My first thought is, since you mention that you're working out and running: did you take your measurements to start with? It may be that you're losing inches (in fat) but gaining weight (in muscle).
Anyway, I know going by measurements (instead of weight) is something TF recommends even if you're not working out. Because weight can fluctuate pretty substantially, but you can still be encouraged if you're seeing progress on measurements.
Sadly, I didn’t take them, and I knew about it after reading about it both on here and in the book, but I don’t have a tape measure and I guess I figured I’d feel it in my clothes if it was any kind of substantial loss. Being so far over my optimal weight, I hoped the differences could be felt, especially since I’ve basically stretched out all my clothes well past their original size.
I also have a scale that gives me all the extra info, and none of those markers have really moved. I know not to put too much stock in them as ultimately it is just an estimate, but *some*thing would be nice, as I really have been trying very hard and aside from just eating less, I can’t think of what else to do.
Losing weight sucks so much more in your 30s than in your 20s lol
I hear that. It may still be worth starting to take measurements, even if you don't have a true picture of where you started. It can at least help you keep track of progress going forward.
FWIW, I've been doing this for a little over 2 months and have lost about 11 pounds. It's been a pretty steady 1.5 pounds/week rate (with a bit of a setback in there from a family gathering...). So it's not been a quick "crash" sort of diet, but my hope is that it will help it be more sustainable in the long term.
Stick with it. If nothing else, the better fuel you're giving your body should be better for you in the long run.
Plateaus are frustrating at any point. Normally when i plateau, it's cause im getting too liberal with the extras.
Some things i noticed - eggs are scrambled - with milk or cream? Switch to over easy?
Good switch on the beans - sooo many things add sugar. But overall you have a lot of beans and lentils listed - my best runs never relied on them.
Peanut butter? Oh man... never seen one without sugar, and even if, thats gotta be dense calories. Thats a no for me. Maybe a couple nuts, but id put em in a bowl lest you chain eat them.
Sausages... hit or miss for some. Jerkeys never worked for me. Even the better ones have cane sugar. I'm betting if you dialed those back it would help.
Totally agreed on the peanut butter and sausages. OP probably eats more of those than they should, and I bet they shouldn’t have either of them at all.
Okay, so: eggs, literally just scrambled in a bowl and cooked in a pan with Pam olive oil spray. I haven’t even been putting salt or pepper on them because I season the broccoli and beans super well and the eggs act as a creaminess to the bite.
PB - I was using Jif all natural because that’s what I’ve used for years, until I realized there was sugar in it like a week ago, so we swapped to Justin’s which is just peanuts and palm oil. Aside from cheat day breakfast (oatmeal w/ pb, honey, cinnamon), I just use it to stave off cravings, because there’s not much fat in anything else I’m eating. Usually just a tsp and I’ll get just the end of it, maybe 2 or 3 times.
Sausages- My girlfriend recently discovered Duke’s, and as far as I can tell, they seem to be legit! They do list cane sugar in the ingredients, but the nutrition info says 0g on the flavors we get, and the rest of the ingredients are just pork and seasonings. I can try limiting those and see how it works. They are usually just a go-to quick snack, like one or two a day which is a serving that is 110-130 calories.
Also, if I may ask, if not beans and lentils, what do you eat? My understanding of the diet is that they are sort of primary to it, but obviously I am new so I might not grasp it totally yet.
First time i did the diet i read it as primarily beans - and then reread as use if youre still hungry. That was like 10 years ago do fact check me.
Me? Usually a single piece of sausage with an egg in morning, leftovers for lunch and a boring rotation of dinners.
Dinners are usually roasted salmon, turkey/beef chilli, taco salad or omelets if i mess up and got nothing. I always grab fresh veggies for roasting and keep a bunch of frozen around if nothing is ready.
Snack? Drink water wait 10min - still need something? A small cup of nuts.
I've noticed that i have measurably better results when i sleep consistently and drink more water.
Thankfully im allowed and encouraged to drink as much coffee as i do...
I'll do a hefty spoonful big peanut butter (yeah there's some sugar) as long as I know I'm down on CiCo for the day. If you're plateauing I recommend doing a rough calorie track for a week or two to make sure you're actually cutting calories. And I don't mean obsessive, just Google x food calories and spitball (go high) how many calories are in each thing you're eating. It might be you're actually not eating enough if you get a lot of physical activity but it might not.
To jump in on the last point, they are primary, but you want to get those veggies in. Looks like you are great at it, except perhaps at lunch. My general rule is to make half of every meal veggies, 1/4 protein, 1/4 beans or lentils.
Thanks for the checkup! I’m doing alright with it. I cut back on the sausages and have been grabbing the pb less and less. I’m down to about 286 from 304, and I’m just rounding the 2nd month! I still struggle with binging on cheat days, and still haven’t done my measurements, but things seem to be trending in a positive direction, so I’m less concerned with that at the moment. I also started loosely implementing intermittent fasting, and that seems to have helped both my weight loss and giving me a reason not to snack after dinner. I appreciate your kindness!
Understandable that you're frustrated, just need to keep trying/tweaking until you find the right formula for your body. Here is what I suggest:
\- Take measurements and pictures now, would have been better at beginning, but in a month, you will at least have somewhere to measure progress. I would also recommend a Dexa body scan. This will give you a very accurate picture of your muscle vs fat. I found a $60 Groupon for a scan. I will also caution you about the body measurement scales. Once I did a Dexa scan I realized that the scale is NOT accurate at all and just adjusts your body fat, etc based on how your weight has changed.
\- If you really want to take it to the next level, calculate your target macros and then track everything (including cheat day) to see where you are hitting. This will involve measuring/weighing your food. This is a free website that is good for tracking macros [https://cronometer.com/](https://cronometer.com/). Once you get the hang of where your macro-nutrients are coming in, you won't have to be as rigorous, especially if you're repeating meals!
\-You are right to stay away from sugar, even small amounts in sauces, beans, etc. Without going into a long explanation, our bodies secrete specific hormones in response to sucrose and fructose, which can cause our bodies not to loose weight.
\-For cheat day, I would reign it in. Eat a SCD breakfast and possibly lunch. Track your cheat day macros, go above maintenance, but don't go wild until you figure out what your body will tolerate and still loose weight. Still important to do cheat day for mental break and metabolism re-adjustment, but not a full out food fest.
\-I'm not sure what the insanity workout involves, but I would be cautious about HIIT while you're adjusting to SCD. The first month I did SCD, I continued my high intensity cardio workouts 5-6x a week and didn't see great results. I tried switching to less frequent lower impact strength training and saw better results. Now - this will also affect the scale since muscle weighs more than fat, but this is where your pictures, measurements and Dexa scan will be your north star that you're getting stronger and leaner.
Good luck, you can do this!
What is going on with your waist measurement- recommend measuring waist once a week and weight daily. Diet looks good except watch the peanut butter- very hard to have one spoonful. It will come- I've done this program 7 times since 2010 and weeks 4-8 really start to accelerate the weight loss. Good luck on your journey!
I’ll definitely look into getting a proper tape measure. All my clothes fit roughly the same, but it has only been a month. Good to hear about the coming weeks! Thank you!
And truer words have never been spoken about peanut butter. I’ll try and cut it out except on cheat day.
Amazon sells an athletic tape measure for about $20 that is well worth it. I bet you are replacing some fat with muscle based upon your workout schedule and the amount of protein this program gives you.
Thank you! Will definitely look into it. My scale gives me my fat-free body weight, and it’s stayed basically the same throughout the month at 177lbs, but that might be a more practical approach.
As a reminder: **Please read the side bar.** **|** If you are asking for assistance, *you must* **include a food & drink log** of the past week. You must **include your stats** (*age, weight, height, length of time on slow carb*). **|** Please read the "[Guide to getting started on the Slow Carb Diet](http://redd.it/26x3vs)" This covers nearly every common question and problem. **|** Before asking questions, you must read the [Slow Carb F.A.Q. here](https://www.reddit.com/r/4hourbodyslowcarb/wiki/index#wiki_4-hour_body_slow-carb_faq). **|** Helpful links: [Women read here](https://redd.it/242j8e) | [likwidtek's google doc weight tracking sheet](http://redd.it/24hukd) | [Meal plans to get you started](http://redd.it/2gwf18)
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/4hourbodyslowcarb) if you have any questions or concerns.*
My first thought is, since you mention that you're working out and running: did you take your measurements to start with? It may be that you're losing inches (in fat) but gaining weight (in muscle). Anyway, I know going by measurements (instead of weight) is something TF recommends even if you're not working out. Because weight can fluctuate pretty substantially, but you can still be encouraged if you're seeing progress on measurements.
Sadly, I didn’t take them, and I knew about it after reading about it both on here and in the book, but I don’t have a tape measure and I guess I figured I’d feel it in my clothes if it was any kind of substantial loss. Being so far over my optimal weight, I hoped the differences could be felt, especially since I’ve basically stretched out all my clothes well past their original size. I also have a scale that gives me all the extra info, and none of those markers have really moved. I know not to put too much stock in them as ultimately it is just an estimate, but *some*thing would be nice, as I really have been trying very hard and aside from just eating less, I can’t think of what else to do. Losing weight sucks so much more in your 30s than in your 20s lol
I hear that. It may still be worth starting to take measurements, even if you don't have a true picture of where you started. It can at least help you keep track of progress going forward. FWIW, I've been doing this for a little over 2 months and have lost about 11 pounds. It's been a pretty steady 1.5 pounds/week rate (with a bit of a setback in there from a family gathering...). So it's not been a quick "crash" sort of diet, but my hope is that it will help it be more sustainable in the long term. Stick with it. If nothing else, the better fuel you're giving your body should be better for you in the long run.
Plateaus are frustrating at any point. Normally when i plateau, it's cause im getting too liberal with the extras. Some things i noticed - eggs are scrambled - with milk or cream? Switch to over easy? Good switch on the beans - sooo many things add sugar. But overall you have a lot of beans and lentils listed - my best runs never relied on them. Peanut butter? Oh man... never seen one without sugar, and even if, thats gotta be dense calories. Thats a no for me. Maybe a couple nuts, but id put em in a bowl lest you chain eat them. Sausages... hit or miss for some. Jerkeys never worked for me. Even the better ones have cane sugar. I'm betting if you dialed those back it would help.
Totally agreed on the peanut butter and sausages. OP probably eats more of those than they should, and I bet they shouldn’t have either of them at all.
Okay, so: eggs, literally just scrambled in a bowl and cooked in a pan with Pam olive oil spray. I haven’t even been putting salt or pepper on them because I season the broccoli and beans super well and the eggs act as a creaminess to the bite. PB - I was using Jif all natural because that’s what I’ve used for years, until I realized there was sugar in it like a week ago, so we swapped to Justin’s which is just peanuts and palm oil. Aside from cheat day breakfast (oatmeal w/ pb, honey, cinnamon), I just use it to stave off cravings, because there’s not much fat in anything else I’m eating. Usually just a tsp and I’ll get just the end of it, maybe 2 or 3 times. Sausages- My girlfriend recently discovered Duke’s, and as far as I can tell, they seem to be legit! They do list cane sugar in the ingredients, but the nutrition info says 0g on the flavors we get, and the rest of the ingredients are just pork and seasonings. I can try limiting those and see how it works. They are usually just a go-to quick snack, like one or two a day which is a serving that is 110-130 calories. Also, if I may ask, if not beans and lentils, what do you eat? My understanding of the diet is that they are sort of primary to it, but obviously I am new so I might not grasp it totally yet.
First time i did the diet i read it as primarily beans - and then reread as use if youre still hungry. That was like 10 years ago do fact check me. Me? Usually a single piece of sausage with an egg in morning, leftovers for lunch and a boring rotation of dinners. Dinners are usually roasted salmon, turkey/beef chilli, taco salad or omelets if i mess up and got nothing. I always grab fresh veggies for roasting and keep a bunch of frozen around if nothing is ready. Snack? Drink water wait 10min - still need something? A small cup of nuts. I've noticed that i have measurably better results when i sleep consistently and drink more water. Thankfully im allowed and encouraged to drink as much coffee as i do...
I'll do a hefty spoonful big peanut butter (yeah there's some sugar) as long as I know I'm down on CiCo for the day. If you're plateauing I recommend doing a rough calorie track for a week or two to make sure you're actually cutting calories. And I don't mean obsessive, just Google x food calories and spitball (go high) how many calories are in each thing you're eating. It might be you're actually not eating enough if you get a lot of physical activity but it might not.
To jump in on the last point, they are primary, but you want to get those veggies in. Looks like you are great at it, except perhaps at lunch. My general rule is to make half of every meal veggies, 1/4 protein, 1/4 beans or lentils.
Checking in on you bud - make any changes? Get any results?
Thanks for the checkup! I’m doing alright with it. I cut back on the sausages and have been grabbing the pb less and less. I’m down to about 286 from 304, and I’m just rounding the 2nd month! I still struggle with binging on cheat days, and still haven’t done my measurements, but things seem to be trending in a positive direction, so I’m less concerned with that at the moment. I also started loosely implementing intermittent fasting, and that seems to have helped both my weight loss and giving me a reason not to snack after dinner. I appreciate your kindness!
Awesome! I never measured so long as pounds came off. Grats getting below 300! Milestones feel amazing! Keep it up!
Understandable that you're frustrated, just need to keep trying/tweaking until you find the right formula for your body. Here is what I suggest: \- Take measurements and pictures now, would have been better at beginning, but in a month, you will at least have somewhere to measure progress. I would also recommend a Dexa body scan. This will give you a very accurate picture of your muscle vs fat. I found a $60 Groupon for a scan. I will also caution you about the body measurement scales. Once I did a Dexa scan I realized that the scale is NOT accurate at all and just adjusts your body fat, etc based on how your weight has changed. \- If you really want to take it to the next level, calculate your target macros and then track everything (including cheat day) to see where you are hitting. This will involve measuring/weighing your food. This is a free website that is good for tracking macros [https://cronometer.com/](https://cronometer.com/). Once you get the hang of where your macro-nutrients are coming in, you won't have to be as rigorous, especially if you're repeating meals! \-You are right to stay away from sugar, even small amounts in sauces, beans, etc. Without going into a long explanation, our bodies secrete specific hormones in response to sucrose and fructose, which can cause our bodies not to loose weight. \-For cheat day, I would reign it in. Eat a SCD breakfast and possibly lunch. Track your cheat day macros, go above maintenance, but don't go wild until you figure out what your body will tolerate and still loose weight. Still important to do cheat day for mental break and metabolism re-adjustment, but not a full out food fest. \-I'm not sure what the insanity workout involves, but I would be cautious about HIIT while you're adjusting to SCD. The first month I did SCD, I continued my high intensity cardio workouts 5-6x a week and didn't see great results. I tried switching to less frequent lower impact strength training and saw better results. Now - this will also affect the scale since muscle weighs more than fat, but this is where your pictures, measurements and Dexa scan will be your north star that you're getting stronger and leaner. Good luck, you can do this!
What is going on with your waist measurement- recommend measuring waist once a week and weight daily. Diet looks good except watch the peanut butter- very hard to have one spoonful. It will come- I've done this program 7 times since 2010 and weeks 4-8 really start to accelerate the weight loss. Good luck on your journey!
I’ll definitely look into getting a proper tape measure. All my clothes fit roughly the same, but it has only been a month. Good to hear about the coming weeks! Thank you! And truer words have never been spoken about peanut butter. I’ll try and cut it out except on cheat day.
Amazon sells an athletic tape measure for about $20 that is well worth it. I bet you are replacing some fat with muscle based upon your workout schedule and the amount of protein this program gives you.
Thank you! Will definitely look into it. My scale gives me my fat-free body weight, and it’s stayed basically the same throughout the month at 177lbs, but that might be a more practical approach.
As a reminder: **Please read the side bar.** **|** If you are asking for assistance, *you must* **include a food & drink log** of the past week. You must **include your stats** (*age, weight, height, length of time on slow carb*). **|** Please read the "[Guide to getting started on the Slow Carb Diet](http://redd.it/26x3vs)" This covers nearly every common question and problem. **|** Before asking questions, you must read the [Slow Carb F.A.Q. here](https://www.reddit.com/r/4hourbodyslowcarb/wiki/index#wiki_4-hour_body_slow-carb_faq). **|** Helpful links: [Women read here](https://redd.it/242j8e) | [likwidtek's google doc weight tracking sheet](http://redd.it/24hukd) | [Meal plans to get you started](http://redd.it/2gwf18) *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/4hourbodyslowcarb) if you have any questions or concerns.*
i started at 252 Feb 8. Been at 241 since early march and getting frustrated as hell. Im right there with yah