Even on HRT, losing weight has always been pretty easy as long as I exercised some and watched my calorie balance. But it seems that ease has stopped. In Nov I was losing almost daily and was down to 165 before I got lazy and went into vacation mode until early Jan. Then I gained back to about 175 when I decided to get serious and beat this once and for all.
I'm 5'10.5" and this morning weighed in at 172 (BMI 24.01). My goal is to get to 155 with a BMI of 22. But my scale is stuck even though for the past week I have been very good about diet maintaining a daily average intake of 1372 cal while burning a daily average of 2387 cal. I know those are estimates but I am being conservative, using a female calculated metabolic rate. So, I should be losing something. By raw calculation I should have lost two pounds.
But my daily weight for the past seven days is 171.8, 172.8, 173, 173.6, 172.4, 172.7, and 172 this morning. WTF!!!!!!!
I had my spiro doubled in Sept so could this be a sign that my T is finally lowering. It was 120 ng/dl then. Could this be some health problem? I don't think so because I actually feel really good and am getting great sleep, averaging 7 hours per night. I drink a cup of valerian tea with a 5 mg melatonin tablet at bedtime and that knocks me out cold.
I do exercise everyday and for the past week began eating low carb, averaging about 120g per day (0 processed carbs). I also drink a lot of water, over 20 cups a day. I'm even averaging fairly well on fiber at about 20g per day.
My waistline has shrunk about 1/2 inch which is good news. The only thing I can think of is that I have added moderate body weight exercises to my program a month ago with push-ups, sit-ups, and squats three times a week. This is with some running and a lot of walking averaging about 7.7 miles per day.
So, any ideas about what is going on? Or any ideas about what else I can do? I'm not discouraged and am going to keep at it. But I am frustrated as what was once very easy is now not easy at all.
Sapere Aude
I've found the same on occasion, and the only way drop it is reduce calories even more.
Whatever it is now, make it less. Or exercise more, but that's much harder.
I should add that the first day I started this low carb diet on Jan 30th I lost 5 pounds overnight. But since then I am stuck and losing nothing.
Sapere Aude
Quote from: Deborah on February 07, 2016, 09:13:06 AM
I should add that the first day I started this low carb diet on Jan 30th I lost 5 pounds overnight. But since then I am stuck and losing nothing.
Sapere Aude
Deborah,
If you lost 5 pounds overnight, that is either digested food in your GI tract or water weight that was eliminated.
I am still losing weight, but for the past 3 months, I fluctuated around 230 pounds. In order to jump start weight lose again, I purged using a laxative routine similar to a colonoscopy prep. I have had several colonoscopies before. I only lost 3 pounds doing this. Now to continue to lose weight, I am taking a clear liquid diet for the next several days.
I do not recommend doing this without medical supervision. My physician knows what I am doing and he is fine with this for a very limited time, no more than 7 days. Then I will go back on a more reduced calorie vegetable diet.
Quote from: Dani on February 07, 2016, 04:18:13 PM
If you lost 5 pounds overnight, that is either digested food in your GI tract or water weight that was eliminated.
It was mostly the former with a little bit of the latter. I had caused myself a problem "backing things up" down there taking iron supplements. I had stopped using them a week or so before but the effects finally wore off that day.
Sapere Aude
When I lose weight, my body replace the weigh with water. I will then have a day of Peeing and my weight will drop a few pounds. I am not sure if the applies to somebody on Spiro. The other issue is possibly your body wants to hold fat in feminine areas because of the lower T levels. There could also be a problem if you are on progesterone as that can make your body want to stock up in preparation for producing a baby.
You really need to determine how much to lose by looking in a mirror. if you still have weight in the wrong place, then you need to lose it. If the weight is in the right place, that might be where you should stay.
I'm trying to lose the remainder of what I have around my waist. There are at least two to four inches that can go. I've got these "love handles" that have been there since I was a kid eating too much ice cream. Maybe they are permanent but I hope not.
Sapere Aude
Yes, yes and double yes! We can all expect to see daily fluctuations of a pound or two up or down. Some people have a chart and graph daily weights. They only look at long term trends over a month or so. Never look at daily weights because of water and bowel changes. It is important to keep the bowels moving and if not enough food is being eaten, then a gentle bulk forming laxative is helpful.
The weight went up again today and I ate 50 grams of fiber yesterday with a 1000 calorie deficit. Maybe tonight it will drop two pounds LOL.
One good effect from this diet is it seems to be bringing my blood pressure down. It was creeping up over the limit the past two visits at the endo and they were beginning to give me a hard time about it. I've also over the past month made some other dietary selections that are supposed to have good effects on blood pressure. Hopefully I'm not speaking too soon and this trend continues.
Sapere Aude
Quote from: Deborah on February 08, 2016, 08:48:02 AM
The weight went up again today and I ate 50 grams of fiber yesterday with a 1000 calorie deficit. Maybe tonight it will drop two pounds LOL.
I guess its kind of stating the obvious, but you can't run a actual calorie deficit for long without losing weight. If you manage it you're probably not calculating it correctly.
I know. One thing though i forgot about is that I started working out and running again. Whenever I have done that in the past I have gained 4 to 6 pounds pretty quickly. If that is the problem it should even out in the next week or so.
I am very confident in my calculations. I have done this many times before and I measure things.
Sapere Aude
You have to be careful not to push your body into starvation mode. If you do, the burn rate goes way down and it become much more difficult to lose weight. If you are consuming 1000 calories less, you may be in starvation mode and strange as it may seem, you may need to up the calorie intake to lose weight. Normally that would be around 500 calories less than what it takes to maintain your weight.
Dena,
That is an excellent point about starvation mode. When your body senses extreme calorie deprivation, your body goes into survival mode and metabolism slows in an attempt to stretch out the survival time until the next meal.
I have a Tanita body composition scale, which measures % body fat via electrical impedance through the feet. Believe it or not, it is very accurate. This scale also calculates required calories to maintain the current weight. I try to stay about 600 to 800 calories below the maintenance weight. Keep in mind that 1 pound is about 3600 calories. This gives me a weight loss of about 1 pound per week.
The specific model of the Tanita scale is the "Ironman". It is a very useful tool in my struggle to lose weight.
I don't think I've slowed my metabolism, at least not yet. I have eaten too little a few times but the past few days I've been around 1500 calories. That still gives me about an 800 calorie deficit for today. If nothing positive happens by the end of this week I may up my calories a little.
I have a body fat scale too but I'm not really sure what settings to use anymore. I have it set on the female setting and just watch for trends now because it's reading way too high, at 36%. Male settings or female athlete settings are probably more accurate but I just don't know what effect a year of HRT, and the spiro, have on the validity of the algorithms. In truth I think my actual body fat is around 20%. In past years at this weight it was somewhat lower, probably 12 to 14%.
Edited to add: I know that 20% is healthy but I want to get rid of the remainder that is around my waist if that is possible.
Sapere Aude
I think staving works pretty well. I averaged just over 3 pounds a week for 23 weeks, and managed to lose 8 pounds one week in the middle.
It can be difficult to function normally, but it is very effective.
Positive news on the diet this week. I kept to a daily deficit although a couple of days my deficit was smaller than on others. However, my weight stopped fluctuating up and down and flatlined for much of the week. I did end up with a small seven day average loss of about half a pound from 172.7 to 172.3 lbs. BMI this morning was below 24. :-)
Keeping with the no processed food diet I did find an unexpected benefit. My daily sodium intake is way down by around 2000mg per day. This may be the reason for my blood pressure dropping back into the normal range (below 120/80). I just hope that trend stays steady for my endo next month. The last two times they were beginning to show concern.
So my stats for the past seven days.
Seven day average loss: .4 lbs
Average weight: 172.3 lbs
Average calories in: 1672
Average calories out: 2484
Average daily walking & running: 8.74 mi
Average sleep: 7:05 hrs
Diet notes:
My daily potassium remains at about 2/3rd RDA.
Protein 104g daily, 24%
Carbs 147g, 34%
Fat 79g, 42%
Fiber 36g
Sugar 42g (down by 60% without processed food)
Sodium 3028mg
I'm feeling pretty good and plenty energetic so I'll stick with this for a while. One thing though, it doesn't do much for growth up top. But if I can fix my waist first I'll worry about that later.
Sapere Aude
More good news on this weight loss journey. My waist has shrunk down a half inch. Yaaaay. Unfortunately, the top has shrunk some too. :-(. My ribcage size has also shrunk though so it's generally staying in proportion, just smaller. My neck is down a half inch too which is good because that was one of my biggest shortfalls in the beginning at 16.75". Now it's down to 14.5". My waist to hip ratio started at 93% at the beginning of HRT and is now 83% so just three more percentage points to get into the right bracket. With some luck I might be able to hit that number in a month. If I do my waist will be smaller than it was when I started puberty and was six inches shorter. (Too much ice cream in those days LOL)
Sapere Aude
Third week update: My weight is still acting kind of funky with it dropping for a few days and then climbing again but overall there is a downward trend. My seven day average loss was 1.5 lbs from 172.3 to 170.8 lbs. My total calorie deficit for the week was 6350 cal which would indicate a 1.8 lbs loss so the actual result is pretty consistent.
Other things this week in keeping with the no processed food diet: My blood pressure is staying consistently in the normal range. Actually, it's a lot better now than when I was 17 years old. (I have also been consistent with using garlic so that might contribute also). My abdominal measurements have not really changed although they are looking more defined with a four pack showing through. I just have a persistent layer of fat over my lower stomach and lower back on the sides that I am seeking to be rid of. I fear that they might hang on and be the last to go. :-(. I'm not sure a 28 inch waist is achievable though I'll be happy with whatever it is once the fat is gone. Right now it's about 33" at the narrowest point.
So my stats for the past seven days.
Seven day average loss: 1.5 lbs
Average weight: 170.8 lbs
Average calories in: 1702
Average calories out: 2609
Average daily walking & running: 10.2 mi
Average sleep: 7:10 hrs. (This is the first time in my life I have consistently enforced enough sleep and it is making a considerable difference in how I feel everyday)
Diet notes:
My daily potassium remains at about half RDA.
Protein 124g average daily, 28%
Carbs 170g, 38%
Fat 67g, 34%
Fiber 38g
Sugar 54g (According to medical articles this is ideal)
Sodium 3155mg
I have found after three weeks of no processed carbs that I don't get sugar highs and lows. I also don't get any cravings for candy and chips like I used to. This is helping a lot with hunger. While I do still get hungry sometimes, the feeling is nothing compared to the intense feelings of a sugar low combined with a craving for a snickers bar. This is pretty easily controllable now. Also, my energy levels stay pretty level and high.
My sense of taste seems more intense now too. That may be imagined but it certainly seems real and food tastes really good.
Sapere Aude
I noticed when I was carrying more weight than I should, I wasn't always hungry when I should be and I enjoyed the flavor of food but it wasn't as exciting as it was at a lower weight. At peek weight, I was about 13 pounds over weight but dropping 30 pounds has helped. I am considering another 10 which would put me at my post transition weight but I am not in a big rush to do it.
I understand the need for your salt intake but I suspect it's playing with your water retention and causing your weight loss to fluctuate. I would suggest that you only worry about the weekly weight number as that is a long enough time period to override the water retention cycle.
Fourth week update: This week my weight rose the second day, then was stuck for several days and then did a healthy sized drop. My seven day average loss was only .3 lbs from 170.8 to 170.5 lbs. However, my ending weight, both today and yesterday, was down 2.9 lbs from seven days ago from 171.8 to 168.9. My total calorie deficit for the week was 7428 cal which would indicate a 2.1 lbs loss so the actual result is more than expected this week.
The big news is that my blood pressure is consistently good. At the endo six months ago and a year ago it was reading in excess of 150/90. I did talk them out of taking any action but the Dr. was showing concern. Now I measure blood pressure three times a day and keep a record for the Dr. In the past seven days, with 21 records, six have been greater than 120/80 with the two highest measurements at 122/77 and 115/82. The remaining 15 measurements were less than 120/80 with the two lowest at 95/76 and 117/63. All are measured while seated like in the Dr's office. I just hope when I go back to the endo in two weeks I don't get an unexpected spike! I will be taking my BP records along though.
I'm not entirely sure why it has dropped. My weight was not excess the past two visits and I have done several things at the same time to try and drop it. These include reducing sodium, increasing sleep, exercise with an emphasis on low intensity and proper recovery, eating garlic, and drinking chamomile and valerian tea. Maybe they all contribute a little.
I'm posting a collage below to show where I started on the first day of HRT in Jan 15 and where I'm at today. The first pic in the top left is not pretty (LOL) but it is what it is. The other three are from this morning. From the front I think I still have quite a lot to lose, especially on the lower belly. On the side there is still some to lose but a big part of that piece sticking out is my oblique muscle which may be there to stay. The back shows what I am really trying to get rid of, those two fat pads on each side of my lower back. I think they have been there since before puberty and are proving resistant to change so far.
I do have one question for anyone who has been on HRT long term. Can I expect my abdomen to change in any significant way with several more years of HRT? Or will it stay pretty much as is except hopefully with less fat?
So, here is the pic.
(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi50.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Ff341%2Fdebbie7571%2FMobile%2520Uploads%2F5BC9E513-D558-45F9-B9CA-1834632AB6A3_zpsycbaha0w.png&hash=3d270ea334302dbe9ebcfbe8928be131e94d8d39) (http://s50.photobucket.com/user/debbie7571/media/Mobile%20Uploads/5BC9E513-D558-45F9-B9CA-1834632AB6A3_zpsycbaha0w.png.html)
So my stats for the past seven days.
Seven day average loss: 0.3 lbs
Average weight: 170.5 lbs
Average calories in: 1803 (increase of 100 cal)
Average calories out: 2864 (increase of 255 cal)
Average daily walking & running: 12.5 mi (increase of 2.3 mi)
Average sleep: 6:38 hrs. (decrease of 27 min. I need to go to bed earlier. I try to wake up every morning at 4:00 am since the quiet darkness is my favorite time of the day)
Diet notes:
My daily potassium is at 52% RDA.
Protein 137g average daily, 30% (up)
Carbs 173g, 38% (no change)
Fat 65g, 32% (down)
Fiber 36g (down)
Sugar 48g (down)
Sodium 3344mg (A little bit up. Although this may seem low with spiro I am actually experiencing fewer episodes of lightheadedness than I was when my salt was a lot higher. Those episodes are increasingly rare.)
I have gotten pretty hungry a few times in the afternoon this week. My eating pattern is to consume about 700 cal during the day and then the rest in the evening. My will power is at its weakest in the evening and I absolutely hate going to bed hungry. So most evenings I eat 1100 to 1200 cal to keep myself happy.
Sapere Aude
Fifth week update: Things are finally moving steadily in the right direction. My seven day average loss was 2.6 lbs from 170.5 to 167.9 lbs. My ending weight this morning was down from last Sat by 0.8 lbs to 168.1 (BMI 23.5). My total calorie deficit for the week was 6795 cal which would indicate a 1.9 lbs loss so the actual loss is more or less tracking.
My blood pressure is consistently good. The highest of 21 measurements during the week was 116/80. With the exception of Thursday evening I haven't had any problems at all with lightheadedness. My morning resting heart rate is dropping to the low that it has been in the past at 39 bpm this morning.
I am seeing the beginning of a defined waistline which is my primary goal for this whole weight loss thing. I reduced a definite .5 inch this week to 32.5" and soon I will need to buy a size smaller pants. And I still have 13 lbs left until I reach my goal.
Unfortunately, everything else is shrinking too. :-(. My theory though is that if I can get rid of all the fat around my waist then later things will come back more in the correct proportions that I want. I hope it works, but we'll see.
So my stats for the past seven days.
Seven day average loss: 2.6 lbs
Average weight: 167.9 lbs
Average calories in: 1925 (increase of 122 cal)
Average calories out: 2895 (increase of 31 cal)
Average daily walking & running: 13.4 mi (increase of 0.9 mi)
Average sleep: 6:41 hrs. (Increase of 3 min)
Diet notes:
My daily potassium is at 60% RDA.
Protein 127g average daily, 26% (down)
Carbs 206g, 42% (up by 4% because I had rice with two suppers)
Fat 68g, 32% (no change)
Fiber 43g (up)
Sugar 49g (no change)
Sodium 3649mg (up)
My opening post in this thread stated that my weight loss was stuck, and it really was. As shown in the chart below that covers the past four weeks the loss didn't really start to consistently move until about the past 10 days. Before that it was mostly stuck and even showed gaining trends despite a consistent, and fairly large, daily calorie deficit. My body was acting pretty weird.
(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi50.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Ff341%2Fdebbie7571%2FMobile%2520Uploads%2F73F9F995-093E-467F-ACE3-4E9FA12117B5_zpsytecq20y.jpg&hash=a9efe5c37307fa10e0865d5021348e3ba51d0fc7) (http://s50.photobucket.com/user/debbie7571/media/Mobile%20Uploads/73F9F995-093E-467F-ACE3-4E9FA12117B5_zpsytecq20y.jpg.html)
Sapere Aude
Maybe you gained some lean mass? I mean, it's definitely possible, especially if your measurements went down but not your weight.
I think it's glycogen and water. In the past when restarting a running program I have gained up to nearly six pounds the first week or so. This time, since I was restricting carbs I may have just extended the duration of that initial gain. So it lasted for nearly three weeks instead of the usual seven to ten days.
Sapere Aude
Sixth week update: This week was hugely successful for weight loss. My seven day average loss was 2.5 lbs from 167.9 lbs to 165.4. My ending weight this morning was down from last Sat by 5 lbs to 163.1 (BMI 22.8). I had a loss every single day of the week and am now at my lowest weight since I was 16 years old. I didn't do anything differently this week but just kept at what I have been doing all along. I am drinking around 20 cups of water each day to keep from getting dehydrated. Only eight more pounds to go.
My total calorie deficit for the week was 6999 cal which would indicate a 2 lbs loss so the actual loss is greater that expected. My waistline at its smallest point was down another .5 inch to 32.
Fitness has been a big part of this effort from the beginning and that has increased drastically as well. As long as that remains on an upward curve I'm taking it as a sign that I am feeding myself adequately and not hurting myself.
So my stats for the past seven days.
Seven day average loss: 2.5 lbs
Average weight: 165.4 lbs
Average calories in: 1837 (decrease of 88 cal)
Average calories out: 2836 (decrease of 59 cal)
Average daily walking & running: 12.8 mi (decrease of 0.6 mi)
Average sleep: My sleep tracker is hiding somewhere. I need to find it. :-)
Diet notes:
My daily potassium is at 49% RDA.
Protein 128g average daily, 27% (up)
Carbs 159g, 34% (down)
Fat 80g, 39% (up)
Fiber 31g (down)
Sugar 52g (up)
Sodium 3168mg (down)
I've been having a really good streak since about Feb 22nd. I hope it keeps up for another month.
(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi50.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Ff341%2Fdebbie7571%2FMobile%2520Uploads%2F827E5CAB-C9BE-47CD-8DF8-D395217484B1_zpsss0gcmyp.jpg&hash=56e15e5d0f23a8d9cb0dc554c4a2a288b0e69949) (http://s50.photobucket.com/user/debbie7571/media/Mobile%20Uploads/827E5CAB-C9BE-47CD-8DF8-D395217484B1_zpsss0gcmyp.jpg.html)
Sapere Aude
Seventh week update: My seven day average loss was 1 lbs from 165.4 lbs to 164.4. My ending weight this morning was up from last Sat by 2.3 lbs to 165.4 (BMI 23.1). My total calorie deficit for the week was 6666 cal >:-) which would indicate a 1.9 lbs loss so the actual loss is less that expected. This is explainable.
Last week my Sat weight was down 5 pounds and this week back up by 2.3 pounds. I had been drinking lots of water so didn't think that was an issue. However, last weekend it got warm and while I was outside running I felt impending heat exhaustion the whole time. So despite all the water I drank I don't think I was retaining enough due to my low salt intake. So this week I increased my sodium by a lot.
According to my scale my body fat dropped 6.2% this week. Now it's not possible to lose that much fat, 10 lbs, in one week. However, the reading is dependent on hydration level. So I'm taking that, along with feeling better, to mean my sodium and hydration levels are much better now than 7 days ago. I'm watching my blood pressure closely and so far this is not causing it to rise. It remains consistently below 120/80.
I also allowed my carbs to drift upwards this week because I started feeling like they were not supporting my workouts. My running is up to about 24 miles per week now and while that's still a moderate amount it's a lot more than the 0 miles I was running when I started this diet. Last weekend I started feeling "dead legs" which is often a sign of low glycogen. It can also be a sign of dehydration. So the increased hydration and possibly increased glycogen storage accounts for the weight stats this week. I'm not really sure glycogen stores are increasing much though since I'm still eating at a rather extreme deficit. Depending upon how my legs feel this week I might increase my daily eating by another 200 cal. I'm one of the few people who actually like to run so not feeling burnt out while I'm doing it is important to me.
So my stats for the past seven days.
Seven day average loss: 1 lbs
Average weight: 164.4 lbs
Average calories in: 1983 (increase of 146 cal)
Average calories out: 2935 (increase of 99 cal)
Average daily walking & running: 14.5 mi (increase of 1.7 mi)
Average sleep: 6 hrs 18 min
Diet notes:
My daily potassium is at 63% RDA.
Protein 126g average daily, 25% (down)
Carbs 218g, 44% (up)
Fat 68g, 31% (down)
Fiber 41g (up)
Sugar 77g (up)
Sodium 4677mg (up from 3168mg)
Eighth week update: My seven day average loss was 1.8 lbs from 164.4 lbs to 162.6. My ending weight this morning was down from last Sat by 3.2 lbs to 162.3 (BMI 22.6). This was despite a massive diet failure last night where I ate nearly a whole jar of peanuts. ::) Overall though my body seems to have adjusted to higher carbs and sodium and losses are moving on as they should. Only seven pounds left to my goal.
My total calorie deficit for the week was 4409 cal which would indicate a 1.25 lbs loss so the actual loss is generally tracking.
I changed the setting on my body fat scale this week to female athlete setting and that is giving me measurements more in line with what I think is the truth based on the mirror test. I also have some accumeasure calipers I check with. The scale is varying between 16% and 18% and the calipers measure around 18% on the female chart or about 14% on the male chart. So, there is not much more to lose. My goal, 155 lbs, seems like it's going to be about the limit without dropping to excessively low levels of body fat. A waist much smaller than 32" does not seem possible because there is a fair amount of muscle around my abdomen that doesn't seem to atrophy at all. Plus it probably doesn't help that I've been doing lots of sit ups and other abdominal work the past month. That's ok, strong is better than weak for both fitness and overall health.
So my stats for the past seven days.Seven day average loss: 1.8 lbs
Average weight: 162.6 lbs
Average calories in: 2359 (increase of 376 cal, This is skewed a little because of Friday "eat too much." Otherwise the weekly average would have been around 2100.)
Average calories out: 2988 (increase of 53 cal,)
Average daily walking & running: 14.3 mi (decrease of .2 mi)
Average sleep: 6 hrs 18 min (No change)
Diet notes:My daily potassium is at 79% RDA (I need to watch that. The increase is mostly from a few baked potatoes I ate during the week)
Protein 145g average daily, 24% (down)
Carbs 286g, 46% (up)
Fat 83g, 30% (down)
Fiber 58g (up)
Sugar 127g (This is way up. However, it's all due to increased fruit <apples, pears, and strawberries> which is also the source of my increased carbs. None of it is from processed sugar)
Sodium 5426mg (up from 4677mg)
(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi50.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Ff341%2Fdebbie7571%2FMobile%2520Uploads%2F096543B2-7492-4068-858B-6C21CC12E230_zps3xpyahwb.jpg&hash=43c9b8e2185f3366856edc15f5c535f130645bfa) (http://s50.photobucket.com/user/debbie7571/media/Mobile%20Uploads/096543B2-7492-4068-858B-6C21CC12E230_zps3xpyahwb.jpg.html)
Ninth week update:
My seven day average loss was 1.8 lbs from 162.6 to 160.8. My ending weight Sat morning was down from last Sat by 2.3 lbs to 160 (BMI 22.3). Body fat by caliper measurement was 14.34% for 22.95 lbs fat remaining.
My total calorie deficit for the week was 5686 cal which would indicate a 1.6 lbs loss so the actual loss is tracking closely. Calories in versus calories out is working.
I posted a long post yesterday on my total progress so this one will be shorter. I have tried lately to eat a little bit more but am finding that hard without junk food. I'll probably drop the 0 fat yogurt and 2% cottage cheese and start eating the ones with higher fat. That will add a hundred calories or more.
So my stats for the past seven days.
Seven day average loss: 1.8 lbs
Average weight: 160.8 lbs
Average calories in: 2185 (decrease of 174 cal, This is due solely to not cheating massively on Fri like last week.)
Average calories out: 2997 (increase of 9 cal)
Average daily walking & running: 15.1 mi (increase of .8 mi)
Average sleep: 5 hrs 54 min (decrease of 24 min)
Diet notes:
My daily potassium is at 55% RDA
Protein 124g average daily, 23% (down)
Carbs 267g, 47% (up)
Fat 76g, 30% (no change)
Fiber 51g (down)
Sugar 112g (down)
Sodium 4135mg (down)
(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi50.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Ff341%2Fdebbie7571%2FMobile%2520Uploads%2FE6458951-8E6F-4C24-8CD8-02292AF41D5D_zps2ht8jjpr.jpg&hash=9073ad17cddc664498884b522ac43734a9fe2b72) (http://s50.photobucket.com/user/debbie7571/media/Mobile%20Uploads/E6458951-8E6F-4C24-8CD8-02292AF41D5D_zps2ht8jjpr.jpg.html)
Sapere Aude
Tenth week diet update:
My seven day average loss was 1.8 lbs from 160.8 to 159. My ending weight Sat morning was down from last Sat by 2.3 lbs to 157.7 (BMI 22). Less than three pounds to go until I reach my goal.
My total calorie deficit for the week was 4067 cal which would indicate a 1.2 lbs loss so the actual loss is greater than expected.
Since I started HRT last year I have lost 47 pounds and am feeling much better and healthier. That's a whole different than the first time I did HRT (DIY) and with a wrong mindset gained weight. From that all time high I am now down 60 pounds.
So my stats for the past seven days.
Seven day average loss: 1.8 lbs
Average weight: 159 lbs
Average calories in: 2353 (I did succumb to one day of weakness but overall I'm beginning to increase my intake. Hunger was becoming an issue and the weight is still falling off.)
Average calories out: 2934 (decrease of 63 cal)
Average daily walking & running: 14.8 mi (decrease of .3 mi)
Average sleep: Not tracked this week
Diet notes:
My daily potassium is at 97% RDA
Protein 132g average daily, 22% (down)
Carbs 322g, 52% (up)
Fat 71g, 26% (down)
Fiber 56g (up)
Sugar 135g (up)
Sodium 5012mg (up)
My increased carbs was from fruit, baked white and sweet potato, and steel cut oatmeal. My processed carbs are limited to one multi-grain sandwich thin at breakfast.
Physical fitness is progressing very well. I'm exercising in pieces throughout the day for a total of about three hours. Most of that is pretty low intensity so I'm recovering pretty well as long as I eat and sleep enough. I ran 28 miles and walked 76 miles this week. I do a headstand most days and have gotten to holding that position for five minutes. My comfortable running pace is dropping and while I've got a ways to go to get back where I once was its a whole lot better than not being able to run for even a minute like I was in January. I also started adding some yoga into the mix to see what that does.
(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi50.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Ff341%2Fdebbie7571%2FMobile%2520Uploads%2F9C637449-CBBD-433A-8DBB-9B1E885CF337_zpsysmjr7n7.jpg&hash=68e3660a38386daf6d67dd7f0601a0bf0ea63a59) (http://s50.photobucket.com/user/debbie7571/media/Mobile%20Uploads/9C637449-CBBD-433A-8DBB-9B1E885CF337_zpsysmjr7n7.jpg.html)
Sapere Aude
Hey Deborah, how has the past month gone for your weight loss? What is your end goal weight?
~Brooke~
Quote from: Brooke on May 27, 2017, 12:44:51 PM
Hey Deborah, how has the past month gone for your weight loss? What is your end goal weight?
~Brooke~
I started with a goal of 165 and right now I'm at about 158. I don't really have an end goal weight but rather a goal of losing all my abdominal fat and particularly the love handles. I'm getting pretty close there and I actually have a visible six pack. It's visible but could use a bit more definition. My guess is that I'll end up around 155. My scale is reading around 13 to 14% bodyfat now every morning so there's not much more to lose.
I'm still doing the low carb/ borderline keto and it's still working great. I have had a couple of big cheat days though. Earlier this week I was getting stomach pains late every afternoon that was only relieved by my regular diet plus a bag of Oreos, LOL. I actually lost some weight the next day. I think I may be periodically overwhelming my body's ability to make enough glucose to support my activity level which includes a six day a week six mile run, a lot of walking, and three gym sessions a week with barbell squats, deadlifts, and abs work. All of that usually feels good on the diet but once in a while my body screams for some glucose.
I've also started incorporating fermented foods for gut health and a really rich bone broth for general health. I eat only twice a day with no snacking and feel little hunger until just before supper. Even then my mind is in control of the hunger rather than the reverse which was the norm before.
Overall I feel physically great. Nothing hurts, my BP is below 120/80, my heart rate at night is regularly in the mid 40s, I recover from exercise pretty quickly, there is usually no lack of energy, my waistline is smaller than it's been since sometime before puberty, and I think my head hair is even losing what grey it had and is recovering its color, It's like discovering the secret of aging in reverse! And it's all with a T level of effectively 0. The common knowledge would say it's not possible.
I actually cannot even imagine going back to the old way of eating with all the problems that it leads to.
Conform and be dull. —James Frank Dobie, The Voice of the Coyote
Wow! Such impressive results! I definitely get the improvements on low carb/keto.
Have you ever watched any of dr. Peter Attia's talks on YouTube?
Most of his talks are about very low carb high performance.
One of his talks (longer presentation) goes over his self experimentation and when your body actually needs to use glucose. In his testing the threshold of when his body needs glucose for fuel were at a much higher threshold than expected.
YouTube playlist
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxXhrvriIeTYE4nAtywwXemSI2apvEtLR
Congrats and keep it up!
~Brooke~
I've been watching tons of YouTube videos but not those yet. I have them on my list for tonight. I have noticed a huge difference in energy usage during endurance exercise and look forward to that getting even better. I think the nature of what I'm doing with the weight requires some glycogen though. So it's just a matter of continued experimentation to find the right balance.
Maybe the videos will give me some hints. :-)
Conform and be dull. —James Frank Dobie, The Voice of the Coyote
I should also mention that I've used longer IF (19:5/daily) and occasional multi day 2-3 day water only or fat (bulletproof coffee) fasts to break plateaus.
Jason Fung has an interesting article series on what causes weight gain. I.e. He attempts (fairly successfully in my opinion) to debunk CICO as the proven way to lose weight.
https://intensivedietarymanagement.com/how-do-we-gain-weight-calories-part-1/
~Brooke~
After having done this now for three months I am more than convinced that calories in - calories out is a gross oversimplification that simply sets people up to fail. That and the American Medical Association's recommendations to eat lots of grains and low fat. How do you fatten cattle or birds for the market? You feed them lots of grains o.O!
The proof is all around us.
Eating meals swimming in fat tastes so much better anyway. And it sets a body up for health success.
Conform and be dull. —James Frank Dobie, The Voice of the Coyote
I don't know if you have thought about this much, but when this metabolism evolved, we were hunter/gathers and we lived in two different worlds. Durning the summer plants with carbohydrates were plentiful and our sweet tooth drew us to them whenever possible. During this time we would convert this into fat reserves to be used during the winter.
When winter came, food options were far more limited so we existed on what animals we could kill and sometimes depend on the fat we had stored during the summer.
Fat is about 3 times as calorie dense as sugar but the body is unable to store sugar without a bunch of water to hold it in suspension. This make fat the ideal material to hold calories during the winter however I suspect the conversion from fat to glucose is somewhat inefficient making fat calories less usable than sugar calories.
Because of this, there really isn't anything unnatural about a high fat diet as long as the correct food selection is maintained. For many people however, missing out on sweets is something they prefer not to do.
Quote from: Dena on May 27, 2017, 05:58:36 PM
I don't know if you have thought about this much, but when this metabolism evolved, we were hunter/gathers and we lived in two different worlds.
Yes. :-). That's exactly the philosophy of what I'm trying to do. Ironically though, without the grains or processed sugar I end up eating more vegetables now than I used to eat even when my calories were higher than now.
There are a couple of interesting facts about the wheat that forms a major part of the American diet.
1. The genetically modified wheat we have been eating for the past 20 years is unlike what humans ate for the previous 10,000 years. It doesn't even have the same number of chromosomes. There is more genetic similarity between a human and a chimpanzee than there is between what we now call wheat and what humans used to call wheat.
2. Even the older wheat had a deleterious effect on people. Immediately after the agricultural revolution, human size, health and lifespan declined. Many new diseases became prevalent. Some were caused by concentrating populations but many had their root in a diet foreign to what the human body evolved to eat.
3. Wheat has an effect on the brain similar to opiates in that it stimulates hunger and keeps people grazing on wheat products all day long. In addition, even the so called healthy whole wheats cause a bigger insulin spike than even sugar. Wheat is the number one cause of obesity.
4. A number of health problems that are very prevalent today respond favorably to the elimination of wheat from the diet.
Getting off wheat, and sugar, was hard. There were withdrawal symptoms. But the payoff is big. With the removal of the opiate like effect driving one to eat continuously, control of the diet is returned to a willful act rather than a compulsion to eat. Sugar cravings fade away and normal real human food begins to taste a lot better. Without the continuous insulin spikes and sugar crashes energy levels stay constantly high, even along side real hunger.
The other thing I have eliminated is processed vegetable and seed oils. The process used to make those results in a distorted fat molecule that causes us many problems including cell mutations. Real butter and other fats taste a whole lot better anyway.
There actually has been a lot of medical research on these things in recent years. It's not just a bunch of internet lore and fad diets.
Conform and be dull. —James Frank Dobie, The Voice of the Coyote
But but, I thought wheat is supposed to help us lose weight and become skinny.... it's right there on the label "Wheat Thins!"
~Brooke~
This article was in my news feed this morning. More people are starting to see the light.
https://hive.am/1c3hq
Want to Lose Weight? You Should Stop Counting Calories
"No more meal math: Eating high-quality foods—including plenty of fat—is the new golden rule of weight loss. . . .
The problem with foods that make people fat isn't that they have too many calories, says Dr. Ludwig. It's that they cause a cascade of reactions in the body that promote fat storage and make people overeat. Processed carbohydrates—foods like chips, soda, crackers, and even white rice—digest quickly into sugar and increase levels of the hormone insulin.
"Insulin is like Miracle-Gro for your fat cells," explains Dr. Ludwig. It directs cells to snap up calories in the blood and store them as fat, leaving the body feeling hungry in a hurry."
Conform and be dull. —James Frank Dobie, The Voice of the Coyote
I've had a minor diet disaster over the past couple of weeks. The bad news is some major weight fluctuation. From 155 lbs on 29 May to 168 lbs on 14 June and back to 164 lbs today. A 13 pound gain that fast has to be some kind of record! LOL.
The good news is that my bodyfat hasn't gone up and is actually lower now than the last time I used calipers to check. On Apr 30th I was 160 lbs with 15.86% bodyfat. Today I was 164 lbs with 14.67% bodyfat. That's a loss of a little over a pound of fat and a gain of five pounds of lean body mass. I thought that was supposed to be impossible on HRT with zero testosterone? I guess not!
[That brings up a point about bodyfat measurement that I wonder about. Whether it's by caliper or electrical impedance, the calculation is based upon generic male or female formulas. I'm using the female formula but I'm not convinced they really apply. I'm not sure the male ones do either after a while on HRT. I'm not terribly concerned since as long as I use the same ones it tells me if I'm losing or gaining but does anyone know the answer to this?]
Several things have contributed to this gain I think. First it has gotten a lot hotter and more humid here and since I am still running outside I may have added some weight in water with increased blood volume. Second, I have been squatting and deadlifting again for a month and those lifts are steadily improving even without T. Third, I let my diet slide a little and while it's still high quality low carb, it's a little higher carb than before. The reason is that I'm focusing on gut health and eat a fair amount of fermented and prebiotic fibrous vegetables. (I have also eaten to excess a few times, still pretty low carb though)
The last thing is kind of funny. I tried eating raw potato smoothies for a few days this week for their resistant starch. That added some nearly instant bloat and greatly slowed down the movement of food through and out of the body. I think I'm still recovering from that experiment. :-(
So, to get this back under control I have added a daily 16 hour fast, from around sundown each day. Since I am very well fat adapted now this is turning out to be surprisingly easy, even with daily exercise. I'll also have to quit doing those occasional 4000 calorie days and keep to around 2400. (One day this week was 67g net carbs, 204g protein, and 308g fat for 3874 cal). I think the fasting will help with that.
Health wise I still feel great, as if I'm aging backwards. I'm looking forward to my blood tests in Aug and expecting great things.
Conform and be dull. —James Frank Dobie, The Voice of the Coyote
Hey Deborah!
I imagine that lean mass gain may be due to the counter regulatory hormones. Laying down lean mass after a fast is a known effect.
You mentioned in another thread that the closer you get to the 16 hour mark the more uncomfortable going without food is. I would encourage you to try a 24-36 hour fast just so you can experience how hunger works during a fasted state. Hunger is not this feeling that continues to get worse and worse with no upper ceiling. In fact the longer the fast the less hungry you'll become. Also hunger isn't constant, it comes in waves, usually lasting around 30-45 min. Try riding that wave. If you're having troubles with a hunger wave, try drinking some coffee or black tea to blunt the hunger as well as give your mouth something. By the time you finish your cup of coffee you might just find your no longer hungry and ready to keep going.
PS. Have you experienced any changes with breast growth since starting your diet/lots of weight loss?
Also you might enjoy this blog series by Jason Fung on debunking the CICO model, the blog series right after dives into the hormonal changes that occur.
https://intensivedietarymanagement.com/how-do-we-gain-weight-calories-part-1/
If you ever come across anything in regards to fasting effects on estridiol let me know
Keep up the hard work!
~Brooke~
The lean mass gain is interesting because this week I did fast 16 or more hours each day but ate rather poorly on several days. That was less due to hunger than it was due to just because and not enough sleep. :-(. (Avg calories last week were 2900 with one day at 4200 . . . Still pretty low carb though). Nevertheless my weight was down by a pound and my lean mass was up by about 1/4 lb.
I was thinking about doing a 36 hour fast on Friday since that is my rest day. I may try that this week. Once a few years ago I did 72 hours just to see what it felt like. Unfortunately, I was a huge sugar burner then, and overweight, so those were 72 miserable hours. I lost 10 lbs at the 72d hour and then gained 9 lbs back by the next morning. LOL
I have read a lot of Dr. Fung's website and just finished his book, The Obesity Code, a couple of days ago. Some of his theories seem kind of "out there" but they actually seem to work in practice. So, I have become a believer. If I can eat like last week and still improve my markers there is nothing not to believe.
I've also adopted some things from some other books written by doctors that seem to be working well in parallel with the rest of it. This includes getting rid of grains along with sugar, adoption of a mostly Paleo diet, an emphasis on gut health and eating vegetables I ferment myself, and inclusion of homemade bone broth, although I add some stuff and make a really rich bone stew.
As far as breast growth, mine is ok. But It doesn't seem to be changing anymore. I'm pretty sure that my somewhat low bodyfat right now, 13.6%, is the limiting factor. At present though I'm enjoying the fitness too much to worry about it. Right now they measure 41.5" over a 36" rib cage so they haven't totally disappeared. Under a shirt they look kind of obvious, at least to me.
One thing that does seem to be working is getting my hip and waist proportions more in line with what I want. The barbell squats and deadlifts are paying off with better thighs and butt and the running and diet is keeping my waist smaller. I think it's looking pretty good with clothes on. With clothes off though my rib cage is limiting a waistline smaller than what I have now and there just isn't much fat left to lose there.
If I can find anything on fasting and estradiol I'll let you know. My next blood test is in Aug so that will give some indication. I'm also wondering if the fasting and lifting weights will raise my T. It was at zero so I have some room for it to go up some but not too much I hope.
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I get the concern with low body fat percentage. I do wonder though how much of a factor body fat percentage in breast development in the presence of a hflc diet.
Yeah. I have basically no butt to speak of. Even tight skinny jeans don't do much.
Do you mind if I ask what size you are? I still have some visceral fat and lots of extra skin around my waist that I think is interfering with the final size. Looks fine with clothes, but like melting ice cream with nothing covering it.
I actually don't know what my body fat percentage is. I'm around 135 at 5'9", not much muscle, and extra skin. Makes calipers a bad option. I actually kinda wonder what the max body fat is at bmis under 20.
~Brooke~
Right now I'm 5'11" and 162 lbs with about 140 lbs lean mass and 22 lbs fat mass. My upper body is pretty lean but my legs are big with a lot of muscle mass. I think that's largely genetic because my daughter has the same thing. She's a fitness instructor and really lean but has 23" thighs with little fat.
Right now I have size 12 jeans but they have gotten really loose. I need new ones, size 10 or maybe 8. Shirt size I have to get large to fit my shoulders. They hang loose from the shoulders down though.
I've got some extra skin but not too much. Just enough to keep things from looking tight. Like you, I'm hoping this diet approach might take some of it away.
Re: low fat breast development. Look at cis female athletes with low fat. They are normally small breasted.
I wouldn't worry about it right now. Last summer when I gained 25 lbs the fat went there first with less than usual going to my waist and a lot going to my butt and thighs, LOL. That's when the size 12 actually fit.
Body fat, even at 135 lbs, could be highly variable although I expect it's in the healthy range somewhere. A bodyfat scale could give you a ballpark estimate with electrical impedance. For really accurate results you need a dexa scan. You may be able to get one through the hospital or google a place elsewhere. I don't think they are horribly expensive.
Lastly, for building a butt you can't do better than heavy squats. That is guaranteed to work, just not instantly. It takes some work and time.
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I definitely do notice that fat is being taken and put on in different places, definitely more female patterns. One thing one breast development. I am not sure if having a low body weight/fat percentage would or would not affect the growth. I know that the more weight a girl has the more that weight is stored in the breasts. That being sad if we are talking about tanner stages I do wonder how a low body fat percentage or being in a state of consistent weight loss affects full development. Specifically I wonder if the weight would normally stunt the growth, but the counter regulatory hormones from IF would regulate it to be more normal, especially considering the HGH would be much closer to than of a cis female going through puberty than that of a typical transwoman going through her 2nd puberty.
Thanks for the advice on exercises and dexa scans!
~Brooke~
You're asking the exact questions I've been wondering about myself. Unfortunately, I fear that we are an experiment of two. I'll keep my eye out for any research that might be in some way related though.
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I'll do the same, at least we're in good company!
~Brooke~
My weight is slightly up this week which I attribute to eating breaded fish filets on Friday. Even with net carbs still below 100g and total calories that day around 2700 I magically gained nearly 2.5 lbs overnight. It was also my weekly rest day so I'm sure it all went to glycogen re-stockage. Those breaded fish filets are normally outside what I eat but I'm trying to slowly eat what's left of it in my freezer. I hate throwing away food.
Overall though my bodyfat was down another 1/2 pound. I continued fasting everyday with an average just over 17 hrs and feasted heartily every afternoon and evening to the point of being completely stuffed a few of the days.
I had to rearrange my workouts because between what I had been doing, and not sleeping enough, I was feeling really tired. So, now on alternate days I do my lower body strength training plus abs and a two mile run on one day and a six mile run on the alternate days. Then on Friday I only walk. My sleep time is better too although still short of ideal. If only I could free myself from Netflix and YouTube, LOL.
This seems to be working as my lifts are steadily improving again (on a 3x5 program) without feeling like I'm at an imminent stall all the time. My energy level is pretty constantly good too even after 18+ hours of fasting with an hour long run in the middle.
I'm continuing to be amazed at how well my body works with an evolutionarily sound diet and eating pattern. A pox on sugar and on agribusiness.
Conform and be dull. —James Frank Dobie, The Voice of the Coyote
This is interesting. Eat more eggs!
http://tinyurl.com/y9pj9p8x
"Conclusion
A CRD with daily intake of eggs decreased plasma CRP and increased plasma adiponectin compared to a CRD without eggs. These findings indicate that eggs make a significant contribution to the anti-inflammatory effects of CRD, possibly due to the presence of cholesterol, which increases HDL-C and to the antioxidant lutein which modulates certain inflammatory responses."
Conform and be dull. —James Frank Dobie, The Voice of the Coyote
You may also find this video/lecture interesting on fasting and cholesterol levels
https://youtu.be/jZu52duIqno
~Brooke~
I might need to start eating more although I already eat a lot. Normally it's around 2300 cal or so with the occasional cheat day up to around 4000 cal.
I have stayed on track with low carb, although not necessarily keto. I've also fasted 16+ hours now for 38 consecutive days. My diet is also close to perfect food selection the overwhelming majority of the time.
Over the past month my weight has gone down 1.5 lbs to 160.8. My bodyfat has decreased 2.4 percent to 11.25 percent. That is a decrease of 4 lbs of fat and an increase of 2.5 lbs of lean mass. This is all pretty good for health and athleticism, but not necessarily for feminization.
I have also begun questioning the belief that several years of HRT will decrease one's strength to typical female levels. My testosterone has been effectively zero for over a year and in female levels for nearly two years. Yet after not touching a weight since 2013 my strength is increasing faster than expected for that hormonal composition. After 7 weeks of working out my squat is back to 5 reps of 220 lbs and my deadlift is 5 reps of 285 lbs. My grip strength is stronger than even before HRT as I'm now lifting the deadlift weight bare handed without straps. So, I'm beginning to think we may have a significant advantage strength wise over CIS females even after adjusting the hormones long term. (Even before HRT I didn't really lift weights very much. It was only occasionally for a few months each time.)
Aerobically, my capacity has declined measurably with HRT. However, this decline may be partially attributable to age.
On a positive note, it is not bulking up my upper body to any significant degree. I measured my bicep this morning and it's only 10.75" unflexed and 12" flexed. Overall, I look pretty skinny and for the first time in my life have no love handles.
Conform and be dull. —James Frank Dobie, The Voice of the Coyote
Also a variable is your if which most people don't do. I wonder what would happen to a cis female in your situation when if and thus HGH and noradrenaline are introduced as these tell the body to put down lean mass.
Why are you thinking you need more calories?
I've been experimenting with calories on my own also. I actually have increased my calorie intake to close to 3k/day. Very light activity right now (foot issues/breakdown). My weight has stayed effectively the same however I did notice a big burst of breast growth over the past month since doing this. Looking like I'll be needing to purchase some new bras with a larger cup size/same band size.
I have been doing the increased calories in combo with keto (still, nothing new) and IF 19:5 or longer daily, also not new, every day now for about a year effectively making most days OMAD. There's a couple days a week where I'll go 24+ hours just because I'm busy and I still try and get one 72+ hour fast in once per month. Those extended fasts however are becoming more difficult.
Although my weight has remained stable at around 135 lbs my shape is changing, noticeably in the butt, hips and thighs, with a decrease in waist size. Over the past 2 months or so I've gone from a size 6 to a size 2.
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Quote from: Brooke on July 23, 2017, 03:34:05 PM
Why are you thinking you need more calories?
My weight has stayed effectively the same however I did notice a big burst of breast growth over the past month since doing this. Looking like I'll be needing to purchase some new bras with a larger cup size/same band size.
That's the main reason :-). I just don't want to add any back to my waist.
A secondary reason is that two weeks ago I totally ran out of energy leading to me reducing my exercise intensity last week to aid in recovery. After a massive cheat on Friday night with a whole 86% Dark Chocolate bar followed by four, maybe five, bags of M&Ms (LOL) my energy was back and workouts and diet back to normal. Amazingly, the morning after the M&Ms I only gained .3 lb and this morning that plus more was gone.
I found that with running only I could function very well with keto. Once I added the strength training though I started to fade badly unless I had more carbs. Now I'm generally eating around 80 to 100g of which at least 30g is all fiber. So, it's still pretty low but leaves me with enough energy to support my heavy workouts. I have also gotten my protein better under control so most of the time it's adequate, but not too much.
My biggest lesson learned so far is to pay attention to my body's signals and not count calories. I've been doing this long enough that I think most of the imbalances are healed and that I can trust what it's telling me it needs. Most days it says it's done at around 2200 calories but occasionally it tells me to eat more. So far, following along with what it says it needs at any given time seems to be working.
I can totally agree that I'm able to trust my body's signals. Some days my body doesn't need much and other days I'll put down 4K calories. Weirdest thing
I dunno if you've looked into keto gains or not
I have been at a plateau for a while but stable, following a fairly similar pattern as you for about a year. Ive lost 130# and about 15# from my goal weight (140, I'm 5-10, bf currently ranges 12.1-12.5). Anyways I have found that the feasting thing is what does me in. It is much better (for me!) to eat many times during the day keeping the total calories and fat in check then to feast and famine. I certainly do have fasting days but typically only see water weight loss.
Disclaimer is that I spend 45-60 minutes a day at the gym on the elliptical or similar.
I have seen an interesting trend where right before a weight loss I will actually go up slightly in weight. Very unexpected, but very consistent.
Congratulations on that huge loss :-). I've found that eating really slow during the feasting part goes a long way towards not overeating. My supper these days, whether it's the only meal or the second meal, now typically takes me over two hours to consume. I eat it in four courses starting with my bone stew, usually with kimchi, then moving on to the giant salad and vegetable course, next is the meat course, sometimes with more vegetables, and then finally dessert which is always homemade yogurt with strawberries, blueberries, walnuts, and pumpkin seeds.
If I'm still hungry after all that I have cheese, nuts, pork rinds, and dark chocolate in reserve.
The downside is that this always leaves my kitchen in a huge mess :-(.
If you are already at 12% bodyfat then another 15 lb loss may not be feasible. That will probably drop you way below a healthy fat level with less than four pounds of fat on your entire body.
Conform and be dull. —James Frank Dobie, The Voice of the Coyote
I just got my semiannual blood test results and thought it would be interesting to post my lipid values given my rather high fat and high saturated fat diet.
I'm eating low carb but not ketogenic the past few months. I've also been daily intermittent fasting for two months and lately am mostly one meal a day (a big meal).
My daily fat intake is always above 100g and ranges up to 200g. Saturated fat is always above 50g and most often above 60g.
I do cheat occasionally and eat a ton of sugar but those times are infrequent and my normal sugar intake from natural foods is around 40g.
So my results after six months of this:
Total Cholesterol - 231
HDL - 94
LDL - 126
Triglycerides - 54
The total cholesterol looks high but it's being driven by my beyond excellent HDL. So overall this diet has improved my HDL by 57% and cut my triglycerides in half. LDL is still in the normal range and is only marginally higher than last year.
High fat eating both tastes great and at least in my case (along with exercise and 20 lbs weight loss) significantly improved my blood markers.
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Blood tests are looking good Deborah. Just remember that blood tests on a low carb high fat diet while in a fasted state will move those cholesterol markers up a ton. Theoretically this is because more fat is being mobilized from your fat stores. I've tested this myself and if a doc freak lbs over me being over 200 total I will retake it in s non fasted state and my total is around 160.
Great job! Keep it up!
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The Low-Fat vs. Low-Carb Diet Debate Has a New Answer
By Alice Park @ Time
https://shrtm.nu/b761
In a study published in the Lancet, they found that people eating high quantities of carbohydrates, which are found in breads and rice, had a nearly 30% higher risk of dying during the study than people eating a low-carb diet. And people eating high-fat diets had a 23% lower chance of dying during the study's seven years of follow-up compared to people who ate less fat.
Link to the original study: https://shrtm.nu/YRS7
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
This does not surprise me given my recent blood lipid results.
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Yeah. I'd agree with that. No surprise here. My blood levels are the best they've been in my life.
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Another update. After a couple of more months I am now up to 109 consecutive days of intermittent fasting (16 or more hours a day). It's simply become my normal way of eating and at this point don't see any reason to ever stop.
My weight has stabilized at 165 and doesn't seem to change much no matter what I eat. Maybe 165 is my body's new set point? I do eat pretty healthily the majority of the time though. I have allowed my carbs to creep up some to support my workouts and as long as I don't start gaining any appreciable bellyfat I think it's ok. My daily food intake now normally ranges between 2500 and 3000 cal with the occasional day of 4000+. Today was 2800 cal, just under my Monday target.
My workout progress began to stall badly several weeks ago because my strength training had gotten to the point that I wasn't recovering enough with the running I do. My runs were also all beginning to be torturous slogs.
So last week I changed my programming to an intermediate lifting schedule rather than a beginner one to allow for some additional recovery between heavy days. One day a week is massively taxing but the others less so. So far this seems to be working and I'm feeling much better.
My strength continues to progress at a slower rate with my squat now at 235 lbs for 5 reps (15 more lbs to 1.5 x body weight) and my deadlift is at 300 lbs for 5 reps (30 more lbs to 2 x body weight). Not great but not so bad either for someone two years shy of 60 regardless of gender or hormonal state.
My running is harder to gauge because I always run tired after lifting hard but it is feeling a lot better. In the long run I'm hoping that adding strength to my legs will help recover some or all of the running ability I lost the past couple of years.
As far as my body composition I have gained about five pounds of lean mass since July and my bodyfat still is in the 11 to 12 percent range (according to my calipers). That leaves me with about 146 lbs lean mass and 19 lbs fat. So I really don't have any room left for fat loss and probably could stand to gain a little.
I'm really happy with the way things are going. With HRT and hard training my body is getting to what to me at least is a pleasing shape. I'm not really bulking up at all (except some in my thighs) while still getting stronger which meets my aesthetic goals and my athletic goals for running and especially for escaping the curse of brittle bones and feebleness.
I still weigh myself every day and check bodyfat once a week so I can catch any problems before they spiral out of control. If things start creeping up more than they should it's easy to see and fix right away.
I still find it kind of unexplainable that I can continue to gain strength and fitness with my T at undetectable levels. It seems like that is breaking some rule as all the literature suggests the opposite should be happening. Sometimes I think there is more going on inside the human body than doctors understand.
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Quote from: Deborah on October 02, 2017, 11:05:48 PM
Another update. After a couple of more months I am now up to 109 consecutive days of intermittent fasting (16 or more hours a day). It's simply become my normal way of eating and at this point don't see any reason to ever stop.
I still find it kind of unexplainable that I can continue to gain strength and fitness with my T at undetectable levels. It seems like that is breaking some rule as all the literature suggests the opposite should be happening. Sometimes I think there is more going on inside the human body than doctors understand.
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Congrats on the streak.
So the intermittent fasting can be done.
I've tried it a few days in the last 2 weeks and survived. 3 days in row I'm at now so ways to go to catch you. Haven't stepped on a scale yet to check for any results. Hardest part has been not snacking when I get home after working until 9.
You are very right about not totally understanding the body processes. Medicine in really a science based art and then throw in all the differing genetics of every individual.
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Congrats on the progress. Funny how IF simply becomes part of your regular lifestyle. I'm over a year of daily IF now. Loving it. Every meal tastes absolutely amazing. I too have noticed with time restricted feeding that it doesn't seem to matter how much or little I eat my weight remains pretty stable. I was at a stable weight of 135 pounds for about five months and just recently has my weight started to drop again, though not too quickly. I would definitely agree that your set point has changed. I would actually be quite surprised if you were to gain any amount of weight doing what you're doing. I can say that weight gain with my intermittent fasting and ketogenic diet is near impossible no matter how much I eat.
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Deborah, I'd be interested to know if you've seen any effect on serum estridiol levels since IF/in a fasted state with blood draw.
My own serum levels have always been low given my dose, but I've also been IF/in fasted state for every blood draw. No baseline to compare to.
Also any changes to breast growth since starting IF, and losing more fat/more lean gains?
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My estradiol levels were higher this last time with IF (13 hours fasted) and about 15 hours after my last dose. However, I had also increased my dosage before this last test. For reference my level previously without IF was 113 pg/ml and this time with IF it was 137.0 pg/ml. Both times my last dose was the night before the test. Testosterone remained unchanged at undetectable levels so I have since then lowered my spiro dose by 25% to see what happens.
I have not seen any change to breast growth other than keeping my bodyfat low decreases the size. Looking at past measurements I could add about an inch and a half if I gained 10 pounds. I might do that anyway as it would only raise me to about 18% bodyfat. It puts me at the top end of normal BMI though.
Right now my measurements are:
Upper Chest: 38.5 in (that is a half inch larger since I started this fitness plan)
Bust: 41.5 in (no change)
Ribcage 36 in (no change)
From 18 months ago my bodyfat is down 2% for a total fat loss of 2.25 lbs and my lean mass is up 9 lbs for a total body weight increase of about 7 lbs.
During that 18 months I had five months of fat gain (25 lbs) from laziness then about 4 months of getting back in shape without changing my diet. Then about six weeks of calorie restriction followed by about 3.5 months of Keto and then steady since the middle of June IF with generally low carb and little to no calorie restriction.
So, my fitness plan with IF so far has had neither positive nor negative effect on beast size overall. However, it has made me a lot stronger without getting any bigger, makes me feel really good most of the time, and has made me healthier overall with lower blood pressure and lower fasting blood sugar. It also gives me a lot of leeway in eating a lot without packing on abdominal fat.
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Quote from: Deborah on October 14, 2017, 11:55:46 AM
My estradiol levels were higher this last time with IF (13 hours fasted) and about 15 hours after my last dose. However, I had also increased my dosage before this last test. For reference my level previously without IF was 113 pg/ml and this time with IF it was 137.0 pg/ml. Both times my last dose was the night before the test. Testosterone remained unchanged at undetectable levels so I have since then lowered my spiro dose by 25% to see what happens.
I have not seen any change to breast growth other than keeping my bodyfat low decreases the size. Looking at past measurements I could add about an inch and a half if I gained 10 pounds. I might do that anyway as it would only raise me to about 18% bodyfat. It puts me at the top end of normal BMI though.
Right now my measurements are:
Upper Chest: 38.5 in (that is a half inch larger since I started this fitness plan)
Bust: 41.5 in (no change)
Ribcage 36 in (no change)
From 18 months ago my bodyfat is down 2% for a total fat loss of 2.25 lbs and my lean mass is up 9 lbs for a total body weight increase of about 7 lbs.
During that 18 months I had five months of fat gain (25 lbs) from laziness then about 4 months of getting back in shape without changing my diet. Then about six weeks of calorie restriction followed by about 3.5 months of Keto and then steady since the middle of June IF with generally low carb and little to no calorie restriction.
So, my fitness plan with IF so far has had neither positive nor negative effect on beast size overall. However, it has made me a lot stronger without getting any bigger, makes me feel really good most of the time, and has made me healthier overall with lower blood pressure and lower fasting blood sugar. It also gives me a lot of leeway in eating a lot without packing on abdominal fat.
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Thanks for the update and details. I'm still really quite convinced that you're hacking your body with IF and the hgh levels combined with increased norepinephrine levels is telling your body to put down lean mass when you eat, and increase your metabolism when you aren't. Very much along the lines of the bulletproof exec diet/Dave aspy who claims to have a very toned body working out only a couple hours/week. (Granted he's a cis male, but I imagine the extra time you're putting into strength training has closed the gap hormones play).
I'm on a 2x weekly patch and always get by serum level tested in the trough of my patch cycle, have been resting at around 89 pg/ml but have seen no ill affects regarding how I feel or results.
The research I was able to find in cis girls who have a low body fat percentage while going through puberty says that breast growth isn't stunted per say, just somewhat delayed i.e. The timetable for maximum breast development simply takes longer. This would make sense as not all breast development is fatty tissue, we are also dealing with glandular development.
I will also again add that I have not been able to gain weight with keto + if (or just keto for that matter) no matter how many calories I ingest. Simply seems the more I eat the more energy I have to use. Lastly due to chronic pain I am not doing much strength training, but can say that even without that I am stronger than I was before starting hrt, with a much lower bmi. Can attest to the strength gained being completely usable without bulking up.
So fascinating. I still say "more research is needed!" XD
Quote from: Brooke on October 14, 2017, 09:31:54 PM
I will also again add that I have not been able to gain weight with keto + if (or just keto for that matter) no matter how many calories I ingest. Simply seems the more I eat the more energy I have to use.
According to Dr Fung's book this is normal when insulin and the other hormones are in balance. Eat too much and your body simply ramps up its metabolism to burn it off and maintain its set weight. It also signals your brain to get up and be active.
It works the other way too. Eat too little and everything slows down. It signals your brain to be sedentary and preserve energy. That's the main reason most diets fail.
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Quote from: Deborah on May 27, 2017, 01:28:24 PM
I started with a goal of 165 and right now I'm at about 158. I don't really have an end goal weight but rather a goal of losing all my abdominal fat and particularly the love handles. I'm getting pretty close there and I actually have a visible six pack. It's visible but could use a bit more definition. My guess is that I'll end up around 155. My scale is reading around 13 to 14% bodyfat now every morning so there's not much more to lose.
I'm still doing the low carb/ borderline keto and it's still working great. I have had a couple of big cheat days though. Earlier this week I was getting stomach pains late every afternoon that was only relieved by my regular diet plus a bag of Oreos, LOL. I actually lost some weight the next day. I think I may be periodically overwhelming my body's ability to make enough glucose to support my activity level which includes a six day a week six mile run, a lot of walking, and three gym sessions a week with barbell squats, deadlifts, and abs work. All of that usually feels good on the diet but once in a while my body screams for some glucose.
I've also started incorporating fermented foods for gut health and a really rich bone broth for general health. I eat only twice a day with no snacking and feel little hunger until just before supper. Even then my mind is in control of the hunger rather than the reverse which was the norm before.
Overall I feel physically great. Nothing hurts, my BP is below 120/80, my heart rate at night is regularly in the mid 40s, I recover from exercise pretty quickly, there is usually no lack of energy, my waistline is smaller than it's been since sometime before puberty, and I think my head hair is even losing what grey it had and is recovering its color, It's like discovering the secret of aging in reverse! And it's all with a T level of effectively 0. The common knowledge would say it's not possible.
I actually cannot even imagine going back to the old way of eating with all the problems that it leads to.
Conform and be dull. —James Frank Dobie, The Voice of the Coyote
I've been wanting to do more cardio, but I got cuboid tendinitis in my right foot. I ice it at night and I was taking 800mg of ibuprofen 4x a day, but I stopped the ibu as it's hard on the stomach. Ever get that tendinitis in. Your foot?
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Quote from: Gertrude on October 30, 2017, 05:12:06 PM
I've been wanting to do more cardio, but I got cuboid tendinitis in my right foot. I ice it at night and I was taking 800mg of ibuprofen 4x a day, but I stopped the ibu as it's hard on the stomach. Ever get that tendinitis in. Your foot?
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A couple of years ago I started running way too much too soon at the same time I was transitioning myself to minimalist running shoes (very thin sole, no heel, and no support). I managed to break a metatarsal bone, get plantar fasciitis, get tendinitis in both ankles, pull my soleus muscle twice, and get tendinitis in my piriformis muscle, lower back, and shoulder. I was a walking pain machine, LOL.
This time around I am pain free because I'm building up more slowly within my own capabilities to recover. I'm still in minimalist shoes though and do all my running and walking in a pair of thin soled flat sandals.
In my experience the pain will eventually go away but it goes away much faster if you reduce the stress on that body part until it heals and gets stronger. Just like lifting weights, the foot will get stronger and be capable of much more over time.
What smart runners do when battling an injury like you have is cross train with some other cardio activity. The usual ones are the elliptical or bike. Swimming is really good if you have a place to swim.
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Quote from: Deborah on October 30, 2017, 05:33:11 PM
A couple of years ago I started running way too much too soon at the same time I was transitioning myself to minimalist running shoes (very thin sole, no heel, and no support). I managed to break a metatarsal bone, get plantar fasciitis, get tendinitis in both ankles, pull my soleus muscle twice, and get tendinitis in my piriformis muscle, lower back, and shoulder. I was a walking pain machine, LOL.
This time around I am pain free because I'm building up more slowly within my own capabilities to recover. I'm still in minimalist shoes though and do all my running and walking in a pair of thin soled flat sandals.
In my experience the pain will eventually go away but it goes away much faster if you reduce the stress on that body part until it heals and gets stronger. Just like lifting weights, the foot will get stronger and be capable of much more over time.
What smart runners do when battling an injury like you have is cross train with some other cardio activity. The usual ones are the elliptical or bike. Swimming is really good if you have a place to swim.
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I have a pool, but it's starting to cool down. The thing is I went from a new balance 969 to a 993. I think that may factor in. I put on the old shoes and it hurts a lot less.
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Quote from: Gertrude on October 31, 2017, 08:44:18 AM
I have a pool, but it's starting to cool down. The thing is I went from a new balance 969 to a 993. I think that may factor in. I put on the old shoes and it hurts a lot less.
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Other than the adjustment period of strengthening my feet, transitioning to minimalist shoes and sandals lets me run much more free of any pain or discomfort than when I used regular running shoes. That's particularly true for knee pain which I never get anymore.
The only downside of the sandals is cold toes on cold days. I got some striped toe socks to take care of that.
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The weight loss journey is still humming along and while I've been gaining some weight lately my bodyfat is still pretty low. Mostly I think the weight gain is from eating more carbs and from creatine.
But the real reason I wanted to post is because over the past several months I discovered something. My glutes had been pretty flat and the reason was that they were not activating and I had become very dependent on quads for everything. Some research revealed that this is not an uncommon problem and is caused by us sitting too much.
So I started concentrating on getting the glutes to fire and added some additional body weight exercises to isolate them and wake them up.
It's working and I think they are finally starting to respond with some growth. Even my jeans are feeling a little tighter back there. I'm also really feeling it now in my glutes and hamstrings when I squat and my quads are much less stressed than before. It had the added benefit of breaking a plateau I was hitting in increasing my squat weight.
The only downside is that they are kind of sore most of the time now. But if I can get a couple of inches in time then the soreness is a small price to pay.
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