A journey of a 1000 stairs...

[Lena Llanasolion]

March Update

• Number of Stairs as of this evening: 218 flights 
• Weight as of this last weekend: 187.01 lbs ( -4.39 lbs )
• Body Fat as of this last weekend: 42.1 % ( -2% )
• Measurements: - 5.7 inches

Scientist in me rejected the Dr. Poon diet as a pile of bull crap - despite the success.  WHY?  There's so much more evidence of LCHF diets being successful.  I received the next Phase and it makes zip-all scientific sense to me.  I made mention of this to the physio during my last session and he suggested I check out the Diet Doctor.  My response was "Diet Doctor".. yeah sure whatever. But when I went home and googled I found my dreams had come true.  Here was wholesome eating LCHF diet backed by all the scientific data I could possibly want or need.  The physio had pointed out that Ph2 of Poon diet allows legumes back into the diet... and he saw that as a red flag.  For me, the red flag was allowing some fruits but not others and pushing all these artificially created Frankenstein foods that had no rhyme or reason.  Having once been off wheat before and knowing what I could use as alternatives in recipes - I didn't see how adding back these carbs to my diet would benefit me.  Second piece of advice the physio gave me was that he'd seen the best results on people who had gone long term in Phase 1.

 

So Phase 1 - Ketogenic diet - GOOD.  Dr. Poon does lay it out in a way that you don't need to figure it out yourself.  His instructions are a great way of getting into fat burning keto mode.  If it weren't for their recommended shakes that actually tasted good as an alternative for sugar cravings, I would NEVER have made it.  So I agree, Phase 1 Poon is GOOD.  But avoid the Frankenstein foods as much as possible.

 

Phase >1 - Bullshit.

 

So.. I confirmed some of the portion size recommendations from the Poon diet Phase 2, and I researched some of the other stuff.  Allowed max 1 dose of fruit/day while watching the sugars.  Treat it like candy. Savor it. Second note is that I only used the oils listed to cook/flavor things during Phase 1.  These oils aren't allowed in the Poon diet - well sesame and olive are but the others aren't.  I ignored the diet and used them sparingly since I can't bring myself to use their recommended margarine or other oils.  

 

LCHF means that oils are free game.  The nuts should be limited still based on desire for weight loss.  Daily carb input (minus fibre) should still be under 20g.  My Fitness Pal is a helpful tool for when I'm adding some of the more carb heavy items to my diet.  Have to learn to ignore thinking in terms of calories though.  Idea here is to only watch the carbs to make sure I'm not going over and to eat everything else when hungry.  Either way My Fitness Pal is notoriously variable depending on how the food was added - playing around helps some but I never know if the meat I've cooked is the same or different given my unique cooking style.  So I accept that there could be some variance here.

 

I still need to take the multivitamins etc since I don't want to get scurvy.  The following is more manageable in the week to week and I'll refer heavily on the Diet Doctor for the remainder.  

 

Kiwi should be 1/2 kiwi since it's 12 g sugar for one.  But you get the picture.

 

Soon after I put this together I sunk myself into a bunch of Diet Doctor videos.  Helped justify choices.  Looking at carb and sugar contents... also helps me to figure out how proportioned can I consume the what.  Previously, I'd just eat the whole thing thinking e.g. buckwheat's an alt to wheat.. so let's just add a cup of it.  Looking at the carbs and limiting them.. helps me to ration my portion sizes to be more helpful to weight loss.

 

I also invested (finally) in that Fitbit Aria scale.  The Diet Doctor has a good argument for keeping an eye on the average weight and catching quickly when there's a gradual increase in weight due to food or activity so that you can self adjust your diet.  They admit the scale fluctuates depending on time of day and all the possible things like hydration and shark week.  So understanding what your baseline weight is and putting in measures to capture warning signs helps to maintain in the long run.  Otherwise, if I weigh myself every 2 weeks, I could have a bad habit for 1 week or more longer than I expected. 

 

So good times. Feel good.  Happy on this plain.  I'm hesitant to go out of keto mode because it's such a challenge to get here.  I look at bread and don't want it.

 

[Lena Llanasolion]

Motivation isn't the word. Impatience is the correct word.  Impatience to see the pounds shedding off.

 

I invested in the Aria scales.  This morning, I was the lowest I've been since the start.  I'm hoping it will be a good aid for when I get to maintenance and a helper with respect to understanding weight fluctuations during the day/week.

 

I need a break from work and kids but its too cold outside for a walk.  I'm taking my older to class tonight - so will go to a mall or something. Generally feeling tired and lethargic.  Then again, it is Shark week.

[Lena Llanasolion]

Plateau... 3 weeks and my Fitbit is telling me that my weight is staying constant.  It's also saying that my fat% is decreasing.  Spent 24 hours slightly obsessing about the whys.  

 

Eat when hungry - not when full.

 

This last week/weekend, I can see that I've eaten more than my fill.  Mainly because I'm eating out and missed my Saturday workout.  So need to be more cautious about eating only when hungry and not eating when I'm not hungry.  

 

Drinking calories is dangerous - adding cream to milk for example.  Artificial sweeteners... could also be a deterrent.  Though I'm only taking those in with a shake.  Drinking enough water is also a challenge on weekends.  

 

----

 

I also reassessed my goals.  Instead of 20 lbs to go, realistically I think its more like 40 lbs to go.  But 20 lbs gone.

 

Quote

 

If tired, sleep.

If hungry, eat.  

If bored, work.  

If restless, workout. 

If stressed, be mindful.

- Dilla

 

 

[Lena Llanasolion]

 DEMON SATIETIE: Misleading self-satisfaction.

 

This demon leaves you satisfied but are you?  You think that you're doing all the things right.  But you may eat a little more here and rest a little bit there.. and in directly, you end up sitting like a lump binge watching Netflix.  Sleep creeps up and you go to bed later and later.  You think that you're doing all the things right but in fact you're doing all the things wrong. 

 

Solution: 

[lynneta]

7 minutes ago, Lena Llanasolion said:

Plateau... 3 weeks and my Fitbit is telling me that my weight is staying constant.  It's also saying that my fat% is decreasing.  Spent 24 hours slightly obsessing about the whys.  

 

Eat when hungry - not when full.

 

This last week/weekend, I can see that I've eaten more than my fill.  Mainly because I'm eating out and missed my Saturday workout.  So need to be more cautious about eating only when hungry and not eating when I'm not hungry.  

 

Drinking calories is dangerous - adding cream to milk for example.  Artificial sweeteners... could also be a deterrent.  Though I'm only taking those in with a shake.  Drinking enough water is also a challenge on weekends.  

 

----

 

I also reassessed my goals.  Instead of 20 lbs to go, realistically I think its more like 40 lbs to go.  But 20 lbs gone.

 

 

 

I eat.until.im comfortable.you have a great plan.I.also work.on 10k on my fitbit.your doing great.remember it's about progress.not perfection.I have about 30some pounds to go.we're in this together 

[Lena Llanasolion]

Thank you @lynneta!

[Lena Llanasolion]

So it's been a week or so.  My weight plateaued out in lieue of Shark Week.  I've been doing a lot of reading about the mad carb cravings and mood swings.  It wasn't that bad. But worse than my usual daily calm.  In the last week, I upped my carb intake to be more flexible chomping on popcorn on the weekend and introducing a bowl of oatmeal yesterday.  I then read up on carb up'ing.  There are SO FEW articles out there that are addressed to women.  Women ARE different than men.  We don't have the testosterone advantage when it comes to building muscle and that monthly shark week really does give a kick in the hiney.  

 

AFTER I upped my carbs as my body was telling me to do - shark week became way more fun.  Warning - going to talk periods here.  

 

Having had a history of acupuncture and tracking the color/how heavy/ and the number of days of when shark week hits - the last six months or so have seen my period go extremely light and spread out over a period of time twice as long as what I would consider a norm.  I'm like clockwork and every 28 days that shark knocks on my door.  But since starting a low calorie/low carb type diet - it's been knocking on my door and playing games with me. I answer the door and no one's home.. a couple of days pass.. and knock knock.  It's very much like trying to hear a 5 year old tell a knock knock joke.. GET TO THE PUNCH LINE SO THIS INSANITY WILL END!!!

 

So having been pregnant twice.. and being the obsessive compulsive sort who listens to her cravings - I figure there has got to be SOMETHING that is pushing my body to want more carbs around this time of the month.  So lets eat them.  I also decided to take a week off from the workouts.  I'll be traveling over the next few days and the last time I took a diet/workout break was two months ago.

 

Knock knock this morning and I'm hit with a waterfall of bright crimson.  Success.

 

Next time around when the cravings hit, I'll opt for the sweet potatoes, potatoes, and root veggies and just add them to my evening meal as recommended by Healthful pursuit.  Its way better than completely falling off the wagon and feeling bad.  To also be honest, although I went over my calculated limits with respect to carbs - I was still under calories when I added everything up on My Fitness Pal.  I was very surprised by this! Listening to when you're hungry and when you're not.. and doing things in moderation is key.  So I'm getting it right I hope.  Eat when hungry - stop when full.

 

My weight's down 1 lb (new low) this morning and I slept like a baby last night. 

 

Re: the attached videos --- she talks TOO much and pushes her other links too often.  I'd rather if she just focused on giving the helpful information BUT as a resource, I did find the opinion pieces valuable.

 

 

 

 

In contrast here's another video blogger who's also very long winded and too in love with her own form.  She talks about pushing through the difficulty and that everything will normalize out in the end.  I find it very extreme.  At the end of the day, you have to walk the path you feel is yours. No one else is in your shoes.  

 

 

 

 

So victory points for being calm and collected and still on the LC journey.  182 lbs and dropping.

[Lena Llanasolion]

End of March Update

• Number of Stairs as of this evening: From 218 to 261
• Weight as of this morning: From 187.01 lbs to 182 lbs (-5lbs)
• Body Fat as of this last weekend: From 42.1 % to 40% (-2%)
• Measurements: - 3 inches

[Lena Llanasolion]

• Number of Stairs: 271 (up 10 as of this morning)
• Weight as of this morning: From 182 lbs to 181.3 lbs (-0.7 lbs)
• Body Fat: 39.4 % (-0.6%)
• Measurements: More or less the same.

My weight has more or less stayed the same hovering around 185... or 183.  My carb intake is regular at this point. I probably am hitting 100g carbs but mainly non-wheat and no sugar.  The weight is still trending downwards so I think I am in the happy place where I have loads of energy and can do all the things.  I recognize the need for some carbs also for normalcy in life and low stress.  Diet should match the person and withholding too much is painful.  Having a bad cold, I'd like to take in more fruits but keeping it mainly to taking daily vitamins.

[Lena Llanasolion]

• Number of stairs: 358
• Weight as of this morning: 181 lbs (no change)
• Body Fat: 39%
• Measurements: 241 (no change)

I've been running on 'maintenance' during the weekends.  Have been finding it near impossible to keep away from a bit of carb here and a bit of carb there.  I'm of two minds.  One mind wants me to go back to normal eating for a time. The other mind wants to stick with the supposed diet and lose as much weight as possible. 

 

The scientist in me, the geek, is shouting that the diet is not sustainable.  Need to be maintenance for awhile before seeing another major drop.  The soon-to-be-40 person in me is shouting that she wants to be back down another 5lbs before hitting maintenance.  Just so I can say I've returned to my pre-babies 'norm'.  The spiritual side of me is saying that i need to have a time of peace and healing.  Enough with being unkind or unrealistic in my body and relationships.  

 

A major change since I last checked in - I had an overwhelming urge to get the IUD out.  Part of my mentality was that it is the reason for at least 6-10lbs of extra weight.  Inflammation being my enemy, a continuously inflamed womb is inflammation no matter the payoffs of a spermicidal environment.  It translates to some part of my psyche responding to a fire.  

 

Then there was the few days where I seriously reconsidered whether to stay or leave my job.  The upswing of my marital relationship that has been a work on its own on account of reconnecting with my spouse after many years with clouded stress judgement on both our parts.  

 

So April has seen the clearing of the path. Spring cleaning so to speak.  So now, feels like the time to get the juices flowing, April showers bring May flowers.   Time to up the exercise anti and concentrate on strength training and less on the losing of the actual weight.  

 

I had a fasting blood test done and will be finding out the results on Saturday.  If everything looks good - I want to quit with the Poon clinic once and for all.  I don't think they are actually helpful in the larger scheme of things.  Like checking in to a parole officer more like when I never committed a single crime.  

 

Self discovery is key here. Making sure I'm in the driver's seat.  Like with breastfeeding.. I could only last 4 months. Maybe I could push it to 6 months.  But I don't think that in the longer term that strict adherence to a strict diet is realistic.  Loose adherence to the same diet is more realistic.

[Lena Llanasolion]

• Number of stairs: 383 (+25)
• Weight as of this morning: 181 lbs (no change)
• Body Fat: 39% (no change)
• Measurements: 240.25 (-0.85 )

 

Wowsa, it's been painful recently.  If I look at my progress I feel like I was at 185 or thereabouts for a period of 2 months.  Now I feel like i've been at 183 or thereabouts for 2 months.  Now at 180.  I touched down at 179 for a morning and then it went back up.  I reassessed my strategy.

 

- Was I starving myself in an attempt to reach the LCHF ideal?

- Did I feel energized and strong like i was aiming to be or was I trying to do all the things just to lose the weight?

- Am I irritable?

- How are my stress levels?

- Do I feel repressed?

 

Oh dear God.  Wrong path. Back up back up.  Excited and grateful for the gains but this is not the path for me.

 

I revised my diet plan to be more of a moderate carb, moderate fat diet.  

 

Translation: under 100g carbs allowed and still minimize sugar intake.  However, ease up on all the other things and get back on myfitnesspal to track what I'm eating.

 

Really hard one - don't go extreme.  

 

So instead of a 500 cal deficit (or 1000 cal deficit as I was playing into on LCHF) - try to stay within the ballpark and keep it a 250-300 calorie deficit.  Talk about hard - I suspect I was eating myself into an eating disorder.  I do not have a history of eating disorders!!!

 

Who knew? 3 good fatty meals a day and I can keep my calorie count reasonable.  Add to that vegetables and the occasional home made bran muffin and I'm good.

 

What does this give me?

 

- I'm frickin' full all the time and not reaching for the snacks

- ENERGY to get myself strong

- Less irritable, more calm - is a good thing

- More calm = less stress

- I feel like I'm within my dietary limits and doing this for me

 

---- BUT am I seeing gains?

 

Not yet - but I'm not gaining weight either.

 

Part 2.

 

Change up my workout routine.  Dropped the NF levels.. instead - started from square one using the workouts offered up by The New Rules of Lifting for Women: Lift Like a Man, Look Like a Goddess.  They're tough. I needed a challenge but the level 5 stuff I was doing for NF was too challenging given that I had sprained both ankles and taken a few weeks to recover and then level 1 too easy.  This felt just right - and I'm ready.  NF got me most of the way there.

 

I feel LAZY.  Energy still isn't there yet and definitely feel like my recovery time needs to be a bit higher at the beginning as I work myself into a new routine.  Add to that it being beautiful summery weather outside and I reduced my number of workouts per week from 3 to 2 to account for needing that recovery time.  What I hope to do is to make up for it by upping my cardio or other things that I would naturally do in the summer - e.g. mowing the lawn is a work out!

 

Part 3.

 

Went back to acupuncture this time for weight loss.  

 

I give it 4 weeks and will review my choices.  Worst case my weight stays the same and I just maintain from here out.  Best case, I see a drop in weight a gain in strength and feel  motivated to keep going!

[Lena Llanasolion]

• Number of stairs: 403 (+20)
• Weight as of this morning: 181 lbs (no change)
• Body Fat: 39% (no change)
• Measurements: 240.25 (Previous)

 

STRESS RELIEF!  This week has been quite the adventure.  First of all, my husband was off to a work retreat for a week including Victoria Day weekend and Memorial Day weekend.  This left me alone with both kids.  At first I was a bit anxious.  Then I was a lot.

 

I managed well every single day.  The kids were happy, well rested, fed, arrived to appointments and classes on time.  But internally, my sleep was a bit turbulent and I would lie awake at night worried about all the things that would and could go wrong.  There is a benefit from planning in advance - that is to say - you already anticipate what can go wrong so you have planned yourself and steadied yourself to manage everything.

 

I'm reminded of a quote "You can do Anything but not Everything."  So I left dishes unwashed for the babysitter who comes in the morning.  I figured out what was worth pursuing and what wasn't.  I submitted to the early morning 5AM wake up call.  

 

... And then I remembered ...

 

I am a morning person.  I love this shit.  I love my kids.  I find them incredibly interesting.  I like walking my dogs.  I also like planning meals and getting places early.

 

Wow, remove a husband and gain a self.

 

Now - I shouldn't cloud anyone reading this with a judgement on dear husband.  He's a wonderful guy and he takes on his own lion's share of everything.  I couldn't be happier with a capable individual that he is.

 

But we - he and I - have different ways of doing things and going about things.  Some of that is acceptance and letting go and some of it requires thought and debate.  often times I will be reacting to his reaction.  What was lovely and missing this week was the spice he adds to my life.

 

I could only wish that every moment be a positive one instead of negative.  So a quest to pursue in the coming weeks is how to achieve that. Tame the beast so to speak.

 

---

 

As for the anxiety - I dropped working out from my tasks - but have been collecting more steps than usual.  I also eased up on the diet but researched to find be best combination to pursue the Keto Calculator is most helpful in this.  I aimed at the goal of going to bed at the right time to adjust for the early waking.  This meant less time for doing things in the evenings BUT I had better peace of mind at the end of the day that I had stuck with those simple goals.

 

I am happy.  Weight is on the low end of the stagnant spectrum (181-183).  Been reading Dr. Jason Fung's The Obesity Code.  Helps tremendously with the obsessive woes.  I'm still at 181... but happy to be at 181 and not rising.  If I can't lose the weight, at least I'm maintaining it.

[Lena Llanasolion]

• Number of stairs: 423 (+20)
• Weight as of this morning: 180 lbs (- 1lb)
• Body Fat: 39-40% (no change)
• Measurements: 241 (+0.75)

Book I'm reading: Lose Weight Here: The Metabolic Secret to Target Stubborn Fat and Fix Your Problem Areas By Drs. Jade Teta and Keoni Teta Founders of Metabolic Effect

 

This book is in sync with dietdoctor.com and The Obesity Code.  It continues the song for calming down the stress hormones.  Eat Less and Exercise Less, incorporate 3 Rest and Relaxation activities into the weekly routines.  In combination with intermittent fasting eat 3 meals per day where 2 meals are protein and veg and only 1 meal contains fat and/or starch in moderation.  

 

Monitor the following and edit diet/activities to keep them in check.

 

Sleep: 8 - the sleep I get is good and I feel rested

Hunger: 8 - too full lately

Mood: 9 - cloud 9

Energy: 9 - high

Cravings: 9 - none

 

So I'm doing it right so far. 

 

I've also started practicing my daily gratitude, recording my rest & relaxation activities, and making sure I'm eating enough food.  

[Lena Llanasolion]

• Number of stairs: 423 (no change)
• Weight as of this morning: 182.7 lbs (+ 2.7lb)
• Body Fat: 39-40% (no change)
• Measurements: 241 (Previous, no update)

R&R and targeting the metabolic system.  I have been all about R&R lately.  I walk a lot but am more focused on walking slowly.  My goal is stress reduction.  I attended a Buddhist conference this last weekend which included much meditation. Return to my former thing self.  Return to a compassionate and more thoughtful self.  Practice self-compassion.  

 

I'm continuing my practice of daily gratitude.  This last weekend on account of the conference I was not watching what I was consuming.  Most weekday mornings I fast in the morning and have a bone broth, cup of tea, and various vitamins.  Then I have a pretty filling lunch and dinner. I'm very mindful of cravings and fulfilling them.

 

This last weekend because of the conference I indulged my sweet tooth a bit.  I also missed drinking as much water as i normally do when seated at my desk.  I also had shark week.  All these things can be reasons for a slight weight gain.

 

I would really very much like my weight to drop again but I think I have reached a kind of happy balance.  On Trendweight, I can see that my lean mass has been steadily increasing and my fat % dropping.  Both these numbers are in relation to the fitbit Aria scale which has questionable accuracy.  That said, I go to my acupuncturist's office once a week and can see a comparative number.  

 

I'm determined to live out the rest of the summer in this manner.  A happy balance between food, walking, and reduced stress.  In the fall, I will take up the weights again and potentially a stricter diet.  

[Lena Llanasolion]

Continues here: