2007 New Eating Plan

Almost 6 weeks after taking myself off the Phen I ordered via CustomHRT,  I decided to go visit my pcp's new weight loss clinic and check out his program. 

He put me on 37.5 Adipex and an eating plan that cuts out all dairy & breads. Adipex made the world of difference, the brand is more expensive but worth it. 

The main difference I found is that I don't have that "rush" that I got with Phen, instead it's more of an even feeling of appetite control throughout the day and it seems to stay a bit later in the day.

NONE of the "emotional" problems I felt on Phen are there with Adipex, which is great. I really think it depends on how much you weigh and what mg meds you are taking too, but diet/nutrition does play a big part as well as exercise.

You can't eat carrots, bananas, breads, pastas, corn, cereals, shellfish or red meats. (lots of intestinal bloating and natural sugars)

sample menu:

From March - August 2006 I did EAS shakes 3 times a day and 2 chicken salads, plus some fruits for snacks. I started Phen on August 1, 2006 and could eat so little, that I just watched my intake.

Dec & Jan were a disaster with trying to find the right prescription and place to fill it (long story) I found one and took it until March 2007, when I went off Phen totally.

My pcp's office opened a new clinic and I started there April 27th. Along with a new eating plan, I started interval training with walking/jogging on May 1, 2007.

You can't eat carrots, bananas, breads, pastas, corn, cereals, shellfish or red meats. (lots of intestinal bloating and natural sugars)

sample menu:

• Low Sugar or no Sugar Oatmeal, Chicken or Tuna for breakfast
  (When I do canned chicken, turkey, ham or tuna, I use 1 TSP. low fat mayo or the lowest fat dressing I can find and I like)
• EAS Protein Shake (100 cal 6 g fiber) or protein bar
• Chicken Salad w/ veggies for lunch; low cal/low fat replacement meals or a protein supplement - WW/Lean Cuisine etc
• White meats; salad; veggies and fruits for dinner or save your fruit for dessert
• 1/2 of your plate at dinner with salad; 1/4 with meat/beans; 1/4 Fruits
• EAS Protein Shake (100 cal 6 g fiber) or protein bar
  
  If I haven't eaten enough cal during the day, I have an oatmeal on the go bar at night
• 1200-1500 calories daily;
• 1/3 from Protein;
• 1/3 Carbs;
• 1/3 Fats

You need to calculate your BMR (basic metabolic rate) http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/ and cut 500 cal from that daily OR add enough exercise to burn that much or make it even with calories.

This Phase is for Optimum weight loss; and if I don't lose enough each week then they lower my carb intake for maximum weight loss.

My dr says what they do is when you get close to your lowest "ideal weight" they slowly phase you off of meds and ease you into a "normal" eating pattern and up your exercise to a daily routine so that compensates for the added foods.

This Phase is for Optimum weight loss; and if I don't lose enough each week then they lower my carb intake for maximum weight loss.

My dr says what they do is when you get 20 lbs above my "ideal weight" they slowly phase you off of meds and ease you into a "normal" eating pattern and up your exercise to a daily routine so that compensates for the added foods.

His plan isn't the most conventional, but it's better than alot of the weightloss clinics/doctors who put you on 500-700 calories I'm just glad after a full year of being of strict discpline, I've found another eating plan that helps me continue to lose

After a year of strict discipline and a complete lifestlye change, I have lost  104 pounds. I have found that "eating plans" and "exercise routines" must change or I don't continue to lose. Our bodies get used to things and we have to switch every so often.

The next phase is a lower carb plan and higher intensity exercise when I quit losing or plateau.

When I started this plan in May 2007; I started interval training with walking & running. I started out with a warm up - 10 min walking, 1 min running @ 3.0 and then 5-7 min walking, then repeat and then a cool down of 10 min.

My 3rd week,  I was up to 6 min warm up walking @ 2.5, then I run/jog for 4 min @ 3.7 mph, then walk for 6 min then repeat run/walk until 50 min and a 10 min cooldown.

My goal for the month is to walk @ 2.5 mph and be comfortable at 4.0 with running. I'm trying to up my intensity for running speed so the margin between walking/running is a bit more to build strength and endurance.

By upping my running time and speed each time I've been doing this, I went from 1 min @ 3.0 to 4 min @ 3.7 in 15 days. I was quite shocked that I could run @ 3.5 mph for 12 min

My ultimate goal in 3 months is to find a happy medium between 4.5 - 5.0 running for 20 min then walking for warm up, cool down 3 times a week. On the off days, burn extra calories I'll do the walking routine and some strength training.

I've been doing resistance bands a couple of times a week for 15 min or so also - which I'm going to do plus add in the 5 step dumbell workout on my step aerobic days.

I can't do step aerobics anymore :( I found I was having too many problems when I did the step; I have a separated pelvis that was crushed in a wreck 9 years ago, so that is going to take some time to work into.

On this plan, I have not felt the stomach bloating that I have in the past or felt hungry and tired. In the past year, I have utilized low carb, low fat, low cal plans, but nothing has worked the way this plan has.

WEEKLY WEIGHT LOSS PROGRESS STATS

Aerobic vs. Anaerobic Exercise

Some more great info:

The quickest way to succeed in losing weight, and to keep it off, is by increasing your metabolism.

Don’t be fooled by all of the fad diets. Just think of all those lean body builders. How do you think they achieved their fitness goals? They have developed incredibly fast and efficient metabolism.

The problem with fad diets is that many actually cause the metabolism to slow down. A decreased metabolic rate is often the very reason that weight loss progress grinds to a sudden halt.

Increasing exercise often has no effect, and reducing food intake often won’t help either. Because the net loss of protein in the muscles continues to lower your metabolism, the body will adapt to the lower calorie intake.

It’s a physiological fact that when we lose weight, we also lose protein from our muscles. And the quicker the weight loss, the greater the loss of protein. Because there is less intake of protein from dieting, the protein in the muscles is broken down and used for energy or to create new proteins for our immune systems.

Unfortunately, a net loss of protein will always decrease the body’s metabolism.

As protein is lost from the cells, it gradually lowers the total lean body weight. This affects the body composition and lowers the metabolism. Because of this process, we gradually require fewer calories to maintain body weight.

If the current diet is continued, weight loss will eventually stop. In fact, it’s even possible to SLOWLY GAIN BACK WEIGHT if a dieter sticks to a very low calorie diet!

The more protein that is lost from the muscles, the more fluid that is also lost, because protein holds around four times its weight in water.

Thus a quick weight loss in the first few weeks of a new diet regimen is mostly a loss of fluid, not fat.

If someone lost five pounds in the first week, for it to be all fat loss there would have to be a deficit of 17,500 calories!

To reach that kind of energy deficit in that short period of time would require constant exercise!

Over the period of a week, about only one pound of the five pounds lost is fat, the rest is mostly water.

Protein and its fluid replacement is the main reason that many dieters regain weight after a diet.

An increase in the metabolism would result in a gain of fluid. Therefore, weight loss would be more gradual. This is one reason for the recommended weight loss of one to two pounds per week. By increasing your metabolism, you are giving your body a reason to hold onto protein, so that less water is lost.

Even if more exercise is undertaken, a net loss of protein can occur if caloric intake is too low. 

Remember that dieters reduce their caloric intake. But, since exercise uses extra carbs, the body must break down extra protein in order to convert into more carbohydrates. More carbs are needed because a less fit person often has an untrained cardiovascular system, and cannot, which cannot supply enough oxygen for cells to burn fat for energy during exercise.

Exercise will increase the metabolism, but the trick for those trying to lose weight is to perform the right exercises for their specific body type, and not to cut too many calories too soon.

To lose fat fast, you should prepare the body by increasing your metabolism before cutting calories. This enables your body to establish a major fat burning energy metabolism while regulating the protein metabolism.

• less exercise would be needed - giving you more time

• less effort if you did exercise - no need to try burning lots of calories during each session!

• less chance of weight regain later

• still enjoy some favorite foods - no need to be as strict on the diet

• less time spent preparing low / non fat recipes and meals

• save money from not needing to buy all the expensive low fat varieties

• higher percentage of fat loss over fluid loss

Aerobic exercise like walking or swimming will burn a greater percentage of body fat. Aerobic exercise is an effective way to lose fat only if you are motivated enough to workout frequently, aerobics only burn fat during the workout so if you want encouraging results you need to be able to exercise daily and for longer periods. 

Anaerobic Exercise burns more calories than aerobic exercise because each movement generates more force from the cells. However when muscle cells contract with more force they switch to using carbohydrates as the main energy source. This type of exercise may seem incorrect for weight loss but in fact it helps produce an adaptive response with a side effect of an increased metabolic rate. During periods of rest the cells accelerate the fat burning process.

Aerobic exercise can develop into Anaerobic Exercise

Most exercises can be performed as aerobic (burn fat) or Anaerobic Exercise (burn mainly carbohydrates) the terms simply refer to the energy pathway required. For example walking is easy and a good aerobic exercise but if we increase the effort the body moves faster, eventually we end up running which then uses the Anaerobic Exercise energy pathway. The Anaerobic Exercise pathway means oxygen uptake becomes insufficient for fat to continue to be the main fuel source.

In fact most exercises or movements we perform result in a split between the fuels used, for example if the effort is about average like vacuuming a room or washing a car then we'll probably be burning about 50% carbohydrates and 50% fat.

Fast weight loss will come when the individual performs each exercise correctly and within their own unique capacity.

To change this rule you must burn stored fat indirectly by using anaerobic exercises to increase your metabolic rate.

The words aerobic and anaerobic refer to energy pathways that are utilised during exercise. Aerobic means "with oxygen" and anaerobic means "without oxygen".

Fat needs oxygen to burn completely so in order to burn fat during an exercise we need to move slowly and smoothly. This enables muscle cells to be supplied with enough oxygen to continue with its aerobic capacity and utilize fat as the main energy source.

Anaerobic Exercise requires moving at an increased pace or with greater effort. Exercising this way burns more calories but results in a greater demand for oxygen which cannot be delivered in sufficient quantities to allow cells to continue burning fat. When we breath heavy we start to develop an oxygen debt and muscle cells switch to burning mainly carbohydrates, this fuel burns quickly and does not require oxygen.

Anaerobic Exercise such as sprinting or weight training require more effort and up to 95% of the fuel used will be carbohydrates.  

Although Anaerobic Exercise burn more carbohydrates they can be important in any weight loss program. They help burn fat indirectly by increasing the metabolic rate after an exercise session.

Medication Info