Random shout outs included:
** I have before and after photos, I have graphs, some data, at the end of this post. If those things trigger you, please don't read past my photos. **
Boom, y'all. (Anna Vocino- love your podcasts with Vinnie!)
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Basic Details:
I lost weight using Medifast (Paleo Police, I know you'll hate this... you'll get over it!),Getting off the SAD, sugar, and wheat did bring me to the clarity that I needed to start to stop binge eating. Also, I had not heard of Paleo in 2011. But when I knew more, I did more learning. I maintained using my own Paleo-ish style, modified Auto Immune Protocol using 2012 as my transition year. I'm tough, not moderate with my food template. (Moderate eaters, I'm good without grains, I've got nothing for you, head back to your camp...) (via Jeff Probst - Survivor. OutWit, Outlast, Outplay )
I also used the book Refuse to Regain, by Barbara Berkeley, MD. Her blog link
My 2 cents: If you have 20 pounds or less to go before you maintain your weight, grab a copy of that book. Adapt it to what works for you.
I also have to manage my binge eating that has been with me since the age of 6. Food Addiction? Probably so. Abstaining works like a charm for me. I'm still standing. You don't have to like it or believe it, but to stay food sober, I have at least accept it . Check out the books The Hunger Fix, by Pamela Peeke, MD and Food Junkies Vera Tarman, MD- (Moderate eaters, your cure is my disease, carry on... , without me!)
I really, really don't miss my visceral fat. Amazing. I still sometimes don't recognize myself in the mirror. Working on that.
My best advice- build your own n=1. Your own self experiment.
What works: My food template I customized
- my weight management
- my sleep habits
- my post-auto immune disease
- my likely food addiction.
- my low inflammatory blood work
- my lower visceral fat (and you know I don't miss that)
- Not customizing weight maintenance, or prioritizing it.
- Ignoring the need to study weight maintenance and practice the skills
- Being afraid of facing the binge eating stuff.
- Not taking quick action when my blood work was going in the wrong direction
Lets get to statistics and graphs... let's geek out for a few moments...Oh, here's another blogger that uses graphs a lot- David from Keep It Up David , he just got to 5 years in to maintenance. Kudos to him! The 3-5 year range is statistically significant. However, as my bloggy friend Vickie pointed out in previous comments, many a blogger fell out around the 5 year mark. I can promise you I'm not headed out for some paleo desserts and baked goods to celebrate 3 years. LOL.And with David's stair racing, it seems he's going strong, too.
I'm gearing up for the next 6 months, then 12 months. Onward! Top priority. Always. I feel better, physically and mentally. I can be the person I was meant to be.
** Note** Lynda ,my NZ bloggy friend ,has already mentioned the doormat improvement from 2011 to 2015 in my before and after photos. Someone always points out the doormat, and Lynda's attention to detail from my front page earns her a kudos! Love that!
Random Cat photo for Katie:
Nobody misses my visceral fat, not even the cat(s) looking for hats. I hope Katie is still reading... she loves these photos ;) Now, here comes the data:
 |
| Tortitude, two cats, no hats. Checking dresser quality |
Starting weight: 187.4
Starting date: 5/3/2011
Ending date for loss: 2/3/2012
Total weight loss: 70+ pounds
Percentage of total body weight lost: 37-38% or more
Weeks to lose the weight: 40 weeks
Years Maintaining: 3
Current weight: 113-119, right now out mid range 115-116 lbs
Age: 48
Height: 5'1"
Menopause: yes, in 2012, first year of maintenance
Binge eating: in recovery
Congratulations, Karen! So, so many fai at weight maintenance, and you are going strong. I look forward to your continued maintenance and informational posts. And yes, I like your new updated "after" picture!
ReplyDeleteThank, you Ali. I failed at weight maintenance for 40 years. But I did use the fails to learn what not to do. I think I was waiting to either find more info about Paleo and/or Food Addiction to make my move.
DeleteThank you for your frequent comments. And love that we have a lot of similarities. Onward
"I lost weight using Medifast (Paleo Police, I know you'll hate this... you'll get over it!),"
ReplyDeleteMy second attempt at weight loss I used the HCG Protocol. I was desperate and desperate people do desperate things. It got me to where I needed to be.....This year I'll celebrate 5 years of maintenance, two years of solid maintenance. The first three years was a bumpy road.
Running Stitches- wow! How long were you on the HCG? I understand now that Very Low Calorie diets do work well with my geneotype and my binge brain, BUT, I was meant to get on one, then get the heck off.
DeleteWorking maintenance 100% with real food took awhile, but the Medifast was low inflammatory and helped me to get where I am today. Now If I need to reverse a small gain I would go to low carb and/or some Intermittent fasting to go lower calorie, but just for a bit of a reset.
Thank you for being a frequent commenter!!!
Hello Karen
ReplyDeleteI am a silent follower of yours and this is by far my favourite weight loss/maintenance blog. I love that you are tough like that. It gives me hope that abstaining from everything bad for me for life is doable.
One thing catches my attention that there are many people who have lost the weight with other diets (non Paleo), and keep it at maintenance with Paleo. I think this has something with the fact that in Paleo you do not count anything and it can be relatively high carb with fruits, nuts, etc. What is different in Medifast compared to Paleo? It would be great if you could sum it up. Thanks.
Thank you for posting, twihnb! And for reading. I appreciate that. I have to be tough, not moderate. Both for my physical health and emotional health. Moderation leads me to binge eat and back to high inflammation and weight gain... sadness, but awesome outcomes and great things that the tough part = good tasting food, good emotional state.
DeleteWell Medifast is the most opposite of Paleo as you can ever get. Medifast = a Very Low Calroie, Low fat, Low carb diet that is a packaged and yes, Multi-Level Marketing expensive product, yet I found it super effective for weight loss. I spent 40 weeks buying the products, then 11 months transitioning off them for weight loss and the first year of weight maintenance. I was probably next step Lap Band, so this was cheaper, much safer, more effective in the long run (and NO, I don't sell the stuff).
BUT, I also find my own custom Paleo-ish approach to be the BEST at weight maintenance, far better than a Medifast approach. I needed to get legumes (soy) and dairy the heck out of my diet, and Medifast has a lot of both. Being post thyroid disease plays a huge part in my food choices.
Paleo can be low, medium or high carb because you choose your own food template. The younger, heavy lifting/Cross fit crowd, ladies of child bearing age, kids eating grain free will naturally eat plenty of high carb foods, . Others can be fine at medium carbs, then people like me thrive at low carb- this is true for me post menopause. There's no one Paleo diet out there, but just lots of different food templates that work for people- IMO.
N=1 self experimentation is key-IMO.
Thanks for your reply, Karen. I agree that self experimentation is the key. The thing is, although being young, I keep my weight up even if I only eat meats (with fat) and vegetables. The only way I can lose is drop the fat, but then it becames super restrictive and hard to follow. The only time I lost weight was following the Dukan diet, and I don't want it anymore.
DeleteAnyway, I should keep experimenting to find what's both working and sustainable for me, just like you said.
AWESOME! Congrats, Karen! Love all the charts and data and definitely love that I'm not the only one that tracks stuff like that so dilligently!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the shout-out. And yup...I'm definitely going strong. So are you! KEEP IT UP!
David, thank you!! I'm having fun reading your blog, but I don't always comment. Kudos!! The first podcast of Abel James that I listened to was you being interviewed the second time. I figured ALL the weight maintenance bloggers kept graphs like you and I do... LOL.
DeleteAnyway, graphing has kept me being able to reverse several trends, stinking thinking, and able to remove high inflammatory foods without costly lab tests. One stop shopping. Safe travels and looking forward to your blog posts. :)
Yes, that doormat has been mentioned before, I remember! Looking great Karen, you are doing an amazing job. You are such a geek!! (said in a kind way with a smile on my face...) all those charts !!!
ReplyDeleteLynda, that door mat... sigh.. it's become a legend in weight maintenance blogging... LOL. Anyhoo, I have a private story to share with you sometime about door mats and you will laugh so hard.... It makes me smile.
DeleteThank you for your kind words. I think of you all the time - especially now that Pete Evans and the whole Paleo movement in New Zealand is picking up great momentum. Oh, and when I source lamb and now grass-fed beef. It's often cheaper here in So. Cal when it's imported in bulk from NZ. Keep up the great blogging!! :)
Great post Karen! I am so happy for you and I know how hard you work! Keep inspiring us with your story.
ReplyDeleteHeather, thank you! I just realized that I am overdue on a post with some positive things to say about the Half Size Me community. Now that I'm finally getting better from my cold, look for it soon. :) And thank you for your site, your podcasts, and your coaching services. Very much needed and I KNOW the long term maintenance rates will be higher because of your work. Kudos!!!
DeleteJust love your cats photo
ReplyDeleteJust love your post
All the best Jan
Congrats on reaching three years maintenance, you are awesome! I can't wait to reach goal to see how I go with maintenance, but one thing is sure ... I'll keep looking to successful maintainers such as yourself for inspiration. :)
ReplyDeleteThis made me giggle: Paleo Police, I know you'll hate this... you'll get over it! As far as I'm concerned, anyone that is taking 3 year maintenance pictures like yours, knows what she is doing. :)
ReplyDeleteI posted a comment a second ago but I don't see it anyway, so I'll try this again lol. I am a health coach for Take Shape For Life. Some people don't understand the difference between TSFL and Medifast, since we also use the Medifast meal replacements. We are a partnership company with them, except we offer free serves, like a health coach, access to speak to nurses, doctors, counselors, nutritionists, all for free through your health coach. Basically we use the food, but we give you extra tools for people who have a hard time doing it on their own. I am SO HAPPY to see your success with this!!! WOOHOO!! :)
ReplyDelete