On top of the world!

I have had a fantastic week so far.

• On Monday, I organized a field trip for our homeschool group. When I got dressed in my skinnier jeans and a clinging sweater, even I thought, "Wow." No delusions, I could see a difference. When my husband saw me (he met us at the museum) he said, "Oh my gosh I hadn't seen you wearing anything like that yet. You look so good." And he grabbed my butt. :)
  
  
• One of the moms who participated in the field trip was my first real friend when we moved to this area ten years ago. We've since moved into a different house further away from her and I don't see her very often anymore, though we always have a great chat when we do see one another. While I was walking around making sure everyone had arrived, this friend pulled my husband aside and said, "Every time I see Alyson, she gets more gorgeous. She looks better, every time I see her."
  
  
• Yesterday all eight of us stopped by my husband's office when we were passing by. We're almost never passing by, and if we are usually we're headed somewhere urgently; yesterday we had time so I said, "Let's go see Dad!" One of his coworkers, whom I hadn't seen in several months said, "You're looking good. All that healthy living is treating you right."
  
  
• Last night while he was holding me in bed B said, "You even feel smaller."

Now, the compliments from my husband meant the most, because he's the one I want to look good for.

But the other two comments were pretty mood-lifting too. They weren't about weight loss. Who knows but what my own confidence, inspired by the nine pounds I've dropped, was sufficient to make me look different to both of them? But I can't help being thrilled with positive feedback like that.

And it has helped me stay on track a bit this week. The Thanksgiving feasting is already starting to trickle in—special treats here, little get-togethers there, taking the kids and eating out because we're on break—and because I know that in some way my efforts are already visible, I want to be sure that I preserve the headway I've already made.

Had a wonderful morning with my husband, and I can't wait for Thanksgiving tomorrow. Excellent workout this morning, too. All my happy hormones are just flowing like crazy, making me feel like I can fly. :)

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Now playing: Coldplay - God Put A Smile Upon Your Face
via FoxyTunes

Now we're cooking with gas...

So excited about 147! I guess I have less need to write when I'm not whining about not losing weight or how difficult it is to fast. :) Stops aren't much of an issue—my hunger isn't severe, it's mentally fairly easy to avoid food of all descriptions. And working out is going great. I'm really focusing on strength training, and I've scaled back the cardio a lot—this last week I didn't do any. It's amazing the results I'm getting from just the strength training. I'm finding new ways to work my muscles, even just here at home, and though I am mostly well past the point where a workout makes me sore at all, I still manage occasionally to really get my hamstrings or my triceps or my quads and have soreness the next day, just enough to know it's having an effect. I feel stronger. I'm either delusional (which is possible, alas) or there's a visible difference in the way my arms and legs look.

And my clothes fit differently than they did seven weeks ago. My birthday was on 23 September, and I used a gift certificate to purchase new jeans in a larger size. I only had Old Navy size 8s (which are really mislabled 10s IMO) and I just wasn't comfortable—they were too tight, I was too muffintoppy, my thighs looked enormous and needed more fabric camouflage. I wanted something to wear while I lost weight, so I could look cute during the process.

My new Old Navy size 10s were, you guessed it, real 10s. They've changed the sizing. So they were identical to the 8s I already had—too tight, too muffintoppy. I took them back and dithered about what to do while I continued with my weight loss efforts. I'm happy to report, these weeks later, that the 8s (which should be 10s) fit me fairly well, and I no longer need a larger size. I'd like them to be a little looser yet, but they'll do.

I can see a difference in the curve of my waist, in the thinness of my face. My thighs don't strain the seams of the jeans and I can wear clothing in smaller sizes. Slim-fitting shirts have less blubber beneath them. All in all, I feel happy and optimistic. It's working! Let's hope I can hold on during this Thanksgiving week because I'm not going to lie, I love Thanksgiving food. Why else would I spend all day long cooking the equivalent of six full suppers and three desserts for one family of nine if I didn't want bites of every single thing?

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Now playing: Muse - Darkshines
via FoxyTunes

*shiver*

Long ago, when I went to a Weight Watchers meeting early one winter morning, I noticed I was trembling and shivering and couldn't get warm. I kept my coat on the entire meeting.

Side notes: Yes, I've done the WW program, twice. The second time I got my Lifetime. I don't think I ever went back, but I theoretically could—and for $9 per meeting! And it's important to note that I went to the early morning meetings, and I went without having eaten or drunk anything at all because I had to weigh in.

Back to the tale. So, I was freezing. So cold. Someone told me that it was because I hadn't eaten, so I wasn't burning fuel the same way, and was having a harder time maintainting my own personal comfortable body temperature.

I have no idea how true this is; but I've noticed since when I fast (which I've always done, once a month for religion) that I'm colder that day. And now that the weather here is turning and it's colder, I find I have a harder time feeling warm on my fasting days. Of course my computer right here is situated in a cold corner, nestled between two drafy windows. But I didn't feel quite as chilly here yesterday as I do today. Brrr.

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Now playing: Jean-Yves Thibaudet - Your Hands Are Cold
via FoxyTunes

Bright, sunshiny day

Am wearing my skinnier jeans today, the ones that are a size smaller. :) I haven't worn them yet this autumn because I thought my thighs looked too poured-in, but today I slipped them on and gave them a thumbs up.

I did manage 20 hours of fasting yesterday, though I thought I wouldn't. It was painless, I didn't suffer—managed it physically as well as mentally. Back in the saddle!

And from now on I absolutely must weigh in only once per week. The tiny little shifts up and down through the week are playing headgames with me. Who cares about ounces here and there? It's the overall trend I'm worrying about. So I'll be back tomorrow with a real weigh-in. Crossing my fingers that 150.6 is behind me for good. ;)

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Now playing: Jimmy Cliff - I Can See Clearly Now
via FoxyTunes

A brilliant Wednesday morning

Had a fabulous butt/thigh workout today. I'm still trembly. Was sweating and breathing hard, yay. Noon addition: And I got in a great uphill walk and downhill run before lunch!

Weighed myself this morning. 149.0. I'm not counting it as an official weigh-in, but I'm cheered at least.

But! I haven't fasted this week. Monday after lunch through Tuesday lunchtime was supposed to be a Stop, but I didn't. As I blogged that night, my heart just wasn't in it. No results, no impetus to feel that deep level of hunger. I ate a very small supper that night and a little breakfast the next morning. In fact, I've been eating little meals all week, and "fasting" between. I know, you're like, "Duh, we all fast between meals." Yes, I agree. But here's what I mean: I haven't been snacking at all, I've avoided all treats (still have birthday cake floating around, and oodles of pudding and frosting in the fridge), and between meals—because my meals are smaller than I'm accustomed to—I do get to feeling extremely hungry, about the same level as if I were fasting. And that very feeling gives me the strength to keep it up until my next smallish meal.

The Stops have given me willpower. If I can make foods I love for my kids and not take a nibble, if I can go 24 hours without food of any kind despite my inclinations to the contrary, then I can certainly keep my meals smallish and not eat a bite between.

Have been working out well, too. Revamped my exercise schedule last week—I love making tables and spreadsheets and schedules. I like making them more than I like following them :P but I've been following it to the letter and truly, I can feel my strength and endurance improving.

So, squee. I feel happy and optimistic. (Makes a nice change from the whining, doesn't it?)

I may not fast at all this week. But I'm not giving it up altogether, especially as Thanksgiving and Christmas approach. I'm so serious about this and doing so well, and I know that serious weight-loss effort is, for me at least, a limited-time offer. I'd hate to have Thanksgiving or Christmas throw off my groove and undo whatever I've accomplished by then.

Onward and downward!

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Now playing: The Black Ghosts - Full Moon (favorite non-Muse song on the Twilight Soundtrack)
via FoxyTunes

Diminishing returns

Fasting.

Am really struggling tonight—mentally far more than physically. Having trouble keeping my head in the game. Why fight the impulse to eat a healthy meal if fasting (more difficult) isn't performing any better than portion control (more manageable)?

No results = no incentive = no self control.

Fighting with self.

I'm starting to feel like I'm doing something wrong.

Eat Stop Eat first week loss: 4 pounds.

Second week: gained .2 pounds.

Third week: stayed the same.

I'm not joking when I say the fasts are not as hard as they used to be, that I'm handling them better; but given the choice between fasting and eating, I'll choose eating. I mean—food, nom nom. Want. Love. The only reason to continue on with fasting twice a week is to see some serious weight loss. Serious. Not just a pound or so a week, the sort of weight loss that one can achieve simply by eating a little less and moving a little more. I'm eating a lot less. And the needle on the scale is not moving.

If you visit the Eat Stop Eat website, you can sign up for periodic emails from Brad Pilon. I'd say they come at least three times a week, and they're very educational. The one that came to my inbox today was titled "How many calories should you eat per day to lose weight?" Here is a partial quote from that email, and I really hope Brad doesn't mind me sharing this here.

It doesn't matter at all how you get to this [calorie] deficit. It just
matters that by the end of the week you have eaten less food than you needed to stay the same weight. That's it.

The real trick is finding a way to do this consistently. Most popular diets give you a set of rules to follow every day, every time you eat, taking all the fun and spontaneity out of eating. These diets are doomed to fail because they are too restrictive.

Food is supposed to be fun, and social, and nobody wants to be told they can't eat their favorite foods or that they can't go out and eat when everyone else is and enjoy the same foods and not feel guilty about it.

So back to the original question: how many calories should you eat per day to lose weight?

Answer: It doesn't matter, and it is too difficult to monitor how much food you eat on daily basis. Instead set your goal to be less food over a week, not a day. This will take the guilt away on days when you go out and eat socially, or just want to have some ice cream and burgers. So the new question is this; How do you do this? And I think I have the answer.

This is precisely why so many people are having tremendous success with Eat Stop Eat. It is an extremely easy way to achieve a weekly caloric deficit that produces lasting weight loss and does not restrict you from eating any of the foods that you like to eat or when you can or can't eat them!

So far, I'm not having tremendous success. And it isn't so easy for me, I guess, to eat "normally" on non-fasting days and have the fasting days create the calorie deficit. I'm not gorging on non-fast days, I'm still avoiding so much, and I certainly can't have a candy bar or cookies or "eat whatever I want." *heavy, dramatic sigh*

Am I somehow doing something wrong? Or—and this would be interesting—am I proving that starvation mode actually does exist?

Must I take into account that I've stayed at the same weight despite experiencing, in a single 10-day period, Halloween (chocolate nom nom) and two birthdays with three homemade cakes?

Not giving up yet.

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Now playing: Iron & Wine - Flightless Bird, American Mouth from the Twilight Soundtrack
via FoxyTunes

What do you do for protein?

When we became vegetarian a decade ago we had a 4YO, a 2YO, and a breastfeeding infant. We didn't come from vegetarian stock; our families and most of our friends were convinced we were committing child abuse by inflicting a vegan diet on the young 'uns. "But what will you do for protein?" and "What do you eat?" are probably the most frequent questions we still get.

Now, ten years later, I can tell you I went through four pregnancies as a vegan or ovo-vegetarian, and I not only survived, I did just fine. I breastfed five babies who thrived and grew and were healthy. And all seven children have grown just fine and are, and always have been, mighty healthy. We get along nutritionally.

But somewhere at the back of my mind, I wondered if we were getting sufficient protein. I tracked calories over at sparkpeople.com and discovered that most of the time I'm only getting 15% of my daily calories from protein. I have a few days where I'm able to get a higher percentage, but 15% is about the usual, and some days I have to specially add in a protein snack (tofu cubes, yum!) to get up that far.

So most popular weight loss programs insist I have to load up on the proteins, which, without animal sources, is really a trick for me. I eat plenty of beans, but beans have more grams of carbohydrates than of protein. Ditto every other plant source.

And this is where an email from Brad Pilon set his program apart from others for vegetarian me:

In a really interesting study published back in 1996, 43 men who were experienced weight lifters took part in a study that involved exercise and weekly injections of testosterone enanthate for 10 weeks. Yep, these boys were on steroids for the benefit of science!

They were divided into 4 groups.

• The first group performed no exercise and didn't get any steroids.
  
• The second group performed exercise but didn't get steroids,
  
• The third group didn't exercise but received the weekly injections
  
• The fourth group exercised and received the injections.

After 10 weeks of lifting weights 3 times per week, the group that was receiving the steroid injections gained over 13 pounds of muscle. The group who were just working out (no steroids) didn't do too bad either, packing on almost 4.5 pounds of muscle in only ten weeks.

The guys who sat around doing nothing for 10 weeks but received the steroid injections still had an increase in lean mass (almost 6 pounds), while the group who received no steroids and didn't workout did not see any change in their lean mass.

So what does a study on steroids have to do with nutrition? Well, all four groups were on the same diet. They were all consuming about 0.7 grams of protein per pound of body weight and about 16 Calories per pound of body weight.

What this shows is that for a group taking steroids while exercising, 120 grams of protein per day was enough to supply the amount of protein needed to allow for a 13.5 pound gain in lean mass!

It was also the same amount of protein the the exercise only group ate to gain 4.5 pounds, and the other groups ate to see their gains,(or lack thereof).

So for the groups who saw less gains in lean mass then the steroid group, the amount of protein that they ate was not what determined how much muscle they gained. The workouts (and the steroids) did that.

Obviously, the steroids played a huge role in this muscle building effect. But the important point I want to get across to you is that the relatively normal protein intake of 120 grams per day did not hinder the steroids muscle building effects. 120 grams was enough protein to allow for relatively HUGE gains in muscle.

In the end, protein is important, but as this study shows, 0.7 grams of protein per pound of body weight is enough daily protein to allow for a 13.5 pound increase in lean mass in 10 weeks. It's also enough to allow for a 4.5 pound increase in people not taking steroids, which is still very impressive muscle growth for a ten week period!

For those of us who are not 'pharmaceutically enhanced' this study helps support the idea that your workout is the most important part of your muscle building journey.

.7 grams per pound of body weight for me would be 105 grams of protein. I think I get about half that on a good day. So I cannot, maybe, expect the same sorts of gains they get. Luckily I'm not looking at adding pounds of lean muscle tissue each week. But I did like his conclusions—the important part is working the muscle, not loading the proteins.

Eat STOP Eat

Just finished another Stop, my...sixth? And I can say it's getting easier and easier. The hunger is not as it was in the first couple, it's quite bearable. Ignorable. Even—dare I say it?—absent. It's very easy to resist food because mentally, I know I'm on a fast. I'm cooking dinner for the kiddles, I'm making food (even dessert!) and I simply know it isn't for me, and I don't eat. I'm drinking plenty of water, and I'm not suffering. And I also can say that my energy level isn't suffering, either. I exercise every time I fast, and it simply isn't an issue. I have plenty of fuel to get me through any workout I can fit into my day.

2.5 weeks into it, and everything about Eat Stop Eat feels very manageable.

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Now playing: Queen - We Are The Champions
via FoxyTunes

Bleh.

I ate a lot more than I should have yesterday. I ate gingersnaps dipped in soymilk (yum!) and a fun-size candybar from Halloween. (Okay, two fun-size candy bars.) I was hungry, so I ate four meals instead of three. Not four full-size meals, but more than I should have eaten anyway. And it was my son's birthday, so I ate cake even though I wasn't hungry for it. And to top it all off, I didn't do my scheduled cardio! *sticks out tongue* Neener neener!

Why do people fall off the diet wagon?

I can tell you why I did yesterday. Because fasting twice per week takes more effort than I've ever put into losing weight before, and I entered it with the "understanding" that the weight would fall off me. (Insert knowing snicker here.) I am not making up the fasted calories on non-fast days (well, except yesterday) and I figured that something this intense and efforty would pay off. Like, regularly, every week, in reasonably exciting increments.

Because seriously, if fasting twice per week doesn't deliver better/faster results than just eating three sensible meals per day, why go to all the effort and struggle? If it gives me the very same results as scaling back calories but eating every day, well, I'd like to eat every day.

After two 24+ hour fasts last week, I gained .4 pounds?! As I wrote in my last post, I know that there may be things going on internally that I can't see and I can't measure. I'm not giving up yet. But I did fall jump fly off the wagon a bit at times over the weekend because I figured it just wouldn't make any difference whether I was perfectly controlled or whether I ate all the Halloween loot myself. The scale tells me it doesn't matter.

Today I'm back. I can do this. I can stick it out for more than two weeks and see what happens next. One foot in front of the other. Onward and downward.