Thursday, June 12, 2014

phthalates, parabens and pesticides -- oh, my!

Rick (and a LOT of other people) is (are) frustrated with plateauing....  It's not an easy problem to deal with!  We've discussed it here before, but tossing in some more suggestions about what might be going "wrong" might be timely.

On the cruise, there were speakers i'd never heard of before, but who had some interesting ideas.  In fact, someone during the Q & A session brought up the subject of plateaus, and the entire panel seemed to agree on the basic reply:

WATCH FOR HIDDEN CARBS.  Some people are so sensitive to them, a very little can derail their efforts.  One woman found that the lemon juice she was using was enough to keep her from progressing.

First, forget the NET carbs -- from Eric Westman all the way down the ranks, it's now agreed that that "net" business has led people astray.

Do you use powdered sucralose?  It's bulked up with fluffed maltodextrin.  This carbohydrate has a high glycemic index and can elicit an insulin spike.  Use liquid sucralose instead, in your coffee/tea and for other sweetening purposes.

But wait, you say -- i can't BAKE with liquid sucralose!  ...BAKE???  If you're eating baked goods often, THERE'S another source of carbs you may not be counting!  Almond flour is not carb-free, though some people treat it as such -- every ounce has 5.6g.  Even heavy cream is not carb-free -- a half-cup contains 3.3g.  A little here, a little there -- you're at 20g of carb before you know it.

Did you know that acesulfame-potassium inhibits ketosis?  Yep.  It elicits an insulin response, though the animals tested don't demonstrate hypoglycemia afterward -- insulin w/o hypo's ... doesn't that imply sugar-release?

Obesogens in the modern environment!  Though the PEOPLE delivering this kind of information set off everyone's quack-alarm, there's evidence that the message shouldn't be dismissed as quickly as the messenger.  A lot of obesogens screw with your hormones and neurotransmitters;  a few of them are phthalates, parabens, BPA and its replacement (BPS) also, pesticides, halogens (chlorine, bromine, fluoride), MSG, heavy metals, molds and allergens, PPIs, antidepressants, other psych drugs....  As mentioned above, hormones (particularly sex hormones) REEEALLY predispose for weight-gain!  Why do you suppose women who never had a weight problem before, start gaining fat in midlife, though they haven't changed their food choices or amount of activity?  It's truly amazing how many gurus totally manage to ignore this phenomenon!

So if you're frustrated by a weight-loss plateau, it's time to take a very close look at a lot of things.  Weigh and measure your food and plot EVERYTHING in your favorite online tracker.  Don't say "i'm very good at eyeballing -- i don't need to measure."  If you omit this step, DON'T FUCKING EVER complain again!

Read EVERY label.  Even your shampoo.  Don't chew a piece of gum without knowing what's in it.  I'm serious -- the little things add up.

26 comments:

  1. Weight loss is easy, except life gets in the way. ;)

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    1. Can I add weight loss is easy but appetite gets in the way :)

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    2. both. :-P if we don't mind starving for extended periods, we WILL end up burning fat to keep us from DYING. but it's MUCH more complicated than the ELMM people might think. most of us "have a life" and that life must be fueled.

      myself ... it occasionally just makes me want to run screaming into the night. I understand why some people give up, and why others DRINK! if it weren't for all the responsibilities we have and the duties we feel toward our loved ones, I could do either or both.

      frustration SUCKS, doesn't it?

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  2. Oh, it's never a problem for me when I gain or start static'ing too high. I KNOW exactly what caused it.

    Also, don't forget excess sodium / fluid retention. That can be a bugger for a few days, too. Even when/if you ask for 'no added salt' at a restaurant, much of their food/meats especially are already pre-marinated... (I work in the restaurant industry. I know these things.)

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    1. what i find revealing is that i can salt fresh food lavishly at home and have it not result in water retention; i suspect it's not the "sodium chloride" that bothers some of us, but the other sodium-containing additives, like benzoate and sulfite, which could be causing the havoc.

      if weight fluctuates wildly from day to day, it IS a water issue -- can't be anything else. but a sudden cessation of loss on the same regimen suggests another feedback loop has kicked in.

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  3. I'm at the maintenance stage so i'm one of those crazy people who weigh themselves every morning..yep every morning. I've been doing this diet thing for so long that I'm an old pro at it. As soon as I hit my 'scream weight" aka Barbara Berkeley I increase the exercise (HIIT on bike or long walks), IF and eat fish for dinner. I do know there is a 3lb water fluctuation if I eat the wrong thing, too much dairy, too much of anything, inflammation from resistance exercise, eating smoked meats, eating too early in the day which stimulates my hunger and so on, which is quickly lost doing my intervention. It's tough, but the alternative is not an option :) Anyway took my first berberine capsule last night and this morning's fasting blood was the highest ever...hmmm...

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    1. May i add that if I gain that water weight and do nothing about it, it stays and becomes the new weight and then things get out of control and it can be a slippery slide.

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    2. i believe that frequent weighing helps to keep us honest. ;-) at very least, we see a trend before it actually becomes a PROBLEM.

      i tried berberine half-heartedly, but really didn't think its benefits were a good fit for me. my husband finished the bottle, and didn't really see any difference for him either, so we aren't pursuing it. but apparently, it IS comparable in its actions to metformin, so for people who suspect that drug might be helpful to them, berberine is one way to try it out without a prescription.

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  4. Tests, you mentioned me in your post! That makes me feel good because I have been slipping about the little things I use to do when I first started. I have been eating more protein than I should I think (thanks Lori) but how do you get more fat and less protein? What is a fat bomb? Honestly the above post is slightly over my head. Can you recommend a good book that covers everything you've learned so far when it comes to weight loss. A lot of books I've read talk about fasting. I haven't had much luck. I have tried it, but it does bring out my appetite. Thanks

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    1. There's a book on dietary fat and fasting called The Fat Fast by Dana Carpender. Dr. Atkins designed the fat fast as a temporary measure to help people break through stalls (I used it last year to cure my gastritis, since fasting is anti-inflammatory and I can't do actual fasts.)

      On the fat fast, you eat 1,000 calories per day and aim for 90% fat. The 90% fat part is harder than it sounds--I'm afraid you'll have to make your own food, but the book is full of recipes. Some of them are really easy (coconut butter on a dark chocolate square, curry chicken soup) and they're all fat bombs (i.e., really high in fat). You eat a little bit of food every few hours, so it's not nearly as hard as regular fasting. But I'll be honest, I did find it challenging and I don't know how people manage on 1000 calories a day for very long.

      Like all fasts, it's a temporary measure, but it'll give you some ideas for going higher fat and lower protein.

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    2. Rick, may i "introduce" you to Tommy Runesson -- this gentleman managed to lose 200 pounds on LCHF. he spoke on the cruise this year. he's from Sweden, but you two might have a lot in common. his english-language blog is here: http://www.eatlowcarbhighfat.com

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    3. Wow. I really appreciate this. Thanks for all your help! On a personal note, I have been on unemployment for the last two months from a job that I had for seventeen years. It has been tremendously stressful. I have lost weight in spite of this but the stress of it sometimes is hard to deal with. Anybody looking for work right now is facing an uphill battle. Stress can be a good and bad thing. I really need to lose because the thinner you are the more employable you are. I had to cancel my gym membership and it's not as easy to workout now. Wish me luck! Thanks again and sorry for crying on your shoulders.

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    4. Tommy and I are eating mostly the same foods. I bought Fat Fast and am reading it now. I will let you know how it goes and Thanks again.

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    5. Just read through Fat Fast. I'm going on a mission to Wal-Mart tonight. Cream cheese, heavy cream, and chicken. I'm going to make broth out of the chicken thighs and eat the skins. Maybe my wife will get the meat.

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    6. Fat fasting: Day one. I had a quarter cup of heavy cream in my coffee for breakfast this morning. Working inside and out with moderate exercise. Very hungry at 11:38. 2oz of cream cheese for lunch.

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    7. I think one of ways to eat the right for you amounts of fat and protein is limiting lean proteins. We went to a barbecue place yesterday with our house-guest. I ordered ribs and beef combo with green beans and a green salad. It turned out to be a pile of a very thinly sliced beef and three ribs. I was eating the lean meat first because I had an odd habit to eat last what I expect to taste better. I couldn't eat more than one rib because it was very fatty. Soon I after started to eat that fat, I felt I couldn't take another bite. People can eat a lot of bread with butter or an ice cream, but not much fatty meat.

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    8. 1:35 pm feel so bad have to eat raw spinach with olive oil. Worst I've felt in four months since I started diet. No pain no gain. Uhgggg.

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    9. I found I needed a lot of salt on the fat fast. A lot, as in a glittering crust of salt, or I felt lightheaded. Your mileage may vary.

      I found the fat fast hard, too. When it was over, I felt like I'd spent two days putting down a riot.

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    10. Felt better after eating spinach and olive oil. Symptoms may be psychosomatic, not sure. 3:41 pm, still feel low and my stomach is growing. Not use to this. Hopefully dinner will be better. This sucks, but it may work. (whimper)

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    11. This may interest you: "Herodotus later relates that Maeonia (Lydia) was beset with famine during Atys' reign, on which account the games of dice, knuckle-bones and ball were developed, and the Maeonians spent every other day fasting and playing these games for 18 years." From Wikipedia.

      Got any games?

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  5. Rick,
    I want you to check the web-site http://gettingstronger.org/2010/11/learning-to-fast/

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  6. Rick, a lot of men seem to be losing weight on the 5:2 program - eat 600 calories twice a week.

    Galina I love Todd from GS he's such a polite gentleman blogger and has great tips on fasting; ie smell something when craving

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  7. Rick, my husband was made redundant just before Christmas and I know how you are feeling. I am worrying about him, he seems to be getting very melancholic and lacking energy. Our government wants to push the retirement up even further but people can't get jobs at 50 who the hell is going to employ a 70 year old.

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    1. Thanks, it is tough out there right now. I'm only 40 and feeling like I don't have a chance. It's easy to be stressed and over come. You have to take one day at a time and there will be ups and downs.

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    2. Sorry to hear about the job situation, Rick. It's a battlefield out there. Hope you are doing well with the fat fast!

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