December 11, 2007 - Day 16 of VLCD (Round 3)

R3P2 Starting Weight 193.2
Yesterday - 179.2
Today - 177.8
1.4 lb LOSS Overnight
9.6 UNDER LIW of Round Two (187.4)
15.4 Lost Since Start of R3 (VLCD) 11/26/07
36.6 Lost Since Start of R2 (VLCD) 09/16/07
73.0 Lost Since Start of R1 (VLCD) 06/26/07

Here is my menu for yesterday.

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OMG! Where did THAT come from??? I was all ready to come here this morning and write that I was a bad girl yesterday. I didn't eat any dinner. I was prepared to tell you that I honestly don't know what happened but around 5:30pm last night I started feeling very rough, very sick to my stomach, and the thought of food seriously repulsed me. I couldn't imagine putting anything in my mouth. So I just went to bed, and I was out like a light at 7:30pm.

Do you think that maybe my body was doing some chemical thing to dispense with all that fat I just lost overnight and I needed to give it a rest? WHO KNOWS but I will TAKE IT! WOO HOO FOR ME!

Seriously tho, I was NOT feeling good last night, and it came on me all of a sudden. And my husband grilled London Broil last night for us, and I couldn't bring myself to eat it! Something was up. I am feeling better today, and I certainly do NOT recommend going without food, and I wont be doing that again, but still, this is amazing for me.

This round has blown my mind, seriously. I do NOT know what is going on. I am just "letting go of the wheel".

All right, let’s discuss plateaus/stalls. I am sure this is all information you folks are already familiar with, but repetition is the mother of retention, so it doesn’t hurt to go over the material again.

Let me preface this discussion that I am talking about plateaus/stalls that happen when you have done everything you’re supposed to be doing according to Dr Simeon’s manuscript.

Dr Simeon’s told us that plateaus/stalls most likely would occur, and that there would be several different reasons for them to happen. Interesting that the words he uses to preface this section of his manuscript is “Interruptions of Weight Loss”.

Interesting here too, right before this subheading he tells us “After the fourth or fifth day of dieting the daily loss of weight begins to decrease to one pound or somewhat less per day.” So before we even start, he basically is telling us that we are to NOT expect the decreases we saw in the beginning to last throughout the course of treatment. Elsewhere in the manuscript he mentions that our averages should be around 300 – 400 grams loss per day, or 10 – 14 ounces loss per day.

We are SO excited with those first few days, or even a week or more of one pound or more losses each and every day. He simply tells us this will NOT continue. We cannot expect to maintain those losses throughout the protocol. He does mention that there will be SOME men that “often continue to lose regularly at that rate, but women are more irregular, in spite of faultless dieting.” So the women need to really pay attention!

He tells us that “these fluctuations are entirely due to variations in the retention and elimination of water, which are more marked in women than in men.” Then he goes on to tell us the process by which or cells break down, fill with water, blah blah blah.

Now, back to the subheading “Interruptions in Weight Loss” – Dr S first tells us about the “Plateau” – interesting that he starts with this. And interesting to that he describes a plateau as being 4 – 6 days. A plateau isn’t two days at the same weight, a plateau isn’t three days at the same weight, a plateau by HIS definition is 4 – 6 days at the same weight. I see most people start to fret because the scale didn’t move one day, and then all of a sudden they are scrambling to find out “what went wrong”, when in reality, NOTHING. Now don’t get me wrong, at the first sign of a stall, it’s a good idea to look over your menu in previous days to see if there was anything that might have contributed to the lack of weight loss.

Some things to look for:

1. Did you get all your water/liquids in? (Dr S mentions at least 2 liters)
2. Did you have a lot of sodium? If so, you need to drink more water than he recommends.
3. Did you do ANYTHING to deviate off the protocol according to “his” plan? I say this because I know there are people out there doing different plans, and when all else fails, look to the one that started it all. In other words, go back to the basics.
4. How are your bathroom habits?
5. If you are a woman, is it time for Aunt Flo/TOM or is ovulation near? Dr S this could even cause a GAIN!
6. Some people are very sensitive to chemical additives, ie Diet Soda, Artificial Sweeteners and the like.
7. Any new medications?
8. Any new cosmetics, lotions, deodorant, bath lotions?
   

Ok, so let’s say you looked at all of this, and you did everything right, then you know what? DON’T FRET! Let the process happen. Or as Paul (Imago Embraced) said, “LET GO OF THE WHEEL!”

Let me tell you that I have experienced stalls. In my first round, I had 9 separate times I stalled, 4 times I was the same weight 2 days in a row, 4 times I was the same weight 3 days in a row. In my second round I had 7 occasions at 2 two days the same weight and then 1 occasion where I was three days at the same weight. But in the big picture, look at the weight I have lost.

Sure, I am human; I want to see something happen every day just like the next person. But when it doesn’t happen, I look back, did I do anything to deviate from the protocol, if I didn’t then I just “let go of the wheel” and move on to the next day. Things will even themselves out.

Ok, so let’s go back to this “4 – 6 days at the same weight”. Dr S gives us an answer for that. He calls it an APPLE day. He is very specific about this, “In such cases we consider it permissible, for purely psychological reasons, to break up the plateau.” He gives us this apple day for purely psychological reasons. In other words, he does this to make us feel better. Totally warranted. We are after all, only human, and it’s discouraging to be on 500 cals and not see a weight loss of any sort for 4 – 6 days. But get what he ALSO says, “It is useless to give either an apple-day or a diuretic unless the weight has been stationary for at least four days without any dietary error having been committed.”

So what is THIS telling us? HA! The apple day is ONLY to be used and in fact is ONLY useful if you have been stellar in your eating habits, following the rules to the letter. This is NOT the answer following a deviation. It is NOT useful for that purpose. So it would NOT be wise to veer off course and then think to yourself “hmmm, I will do an apple day to lose everything I just gained” – nope, this will NOT work. The apple day is for a specific purpose.

The next thing he mentions is “reaching a former level” – This one I can truly vouch for. I had a set point in my 220’s, and it took me FOREVER to get thru that decade. You are forcing your body to obey your will, get passed it. What is interesting about this? He tells us that this ‘plateau’ could last for TWO WEEKS despite being good. WOW – that one would be hard. But it is being done. I have known people to be stationary for 10 days, and then BAM their weight loss resumes. I have known one person in particular that was stationary the entire 14 days, on the 15th day? BAM – 3 pounds loss and then her weight loss continued. Disheartening yes, but he warned us about it.

He mentions the dreaded AUNT FLO interruption, well, we all don’t need to discuss this one. We know how this affects our ability to lose. One thing to remember, and in doing research I have seen this time and time again. Us women are putting our bodies in some extreme chemical processes, our menses, which are usually fickle to begin with, could rear its head at almost any time. From what I have seen, there is no rhyme or reason when our menses can appear. So, when us women have a stall, always expect that this might be the cause!

And then of course he talks of dietary error. HA! I don’t need to delve into that one. But I will, but I will leave that one until tomorrow! HA! Gotcha! This is already too long!

Update on my son: From Thursday (the last day we weighed him) to Monday, he lost a net of .2 pounds. Something happened, but they are not telling me. That is ok. He is back on track now, and home and his environment can be controlled. One day at a time for him. He is at 176.6 - Tomorrow is his picture and measurement day, so I will post those results on Thursday, so stay tuned.

Update on JPS: She is at 156.2 which is 13 lbs for her, she lost .6 yesterday. She is LOVING life! She has now lost a total of 56.8 since the start of her protocol in July. WOW! We sat around lamenting about clothes yesterday. She says she is really going to have to buckle down and buy things. The size 14 skirt she was wearing yesterday was WAY too big!

On to my commenter's:

Amy - Thanks for the vibes for my son, he seemed to be doing better yesterday, so we are just taking it one day at a time. Can't wait to see your update sometime this morning.

Crystal - Figuring it all out, that is what this protocol is good at, forcing us to really LISTEN to our bodies for the first time ever!

Jennifer - OMG! Ba-donk-a-donk, that was TOO FUNNY! Someone told me I was losing all my "junk in the trunk"! Crack me up! The only thing I can tell you about the scale is that I feel that during the week of my deviations, I had much slower losses. The kinds of losses you could expect on being on a "normal" diet, you know, like only 2 pounds. HA! I can't even believe I typed that! 2 lbs is hard on ANY diet! ROFL Your hunger? You drinking enough water???

Michaela - Thanks girlfriend, for the nice words on the pics, and for the vibes for my son. One day at a time ya know?

Tracey - HA! Even I see the difference! How cool is that??? Will you ever be posting some pics???

Whew, another windbag post! ROFL - I am so surprised you folks aren't tired of me yet! ROFL

Biz (Miz Skinny Minny)