CatHerder's Journal

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02 April 2016

I'm feeling better on my withdrawal. Started taking tryptophan on Tuesday with the theanine. I have also cut out most caffeine. My sleep has definitely improved. I'm still not 100% but on my way to recovery. I've been reading it can take anywhere from 1 month to up to a year to fully recover. I expect a longer duration since I was on it for so long. I wish I was told of this issue when I was put on it, I would have tried to get off of it sooner.

I'm still doing calorie cycling. Trying to focus on cycling carbs more. Before most of my calorie increases were due to nuts (fat). Thursday I managed to get up to 300 net carbs. Yesterday was a lower calorie day and this morning I was greeted with a drop. I'm still a little above my lightest and working on slowly getting my weight and body fat down. I've given myself a year for the decrease so no need to rush.

Has anyone tried the potato hack? Also called the potato reset diet. It's where you eat almost 100% potatoes for 5-7 days. Based on the anecdotes, it's said to be effective. I just don't know if I could eat a single food everyday for that long. Interesting concept though.

I hope everyone has a great weekend! Go out and enjoy it if you can.

Weight:	Lost so far:	Still to go:	Diet followed:
97.1 kg	8.6 kg	6.4 kg	Reasonably Well

(2 comments) Losing 1.6 kg a Week

29 March 2016

We may stumble. We may fall. Our resolve will be challenged. We must pull ourselves up, dust ourselves off and continue on our journey. We have come too far to turn around. Our only failure would be in quitting having gotten as far as we have.

I have been struggling the past week. I'm trying to come off of my SSRI(lexapro) that I have been on for years. Per the doctor's direction I cut the dosage down to 5mg which I was on when I was at my sister's place and I stopped altogether a little over a week ago. All of last week I felt like crap. I had headaches, anxiety, brain fog, blurred vision, dizziness, fatigue, insomnia and sleep disturbances. I wasn't sure what was going on and was ready to call my GP. It suddenly dawned on me that all of these stared 2 days after my last dose of lexapro. I decided to take another 5mg over the weekend and it helped with the symptoms. I'm currently on 5mg and the symptoms appeared to have pretty much disappeared. My thought is to try to restore my serotonin levels which are probably messed up from the medication. I have started taking theanine to help with the sleep and am going to start tryptophan to try to restore some balance to my serotonin level.

Needless to say this has impacted my diet and exercise. At first I was not hungry at all and then I was absolutely ravenous. The sugar cravings have been terrible even though I have resisted. Yesterday was my first day back to the gym after 2 weeks off. It was a little tough but it did feel good. Today is lawn day so that'll be my exercise.

I hope everybody has a wonderful day!

Weight:	Lost so far:	Still to go:	Diet followed:
98.0 kg	7.7 kg	7.3 kg	Reasonably Well

(7 comments) Losing 0.2 kg a Week

26 March 2016

I've been relatively quiet so as to try to relax about some comments made in this forum. I assume that most people mean well but can cause issues not so much with what they say but more in the way they say it.

I would like to preface my comments with the statement that I support all diets that lead to a sustainable caloric deficit that can be transitioned into maintenance. I even support medical interventions such as HcG, stimulants and bariatric surgery. I know the desperation that can come with repeatedly failed diets from personal experience so I have a feeling for the mindset of a dieter. I am here to support people no matter which path they choose.

[rant]

Dispensing Medical Advice

I have read several comments over the past months where people have said to try a certain diet to correct medical issues. This can cause issues on several fronts.

People with chronic condition, especially if you are on medication for diabetes and thyroid issues, need to discuss dietary changes with their doctor. Just because someone says that you should be on X diet or Y meal pattern doesn't mean it is safe for everybody all of the time. This can have serious consequences for those on medication that causes changes in glucose metabolism (diabetics). Can you imagine what would happen to an insulin dependent diabetic reduced carbs without adjusting dosage? Even metformin can cause issues as it reduces the amount of glucose produced by the liver (reduces gluconeogenesis).

While it is appropriate to suggest looking into a particular diet, I think stating unequivocally that a certain diet can correct medical issues is very dangerous.

Saying Calories/Calorie Counting Doesn't Matter

This is a pet peeve of mine. The one thing I notice is that the people saying this have what looks like pretty complete food logs or eat the same thing day-in/day-out, indirectly controlling calories.

If you are just starting weight loss or are having trouble loosing weight then you need to log what you are eating to see where you are at. I also recommend weighing and measuring foods at least for a while until you get better at estimating. It has been shown that most people are notoriously bad at estimating the amount of food they eat. Without seeing what a certain portion size really is it's hard to get a handle on estimating. Also the need for accurately logging everything you eat cannot be emphasized enough. You can probably go to estimating after about amount of measuring. Or you can be OCD like me and only estimate when eating out, measure when eating at home.

Personal Bias

This is another peeve. This one is repudiation of research that does not support a persons dietary dogma. They would rather believe people like Jimmy Moore (who, by the way has dealt with weight issues recently oddly enough) and Gary Taubes. These so called experts use anecdotal evidence, epidemiological and rat studies to prove their point. This is the worst type of evidence to believe but they have no problem with that.

I'm a tech geek and like to have a sound reasoning for trying something rather than just poorly supported speculation.

[/rant]

I hope everyone has a wonderful Easter weekend! May whatever diet deity you believe bless your weight loss journey.

Weight:	Lost so far:	Still to go:	Diet followed:
98.1 kg	7.6 kg	7.3 kg	Reasonably Well

(9 comments) Losing 0.3 kg a Week

24 March 2016

I'm working on a couple of things to write up that have been bothering me. I hope to be more active in the forums.

Weight:	Lost so far:	Still to go:	Diet followed:
98.2 kg	7.5 kg	7.4 kg	Reasonably Well

(2 comments) Losing 1.9 kg a Week

23 March 2016

I did about a 20 hour fast yesterday. It really wasn't planned, I just didn't feel particularly hungry until well after noon. Today I do plan on eating lunch so it will only be about a 17 hour fast.

I did measure my metabolic rate this morning. It was actually back into the calculated rate after being depressed for so long in my caloric restriction. It also said my fat burning rate was high which is understandable given the calorie deficit yesterday.

The paleo start date has been set for to Monday. It shouldn't be too much of an issue for me and it's only 30 days.

I hope everyone is having a wonderful day!

Weight:	Lost so far:	Still to go:	Diet followed:
98.4 kg	7.3 kg	7.7 kg	Reasonably Well

(5 comments) Losing 5.7 kg a Week

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