ketostix

[morgan]

As per normal, my weight has been static.  What a pip.  I was in the chemist the other and decided to buy some ketostix to see if I was actually burning fat.  hmmmm - nope (trace element only).  I was out all day and hadn't eaten anything until the afternoon, small cup black coffee, some cream, 3-4 brazil nuts, little cheese and a sq of sf choc.  Surely something should have been happening.  I know slow and steady wins the race, but honestly..........

[shawn116]

Hi Morgan  I know it's frustrating for sure      I wonder though if maybe you aren't eating enough at times?  Being out all day and only eating that little bit may be telling your body to hold on to what you've got until the famine is over.   I know we aren't supposed to eat unless truly hungry but there needs to be a balance in there too.  Your body needs to know there is a endless supply of energy coming in so it will release what it has stored for a rainy day.  Just my thoughts    Also just an FYI on my experience with Ketostix....when I was dropping weight in the beginning I never showed anything but trace on those things.  Not sure they were helpful or even working at all for me    Hang in there girl! 

[Doug Varrieur]

Hi Morgan, when you eat protein your body goes into furnace mode in order to metabolize the protein. You actually burn fat during this process...... eat some protein...by the way was the chocolate sweetened?

[mouseissue]

Hi, Morgan!

Ketostix readings can be very unreliable!

Remember that they were designed to help in the diagnosis and treatment
of the medical condition diabetic ketoacidosis, a serious complication of diabetes.
People with that condition, will usually have very high and sustained ketone readings.

Ketostix readings may or may not indicate if your body is in normal weight loss mode.

If your "stuck" for a length of time, it often means your metabolism has not been working very hard.

Shawn is correct about under-eating. That will cause the metabolism to slow down.
So like Doug said, trying upping your protein intake and see what happens.

Tony

[morgan]

Bite ur tongue Doug - of course it was sugarfree.
I didn't plan on not eating, I had a hair appt which took longer than anticipated: then I went to a cafe and ordered a burger with side salad  (i just leave the bun behind) and coffee. I sat down really looking forward to some food when  the waitress came back and said they had run out. Honestly, how can U run out , it main lunch time.  Past time to order eggs - stops before lunch menu starts, but that's another gripe. So just settled for coffee. Always travel with snacks, even if they just come home again.  I didn't  get to eat until about 4.30pm.  Ate strawberries whilst chicken wings were cooking. Then latter a piece fts cake and that was it for the day.

Don't worry toosweet, believe u me, I do eat enough.  Well I think so. Sometimes I think too much.  Hell, who knows.  I cut my carbs to  10 and still weight stays same.

[Doug Varrieur]

Yep, you're a slow loser Morgan...happens with some and not others. Tony has been a slow loser as well...metabolisms are different between us all. Hang in there!

[umpa]

Morgan you have lost 50 pounds my friend!!! You are way to hard on yourself What is the weight or size you want to get down to?

[mouseissue]

Yep!... I'm a lifetime charter member of the weight loss turtle club!
But by simply living the FTS lifestyle, I'm a very healthy turtle!

Without FTS, I probably would have moved on to the next life by now.

Tony

[morgan]

Nothing too drastic umpa.  The upper range recommended is 139lbs (probably size 12). Weight I would be happy with is 152lbs ( size 14), which is more than recommended but one I can remember being when younger.

[umpa]

I think 150 is more realistic. According to the charts I should be 115, I havent been 115 since I was7!!:D

[NoellBlue1]

Morgan, I'm in the same boat as you with the slow weight loss, I cut my carbs down to 15 but might have to go lower.  I am losing inches though, but I'm afraid to weigh myself, (I don't have a scale, but I may have to get one soon, I sometimes go to the local gym to weight myself when I workout but I've not done that in a while).  Hang in there, and stay the course, I have full confidence that you'll reach your goals in weight loss.  Just keep up the good work...you're an encouragement to me.    

[NoellBlue1]

I hate the scale,    but I'll weigh myself on Monday.   

[mouseissue]

Hi, NoellBlue1!

You've touched on something.

Let's ask ourselves a question...
Do we want to lose weight for a smaller number on the scale or do we want to shrink in size?

The bottom line is we all want to fit into "skinny people's clothes".
What the scale says is really immaterial.

If we stay the course and fit into smaller size clothes,
the number on the scale will follow... and not lead us to it!

Tony

[morgan]

Thanks for the encouragement all.  I know we have to 'tweak' now and then, so I try to think what may be interfering with my - what shall we call it? recalcitrant (look it up in the dictionary - it is good to learn new words  )metabolism; and why some people lose weight quicker than others.  From my understanding (or so they say) the older you get the harder it is to lose, post/menopausal women also harder, but do you possibly think it may do with your ethnicity.  Tony and I are both from a Polish background (I would say peasant stock but that would only be speaking for myself - ancestors would have ebbed and flowed regarding food availability - and our bodies would hold onto food supplies with all our being), we are both very slow losers - though a survey of 2 doesn't prove anything.  It would be interesting to ask some of the forum members and if 'race' influences weight loss.

That's a bit off tangent, now back on track.  The only consistent food factor is bacon - whether the salt in it is holding on or the fact that is a processed product (even though I grill it to almost crispy);  if I can pry my fat little hands of it and any other processed items (bar cheese) and see if I can do without it for 2 weeks.  And some walking on the treadmill couldn't hurt either.

Tony - We do want to shrink in size but we also want to see a smaller number to reflect that shrinking size. 
          We need  visual confirmation.

[umpa]

I agree with both of you. I am a mutt.My dads family is from the tweed river in scotland but moms is a mixed bag of nuts In all my years on fat to skinny the lowest I have ever reached is 148 than I drank a glass of water 150 I am content with my size 10s.They get tight I back down.Menopause /Post menopause is tough on women( i have been in menopause for 4 years). No matter what you do you can still put on weight .If you stay the course it will come off.I think sometimes we set our weights/sizes too small.I would love to be a size 6 but I have a 42 inch chest I would look like dolly parton! It takes years to put on weight it won't come off in a month