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Lisa G.
on 3/15/07 6:56 am - Des Moines, IA
Topic: RE: Plateau Buster Diet? Anyone?
this is the one I have saved from Dx WLS Plateau Buster Do This For 10 Days To Break A Plateau # 1 - Drink at least 64 oz. of water a day, as close to 128 oz. if possible. # 2 - You must have 45 grams of protein supplement and all your vitamin & mineral supplements each day. # 3 - You may consume up to 3 oz. of the following high-protein foods, 5 times a day: a.. beef, b.. pork, c.. chicken, d.. turkey, e.. lamb, f.. fish, g.. eggs, h.. low-fat cheese, i.. cottage cheese, j.. plain yogurt (or artificially sweetened), k.. peanut butter, l.. beans/legumes. # 4 - You may also have: a.. sugar-free popsicles (avoid juice popsicles), b.. tea or coffee, c.. sugar-free Jello, d.. broths & bouillons, e.. Crystal Lite drinks (Walmart's Brand is the same but cheaper). # 5 - IF IT IS NOT ON THE LIST YOU MAY NOT HAVE IT! # 6 - Keep a food diary and try to get 30 minutes of exercise daily. From "Dx" We see this all the time on the Main Board-- "Plateau Buster! Will someone Re-post?" Sometimes in the past I've just copied the "Plateau Buster" From my hard drive and posted. More and more I started including the Caveat of- "Stalls or Plateaus are normal. Stay with protein first And stay the course, but don't fall back into the 'Diet Mentality' That didn't work for you before WLS." Well, that's not what they asked for, So who am I to "tag on" the little But what to do? Then it occurred to me.... What about a whole NEW PLATEAU BUSTER! A "Life-Style for Life." Not just a terse little list that reinforces the Diet Mentality that "Yo-yoed" so many to where they needed WLS to get a new start. So Here's my Repost..................... I'm not sure about the feasibility of it at ALL. But Like Me, It's a "Work in Progress." --------------------------------------------------------------- To Break A Plateau: BEFORE DOING ANYTHING- Realize many, in fact Most Post-Ops Share this common experience- Done everything right and lost weight steadily, Suddenly- the scale won't budge. Like many others, you've reached a plateau. When weight loss slows and comes to a stop. Before you get discouraged and abandon Your long-term weight loss Strategy of Life-Style change, Understand that plateaus occur in any slimming-down process. Stick with the program and your weight loss will kick in again. Before you rush to "prosecute," And take drastic action, Do some investigation. Figure out if you really are on a plateau. The scale may be a less than least reliable reflection of fat loss. Look at other indicators. Are you feeling better? Do your clothes feel looser? If you're losing inches but not pounds, Your fat cells are still shrinking/re-arranging location. Figure in the duration of the stall. You're only on what could be called a "plateau" If there's NO change at all For more than four weeks. And even at 4 weeks, don't "assume" anything. There may be a very Tangible Reason For the slowdown and Plateau. If you Truly want to BREAK a Plateau, Identify and understand the true "Culprit" Before you just "Open Fire!" Get this one out of the way first By being scrupulously honest with yourself. Are you "Cheating?" Cheating? It's not a Diet! Correct, But weight loss is directly the result of - Calories in versus Calories Used. Are you putting in any "unplanned" nutrition? Empty Calories? A little thing will be the "tipping point." Emotional and compulsive behavior May allow you to "sabotage" yourself. It certainly does. For so many Pre-Op. Yes? Look at what you are doing with Extreme Objective Scrutiny. Then- Check for hidden sources of - Calories / Carbs / Sugars / Un-wanted Fats- Read Your Labels Carefully! Sugar goes under many different names And in some cases does NOT appear as "sugar" on the label. Many vitamin tablets have sugar fillers. CHECK! Conversely, Are you taking in too Little Nutrition? Many times you carry over habits from other diets & eat too little. EAT UP... Food is Necessary Fuel, not the Enemy! Don't skip meals. Just eat Protein First, Higher nutrition, Lower Calorie Foods. Don't cut your caloric intake to less than 1000 calories per day. Increase the amount of protein in your meals. Don't starve yourself. Cutting calories to an extreme will eventually cause loss But at the expense of your health. It Does Not Help you. Try cutting excess fat and calories to a reasonable level (usually 1200 to 1800 calories a day, but determined by YOUR Size.) And divide these up into frequent small meals (of about 200 to 300 calories each) every few hours. Eat a decent amount of protein with each meal To help you feel satisfied longer. If you keep your carbohydrate intake to no more than 20 grams a day Your body will go into a state of Ketosis and it will be Hard Not to lose. A frequent eating schedule will provide a constant source of energy, Keep your metabolism higher without the insulin rebound. Six small feedings a day are better AT maintaining level metabolism Than 3 large meals. (notice I did not say that 6 meals are better than 3, just better at...) Perhaps aim for foods with a lower glycemic index. Check into it at- http://www.glycemicindex.com/ You may have a mineral imbalance. How's your blood-work? Such as zinc/copper. Or a trace mineral shortage. Such an imbalance can definitely slow the metabolism Reducing your "resting consumption" of calories. Certain nutrients are often recommended to aid in weight loss, Including chromium, pantethine, selenium, vanadium And biotin to help stabilize blood sugar and metabolize fat. Getting enough Potassium? Potassium shortages are common For early out Post-Ops. How's your blood-work? Exercise? Exercise can improve circulation, Stabilize blood sugar & other important metabolic benefits. If you're walking, great. But at some point in your loss, Walking becomes just Activity And no longer "Exercise." Are you Breaking a Sweat? If you have been only walking or cycling, Try doing some weight lifts and vice versa. If you are not yet exercising Try to add some sort of activity to your regular schedule. At least 20 minutes a day is recommended for beginners. Walk, Walk, Water, Water... There's a reason for that "Mantra." Increase your water consumption to stimulate lipolysis (The breakdown of fat stored in fat cells ) And clean your system of excess ketones. Many Nutritionists recommend Avoiding eating within 3 hours of bedtime. Especially avoid any foods that are higher in carbs As this can trigger insulin production which in turn Will inhibit fat-burning while you are asleep. Have you considered Food Allergies? These may cause all sorts of problems, fatigue, headache, etc... Check possibility of such causes by dropping out one food From your diet and checking for changes in how you feel. The most common culprits are- Milk, Eggs, Nuts & Peanuts, Fish, Shellfish, Soy and Wheat. Perhaps checkout- ://www.foodallergy.org/allergens/index.html Maybe you have issues with food additives. Some food colorings cause metabolic responses Such as sluggishness or hyperactivity in some sensitive children. Example- YELLOW 5 ... Artificial coloring found in Jell-O, baked goods, etc... Causes mild allergic reactions, Primarily in aspirin-sensitive persons. Check some of the food additives that show up on your labels. Perhaps a look at- http://www.cspinet.org/foodsafety/index.html Caffeine? Yes, it's a "fence sitter" when it comes to "Dieting" But- Coffee, cola & tea stimulate release of insulin With a temporary lift in energy, But followed by hunger, Fatigue & slower weight loss. Are you Drinking Alcohol? Empty Calories and Alcohol stimulates insulin. While we're on "the bible-belt vices," Smoking? Smoking uses up vitamin C & stimulates the adrenal gland. Although quitting smoking is classically A cause for weight increase, Long term non-smoking, actually aids The metabolism to remain a constant fat-burning, healthy machine. None of the above? It may be medications you are taking. Many drugs, even aspirin, can cause or increase incidence of hypoglycemia. Watch out for hormones, amphetamines, diuretics, antihistamines, Anti-inflammatory drugs, analgesics, anticoagulants, antidiabetics, Antibiotics, tranquilizers, clofibrate, acetaminophen, and propanolol. Beta-blockers, can make your body extremely resistant to weight loss. Sometimes it isn't what you ARE taking But what you WERE taking that slows you down. Different meds last month? Hormones? They can slow down weight loss And stimulate the production of insulin. Estrogen (used in birth control pills) and for us, Testosterone has much the same effect. Too much Salt? Typically early on this is not an issue, But later, excessive salt can cause some water retention. What about 'plain old' portion sizes? Many people misinterpret the instructions regarding Eating as "Just Eat till you are Full! The pouch size will 'tell you' when it's too much." That assumes you have "re-learned" the feeling of Satiety As opposed to "Full." You may need to track your caloric intake and exercise more closely. Many people find "tracking at fitday.com" a very useful tool. Check it out at- http://fitday.com/ So you've made it through this long list and everything Checks out. Perhaps you have a metabolic resistance to losing weight, And if that is the case, you must consider everything - Except giving up and EMBRACING defeat. Your Plateau, if it continues, could possibly require Medical attention. Continued thyroid problems would definitely call for medical solutions. Excessive yeast infestation may be part of your problem. Overgrowth of yeast in the digestive tract has been shown To provoke food intolerance, headaches and immune-system weakness, And can keep you from losing weight By causing unstable blood sugar. If your plateau WON'T Break, Enlist your physician to help find the problem. Done all of this and still looking for the "short list?" Then what can I say- "Eat Meat, Cottage Cheese and water for 10 days! - NOTHING ELSE! NO EXCEPTIONS! Just try Not to Think of it as a Diet." (this is of course very tongue in cheek) You will most likely get a "Bang!" That will jolt your metabolism into losing. But if you want more than a bang, If you want a real "Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster" To make your system Un-inhabitable for excess fat, For generations to come, Then adjust your "Life-Style for Life."
Kelly K.
on 3/15/07 12:31 am - Knoxville, IA
Topic: RE: Wellmark Blue Advantage
Thanks, I'm going to try an appeal but I doubt it works. I just need to try. I can switch my policy with my employer on January 1st to a policy that covers it but I was so pumped up and ready the waiting will be awful!!
LynW
on 3/14/07 12:24 pm - Central IA, IA
Topic: Plateau Buster Diet? Anyone?
Stephanie wants the plateau buster diet. Anyone have it? I use to but can't find it.
LynW
on 3/14/07 12:23 pm - Central IA, IA
Topic: RE: Lyn W.
It wasn't me.. Sorry. Someone must have the plateau buster diet. Or however you spell that nasty word! Maybe it was Dixie.
R C
on 3/14/07 12:21 pm - IA
Topic: RE: Wellmark Blue Advantage
I am so sorry to hear this! Maybe go to a local insurance agency to take out a individual policy that covers? You may have to wait for a pre-exsisting clause with this route, but at least they may cover it in 6-12 months. Good luck Kourtney
Stephanie_H
on 3/13/07 11:39 pm - Des Moines, IA
Topic: Lyn W.
A while back you posted a list of foods to help get the weight loss jump started again. Could you please post that again or email it to me: [email protected] I would really appreciate it if you could do that. I really need to get back on track. Also was it that you could only eat things on the list and any amount was ok or was there a certain amount that you could eat? Let me know. Thanks again for your help. Stephanie
dixielee
on 3/13/07 1:44 pm - Tripoli, IA
Topic: RE: Quad Cities? Davenport?
Hi Jessica, There aren't very many here from the Quad cites but Genesis in Davenport has an excellent bariatric program with great surgeons & wonderful aftercare, something that is very important. You won't be sorry if you end up there after you get your referral. Dixie
Jessica H.
on 3/13/07 12:49 am - Davenport, IA
Topic: Quad Cities? Davenport?
Hello all, I'm new here. I live in Davenport, IA. I have my first appt. with my new Primary Care Physician tomorrow! I'm scared about bringing up surgery and asking for a referral. Has anybody been to the John Deere Health group on Utica Ridge? My husband goes there and he likes it so I thought i'd give it a shot. I like that they have a lab on site. I have no idea about surgeons in this area, I have BCBS Alliance Select insurance and I'm unsure who's a provider for that insurance. Nice to meet you all! Jessica
Kelly K.
on 3/12/07 11:22 pm - Knoxville, IA
Topic: Wellmark Blue Advantage
Anyone have the insurance? I was just told that this is a contract exclusion! Meaning no coverage! Now what?
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