Still Loving the Scales

[crickadoodle]

Oh, I'd left a message on the answering machine of the ostomy nurse before the trip, but she never got back with me.  Maybe she was on vacation.  I'm going to get in touch with her after Easter.  I'm really tired of changing the wafer so often.  Not to mention, I'm almost out of supplies.  Hoping to make it to Monday when I can get more. 

Pam, you really can increase your metabolism.  When I did my research for my class I came to realize just how parallel the statistics are for decreasing metabolism and decreasing muscle mass as you age.  If you increase your muscle mass, which you can at any age, you will increase your metabolism.  I just wrote in Clown Lady's thread about this same thing.  In my class I found reducing stress, making sure you get enough sleep each night and exercise make a big difference.  Cardio exercise is best done before breakfast, if possible.  It gets your metabolism revved for the whole day.  That means you'll burn more calories all day long because you did the cardio.  Then weight bearing exercises are important to build muscle mass and this increases your metabolism for the long term.  When I was losing best, I ate just fruit for breakfast and dinner, ate no popcorn or corn, and for lunch I ate lean meat, veggies and bean soup until I was full.  I never plateaued when eating this way, and I am very lean now.  I'd lose like 2-3 lbs. a week -- even as I approached my goal.  I want to do an experiment and go back to eating just like I did then and see what happens.  I want to build muscle, which weighs more, so my actual weight might stay the same at this point, just any fat will be replaced with muscle. 

I think these things I shared are the keys to increasing metabolism and avoiding plateaus.

[MsHeirloom]

Crick- Thanks for such wise and supportive information.  I know I need to do more exercise, now, if I could just find the energy to do that.  I have added the Body-Flex several times each week over the last few weeks.  Pam

[hopefull]

Hey, Crick,
I am a nurse but not an ostomy nurse. I am wondering if you could use some tincture of benzoin to help that ostomy wafer stay in place? This is what we use to make steri strips stay in place. you let it dry then apply the steri strips. I don't know if that would work for you? Hope the ostomy nurse gets back with you soon.
Thanks for the encouraging words about not stalling. I'm still working on that. I've tried to do without popcorn but I feel too deprived to do without it so guess I am choosing to loose very slowly vs doing without my pop corn.
Will keep working at it. What is so great is that I am NOT gaining weight! For me that is a miracle!
hugs and the best,
Bobbi

[LINDA RN]

Hopeful,
Keep eating the popcorn until the cravings go away. You will start to give it up without effort when your body is ready. Took me 5 months but I am loosing again!

[crickadoodle]

Hopeful -- we do use the tincture too!  I got it to stay 32 hours over Easter!  yea!  But you know it is supposed to stay on 7 days.  Still, this is an improvement.  Need to call the nurse now, had other things to do first.  Thanks for the reminder on this post.

[hopefull]

Linda, Thanks for the encouragement on the Popcorn. Makes me feel better.
Good luck Crick on that dang ostomy bag!
hugs to all,
Bobbi

[MsHeirloom]

Monthly Update:
I am down 3 1/2 pounds this month.  I have broken through the plateau !  That puts me over half way to goal and down a total of 52 pounds.  All of you who have commented on my new picture, thanks!!!  I am so happy to be approaching the one year anniversary (May 25) of my new life.  This WOE and this community have been a life saver for me.  I feel so much better physically and emotionally and have every confidence that I will reach and maintain my goal.  Pam

[VickiLynn]

HIP, HIP, HORRAY  *woot* or is it HIP, HIP, AWAY  :rolleyes: on breaking the time barrier (AKA plateau). Any way you look at it, you're on your way down, down, down -- CONGRATULATIONS

[LINDA RN]

Another member proving patience is it's own reward. I am hoping that these long plateaus mean a major reset so that even if we eat off plan a little we will never go back to that max weight. That is what I am finding. And what I mean by off plan...like 2 huge (like 6 qt bowls) of popcorn consumed by myself, no oil but generous shaking oh Parmesian Cheese and 2 bananas for supper. During the plateau, something like that would boost me up 3-4 lbs overnight. Now maybe 0.4lbs. I love getting off a plateau and it is soooo worth it! You look so good Pam!

[Gwennaford]

Monthly Update:
I am down 3 1/2 pounds this month.  I have broken through the plateau !  That puts me over half way to goal and down a total of 52 pounds.  All of you who have commented on my new picture, thanks!!!  I am so happy to be approaching the one year anniversary (May 25) of my new life.  This WOE and this community have been a life saver for me.  I feel so much better physically and emotionally and have every confidence that I will reach and maintain my goal.  Pam

YAY FOR PAM ! ! !

                         

[Horkster]

Monthly Update:
I am down 3 1/2 pounds this month.  I have broken through the plateau !  That puts me over half way to goal and down a total of 52 pounds.  All of you who have commented on my new picture, thanks!!! 

Congrats Pam!  The new picture is great, you look so happy!  It is nice when the scale starts moving again, mine was stuck for a couple of weeks, but I'm losing again - this diet plan truly is a Gift from God.

Peace & Blessings,

Hork

[julie409]

HI Pam, My friend    Congratulations!  You do look terrific!  I have said that on another post but it certainly bears repeating.

You and I started on the same day and you have been such an inspiration.  I have never seen you waver. You just kept on - no matter the plateau or whatever else was going on in your life.  I think you are incredible and shrinking all at the same time 

To all of you who are on plateaus, I would urge you to try something different. If you have tried everything you can like upping your water intake, getting checked for food allergies, taking supplements, eliminating the once in a while foods, adding exercise and are truly following the program that Roger has laid out for us then all I can say is to have patience. Pam is certainly a great example of that.

When I began LDL on May 25th - same day as Pam, I was losing very quickly until Thanksgiving. Once I switched to winter foods like soups and chilis etc, the weight just stopped coming off.  I do have a lot of tested food allergies and some that come and go, so it is difficult to pinpoint exactly what causes the stalls.  I know my body really likes it when I stick with lots of Watermelon (coming soon to a supermarket near you, and me too ) and apples, and mainly grilled protein and veggies. That's what works best for me. I have managed to keep the 55lb weight loss- which is a first for me. Usually I would gain it all back!  But with LDL I have the key and know how to use it. But over the winter, I have fluctuated between 53 and 60 lbs down. I even took down my ticker bc I felt like it was mocking me    So I am waiting and trying to be as patient as you are, Pam. And as soon as the watermelon comes off the truck, I will see the numbers start to go down again. I am sure of it. Maybe I am descended from a tribe that had to put on weight to survive the winter?  Probably not likely since I am Italian - but ---

Pam,
Congratulations again and well done! And if you could add some other exercise that could  possibly give you back more energy. You will need to experiment with this as I know you have some other health issues to attend to.   But I have found that just 20 minutes per day is the difference in whether I lose or gain or stay the same weight the next day. I also know that it helps me to regulate my appetite better.  And you only need to do 10 minutes at a time for it to be effective. No extra stress on the body is necessary.  But you  are doing fabulous with what you are already doing - so just keep it up! You know your own body! 

Julie

[MsHeirloom]

Thank you everyone for your kind words, and Julie...  I always consider you my LDL twin, and you have been an inspiration to me this past 11 months.  I wasn't too put off by my plateau because I know I'm true to LDL and, as I've said many times before, I don't have a deadline for reaching my goal.  I really, really look forward to Onderland, never to see Twotersville again !  Nine pounds to go.  Julie, you are such an inspiration to me and everyone else here.  I know that you will soon begin discarding pounds again and post that ticker !  I just started my second watermelon.  Maybe the first one was what finally beat that plateau.  Think I'll put my laptop down and go have me a slice .  Thanks, Pam

[crickadoodle]

Well, congratulations, Pam!  With the abundance of fruit we'll start seeing again (and eating again) I'll bet many people will start dropping the weight at a faster pace.  I love Let's Do Lunch and can't help sharing with everyone.  I know many others have been burdened by the extra weight and would love to find something like LDL.  It works and it satisfies. 

[MsHeirloom]

Rhonda- You are wonderful for the work you are doing in spreading the word to friends, neighbors, and members of your church.  I admire your ability to teach and inspire others.  Sometimes we enable major changes in others and never realize what we have been a part of; your classes will be the catalyst for visible and positive changes in the lives and health of others.  Keep on keeping on !  Pam

[Joyful Friend]

That's what I like about LDL Boards, ENCOURAGEMENT.  You're a terrific bunch, and look great, and write wonderful words of encouragement.  I'm excited about new fruits.  I went to Jackson to Kroger's.  Bought a nice size watermelon, sooo good.  Country Girl's hubby had  a knee operation.  I've been to the hospital with her.  He was back to his room when I left.  He had it done in Sept.  Inside broke, redone. Pray for his quick recovery, please.  to all, Joyful Friend 

[MsHeirloom]

Praying that he does well and is comfortable.  Pam

[rgfd401]

Congratulations Pam,
  Your pic is wonderful, you look so happy and full of energy.

Tim

[julie409]

That's what I like about LDL Boards, ENCOURAGEMENT.   You're a terrific bunch, and look great, and write wonderful words of encouragement.  I'm excited about new fruits.  I went to Jackson to Kroger's.  Bought a nice size watermelon, sooo good.  Country Girl's hubby had  a knee operation.  I've been to the hospital with her.  He was back to his room when I left.  He had it done in Sept.  Inside broke, redone. Pray for his quick recovery, please.  to all, Joyful Friend   

Sending 

Julie

[jkgregory]

OMG!!!! You look fantastic!!! Keep up the good work!! I hope you submitted pics to roger for that magazine..