Experiments in Alternate Day Dieting: The Last 20lb

Beezle · 10-19-2009, 11:56 AM

About me
My highest weigh-in was 202 on September 24, 2007. I don't know my actual highest weight ever, since I'd started cutting back a few weeks before I started weighing. I lost weight by eating 3 small low carb, nutritionally dense meals with a glass or two of wine most days. I've been maintaining my weight around 145-138 for the past year and a half. 142lb seems to be a very stable set point for me. My calories vary widely while still maintaining. I still watch my carbs, but sometimes that means watching myself eating them. After maintaining for so long, I'm ready to lose the last 20 or so pounds. I'm 5'4" and I think something around 120lb would be great. I plan to lose weight by cutting calories on some days, and eating a maintenance diet on other days. This way, I'll cut calories overall, but not have to diet every day. How this will all work out day to day will be something I'll have to experiment with. I'll also be eating low carb. [Note: "UD" = Up Day (days I eat more) ; "DD" means Down Day (days I eat less) ; "MD" means Medium Day (somewhere in between) ; "Fast" means I didn't eat any calories (not sure I'll ever do that).]

Weight graph for the past 2 years

Before Pictues (don't have any heavier pictures)
154 ---------------------------------------------------------->138

Beezle · 10-19-2009, 12:21 PM

Week 1: -3lb

Day 1 UD - 138.8
10/12/09
My 37th birthday!

Breakfast: canned salmon mixed with tomato paste, chopped olives, and a chopped boiled egg
Lunch: 1 cup plain yogurt mixed with cocoa powder, cinnamon, and 2 tbsp flax
Dinner: went to Taste of Texas and had the grilled tenderloin salad (fresh mixed greens tossed with grapefruit, avocado and cilantro vinaigrette, topped with spicy candied almonds, grilled red onions, 4 oz. of Certified Angus Beef tenderloin and a medallion of fried blue cheese.)
Snack: ate half of the free dessert (snicker pie) I got at Taste of Texas for it being my birthday
Red Wine
Cals: 3400

Day 2 DD – 138
10/13/09
Wine always makes my weight lower the next day.

Breakfast: canned salmon mixed with tomato paste, chopped olives, and a chopped boiled egg
Lunch: 1 cup plain yogurt mixed with cocoa powder, cinnamon, and 2 tbsp flax
Dinner: 1/2 chicken breast, 1/4 avocado, 1/4 cup cheese, tomatoes
Cals: 820

I also gave up artificial sweetener today. It was hard! I wanted a diet Dr. Pepper so bad.

Day 3 DD - 138.8
10/14/09
I should always drink wine to keep my weight down... there maybe be other reasons I drink it.

Breakfast: canned salmon mixed with tomato paste, chopped olives, and a chopped boiled egg
Lunch: 1 cup plain yogurt mixed with cocoa powder, cinnamon, and 2 tbsp flax
Dinner: 1/2 chicken breast, 1/4 avocado, 1/4 cup cheese, tomatoes
Cals: 820

Halfway through the day all cravings stopped. I didn't even need a diet soda. I was a little hungry but it was manageable.

Day 4 DD - 137.6
10/15/09
The PTB (powers that be) say you shouldn't do more than one DD in a row, fyi. My DDs are also higher cal then those same PTB suggest. I'm experimenting.

Breakfast: canned salmon mixed with tomato paste, chopped olives, and a chopped boiled egg
Lunch: 1 cup plain yogurt mixed with cocoa powder, cinnamon, and 2 tbsp flax
Dinner: 1/2 chicken breast, 1/4 avocado, 1/4 cup cheese, tomatoes
Cals: 820

Near the end of the day I got very listless and depressed. Experiment suggests two low cal days are ok, three is not.

Day 5 UD - 137.2
10/16/19
I started feeling bad yesterday, so it's time for an UD.

Breakfast: canned salmon mixed with tomato paste, chopped olives, and a chopped boiled egg
Lunch: 1 cup plain yogurt mixed with cocoa powder, cinnamon, and 2 tbsp flax
Dinner: 1/2 chicken breast, 1/4 avocado, 1/4 cup cheese, tomatoes
Snack: half a can of cashews
Red Wine
Cals: 2535

I felt a little bad about eating that many cashews.

Day 6 UD - 137.8
10/17/09
Breakfast: canned salmon mixed with tomato paste, chopped olives, and a chopped boiled egg
Snack: egg, cheese, and ham (insides of a Jack in the Box sandwich a coworker gave me)
Lunch: 1 cup plain yogurt mixed with cocoa powder, cinnamon, and 2 tbsp flax
Dinner: low carb pepperoni pizza made with cauliflower crust (it was ok)
Snack: handful of cashews
Red Wine
Cals: 2024

A yummy, satisfying day.

Day 7 DD - 136.8
10/18/09
Breakfast: canned salmon mixed with tomato paste, chopped olives, and a chopped boiled egg
Dinner: chicken breast
Red Wine
Cals: 780
Exercise: 30min weights (Chalean Extreme video)

My lowest DD yet and I started exercising. No hunger at all today and my mood is good.

Monday Weigh In - 135.8
I averaged 1600 cals this week and lost 3 pounds. I'm so excited. It's a good start and I learned a lot about myself and my body. I gave up diet soda after being someone who could drink half a case a day. I consider myself very lucky that the cravings only lasted a day. Going into the next week I have a lot more knowledge about how much and when I need to eat to be happy and still lose weight.

10-19-2009, 11:56 AM	#1
Beezle Senior LCF Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 131 Gallery: Beezle Stats: 5'4": 202/140/119 WOE: Atkins OWL Start Date: 9/24/07	Experiments in Alternate Day Dieting: The Last 20lb About me My highest weigh-in was 202 on September 24, 2007. I don't know my actual highest weight ever, since I'd started cutting back a few weeks before I started weighing. I lost weight by eating 3 small low carb, nutritionally dense meals with a glass or two of wine most days. I've been maintaining my weight around 145-138 for the past year and a half. 142lb seems to be a very stable set point for me. My calories vary widely while still maintaining. I still watch my carbs, but sometimes that means watching myself eating them. After maintaining for so long, I'm ready to lose the last 20 or so pounds. I'm 5'4" and I think something around 120lb would be great. I plan to lose weight by cutting calories on some days, and eating a maintenance diet on other days. This way, I'll cut calories overall, but not have to diet every day. How this will all work out day to day will be something I'll have to experiment with. I'll also be eating low carb. [Note: "UD" = Up Day (days I eat more) ; "DD" means Down Day (days I eat less) ; "MD" means Medium Day (somewhere in between) ; "Fast" means I didn't eat any calories (not sure I'll ever do that).] Weight graph for the past 2 years Before Pictues (don't have any heavier pictures) 154 ---------------------------------------------------------->138

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10-19-2009, 12:21 PM	#2
Beezle Senior LCF Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 131 Gallery: Beezle Stats: 5'4": 202/140/119 WOE: Atkins OWL Start Date: 9/24/07	Week 1: -3lb Day 1 UD - 138.8 10/12/09 My 37th birthday! Breakfast: canned salmon mixed with tomato paste, chopped olives, and a chopped boiled egg Lunch: 1 cup plain yogurt mixed with cocoa powder, cinnamon, and 2 tbsp flax Dinner: went to Taste of Texas and had the grilled tenderloin salad (fresh mixed greens tossed with grapefruit, avocado and cilantro vinaigrette, topped with spicy candied almonds, grilled red onions, 4 oz. of Certified Angus Beef tenderloin and a medallion of fried blue cheese.) Snack: ate half of the free dessert (snicker pie) I got at Taste of Texas for it being my birthday Red Wine *Cals: 3400* Day 2 DD – 138 10/13/09 Wine always makes my weight lower the next day. Breakfast: canned salmon mixed with tomato paste, chopped olives, and a chopped boiled egg Lunch: 1 cup plain yogurt mixed with cocoa powder, cinnamon, and 2 tbsp flax Dinner: 1/2 chicken breast, 1/4 avocado, 1/4 cup cheese, tomatoes *Cals: 820* I also gave up artificial sweetener today. It was hard! I wanted a diet Dr. Pepper so bad. Day 3 DD - 138.8 10/14/09 I should always drink wine to keep my weight down... there maybe be other reasons I drink it. Breakfast: canned salmon mixed with tomato paste, chopped olives, and a chopped boiled egg Lunch: 1 cup plain yogurt mixed with cocoa powder, cinnamon, and 2 tbsp flax Dinner: 1/2 chicken breast, 1/4 avocado, 1/4 cup cheese, tomatoes *Cals: 820* Halfway through the day all cravings stopped. I didn't even need a diet soda. I was a little hungry but it was manageable. Day 4 DD - 137.6 10/15/09 The PTB (powers that be) say you shouldn't do more than one DD in a row, fyi. My DDs are also higher cal then those same PTB suggest. I'm experimenting. Breakfast: canned salmon mixed with tomato paste, chopped olives, and a chopped boiled egg Lunch: 1 cup plain yogurt mixed with cocoa powder, cinnamon, and 2 tbsp flax Dinner: 1/2 chicken breast, 1/4 avocado, 1/4 cup cheese, tomatoes *Cals: 820* Near the end of the day I got very listless and depressed. Experiment suggests two low cal days are ok, three is not. Day 5 UD - 137.2 10/16/19 I started feeling bad yesterday, so it's time for an UD. Breakfast: canned salmon mixed with tomato paste, chopped olives, and a chopped boiled egg Lunch: 1 cup plain yogurt mixed with cocoa powder, cinnamon, and 2 tbsp flax Dinner: 1/2 chicken breast, 1/4 avocado, 1/4 cup cheese, tomatoes Snack: half a can of cashews Red Wine *Cals: 2535* I felt a little bad about eating that many cashews. Day 6 UD - 137.8 10/17/09 Breakfast: canned salmon mixed with tomato paste, chopped olives, and a chopped boiled egg Snack: egg, cheese, and ham (insides of a Jack in the Box sandwich a coworker gave me) Lunch: 1 cup plain yogurt mixed with cocoa powder, cinnamon, and 2 tbsp flax Dinner: low carb pepperoni pizza made with cauliflower crust (it was ok) Snack: handful of cashews Red Wine *Cals: 2024* A yummy, satisfying day. Day 7 DD - 136.8 10/18/09 Breakfast: canned salmon mixed with tomato paste, chopped olives, and a chopped boiled egg Dinner: chicken breast Red Wine Cals: 780 Exercise: 30min weights (Chalean Extreme video) My lowest DD yet and I started exercising. No hunger at all today and my mood is good. Monday Weigh In - 135.8 I averaged 1600 cals this week and lost 3 pounds. I'm so excited. It's a good start and I learned a lot about myself and my body. I gave up diet soda after being someone who could drink half a case a day. I consider myself very lucky that the cravings only lasted a day. Going into the next week I have a lot more knowledge about how much and when I need to eat to be happy and still lose weight.