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Date Posted: 07:42:02 07/05/02 Fri
Author: Kel
Subject: The scoop on me...
In reply to: Heather 's message, "Re: Welcome to our friendly group! I follow the Protein Power plan, and I average 40 carbs per day w/ 90g of protein. I am 5'4" and weight 143 currently so weight loss has slowed down to 1-2lbs a week, but it's consistant as long as I am." on 06:51:56 07/05/02 Fri

First, let me give you some history. Two years ago, I was told by my doctor that I needed to lose weight. I was at an all time high of 170lbs. I tried the low-cal, low-fat, low-taste thing. I actually GAINED weight while following it to the letter and working out with a personal trainer 3 times a week. Frustrated and discouraged, I gave up at that point.

Then I started hearing about the ressurection of LC, and the Atkins plan again. I remembered going on this plan when I was about 13 years old (I have been struggling with my weight all my life). I remembered it worked then, but I never really had the discipline at 13 to stick to the plan. However, at 34 years old, I thought it might be worth taking another look at.

I bought the book and started induction. I immediately lost weight to 155 and I looked really good. Then I stalled, lost 1/2lb, stalled, gained 2lbs, stalled, lost 1lb... well you get the idea. At the time of all these stalls, I was getting more and more discouraged and I would cheat every 3-4 days because I was so disgusted with the whole thing. Meanwhile the weight would fluctuate 1-3 lbs, but never go below 154. Of course I blamed myself and my cheating on the problem. I was partially correct in this, but I was also partially wrong.

While all this stalling was going on, my mother was doing a LC plan, but it was different. It is basically a carbon copy of Protein Power. This plan allowed her to have 40g of carbs per day, 90g of protein with some foods as free. So okay, meanwhile I'm stalling and cheating and stalling and cheating, etc. -- while all this is happening, I'm watching my mother steadily lose weight on her plan (1-2lbs per week), and she's not as deprived of carbs like I was. She was happier and felt healthy, unlike me who felt deprived and irritable, not to mention frustrated beyond words. Still, I just didn't see how upping my carb intake could possibly work. I mean I wouldn't even be going into ketosis, so how would I burn fat? I stuck to the Atkins plan. My mother continued to lose weight, and I continued to be frustrated.

In a last ditch effort, I asked her for a sample menu of her dang plan and said I'd try it. I tried it and viola, in 8 weeks, I had lost another 15 lbs! The darn thing works, I don't know why, but it does. The holidays came and went and I went right along with it on a 3 month eating spree. During these 3 months, I incredibly only gained 9lbs back. When I started one of our No Cheat Challenges (back then they used to run for a whole month at a time), I lost 7 of these, and then finals week came and I went on another stress-induced eating spree. I'm working on changing the reasons I eat. I mostly eat things as an anesthetic for dealing with life's stressors because I never really developed the coping mechanism most people have for dealing with stressful situations, so I eat instead. Knowing this now, has helped me stop eating so much and so often because I can identify a stress-trigger and try to distract myself from it (most of the time lol).

Ok, back to Protein Power, as someone who has been on both plans, I can tell you that I find this 40g carb per day program a lot more easier to stick to; I also see a pretty steady weight loss (not every single day, but at least once or twice per week). I think the Atkins plan encourages your body to hang onto whatever it has, while I think a 40g carb per day regimen is sensible and healthy (not to mention there is more variety so you don't get so bored so quickly). On most days, I end up having 120-140g of protein, where I'm really only supposed to have 90g., but it keeps working so as long as it does, I'm going to stay on it.

Of course, I realize your individual situation may be different than mine, and that one plan may not work for someone as well as it works for me. I'm just sharing with you what my strategy is since you inquired about it. Most of the people on this board follow the Atkins plan and have a good amount of success on it also. Actually, the Atkins OWL phase isn't much different than Protein Power, but I find that his discription of it in his book is too vague and ambiguous. He's like "increase your carb intake by 5g every so often until you find the point where you stop losing." Well how do you know whether you've stopped losing or if you are just on a plateau?

Increasing calories doesn't work for me because multiplying my weight by 12 calories per pound is roughly 1700 calories a day, and I have a hard time staying within that range. Protein is so dense with calories, that even a small amount can give you hundreds of the little buggers. I find when I increase my calories, it puts me out of the "weight-loss range" and I stall. But Sherry is right, if you have a lot of weight to lose, then you need to make sure you're getting enough calories. I've just never had a problem doing that lol... Also, you MUST factor-in your activity! It only makes sense. If you lead a sedentary lifestyle, then you are needing a lot less food to maintain your body weight and even less than that to lose. If you are active and working out often, (like I don't lol), then you understandably need more. Hope this helps! You sound like you are on the right track... Kel

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