How do I get off a diet plateau?

Zilbandy wrote:
On Tue, 04 Sep 2007 21:24:44 GMT, Mal wrote:

My system has gone into starvation mode and weight loss has stopped.
(Just as warned.) Question now is how do I kick start it again?

Stats for last month – averages per day:
Calories 705

You're absolutely right. You body is in starvation mode. Feed it! Kick
those calories up to 1500 or so, forget about any weight gain you may
have for a couple of weeks while your body adjusts to a more normal
calorie intake. In a few weeks, you'll be losing weight again and on
your way to your goal.


Good advice and I will be taking it. I started to diet to get off blood
pressure remediation pills, which I did, and some other goals. Weight
loss was secondary. Still want to lose another 10 lbs, but I have never
been that light since adolescence. There are always a few people like
you who respond helpfully to a question. We just have to get the snide
one liners along with the intelligent ones in these forums, I guess.
Thanks,
Mal

On Wed, 05 Sep 2007 04:45:14 GMT, Mal wrote:

I know I'm in starvation mode, even if I don't feel it, so
I'll bring up the calories slowly. The old blood pressure is too low, so
it ain't healthy. I'm burning 1750 cal/day at 10 cals per lb with 18
hours awake, so weight loss should be at about 2 lbs a week. The fact
that it isn't is what caught my attention.

Your 10 cal/pound/day is probably a good number IF your metabolism is
normal. At your current caloric intake, your metabolism is NOT normal,
therefore the cal/pound/day estimate is most likely all screwed up.
Don't gradually increase calories, just start eating at least 1500 and
let your body get back to normal. The weight will come off, and
eventually stabilize near 150 pounds at the 10 cal/pound/day number.

--
Zilbandy

Zilbandy wrote:
On Wed, 05 Sep 2007 04:45:14 GMT, Mal wrote:

I know I'm in starvation mode, even if I don't feel it, so
I'll bring up the calories slowly. The old blood pressure is too low, so
it ain't healthy. I'm burning 1750 cal/day at 10 cals per lb with 18
hours awake, so weight loss should be at about 2 lbs a week. The fact
that it isn't is what caught my attention.

Your 10 cal/pound/day is probably a good number IF your metabolism is
normal. At your current caloric intake, your metabolism is NOT normal,
therefore the cal/pound/day estimate is most likely all screwed up.
Don't gradually increase calories, just start eating at least 1500 and
let your body get back to normal. The weight will come off, and
eventually stabilize near 150 pounds at the 10 cal/pound/day number.



OK will do, though right now its hard to imagine eating over twice what
I do now. Guess I have to stop throwing out the egg yolks.
Thanks for your help.
Mal

On Wed, 05 Sep 2007 05:24:52 GMT, Mal wrote:

Good advice and I will be taking it. I started to diet to get off blood
pressure remediation pills, which I did, and some other goals. Weight
loss was secondary. Still want to lose another 10 lbs, but I have never
been that light since adolescence. There are always a few people like
you who respond helpfully to a question. We just have to get the snide
one liners along with the intelligent ones in these forums, I guess.
Thanks,

Thank you for the kind words. There's always a few that aren't here to
seriously help. You soon learn who to trust and who to ignore.

With my diet, I've managed to lose 185 pounds in just over a year by
counting calories. Another 100 pounds or so and I'll be doing ok, if
you don't count the 50+ pounds of loose skin I'll have by then. LOL As
a result of loosing that weight, my diabetes is now manageable with
oral medication and I no longer take insulin. My blood pressure has
dropped into what would be considered the high end of 'normal' without
taking medications. So, not only has my food bill decreased, my
prescription bill has decreased. Now, if I could just figure out what
to do about the gas problem... not mine!... my car's gas problem.

Zilbandy
602/417/250ish
(If you're new to the group the above numbers represent max
weight/current weight/goal weight)

Mal wrote:
Zilbandy wrote:
Mal wrote:

My system has gone into starvation mode and weight loss has stopped.
(Just as warned.) Question now is how do I kick start it again?

Metabolism is driven by a number of feedback loops of hormone
pairs. There is at least one pair of hormones driven by each
dietary macronutrient. "Starvation mode" is low levels of specific
hormones that drive resting metabolism lower.

Sometimes it takes a suddenly higher level of intake to reverse
a problem. Go too low carb for too long and reversing to a low
fat plan for a week is needed to reverse the hormone levels as
one example. What this means is you might need to eat a lot
for a day or two. Be cautioned of how easy it is to view that as
an excuse to cheat. Nope, if there's a need to eat a lot more
for a short period of time do it with foods you consider boring to
avoid going into a vicious cycle of cheat-and-starve.

Stats for last month - averages per day:
Calories 705

You're absolutely right. You body is in starvation mode. Feed it! Kick
those calories up to 1500 or so, forget about any weight gain you may
have for a couple of weeks while your body adjusts to a more normal
calorie intake. In a few weeks, you'll be losing weight again and on
your way to your goal.

Good advice and I will be taking it. I started to diet to get off blood
pressure remediation pills, which I did, and some other goals. Weight
loss was secondary.

Any method of weight loss is good for blood pressure but many find
that low carbing is better than other systems for it, calorie for
calorie.

Still want to lose another 10 lbs, but I have never
been that light since adolescence.

If you've never been that light since you grew up, then your body has
grown and filled out since then. The "freshman 20" may be a cliche
among college students, but at least some of it is growth in bone
and lean. If your body didn't lose weight at 4+ weeks of 700 calories
(you *did* use an objective definition for a plateau and did *not*
base it on subjective feelings, right?) then you selected a goal
weight that's too low. Exercise to reshape rather than starve to
reduce ...

There are always a few people like
you who respond helpfully to a question. We just have to get the snide
one liners along with the intelligent ones in these forums, I guess.

I glanced at your posting history to see if you looked like a troll.
You looked enough like one that I declined too respond until some
other conservation was established.

I'm sure you have seen plenty of replies but it seems your just not eating
enough...I went from 300+ to 175 in about 2 years...I had plenty
plateaus...With consistent exercise and around 1500 calories a day...(WW) I
have finally reached a normal weight...My last 10 lbs took almost 7 months
to lose...Don't panic and just follow your course...The most important thing
is to enjoy your journey...Good luck...GG

"Mal" wrote in message
news:w2kDi.2705$tY2.1417@trndny01...

My system has gone into starvation mode and weight loss has stopped. (Just
as warned.) Question now is how do I kick start it again?

Stats for last month – averages per day:
Calories 705
Protein 35 g
Carbohydrates 89 g
Fats 20 g
Cholesterol 58 mg
Sodium 613 g
Fiber 14g
Potassium 1092 g

Of the macro nutrients this is 24% protein, 62% carbs and 14% fats (mostly
mono and polyunsaturated)

Weight was 200 lbs 3 months ago, fasted down to 190 then started diet
initially at under 1200 cals/day. Weight plateaued at 175 and won’t budge.
I want another 10 lbs drop.

What am I doing wrong?

Mal