trying Stillmans so it's "something new" and plus I'm all excited about potential great results. Weighed myself this 'morn and I'm only minus one since Monday... boo hoo. The last two weeks have been Atkins and I only lost 1 lb or so each of those weeks... I was really pulling for a little more considering I'm eating soo much less and virtually no carbs, and workouts have been increased.

Oh well! The main thing is that the movement of the scale is downward so I will try to focus on other things and not get discouraged (easier said than done!). This is getting to be the end of week 5... reflecting back, this makes sense, I typically have crappy motivation around this time and typically give up. The quick and easy pounds (in my case now, 15ish) have come off and now things go very slow. I think the longest I've ever done "low carb" was for a few months or during Lent (I'm not catholic but Lent makes a great excuse). It is so dumb but we (Husband and I) always had an "end point" -- and what do we do during the whole diet? Dream of the foods we will eat on our "completion date" - waffles, ice cream, long islands.. how stupid! I don't think I've ever eased off of low-carb appropriately, and certainly never allowed it to get me to my goal. There's always a wedding or trip or event to blow it on.

At least this time I am picturing myself trying my best on my upcoming vacation Feb 27th...(not seeing the vacation as a "destination reached so lets go crazy") and I'm visualizing being on Stillmans/Lowcarb throughout the rest of March, April, May... I have dreams of actually enjoying the summer and staying on plan, whilst being more comfy in my body during the warm weather. Which would be a first!

So I guess in the grand scheme of things... -1lb is just fine! Thanks to all of you who post and are a great example of doing this as a "way of life." Very inspirational.

I will try to not glare at the fat that is clinging to me like a rabid raccoon "get off of me!!!!!!!" and just focus on "gettin' 'er done!"

Oh I posted a link earlier up and said "the comments were interesting" .. I got my links mixed up and this was the article/comments that I had meant to post.

The Risks of Very Low Calorie Diets

[paleopaleo]

Originally Posted by anniethepooh

TGIF indeed!

I am so impatient! I have been having an affair with the scale this week, because I'm trying Stillmans so it's "something new" and plus I'm all excited about potential great results. Weighed myself this 'morn and I'm only minus one since Monday... boo hoo. The last two weeks have been Atkins and I only lost 1 lb or so each of those weeks... I was really pulling for a little more considering I'm eating soo much less and virtually no carbs, and workouts have been increased.

Oh well! The main thing is that the movement of the scale is downward so I will try to focus on other things and not get discouraged (easier said than done!). This is getting to be the end of week 5... reflecting back, this makes sense, I typically have crappy motivation around this time and typically give up. The quick and easy pounds (in my case now, 15ish) have come off and now things go very slow. I think the longest I've ever done "low carb" was for a few months or during Lent (I'm not catholic but Lent makes a great excuse). It is so dumb but we (Husband and I) always had an "end point" -- and what do we do during the whole diet? Dream of the foods we will eat on our "completion date" - waffles, ice cream, long islands.. how stupid! I don't think I've ever eased off of low-carb appropriately, and certainly never allowed it to get me to my goal. There's always a wedding or trip or event to blow it on.

At least this time I am picturing myself trying my best on my upcoming vacation Feb 27th...(not seeing the vacation as a "destination reached so lets go crazy") and I'm visualizing being on Stillmans/Lowcarb throughout the rest of March, April, May... I have dreams of actually enjoying the summer and staying on plan, whilst being more comfy in my body during the warm weather. Which would be a first!

So I guess in the grand scheme of things... -1lb is just fine! Thanks to all of you who post and are a great example of doing this as a "way of life." Very inspirational.

I will try to not glare at the fat that is clinging to me like a rabid raccoon "get off of me!!!!!!!" and just focus on "gettin' 'er done!"

Oh I posted a link earlier up and said "the comments were interesting" .. I got my links mixed up and this was the article/comments that I had meant to post.

The Risks of Very Low Calorie Diets

Annie, I think you're putting on some muscle girl! I have the same "problem". The scale hardly ever seems to move when I'm working out hard and eating lots of protein. However, my body fat percentage is steadily dropping all the time. I get the percentage tested hydrostatically every few months and the guy always tells me that although it's very tough to lose fat and gain muscle at the same time, I'm somehow doing it.

As for the article, I couldn't agree with the author more. Very low calorie intake lets you you lose weight fast, but makes it almost impossible to keep it off because it damages your metabolic rate. It's also really, really difficult to stay well nourished on so few calories unless every bite that goes into your mouth is loaded with nutrients. Moral of the story - don't stay under 1100-1200 cals a day for more than a few days at a time.

[paleopaleo]

Yes, yes, yes - TGIF indeed! The hubby and I have some adventures planned with the kiddo this weekend and I'm so looking forward to it. I've made a bunch of unsalted jerky to take along as snacks/food so I don't go off plan. It will be tough to get enough water in, but I'm loading up the bottles as we speak. For fat, I'm taking a tiny bag of macadamia nuts.

Hope everyone has a fabulous weekend.

[eetinmeet]

Originally Posted by anniethepooh

TGIF indeed!

It is so dumb but we (Husband and I) always had an "end point" -- and what do we do during the whole diet? Dream of the foods we will eat on our "completion date" - waffles, ice cream, long islands.. how stupid! I don't think I've ever eased off of low-carb appropriately, and certainly never allowed it to get me to my goal. There's always a wedding or trip or event to blow it on.

I have been guilty of the same thing....I am doing it differently now...

I keep a log of favorite foods/recipes that are lowfat/lowcarb to continue using after I reach goal. for example, I plan to continue to use cottage cheese to make ranch or blue cheese dressing.

whenever I have a craving (pizza, lasagne, sandwich....) I log that too....it takes my mind off EATING it and I want to look back on it later to see if my cravings have changed over the course of my journey. it also helps me pinpoint my triggers.

k...I ordered some walden farms stuff from netrition....cole slaw dressing (yech), bbq sauce (yech), asian dressing (barely passable), ranch (ok, but a little vinegary for ranch).

it all seems like it's watered down and flavorless. I DO like the caramel (tastes like butterscotch) for adding to vanilla protein shakes.

the Seal Sama SF Teriyaki sauce is YUMMY. tastes completely normal. it's a timesaver for when I don't want to make it myself.

so far the only bbq sauce that I like is the KC Masterpiece SF...also yummy.

I got the Lowrys microwave bacon curls. I am not a pork rind fan...but I use these for "fried" chicken breasts. only 2 grams of fat. also you only micro 1 bag at a time so they don't go stale b4 you use them.

so...that is my consumer report.

I am down another lb...yay!

[paleopaleo]

Ladies, as I'm winding down for the night, I've been pondering the whole Stillman's QWL philosophy. I've also reread the stickies that head up this section of the site and I'm realizing that my approach really is quite far from the basic plan because of my fat intake - as eetinmeet rightly pointed out after my very first post.

I'm concerned that my opinions might be unsettling to those who are committed to QWL. I have fairly strong feelings about calorie intake etc. and will probably never try a true low-fat eating plan, but that doesn't mean it couldn't work extremely well (and has!) for someone else.

In the spirit of support I think it might be more appropriate for me to post my thoughts in a forum more in sync with my approach. I'll still check back here from time to time, but it looks like the natural foods area may just generally be a better fit for my ideas.

Keep the faith ladies! Here's to meeting every goal we've set for ourselves.

[icandoit]

I can't sleep so i thought i would post, lol.

Yesterday was an off stillmans day for me and i'm amazed that i don't have a appetite like when i was heavier.

I went shopping and got lots of meat and vegies!! I weighed the meat and put 8oz in each ziploc bag.

Everyone is doing great!! I'm sorry to see you go paleopaleo!

[eetinmeet]

good luck Paleo!

I am having a tuna day...tuna, tuna, tuna....

yesterday, Tabata on the elliptical and 40 min on the exerbike.

up 2oz from yesterday but down 7 lbs total. I found my hipbones.

I have decided not to count lettuce as carbs if I am only having a leaf or two (as in lettuce wraps) 1 lettuce leaf is 1 calorie and .1 carb, so who cares? I have a feeling that lettuce is not what made me fat!

[KSS]

Good morning everyone!!! Monday morning weigh in for me today and I am sooo happy... I am down 5 pounds this week. Looking to repeat that this week but TOM is due tomorrow so we will have to see how much trouble that causes for me.

How was everyones weekend?

[anniethepooh]

Awesome job to KSS and everyone who had a great week.

Had my WI today, down 2 since last Monday... was expecting more but I know I was lower on Saturday and know I had some salt last night so I'll see how it shakes out this week.. -2 is still OK. I had some wine this weekend too so maybe makes me retain water... I really did stay under my calorie limit both days and worked out, AND I had an "Exciting" Sunday which was the first time I had tried Milk of Magnesia... so that to me sounds like it should've been a loss but again, maybe it is the salt after all. Anyway, slowly but surely and I'm learning about myself as I go!

Today I'm trying something new,.. I think Mondays are my experimental repetition fast days. Today is yogurt!! I thought it was going to be so awesome to have yogurt, but.. It's only 11:45 and I've already had three and I swear I'm hungrier than normal. I guess the cals are low but .. now that I have the sweet, I miss the meat! Looking forward to tomorrow to eat my regular satisfying eggs and such. I'm going to weigh in tomorrow too and see if the salt was the culprit, who knows. Maybe this yogurt will do something weird to me, since I've been ketosis-ing for a while now. I'm not too worried about water weight though.

I thought the yogurt would be a nice variety to keep my body guessing, don't want it to get too used to anything, get efficient, and stop burning! I'll let you know how it goes.

I would like to lose 4 lbs by next Monday to make my total -20, BUT I think I'm going to schedule in a non-diet treat for valentine's day (though watching calories) so we'll see how this goes. Daring Bakers this month (a baking blog group) is making flourless chocolate cake for Feb and I think I am due for some chocolate, it'll have been 6 weeks. Nonetheless, looking forward to my next milestone. I hope everyone is having a great start to another week!

[eetinmeet]

hi everyone...hope you all had a great weekend.

I am down 3 for the week. 8 total.

[anniethepooh]

Hi all! I completed the yogurt repetition. I think I should've ate some more, ended up only eating 6 but I will up my calories today. At least there was no salt and the weigh in this morning was another 1.5lbs for a total of 3.5 since last Monday so that makes me happy. Good job on your loss, eet!!

I'm happy to be back to eggs and meats today, so much more satisfying.

Just a note about multi-vitamins, here are the comparisons between my general "One-a-day Women's formula" and the "Pre-natal" ones:

Womens Prenatal
Vit A 2500 IU 4000
Vit C 60 mg 120
Vit D 400 IU 400
Vit E 30 IU 30
Thiam. 1.5mg 1.8
Ribo. 1.7mg 1.7
Niacin 10mg 20
B6 2mg 2.6
Folic 400mcg 800
B12 6 mcg 8
Panto. 5mg --
Calci. 450 mg 200
Iron 18mg 28
Magnes. 50mg ---
Zinc 15mg 25

So, I think I'm just going to switch between the two every few days. I like that the prenatal has extras of some items but the one-a-day has magnesium and extra calcium.

Just thought I'd share. Thanks!

[eetinmeet]

hi annie....I wonder where evryone else is?


I don't think I want to do the "repetition diet".... I'm always hungry now on regular Stillmans. I'm glad it worked for you tho!

I use Centrum.

[icandoit]

I'm still here! My interent keeps on turning off every 5 minutes and it's driving me crazy! I can not do my school work let alone search the net. I'm doing the repetition this week to kick start my loss. Yesterday i did the egg one and today i will do the chicken one. I'm hoping to lose 20 pounds this month!

You guys are doing great!!

[KSS]

I am still here too!!! I am hoping to lose 5 pounds a week...so about 20 pounds a month too. TOM was due yesterday but still no sign?????? Tom usually screws up my loss for the week so who knows what will happen if and when TOM shows up.

[anniethepooh]

Wow 5 lbs a week is just amazing, I hope you guys can pull it off!

I'm excited to see your results of that repeition diet, sassy. So far I've only done that two days, one each week so far... so I'm not totally sure how it affects me so much. I do know that my husband is quite perplexed about my strange eating habits as of late. He's doing things differently and we're both losing about the same amount of weight -he's just counting calories and trying to make healthy choices but eating lots of carbs to help him with his running. Oh well, we each have to do what works best for us!

-Anne

[eetinmeet]

I am up a lb from yesterday...I didn't do anything wrong....I am wondering if it could just be from the psylium I used yesterday? (I was so freakin hungry)

if it IS the psylium....then it's just water....it hasn't affected my ketosis at all.

has anyone else experienced this from fiber use?

[icandoit]

All i use is Splenda with fiber but i only use 1 packet a day if none at all. I have been working out! I have Billy Blanks Boot Camp (3 dvds) and Yoga and it's kicking my butt!

[eetinmeet]

Originally Posted by sassymanal

All i use is Splenda with fiber but i only use 1 packet a day if none at all. I have been working out! I have Billy Blanks Boot Camp (3 dvds) and Yoga and it's kicking my butt!

yay for kickin' yer butt!!

[Cat430]

[COLOR="DarkSlateBlue"]I have been off the wagon for a while, this back to school thing is a killer. I am really regretting not finishing up my degree years ago...

Anyway, I didn't start back on QWL yet, I have kept my weight down by exercising my tail off, so I haven't gained but I haven't lost either. I am basically just trying to keep my head above water and dieting just had to take a back seat while I got my head screwed on right .
I am going to get back on tomorrow and try and get a good solid day in. Dr. Stillman said something like, keep telling yourself one more day, just one more day, and you can make it. This diet is truly an act of sheer discipline and self-control but the results are soooo worth it.

Congrats to all those that are making it
to all those who are trying every day to make a go of it.

Keep your heads up![/COLOR]

[KSS]

Cat... I use that "just one more __________" for a lot of things!! It helps me even on the treadmill...just one more lap. Baby steps one at a time and we can all make it!!! Good Luck!!!