This is Ariel’s Thread and here is her Introduction:
Hello all! I’m Ariel: 5’ 1” and thirty-eight years old.
I’ve never been slim and have always struggled to lose even one pound. As I’ve gotten older I have had to eat less and less – holding very tightly to a low-fat, high fiber “healthy” diet. For a while I was a vegan, eating no fat at all. I lost 25 pounds in eighteen months but was hungry constantly, and I put it right back on when I added meat and dairy. Doctors have never been able to help; one even suggested Wellbutrin, an anti-depressant, which only allowed me to care slightly less and get dressed a bit faster in the morning. I’ve been frustrated my entire adult life that I couldn’t make my body lose the excess weight, so I’ve been hyper-vigilant about everything I eat, although even that hasn’t prevented weight gain. Exercise never makes a dent, and I have learned to ignore the people who tell me that the pounds I gain when I exercise are due to added muscle. That is a load of crap.
I have a four-year old daughter, and when I was pregnant I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes. Borderline, but I was put in a program where I had to maintain fasting and postprandial glucose levels and which, by my last month, required the use of medication and the complete removal of carbs from my diet. I was starving all the time, and the whole point of the program, to keep my daughter from growing to ten or more pounds, was moot: she was five pounds when she was born. There was something else wrong that caused the insulin issues, and starving both of us didn’t help the underlying cause.
Not surprisingly, losing the 24 pounds I gained in pregnancy took three years. I took Metformin for possible (though not tested) insulin resistance, and I lost a few pounds and then leveled off. I went to a nutritionist, who told me I was doing everything right and that I just needed to keep at it. In a fit of extreme frustration after being weighed at the doctor’s office in August (because they always suggest, gently, that I could stand to lose lots of weight – “really? I’m fat? Shocking, I had no idea.”), I told them to help me if they possibly could, and they sent me to a doctor who had success with HCG. He started me on it right away. I lost 8 pounds in the first week and then three pounds over the next two weeks. But some days I gained as much as a pound back. I was indignant; how am I gaining weight on 500 calories a day? How is that even possible? I started reading everything I could find about problems with HCG.
That’s how I found SugarFree.
I’m thrilled to begin the Protocol. According to my labs, I’m insulin resistant and dealing with Thyroid Hormone Resistance/Hypothyroidism. This is likely all due to my having PCOS, something that was never diagnosed because I don’t have the fertility issues that the docs think are the only aspect of the syndrome. Thanks to SugarFree’s work, I have hope for the first time in years that I might be able to heal my broken metabolism.
Protocol Round 1, Week 1, Day 2 – 10/25/11
Weight: 169.8
Measurements:
Bust: 42”
Waist: 36.5”
Hips: 43”
Lunch:
– 8 oz kale
– 3 oz string beans
– 4.5 oz salmon
– 21 g butter
– 1 oz sweet potato
Dinner:
– 2 eggs
– 4 oz mushrooms
– 14 g butter
– 1 oz heavy cream
Fitday stats:
– Calories: 706
– Fat: 49.8 grams (63%)
– Protein: 46.8 grams (27%)
– Carbs: 17.6 grams (10%)
Ketostix: trace
Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 91
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 104
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 99
Since I’m starting on a Tuesday instead of a Monday, we’re calling today “Day 2” although it’s my first day on protocol. I’m excited to be started, but I’m definitely hungry. Lunch was enormous (8 oz. of kale is a lot), and delicious, but I felt hungry again within an hour of eating. Looking forward to some lipolysis to stop the hunger. Not sure what the high 1 hr. pp is about – sweet potato, perhaps?
[Note: Ariel, it’s normal to be hungry the first day or two of the Protocol. You’re not taking in many calories by mouth, and you’re not yet taking in calories via lipolysis, which will open up your fat cells, release the fat, convert it, and burn it for fuel/energy/satiation. Over the course of the next few days that will change. Your BG numbers will improve and you’ll find yourself getting warm as excess fat is burned. When that happens your hunger will diminish. A lot. Hang in there … things are about to get much better. :)]
Protocol Round 1, Week 1, Day 3 – 10/26/11
Weight: 169.4 = down .4 pounds
Lunch:
– 10 oz broccoli
– 8 oz asparagus
– 4.25 oz sirloin steak
– 14 g butter
– 1 oz brown rice
– 1 oz heavy cream
Dinner:
– 2 eggs
– 4 oz mushrooms
– 14 g butter
Fitday stats:
– Calories: 729
– Fat: 50.4 grams (62%)
– Protein: 47.8 grams (26%)
– Carbs: 21.1 grams (12%)
Ketostix: small
Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 87
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 103
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 88
Well, it’s very good to see a bit of weight loss to kick this off. This morning was busy so I didn’t notice any hunger, and lunch was wonderful and satisfying. I’m feeling really good – unlike when I was on HCG, I now have plenty of energy to focus when I’m working.
Protocol Round 1, Week 1, Day 4 – 10/26/11
Weight: 168.8 = down .6 pounds
Lunch:
– 4 oz broccoli
– 4 oz kale
– 5 oz asparagus
– 4.5 oz sirloin steak
– 1 oz brown rice
– 1 fl oz heavy cream
Dinner:
– 2 eggs
– 4 oz zucchini
– 14 g butter
Fitday stats:
– Calories: 732
– Fat: 51.4 (63%)
– Protein: 46.9 (26%)
– Carbs: 20.5 (11%)
Ketostix: small to moderate
Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 79
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 97
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 92
Losing a pound in two days is awesome. I’m going through a ton of green leafy vegetables! One of the difficulties of doing this is planning my food, food for my husband, and food for my daughter. I’m trying to bring the three food-plans toward one (well, toward an expanded version of mine), but it will take a while. For now, my daughter is seeing far fewer refined carbs and my husband is seeing none; both are enjoying an abundance of vegetables.
I’m much less hungry than I was the first two days, and I’m happy with those blood glucose numbers. A good day, definitely.
[Note: A great day! Your ketostix and lack of hunger says that you’ve already achieved lipolysis and are burning excess adipose fat. It doesn’t matter what the scale says — your measuring tape on Monday will tell the true story, and I’m betting that it’s going to be good. :)]
Protocol Round 1, Week 1, Day 5 – 10/28/11
Weight: 168.2 = down .6 pounds
Lunch:
– 8 oz spinach
– 4 oz zucchini
– 5 oz lamb shoulder
– 1 oz brown rice
– .5 fl oz heavy cream
– 7 g butter
Dinner:
– 2 eggs
– 1 egg white
– 4.5 oz string beans
– 7 g butter
Fitday stats:
– Calories: 722
– Fat: 50.4 (63%)
– Protein: 45.5 (25%)
– Carbs: 21.3 (12%)
Ketostix: small
Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 84
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 100
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 84
I had a busy morning and so didn’t eat lunch until 1pm, but wasn’t hungry that whole time. Wow. My 2-hr post prandial number was really more like 2.5 hours. I’m still getting the hang of fitting the Protocol in between teaching sessions and missed the 2-hr mark because I was with a student. The lamb was delicious (sorry, tiny adorable animals!), but it used up a lot of the fat I’ve been incorporating as sour cream and butter. I really missed them, so I doubt I’ll eat lamb again on Protocol. Instead I’ll wait for Maintenance, and roast a big lamb shoulder with garlic and rosemary.
I’m happy with the continued weight loss, obviously. Combined with the 11 pounds I lost on HCG, it’s getting close to time for new clothes. Turns out one of the important jobs of well-fitting pants is to keep your underwear from falling down inside them.
[Note: OMG – underwear! I’ve gone down four sizes (top and bottom) and at some point I’ll probably go down one more. And unlike pants or tops that you can wear for just a while longer even when they’re baggy, underwear has to fit. Just wish it didn’t cost so much.
Unfortunately, the bump in your 1-hr PP shows that you should avoid rice or potato until next week. Have some more veggies instead.]
Protocol Round 1, Week 1, Day 6 – 10/29/11
Weight: 168.2 = no change
Lunch:
– 8 oz broccoli
– 4 oz zucchini
– 1 oz artichoke
– 5 oz salmon
– 1 fl oz heavy cream
– 14 g butter
– 2 oz sour cream
Dinner:
– 2 eggs
– 4 oz zucchini
– 7 g butter
Fitday stats:
– Calories: 724
– Fat: 51.5 (64%)
– Protein: 49.6 (27%)
– Carbs: 15.6 (9%)
Ketostix: small to moderate
Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 89
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 101
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 89
No starchy carbs today, which is fine – I really don’t miss them. The artichoke was an experiment, but the estimate that I’d eat about an ounce of it was probably a bit low – I only ate half of the leaves, and none of the heart, but I ended up with a slightly high BG. Artichokes are pretty carb-heavy, as veggies go, so I’ll be sticking with the most virtuous of veggies for a few days.
[Note: Ariel, a 1-hr PP of 101 isn’t a spike. And whatever caused the number, it was not the artichoke. Sure, like most veggies they have carbs, but they also (unlike cauliflower, say) have the greatest amount of fiber per ounce, which means a very slow conversion to glucose. Artichokes are very good for you on many levels, and I encourage you to eat them often on Protocol, especially the frozen hearts. Take a look at the spice/s you used for the meal. Do any of them have any form of sugar, perhaps as Maltodextrin, which is often added for ‘flow’?]
I bought a romanesca cauliflower at the farmer’s market this morning – it’s got to be at least 6 pounds, and so cool to look at! It will undoubtedly lead to a discussion of fractals and the Fibonacci sequence this evening over dinner.
I’m reading Gary Taubes’ Good Calories, Bad Calories – last night was the chapter on sugar. I spent an hour this morning combing my kitchen for foods with high-fructose corn syrup, and happily found very few. Needless to say, I haven’t been eating them, but I don’t want my family eating them either. A little cognitive dissonance with Halloween coming: “go ahead, sweetheart, collect up a bucket of candy and fill your tiny body with sugary goop.” Ugh. But honestly, this book is amazing. It’s completely upending what I “knew” about health and food. Thanks, SugarFree, for the great recommendation!
Protocol Round 1, Week 1, Day 7 – 10/30/11
Weight: 167.8 = down .4 pounds
Lunch:
– 8 oz spinach
– 4 oz cauliflower
– 4.25 oz sirloin steak
– 1 fl oz heavy cream
– 2 oz sour cream
Dinner:
– 2 eggs
– 4 oz cauliflower
– 14 g butter
Fitday stats:
– Calories: 732
– Fat: 50.4 (62%)
– Protein: 47 (26%)
– Carbs: 22.5 (12%)
Ketostix: small to moderate
Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 91
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 97
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 93
I woke up really hungry for the first time since day two. We went to a brunch with friends, at which I sat nursing my coffee all morning, watching everyone else eat. It wasn’t all that bad, actually, and I wasn’t hungry once we got there (although I did end up extremely caffeinated). Looking forward to measurements tomorrow – never, ever imagined I’d have that thought. Wow.
Protocol Round 1, Week 2, Day 1 – 10/31/11
Weight: 167.6 = down .2 pounds
Measurements:
Bust: 40” = down 2”
Waist: 35.5” = down 1”
Hips: 41.25” = down 1.75”
Lunch:
– 10 oz kale
– 3 oz leeks
– 4.25 oz ground beef
– .5 fl oz heavy cream
– 2 oz sour cream
Dinner:
– 2 eggs
– 2 egg whites
– 3 oz Brussels sprouts
– 10 g butter
Fitday stats:
– Calories: 743
– Fat: 50.3 (61%)
– Protein: 48.6 (26%)
– Carbs: 24 (13%)
Ketostix: small to moderate
Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 82
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 91
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 96
Launching week two with those inch losses certainly gives me a boost! TOM is here, but I’m feeling much more energetic than I normally do when she visits, not to mention that I’ve got none of the gut trouble I often have then. It was a busy morning, but I wasn’t hungry except right when I woke up – that must be a trained response that’s taking a while to get rid of, since breakfast used to be my favorite meal of the day.
[Note: Ariel – WOW! You lost nearly 5 inches in a single week. That’s tremendous! And you lost a very respectable 2.2 pounds, which was all fat, not water or lean muscle mass. Had you come to the Protocol eating a Standard American Diet (SAD), you would have lost more pounds, but they would have been mostly water weight. And I’m so glad (but not surprised) to hear about the increased energy — just wait until you get to Maintenance. :)]
Protocol Round 1, Week 2, Day 2 – 11/1/11
Weight: 167.8 = up .2 pounds
Lunch:
– 8 oz kale
– 2 oz artichoke
– 4.5 oz salmon
– 1 fl oz heavy cream
– 2 oz sour cream
Dinner:
– 2 eggs
– 4 oz mushrooms
– 14 g butter
Fitday stats:
– Calories: 703
– Fat: 50.3 (64%)
– Protein: 48.4 (28%)
– Carbs: 14.2 (8%)
Ketostix: small
Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 94
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 95
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 86
First of all, congratulations to every one of us (including me) who has not eaten a single piece of Halloween candy. Because that sugar does not do good things for us.
After two hours of wandering the neighborhood with my four-year-old, I finally got to eat dinner yesterday at about 8pm – two hours later than usual. Maybe that’s why my fasting glucose was the highest it’s been lately and the ketostix was lower than usual. And perhaps TOM is responsible for my being up .2 pounds – yeah, that is not my favorite result ever, but I’m sure it’s only temporary.
[Note: It is. Please read my note on Kym’s report today to understand why.]
Protocol Round 1, Week 2, Day 3 – 11/2/11
Weight: 167.8 = no change
Lunch:
– 8 oz kale
– 8 oz zucchini
– 4.25 oz ground beef
– .5 fl oz heavy cream
– 2 oz sour cream
– 1.25 oz potato
– 5 g butter
Dinner:
– 2 eggs
– 1 egg white
– 5 oz mushrooms
– 5 g butter
Fitday stats:
– Calories: 739
– Fat: 50.6 (62%)
– Protein: 48.4 (26%)
– Carbs: 22.4 (12%)
Ketostix: small
Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 92
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 105
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 94
Well, I’m guessing that potato experiment demonstrates I’m not yet ready for starchy carbs. Fine with me, actually – they constitute such a small amount of food but deliver such a huge carbohydrate load. It hardly seems worth it to eat them.
[Note: Actually, it’s very worthwhile to eat them. They deliver a boatload of nutrients, including potassium, which alone would make them a good food. But more importantly, it’s crucial for overall metabolic health that you eat them (and bread, rice, corn and other ‘starchy’ carbs) because there is no exception to this rule: Extended periods of EITHER very low-calorie or very low carbohydrate diets CAUSE hypothyroidism of the thyroid hormone kind. Dr. Atkins sought the help of various endos to see if they could help him find a way around this metabolic rule, but they could not.
You could of course survive in a permanent state of high ketosis, but you will pay a price: falling energy levels, less effective immune system, and ultimately physiological insulin resistance (different from pathological insulin resistance). Worse: you will put inordinate stress on your liver, which will have to work overtime to continuously run gluconeogenesis to supply your brain with sufficient glucose. And if you’re a woman with PCOS, this will only make the condition worse.
Please go back to my first post on this thread (Welcome To My World) and click on the link to get Wolfgang Lutz’s book: Life Without Bread or perhaps Barry Grove’s book. It is terribly important to get your metabolism healthy enough to be able to eat at least 70 non-sugar carbs a day with no problem. That’s the goal.
You ate a large amount of potato today with a small amount of fat and your blood sugar at the one hour point did NOT spike. It rose slightly. And your 2-hr PP dropped into the true normal range. This is a good thing, not bad. 🙂 Next time you try (in the next few days) it will be with a smaller serving of potato and a larger serving of fat. Your PP BS will hopefully be lower because as you remain on Protocol, your metabolic health will continue to improve.]
Protocol Round 1, Week 2, Day 4 – 11/3/11
Weight: 167.2 = down .6 pounds
Lunch:
– 10 oz kale
– 8 oz zucchini
– 6 oz chicken thigh
– .5 fl oz heavy cream
– 1 oz sour cream
– 1 egg
– 1 egg white
– 14 g butter
Dinner:
– 1 eggs
– 1 egg white
– 4 oz arugula
– .25 oz olive oil
Fitday stats:
– Calories: 810
– Fat: 55.5 (62%)
– Protein: 58 (28%)
– Carbs: 19.5 (10%)
Ketostix: small
Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 85
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 98
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 88
What a relief to see some more downward motion on that scale. I was low energy yesterday, and it was hard to tell the cause – perhaps it was my busy life, and the feeling of needing to be very on top of things this week and for the next three weeks, or perhaps it was from TOM, or perhaps it had something to do with the Protocol, or one of the underlying conditions that make the Protocol so necessary for me. Anyway, today’s numbers were good, and that’s with considerably more protein and fat, and my energy is back.
Protocol Round 1, Week 2, Day 5 – 11/4/11
Weight: 166.4 = down .8 pounds
Lunch:
– 8 oz broccoli
– 7 oz tilapia
– 1.5 fl oz heavy cream
– 2 oz sour cream
– 1 oz potato
– 21 g butter
Dinner:
– 2 eggs
– 2 oz artichoke
– 7 g butter
Fitday stats:
– Calories: 774
– Fat: 53.2 (62%)
– Protein: 58.1 (30%)
– Carbs: 15.6 (8%)
Ketostix: small
Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 81
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 97
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 82
Today was a good day. Potato passed the 1-hr. pp test, I lost almost a pound since yesterday, and I bought a fitted skirt in a size 10 which looks fantastic. I really like this higher protein, lower carb version of the Protocol.
[Note: It isn’t so much that it’s higher protein, it’s that it’s a bit higher in animal (rather than vegetable) protein. Since animal protein is complete (it has 100% of the necessary amino acids humans require), unlike vegetable protein, your body can use more of it, and in a more efficient way. As long as you continue to eat your 8 ounces of ‘free’ green leafy veg and 10 grams of ‘other’ veggie carbs — and add enough starchy carbs to keep you out of deep ketosis while keeping blood sugars normal, this will be a great way for you to eat.]
Protocol Round 1, Week 2, Day 6 – 11/5/11
Weight: 166.8 = up .4 pounds
Lunch:
– 10 oz broccoli
– 7 oz chicken thigh
– .5 fl oz heavy cream
– 1 oz sour cream
– 1 oz potato
– 14 g butter
– 1 egg
– 1 egg white
Dinner:
– 1 egg
– 1 egg white
– 4 oz mushrooms
– 7 g butter
Fitday stats:
– Calories:
– Fat: 55.6 (64%)
– Protein: 58.3 (30%)
– Carbs: 11.3 (6%)
Ketostix: small
Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 83
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 95
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 80
It’s going to be a late night, starting in late afternoon, so I doubt I’ll have time for dinner. But tonight I’m performing in a dress I haven’t worn for about seven years, and then, later, in a skirt that’s a size I haven’t been able to wear for about a decade. So I really, really don’t care about missing dinner. The trick will be getting home at 10 and not eating anything.
[Note: If you’re hungry at 10 – EAT. Don’t bother cooking (mushrooms, etc) if you’re tired; just have a couple of hard-boiled eggs and a half a slice of toast and butter. If you’re performing, you’ll be using up your (ever smaller) glycogen tank of glucose, and you don’t want your body undergoing gluconeogenesis (glucose from protein) while you sleep.]
Protocol Round 1, Week 2, Day 7 – 11/6/11
Weight: 166.2 = down .6 pounds
Lunch:
– 8 oz broccoli
– 7 oz filet mignon
– 1 oz potato
– 14 g butter
– 10 oz zucchini
Dinner:
– 1 egg
– 4 oz arugula
– .5 T olive oil
Fitday stats:
– Calories: 881
– Fat: 67.5 (69%)
– Protein: 49.1 (22%)
– Carbs: 19.2 (9%)
Ketostix: small to moderate
Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 81
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 93
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 94
I’m pretty sure my 2-hr pp is higher than my 1-hr because I went out to throw a Frisbee with my daughter and frolic in the beautiful sunshine (which I’m certain will disappear soon, giving way to chilly, confining winter, so I didn’t want to pass it up, and we’re going back out in five minutes). I recall that exercise affects BG numbers. I wasn’t hungry this morning at all and couldn’t finish the veggies at lunch.
[Note: A single point isn’t ‘higher’ or even statistically significant. :)]
Protocol Round 1, Week 3, Day 1 – 11/7/11
Weight: 166.6 = up .4 pounds
Measurements:
Bust: 42”
Waist: 36.5”
Hips: 43”
Lunch:
– 10 oz kale
– 5.75 oz salmon
– 6 oz mushrooms
– 1 oz potato
– 14 g butter
– 1 fl oz heavy cream
– 2 oz sour cream
Dinner:
– 2 eggs
– 4 oz arugula
– 7 g butter
Fitday stats:
– Calories: 792
– Fat: 53.3 (61%)
– Protein: 59.3 (29%)
– Carbs: 18.7 (10%)
Ketostix: small to moderate
Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 85
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 85
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 87
The up and down roller coaster on the scale is pretty frustrating, I have to admit. One day I’m down, the next up, and the pattern has become consistent. Yesterday was a very low energy day – I was overcome with the need to take a late nap, and I went to bed early. That might have been a reaction to daylight saving time, but it seemed kind of extreme. I’m wondering if the slower motion weight loss and inch loss, compared to the first week, has to do with my hypothyroid issues. In other news, I was happily floored by today’s 1-hour pp – wow! Right there, that shows that things are getting better. My energy is much better than yesterday, too.
[Note: Time for a Reality Check. In just two weeks you’ve lost 6.5 inches — of FAT. It would take most folks months or even a year to lose that. Inches from lean muscle mass or water? That’s easy, and exactly what happens when you ‘diet’ — but losing fat, especially from around the waist and hips is extremely difficult. This is not a ‘oh, if only I weren’t hypothyroid’ story, it’s a ‘Wow — I’m hypothyroid but look how much fat I lost anyway’ story. 😀
Also, as I have repeated ad infinitum on the blog and in every single participant’s thread: WHEN YOU LOSE LOTS OF FAT THE BRAIN PUTS WATER INTO THE FAT CELLS. That’s for everyone. If you are human (and I’m pretty sure you are – LOL) that means YOU, too. That’s what you’re seeing on the scale. Water goes into the fat cells, and water comes out of the fat cells. Which means you are not ‘gaining weight’ when the scale rises, because ‘gaining weight’ means gaining fat — you are merely retaining and losing water. As you will continue to do all the way through Protocol and maybe even Maintenance.
Protocol is not a diet. It’s a way to heal the metabolism by restoring correct hormonal signaling. When you do that, you lose fat and never gain it back. You can know this is happening in two ways: You lose inches, and your blood sugar numbers improve. Seems to me you can put a check in both those columns, no? :)]
Protocol Round 1, Week 3, Day 2 – 11/8/11
Weight: 166.6 = no change
Lunch:
– 8 oz kale
– 8 oz chicken thigh
– 8 oz zucchini
– 21 g pumpernickel bread
– 21 g butter
– 1 oz sour cream
Dinner: 2 eggs
Fitday stats:
– Calories: 812
– Fat: 56.8 (63%)
– Protein: 55.6 (27%)
– Carbs: 19.6 (10%)
Ketostix: small
Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 84
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 98
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 105
I absolutely love this feeling of not being hungry. Aside from the half-hour before I eat, when I’m cooking, I don’t feel hungry. I’ve NEVER had this experience before the Protocol.
After that two-hour pp (really closer to 2.5), I’ll wait to try bread again for a few days.
AND I’ve learned that just because my 1-hr. pp looks good, it doesn’t mean I’m in the clear. I wrote to SugarFree after my 1-hr, bragging about how well I handled the bread and said I would have it tomorrow. And then … uh-oh. As everyone can see, the 2-hr. pp numbers still count!
Protocol Round 1, Week 3, Day 3 – 11/9/11
Weight: 165.8 = down .8 pounds
Lunch:
– 8 oz broccoli
– 7 oz ground beef
– 4 oz artichoke
– 2 oz sour cream
Dinner: 2 eggs
Fitday stats:
– Calories: 797
– Fat: 57.4 (65%)
– Protein: 54.9 (27%)
– Carbs: 15.1 (8%)
Ketostix: small to moderate
Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 69
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 97
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 98
I know the scale isn’t a particularly good gauge of progress, or weight loss, or health improvement, but 165 has been a big number for me, in my head. Right after I had my daughter, I was told that I had to get down to 165 in order to avoid getting Type 2 diabetes. After learning the science and evidence regarding insulin resistance and fat metabolism, I know that the issue wasn’t, as they told me, losing a certain percentage of my overall weight, but was in fact fixing the insulin resistance and healing the metabolism that caused my gestational diabetes in the first place that I needed to address to avoid diabetes in the future. The weight of 165 is now meaningless, but still, the echo of that number – which I’ve been aiming at for four years now – is there.
More recently, I’ve been waiting until I hit 165 to buy new pants – since NONE of mine fit anymore – and I’m there now, too.
[Note: Ariel, congratulations on reaching two goals important to you. There will be many more to come. And even better news: you’re now ready to start Maintenance, which will begin on Monday, the 14th! Prepare to start eating some very delicious food for the next month or so. :D]
Protocol Round 1, Week 3, Day 4 – 11/10/11
Weight: 165.8 = no change
Lunch:
– 8 oz kale
– 6 oz salmon
– 4 oz snow peas
– 2 oz sour cream
– 14 g butter
– 1.5 fl oz cream
Dinner:
– 2 eggs
– 5 oz mushrooms
– 7 g butter
Fitday stats:
– Calories: 807
– Fat: 54.8 (61%)
– Protein: 60.2 (30%)
– Carbs: 18.3 (9%)
Ketostix: small to moderate
Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 81
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 95
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 87
Feeling great today, although I did get hungry about 10 am. Had some tea and it passed. The snow peas were super sweet and delicious!
Protocol Round 1, Week 3, Day 5 – 11/11/11
Weight: 165.6 = down .2 pounds
Lunch:
– 8 oz spinach
– 8 oz chicken thigh
– 6 oz mushrooms
– 1 oz sour cream
– 21 g butter
– 18 g german pumpernickel
Dinner:
– 2 eggs
– 4 oz zucchini
Fitday stats:
– Calories: 831
– Fat: 57.2 (62%)
– Protein: 59.3 (28%)
– Carbs: 19.8 (10%)
Ketostix: small
Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 84
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 94
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 100
I couldn’t finish my lunch today – just not hungry enough. What a great feeling. You know what else is nice? Not getting progressively more bloated over the course of the day. That used to really get me down. It’s not a problem anymore. My clothes fit exactly the same at 5 p.m. as they do at 8 a.m.
Protocol Round 1, Week 3, Day 6 – 11/12/11
Weight: 166.0 = up .4 pounds
Lunch:
– 8 oz kale
– 4 oz snow peas
– 6.5 oz ribeye steak
– 1 oz sour cream
– 14 g butter
– 18 g german pumpernickel
Dinner: 2 eggs
Fitday stats:
– Calories: 833
– Fat: 61.8 (67%)
– Protein: 50.6 (24%)
– Carbs: 18.7 (9%)
Ketostix: small to moderate
Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 81
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 87
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 80
Once again, there was just too much food on my plate for lunch and I couldn’t finish it – I left about 2 oz of the kale. I’m guessing this is a pretty good indication that my body has adjusted to the lower calories, so it’s good that I’m starting Maintenance on Monday. And those pp numbers – not bad!
Happy day: tried on dress slacks in a size 12 but had to buy a 12 petite because – get this! – the 12 regular was too darn big. Yup. I was in my twenties the last time I wore this size. And only for a short time then.
[Note: Fantastic!! But don’t get too comfy in 12 P — because size 10 will be here in a month or so. 🙂 As to why you haven’t been hungry, it’s not that your body is used to lower calories. Not at all. It’s because your body is consuming thousands of calories a day — in burned adipose fat. Remember, your body doesn’t care if gets ‘energy’ (it doesn’t think of ‘food,’ only energy) by mouth, or internally. The proof that this is true will come Monday, when you take your measurements and you see you are measurably smaller than you were a week ago.]
Protocol Round 1, Week 3, Day 7 – 11/13/11
Weight: 166.4 = up .4 pounds
Lunch:
– 8 oz broccoli
– 2 oz artichoke
– 6.5 oz salmon
– 2.5 oz sour cream
– 14 g butter
– 18 g german pumpernickel
– 1.5 fl oz cream
Dinner: 2 eggs
Fitday stats:
– Calories: 840
– Fat: 58.2 (62%)
– Protein: 59.3 (29%)
– Carbs: 19.8 (9%)
Ketostix: small to moderate
Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 84
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 100
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 98
Reflecting back on this first round of Protocol, I couldn’t be happier. I feel better than I have in years, my blood sugar numbers indicate some improvement in insulin sensitivity, and even my temperatures are coming up, indicating some healing in the thyroid department. I’m so excited to embark on this second chapter, Maintenance, and just in time for Thanksgiving!
Maintenance Round 1, Week 1, Day 1 – 11/14/11
Weight: 166.2 = down .2 pounds
Measurements:
Bust: 38.5” = down 1”
Waist: 35 = no change
Hips: 39.5” = down 1”
Ketostix: small
Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 88
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 85
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 91
Oh my goodness, I am going to love maintenance. Short ribs in the slow cooker overnight (with saffron, allspice, and garlic), plentiful tea with cream… This is just lovely.
[Note: And so are your blood sugar numbers with all that fat! They dropped about 10% almost overnight. So . . . enjoy! :)]
Maintenance Round 1, Week 1, Day 2 – 11/15/11
Weight: 166.4 = up .2 pounds
Ketostix: small to mod
Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 90
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 97
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 96
Having a pretty laid-back day before this week’s crunch. Delicious food for lunch! I had energy until far into the late evening yesterday; I used to fade by 5pm. This way is much better.
Maintenance Round 1, Week 1, Day 3 – 11/16/11
Weight: 166.2 = down .2 pounds
Ketostix: small
Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 88
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 97
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 93
This next few days will be brain and body intensive – 12 to 14-hour days of hard mental focus for which I need my body to be totally ready and available. So far, one day in, I’m doing great.
Maintenance Round 1, Week 1, Day 4 – 11/17/11
Weight: 166 = down .2 pounds
Ketostix: moderate
Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 87
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 91
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 88
Today I had the rare opportunity to go to lunch with my husband and daughter, and although I had already planned my food for the day, I went and ate in a restaurant. I chose very carefully: patty melt with swiss cheese, caramelized onions and wild mushrooms (no bun, obviously) and bacon-braised greens, plus about an ounce of bread slathered with butter. I was pretty nervous about hidden sugar – in the greens especially, but also in the bread and the onions. But it looks like I chose well! What a relief!
Maintenance Round 1, Week 1, Day 5 – 11/18/11
Weight: 166.8 = up .8 pounds
Ketostix: small to moderate
Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 85
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 91
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 87
Look at me not caring that I’m carrying almost an entire pound of new water weight today. Tra-la-la. Nice blood sugar numbers – yay!
Today is a busy day, topped off by a super-challenging performance tonight. But I’ve been feeling good.
[Note: And everything is looking incredibly good, too. 🙂 Break a leg!]
Maintenance Round 1, Week 1, Day 6 – 11/19/11
Weight: 166.8 = no change
Ketostix: small to moderate
Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 92
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 96
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 95
Not much to report: I’m settling in to the maintenance way of doing things. The last few days, in the late afternoon, I’ve been warm enough to leave my coat unzipped in 40 degree weather. That is totally new for me, and as I recall, it’s a very good sign.
[Note: It is. 🙂 Try taking your temps again and I believe you’ll see that your average has risen a bit. It’s a combo of the Protocol helping to alleviate hypothyroid symptoms by raising T3, and the fact that your body burns a lot of calories while digesting all the fat you eat on maintenance.]
Maintenance Round 1, Week 1, Day 7 – 11/20/11
Weight: 166.8 = no change
Ketostix: small
Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 90
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 91
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 96
The crazy week is over and the traveling/family Thanksgiving week is here. I’m excited to share how I’m eating with my sisters, my brother, and my Mom, all of whom have been extremely supportive through this whole process. Already, I’ve gotten one of my sisters off of sugar and refined carbs, and she’s feeling better as a result. I’ll bring my food scale, my meter, and my computer, and I should be able to get through this somewhat uncertain week feeling great!
Maintenance Round 1, Week 2, Day 1 – 11/21/11
Weight: 167.2 = up .4 pounds
Measurements:
Bust: 38.5” = no change
Waist: 34.75” = down .25”
Hips: 39.5” = no change
Ketostix: small to moderate
Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 82
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 92
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 93
After one week of maintenance I’m up a bit in weight – as expected – and haven’t lost much in inches – also expected. I’m feeling great and eating well, and now that the stress of my last week is over, my fasting blood sugars are back down under 90.
I’m leaving tonight for week-long trip with my family, so I won’t be posting again until Monday the 28th. Have a healthy and happy Thanksgiving, everybody!
[Note: Happy Thanksgiving to you too, Ariel — and have a safe trip there and back!]
Maintenance Round 1, Week 3, Day 1 – 11/28/11
Weight: 167.2 = no change
Measurements:
Bust: 38.5” = no change
Waist: 34.5” = down .25”
Hips: 39” = down .5”
Ketostix: small
Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 91
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 100
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 85
Thanksgiving week was lovely and much more easily manageable, food-wise, than I expected. I even adapted a recipe for pumpkin cheesecake that most of my family really liked, and it didn’t send my blood sugar spiking at all. I’ll check it again and then post the recipe.
The hardest part of this vacation week with my family (10 people total, three children under 5 years old) was eating my biggest meal in the middle of the day. Dinners have traditionally been the food focus for us, and, for instance, Thanksgiving dinner was at about 6pm. In general, I kept the mid-day meal the largest, although on Thanksgiving I kept it about 50-50. If anything, my problem was that I didn’t eat enough. But I did my best; my blood sugars stayed under 100 and my ketostix read small the whole week.
It was nice to see how successful I could be managing this protocol in a real-world setting, with all the unknowns of travel, restaurants, and family menus. But it’s good to get back to daily posting!
[Note: Ariel, it appears that you’ve learned the ‘secret’ of the Protocol: that it is not a “diet” but rather a way of eating that you can live with — and stay healthy with – forever. I’m glad you had such a good and healthy holiday!]
Maintenance Round 1, Week 3, Day 2 – 11/29/11
Weight: 166.8 = down .4 pounds
Ketostix: trace to small
Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 100
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 117
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 92
I do not understand what is up with my blood sugars today. Fasting is higher than ever, and I woke up hungry. Food can’t account for it – everything I ate yesterday was on at least one previous menu with no result like this. My sleep was interrupted twice last night – could that be it? Maybe stress?
And then after lunch! The only untested food today was a new bread – the ingredients are wheat flour, water, and sea salt. They use a sourdough-type starter. This bakery is local and very invested in keeping unnecessary stuff out of their bread (like sugar, preservatives, etc.), so I can’t imagine they’d include sugar but not list it. Well, at least it came down by the 2-hr. mark.
[Note: Since all the other participants are showing the same types of rises, I’m guessing it has more to do with settling back after the holidays than with anything you ate. I’m sure everything will settle back to normal in a day or two. :)]
Maintenance Round 1, Week 3, Day 3 – 11/30/11
Weight: 167.2 = up .4 pounds
Ketostix: small
Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 95
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 91
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 100
Things are settling back down, and my sugars are coming back down too. I was hungry most of the day yesterday, but I’ve felt much more like myself today. I’ve been in a better mood all around. Phew!
Maintenance Round 1, Week 3, Day 4 – 12/1/11
Weight: 167.4 = up .2 pounds
Ketostix: moderate
Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 92
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 104
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 96
Stressful morning. TOM is on the way. Not my best day ever.
Maintenance Round 1, Week 3, Day 5 – 12/2/11
Weight: 167.4 = no change
Ketostix: small
Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 93
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 97
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 103
Today is a bit better, stress-wise, but ‘tis the season to stay up working until midnight and get up at 6am for more working, and then cram in twenty million things during the day, so I don’t expect to take a breath for a while. TOM is here, which must account for my ravenous hunger last night about two hours after dinner. I haven’t been hungry much today, though, so I’m hoping that’s getting better.
Maintenance Round 1, Week 3, Day 6 – 12/3/11
Weight: 168 = up .6 pounds
Ketostix: small
Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 98
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 93
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 91
Hey now, there we go! Those are the blood sugar numbers I’ve been working toward! I’m not in love with the increasing weight, but it’s slow and I trust that it’s all that water weight SugarFree was telling us about, so I’m not worried.
I’m pretty tired lately, but I’ve had a few late nights and early mornings. Tonight’s another late night, and then a long travel day and celebration with extended in-law family. No rest any time soon…
[Note: Yes, it’s water, which will be clear when you take your measurements on Monday. I believe you’ll be pleased. 🙂 And please try and get some rest, even if it’s a brief nap. It’s so important to keeping cortisol levels where they should be, and to the metabolic healing process in general.]
Maintenance Round 1, Week 3, Day 7 – 12/4/11
Weight: 168 = no change
Ketostix: trace
Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 92
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 89
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 89
Long day driving across the state and back again to hang out with the extended in-law family. Huge potluck. I brought my lunch and sat with the kids so no one would ask me why I wasn’t eating the party food. I’m getting tired of trying to explain to people (who aren’t receptive and who believe they know how to be healthy because they’re slim) about sugar and dietary fat, and how butter isn’t their enemy but a cookie is. So now, unless I’m really close to them, I just tell them it’s very complicated and if they’re really interested I can recommend some good books.
[Note: I understand completely. We’ve been so utterly brainwashed as a nation, it’s like saying “The world is round” to a Flat Earth society. They think you’re insane. I always reply with “I may be insane … but that doesn’t mean I’m not right. :D]
Maintenance Round 1, Week 4, Day 1 – 12/5/11
Weight: 168 = no change
Measurements:
Bust: 38.5” = no change
Waist: 33.5” = down 1”
Hips: 38 = down 1”
Ketostix: trace
Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 94
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 97
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 98
After such a weird beginning to the week, I’m pleased to see a loss of inches. I’m curious about the trace ketostix readings the last two days – I haven’t seen that since the beginning of Protocol.
I got 11 hours of sleep last night, so I’m feeling much better. I’ve got two late nights this week, and then things begin to settle down.
[Note: What a great week you’ve had! You literally got ‘skinnier’. 🙂 As to the ketostix, this is good news. It means you are fully ketone-adapted and so not ‘losing’ as many ketones in your urine as before. Your body is now fully adept at using all of them for fuel, which is terrific. I’ve been in ‘trace’ for years now. And, it also means that you are just above ketosis, which is also good, because long-term ketosis (which is a process designed to be used only in starvation times) literally causes hypothyroidism of the Reverse T3 variety and is thus to be avoided.]
Maintenance Round 1, Week 4, Day 2 – 12/6/11
Weight: 168.6 = up .6 pounds
Ketostix: trace to small
Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 99
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 124
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 111
Spontaneously, I went out to lunch today with my husband and daughter at a restaurant I used to love, back when I thought eating healthy meant something totally different. I ordered a patty melt and had it open face, with about an ounce of sautéed onions, some lettuce, and a nice smear of mayo. I didn’t get enough green leafy veggies, definitely, but what sent my BG up so high, I think, was that I TOTALLY forgot about mayo having sugar in it, since I never eat it. Plus the slice of bread was clearly a bit too large. Oops!
Oh well. I’ll have a strangely hungry afternoon as the excess insulin courses through my system, and then by tomorrow I’ll hopefully be all back to normal. Lesson learned: no restaurant mayo.
[Note: Unfortunately, it wasn’t just the mayo, and in truth you have no idea what you actually ate. you don’t know what you actually ate. For instance, you don’t know how much bread you ate, nor do you know how much sugar it had. You have no idea what *type* of ground beef you had (80/20 — 90/10, etc.) NOR DID YOU EAT (or even get served) all the fat that came out in cooking. So you ate lots of sugar in many forms, with very little actual fat. Water weight gain from eating all those carbs will likely show up tomorrow or the day after. 😦
Best for restaurants (if you can): a small steak with a salad on which you put your own olive oil and vinegar. NO bread. Half a very small potato with a ton of real butter and sour cream.]
Maintenance Round 1, Week 4, Day 3 – 12/7/11
Weight: 168.4 = down .2 pounds
Ketostix: trace to small
Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 90
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 100
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 101
Having a much better food day today than yesterday, obviously. First downward movement on the scale in a while, which I can’t help but celebrate.
[Note: And next week should bring more since you start the next round of Protocol on Monday! :)]
Maintenance Round 1, Week 4, Day 4 – 12/8/11
Weight: 169 = up .6 pounds
Ketostix: trace to small
Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 90
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 100
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 96
I was really hoping not to return to 169, which was my weight when I started Protocol six weeks ago. I know that it’s nothing but place-holder water. It’s simply tragic what a hold numbers have over me.
[Note: You and (today) Lisa. And a ton (oops. :)) of other women who have been brainwashed into believing that a number on a scale shows anything. At his Mr. Universe best, Ah-nold was considered to be morbidly obese because given his height and the pounds he weighed, his BMI was ‘calculated’ to be nearly 40. That’s right — a guy with body fat of maybe 4% and muscles out the wazoo — was, on paper, fat. Wouldn’t you call anyone who considered him fat crazy? Nuts? Insane? Of course you would. Lean muscle mass weighs a lot, and much, much more (per inch) than fat. And water weighs a lot, too.
Here are your measurements the day you began, when you weighed about two pounds more than this morning, compared to four days ago:
Bust: 42” —-> now 38.5″ = down 3.5″
Waist: 36.5” —–> now 34.75 = 1.75″
Hips: 43” ——-> now 39.5 = 3.5″
Total inches lost in six weeks: 8.75. Total regained despite occasional water gain: Zero. Do you really believe the average 1.8 pound weight loss (the difference between what you weighed when starting, and today) will produce a loss of nearly 9 inches?? You are a much, much slimmer woman than you began, no matter what the scale says. And your clothes should be telling the same story, no?
Anyway, I’m actually looking forward to returning to Protocol on Monday. I’m kind of an all or nothing type of person, so eating a little bit of bread, seeing how it goes, trying a little bit of potato… it just puts me in the mood to want more. I’m less interested in foods that cause trouble for me when I just don’t eat them at all. So in that way, Protocol is easier for me.
[Note: It’s the ‘all or nothing’ mentality that you will have to work on, if you are to maintain your fat loss for the rest of your life. Protocol is just a side stop to the real deal: Maintenance. And on Maintenance you must (ultimately) learn to eat all good foods, which means potatoes, popcorn, pizza, fruit, bread, etc. Of course you will eat them in moderation (whatever you finally determine is moderation for YOU), and without any sugar, but they are healthy foods and part of a balanced diet that will keep you out of starvation mode and the hypothyroidism that comes from either a very low calories OR a very low carb diet over an extended period of time. The SugarFree Protocol was never meant to be that! It is meant to heal your metabolic hormonal signaling so that you can eat those foods safely.
You may learn that in order to eat a small baked potato without further cravings, YOU need to eat it with half a stick of butter and a cup of sour cream. Well, fine. That’s what you will need. Plus, as your body begins to heal; as it truly manages blood sugar normally, those cravings will disappear. I can eat a slice of bread without wanting more. An apple, even an orange. Since those foods no longer spike my insulin, which means no more sudden sugar lows, there are no cravings. It’s just all part of what I eat. Over the course of many rounds of Maintenance, the same thing will gradually happen to you. I guarantee it. :D]
Maintenance Round 1, Week 4, Day 5 – 12/9/11
Weight: 169 = no change
Ketostix: trace to small
Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 90
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 100
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 93
I wasn’t hungry today, which was nice. Otherwise, everything was normal.
Maintenance Round 1, Week 4, Day 6 – 12/10/11
Weight: 169.8 = up .8 pounds
Ketostix: trace
Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 96
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 102
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 97
Kale chips! Even my 4-year-old daughter loves them! First fruit in seven weeks: 2 ounces of raspberries, drenched in cream. It was intoxicating, let me tell you. Tomorrow’s my last day of this round of maintenance.
Maintenance Round 1, Week 4, Day 7 – 12/11/11
Weight: 170 = up .2 pounds
Ketostix: trace
Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 96
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 99
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 98
Lunch with dear friends and no problems with blood sugars – phew!
Protocol Round 2, Week 1, Day 1 – 12/12/11
Weight: 170 = no change
Measurements:
Bust: 38.5” = no change
Waist: 33.5” = no change
Hips: 38.5” = up .5″
Lunch:
6 oz chicken thigh
8 oz kale
3 oz artichoke hearts
.5 oz sour cream
Dinner:
4 oz string beans
2 eggs
1 T. butter
FitDay stats:
Calories: 699
Fat: 50.5 (65%)
Protein: 46.6 (24%)
Carbs: 14.5 (11%)
Ketostix: trace
Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 97
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 97
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 98
I’m expecting to be a bit hungry this afternoon and evening, but I know it will pass in a few days.
Protocol Round 2, Week 1, Day 2 – 12/13/11
Weight: 169.8 = down .2 pounds
Lunch:
7 oz rib eye steak
8 oz broccoli
1 oz potato
.5 oz butter
5 oz zucchini
3 oz artichoke hearts
Dinner:
5 oz zucchini
2 eggs
FitDay stats:
Calories: 770
Fat: 52.8 (62%)
Protein: 53.4 (28%)
Carbs: 20.4 (10%)
Ketostix: trace
Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 95
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 105
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 95
I wonder what that 105 after lunch was about… probably not enough fat on the steak to support eating the starch. I’m guessing starches are out for the next two days.
[Note: Yes, it’s the lower fat. Your body will adjust (by hopefully going into lipolysis and releasing lots of fat) but for the next day or two you might want to leave the starch out.]
Protocol Round 2, Week 1, Day 3 – 12/14/11
Weight: 169.4 = down .4 pounds
Lunch:
5.5 oz salmon
8 oz kale
5 oz string beans
4 oz mushrooms
1 T butter
1 oz crème fraiche
Dinner:
4 oz salad greens
2 eggs
.5 T olive oil
FitDay stats:
Calories: 741
Fat: 49.3 (60%)
Protein: 55.28 (30%)
Carbs: 19.2 (10%)
Ketostix: trace
Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 95
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 97
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 95
I’ve got a cold – yuck.
[Note: So sorry to hear this … a nasty cold bug is definitely going around. Forget the Protocol fat stats (though do change your FitDay to record it) and make yourself some tea with coconut oil in it — as many cups with as much CO as you’d like. It will help you feel better fast!]
Protocol Round 2, Week 1, Day 4 – 12/15/11
Weight: 169.6 = up .2 pounds
Lunch:
6 oz chicken thighs
8 oz broccoli
5 oz zucchini
1 oz sour cream
Dinner:
4 oz string beans
2 eggs
.75 T butter
FitDay stats:
Calories: 733
Fat: 51 (63%)
Protein: 48.3 (26%)
Carbs: 20.2 (11%)
Ketostix: small
Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 95
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 105
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 98
The cold has taken up residence in my head, so sleep was shallow and sparse last night. As I recall, the cold also accounts for my high pp one hour after lunch – because I ate nothing that would have caused that number. I haven’t tried the tea with coconut oil yet, but I’ll let you know if I do.
Protocol Round 2, Week 1, Day 5 – 12/16/11
Weight: 169.8 = up .2 pounds
Lunch:
6 oz beef tenderloin
8 oz kale
3 oz artichoke hearts
2 oz cauliflower
Dinner:
4 oz salad greens
2 eggs
.5 T butter
FitDay stats:
Calories: 722
Fat: 53.2 (66%)
Protein: 48.4 (27%)
Carbs: 12.4 (7%)
Ketostix: small
Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 91
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 97
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 82
I’m starting to feel slightly better, thanks to a better night’s sleep. I’ve been frustrated that my go-to cold remedy comes in “full of sugar” or “full of fake sugar” varieties only. And really, wouldn’t a high-quality chocolate bar made with stevia instead of sugar be a nice change? I can’t wait for SugarFree’s goodies to be available everywhere!
Anyway, since my BG numbers are better today, I’m going to give potatoes another shot tomorrow. Here’s hoping…
Protocol Round 2, Week 1, Day 6 – 12/17/11
Weight: 169.4 = down .4 pounds
Lunch:
5.5 oz salmon
8 oz broccoli
5 oz string beans
1.25 oz crème fraiche
1 T. butter
Dinner:
3 oz salad greens
2 eggs
.5 T butter
FitDay stats:
Calories: 741
Fat: 50.6 (61%)
Protein: 52.1 (28%)
Carbs: 19.3 (11%)
Ketostix: small
Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 88
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 100
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 99
Play date at our house – very labor intensive – followed by an afternoon/evening Christmas party for kids around the corner, featuring sugar in a variety of disguises. Totally exhausted already, and I’m single-parenting most of this weekend.
Protocol Round 2, Week 1, Day 7 – 12/18/11
Weight: 170 = up .6 pounds
Lunch:
6 oz chicken thighs
8 oz kale
7 oz cauliflower
1 oz potato
1 oz sour cream
Dinner:
2 eggs
.75 T butter
FitDay stats:
Calories: 714
Fat: 50.7 (64%)
Protein: 47.3 (26%)
Carbs: 17 (10%)
Ketostix: trace
Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 95
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 81
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 101
Yesterday afternoon’s party was a real challenge. There was food everywhere – trays of brownies, candy, crab cakes, tiny squares of pizza. And all I could think was that, at the rate I’m going, it’s going to be a decade before I can contemplate eating any of those foods. My brain knew that the sugar was essentially toxic for me, and I wasn’t exactly hungry… just kind of exhausted, like I was in the middle of a long hike up a difficult mountain and I’d lost sight of the top.
Sorry, SugarFree – I imagine you end up giving pep talks more often than you’d like, and I’m sure it gets old telling people that things are better than they seem. I was just looking forward to Protocol getting things moving again, and it hasn’t happened yet, almost a week in.
[Note: Pep talk given and received. 🙂 Yes, it’s difficult to see the mountain top when you’re still in the foothills, and after just a few months of healing — compared to the years of metabolism failing — that’s where you are. But, as you’ve noted before, when you haven’t felt as frustrated, you have lost a lot of fat and inches and an entire dress size. The measuring tape is your true friend, not the scale. Since you’ve now gone from a size 14 to a size 12, and since you can see for yourself via your meter numbers how much healthier you are now than when you began this journey, you know that the scale lies.
I’ve tweaked your ratio numbers that should help with the PCOS. Let’s wait a week to see if it does. If not, we’ll talk about the medication you can take to bring your PCOS under control. As I tell all prospective Protocol Participants, if it’s possible to heal your insulin resistance through food and the Protocol alone, great. Let’s try it. But if not, there’s no shame in getting the medical help you need to fix the problem once and for all.
As for party food like candy and brownies, that should be off the table for any sane person forever, overweight or skinny as a rail, and I’m sure you already know that. At the next party by all means eat the crab cakes and the cheese and drink the wine — and enjoy every bite and sip. Perhaps that will let you spend more time in conversation with the other guests instead of worrying about what food you can’t eat. I’m just saying. :)]
Protocol Round 2, Week 2, Day 1 – 12/19/11
Weight: 169 = down 1 pound
Measurements:
Bust: 38” = down .5”
Waist: 33” = down .5”
Hips: 38.5” = down .5”
Lunch:
9 oz beef tenderloin
8 oz spinach
3 oz string beans
3 oz artichoke hearts
1 oz potato
2 T butter
FitDay stats:
Calories: 975
Fat: 78.9 (73%)
Protein: 50.6 (21%)
Carbs: 15.5 (6%)
Ketostix: trace
Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 81
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 92
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 95
Delightful turn around: after an awesome pep talk from SugarFree (many, many thanks!), a new plan (big lunch, no dinner, tweaked ratios), and much lower BG numbers, I’m feeling much better. Just as she predicted, I’ve lost inches since last week. I just have to remember that the scale is the measurement that reflects my progress LEAST WELL.
Thank you, SugarFree!!
Protocol Round 2, Week 2, Day 2 – 12/20/11
Weight: 168.6 = down .4 pounds
Lunch:
9 oz beef tenderloin
8 oz broccoli
10 oz zucchini
1 oz potato
2 T butter
FitDay stats:
Calories: 975
Fat: 79.1 (73%)
Protein: 50.3 (21%)
Carbs: 14.6 (6%)
Ketostix: trace
Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 89
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 98
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 96
Eating only once a day is easier than I expected: a cup of tea in the evening while the family eats dinner works fine. I’m a bit tired today, but I’m sure that’s just a sleep deficit catching up with me – it is not dampening my optimism, however: things are looking up!
Protocol Round 2, Week 2, Day 3 – 12/21/11
Weight: 168.2 = down .4 pounds
Lunch:
8 oz roasted chicken (dark meat)
8 oz kale
5 oz string beans
1 oz potato
2 T butter
1 fl oz cream
FitDay stats:
Calories: 928
Fat: 73.2 (71%)
Protein: 49.4 (21%)
Carbs: 17.8 (8%)
Ketostix: trace
Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 92
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 93
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 93
Lunch was super delicious. I watched Jamie Oliver roasting a goose while I ate, and now I’m seriously contemplating making that for Christmas for the in-laws. Who eats goose?! I’m delighted by the possibility. And it appears to be about as full of healthy, good fat as duck, so you know it’s awesome.
[Note: Who eats goose? I do! I do! Well, at least when I’m flush enough to afford it. At $5 per pound, with a minimum ten pound weight, that’s a hefty tariff. But oh, it is delicious — richer than duck, and I love duck. As for the fat, save every last drop. It is pure liquid gold and good for everything from basting roasting veggies and meats, to making the best pan-fried potatoes in the universe. Enjoy every mouthful!
On a side note to all Participants, I’ll be “On Holiday” from the 24th — Friday is the last day I’ll take reports and menus — until Monday, January 2nd. I’m sure everyone will do fine and if not, there’s always next year. :)]
Protocol Round 2, Week 2, Day 4 – 12/22/11
Weight: 167.8 = down .4 pounds
Lunch:
9 oz beef tenderloin
8 oz broccoli
6 oz artichoke hearts
1 oz potato
2 T butter
FitDay stats:
Calories: 971
Fat: 78.8 (73%)
Protein: 51 (21%)
Carbs: 14.5 (6%)
Ketostix: trace
Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 91
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 100
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 97
I’m feeling great, packing and planning for our weekend Christmas trip to the in-laws. Sadly, no geese left at the market — next time, I’ll be sure to order in advance! Have a lovely day, all…
Protocol Round 2, Week 2, Day 5 – 12/23/11
Weight: 167.6 = down .2 pounds
Lunch:
9 oz chicken thighs
4 oz broccoli
4 oz kale
10 oz zucchini
.75 oz rye bread
1 oz sour cream
.5 fl oz heavy cream
2 T butter
FitDay stats:
Calories: 956
Fat: 73.8 (70%)
Protein: 50.6 (21%)
Carbs: 22.3 (9%)
Ketostix: trace
Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 84
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 96
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 100
I’m not sure whether my slightly higher 2-hr PP was due to the reintroduction of bread or the twenty minutes of running around with my daughter about ten minutes before I took the reading. I’ll see how it goes tomorrow.
I’m traveling tomorrow, so I’m packing my lunch. Christmas dinner should be fine – plenty of protein and lots of veggies; traveling again on the 26th, I’ll just bring leftovers for lunch.
Wishing everyone, including our incomparable SugarFree, a healthy, happy holiday season!
[Note: Thank you, Ariel! And I wish you and your family the same. Isn’t nice to know whatever else the New Year brings — a bunch of us will be a heck of a lot smaller in it. 🙂 As for the PP, not to worry; it was almost surely the running around. But if you’re ever in doubt, take a 3-hr PP, which will tell you everything you need to know. Have a safe and happy trip and see you next year!]
Maintenance Round 2, Week 1, Day 1 – 1/2/12
Weight: 169.6 = up 2 pounds
Measurements:
Bust: 38” = no change
Waist: 32.5” = down .5”
Hips: 37.75 = down .25”
Ketostix: trace
Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 97
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 96
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 94
What a week! My blood sugar readings have been inconsistent, but mostly high – a combination of TOM and a fixation on snow peas. Yesterday’s fasting BG was 85, and today is 12 points higher – just the way things have been for the past six days.
So here we go: maintenance, round two. It’s a welcome change, especially with the winter semester starting.
[Note: You’ve done really well, TOM and slightly higher numbers not-withstanding. 🙂 And if you go to the Recipe Thread you’ll find a new recipe I posted today for Maintenance: Chicken Normandy. It is utterly delicious and filled with great fat, modest protein and carbs. Perfect for winter, it’s a great dish for comfort food AND company!]
Maintenance Round 2, Week 1, Day 2 – 1/3/12
Weight: 169.6 = no change
Ketostix: trace
Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 88
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 85
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 95
Goodbye TOM, hello maintenance… goodbye high blood sugars!
SugarFree pointed out (not for the first time) that I need to try new foods. Boy is that true! I get into food ruts. I find something that works and I stick with it. I’ve been that way as long as I can remember, and the more restrictive I got with food over the years (restricting calories, restricting food types, etc), the less I felt inspired to try new things. What was the point? There wasn’t really anything I could eat. And somehow it felt threatening to enjoy food. What if I like it and keep eating and eating and eating?
I’ve been thinking a lot about SugarFree’s request that I try new foods. In a bigger way, it applies to the way I’ve been thinking about this whole program: on some level, the food ruts have perhaps indicated that I’ve been thinking about this as another restrictive situation, despite the wide array of delicious foods I can eat now that I never would have included on past diets (butter! cream! duck!). And I haven’t been tempted to eat and eat and eat – because now I know what to avoid (sugar) to keep that from happening. So the ruts were a symptom of a situation that no longer persists, and I see that now.
So I’m going for it. I’m aiming for at least one new (that is, new on this program) food a day this week. Goodbye sense of restriction, hello embracing of food inspiration. Goodbye sticking with what I know, hello sense of adventure!
[Note: Woohooo! Can’t wait to see what delicious stuff you come up with. It’s so important to understand at the deepest level that the Protocol is the opposite of restriction. It is to restore your metabolic health to the point that you can eat everything (processed sugar excepted, but I don’t believe any right-thinking person would call sugar a ‘food group’) with no problems. Good for you for jumping into the gastronomic pool, Ariel — your entire body will thank you. :)]
Maintenance Round 2, Week 1, Day 3 – 1/4/12
Weight: 168.8 = down .8 pounds
Ketostix: trace
Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 96
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 86
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 98
I had a delicious lunch of fancy Italian tuna and creamy, buttery spinach. Yum! Happy to see the numbers on the scale getting smaller, and I love the lower pp numbers, too.
Maintenance Round 2, Week 1, Day 4 – 1/5/12
Weight: 168.6 = down .2 pounds
Ketostix: trace
Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 99
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 97
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 92
See what I mean with the crazy up and down fasting blood sugars? I mean, was I sleep-eating?
[Note: It could be anything, from doing extra housework, stress, lack of sufficient restful sleep or even just fighting off a cold. All three numbers are still within the normal range, there’s no spike with any of them (which would indicate a sugary-type food) and your overall trend is in the right direction. No worries. :)]
Anyway, lunch was delicious – a pork chop and some swiss chard, plus a totally fantastic potato pancake. Tonight I’m trying a new vegetable: cardone, or cardoons, which looks like celery but tastes, apparently, like artichoke. Thanks for the recipe, SugarFree — can’t wait!
[Note: Let us know how it tastes and if you liked it. But also, because it is a ‘new’ food, please remember to take your 1-hour, 2-hour and even 3-hour PP after eating it, or any food for the very first time. I don’t anticipate a problem with a veggie but this is exactly what your meter is for — to teach you about YOU.]
Maintenance Round 2, Week 1, Day 5 – 1/6/12
Weight: 169 = up .4 pounds
Ketostix: trace
Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 88
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 88
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 91
– 3-hour PP (after lunch): 95
Today I added something very new to me – puff pastry – so I did 3 hour checks, and puff pastry passed!
[Note: Puff pastry is wonderful stuff – it’s literally 50% butter. I made a batch of fresh croissants yesterday (the same as puff pastry but with yeast; that’s literally the only difference) and froze most. Now I can have one fresh every few days. Given the amount of butter in every bite, I’m not surprised you did so well.]
Yesterday’s cardoons passed too (1 hr pp 98; 2 hr pp 87; 3 hr pp 85). And they are off-the-charts AMAZING! I want to eat them forever.
[Note: It would be great if you could put your recipe up on the recipe page so all of us can try this. I love artichokes, and cardoons certainly seems like an easier way to eat them!]
Maintenance Round 2, Week 1, Day 6 – 1/7/12
Weight: 169 = up .4 pounds
Ketostix: trace
Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 94
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 86
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 92
– 3-hour PP (after lunch): 95
New food for the day: eggplant (hence the 3 hour checks). So good. But I couldn’t eat my whole lunch today. There was no way.
[Note: On Maintenance, if you can’t eat everything it’s important that you eat ALL the fat first if you can, then the veggies, and then the animal protein.
This is the second food/second day where your third hour PP was higher than the other two checks, and higher than your fasting glucose. When trying a new food and that happens, it’s best to keep taking your sugars every hour until the meter goes down. Then you’ll know how high that food raised your sugars overall, and how long it took to get them down again. That will help you decide whether or not to eat the food again, and if so, in what amount and with what amount of fat.]
Maintenance Round 2, Week 1, Day 7 – 1/8/12
Weight: 169 = no change
Ketostix: trace
Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 91
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 102
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 104
– 3-hour PP (after lunch): 96
Two new foods today: tomatoes and dandelion greens. I must say, the greens were really, really bitter – not something I plan to make again, but they might have been the culprit. And as for the tomatoes, they were part of the braising liquid, and I didn’t exactly slurp up every drop. So I doubt it was the tomatoes. It could easily have been the fact that by not slurping up every drop (or really much of it at all), I missed out on a good portion of the fat on the lamb shank I braised.
[Note: It wasn’t the greens (though the way to make them less bitter is to blanch them first in boiling water for a few minutes, shock them in ice-water, drain, and then cook lightly in garlic lemon butter). It was the tomatoes. Just a bit more than you could handle at this moment, though that will change. Next time, put half the amount in the braise and I bet you’ll be fine. Good thing to learn though, no? Also, lamb fat doesn’t taste particularly good. When I make a beef burger I pour all the pan fat over it. When I make a lamb burger, I give the fat to the pooch. So when adding lamb shanks to a menu next time, give yourself a bit more ‘other’ fat in the meal, like butter. OTOH, look how quickly you recovered! This is a really good sign of increasing insulin sensitivity. :)]
Maintenance Round 2, Week 2, Day 1 – 1/9/12
Weight: 170 = up 1 pound
Measurements:
Bust: 38” = no change
Waist: 33” = up .5”
Hips: 38.5” = up .75”
Blood Glucose Averages:
7-day: 92
14-day: 94
30-day: 95
Ketostix: trace
Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 91
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 95
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 93
One of these days, my body is going to get the message that I don’t intend to refill those fat cells. Until then, I’m just waiting and paying attention.
Maintenance Round 2, Week 2, Day 2 – 1/10/12
Weight: 170 = no change
Ketostix: trace
Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 89
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 99
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 91
Nothing much going on today. Day two of the no-starch menu to bring the BG numbers back down, check. Back to trying new things tomorrow.
Maintenance Round 2, Week 2, Day 3 – 1/11/12
Weight: 169.6 = down .4 pounds
Ketostix: trace
Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 91
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 93
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 91
Better numbers and plenty of energy – a lovely day!
Maintenance Round 2, Week 2, Day 4 – 1/12/12
Weight: 170 = up .4 pounds
Ketostix: small
Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 83
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 92
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 95
– 3-hour PP (after lunch): 89
Back on metformin today, which I’m hoping will eventually get my weight moving downward again. Beef tenderloin for lunch… sorry cows, but you are delicious.
[Note: Sad, but true. 🙂 And look at your fasting BG! To all Ariel’s readers: She is now participating in a private experiment that I believe will have important implications for everyone with insulin resistant PCOS and with THR Hypothyroidism. I discovered it, but did not want to write about it unless the results could be replicated by someone else. Ariel was kind enough to volunteer, and I should be able to blog about it in a few weeks. Stay tuned!]
Maintenance Round 2, Week 2, Day 5 – 1/13/12
Weight: 168.8 = down 1.2 pounds
Ketostix: small
Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 77
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 80
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 85
– 3-hour PP (after lunch): 82
This morning I had the distinct feeling of not needing any food – I was calmly satisfied, as if I had just eaten an hour or two ago. I remembered that feeling – ketosis! — from the first round of Protocol, but I hadn’t felt it as convincingly for a few weeks now. I made lunch, but I couldn’t finish all of the protein.
Yay for the very low BG numbers and dropping more than a pound overnight.
Maintenance Round 2, Week 2, Day 6 – 1/14/12
Weight: 168.4 = down .4 pounds
Ketostix: small
Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 83
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 89
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 97
– 3-hour PP (after lunch): 92
My stomach was upset this morning and I probably should have waited to eat lunch, but made the food out of habit. Once again, there was no finishing it.
Maintenance Round 2, Week 2, Day 7 – 1/15/12
Weight: 168 = down .4 pounds
Ketostix: small
Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 79
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 91
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 81
Tummy’s still woozy. Eating something was good for the rest of me, I think, but my stomach isn’t so sure. In other news, continuous downward movement on the scale and picture-perfect fasting blood sugars are super cool.
I know I’m burning fat because 1) I stay satisfied after eating and it slowly morphs into generally feeling good and not hungry at all, and 2) I felt so warm this morning! I had that rush of warmth – I’m cold all the time, so this is particularly noteworthy – and I had to take off my fleece. It’s 12 degrees outside, we keep our house on the cool side, and I was wandering around in a camisole and pajama bottoms. For two hours. Nice.
[Note: If you stay satisfied after eating you are definitely in lipolysis and burning fat. If you are feeling warmer however, it is the result of higher body temperature, which in turn is the result of the secret experiment in which you are participating. And that experiment is also the cause of your lowered blood sugars. I plan on revealing the experiment to my readers next weekend, which will be, I hope, major good news to everyone suffering from hypothyroidism in the form of Thyroid Hormone Resistance. :)]
Maintenance Round 2, Week 3, Day 1 – 1/16/12
Weight: 167.8 = down .2 pounds
Measurements:
Bust: 38”= no change
Waist: 32.5” = down .5”
Hips: 39” = no change
Ketostix: moderate
Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 84
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 94
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 91
Blood Glucose Averages:
7-day: 88 = down 4
14-day: 91 = down 3
30-day: 92 = down 3
My stomach feels back to normal after eating lunch – a real relief after days of feeling unsettled and icky.
Today I bought a pair of size 10 slacks because they fit and look awesome. Yes! Size 10 pants!
[Note: Fantastic! And, as of today, you have lost a full 4 inches of fat from around your waist (two dress sizes) in just over two months! No wonder the size 10 slacks fit so well. Onward to size eight. :D]
Maintenance Round 2, Week 3, Day 2 – 1/17/12
Weight: 168.4 = up .6 pounds
Ketostix: moderate
Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 69
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 89
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 92
– 3-hour PP (after lunch): 90
Nothing much to report. I ate beef short ribs braised in the slow cooker overnight, so yummy.
I just wanted to voice my solidarity with SugarFree on WordPress going dark tomorrow to protest SOPA and PIPA (if you don’t know about these, please do some research). The protest will give a real sense of what censorship can look like – just think, this very website is full of information that goes against the received medical/nutritional wisdom, and might eventually be a candidate for future censorship if these bills pass. We are so lucky that SugarFree has made the enormous investment of time and energy to learn how to heal our broken systems, and we’re lucky we have an internet that has, until now, guaranteed free expression so that we could learn from her.
Maintenance Round 2, Week 3, Day 4 – 1/19/12
Weight: 167.8 = down .6 pounds
Ketostix: small
Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 90
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 102
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 87
I tried raspberries again today, and my BG went high enough that I’m going to lay off the starches (and fruit, of course) for the next two days. Gladly, I was back down to normal by the 2 hr point.
[Note: Ah, a “teachable moment.” 😀 You didn’t just have berries. You had rice, too. Equation: Stress + 2 many carbs for a given day = High BG. Try eating the exact same meal a few days from now, minus the rice. Bet your sugars are perfect.]
I’ve been super stressed the last two days – really kind of seething with frustration and trying to get over it because I’m powerless in the situation – and I think that is why my BG was high this morning (I even dreamt frustration!) and possibly after lunch as well.
In other news, as I’m sure you all heard, both SOPA and PIPA were pulled yesterday by their sponsors. It’s amazing what people can accomplish together!
[Note: I admit I was stunned when I heard the news yesterday that so many Republicans who previously supported it — including one of the bill’s Sponsor’s! — publicly denounced it. Truly amazing when you realize how much money the Entertainment Industry had spent to get these bills written. They really, really, really want to control the net and put up toll bridges everywhere. I’d like to thank everyone for their support yesterday. And yes, it’s becoming obvious (again) that the 99% are incredibly powerful when we band together. :)]
Maintenance Round 2, Week 3, Day 5 – 1/20/12
Weight: 167.8 = no change
Ketostix: small
Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 93
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 99
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 93
As predicted by SugarFree, I was able to tolerate some potato today after all. I’ve still been revved up with adrenaline from stress – literally vibrating with it – so I cut down the 2 oz I was planning to eat to half an ounce, and I managed to keep myself out of the red zone. I got some resolution today, by the way, so I should be coming down from this plateau of frustration in the next day or so.
[Note: Ariel, so sorry to hear that things have been so tough for you this past week, but I’m glad that at least something has been resolved! Do something nice for you this weekend. :)]
Maintenance Round 2, Week 3, Day 6 – 1/21/12
Weight: 167.6 = down .2 pounds
Ketostix: small
Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 91
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 99
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 97
Sledding all morning, home-fixing all afternoon. Not a bad day.
Maintenance Round 2, Week 3, Day 7 – 1/22/12
Weight: 168.2 = up .6 pounds
Ketostix: small
Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 89
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 99
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 83
Couldn’t finish everything at lunch – the starch I ate today (1.75 oz of potato latkes) felt so heavy! I’ve eaten them before, but for some reason, today they felt like a lead weight. I remember when I used to feel like I hadn’t really eaten until I ate a starch. Now it’s like a garnish…
My husband commented today that he thinks perhaps his lifelong problems with his gut (we’ve tried gluten-free, vegan, very low-fat, all organic, high fiber, etc, to fix them) were perhaps caused by SUGAR! Since I’ve been off sugar, he has eaten much less of it – I don’t keep it at the house and he doesn’t seek it out elsewhere. And he’s been having no gut problems in the last few months… until his birthday, when he was inundated with sweet treats and felt pretty horrible again. Yup. I don’t doubt that it was sugar. AND since going off sugar, all the foods he thought he was sensitive to (mostly fat and wheat) pose no problems at all.
And that is why I’m trying to teach my daughter that sugar is bad for us. Because it really, really is.
[Note: Ariel, you have said something profound. I shake my head when I read the latest “gluten is no good for you!” pronouncement by yet another company looking to make money on their suckers customers, who fall for the latest (over-priced) fad. As a species we’ve eaten cultivated grains for the last 10,000 years, and wild grain for a few hundred thousand years before that. Yet we managed to explore and populate the world, create everything in it, and not only survive, but thrive. All while eating (literally) tons of fat and small amounts of grains of all kinds without harm. Humans are omnivores with a capital ‘O’. If it isn’t poisonous, we tend to kill and eat everything before it can kill and eat us, down to extinction.
Think of the pioneer women on the Prairie, who bought fifty pound sacks of flour (and made clothes from the left-over sacks) from the town store, who got it from who knows where. Those women, who worked at least a hundred hard-scrabble hours a week, did not stop to say: “Sorry, children. No biscuits for you until I sprout this grain overnight.” Yet the nation survived.
What the nation did not do, however — was eat fifty pounds of sugar at the same time. The average family probably consumed no more than ten pounds of sugar in the entire year, and “made do” with what we now know is a super food — molasses. Neither did the nation eat processed fructose in the form of high fructose corn syrup or even worse, agave syrup. Nor did they eat processed foods in general, but instead relied on enormous amounts of butter and lard as their main fuel, along with good red meat if they could shoot it, and potatoes. Somehow, despite eating plenty of wheat and all the products homemakers made with wheat, the nation managed to avoid ‘gut’ problems, gout, non-alcoholic liver disease, diabetes type II and heart disease. Heart attacks were so rare up the 1920’s, that if a doctor’s patient had one he wrote it up and sent it to a medical journal.
What made that change, about a decade after hydrolyzed fat was created? The list is short: Crisco. Pure trans-fat. And vegetable oils of all kinds, created from what was essentially manufacturing sludge that someone got an idea to clarify and sell as “health” food. And of course, sugar. Subsidized, dirt-cheap sugar. Put that toxic list together and it’s no wonder that men started dropping like flies from heart disease. And of course, in the fifties, along came Ancel Keys and the McGovern (Food Pyramid) Committee to start the fat phobia panic, swiftly followed by an every obese and chronically ill nation of diabetics.
Yeah. It’s the gluten.]
Maintenance Round 2, Week 4, Day 1 – 1/23/12
Weight: 168.2 = no change
Measurements:
Bust, 10/25: 42” Today: 38″ = down 4″
Waist, 10/25: 36.5” Today: 32″ = down 4.5″
Hips, 10/25: 43” Today: 38″ = down 5″
Total inches lost in just 3 months: 13.5″ — that’s phenomenal! That’s over an inch a week, every week.
Ketostix: trace
Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 91
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 101
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 97
Blood Glucose Averages:
7-day: 93
14-day: 91
30-day: 92
Looks like I’m back on no starches for the next two days. My 7-day average is up thanks to the high stress week I’ve had. Amazing the effect stress can have on the body!
[Note: Yes, but equally amazing is the ‘secret ingredient’ that has kept you burning fat despite the stress! And, I believe, kept your meter readings from being far worse. It will take a while for all the cortisol to reach normal levels again, so if there is anything nice you can do for yourself in the meantime, it will help.]
Maintenance Round 2, Week 4, Day 2 – 1/24/12
Weight: 168.2 = no change
Ketostix: small
Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 94
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 96
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 95
Once again, there was just way too much food to eat. I did my best!
[Note: How great to ‘meet’ your mom today! :)]
Maintenance Round 2, Week 4, Day 3 – 1/25/12
Weight: 168.6 = up .4 pounds
Ketostix: small
Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 86
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 81
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 98
– 3-hour PP (after lunch): 90
Today’s smaller amount of protein was super good, I think. Speaking of super, this is a super busy week, made even more super by the arrival of TOM just two days before a huge concert – did you know that the water-retaining poofiness affects your vocal cords, too? Yup. Fun. But TOM explains some of the stuff going on the last few days with my numbers.
And thanks, SugarFree, for helping my mom!
[Note: My pleasure, Ariel. What a lovely woman. You’re a lucky daughter! :)]
Maintenance Round 2, Week 4, Day 4 – 1/26/12
Weight: 168.0 = down .6 pounds
Ketostix: small
Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 95
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 96
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 102
– 3-hour PP (after lunch): 99
Here’s something I’ve noticed casually: on days when I lose some weight, my fasting BG is higher. Sometimes, like today, kind of weirdly high. In unrelated (or not?) news, 1 oz of puff pastry was too much starch for TOM (plus lingering stress), I think – I probably should have known better. I’m wondering if next TOM I should cut out starches the whole time and see how I do.
[Note: LOL — N=1 is always within your control. Give it a try next month and see how you do. My best guess is that it’s the lingering effect of stress hormones, not TOM itself, though the mix of the two probably is causing some mischief. But hey — you’ve got the tools; you can find out!]
Maintenance Round 2, Week 4, Day 5 – 1/27/12
Weight: 168.6 = up .6 pounds
Ketostix: small
Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 83
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 94
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 99
– 3-hour PP (after lunch): 95
I’m starting to think of my weight as tidal: it goes up, it goes down, back and forth. And since it’s water that’s probably getting stored and dumped, it’s not a totally random metaphor. That’s me: the ocean.
I’ve got a major performance tonight so I’m humming with adrenaline, which is never good if it gets out of hand. I’m going to try to carve out a half an hour later to be silent and calm, but with two OTHER big, stressful things to do today (one down, so far), it doesn’t look great. I have to remind myself on days like this that I like what I do.
But in the category of Awesome Things, tonight I’ll be performing in a teeny tiny sleeveless black gown that is slightly too large but drapes gorgeously. Also, it hasn’t fit me for about eight years.
[Note: Oh, my. Please have hubby take a picture of you in the teeny tiny and send it here. I’ll put it up in the media section. And, um, break a leg tonight. :D]
Maintenance Round 2, Week 4, Day 6 – 1/28/12
Weight: 167.4 = down 1.2 pounds
Ketostix: small
Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 86
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 72
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 91
– 3-hour PP (after lunch): 84
Well, well, well… stress resolved, pound melts off. The tide goes out…
Maintenance Round 2, Week 4, Day 7 – 1/29/12
Weight: 167.8 = up .4 pounds
Ketostix: small
Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 87
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 99
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 97
Tomorrow, round 3 of Protocol begins. I’m ready!
Protocol Round 3, Week 1, Day 1 – 1/30/12
Weight: 167.8 = same
Measurements:
Bust: 38” = no change
Waist: 32” = no change
Hips: 38” = no change
Ketostix: small
6.5 oz pork chops
8 oz spinach
4.5 oz fennel bulb
2.5 oz pea shoots
.5 fl oz cream
30 g butter
.75 oz farm bread
Calories: 707
Fat: 50.5 g (64%)
Carbs: 21.3 g (12%)
Protein: 43 g (24%)
Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 87
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 109
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 103
Blood Glucose Averages:
7-day: 94
14-day: 94
30-day: 92
Those averages really show the effect of TOM and stress, don’t they? Ugh. I’m emerging from the stress, and TOM is over, just in time for the new round of Protocol.
But then there’s that 109. THAT is due to much less fat than Maintenance with too much starch, OR either the fennel or the pea shoots, both of which are new veggies to me, or the fact that my lunch was accompanied by a frustrating argument. Whatever the reason, I will be sneaking up on those veggies slowly and laying off the starches for the next few days to equalize again.
Protocol Round 3, Week 1, Day 2 – 1/31/12
Weight: 167.2 = down .6 pounds
Ketostix: small to moderate
5 oz tuna
8 oz swiss chard
8 oz mushrooms
5 oz string beans
.5 fl oz cream
.5 oz sour cream
1 T butter
Calories: 717
Fat: 50.8 g (64%)
Carbs: 18.6 g (10%)
Protein: 46.4 g (26%)
Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 86
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 95
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 90
A much better day all around. Much better blood sugars, much better mood. Even much better weather!
Protocol Round 3, Week 1, Day 3 – 2/1/12
Weight: 168.4 = up 1.2 pounds
Ketostix: trace to small
Meal:
9 oz asparagus
8 oz spinach
7 oz pork chops
5 oz string beans
1 fl oz cream
1 oz sour cream
1 T butter
FitDay stats:
Calories: 692
Fat: 50.3 g (65%)
Carbs: 12 g (7%)
Protein: 47.8 g (28%)
Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 88
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 101
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 97
I really can’t explain the 101 – I took my dog for a short stroll after lunch, but I waited 15 minutes before checking my BG. I just don’t understand it. Nor can I explain going up 1.2 pounds. Some days things are just weird.
[Note: The beauty of understanding the body is that your results are not weird at all. Exercise drives up blood sugar – it’s an evolutionary survival adaptation. You would have needed to wait an hour after the exercise to take your meter reading. And, as you see, by an hour later it started coming down. If you’d taken it any hour after that it probably would have been at least another 7 points lower. As to the weight gain: equally easy to explain. You already know it’s just water, but you gained (retained, really, from the day before) because you’re burning so much fat again. It will drop off in a day or two, and you’ll be very happy with next Monday’s measurements! :)]
Protocol Round 3, Week 1, Day 4 – 2/2/12
Weight: 168.4 = same
Ketostix: small
Meal:
6 oz artichoke hearts
8 oz broccoli
9.5 oz bone-in chicken thighs
.75 fl oz cream
.5 oz sour cream
2 T butter
FitDay stats:
Calories: 747
Fat: 59.9 g (72%)
Carbs: 11.3 g (6%)
Protein: 40.6 g (22%)
Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 96
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 106
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 101
I should have wings and a halo for how well I’m doing, and yet my blood is sweet like cake.
[Note: If you look back over your journal, you’ll see that it usually takes a full week on Protocol (after Maintenance) to get back to normal: weight loss, inches, blood sugars.]
Protocol Round 3, Week 1, Day 5 – 2/3/12
Weight: 168.2 = down .2 pounds
Ketostix: small
Meal:
9 oz asparagus
8 oz kale
4.5 oz tuna
.75 fl oz cream
.5 oz sour cream
2 T butter
FitDay stats:
Calories: 748
Fat: 59.8 g (72%)
Carbs: 12.4 g (7%)
Protein: 40 g (21%)
Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 92
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 103
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 90
Numbers are all a little better today, which is nice. Taking some time this afternoon to do something fun. Tra-la-la!
Protocol Round 3, Week 1, Day 6 – 2/4/12
Weight: 167.8 = down .4 pounds
Ketostix: trace to small
Meal:
10 oz swiss chard
8 oz broccoli
6 oz pork chops
1.5 fl oz cream
.5 oz sour cream
2 T butter
FitDay stats:
Calories: 782
Fat: 61.6 g (71%)
Carbs: 12 g (8%)
Protein: 41.4 g (21%)
Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 78
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 91
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 89
I’m hoping today’s better numbers are part of a general downward trend. I couldn’t finish all the food – I have a kind of love/hate relationships with pork, and today was mostly hate, plus there were just too many veggies.
[Note: There are many ways to deal with veggie volume. For big-ticket items like broccoli, smear with olive oil, crushed garlic and salt, then roast for 20 minutes at 400 F. They broccoli will be thin, light as a feather, and taste like crunchy candy. Do NOT overcook or burn the garlic. For items like swiss chard or spinach, make sure you’ve removed all the woody stems (for chard, most of the stem itself), then wilt down in melted garlic butter to almost nothing. Or use in an omelet or bake in a souffle. In other words, put on your chef’s hat! :)]
Today we went to a movie and brought along a friend of our daughter’s. He did NOT like the way we do movies. “What about the popcorn? And I need candy too!” I told him, “Sorry, dude, our family doesn’t do candy. And we brought some crackers and cheese for a snack for you guys instead of popcorn.” And then, in the middle of the movie, he asks for a soda. “Water fountain is how we do it.” I don’t think he’ll be joining us at the movies again.
[Note: LOL — fantastic story, and good for you for sticking to your principles. Too many people would have caved, not willing to be considered “not nice.”]
Protocol Round 3, Week 1, Day 7 – 2/5/12
Weight: 167.6 = down .2 pounds
Ketostix: trace to small
Meal:
9 oz asparagus
8 oz kale
5.5 oz lamb roast
3.25 fl oz cream
1.5 oz sour cream
.5 T olive oil
FitDay stats:
Calories: 759
Fat: 59.7 g (71%)
Carbs: 14.4 g (8%)
Protein: 41 g (21%)
Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 76
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 88
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 69
Lamb roast feast with friends today – slow roasted for hours with rosemary and garlic. We all turned into cavemen, grunting and moaning, licking our fingers, ripping chunks of meat right off the bone. (I weighed my piece in advance, then stuck back under the rest of the roast for maximum deliciousness. I was less exact with the asparagus, and I think I underestimated how much I was supposed to eat.) All in all, a lovely day.
[Note: Mmmmmmmmmmm]
Protocol Round 3, Week 2, Day 1 – 2/6/12
Weight: 167.8 = up .2 pounds
Measurements:
Bust: 38” = no change
Waist: 32” = no change
Hips: 38” = no change
Ketostix: small
Meal:
6 oz artichoke hearts
8 oz chard
8.5 oz chicken thighs
1 fl oz cream
1 oz sour cream
2 T butter
1 oz potato
FitDay stats:
Calories: 754
Fat: 59.6 g (71%)
Carbs: 16.5 g (9%)
Protein: 37.9 g (20%)
Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 87
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 93
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 86
Blood Glucose Averages:
7-day: 95
14-day: 94
30-day: 93
Felt a little woozy yesterday afternoon and today even more, not sure why. Couldn’t finish lunch and I don’t even want to think about food for a while. This afternoon is all about the headache.
[Note: The wooziness and headache may indicate something coming on. Heaven knows enough ‘stuff’ is floating around everywhere these last few weeks. Please take something for the headache, and try and get some rest. I hope you feel better soon!]
Protocol Round 3, Week 2, Day 2 – 2/7/12
Weight: 167.6 = down .2 pounds
Ketostix: trace to small
Meal:
3 eggs
2 fl oz cream
1 T butter
4 oz romaine lettuce
FitDay stats:
Calories: 552
Fat: 48.8 g (80%)
Carbs: 6.6 g (5%)
Protein: 21.6 g (15%)
Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 79
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 90
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 75
Sick house. I’ve got stomach problems, my daughter and I are both coughing and wheezing – nobody slept last night. Today, chest x-rays and movies and tea. Ugh.
[Note: I was never so unhappy at being right. 😦 At least you know what caused the dizziness. Please get as much rest as you can, and drink a lot of water, tea with a lot coconut oil AND chicken or mineral broth. Eat as much as makes you comfortable. Please feel better soon!]
Protocol Round 3, Week 2, Day 3 – 2/8/12
Weight: 166.8 = down .8 pounds
Ketostix: trace to small
Meal:
3 eggs
2 fl oz cream
1 T butter
4 oz romaine lettuce
FitDay stats:
Calories: 552
Fat: 48.8 g (80%)
Carbs: 6.6 g (5%)
Protein: 21.6 g (15%)
Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 90
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 72
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 83
Thanks for the well wishes, SugarFree!
I woke up to a very demanding and unreasonable four-year old ordering me around for 15 minutes before I could check my blood sugar this morning – I’m sure that’s why it was somewhat high.
Still sick. I took the afternoon off and napped.
[Note: Demanding four-year-old children have been shown to increase blood pressure and glucose by 20%. Remedy: Well, none. ;)]
Protocol Round 3, Week 2, Day 4 – 2/9/12
Weight: 166 = down .8 pounds
Ketostix: moderate
Meal:
3 eggs
2 fl oz cream
1 T butter
4 oz romaine lettuce
FitDay stats:
Calories: 552
Fat: 48.8 g (80%)
Carbs: 6.6 g (5%)
Protein: 21.6 g (15%)
Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 75
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 92
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 64
I thought I was starting to feel better – I felt kind of hungry all morning, in that “am I nauseous or hungry?” kind of way. Ate lunch and immediately felt ill again. Still, I think I may be on the mend, so I’m planning to eat regular food again tomorrow.
Protocol Round 3, Week 2, Day 5 – 2/10/12
Weight: 165.4 = down .6 pounds
Ketostix: moderate
Meal:
6 oz chicken thighs
1 oz sour cream
1 oz potato
2 T butter
4 oz romaine lettuce
FitDay stats:
Calories: 528
Fat: 43.2 g (74%)
Carbs: 9.4 g (7%)
Protein: 25.4 g (19%)
Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 79
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 84
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 86
Tip-toeing back to real food, so far so good. Much less nauseous after eating today, which is a real relief.
Protocol Round 3, Week 2, Day 6 – 2/11/12
Weight: 165.4 = same
Ketostix: small to moderate
Meal:
7 oz ground beef
2 oz sweet potato
1 T butter
8 oz broccoli
6 oz artichoke hearts
1.5 fl oz cream
FitDay stats:
Calories: 808
Fat: 60.7 g (68%)
Carbs: 22.7 g (11%)
Protein: 42.7 g (21%)
Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 84
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 101
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 90
Sweet potatoes are SWEET! Yum!
Protocol Round 3, Week 2, Day 7 – 2/12/12
Weight: 166.4 = up 1 pound
Ketostix: small
Meal:
2 eggs
1 fl oz cream
2 T coconut oil
1 T butter
.5 oz toast
FitDay stats:
Calories: 631
Fat: 59.7 g (85%)
Carbs: 8.9 g (6%)
Protein: 14.6 g (9%)
Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 94
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 96
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 88
Sick as a dog. Went to the clinic this morning, and I was shocked that it wasn’t strep throat. Still, totally miserable – fever, aches, sorest throat ever, headache. Bluch. That two tablespoons of coconut oil is what I’ve had so far, and there will definitely be more. Two different sicks in one week is just terrible.
[Note: It really is! Please take care of yourself and feel better soon. Don’t worry about P or M — just eat as much fat as you feel comfortable taking, and plenty of fluids.]
Maintenance Round 3, Week 1, Day 1 – 2/13/12
Weight: 165 = down 1.4 pounds
Measurements:
Bust: 38” = no change
Waist: 32” = no change
Hips: 38” = no change
Ketostix: small
Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 73
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 82
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 79
Blood Glucose Averages:
7-day: 85
14-day: 90
30-day: 92
Feeling slightly better, thanks to Tylenol, Sudafed, and lots of tea with coconut oil. Mmmm. I’m so pleased to see my BG averages coming down – much better. Also nice to see the scale moving down. Although my three main measurements have stayed the same, I can see a difference in my upper torso, between my bust and my waist.
Maintenance Round 3, Week 1, Day 2 – 2/14/12
Weight: 165.4 = up .4 pounds
Ketostix: moderate
Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 74
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 80
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 74
Maintenance is actually kind of hard to get used to. Unlike past rounds, I’m really overwhelmed by the amount of food… maybe because I’ve been eating one meal a day, and this is A LOT of food to eat all at one time. Today I couldn’t, so I’m saving the brie for later. However, I would like to point out that broccoli sautéed in bacon fat is a whole new level of delicious.
[Note: Actually, the ‘overwhelming’ feeling is a result of your having been sick, eating much less, and shrinking your stomach. That doesn’t normally happen on Protocol because it only lasts two weeks, but you’ve not been eating well or fully for about a month now. You’ll know you’re really feeling better when your full appetite comes roaring back. As for one meal a day — now that you’re in your third round of Maintenance, you can go to one main and one smaller meal a day. As always, check the meter and measuring tape to see how that will affect you.]
Maintenance Round 3, Week 1, Day 3 – 2/15/12
Weight: 165.2 = down .2 pounds
Ketostix: small
Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 76
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 75
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 79
Oh my goodness, yum! Today I made a creamy spinach and chicken soup, using the delicious fat/juices from last night’s roast chicken, plus lots of butter, garlic, and of course the roasted chicken and spinach. It was like a pot pie! Wow. SugarFree is full of delicious ideas for how to eat this way (and so are, I’m told, the cookbooks she recommended, that are on their way to me as we speak). Tomorrow my fave Maintenance meal: beef short ribs, braised for hours. Oh yeah.
Also, my petite size 12 pants are loose. Tee-hee!
[Note: I’d like to quote someone who, when she wrote this, weighed nearly 170 pounds and had a 37″ waist: “I’ve never been slim and have always struggled to lose even one pound.” Guess you’ll never be able to write that sentence again, my dear. :D]
Maintenance Round 3, Week 1, Day 4 – 2/16/12
Weight: 165 = down .2 pounds
Ketostix: small to moderate
Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 76
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 79
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 83
My appetite is coming back, as SugarFree predicted. Today I made mustard greens and I think they’re promising, but I’m going to look for a way to remove the bitterness completely.
[Note: Removing bitterness from greens is easy. Bring a large pot of slightly salted water to the boil. Place a colander in a larger bowl of ice or very cold water in the sink. Blanch the greens for one minute in the boiling water, then immediately remove them to the ice water. Chill for five minutes. Remove and drain completely. You can then cook them (reheat, really) any way you like and almost all the bitterness will be gone.]
Maintenance Round 3, Week 1, Day 5 – 2/17/12
Weight: 164.8 = down .2 pounds
Ketostix: small to moderate
Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 81
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 82
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 66
Oh my goodness! My new favorite way to eat pork is sliced into cubes after marinating in garlic and chili sauce overnight, sautéed in lots of butter. Holy cow (well, pig)… delish! That’s another recipe I have to put up soon. Scrumptious.
Maintenance Round 3, Week 1, Day 6 – 2/18/12
Weight: 164.4 = down .4 pounds
Ketostix: moderate
Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 84
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 82
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 89
Looooooong day working, on my feet (on a marble floor, no less) from 10am to 5pm, much heavy lifting and corralling people and the drinking fountains were very far away…. I am now completely used up. However, I made my lunch in advance and managed to sneak away for 10 minutes to eat it.
Maintenance Round 3, Week 1, Day 7 – 2/19/12
Weight: 164.8 = up .4 pounds
Ketostix: moderate
Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 78
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 77
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 81
Still exhausted from yesterday, but we’re having a very low-key day. I discovered a no-sugar mayo: Trader Joe’s organic mayo lists no sugar in the ingredients (soybean oil, water, egg yolks, whole eggs, white vinegar, salt, white mustard, lemon juice concentrate), and has 0g carbs. I gave it a shot and didn’t see a spike from hidden sugar, either. Could this be the holy mayo grail?
[Note: Absolutely — except for the fact that it’s made with soybean oil, which is basically an industrial sludge cleaned up with high heat and chemicals, and which is absolutely forbidden (as are all vegetable oils except olive and coconut) on Protocol. And which, of course, should not be eaten by any human being who would prefer not to get the fatty liver disease from the inflammation that comes from PUFA-6 oil consumption. In other words, return to TJ’s, who will take back any product, no questions asked. Sorry. 😦
Since it takes precisely five minutes to make your own mayo (using light olive oil, which provides a neutral flavor), and absolutely nothing can compare with the taste of homemade, I don’t understand why anyone would want to buy mayonnaise. My fermented mayo recipe is on Kym’s thread, and it will last in the fridge every bit as long as the commercial variety.]
Maintenance Round 3, Week 2, Day 1 – 2/20/12
Weight: 166 = up 1.2 pounds
Weight on 10/25/11 : 169.4 pounds. TOTAL WEIGHT LOSS: 3.4 POUNDS
Measurements today:
Bust: 38” = no change
Waist: 31.75” = down .25”
Hips: 38” = no change
Measurements on 10/25/11: TOTAL FAT LOSS: 12.75 INCHES
Bust: 42”
Waist: 36.5”
Hips: 43”
Ketostix: small
Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 80
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 78
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 79
Blood Glucose Averages:
7-day: 78
14-day: 82
30-day: 89
(talk about a downward trend!)
Today I tried on two size 8 skirts, which fit beautifully (but were flawed stylistically, so they didn’t come home with me). Size 8! Holy cow! I’ve been getting some shirts in size medium now, which is beyond unusual for me. So although my measurements aren’t changing all that much, I’m finding myself less… um… lumpy. The kinds of clothing I can wear are different than before. I have to remind myself that poofy, gathered shirts are NOT the ones that look best on me anymore – I look best in slim, relatively close-fitting tops. That’s a big change.
[Note: As you can see above, in just under four months your measurements have changed dramatically – you’ve practically lost an entire other person! Hence, you’ve gone down several clothing sizes (Yay!). All this, while the scale has only moved 3.4 pounds. If this doesn’t prove that the scale numbers are completely meaningless because the scale lies, lies, lies — I don’t know what will. Enjoy the new clothing. :)]
Maintenance Round 3, Week 2, Day 2 – 2/21/12
Weight: 166 = same
Ketostix: small to moderate
Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 82
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 79
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 82
I am feeling weird today. I woke up hungry, but after a cup of coffee it passed. I also woke up WARM! By about 10 am I was exhausted and nauseous, and my throat, which I thought was starting to get better, was aching again. Ugh. I put off eating until about 1:30 because I couldn’t face food, and then finally went for the eggs and toast approach SugarFree has recommended in the past. Even that was a bit of a challenge.
I think it’s TOM, on its way – it’s the right timing, and why else would I suddenly move backwards in my flu recovery? But time will tell.
[Note: It’s not TOM, though that may be coming. It’s because this thing is insidious, and it’s all over the country. Check out my note on Kym’s report today for a Bone Mineral Broth recipe that will help in the recovery. Feel better!]
Maintenance Round 3, Week 2, Day 3 – 2/22/12
Weight: 164.4 = down 1.6 pounds
Ketostix: small to moderate
Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 77
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 87
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 75
Yup, now I’m even worse. I made the Bone Mineral Soup (which I’ve retitled Marrow Deliciousness Soup) and have been sipping it for the last few hours. Wow – it is amazing. It’s going to be my new go-to sickness broth – used to be chicken soup, but this is much more delicious and satisfying. Now I’m headed to bed for an afternoon of sleep.
[Note: My son had this and couldn’t work for a week. But it didn’t go away. He finally went to the doctor who said this thing is so virulent, antibiotics are the only way to get rid of it. He got Z-Pac for 5 days and it was gone! I’m just saying.]
[Note Update: Just found out your doc gave you Z-Pac today. You’ll feel much better in 36 hours from the time you took the first pill. :)]
Maintenance Round 3, Week 2, Day 4 – 2/23/12
Weight: 164 = down .4 pounds
Ketostix: small
Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 82
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 80
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 81
Antibiotics! I’m a different person today. SugarFree was right — you feel better in only 36 hours after taking the first Zpac. I’m still taking it easy with the food – eggs, toast, bacon – today, but if things continue in this direction I should have no problem getting back to regular food tomorrow. Yay, science!
[Note: So glad it’s working! But whatever you thought you would eat tomorrow — no matter how good you feel — cut that amount in half. Science says your stomach has shrunk, so you need to work up to big meals again. Patience, Grasshopper. :D]
Maintenance Round 3, Week 2, Day 5 – 2/24/12
Weight: 164.6 = up .6 pounds
Ketostix: small
Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 80
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 92
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 78
Well, SugarFree was right – I went half on a regular day of food, and couldn’t finish even that. After so many days of eating not much at all, I wasn’t ready to go right back to such big meals. I’ll sneak back up to full capacity slowly over the weekend.
Maintenance Round 3, Week 2, Day 6 – 2/25/12
Weight: 164.6 = same
Ketostix: small
Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 75
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 89
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 86
TOM is here, so my already weak appetite is even weaker. Still, things are looking up. I’m feeling so much better.
Maintenance Round 3, Week 2, Day 7 – 2/26/12
Weight: 164.4 = down .2 pounds
Ketostix: small to moderate
Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 78
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): not recorded
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 76
Totally laid back day… so much so that after lunch I fell asleep with my daughter and missed the 1-hr pp. Oops! But naps are wonderful, so I’m not sorry.
Maintenance Round 3, Week 3, Day 1 – 2/27/12
Weight: 164 = down .4 pounds
Measurements:
Bust: 38” = no change
Waist: 31.75” = no change
Hips: 38” = no change
Ketostix: small
Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 81
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 84
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 100
– 3-hour PP (after lunch): 87
Blood Glucose Averages:
7-day: 82
14-day: 80
30-day: 86
Spring break this week. I took an hour off to shop for clothes, and learned that I am now a size 10 in pants, definitely. The size 12s are too big. Amazing.
I’m not sure what the story is with the 100 at two hours, but it came right back, so I’m not terribly concerned.
Maintenance Round 3, Week 3, Day 2 – 2/28/12
Weight: 164.4 = up .4 pounds
Ketostix: small
Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 80
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 91
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 88
Raspberries are intoxicating. The intensity of sweet-tartness is amazing when you haven’t had sugar for six months. And berries with cream is so luxurious… anyway, yay for fruit!
Maintenance Round 3, Week 3, Day 3 – 2/29/12
Weight: 164 = down .4 pounds
Ketostix: small to moderate
Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 81
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 99
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 90
Pretty ordinary day, except that I forgot to take my Metformin until after lunch – oops!
Maintenance Round 3, Week 3, Day 4 – 3/1/12
Weight: 164.2 = up .2 pounds
Ketostix: trace to small
Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 88
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 88
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 87
Feeling pretty groovy today… nothing new to report.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Maintenance Round 3, Week 4, Day 5 – 3/2/12
Hey, everyone — I’m off for a weekend cruise; a surprise for my mother’s 60th birthday. I’ll be making smart food choices and enjoying myself with my family. I’ll post a report on Tuesday, March 6th, about how it all went. Have a lovely weekend!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Maintenance Round 3, Week 4, Day 2 – 3/6/12
Happy Birthday, SugarFree!!!
Weight: 164.4 = up .2 pounds
Measurements:
Bust: 38” = no change
Waist: 31” = down .75”
Hips: 38” = no change
Ketostix: trace
Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 89
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 91
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 84
First of all, I’d like to wish SugarFree a sweet and joyful birthday! You have made such a positive impact on my health and life – I can’t thank you enough. I hope your day turns out exactly as you want it to.
And as for me, I’m back from our three day surprise cruise to the Bahamas in celebration of my marvelous Mom’s 60th birthday. We had a wonderful time – plenty of sun, family time, and relaxation. And she was VERY surprised, which was so satisfying. It felt absolutely fantastic to show her, with such an over-the-top gesture, how much she means to us. Birthdays are awesome!
Regarding the food situation, I did my best. No sugar, obviously, and no breakfast but coffee and cream. However, it was a real challenge to get enough fat, and to get enough food at lunch, since dining was really geared toward dinner. So I decided to split my food pretty evenly between lunch and dinner. As for getting enough fat, my sister commented that she’d never seen anyone smear butter on a hamburger. Although I didn’t bring my food scale, in my estimation I didn’t get enough veggies and I know I didn’t get enough fat. But according to my waist measurement, I did okay. Anyway, though it was lovely not cooking, it’s kind of a relief to be home, making my own food.
[Note: Ariel, thank you so much for the kind wishes! It’s been a lovely birthday. 🙂 My son took me out to an elegant restaurant on Sunday, and friends took me to lunch today. Steak topped with an egg and smothered with homemade hollandaise, with a side of pork belly, jalapeno and goat cheese hash. OMG! And I have lots of ideas for new threads, and will be writing later today and during the week.
I’m so glad you and your family had a wonderful cruise! It sounds like you did really well in the midst of a lot of temptation, which is its own victory, but also that you discovered you can eat good food almost anywhere you go. And frankly, what’s a burger (or a slice of brie for that matter), without butter on it? Only half-dressed if you ask me. 😀 Welcome back!]
Maintenance Round 3, Week 4, Day 3 – 3/7/12
Weight: 164.2 = down .2 pounds
Ketostix: small
Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 85
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 90
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 89
Today one of my colleagues glanced at me and did a double take. “Did you just drop a ton of weight?” Yup! (Which is to say, yes I am smaller but I don’t weigh much less than I used to. It is practically a miracle of science.)
Maintenance Round 3, Week 4, Day 4 – 3/8/12
Weight: 164.2 = no change
Ketostix: small
Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 83
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 89
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 96
– 3-hour PP (after lunch): 85
Nothing interesting to report. Smooth sailing.
Maintenance Round 3, Week 4, Day 5 – 3/9/12
Weight: 165 = up .8 pounds
Ketostix: small
Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 81
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 91
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 80
Sometimes, my weight just goes up for no reason that I can discern. It just does. In the past, I would have flipped out about it. Now I could care less. I’m wearing my size ten trousers and a clingy, tissue thin T-shirt and the numbers on the scale mean almost nothing. And let me tell you, it’s liberating to not care about the scale — not in a “screw being thin, it will never happen” kind of way, but in a “silly scale, you are not up to date on my tiny-ness” way.
AMEN. 🙂
sugarfreegoodies 
I didn’t use any spices, although I mixed mustard with the sour cream. The mustard contains distilled vinegar but no sugars of any kind (ingredients: distilled vinegar, water, mustard seed, salt, turmeric). Could be the vinegar? If so I could mix in mustard seed itself.
It wasn’t the vinegar. Again, the PP reading was just over 100 and quickly subsided to true normal, so it’s nothing to worry about. What caused it? For a start, you’re very insulin resistant and getting consistently normal readings will take months, not days. And you have PCOS, which means that up to 50% of any protein you eat can be (and often is) converted to glucose. If anything in what you ate likely caused that little blip, it was the protein.
Can not thank you fully for the content on this web site. I know you placed a lot of time and effort into it and want you to know how deeply I appreciate it.
Ariel,
Just wanted to say keep up the good work! There is a lot to learn here on SugarFree’s site and we all learn so much from each other. I’m so happy and encouraged by your progress and your fitting into clothes you haven’t been able to in awhile. I’m sure it’s a great feeling! Congratulations!
Natasha
You’re absolutely right, SugarFree. It’s clearly working, and for that — and all of your knowledge, guidance, and patience — I can’t even begin to tell you how grateful I am!
Thanks for the pep talk, SugarFree. You’re awesome — and right!
Ariel,
The mental battle is tough. With SugarFree’s help I have been able to work through it. She is wonderful at getting through to thick-headed people like me. If I can do it, I know you can. You can see how far I’ve come looking at my numbers since I started in September. I’m on the mend now. 😀
Kym
Ariel, thank you for sharing the details of your protocol. It is very helpful and educational for my own recovery. I enjoy your writings and humor. I’m a fan. 😉
Marina
Thanks, SugarFree! It promises to be a good weekend — my husband’s 40th birthday! — so I’ll be surrounded by friends and love. By Monday I should be back to myself.
Ariel
Ariel, congrats on the black gown. I’m sure you’ll look amazing in it. Thanks for inspiring us all to try the Protocol.
Jan
SugarFree, I’m how I ended up here but I thought this post was great. I do not know who you are but you’re certainly going to a famous blogger if you aren’t already 😉 Cheers!
Mary
Excellent website. Lots of helpful information here. I’m sending it to some friends, and thanks for your hard work!
Ariel,
Congrats on your AWESOME progress. Your post today was just what I needed to read to remind myself that it’s the tape measure that matters, not the scale! 😉 Yay for cute clothes!
Paige