The last stone mission......ROLL UP!!!!

[clairejen]

Another pound down this morning, it is so bizarre, I am eating more and losing more. Only another pound and a half and I will be under 10 stone which will be my top weight for maintenance.
Really had to force myself to eat the packs last night, I was 3/4 of a pack down and would rather just have gone to bed. I know we are supposed to have them, but I feel that making myself eat when I'm not hungry is counter to everything I want to do in the future.

 

[10stonesize10]

anyone please help

what is it about being at 1 stone to lose and binging, [for the first time ?] help please , you know I went shopping today picked up 12 and 14 jeans , put them on hold , went back they were the size 12 on hold , I was thinking they had them mixed up. NOT is this all about the same thing ?
XXXX
Susan

 

[clairejen]

Susan, is it the fact that we can now have some food do you think? It's easy to say oh well I can have this instead of what I'm supposed to have, then start on the blood sugar rollercoaster. I haven't binged (feeling too ill to want to) but I just really don't want to keep to the prescribed foods. And the chatterbox says why worry, have what you want instead, it won't make much difference.

So my confession of the day is that having started 790 this morning I have already broken the rules and made meringues. Now I know that one eggwhite is 17 kcal, one tbs of splenda is 6kcal, so they only come to 23 kcal in all and the egg white is (or should be) allowable white protein anyway. That's my excuse. But I know it is against the rules (they are really nice though).

 

[Marylyn]

Hi Girls - Sorry I have not posted.

Hello there,

What with my new internet provider playing up I forgot that I had joined this last stone mission.

Anyway I have some news - Do you know why the last stone is so hard to lose?

I do. Maybe you all know, but it was great to have it explained by a professional.

I'll tell you and I would love to hear some feedback.

The reason why the last stone is so hard to lose is this: When we lose weight our bodies need to consume even less, because there is less of us to maintain. This is all well and good if you start off on a 1500 calorie diet and then go down to 1200 when you plateau, and 1000 after that and downward to 850.

However, the reason why I was on Lipotrim was because my weight loss on 850 calories was very, very slow - 6 - 8 oz a week.

Having been on Lipotrim for 6 months sole-sourcing, I started to have the odd 100 calories extra a day and my weight stabilized. This was very frustrating and it was decided the best thing to do was to start a proper maintenance plan, because if my weight was going to stabilize at 500 calories, my body had got used to a low calorie intake and was again refusing to let go of its fat stores. I think I would have continued to lose weight on the 420 calories, but I was finding it hard to stick to.

It made sense to build my calorie intake upwards rather than feeling I was "cheating" on my Lipotrim diet and getting frustrated. Since I was going to stabilize at 500 calories it made good sense to take the intake up to 750 calories and I'm managing to take in around 750 calories a day now and the great news is I have lost another 1.2 kilos. If losing weight slows down at least I am creating a sensible intake to make a deficit again if I decide to sole-source. This is very important.

Is there anyone else out there like me? I'm 5' 8" tall and I need very, very little food to survive. I have what is called an efficient metabolism which means that my body adapts to whatever it is given and this would be great news in a famine, but it has been driving me wild for years as I have been 3 and a half stones overweight.

As I say I have about another stone to lose, ignore the ticker 'cos I don't know how to change it. I'm taking CD shakes and Lipotrim for the goodness and a very light meal in the evening if I can manage it.

The important thing is to build up the calories to create a good deficit again. Have you considered this girls in your own attempts to lose that stone?

It is difficult to pull in all nutrients even on a 1500 calorie plan, so these CD shakes and Lipotrim shakes are good. You could always take a multivitamin.

Did you know you should only sole-source for 4 weeks at a time unless you are under medical supervision?

Hoping to hear from you again. I'd be interested to know why it is difficult for you and the strategies you are going to employ to get to your goals.

With love and regards
Marylyn xxx

 

[olijames]

What an interesting post Marilyn and came at the right time for me!

Im on LL so 500cals a day. i ahev had the odd drop of skimmed milk, a handful of prawns (42cals) and a tins of tuna 63cals on the odd day, sometimes ontop of my shakes sometimes in stead of....so you reckon that having done this may have stabilized my weight...crikey....

what should i do dy think?.....

Scales been stuck at 11st7 for almost a week!

Thanks for that post...very interesting!

 

[clairejen]

Marylyn, your post is very interesting. I was aware that the metabolism slows in face of a shortage of calories, but didn't realise to what extent this could happen. I haven't had a problem on the weight loss yet (fingers crossed) but still have 8lbs to go. I've been doing CD SS for 5 weeks (the last one being AAM), now on 790 (officially) but I find myself uninterested in the packs and only wanting the real food element so I take extra vitamins to be on the safe side in case I can't force down the packs.
My plan for the next couple of weeks is to up my activity level, the SS had made me incapable of exercising at my usual pace so now I am having food I am also dancing twice a week and rehearsing 2-3 times a week. This should increase my calorific needs alongside the increased intake.
I don't think my metabolism is anything like as efficient as yours (that must be a bit depressing), but I do feel my weight gain originally was down to the slowing of the metabolism through ageing, basically I was needing a bit less but still eating the same amount. Hopefully I will be able to reassess my food requirements once the diet is over and keep myself in a healthy range.
On CD you add a small protein and veg meal per day for every 5th week so the SS is not continuous. And if you follow it to the letter you take quite a while to stabilise, so it is probably quite well designed, providing people actually obey it.

 

[Marylyn]

Hi Nic

I'm not medically qualified, but have been under medical supervision for these past 6 months. My own situation was like this: If I followed the Lipotrim diet 100%, that is 420 calories daily I would get a weight loss. However, when I started to add some little "extras" into the day, like a bit of yoghurt and some fruit, say an extra 100 calories, my weight stayed stable.

This is when the doctor explained about how when we lose weight our bodies don't need so many calories, BUT and this is very crucial, we absolutely cannot cut down any further from 420 calories. This is what I have been having on Lipotrim. This would be detrimental to our health.

If you find that having those extras are keeping your weight stable, you have an important decision to make. The reason why you are stabilizing is probably because your body has become accustomed to a low intake and is refusing to melt any more fat now that you are having extra calories.

Therefore it may be time to give yourself a break rather than become frustrated with your plan when it had been working well for you.

I had sole-sourced for 6 months, but I was being monitored every 2 weeks, having blood tests to make sure kidney function, and liver function were fine + all manner of other tests.

I'm sure you know you should only sole-source for 4 weeks at a time unless you are under medical supervision.

When I mention having a break, I'm talking about building your calorie intake to a level that will keep your weight stable. This could be anything at the moment from 600 calories, which you might be having presently to 1200, or even 1500. This is something you will know better than me.

Then when you take your break, you can feel good about stabilizing. This is a challenge in itself.

Then perhaps in the New Year, when all the celebrations are over, you will have created a sensible deficit again. This is a very important part of making vlcd's work. When you hear of these amazing weight losses, it is because people have sometimes cut down from a 3,500 calorie intake daily to say 420 calories. This is why they may lose a stone in a week.

If you find a sensible intake, and you may as well be having 1000 - 1200 calories as 600, if you are going to stay the same, you will be helping yourself for the final furlong.

I have found that since I started having some Cambridge Diet shakes, bars and Lipotrim and a light meal - 750 calories and doing a fair bit of walking I have lost another 1.2 kilos.

So why not try it, you have nothing to lose - only a bit more weight hopefully.

With love and regards
Marylyn xxx

 

[FatFairNForty(ish)]

Hi Coley (my fellow GC!!!)

How you doing? Got rid of that last bit yet??? How's the studies going? What's new? Missing you! xx

 

[Marylyn]

Hi Clarejen

I think you are doing the right thing.

I have started the Cambridge Diet too and find the idea of sole-sourcing for 4 weeks and then adding a meal much more tolerable.

I did the best that I could with the Lipotrim and don't regret it.

When I get the news about my tests I'll let you know.

At the moment I understand that my body has now become more sensitive to insulin which is a good thing.

Part of the test was to feed insulin and glucose into my bloodstream and take blood samples over a 5 hour period.

I volunteered for this study to help researchers understand obesity. Since I have lost these 15 kgs, there have been good changes, but I will have to wait until Monday to find out more.

I guess you girls know that as women we produce a hormone when we have fat on our bodies that tends to keep us fat.

It is such a battle we have to fight to lose weight, more than most people understand.

Exercise is good if you feel you can do it, but you shouldn't be doing too much when you are sole-sourcing. I think our bodies tell us this anyway. The fact that the intake of calories is so low will do all the work for us.

Take care all
Marylyn xxx

 

[olijames]

Hi Marilyn Wishing you luck with your test results on Monday and good on yer for taking part in the research!x

Thanks so so much for taking the time to reply and explain thinga. Its all very scientific and maybe i need to ask my LLC about it when i see her on tuesday there just never seems to be the time at the meetings so I will perhaps see my Dr, who is fab, instead or as well!

I'm having a tin of tuna, in spring water each day, sometimes to replace a pack sometimes as well as..but never adding more than 100 extra cals.

Got on scales this am and low and behold STABLE at 11st7...so bloody frudtrating now..Im thinking maybe when my system has cleared after my first post miscarriage period i may get rid of some water retention or retention of other kinds....

Its great that you have uped your cal intake and are losing weight.....HOW did that come about....do you think i will lose MORE weight if i increase my cal intake...i have got down to 10st 12lb earlier this year and didnt come across the stabilising thing then so im wondering why it appears to be happening now....

Apologies for hassling you with so many Qs...you'll be the resident scientist before you know it!


Thanks for your support and advice...x

 

[Marylyn]

Hi Nic

I would say that if you are getting frustrated with the very low calorie diet and it has stopped giving you weight loss it is probably time to give yourself a break.

On Cambridge, sole-sourcing is done in 4 week blocks and then calorie intake is taken up for a week, still keeping a mild ketosis, by making the right food choices.

If you are finding it difficult to keep sole-sourcing on Lighter Life, is it? then there is no need to make things hard on yourself.

We have to be realistic about the loss of the last stone. I thought I could carry on right through November and December and have 10st as a Christmas present to myself. This was unrealistic, but it certainly doesn't mean that I won't reach that goal. It will just take a bit longer.

Why not try and increase your intake for a week, and try to exercise by walking a couple of miles a day, weather permitting. See what happens. You certainly shouldn't gain any weight. Make the right food choices, keep it low-carb, high protein. Quorn is good for that, lots of green salad, balsamic vinegar. Continue with your shakes, to get your vitamins.

Good Luck
Marylyn xx

 

[olijames]

Again Marilyn thanks for your adbice, you really do make sense!

What have your losses been since increasing intake or are you still SSing CD style. Yes, Im LL! I'm going swimming tomorrow and going to aim to use fabby gym/spa at least 3 times next week....not used it since sept! Will just have to stop if i feel light headed....hope it doesnt make me too hungry!

good luck with your continued journey!

x

 

[clairejen]

Nic, I know it isn't scientific and weight loss fluctuates but I lost a lot more on AAM week than I had before, and I'm still losing on 790. I do exercise, have done through SS but at a lower level because I need to keep flexible. If you eat a bit more, esp protein, you seem to have more energy, and the buzz from exercising always makes me feel better. Hope it works the same for you, I'm sure activity will help in all sorts of ways.

 

[olijames]

Sure youre right claireJ...cheers!

Now on with the motivation and will power to stick to an exercise routine....

x

 

[Jubbly]

Hi guys,

I am into my second week of 1000 (with the pasta and rice added now) and over the last 3 weeks I have only lost 2lbs - ever since I came off 790 and re-introduced carbs, my weight seems to be stabilising which is frustrating as I wanted to get down to 9 stone as that was the target I set myself. Having said that, I bought a pair of size 10 skinny jeans yesterday so I only want to lose off my top half and it's annoying that weight comes off where it wants to and is more resiliant in other places (ie I now have stick thin arms and legs but still have a huge back and boobs and a flabby tummy - it's a great look!!). Am starting at the gym on Monday in an attempt to flatten my stomach and speed up metabolism and am happy to be on diet and lose the rest slowly except that the money is a problem for me and only want to be buying 7 packs a week max. One bad thing is that on 1000 you get really hungry even though you are eating more than ever before. It's a nightmare!! I really hope I lose this week at weigh in as I didn't lose anything last week but I suppose I did have that pig out so it could have been worse.

Clare.

 

[Marylyn]

Hi again Nic & Clairejen

Morning Girls,

Hope you are both well. To answer Nic's question on how my weight loss was going. I was finding it difficult to sole-source in these past recent weeks. I was having around an extra 100 calories a day. This brought my calorie count to 520 calories daily. My weight stabilized for a month.

I get weighed every fortnight at a hospital.

I felt very disappointed by this, because I felt that Lipotrim was being very unforgiving. Well, as I have said before if I had stuck with the Lipotrim 100% it would have carried on working I'm sure.

I kept trying to sole-source, for another week but I just couldn't do it. I had been sole-sourcing for 6 months and I just needed a break.

The Doctor who is taking care of me is a Clinical Lecturer and Clinician Scientist Fellow with a department that do all sorts of research, not just into metabolism and obesity.

I have every faith in him and when he advised me to start a sensible maintenance plan I agreed that I would.

I increased my intake very gradually to 750 calories, did a bit more exercise and lost 1.2 kilos the very next week.

It could be that the weeks that I was trying so hard on sole-sourcing and failing contributed to the weight loss, but took time to show on the scales. It could be that eating a bit more helped to boost my metabolic rate along with the exercise. Time will tell as I am going to stay on this 750 route for a few weeks.

The other thing that I would like to share with you is this.

For some people losing weight is a doddle. In fact when I was in my 20's I could lose half a stone in week and a stone in a month by taking in 1000 calories daily.

When it becomes really difficult to shed stones of weight I think our GP's should be helping us as my own did God Bless him.

Research is being carried out into obesity, because there are complexities and issues that need to be understood.

Having lost 15 kgs now, my body has become more sensitive to insulin which is a very good thing. How could I have possibly known that unless I had undergone 5 hours of insulin and glucose being drip fed into my veins and having blood tests taken every 5 minutes over this 5 hour period.

Even if we had x-ray vision into our own bodies we wouldn't know, would we?

If you are interested I will let you all know what this means when I have been given a full update on it myself. I only know at the moment that it is good news as far as that fat hormone is concerned, because less or none of it is being produced.

So, I'm only trying to help and to illustrate that the battle we are fighting can be a very hard one.

Incidentally, I've been hungry for 15 years, living in fear of putting weight on.

Much love and regards
Marylyn xxx

 

[clairejen]

Marylyn, it must be fascinating to be finding out the scientific basis to our bodies reaction to diets. What you say about the very low intake being less successful for weight loss than a slightly higher one fits in with what I've heard about starvation mode, where the body stores more if it expects to get less, when you give it more it realises it doesn't need to store any more. I'm realising more and more that we have to learn to work with our bodies and not against them.

This leads me to my current problem, I think I'm ready to stop CD and learn to progress alone. I want to give my body what it wants and needs, the CD steps are too prescriptive for my liking, I'd rather just have a limit of so many calories and so much fat, so much carbs, then work within that. And making two lots of different meals all the time is hard, I'm out most evenings and barely have time to cook one.

 

[olijames]

Hi Marilyn

WOW I'm really getting into the science bit, its actually quite scary how our bodies can react. I guess they are clever things and the starvation mode does make sense...but maybe we are trying to fight against nature?

I'm pleased to report that the scales have budged by ONE lb...got WI on tuesday and can only report a 1lb loss to date. OK so Ive had tuna every day to replace a pack and tonight I'm thinking of eating out...i CAN be healthy and make the right choices but i can also fall off BIG time!! Thats the bit that scares me!!!!!!

Claire jen wishing you luck with your journey!

I'm thinking to go down the GI route or maybe go straight onto LL management? I'm starting to think about how much this weight loss journey is costing me and what negative affects its having on my body image....good ones too but mixed in with negativity!

Thanks again marilyn, youve been a great help and good luck with your results!

 

[Marylyn]

Hi Clarejen

If you feel ready to give up on CD packs and just start eating a healthy diet, then go for it.

Remember when you come out of the comfort zone of ketosis you may feel very, very hungry and a good way of combating this would be to invest in some Lipotrim maintenance products which are not too expensive. I'm just saying this as a back-up plan in case you find yourself in a situation where hunger kicks in and you may eat more than you intend to.

Also according to CD it is difficult to get all your nutrients on 1500 calories, so a multi-vitamin could be a good idea.

I tried Quorn mince for the first time ever recently and made a very quick meal with peppers, onions and a jar of Tesco Tagine sauce with chick peas. I served it with a little bit of "Ainsley Harriott's" cous cous. It was low-carb, high protein and a serving of Quorn is only 80 calories, third jar of sauce 80 cals, I think. The whole meal was under 200 calories by the time I had measured it out. It was very satisfying and there was more left for the next day.

At the moment I absolutely love my CD shakes and even favour them over food. This is probably because I've become so accustomed to having milkshakes for 6 months I'm "milk-shake conditioned".

I wish you well in finding a maintenance level and relishing your meals. I'm sure you will reach your goal. Let us know how you are doing.

Regards
Marylyn xxx

 

[Marylyn]

To Nic

Hi Nic

When you make your decision it will be a great relief. When I was failing to sole-source I was becoming terribly frustrated.

I had two choices. Either get on with it and make a success of sole-sourcing which would have carried on working or find a sensible maintenance level.

This is why the last stone is so hard to lose. When you have worked for half the year losing weight and your body becomes accustomed to a low intake as prescribed i.e. 420 calories with Lipotrim, it will not take kindly to giving up any fat if you increase by 100 calories.

As you have seen I have been advised by someone who is an expert in this field and it makes sense to start eating a sensible amount of extra calories. Even if you still stay stable, you are giving yourself a chance for later on when you decide to take your calories down again, because you will create a deficit.

If you are worried about eating more than you intend to, you will see the advice I have given to Clarejen and that is that the Lipotrim maintenance products are very helpful in filling you up so that you won't lose control.

You can contact them and they will send free samples of their maintenance products to you. They have a white chocolate covered bar, and a chocolate mousse, veg soup, summer fruit mix and an orange mix, I think.

With only one stone to lose let us try not to lose sight of that goal. We need to work towards it, however slowly, down, down down we go. And then stay there.

Love Marylyn xxx