Hi everyone: I started doing the CALP plan a few weeks ago and haven't had much success. I've been a yo-yo dieter for about 10 years and things just continued to get worse. My most recent attempt was with those typical body building diets where you eat 5-6 times a day (balanced meals with very low fat). The more times I ate, the more I craved carbs until I thought I was going nuts! Anyway, when I read CALP I felt like the Hellers were talking about me! Since starting this WOE, the most amazing difference has been that I no longer have symptoms of hypoglycemia. I used to have to eat something before I went to the gym, and then I had to eat as soon as my workout was finished. Sometimes I couldn't make it home without eating something because I felt lightheaded, dizzy, and faint. Now, I feel real freedom because I can go to the gym whenever I want and I don't have to worry about food. No more symptoms!!! Unfortunately, the scale hasn't been as cooperative. I'm wondering if I'm eating too much at reward meals. I know they say that you should have a reward meal, not a binge, I'm not sure I know the difference anymore. So, I'm posting yesterday's plan and I hope some of you would give me some advice, thoughts, etc. I really appreciate any advice that you can offer.

CM
celery with dip
8 small chicken wings

RM
cup of seafood soup (creamy)
spaghetti with homemade meatsauce and parmesean
steamed Kale with olive oil and lemon
3 shortbread cookies and some chocolate

You call that a Reward Meal!!! No. No. Just joking!!

Your food looks fine! Really!

If you are working out at the gym, you are probably building muscle and muscle weighs more than fat. Also any transition in diet especially from a low fat one can cause weight gain which it sounds like you've avoided. A good sign.

Give the diet and you body time. Your body needs to adjust. Once it does the weight loss will start. Meanwhile, remember you could, right now, be gaining muscle at the same rate you are losing fat. Be patient. The fact that you have no hunger and have the strength and energy for your workouts is a positive sign that this diet is right for you.

Sbregirl,
CM
Some chicken has sodium phosphate that will cause weight gain. What was in the chicken coating, any carbs or msg?

What was in the dip?

RM
Carbs in the soup, in the spaghetti, in the sauce and in the cookies and in the chocolate. If you have spaghetti, also have a hamburger patty to make sure you are getting enough meat. Remember according to CALP that you should have equal amounts of veggies, carbs, and meat at the RM.

HTH

Hi, glad you have joined the crowd!

As you are following CALP, a couple of things come to mind.....and don't forget, this is my OPINION, not graven in stone LAW, okay?

What is in the dip for the celery? MSG, possibly? Sugar? Milk? Artificial sweetener?

How are the chicken wings prepared? Breading? Sauce? Artificial sweetener? MSG?

RM should start w/ at least 2 cups of salad or equivalent in vegetables, so your RM is a little scanty there. You probably had carbs in the soup, definitely in the pasta, cookies and chocolate, so you need more CM veggies to balance that out. And be sure that your protein is actually 1/3....it can be a bit short when the protein is in sauce or soup. I wouldn't worry too much about over-eating at RM, but more about a good balance. "RM" stands for "Reward Meal" after all, and you should enjoy it to the max! Read up in your CALP book on how to construct your RM and you'll do fine.

Did you drink anything all day? What was it?

Be absolutely certain that your RM does not extend beyond one continuous hour. This is key .....violating this rule will cause cravings, hunger and weight gain!

And, not to get too personal, but are you having sufficient bowel movements? This can be very important. If you need to, take a mild laxative or some extra Vitamin C or anything you usually use to be sure everything is not staying around too long and weighing on the scale, okay?

Weigh only once a day. I do it when I think I am at my lowest possible weight for the day, first thing in the morning, after bathroom and before anything to eat or drink, record it and average it for the week. Averaging can be very helpful.....read up on this in your book. You may think you are not losing when you look only at day to day results, yet find that you are actually seeing a gradual loss from week to week.

Based on what I hear from others here, it doesn't seem to be at all uncommon for weight loss to be delayed as you switch to CALP. It can be affected by many things other than what you are eating.....TOM, medications, SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder), stress, previous dieting habits, lots of things. Be patient, get yourself on a really clean program of CALP and you should start seeing the scales drop soon.

Take a set of measurements right away and record them. Take them again about once a month. You may see decreased in these measurements even when you do not see a weight loss.

Above all, if you are succeeding on CALP you will see an end to desire to snack or binge on high-carb foods and very likely a decrease in your appetite, too. Many folks report a feeling of well-being or even an elation as they get clear on CALP. Stay tuned to your body in addition to the scales.

I didn't notice this before I started my response, but if you have not as yet started a journal, think about doing that. It gives you a place to talk to yourself and your friends to visit you in support. You can post your menus there or here, as you wish. You'll get feedback no matter where you put them.

Good job on starting CALP and coming here for help. There'll be a lotta other folks along real soon to help you, too! Take care....see you soon.

Hi Sbregirl!

I'd say you hit the trifecta of good advice here!! Just wanted to welcome you to the group!

It sounds like your body is adjusting nicely to LC, so you may just need a bit more time to start seeing the scale go down. Don't give up! If you visit any of our journals, you'll see that this WOE really does work.

Hang in there!!

Judy

Just wanted to thank everyone for their encouragement and good advice. I will keep trying. I guess I just have to think of it as a work in progress.

The first few days on calp/cad can be confusing. Overdoing it at the reward meal is common for the first week or two. When you get accustomed to it your craving for food will simmer down (with the right cm's).

Concentrate on your cm's for now. try eating half the amount,and the other half later if you are hungry. Eat less fat. DRINK WATER BETWEEN MEALS.

I think( MY OPINION) it is to early to tweek your rm as you are adjusting.I always make sure my RM is satisfying so i wouldn't feel deprived or on a diet.But i do believe the CM's are what makes the diet successful. If you are changing for the rest of your life a couple of days is not a measure for the rest of your life.

good luck

You took the words right out of my mouth Judy. So if you dont mind I will use them

Most important thing hang in there and let your body adjust