getting too big!!
 

I'm really starting to freak out.. I've been doing Schwarzbein for roughly 3 weeks and I've gained 12 pounds!! My metabolism was healthy before as I was doing low carb and only ate whole foods for the most part, some splenda but not much. I hadn't expected this much weight gain.
My clothes that were loose that I was going to toss/give away are now tight and I refuse to buy larger clothes. I also do modeling and I was already borderline too heavy but now there's no way I would take a job in this condition. I am freaking out here! Will this monstrous weight gain continue? It seemed to me 10 pounds was the average people gained doing this program. My weight is rising steadly. I've gained about 5 pounds this week!

How much did you gain, at the beginning and as it progressed? How long did it take to GO AWAY again?
I'm really trying here but I am on my last leg. :tears:


sheri

Hi Sheri:

I'm so sorry to hear about your weight gain. Which program are you following? The possibility of weight gain certainly sucks!

One of the mistakes I made in the beginning, moving from Atkins was that I was so used to a high fat intake that I didn't lower it to a moderate fat intake. I basically added extra carbs on top of my already high fat diet. Then I gained weight.

You could try fiddling with your saturated fat intake if the weight gain's too much to bear. That's one of the suggestions SPII makes. Of course, exercising would help too. That's a given.

Maybe you could post some menus. Another possibility is if you have food intolerances. Whatever's happened this week, most of your gain would have to be bloating unless you were eating huge amounts of high carb/high fat food, which you shouldn't be doing if following SP.

Anyway, this is a start. Others may have some better suggestions.

Wanda

--edit--
I just looked at your journal and see some similiarities. Nut butter!!! They were my demise when I started SP. I've had to realize that I have food addictions as well. I used to binge on high fat foods when I did Atkins. For me, combining carbs with saturated fat is a food trigger for me. I started bingeing on sugary fats, so now I'm careful. My other sore spot is nuts. I've had to give them up. I thought I could handle the nut butters until I'd eat half a jar of nut butter which would then trigger a sugary fat binge.

I'm not patient enough for the program to sort out my addictions and cravings so I've taken the bull by the horn and modified the program to help prevent me craving my food addictions.

--edit--
the other thing I realized was that I was eating 5 full meals/day instead of breaking them down into 5 smaller meals. That's another thought.

BTW, you are very beautiful. It must be stressful to be a model/actress and have to maintain a certain weight.

I don't mean this to sound like I'm against Dr. Schwarzbein--quite frankly, I think her book is quite informative and certainly makes very good sense. The only thing I disagree with is her approach to insisting on hormone replacement therapy.
In answer to your question "has anyone else gained weight on her program?" You bet I have! I was on it for 2 weeks and gained 4 lbs. This was over a month ago --actually about 6 weeks ago. Since then, I've tried Atkins Induction, Fat Flush, KISS all to no avail --in fact, this a.m. I was up yet another lb. AND this was all happening with NO cheats, no caffeine, no processed meats/foods, (I exercise), etc.....
So, I am really upset about this whole thing and as of today have scaled back to approx. 10 carbs/day.

Carol

Wanda,
I'm following healthy adrenals w/ burned out adrenal glands. I really can't tell if it's the right program, because I am not addicted to nicotine, sugar, or caffeine (I have a cup with 1/2 decaf almost every morning. As soon as my coffee runs out I will only drink full decaf.) I've been getting off my prescriptions that she says are harmful (with my doc's consent of course!) I have three meals w/ 20-25 carbs and two snacks with 15-20. I don't measure my portions usually but don't feel I'm going much over if at all. I exercise 4-5 times a week for 45 mins to an hour (Tai bo, belly dance, the Firm weight training)
You might be right about using too much fat on her diet. She says you don't have to worry about using too much, your body will tell when it's had enough but since our bodies were conditioned to allow so much on Atkins, maybe it's a different story for us. I might have figured out another problem. I just received her cookbook in the mail, and she actually counts a lot of stuff as carbs that I hadn't been! I stopped counting nut butters as carbs, didn't count condiments like peanut sauce, taco seasoning, cream etc. She also puts a carb count on most of her recipes that she said in her book were free foods!? I don't understand. If that's the case I might be way above my carb count. For the most part I have only been counting my "carbs" and starchy vegetables towards my total carb count.

also, she says raw tomatoes are a nonstarchy vegetable and therefore a free food. Then she puts them in the fruit category at 15 carbs! Which is right? I eat quite a few cherry tomatoes throughout the day.

It's a possibility that my meals are too big. I have a pretty regular sized dinner every night. Sometimes I feel a little too full but usually just "pleasantly done." Maybe that's too much? Especially right before bed. My lunches are usually good sized but I get really hungry at work for some reason, even though I'm just sitting at a computer. Maybe my brain uses up all the energy? ;) Maybe I should work on cutting down.

And thank you for saying such nice stuff! I've always thought you were beautiful! You look like you belong in Hollywood going to all the red carpet parties.


______________________________


Carole, I just got done reading your post about weight problems.. I wonder why you are having so much trouble losing? I always had a lot of trouble losing on Atkins/low carb after my initial water loss. It took a LOT of sacrifice in portion/variety and work to get down past my "comfortable" weight and as soon as I went back to eating how I was before it'd just come back. Therefore, out of desperation I'm trying something new. And I can't really see myself eating 20-30 carbs a day for the rest of my life!
They say you have "one golden shot" and after that it's a lot harder to lose on low carb. Maybe that's it? Every time I stop LC'ing and go back it gets harder and harder and I have to cut back on more and more foods. Hope you find something that works for you!

good luck.
sheri

Hi Nitrovixen:

I was following the same program until I got my hormones tested. I'm supposed to be following the IS/HA program, but I haven't started yet b/c I'm doing some tweaking. In all honesty, it sounds like you don't have burned out adrenals based on what you've written, so you shouldn't be part of that population who gains weight.

It's funny, I always hear about fat making you full within 20 minutes of eating it, but I can tell you, some of my worst binges were on Atkins, bingeing on legal, high saturated fat foods and never feeling full until about 3,000 calories later. Everyone is so individual, it's hard to know the answers without experimenting a bit. But she does emphasize that it's a moderate fat diet and I like to concentrate more on getting my essential fats. That's just me.

Re: her cookbook - I thought she only counted "qualifying" carbs in her recipes. The ones I've made did that. I'll have to take a look see. Which recipes should I look at?

I never stopped counting nuts as carbs for the simple fact that I'm addicted to them and need some kind of limits on them. Sad but true.


You know what? I never noticed that before. It must be a mistake b/c she specifically writes in her book that tomatoes (as long as they aren't cooked) are considered NS veggies. I'd write to them and ask, but I think I used up my "question quota" and I'm now on their blacklist. :lol: You might e-mail them and ask about this discrepancy.

If you are hungry between meals then don't cut down on your food. I was just thinking back to some of the mistakes I made and I was forcing food down my throat b/c I was so full from having 5 meals a day.

The biggest criticism of SP is that it requires so much faith. I deal with these same bouts of doubt as do many others. I don't think anyone denies that it's a healthy way of eating and maintaining weight. But losing weight AND being metabolically healthy can be a real struggle for many.

I hope you're able to make the program work for you. Keep us updated.

Wanda

Hello NitroVixen

I checked out your pics and have to agree with Wanda you're one gorgeous chicky.

I also agree with Wanda about the fat - I'm another one who was always hungry on Atkins and no matter how much fat I ate never felt satisfied - I do much better on a plan with more grains and fibre.

I can't really suggest anything Wandy hasn't - I've kind of strayed from SPII at the moment - wanting a quicker weight loss. When I do follow SPII I really limit my fats and break a few rules by using some fat free and reduced fat products :blush: - old habits die hard. I have to say in my own experience I have to limit my calories no matter what the experts say. Have you tried making sure that most of your carbs are really high in fibre? I am a fan of the F-Plan diet which advises 40 grams of fibre a day ( this is pretty hard to reach on a controlled carb plan ) but even fibre over 20 grams a day makes a difference. I use a bran bread which has 13 carbs and 4 grams of fibre for 2 slices (admittedly the slices are small) and at times all bran cereal, and a lot of soups with beans and other veggies. I avoid nuts because of the fat - although I know a few would be alright the question is could I stop at a few!!!



Is your mind occupied enough while at work - I find I get "fake hunger" if I'm bored and I really have to stop and recognize it - tell myself that I've had enough to eat and there is no reason for me to be hungry and try to overcome the little :devil: that is trying to make me eat.

You might be on to something when you wonder if your meals are too large - here is another funny thing - I can eat a frozen diet dinner and feel quite full - but make myself a plate of homemade food that is about twice the size and I might still feel unsatisfied - this made me realize I really have to work on portion control.

Well, I haven't given you much help - but I will say you are far from being fat - though I realize how for your modelling/acting you've got to be totally in control of it - I'm glad you are looking for healthy options rather than neglecting your nutrition.

sorry so long!
 

Hi Koko!

Thank you for the compliment! Of course, I am looking a whole lot less like that picture and more like old chubby pictures. My self esteem has gone way down and I don't feel very attractive anymore, but my body feels "healthier." I've never been too good at eating right, I hardly ate at all in school and even college (college days = bread and top ramen) and literally no fruits or vegetables. Then when I quit smoking I got some kind of insatiable need to eat, and keep eating (oral fixation I guess). I started low carbing and like some of you have mentioned, I never felt full. I did, and still do, eat more than my husband (he's taller but skinny as a bean pole). It seems like I have this nagging fear that I will get terribly hungry somewhere (perhaps at work) and not have food to quiet the pangs. Like a starving person who hoards food...

it seems I eat whenever I feel the slightest pang of hunger.
I'm pretty good about keeping it to the prescribed meals and snacks now. Also I douse everything in fat because when I tried Somersizing I ate a FULL meal of carbs (with no fat or protein), and 1.5 hours before lunch I thought I was going to be sick. I felt nauseated, chills, clammy, extremely shaky, and hungry enough to eat a whole cow! It reminded me why I don't eat carbs, especially with no fat. Ever since then I've felt the need to douse everything in oil and butter/fat to make sure it doesn't happen again! Maybe it's all a psychological problem.

Doesn't "All Bran" cereal have sugar?

I'm going to try to put this practice into being: "eat like a king at breakfast, a queen at lunch, and a pauper at dinner" and try to eat a few less carbs with dinner. I've been tring to eat less fat of all kinds, especially saturated.

I also have to admit that I finally cleared out my cupboards of all low carb sweets. I've got 3 shopping bags full of A.S. sweetener, candies, muffin mixes, a dozen bottles of DaVinci syrup, etc. I'm saving them all for my mom (my dad will pick them up in a month for her) but they've been here in front of my face. I divulged in a few naughty sugar-free things. (But my weight gain happened before then) I'm really going to get on the ball now and quit nibbling here and there.
oh, also I've been finishing off stuff I ate as a low carber that are a little taboo on SP. The amounts of sugar/fructose/corn syrup are so minuscule that the carb count is very low. Should I avoid it all? Hot wings (little sugar), turkey patties (little dextrose) french fries (gasp.. hydrogenation)
At what point do I need to draw the line between convenience and good health? (I love the turkey patties, they seem healthier than beef patties. But they have that bit of dextrose.) I know I'm supposed to be eating only whole, no-additive foods but sometimes I have no time to make everything from scratch. and I can't find bread without honey or sugar. I chose honey. Bread needs to feed on sugar/honey, so wouldn't a little bit be ok? The yeast eats it.

Thanks for all your suggestions, everybody. It's been so helpful!

Hi Nitrovixen:


I read a book that referenced a 2002 study showing that high fat diets can cause insulin to rise via the intestinal tract releasing excess gastric inhibitory peptide. I have no idea if it was a sound study or not so I can't say with any certainty whether or not this is true. But I know personally that I would get very hungry eating high fat. It was frustrating to hear people talk on the boards about forcing themselves to eat and I'd be hungry all the time.

My long-winded point is that you may want to focus more on combining protein and carbs together b/c protein is supposed to help offset the effects of insulin. Fat will help keep you full, don't get me wrong. But you may not have to douse your food in fats so much as balance your carbs, protein and fats a little more. Experiment a bit.

BTW, hypoglycemia can certainly cause those kinds of fears you talk about. Been there!

Wanda

Hi Nitro Vixen

Oh you sound a lot like me in the way you used to eat, I've always been thin, even underweight till the last year (quitting smoking and age) I went for years on Atkins or Stillman when they first came out - 5 days a week virtually no carb and then partying on weekends, after that it was low fat, low cal, and I suppose it was a control thing because I actually never felt hungry - at times I would go for over 48 hours without eating and never felt a hunger pang.

I totally understand what you mean about not feeling attractive - if you've got 20lbs more than when those photo's were taken then you're definitely not fat - but I know how you will feel you are. It dosen't help that your acting and modelling require a specific body type. When I first gained weight (it was a rapid weight gain when I quit smoking - about 20lbs over 3 weeks :eek: ) I couldn't bear to look at myself in the mirror, I would shower in the dark!!! because I just couldn't handle seeing my naked body. I don't tell a lot of people that because it seems so ridiculous, but somehow I think you would understand that feeling.

Regarding the All Bran - yes it does have sugar but it's just a tinch and Allbran is quite low on the GI - I really think that the benefits of the bran far outweigh the tiny bit of sugar that's in it - but of course it's a totally individual decision - I don't have a sugar addiction or any sensitivities so it's not a trigger for me.

I realize you must be very busy, with your day job and the acting but could you spare an hour or so a week to make your own turkey patties (you could buy ground turkey or chicken) and freeze them in individual portions.



If you're following SPII then honey would be the best choice - she does list some ready made products in the book and some of them are breads, crispbread type things - Even though honey or sugar is listed in the ingredients again I think you have to look at the bigger picture. I used to make my own bread and in a recipe containing about 13 cups of flour there was 1 tablespoon of sweetner (sugar, mollases or honey) it's needed in most bread recipes to help in the chemical reaction - so really by the time you break it down -how much of that sweeting agent would be in one serving of the bread. Like the all bran - sugar is the second ingredient (ingredients are listed in order of the quantity) - BUT there are only two ingredients in it (except some added vitamins) .



Remember now what the good Dr. says - baby steps - there was a lady here with a good quote that I'm sure I don't remember exactly but it was something like - 90% 100% of the time is better that 100% 10% of the time.

I really hope your body settles down soon, and you can be more comfortable with this balanced eating. I was terrified of gaining more weight on the plan (which is why I'm not being a good Beiner right now :blush: ) but when I was on in quite strictly I didn't gain anything which is really saying something, I gained on Atkins when I started back in January. Remember to that she says some of the weight gain could be attributed to bones and inner organs rebuilding. I suppose there could be a bit of a rebound too, depending on how long ago and how long a time you were staying at extremely low caloric intake, it might take your body a while to realize it's being fed on a regular basis and has no need to hang on to every ounce (says she of the sardine and egg diet :lol: )

Please hang in - your acting might need a slim body but it also needs your beautiful face and it takes proper nutrition to keep it beautiful.

You guys are fabulous! Thanks for answering my questions and giving such great advice. :angel:

Wanda, I'm really trying to aim for that. No more buying Feta soaked in olive oil, drenching my veggies in butter, roasting nuts in butter, or cooking everything in olive oil (unless necessary!) I think I will get enough fat without adding much extra on. We'll see how it goes.

I have a problem waiting from lunch at noon to dinner at 7:30 with only one snack in between (usually at 2pm I have a piece of fruit and a cheese stick or something) but by 5pm I'm hungry again, so I have another snack before dinner! I try to keep it as low carb as possible since it isnt on my plan, but if I don't have something I'm ravenous by dinnertime and end up overeating. Usually I go to bed an hour (or two) after dinner (I can't have it earlier, have to wait for dh). do you think this extra snack is a problem? I usually have cheese and pepperoni, or cheese and carrot sticks, etc. Sometimes a spoon of peanut butter on a few Ak Mak crackers. Maybe I'm driving my carbs/cals too high with an extra snack. I can't figure out what else to do! I feel like such a pig sometimes!

btw, Do you think it's a possibility to eat too many non-starchy vegetables?


Koko,
Yes, that sounds familiar! I didn't weigh myself all through college so not sure how much of the weight gain happened post-smoking and how much was gradual. I actually had great self-confidence pre-atkins when I weighed about the same as I do now. There's something about trying so hard and losing weight, then gaining it back and having my clothes so tight really brough me down. It also doesn't help that my husband is so thin. I feel like a fat cow next to him! My thighs are about twice the circumference it seems. He says I look the same and look great, but it doesn't help that when I lost weight he kept saying I looked better than before. So now that I'm back up I feel like I've dropped a few notches in the attraction-o-meter. Of course it's all in my head, but it's still a reality for me.

that's a great idea about getting my own ground turkey.. I never even though to look if they had it fresh! :doah:
We are slowly but surely eating our way through the semi-taboo foods in our stockpile, determined to buy only SP-kosher items! (for the most part) Although I'm going to give the All-Bran a try!

Do any of you make your own mayo and other condiments? If I make mayo (or other condiments) can I just keep it in a jar in the fridge, or do I have to use it within a week?

Hi Nitrovixen:


Maybe you should think about dividing up your daily calories/carbs/protein/fat into 6 or 7 small meals (or whatever it takes for you not to be ravenously hungry). More smaller meals means less of an insulin response. This is where tweaking comes into the program. If 5 isn't enough, tweak it so it works for you. Just remember, those should be more like snacks than meals, just enough food to get you to your next snack/meal. If that works, stick with it.


I know when I eat lots of veggies, I tend to get hungrier. I'm talking 7 servings/day. Although Dr. S. recommends 5 servings/day for everyone, I read somewhere that 3 servings/day are for women, 4 if they are really active. Five servings are for men. That made a lot of sense to me. But old habits die hard so I still eat about 5-7 servings/day. I'd rather overeat veggies than other stuff.

I know Dr. S. mentions in her book that if your veggie intake is really high, you can substitute your veggies for starchy carbs. Sometimes I do that, especially if I have something like squash, turnip or rutabaga for dinner. I'll count it as a veggie and a starchy carb if my veggie intake is already high for the day. Then that means my later meal of the day is also lighter before bedtime.

HTH,
Wanda

YES!!!! - whats with all these men with gorgeous legs :roll: - have you ever noticed so many of them have better legs than women - drives me nuts. My DH also thinks I am not fat, but when I look at his legs and mine I always think I am so much bigger thigh wise - though I know it's not so because if I put on his pants they are to big to even "drown me"(british saying for waaaay to big clothing) they fall off but I just feel his look smaller (I guess him being over 6 feet helps :lol: )
And though he says I'm not fat and he thinks I'm beautiful, I know he liked it when I was 20 lbs smaller.

About they mayo - I think the safest thing is to only keep it for about a week in the fridge. most recipes only make a cup at a time so it's not a lot of waste if you use a lot -I would say don't use olive oil to make the mayo - I found the taste very heavy. If you do use olive oil make sure to use the lightest you can find.

I forgot to write my 2 cents worth on the mayo issue.

Koko's right. Extra virgin olive oil is too strong for mayo. However, I found a light tasting Extra Virgin olive oil called Gentile, made by Bertoli that was good. After awhile, I got tired of the wastage, I couldn't use it up fast enough.

I ended up buying Spectrum Organic's mayonnaise. It's made with a small amount of honey and uses expeller pressed oil (soybean or canola, I can't remember). Make sure to supplement with your Omega 3s if you use it, though. It's high in Omega 6.

Wanda

9/12/03
 

Today my hero Johnny Cash passed away, :tears: So I will wear black.

Off subject, sorry.

-------

Wanda, I'm going to try and temper myself to not eat extra, because I know I would end up eating more overall than if I only ate 5 small meals/snacks. Yesterday after work I wasn't very hungry, so I just had a cup of decaf tea instead. But then dinner was pretty small, and we ended up making air-popped popcorn and watching a movie. so much for a day of not going over carbs/calories! I don't think it was too bad though, I never felt really full so maybe I didn't overdo it too bad.

I just got a brand new Kitchenaid mixer and I'm dying to make stuff! I'll make mayo if I can think of a way to use it :lol: I'm just going to put it in my old squeeze bottle from the old mayo (It's so convenient that way) and I'll remake it every week. What a pain! I guess it's worth it to get rid of preservatives.
Maybe I'll find some of that organic mayo in my local health food store. Seattle's really fruity that way (although mostly in the vegan sense) and they are bound to have something.


Koko, It's so unfair! And Eric (my dh) has a perfectly flat tummy with no sit-ups or exercise. I do a special ab tape and an hour of exercise every weekday morning and I stall have a pooch! Who decided things would be this way? I'd like to schedule a meeting with the "boss" and all the women of the world to revisit this design!

As for the mayo, what do you use instead of olive oil? Vegetable oil? Eric likes the occasional tuna sandwich for lunch and fry sauce with his fries (mayo, ketchup, dab of mustard.. it's an Idaho thing) He was put off when we were out of mayo and he found out I decided not to buy it at the store because it had sugar and preservatives in it! So I'll try making him some. We use so little though, I wonder if I could make a 1/2 recipe, or even 1/4.

Off to exercise!
Sheri

About the little pooch on our bellys. It's a little layer of fat that is very difficult to make go away. Our higher estrogen makes us hold on to fat more than men and our dermal substructure is different. Thats why we have cellulite and men don't. Our body fat is also naturally higher than mens. This is necessary for proper reproduction. When female athletes drop their body fat below 20% menstral cycles stop and in very young women breast development is delayed because the reduced body fat affects hormone levels. Basically we should all be Botticelli babes!!