Starting stats

I'm 5'3", should weigh 127/128. I've never had issues with my weight before but was on hormone medication for about a year and it busted my metabolism. Started Thursday at 157, currently at 153, hoping to hit my goal weight by mid-June.

That's a good start MissGrey! Keep your motivation and you'll achieve it for mid-june!

Well I've lost another pound! Currently at 152. I had a weird blip a few days ago - gained two pounds overnight, then lost them the next morning. I suspect this was from sodium intake as I ate more deli ham than usual that day. Other than that blip, it's been very predictable - 1 pound gone every morning.

And I never really did Attack - we've done a modified plan where it's protein all day, then a few low-GI veg with dinner. We've even had some wine, though I want to stop that to get even more progress. I think the key thing for us was to cut the carbs and fat. Feeling lean and energetic today, woo hoo!

No change in weight today. I think that the few times a week we eat grass-fed organic buffalo rather than fish for dinner...makes a difference. We also had broccoli last night rather than lettuce for the first time, so I'm going to chalk this up to water retention and hope I see 2 pounds gone tomorrow morning - I had really hoped to be in the 140s by now...

*pom poms all around, let's go team Dukan!*

Well poo.

Sodium is not my friend. The only thing I did differently yesterday was eat more sodium than usual...I gained almost two pounds! Assuming this is water retention and it'll go away if I avoid the salt today, but I am bummed out.

So learn from me! Keep it low sodium!

Hey all,

So I've been losing and gaining the same 2-3 pounds for the last week or so. I did some research on water retention and thyroid disease, and learned a lot. Thyroid patients have a serious problem with water retention, partly from hormone imbalance, but also from electrolyte deficiencies. Specifically, potassium deficiency. If you don't have enough potassium, your body can't get rid of excess sodium - you can have excess sodium even if you are religiously following a strict low sodium diet! Many of the sites I looked at suggested:

• eating 1-2 bananas a day (I know this is against Dukan, but if it will help you lose retained water, I say it's worthwhile - put one in an AM protein shake so the sugars are gone by nighttime)
• drinking electrolyte-enhanced water
• acorn squash has a huge amount of potassium
• obviously, eating low sodium
• exercise and drinking water help to regulate potassium levels

I'm applying these principles from now on and will report back if the scale starts to budge.

We also got a couple of these:http://www.bodymedia.com/ and WOW, they are eye-opening! It's definitely helping me understand the calories burned vs. calories eaten ratio. Highly recommended if you can spring for the price.

OK, it seems to be working! Dropped literally 4 pounds overnight. Literally overnight. What I have been doing differently:
• 1 banana in a protein shake every morning
• roasted acorn squash for afternoon snack
• otherwise, protein only all day, 1 or 2 low GI veg with dinner (lettuce, cukes, leeks, celery, red pepper)
• drinking a TON of electrolyte water
• Upping my doses of multivitamin and supplements with zinc, cal-mag, and omega-3 oils
• more cardio

I'm feeling pretty optimistic...hope everyone else is having good luck!

Well done! .

Sounds like things are going very well for you-you are well on your way to achieving your goal weight in June.

Till next time, stay focused and keep the faith .

Thanks Nico,

It's very slow going for me because of the thyroid and hormone imbalance. Those 3 pounds I lost yesterday? Came right back again this morning.

And I am actually wearing one of these: http://www.bodymedia.com/ and faithfully logging my food intake, so I know for a FACT that I have between 1000-1500 calorie deficit every single day. I'm eating over 50% protein, all carbs come from low GI veg (and the galette of course), working out 2-3 times a day, drinking 3+ liters of water, and trying to get enough sleep. So I know it's not anything I am doing wrong, just medically-caused severe water retention.

I'm going to just focus on health and fitness, and try not to dwell on that $#%@^ number on the scale. It just doesn't seem to be an accurate reflection of the work I am putting in.

*bummed out*

Miss Grey,

I am sorry things are not going as well, as before. Sometimes our weight remains the same but we lose inches so are you keeping a record of what your waist, hips etc measurements are? If you do have difficulties with a hormonal imbalance and water retention then it would be far slower before you see results. I have also found that when it seems that weight is not shifting, one day I wake up and I have mysteriously dropped a few pounds.

Weigh yourself every few days or even once a week instead of daily and perhaps that would make it less stressful and it will be easier to concentrate on your eating regime verses the pressure of wanting to see results daily. Either way, continue to do what you are doing, move forward and I am sure that things will begin to improve and your weight will drop.

You can do it! .

N

Thanks Nico,

Before the thyroid issue, I had no problem dropping about a pound a day when I would diet. Now, it's literally been every other day +3 pounds, every other day -3 pounds. Kind of ridiculous really.

I did a lot of reading yesterday and apparently a common effect of thyroid disease is 30 pounds of extra weight, mostly from water retention. A gallon of water weighs ten pounds, and several doctors specifically mentioned "several gallons" of water retention in thyroid patients. I'm pretty certain that's what's going on with me...my measurements haven't really changed and my clothes fit the same way, maybe even a little tighter...but everyone around me keeps commenting that I look great and must have lost a lot of weight!

Like I said, I'm going to stick with the eating plan - mostly PP/PV, with a banana in the AM for potassium - and working out as much as possible, and try not to focus on the numbers. I suspect that once I figure out how to release all this water weight I should shed at least 10 pounds overnight...I'll keep you all posted when that happens!

I am sure it must be frustrating for you .

It sounds as though you are on top of trying to figure it all out but I understand completely that this must be difficult and annoying. Even though you seem to not be going anywhere with the weight loss the most important thing is that you have not given up and you are moving forward, regardless. You should be proud of yourself for sticking to it-good on you !

I hope you find the right formula to shed the rest of the weight. You may have to be patient for a wee while longer, but I am sure you will get there. Stay focused, you're doing great .

N

Nico, you have been so sweet and encouraging. Thanks for that.

It has indeed been incredibly frustrating. I'm making an appointment today to go see an endocrinologist. Maybe she can make sense of this craziness. Until then, I'll just keep plugging away with 2-3X daily exercise and protein/veg (plus that all-important AM banana) eating as I have been doing. In spite of not losing a single freaking pound, everyone says I look great and am shrinking. Even *I* think I look smaller and tighter, and I am always my own hardest critic. So that's encouraging!

Also, my copy of the Dukan book came yesterday, so I am looking forward to playing with a lot more recipes. Not that I am getting bored of our morning galette with smoked salmon, but dinners have become a little repetitive...

MissGrey,

Hang in there, you WILL get there eventually and figure this all out . The most important thing for now is belief in yourself, trying to stay focused and not giving up. What this experience has taught you is that despite the odds you still have the drive to keep going and that is a testament to you! As in all things, we have our ups and downs and even when we want to give up and say "Crap, I can't do this anymore", remember that you have come so very far already and a little more time won't hurt, so stay on the journey and keep going.

Remember, truth/knowledge grows out of dark moments and when you find the answers and figure it all out, you will be even more proud of yourself for sticking to this new eating plan. I have faith in you so have faith in yourself .

N

On the plus side....

We go to a fitness boot camp every weekday morning. The first and last Friday of the month, we do a "fitness assessment" to see if we're making progress. It consists of
• running a mile
• 40 bicycle crunches
• 30 pushups
• 20 jump split lunges
• 10 burpees (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burpee_(exercise))

I shaved almost 2 minutes off my time this month, going from 10:24 to 8:42! I guess those 5 mile runs we do every night are paying off. I definitely *look* and *feel* different. But my weight is just sitting there, and my clothes fit the same as ever. Ah well. :/

Thanks as always for the support. And now, time to go have some no-salt turkey breast!

You might be getting more muscles if you run 5 miles everyday - muscle being heavier than fat might make you appear not to lose weight but as you say, you are feeling and looking better - so that's the most important thing....

Andrew wrote:You might be getting more muscles if you run 5 miles everyday - muscle being heavier than fat might make you appear not to lose weight but as you say, you are feeling and looking better - so that's the most important thing....

That's been suggested to me more times than you can imagine, Andrew, but according to my BIA scale, I am 34.6% fat. Hypothyroidism makes it extremely difficult to lose weight no matter how diligent one is. I am looking and feeling better, true. But fat and muscle are two different types of tissue. I may be gaining muscle, but I'm not losing the fat.

I'm trying not to focus on the numbers on the scale, and instead be glad that I can now jog/run several miles without needing to stop for air.