Common Questions, Ask Questions Here, Find Answers Here > Weight Loss Stalled! WHY?
Fasting/Starvation techniques to lose-weight FACTS
Doug Varrieur:
I've read several threads asking about stalled weight loss due to lack of food intake. Here's the facts,
The body has been designed over the centuries to hold onto weight temporarily during time frames of starvation or fasting. It's pretty simple really. Our metabolisms slow down when the body senses that it's being denied the food it needs to function so it burns less fuel. Now notice I said temporarily. The reason I point this out is because the body WILL do what it needs to do to survive and YES the body will use the fat as fuel to survive. It must, and that's pretty easy to understand. The body will first use any stored glycogen (short term energy stores) then it will burn stored fat as fuel. Fasting and Starvation however is a lousy way to lose weight and ultimately will always backfire. Once a person starts eating again the hormones kick in, the metabolism speeds up and gorging/binging occurs. Ultimately the weight lost during a fast is usually regained and then some.
So, is it true that weight loss on the FTS program can stall due to lack of food? If you follow the guidelines for portion control outlined here- http://www.fattoskinny.net/index.php?topic=233.0 the answer is NO. The metabolism "slow down kick in key" comes in the form of zero food intake, not well balanced controlled portion intake. It's important to point this out because I don't want you to use it as an excuse to load up your plates. "I'm not dropping weight so I need more food" is a fallacy IF you're following the program properly. Trust me, starving peoples in third world countries are not fat.
Eating a lack of dense protein is usually the culprit when someone feels their weight loss has been stalled by lack of food. Dense protein helps to speed up the metabolism naturally simply because the body needs to rev up the engine to digest and metabolize it. Smaller portions (6oz) per serving is generally enough to fill your needs and you should never exceed 8oz at a sitting. Heck that's a half pound of meat, fish, or poultry or soy! Making certain dense protein is part of your daily intake will help insure that your protein food needs are met and will keep the metabolism in check.
Next on the list are healthy fats. Once again the body needs to work hard to metabolize fats. Make certain to take in a portion of fats during the day. Most of us achieve this through cheeses, olive oil, animal fats and nuts/seeds.
For all you salad eaters out there who believe big salads are the key to weight loss....think again. Sugar and carbs add up quickly in your salad bowl, the body metabolizes the food quickly leaving you hungry again and you don't fill your nutrition needs.
Conversely TO MUCH FOOD will stall your weight loss. If you find yourself at a stall AND your food intake is well balanced as prescribed within FTS then eat only when you're hungry, look at the portions on your plate, cut them back and follow the 15 minute rule.
To lose weight you must eat less than your body needs for fuel daily. This is the key to forcing the body to use stored FAT as fuel.
Rena:
Thanks, Doug.
I knew a lot of this from my old days with Herbalife. For me recently, I had cut down a little on how much I ate because I had jumped up 2 pounds. I was still eating mostly protein though. I realized what I was doing and started eating my normal sized portions again. And today, I am happy to say I am right back to where I should be. Maybe I'll hit that 50-pound mark soon! :)
mouseissue:
Thanks for clarifying this point, Doug!
Like everything else in our lives, we need to balance our food consumption using moderation.
Too much or too little of something we need is not good for us.
traci:
Hi Doug. Could you clarify what can be high carb in salads? My weight loss has sort of stalled but I do eat salads quite a bit - but not the everything-but-the-kitchen-sink kind. I usually just have lettuce, a little cheese, grilled chicken, sometimes a little olive or onion, and dressing. Does that sound ok? Could I possibly be eating too many vegetables? I also eat a lot of broccoli and cabbage.
Thanks!
traci
Doug Varrieur:
This is the FTS veggie list from page 104 in the book, all servings in this list are 1/2 cup. Add up what your salads contain and you may be surprised. ;) If you don't find your problem here, keep digging. You should also review the "weight loss stalled board" from the home page down the bottom.
Welcome to the forum! Don't be a stranger :) :)
Artichoke hearts 2 net carbs
Asparagus (fresh) 5 spears 2 net carbs
Beans, green (fresh) 3 net carbs
Bean sprouts 2 net carbs
Bok Choy .2 net carbs
Broccoli (fresh) 2 net carbs
Cabbage (all kinds) 1.5 net carbs
Cauliflower 1.5 net carbs
Celery 2 stalks 1.5 net carbs
Chard (Swiss) 1.5 net carbs
Chayote squash 2 net carbs
Collard greens 2 net carbs
Cucumber 1 net carbs
Eggplant 2 net carbs
Fennel root 2 net carbs
Garlic 1 clove 1 net carb
Jicama root 2.5 net carbs
Lettuce (all) .5 net carbs
Mushrooms 2 net carbs
Okra 3 net carbs
Onions 5 net carbs
Peppers, bell (red or green) 3 net carbs
Pumpkin meat 4 net carbs
Radicchio 1 net carb
Radishes 1 net carb
Scallions 2.5 net carbs
Snow peas 3.4 net carbs
Spinach (fresh) .3 net carbs
Spinach (frozen) 2 net carbs
Squash (spaghetti) 4 net carbs
Squash (yellow) 1.5 net carbs
Squash (Zucchini) 1.5 net carbs
Tofu 2.5 net carbs
Tomato (1 small) 3 net carbs
Turnip 2.5 net carbs
Turnip (greens) 1 net carb
Watercress 0 net carbs
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