Weight loss again
- Thread starter Alecto_on_LCD
- Start date
Alecto_on_LCD
Silver Member
10K steps, 3l water, 1 coke zero (no citric acid there) and another 3 exantes. 100% today as far as im concerned. Bit hungry in the day though. May be out of keto don't know...oh well. Ending another day.
Alecto_on_LCD
Silver Member
Day 17.
72.1kg. Slowly getting towards my first milestone, just 3kilos left to go.
Fortunately my sleep has become amazing over the past 2 days. Ive never had it on my fitbit to have only 4 moments of restlesness during sleep and no waking up. 9 hours straight last night - slept like a log!
Weirdly im not feeling very well physically - almost like a have a flu. Muscles feel frail and i feel tired, weak, and sneezy. Not what i usually feel like after such a good night sleep. Muscle cramps also - used to get them after quite intense cardio at the gym which ive not been doing...
Maybe im coming down with a cold (my partner had one and now its past the 2 weeks incubation period...?). Or electrolyte imbalance or a combi? Dont know. Ill take it easy today, may work from home to see how i get on throughout today. I may not get my desired steps in but thats life.
Good day all!
72.1kg. Slowly getting towards my first milestone, just 3kilos left to go.
Fortunately my sleep has become amazing over the past 2 days. Ive never had it on my fitbit to have only 4 moments of restlesness during sleep and no waking up. 9 hours straight last night - slept like a log!
Weirdly im not feeling very well physically - almost like a have a flu. Muscles feel frail and i feel tired, weak, and sneezy. Not what i usually feel like after such a good night sleep. Muscle cramps also - used to get them after quite intense cardio at the gym which ive not been doing...
Maybe im coming down with a cold (my partner had one and now its past the 2 weeks incubation period...?). Or electrolyte imbalance or a combi? Dont know. Ill take it easy today, may work from home to see how i get on throughout today. I may not get my desired steps in but thats life.
Good day all!
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Alecto_on_LCD
Silver Member
(disclaimer - sorry for all the rants on my diary here. Just feels catharctic to write things down and good reminder of the various good/bad when i need them. Again, sorry!)
20 degrees outside and 25 in the house. But im freezing, im all dressed up and under a fluffy blanket. Any attempt to get off the couch is met with spinning room like i have a fever. I know itll pass but its annoying as mentally i want to do stuff! Meh.
20 degrees outside and 25 in the house. But im freezing, im all dressed up and under a fluffy blanket. Any attempt to get off the couch is met with spinning room like i have a fever. I know itll pass but its annoying as mentally i want to do stuff! Meh.
Ketoveggie
Full Member
Hi, Alecto
I was like that all last summer. I just could not get warm and I felt really low. Eventually I went to the doctors who ordered a full blood count and it turns out my Iron levels were severely depleted to a count of 4! I was put on a course of Iron tablets and within 3 months felt like a new person. Maybe something for you to have checked too? Or perhaps it's Ketoflu? x
Alecto_on_LCD
Silver Member
Right-o...feeling extremely funny. Hoping it's a transient thing. I went to the kitchen to make some noodles and this spun around so badly i had to prop myself against the wall.
Ive not felt this bad since I donated blood some years back. Similar feeling. Feel a bit numb all over and wouldnt trust myself to drive atm. Had the food and hoping itll settle if im just lying down. Already on 2.5l water so that must not be it. I do have some lower dull back pain though which is also odd (never felt that before).
Maybe im being paranoid. Read this https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3798146/ and surely nothing bad should happen, right? Yes im being paranoid...right?
If this doesnt go away i may need to have some proteing rich food or up me to 800cals. Or something. Donno.
.not hungry and a bit nauseaus so food really doensy seem appealing atm. Not sure...not thinkin too straight atm...
Ive not felt this bad since I donated blood some years back. Similar feeling. Feel a bit numb all over and wouldnt trust myself to drive atm. Had the food and hoping itll settle if im just lying down. Already on 2.5l water so that must not be it. I do have some lower dull back pain though which is also odd (never felt that before).
Maybe im being paranoid. Read this https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3798146/ and surely nothing bad should happen, right? Yes im being paranoid...right?
If this doesnt go away i may need to have some proteing rich food or up me to 800cals. Or something. Donno.
.not hungry and a bit nauseaus so food really doensy seem appealing atm. Not sure...not thinkin too straight atm...
Alecto_on_LCD
Silver Member
Thanks so much! Such a good idea. Im taking this on board. Thank you!
Alecto_on_LCD
Silver Member
Tachycardia and super thirsty. Wth...not sure what to do....
Alecto_on_LCD
Silver Member
As i was feeling that poorly i ate a third exante although had only just had my second one. Tachycardia, numb and cold extremities calmed down and i regained colour in my face (i was really white). Back pain still and vv dizzy (especially when sitting up or going up the stairs), brain fog, general malaise still there. Super hungry although the keto stick showed nothing this morning and somewhere about 4-dark pink as i was going through the numbness. Ive been going to the loo like no tomorrow today also.
All my symptoms allude to hypoglycemia/hypotension as far as i can tell. Ill keep an eye and if it becomes bad again ill make myself a couple of boiled eggs or some meat.
Cant do much else than sit on the couch with legs up. At least weve got the match on.
All my symptoms allude to hypoglycemia/hypotension as far as i can tell. Ill keep an eye and if it becomes bad again ill make myself a couple of boiled eggs or some meat.
Cant do much else than sit on the couch with legs up. At least weve got the match on.
Alecto_on_LCD
Silver Member
Match done and so is the day for me. It's been a difficult one for me. Was feeling odd again. 3 meals, 4k steps, 4l water and had a small meal putting me at 800cals today (egg, feta, 1 slice ham, some salad). Something did happen to my body today. Couldve been anything - eating too late, coffee, too much water all at once, my body going back strong into keto, fat stores being depleted all at once. Cannot tell. I feel more stable now but honestly it felt horrible. I am happy i was home rather then elsewhere. I had the lemon bar last and then literally just sat on the couch, doing nothing and then the chills and dizzy started again. Hoping ill feeling better tomorrow as i need to up my work considerably to compensate for today's trainwreck on that aspect.
Alecto_on_LCD
Silver Member
Day 18 begins. Maintenance.
That food perked me up almost immediately last night and today i feel tonnes better. I feel like i can function again! Which is what i wanted coz ive got aqua aerobics tonight and didnt want to miss it. That meal and yesterday also taught me some good things, so not to be sniffed at!
Good day yall!
That food perked me up almost immediately last night and today i feel tonnes better. I feel like i can function again! Which is what i wanted coz ive got aqua aerobics tonight and didnt want to miss it. That meal and yesterday also taught me some good things, so not to be sniffed at!
Good day yall!
Alecto_on_LCD
Silver Member
Yesterday's general lessons:
1. If I feel like I will collapse - sometimes it will go away, sometimes not. Do not get paranoid and if it doesn't pass - eat something within the extra 200 calories limit to get me to 800.
2. Interaction with food will not destroy my weight loss efforts as long as I'm mindful and careful about it. It will just teach me how to interact with food again, in a healthy way.
3. When I do interact with food again (during the food week, planned food days, feeling physically poorly, and when I reach maintenance) it is important to not have everything or overdo the quantities.
4. My struggle had become (hence the 3stone gain) with both type and quantity - while I think I can control the quality of the food (as per when I also did Slimming World) my quantities are way off!
5. While measuring the food on the scales is fine (and needed from now on forever pretty much) I have the tendency to cheat myself on that. Almost like a subconscious cognitive error, which is difficult to be aware of. Need to keep tabs on that.
6. No nibbling - I will have the tendency to nibble at food while I weight it. None of that. Another thing to control - argh! Baby steps makes it automatic though.
7. The thought of 'food week', 'I can eat things as long as it's X, Y but not A, B', will throw me into a binge of X and Y (as per what I ended up doing in Slimming World). None of that.
8. Using the small plates in the house when I do eat real food - will make me feel better than having a big plate with a splatter of food on it. The little plate will end up being mostly full, though.
9. After the meal last night I felt as full as a pig. For a long time. Mentally however, I could've kept on eating over the already-reached satiety feeling. That issue, in my mind, is not yet sorted and it will take time. I did stop and I could control it - but when life will go off tracks I know I will slip. Need to be aware of that!
10. Everybody's journey is different; different start-up BMI, metabolism reacting in different ways, different histories with food and barriers and facilitators in their own life. Cannot put an equal between journeys - most you can do is take pointers, inspiration, and each of us finding similarities in our successes and struggles. But none of it will essentially be the same, hence no reason to think about others' faster weight losses and get myself down/beat myself up about it.
Specific VLCD lessons:
1. If you feel poorly, eat within the limits above but stay at 800 calories (as per point 1 above). You know very well that trials have shown that 800calories (keto or non-ketogenic) achieve the same results, in the same time period with limited heterogeneity. Remind yourself that.
2. Best to keep to 600 on an ongoing basis. However, keep in mind that your baseline BMI was somewhat lower and it is going down; today you are only 2 pounds away from the stone mark, within less than 3 weeks, so that is a really big loss in very short time - if you decide to up it to 800 on an ongoing basis it won't be the end of the world. It may take a bit longer to reach goal; however this fat has been nursed for 3 years - a month or two longer is nothing by comparison with 36 months of eating myself silly.
3. Ketosticks are somewhat rubbish. And I cannot tell if my breath smells or not - my partner will, but I won't. Regardless, I've not had any carbs since the middle of week 1 - what else could my body run on if not on fat, as I am quite sure that in 2 weeks and a half most glycogen store would've been depleted.
4. Logically speaking - i've done away with the boose (1 night in 15 days. that's progress!), done away with the bread-butter habit and any other carbs, I am moving more on a daily basis, and eating half of the calories I normally should. It is impossible not to lose something! Basic thermodynamics in the end.
5. Obsessing about being in keto is counterproductive; based on the sticks i've not really and properly been in it since I had that vodka last thursday (a week ago) - I had a diet coke that day (aka contains citric acid, although the relationship between the 2 is not very well evidenced and doesn't hold on for everyone) among the dr peppers; the stick went light pink (i.e. traces) by the time I reached Sunday, when I had the real food meal. I was absolutely not showing any of it while still feeling cold and not hungry until yesterday when it suddenly changed to a 4 (which is a lot), at mid-day when I was feeling very poorly. The meal last night resulted in nothing on the stick this morning, but I am not hungry so there you go.
6. I wonder if even Dr Pepper, or consuming basically anything other than exante, will throw me out of the said-keto. Don't know. But honestly, I'm starting to enjoy the Dr Pepper so I might not take that out of my life as well!
7. The meal last night, apart from my go-to towards protein and fat (i.e. low-fat feta), has gone towards salty. I may have gotten rid of my sodium (and other nutrients) by going to the toilet all the time. Maybe add more salt to the meals? I need to keep my water up in that case, though, otherwise gallstones....
8. Maybe drink a bit less coffee - because I wanted to 'wake my brain up' to be able to work yesterday I literally had 1 coffee per hour. And I do make them strong. Like stop-your-heart strong, my partner cannot have them. That's a diuretic - hence, 1 or max 2 a day will do fine, don't need any more. The rest is consumption our of boredom - and caffeine has a very long half-life anyway so they'd all be in my body until the evening anyway.
That's all until now. I will add more to this post as I keep on learning.
1. If I feel like I will collapse - sometimes it will go away, sometimes not. Do not get paranoid and if it doesn't pass - eat something within the extra 200 calories limit to get me to 800.
2. Interaction with food will not destroy my weight loss efforts as long as I'm mindful and careful about it. It will just teach me how to interact with food again, in a healthy way.
3. When I do interact with food again (during the food week, planned food days, feeling physically poorly, and when I reach maintenance) it is important to not have everything or overdo the quantities.
4. My struggle had become (hence the 3stone gain) with both type and quantity - while I think I can control the quality of the food (as per when I also did Slimming World) my quantities are way off!
5. While measuring the food on the scales is fine (and needed from now on forever pretty much) I have the tendency to cheat myself on that. Almost like a subconscious cognitive error, which is difficult to be aware of. Need to keep tabs on that.
6. No nibbling - I will have the tendency to nibble at food while I weight it. None of that. Another thing to control - argh! Baby steps makes it automatic though.
7. The thought of 'food week', 'I can eat things as long as it's X, Y but not A, B', will throw me into a binge of X and Y (as per what I ended up doing in Slimming World). None of that.
8. Using the small plates in the house when I do eat real food - will make me feel better than having a big plate with a splatter of food on it. The little plate will end up being mostly full, though.
9. After the meal last night I felt as full as a pig. For a long time. Mentally however, I could've kept on eating over the already-reached satiety feeling. That issue, in my mind, is not yet sorted and it will take time. I did stop and I could control it - but when life will go off tracks I know I will slip. Need to be aware of that!
10. Everybody's journey is different; different start-up BMI, metabolism reacting in different ways, different histories with food and barriers and facilitators in their own life. Cannot put an equal between journeys - most you can do is take pointers, inspiration, and each of us finding similarities in our successes and struggles. But none of it will essentially be the same, hence no reason to think about others' faster weight losses and get myself down/beat myself up about it.
Specific VLCD lessons:
1. If you feel poorly, eat within the limits above but stay at 800 calories (as per point 1 above). You know very well that trials have shown that 800calories (keto or non-ketogenic) achieve the same results, in the same time period with limited heterogeneity. Remind yourself that.
2. Best to keep to 600 on an ongoing basis. However, keep in mind that your baseline BMI was somewhat lower and it is going down; today you are only 2 pounds away from the stone mark, within less than 3 weeks, so that is a really big loss in very short time - if you decide to up it to 800 on an ongoing basis it won't be the end of the world. It may take a bit longer to reach goal; however this fat has been nursed for 3 years - a month or two longer is nothing by comparison with 36 months of eating myself silly.
3. Ketosticks are somewhat rubbish. And I cannot tell if my breath smells or not - my partner will, but I won't. Regardless, I've not had any carbs since the middle of week 1 - what else could my body run on if not on fat, as I am quite sure that in 2 weeks and a half most glycogen store would've been depleted.
4. Logically speaking - i've done away with the boose (1 night in 15 days. that's progress!), done away with the bread-butter habit and any other carbs, I am moving more on a daily basis, and eating half of the calories I normally should. It is impossible not to lose something! Basic thermodynamics in the end.
5. Obsessing about being in keto is counterproductive; based on the sticks i've not really and properly been in it since I had that vodka last thursday (a week ago) - I had a diet coke that day (aka contains citric acid, although the relationship between the 2 is not very well evidenced and doesn't hold on for everyone) among the dr peppers; the stick went light pink (i.e. traces) by the time I reached Sunday, when I had the real food meal. I was absolutely not showing any of it while still feeling cold and not hungry until yesterday when it suddenly changed to a 4 (which is a lot), at mid-day when I was feeling very poorly. The meal last night resulted in nothing on the stick this morning, but I am not hungry so there you go.
6. I wonder if even Dr Pepper, or consuming basically anything other than exante, will throw me out of the said-keto. Don't know. But honestly, I'm starting to enjoy the Dr Pepper so I might not take that out of my life as well!
7. The meal last night, apart from my go-to towards protein and fat (i.e. low-fat feta), has gone towards salty. I may have gotten rid of my sodium (and other nutrients) by going to the toilet all the time. Maybe add more salt to the meals? I need to keep my water up in that case, though, otherwise gallstones....
8. Maybe drink a bit less coffee - because I wanted to 'wake my brain up' to be able to work yesterday I literally had 1 coffee per hour. And I do make them strong. Like stop-your-heart strong, my partner cannot have them. That's a diuretic - hence, 1 or max 2 a day will do fine, don't need any more. The rest is consumption our of boredom - and caffeine has a very long half-life anyway so they'd all be in my body until the evening anyway.
That's all until now. I will add more to this post as I keep on learning.
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Ketoveggie
Full Member
Really nice, Alecto.
I very much enjoyed reading that. It seemed very cathartic.
Sian x
I very much enjoyed reading that. It seemed very cathartic.
Sian x
Alecto_on_LCD
Silver Member
Thank you Bunny & Ketoveggie - I will need to revisit these also during this journey and after, else I forget. I know I do, especially if I get stressed or get a bit more unfocused due to general life. FullFathom's diary inspired me tbh. I'd love to read about what you've learned, #GymBunny!Great summary of lessons learned. I will be doing something very similar tomorrow and possibly posting my data. Mine won’t be as thorough as yours though.
Great list to be able to revisit
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Alecto_on_LCD
Silver Member
Omg! Aqua aerobics was sooo good. Could barely walk home but cannot wait for next week now. Proper full body cardio and strength with no pressure on the knees. Happy i discovered this one.
I will go on Monday as on Thursday Ive got a big work do thing (a senior colleague received a promotion to another country and its her farewell party). Gonna be a tad difficult solely because theres gonna be a lot of fancy cheese (i adore cheeses!) and wine flying around. Going there to hobnob anyway so dont want any alcohol and will save the last 2 exantes. Everyone will have an opinion on my diet due to our field so ill have to stir away. I got my partner to come along so i may pretend im getting food and give it to him.
Still. 3 exantes, 5l water, 9k steps, 20mins swim, 45 aqua aerobics and now chillin with peppermint and green tea. No hunger or cravings for food or alcohol. If only every day were to be the same! Good night everyone!
I will go on Monday as on Thursday Ive got a big work do thing (a senior colleague received a promotion to another country and its her farewell party). Gonna be a tad difficult solely because theres gonna be a lot of fancy cheese (i adore cheeses!) and wine flying around. Going there to hobnob anyway so dont want any alcohol and will save the last 2 exantes. Everyone will have an opinion on my diet due to our field so ill have to stir away. I got my partner to come along so i may pretend im getting food and give it to him.
Still. 3 exantes, 5l water, 9k steps, 20mins swim, 45 aqua aerobics and now chillin with peppermint and green tea. No hunger or cravings for food or alcohol. If only every day were to be the same! Good night everyone!
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ange82much
Member
Just wanted to say you're going fantastically!! what a rollercoaster journey this dieting thing is - that's mentally, never mind the scales! It's all-consuming really. Great you're feeling positive at the mo. Hope it starts to get easier as you settle in to the routine.
Your story really shows that the calories is one thing but the mental side is really the key, and that's what makes the difference. As you say it doesn't matter really if you go slightly faster or slightly slower, as long is your brain is with the program. I'm surprised this isn't focused on a lot more with diets in general really. I read the Beck Diet Solution when I was starting out. It's not a diet, it's tips for helping with the psychology side, and a lot of it fits with what you're thinking already really, hence what made me remember it. I picked and choosed (new word) from it (actually to be honest I didn't need it in the end, but glad I read it and had the psychological tools ready for if I was going off the rails a bit) - there's a lot of stuff in there about recognising your own triggers and some practical things you can do to recognise what's happening and how to keep on the right mindset, or rescue yourself from a drop off - might be extra ammunition for the arsenal
Good going. Keep it up!
Your story really shows that the calories is one thing but the mental side is really the key, and that's what makes the difference. As you say it doesn't matter really if you go slightly faster or slightly slower, as long is your brain is with the program. I'm surprised this isn't focused on a lot more with diets in general really. I read the Beck Diet Solution when I was starting out. It's not a diet, it's tips for helping with the psychology side, and a lot of it fits with what you're thinking already really, hence what made me remember it. I picked and choosed (new word) from it (actually to be honest I didn't need it in the end, but glad I read it and had the psychological tools ready for if I was going off the rails a bit) - there's a lot of stuff in there about recognising your own triggers and some practical things you can do to recognise what's happening and how to keep on the right mindset, or rescue yourself from a drop off - might be extra ammunition for the arsenal
Good going. Keep it up!
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Alecto_on_LCD
Silver Member
Day 19. 72.4kg.
Gone up. Either muscles from yesterdays swim or cold. Or both.
I have a cold. Come on....no ...throat inflamed. Im on non-coated paracetamols coz the ibuprofen is coated in sugar. Oh well ill manage and not giving up. I tend to get ear infections vv easily from mere cold so ill keep an eye and go seek antibiotics if it starts getting there. That's probably part of what happened the other day, my body was reacting to the virus and didn't have resources. As well as the other factors (too much coffee etc). Expecting weight gain or maintenance due to water retention during this time. Im only just gutted if i might not be able to go to the aerobics class if this goes on but ill reassess on Sunday.
Makes me wonder if my body is really reacting a bit like a naughty teenager to this diet 'oh, no more potatoes? Okay, ill rebel and make you feel bad then!'. Itll pass tho and im stickin to it - 'no potatoes for you, sorry'. My mind is in the right place.
Gone up. Either muscles from yesterdays swim or cold. Or both.
I have a cold. Come on....no
...throat inflamed. Im on non-coated paracetamols coz the ibuprofen is coated in sugar. Oh well ill manage and not giving up. I tend to get ear infections vv easily from mere cold so ill keep an eye and go seek antibiotics if it starts getting there. That's probably part of what happened the other day, my body was reacting to the virus and didn't have resources. As well as the other factors (too much coffee etc). Expecting weight gain or maintenance due to water retention during this time. Im only just gutted if i might not be able to go to the aerobics class if this goes on but ill reassess on Sunday.Makes me wonder if my body is really reacting a bit like a naughty teenager to this diet 'oh, no more potatoes? Okay, ill rebel and make you feel bad then!'. Itll pass tho and im stickin to it - 'no potatoes for you, sorry'. My mind is in the right place.
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