STILLMAN DIET THREAD- OCTOBER 2012

[zenpeacock]

Originally Posted by CoCo

I am down 1.3 this morning and under 160 @ 159.5= that feels so good I started last monday @ 165.2. Thanks to all my stills buddy's who offered advice, you were right!
Stillman's so much the way to loss.
I think we should do a January contest, see who can lose the most from Jan 1st to the 31st. Just for fun, not really to compete. I want to be at or close to goal by my birthday end of march. I would like to turn 61, at a weight I feel great to be.

Woohoo! That's awesome!

I'm down 1.2 this morning! I'm soooo close to the 180s, it will make me so happy, I haven't seen that in months!

[FitMommyNow]

Originally Posted by CoCo

I will join in on that Jan and Feb strick two month stills= any other takers? We should make that a plan and we will all be closer or at goal to start 2013 off right.

Good plan! Everyone will be motivated in January but we'll be super motivated with our March birthdays.

[FitMommyNow]

Originally Posted by zenpeacock

Woohoo! That's awesome!

I'm down 1.2 this morning! I'm soooo close to the 180s, it will make me so happy, I haven't seen that in months!

You guys are doing great!!!

[FitMommyNow]

Originally Posted by Leo41

I'd like to join you, at least for the rest of this month.

I eat 'generic' low carb--only 20g or fewer a day, as I am very, very carb sensitive. And despite the current rage for high fat, I actually do best with low fat/low carb--or moderate fat at most.

Right now, I'm fighting a 'regain' of almost 10 lbs that I suspect is at least partially hormonal in nature. I'm hypothyroid, and my T3 tends to drop, requiring an increase in meds. However, between the time my hormone level drops, I notice the problem, contact my endo, get new lab tests, and he increases the dosage, I've often gained 10 lbs or more. The gain just 'happens' when I'm eating at a level where I'd normally lose.

Unfortunately, that weight gain isn't just 'water.' I have to lose it the same, slow way as any other weight--which, for me, is never more than a pound a week.

I've discovered that I can keep my weight in check during these times by eating no more than 500 cal a day, and Stillman's is perfect for me, as I thrive on just protein.

If this is hormonal, even when I get my meds adjusted, I'll need to stay with Stillman's until I get back into my maintenance range.

Normally, I don't eat very far from Stillman's anyway--mainly fish, meat, egg whites. And eliminating all fat isn't much of a problem, as I don't use that much.

Best of luck with it Leo41! The added fat of Atkins just doesn't work for some us.

[Angelstill]

Today was poached eggs for breakfast.... and I made a batch of Stillman friendly chicken soup .... a lb of boneless
and skinless chicken breast and low sodium chicken broth and some onion powder and spice hunter brand chefs shake....
This is a large pot of soup that I eat all day from Lunch time on to fill up on .... yesterday was a whoops day not
proud a lil steak pizzaiola no pasta and moscato wine.... We went to church in the a.m and visit family after it always means trouble for me its like food everywhere.... Today I am much better on course a busy day at work keeping
busy.... I need coffee and will have some soon and more water....
awesome job to all of you! Good luck losing

[Angelstill]

Mar and Bratty check in I miss you both

[Mim]

Good morning! Today is weigh in for me - I lost 2 pounds this week! Taaaaaaadaaaaaaaa! And yeah, I wish it would have been more, but I'm a slow looser. But I do lose, and I'm getting smaller, even without big losses. I've lost a total of 36.5 with 2 to 3 pound losses a week. I still hope to lose 5 more by the 21st when I leave for Disney, but whatever I lose by then will be good! I am very busy this week and next, and next week I'll have my dd's two oldest girls - one who turns 5 tomorrow and the other will be 4 in January. They are delightful - I'm looking forward to our week together. They eat anything - they love salmon which I fix a lot. The biggest thing for me is to have some carbs for them. Since I don't want to make different food for them, I'll have apples and pudding on hand for them! And no, the pudding won't tempt me. The apples on the other hand will, but I'll be strong! Ok, enough rambling - time to get dressed and get out of here! Happy Tuesday!

[FitMommyNow]

Great job Mim! That is an amazing rate of loss. Enjoy your grand-daughters!

Angelstill - Sounds like you are ready for a great week! Mmmm....pizza and wine, hard to resist.

I dropped 2 pounds overnight after my first day of Stillmans! I ate a lot but know my appetite will drop in a few days.

[zenpeacock]

Originally Posted by Mim

Good morning! Today is weigh in for me - I lost 2 pounds this week! Taaaaaaadaaaaaaaa! And yeah, I wish it would have been more, but I'm a slow looser. But I do lose, and I'm getting smaller, even without big losses. I've lost a total of 36.5 with 2 to 3 pound losses a week. I still hope to lose 5 more by the 21st when I leave for Disney, but whatever I lose by then will be good! I am very busy this week and next, and next week I'll have my dd's two oldest girls - one who turns 5 tomorrow and the other will be 4 in January. They are delightful - I'm looking forward to our week together. They eat anything - they love salmon which I fix a lot. The biggest thing for me is to have some carbs for them. Since I don't want to make different food for them, I'll have apples and pudding on hand for them! And no, the pudding won't tempt me. The apples on the other hand will, but I'll be strong! Ok, enough rambling - time to get dressed and get out of here! Happy Tuesday!

Happy Tuesday indeed! That is fantastic! You'll have a great time in Disney!

[zenpeacock]

Why am I up .8 this morning?

I've been eating right, lots of water, nothing has changed in 6 days...

I did have homemade chicken broth last night for dinner. I took the time to cool it and skim off the fat from the top. Maybe I didn't get it all?

I've been having such a steady downward trend, this little step back is kinda sad. Is this normal?

[Angelstill]

Awesome mim and Barbara!!!! Zen body weight fluctuation is normal . Please don't be discouraged. I eat chicken and beef broth and sometimes the scale goes up and then not so much or I lose .... The weather affects me rainy and humid days the scale is not so kind to me.... Zen I lost most of my weight following silly Erin turkey diet .... it works fast and
I will do that drastic approach closer to Halloween ....
Now I am off to yoga class .... today was espresso and water some green tea looking forward to chicken soup later! ::yum::

[FitMommyNow]

Zen - surely just a scale fluctuation. Your body needs to recalibrate a bit after losing all your water weight.

AngelStill - What is the turkey diet? Nothing but turkey?

[CoCo]

Originally Posted by zenpeacock

Woohoo! That's awesome!

I'm down 1.2 this morning! I'm soooo close to the 180s, it will make me so happy, I haven't seen that in months!

Zen, good for us! I'm happy for you!

[CoCo]

Originally Posted by Mim

Good morning! Today is weigh in for me - I lost 2 pounds this week! Taaaaaaadaaaaaaaa! And yeah, I wish it would have been more, but I'm a slow looser. But I do lose, and I'm getting smaller, even without big losses. I've lost a total of 36.5 with 2 to 3 pound losses a week. I still hope to lose 5 more by the 21st when I leave for Disney, but whatever I lose by then will be good! I am very busy this week and next, and next week I'll have my dd's two oldest girls - one who turns 5 tomorrow and the other will be 4 in January. They are delightful - I'm looking forward to our week together. They eat anything - they love salmon which I fix a lot. The biggest thing for me is to have some carbs for them. Since I don't want to make different food for them, I'll have apples and pudding on hand for them! And no, the pudding won't tempt me. The apples on the other hand will, but I'll be strong! Ok, enough rambling - time to get dressed and get out of here! Happy Tuesday!

Way to go mim!

[CoCo]

Originally Posted by zenpeacock

Why am I up .8 this morning?

I've been eating right, lots of water, nothing has changed in 6 days...

I did have homemade chicken broth last night for dinner. I took the time to cool it and skim off the fat from the top. Maybe I didn't get it all?

I've been having such a steady downward trend, this little step back is kinda sad. Is this normal?

Zen, go back and read my post for the last 3-4 days, that's what happened to me. Then I dropped 1.3 yesterday and this morning .5. Just keep on track! I t will come off!!

[CoCo]

I am down another .5 this AM!

[zenpeacock]

Originally Posted by CoCo

Zen, go back and read my post for the last 3-4 days, that's what happened to me. Then I dropped 1.3 yesterday and this morning .5. Just keep on track! I t will come off!!

I'm totally staying on track, no problem there. I guess I've been getting excited in the morning to weigh in, since each morning it was lower than the one before. The scale has never been a friend of mine. Like, Ever.

When I was a kid, I had to get a sports physical, the nurse looked in my pockets when she was weighing me. She said to me, "You got lead in your pockets or something?" I didn't have the foggiest idea what she meant, but everyone laughed, so I figured she was just making fun of me.

Fact is, I've always been very muscular and I weigh much more than people think I do. I've always been active, but when I was about 11, I started riding horses and that really developed my legs and arms. Thankfully, I still have all that muscle - only now it's hidden under these Rubenesque layers of fat.

Anyway, I'm single-minded in my goals. I'm not tempted to stop my forward progress. I have my nieces wedding the 27th of this month. A big, grand affair, full of family and food! I look forward to having a glass of wine more than anything - and I will relax a little over that weekend. But it'll be right back after that.

Thanks everyone, this forum is really helpful to me!

[Leo41]

This week, I'm limiting myself to turkey burgers (homemade with just a little mustard for spice), tilapia (plain, poached), and egg whites.

Normally, I always eat low carb and limit myself to about 20g daily.

But eating this way, my appetite has vanished! It's amazing. I am down a few pounds already, but I'm not claiming it (or changing my stats) just yet because I'm familiar with water fluctuations. I'll give myself a few more days before I 'count' it.

I'm loving this--and am surprised because normal low carb just takes the 'edge' off my appetite, but this protein plan really killed my appetite, making it much easier to restrict my calories as low as I need to for loss.

[FitMommyNow]

Originally Posted by Leo41

This week, I'm limiting myself to turkey burgers (homemade with just a little mustard for spice), tilapia (plain, poached), and egg whites.

Normally, I always eat low carb and limit myself to about 20g daily.

But eating this way, my appetite has vanished! It's amazing. I am down a few pounds already, but I'm not claiming it (or changing my stats) just yet because I'm familiar with water fluctuations. I'll give myself a few more days before I 'count' it.

I'm loving this--and am surprised because normal low carb just takes the 'edge' off my appetite, but this protein plan really killed my appetite, making it much easier to restrict my calories as low as I need to for loss.

Great job!

[Angelstill]

Originally Posted by FitMommyNow

Zen - surely just a scale fluctuation. Your body needs to recalibrate a bit after losing all your water weight.

AngelStill - What is the turkey diet? Nothing but turkey?

Here is a post from Erin in May of this year ....

I wouldnt be this hard on my body now, but I was determined to see if I could get there. I was running about 16-20 miles a week, Doing Fast-5, eating JUST chicken breast, or JUST ground turkey (no seasonings, no mustard, no nothin') and just water. This COMPLETELY turned off my appetite and nixed any cravings for binges. I would eat as much plain chicken or plain turkey as I wanted - but just in an eating window of 5pm-10pm (Google "Fast-5").

I also went off plan at least 2 times a week. I'd have a dinner only (balanced of whatever I wanted) within an hour as to not spike my insulin. As long as I ate perfectly clean the next day, I always stayed in ketosis and always kept losing. When I went off plan it was always intentional, and I considered it part of my plan. In fact, it worked better for me than continually staying on Stillmans totally.

But when I did Stillmans I also left no room for error. I was against artificial sweeteners, any cheese, or dips/condiments and seasoning. Everything changed when I started sticking to those rules. Stillmans literally became almost "too effective". So I believe now, (even though I do it from time to time) that adding the extras COMPLETELY slow down the losses. Kick those out, and the weight will pour off of you.

As far as incorporating intentional "cheats" - I never recommend it if youre still struggling with binges. It can be a very BAD slippery slope. You MUST, MUST, MUST have those cravings GONE (be in ketosis) to be able to do it successfully. Trust me! I was at a point where I was eating emotionally some time last year and trying to jump back on the wagon. Trying to do my original plan while still craving food would lead to eating off plan completely because it awakens cravings back.

The best thing to do is go with Stillmans for as long as you can to KILL THE HABIT of cheating/binges. It will go away eventually, but you have to train your brain that you don't do it anymore. (This is a whole entire other topic ) No matter how much of an appetite you "think" you have, you can train your brain to "eat to live".

And thats the "formula".

We all have trouble losing because of "falling off plan"....if we could just STAY ON, it would be a one shot road to our goal weight. I really believe it starts with taking away those urges to cheat, and you can totally turn off those urges if you just (no matter how hard it is) stay on plan enough to break the habit. After that...it happens. And lemme tell yuh' its SURREAL when you wear a size 2. I never felt it was really me. Its crazy. But its also not "be all, end all" that we think it is in our heads The great feeling wears off and you get used to it.
__________________
Ultimate Goal by JULY: Maintain 127 pounds
Last edited by SillyErin; 05-21-2012 at 02:25 PM..

[Angelstill]

As I said previously this works but it is very difficult to stay on .... I lost most of my weight with the turkey burger diet .... much luck to those who try this WOE !!!!

[BrattyS]

Checkin in! No weigh in. I will do that tomorrow. You guys have been chatty. I have been pretty good. Nothing off plan just too much of on plan stuff. It helped keep me on plan. Today I felt great eating normal amounts of food. I had 3 meals, a tilapia fillet for all of them. Eggs have been making me feels awful for some reason. It is a shame, I was enjoying eating them hard boiled with a smidge of mustard.

Originally Posted by Angelstill

Low Carb Thanksgiving - Menus and Recipes for a Low CarbThanksgiving


Bratty , here are some recipes to look over to help decide which are going to work for you to stick to a low carb WOE and make hubby happy too ! The cranberry jello is on my list this turkey day ! And seriously take a look at how many carbs are in Ocean Spray ....

Thank you! I will have fun going through them and planning for Thanksgiving.

Originally Posted by Mim

Good morning! Geesh! This losing weight, feeling better, looking better is getting expensive! Keep me out of the stores, friends! Now that I am in smaller sizes - still a 1x or some xlarge in the not plus size sections, I suddenly have an interest in clothes! I am reigning myself in, as I will not stay at this size for long - hopefully by Christmas I'll be in regular sizes, but I've gotta look good now, right? I have two weeks until I leave for Disney - I hope to lose 5 more pounds by then. I'm in the lose 2-3 pounds a week camp, and that is fine....I've been at this for long enough to not expect the 5 pound a week losses. Happy Monday everyone!

I can't wait to get to goal so I can go crazy with clothes. I will be a 40 year old wearing 20's styles.

Originally Posted by FitMommyNow

Thanks Mim!

I think you are right since life in general gets in the way enough without needing to plan breaks.

ZenPeacock - I think from what I've read on this thread, people maintain in different ways here. If they get a weight creep, they come back to reliable Stillmans.

I'm hoping for some moderate progress on Stillmans from now until the end of the year knowing there are holidays, birthdays, and our anniversary.
After that, I'd really like to do a strict two months in January and February (when the rest of the world is dieting hard) to get down close to goal by my 40th birthday in March.

You are right. I used to try and have planned days off and it was a disaster over and over again. Once you are off it takes days to get back in Ketosis and even more to lose a gain. It is so not worth it. I will be 40 in March too!

Originally Posted by CoCo

I am down 1.3 this morning and under 160 @ 159.5= that feels so good I started last monday @ 165.2. Thanks to all my stills buddy's who offered advice, you were right!
Stillman's so much the way to loss.
I think we should do a January contest, see who can lose the most from Jan 1st to the 31st. Just for fun, not really to compete. I want to be at or close to goal by my birthday end of march. I would like to turn 61, at a weight I feel great to be.

Congrats on your loss

Originally Posted by Leo41

I'd like to join you, at least for the rest of this month.

I eat 'generic' low carb--only 20g or fewer a day, as I am very, very carb sensitive. And despite the current rage for high fat, I actually do best with low fat/low carb--or moderate fat at most.

Right now, I'm fighting a 'regain' of almost 10 lbs that I suspect is at least partially hormonal in nature. I'm hypothyroid, and my T3 tends to drop, requiring an increase in meds. However, between the time my hormone level drops, I notice the problem, contact my endo, get new lab tests, and he increases the dosage, I've often gained 10 lbs or more. The gain just 'happens' when I'm eating at a level where I'd normally lose.

Unfortunately, that weight gain isn't just 'water.' I have to lose it the same, slow way as any other weight--which, for me, is never more than a pound a week.

I've discovered that I can keep my weight in check during these times by eating no more than 500 cal a day, and Stillman's is perfect for me, as I thrive on just protein.

If this is hormonal, even when I get my meds adjusted, I'll need to stay with Stillman's until I get back into my maintenance range.

Normally, I don't eat very far from Stillman's anyway--mainly fish, meat, egg whites. And eliminating all fat isn't much of a problem, as I don't use that much.

Welcome I hope this works great for you.

Originally Posted by zenpeacock

Why am I up .8 this morning?

I've been eating right, lots of water, nothing has changed in 6 days...

I did have homemade chicken broth last night for dinner. I took the time to cool it and skim off the fat from the top. Maybe I didn't get it all?

I've been having such a steady downward trend, this little step back is kinda sad. Is this normal?

Try to ignore it. It is more than likely a normal fluctuation. I know it is hard to do. It completely ruins my day when it happen. I am trying to only weigh every few days to avoid it.

[Mar922]

I am back after a weekend of eating! We had 2 thanksgiving dinners and a I took 2 dinners meaning I could eat bad all weekend but over all I didn't do too bad, It appears I am up about 3 pounds but I will check that in the morning because sometimes it takes a few days for the weight to show up.

I wish I could have the mentality where I could just eat the 2 dinners and not think well I am having 2 dinners off plan may as well take the whole weekend! Because really I didn't eat that bad at the dinners probably wouldn't have even gained more than a pound had I stuck to 2 pff plan meals instead of days.

I am pretty sure when I was maintaining that was my mentality but now that I have gained weight back its like oh well I will just start again tomorrow and I say that for 2 weeks before it actually happens... grrr

[Mar922]

Originally Posted by zenpeacock

Why am I up .8 this morning?

I've been eating right, lots of water, nothing has changed in 6 days...

I did have homemade chicken broth last night for dinner. I took the time to cool it and skim off the fat from the top. Maybe I didn't get it all?

I've been having such a steady downward trend, this little step back is kinda sad. Is this normal?

Broth always makes me gain! Even the low sodium stuff so I try and only have soup periodically which sucks because I looooove soup!

[Leo41]

What's been happening is just amazing, but I suspect it has more to do with the hormonal issues I've been dealing with than with my eating--i.e., I'm losing far too fast for this to be a 'normal' weight loss, but I also gained far too quickly for it to be a 'normal' gain. It's also not entirely 'water' related (although I am prone to water retention) because I haven't been 'losing' water in any significant amounts.

However, I've made one 'discovery.' Since I've been maintaining (2 years), I've struggled to keep my calories as low as I need to, and this confused me because it's a higher level than I ate during weight loss, and I was totally satisfied then. Why should I be less satisfied eating more?

One difference (and I think this is a big one) is that in maintenance, I started 'fussing' more with my food--I stayed low carb, but I prepared my meals with more spices and looked for ways to do things a little 'differently.'

To do Stillman's, I kept things very simple--cooked up a batch of turkey burgers, seasoning only with salt, pepper, and a little spicy mustard, poached a big bag of tilapia (on sale) just simply in water, and I also have egg whites. That's all I'm eating this week--and it was all planned and prepared on Sunday

Because now everything is prepared (or almost prepared--I make egg white 'omelets' in the microwave), I don't think about my food and have virtually no preparation--and I have had zero appetite!

Keep in mind that I'm someone who has an appetite on almost zero carbs when I'm more 'invested' in food preparation.

I don't intend to eat like this forever, but I suspect that 'uninvolvement' with food may be the key to my long-term maintenance once I add in a little fat down the road to do my usual low-carb eating.

[Mim]

Good morning! Last night I had the urge to eat off plan. The feeling was a combination of binge and wanting something good to eat. Since I couldn't put my finger on what I wanted to eat that would satisfy me, and I chose not to binge, I made it through the feeling and was rewarded with a .5 loss this morning! Life is good!

[Mim]

Originally Posted by Leo41

What's been happening is just amazing, but I suspect it has more to do with the hormonal issues I've been dealing with than with my eating--i.e., I'm losing far too fast for this to be a 'normal' weight loss, but I also gained far too quickly for it to be a 'normal' gain. It's also not entirely 'water' related (although I am prone to water retention) because I haven't been 'losing' water in any significant amounts.

However, I've made one 'discovery.' Since I've been maintaining (2 years), I've struggled to keep my calories as low as I need to, and this confused me because it's a higher level than I ate during weight loss, and I was totally satisfied then. Why should I be less satisfied eating more?

One difference (and I think this is a big one) is that in maintenance, I started 'fussing' more with my food--I stayed low carb, but I prepared my meals with more spices and looked for ways to do things a little 'differently.'

To do Stillman's, I kept things very simple--cooked up a batch of turkey burgers, seasoning only with salt, pepper, and a little spicy mustard, poached a big bag of tilapia (on sale) just simply in water, and I also have egg whites. That's all I'm eating this week--and it was all planned and prepared on Sunday

Because now everything is prepared (or almost prepared--I make egg white 'omelets' in the microwave), I don't think about my food and have virtually no preparation--and I have had zero appetite!

Keep in mind that I'm someone who has an appetite on almost zero carbs when I'm more 'invested' in food preparation.

I don't intend to eat like this forever, but I suspect that 'uninvolvement' with food may be the key to my long-term maintenance once I add in a little fat down the road to do my usual low-carb eating.

Congratulations! Your stats are amazing. Are you close to goal now?

[Mim]

I've got to "weigh in" on the turkey burger diet. I think folk are over thinking this - Dieting is hard, and we don't need to make it any harder by eating only one food. If we limit what we eat to the choices Dr. Stills gives us, our weight loss will be great. If I couldn't have variety I couldn't stay on plan. Granted, I eat the same few things - chicken, eggs, fish, and very occasionally a bit of beef. Very occasionally! If my food plan consisted of only eggs or fish or chicken, I'm afraid I would last about two days! Don't make this any harder than it already is. We set up stumbling blocks for ourselves that are sure to trip us up and land us in off plan territory.

[FitMommyNow]

Mim - I agree with you. This diet is restrictive enough. It seems the success factor with Stillmans lies in the already few choices we have. Just yesterday I wanted to eat. I wasn't particularly hungry but I know if I could have eaten an Atkins meal I would have. I love turkey but after a day or two of just that, I would not be able to stick with it. Still, for some people, it might simplify things a bit.

Leo - You hit the nail on the head. Fussing with food less makes this easier indeed.
I don't find myself googling low carb recipes. I just eat some bits of chicken breast and go on with my day.

Mar - Hope the 3 pounds is it! If I ate two Thanksgiving meals (or more) I would be up at least 7 pounds. So not fair!

[FitMommyNow]

I'm down another 2 pounds this morning which makes 4 pounds total for the past two days! This is normal for me on very low carb and it will slow down going forth. Still so glad to be back on track.

My plan is to stay on strict Stillmans until the 20th or 21st. We plan to eat out for our anniversary and I know I'll have a glass of wine and likely split some dessert with my husband. Not planning to go crazy past that (dinner will be a piece of fish and veggies). It will knock me out of ketosis but I will jump right back on Stillmans at the very next meal. After that, I plan to stay on Stillmans until Thanksgiving with a few Atkins meals thrown in (likely once a week) for sanity.

My hope is to get firmly into the 190's before Thanksgiving and maintain there using Stillmans between holiday meals until the first of the year. Then, it's a full on Stillmans to work towards GOAL.