Panicking!

[jackibar]

I'm in a situation where dr has said I must weigh every day due to congestive heart failure (which I'm hoping will reverse the more weight I lose)...

Anyway I just started last week and the scale was dropping 2 lbs every day! Very encouraging since I had 200 to lose... But now ever since Friday it's been stuck

I'm eating the same things as last week - almost NO carbs yet because I haven't finished the book to see what exactly to do so I've stuck with protein... I can't afford to have the weight quit coming off already! I'm panicking because for some reason everything I try works great at first and then stops.

I'm also eating very small portions!

Jacki

[shawn116]

Hi Jacki

Try not to panic too much.  It's something that happens from time to time.  Actually many times our bodies take a timeout to adjust to the changes it is going through.  Be sure to take your measurements...many times those will still be changing even though the scale isn't budging....and do finish reading the book.  I myself have read it many times and seem to get something new every time.  Also you can list your menus here (everything that passes your lips including drinks) we can maybe see what might be slipping you up.  More times than not it's something simple like condiments of sweeteners or simple hidden carbs.  Hang in there we are here to help  

[morgan]

Welcome jackibar - don't panic (easier said than done I know).  You have taken years to put this weight on and it will take a little time to take it off.  How small are your small portions?  Maybe you need a little more food - it's hard to tell.  As TooSweet said list your menus so we can all have a peek and see where you might be having problems.  If you have been drinking all the water you should have, it may just be water weight holding on.  Are you on fluid restrictions?

Come on often and let us know what is happening - someone is always here to help, or sympathise or just listen.

[mouseissue]

Welcome to the FTS family, jackibar!!!

Your fellow FTS family has given you great advice.

And remember that weight loss is not a "straight line down process".
We will often hit flat areas, or even go up a little, before heading back down again.

So hang in there, and stay the course!
The science behind FTS is solid!

Tony

[jackibar]

Thanks, everyone... So glad not to be alone in this! Here is what I ate today:

Breakfast: 2 scrambled eggs w/1slice cheese, 4 pieces of bacon, 1cup of Coke Zero

Lunch:  ham, turkey, and cheese roll ups (2), Coke Zero

Snack: few almonds

Supper: Roast beef, broccoli/cheese, Coke Zero

[shawn116]

Hi Jackibar    

This looks pretty good!!  What are your potions like?   Have you gotten the hang of counting the carbs yet?  Keep an eye on the coke zero....sweeteners will cause some folks to stall but not bother others at all.  Who knows why...Haha  If your stall continues you might want to avoid those for a while to see if they are holding you back    Just know you are never alone 

[jackibar]

Hard to say about portions... I'm making sure everything fits on a small plate... Like the roast beef was a portion cut by hubby and that plus the broccoli all fit on the small plate - more was beef than broccoli.

Haven't yet started counting carbs as I'm just trying to avoid them until I know what I'm doing!

Today the scale went UP 1 lb! I guess after the rapid 29-lb loss in just 2 weeks, my body is just taking a breather - but it FEELS like its never gonna move again!

[shawn116]

No worries dear....be patient and stay the course.  Reading the book is very important for understanding the core rules to follow.  You will need to stay within the 20 net carb range in order to stay in fat burning mode.  That being said be aware that some of us are extra sensitive to carbohydrates and need to dip even further below that mark.  I myself have to stay at or below 15 net carbs to see the scale move, while I maintain very nicely with as high as 25 or 30 net carbs as long as it's not every day  
Mainly you should be watching your portions because you will need to know how many carbs are on your plate.  It also will matter what you have on your dish or how it was cooked.  Seasonings, marinades and sauces are sometimes loaded with carbs so be mindful of that. Here is a list of veggies and their carb counts.  This list is for 1/2 cup raw servings unless otherwise stated:

 Vegetables
•   Artichoke Hearts      2 net carbs
•   Asparagus, fresh      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 carb
•   Eggplant         2 net carbs
•   Fennel         2 net carbs
•   Garlic (1 clove)      1 net carb
•   Jicama         2.5 net carbs
•   Lettuce         .5 net carbs
•   Mushrooms              2 net carbs
•   Okra                 3 net carbs
•   Onions         5 net carbs
•   Peppers, 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 carb
FRUIT

•   Strawberries      3.5 net carbs
•   Blackberries              5.5 net carbs
•   Raspberries              3 net carbs
•   Avocado (small)      2 net carbs

I keep this list on my refrigerator for an easy reference and cheat sheet.    You can also check your counts on this site http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/  Just take the total carbohydrates - fiber - sugar alcohol (if there is any it will be listed otherwise it wont be) = net carbohydrates.  

Don't worry to much about a gain and loss on a daily basis.  It is natural for us to fluctuate that way.  When you drink a glass of water you are adding 8 oz of water weight until you get rid of what your body doesn't use   Give yourself time you are doing great  
  

[jackibar]

Guess what! I found the culprit... Because many of my glucose readings were going way higher than last week, and the weight loss has stopped cold, I started thinking about anything else that may have changed and my doctor had put me on clonidine to help with opiate withdrawal since I'm trying to get off as many meds as I can.  I looked up clonidine and it causes high blood sugar by causing gluconeogenesis! And it causes weight gain.

So I'm going to just hold the course, take the extra insulin I need for now (which is still tons less than before starting this program), and know that soon ill be off this other drug and things should then start improving again...

[shawn116]

Great detective work    Hang in there!

[jackibar]

Thanks, TooSweet! I was noticing in your sig that you're off your diabetes meds! May I ask what you were on and how long it took to get off them?

[mouseissue]

That's great, Jacki!!!

Evidently, clonidine boosts the gluconeogenesis process.
Gluconeogenesis is a metabolic process our body uses to convert proteins and fats into usable blood glucose.

When we eat too much, even 0 carb foods, we can still gain weight because of it.
And why portion control is so important.

BTW, thanks to FTS, I was freed from the blood sugar med Metformin!

Tony

[shawn116]

I was noticing in your sig that you're off your diabetes meds! May I ask what you were on and how long it took to get off them?

Absolutely   I give all the credit to Fat to Skinny for helping me to do that.  Up until I started this lifestyle my blood sugars were very uncontrolled.  Even with trying to follow what the diabetes educator was teaching me.  Her magical response with my highs were...."don't worry we can just adjust your insulin higher"     

I started in the beginning with Metformin, but for some reason I didn't tolerate it very well by itself so he put me on Janumet which is a combination of sitagliptin and metformin.  I suppose the combo just set better with me.  When that wasn't good enough he added Glimepiride to the mix.  I took both of these twice a day.  After about a year of struggling with that he talked me into adding Levemir.  The dose of this was creeping up and up ....I was basically at the point where my doc was telling me I would probably need to start using the pump with my insulin.  All of this on top of having high blood pressure, high cholesterol and bad heartburn and took medicine for all of those too.  Lets add in that I have had psoriasis from the time I was eight and now full blown psoriatic arthritis, fibromyalgia and yes you guessed it....depression.  All in all when I started FTS back in July 2011 I was taking 12 pills (yes I said 12...none were vitamins or over the counter) and 1 shot of levemir a day along with 2 other different shots I had to take once a week.      Man that sounds crazy as I read back over what I just typed.  Thanks to finding FTS I am down to taking 6 pills a day.....of which only two (the same med) is prescription and unfortunately I have to keep up with the two shots a week.  (Those are for my arthritis) I have others for pain but only take those intermittently when I need them.   

When I started FTS within the first week I leveled my blood sugar.  The insulin was the first to go...then the pills.  After a month he let me ditch the high blood pressure and cholesterol meds.  Mostly what I take now is my low dose aspirin (it just makes me feel better) a good multi vitamin, fish oil and the rest is prescribed to help prevent further damage from the arthritis.  I sure wish I could get rid of that too    I have basically made a believer in Fat to Skinny out of my doc. 

So sorry for the long response...but I can't seem to tell it enough    I'm so grateful to finding this way of life.  It really makes me angry when I think of all the years I have struggled with this...why didn't the people that I put my trust in to look after my health know to teach me about this?      By solving my blood sugar issues, many of my other issues have magically disappeared.   No more uncontrolled blood sugar.....no more high blood pressure....no more high cholesterol....no more depression....no more horrible heartburn, gas and bloating.  Now that I am watching my gluten and aspartame intake my fibro symptoms are much less if not almost gone.  Who knows what will get better next 

It's important that you keep an eye on that sugar.  When eating within the FTS guidelines it will stabilize very quickly and your meds won't have much to work with.  I'm not saying that everyone will be able to come off of the meds, but you should be able to adjust them quite a bit.  I know this is way more than you asked for but I hope this helps       

[umpa]

Well done Jackibar!!

[Elizabeth779]

Jacki -- the effort you're putting into your new healthy FTs way of eating will pay off rewards.....you're losing FAT instead of WEIGHT....and it will eventually show up....focus on sticking to FTS and consistency...

I would so recommend posting your foods -- as Doug would say "everything that you eat or drink"....ALL of it for the others here to review......I did when I was faltering and found out fast I was eating way too many carbs in condiments....another time I wasn't eating enough.....

Consistency will make the scale move, and when it does you will be so glad you stuck to your plan......

I have on a wall in my bedroom some colored index cards, and I the numbers starting at 298 going down to 150.  When I lose a pound I put a black X over the number and sometimes write the date on that card....it represents that "on this day I was at this point, and I'm not going back"....no turning back....we're going toward health and healthy fat loss. 

hang in there gal!