Weight plateau early on?

clint_covey

9 lbs in 4 weeks is great. If you're doing at least 20 minutes of intense exercise every day, your biggest advantage will come from the kitchen, not more exercise (although more exercise is good, to a point at least). If you haven't already, I recommend cutting ALL processed foods, dairy, added oils (a little olive or canola won't hurt), and salt from your diet. These items cause inflammation and keep the fat on.

Why cut dairy? Unless she has an allergy, cutting dairy will do nothing to affect weight loss pending calories are equivalent.

And oils can be a pretty healthy fat - good for your skin, hair, so forth. I think cutting anything in excess without reason is kind of silly, myself. I've lost weight (and inches around my midsection) eating all of those things in moderation

I'm sharing information which I know from personal experience helps. There is also a lot of science that says processed foods are not health promoting. I'm always surprised when people are defensive about the suggestion that one would be better off eating primarily whole foods. If one makes 90% of their calories come from whole plant foods (vegetables, fruits, beans, nuts, and seeds) they will without a doubt lose weight, rather quickly I might add, and become healthier. I personally lost 40 lbs in 10 weeks eating this way, never had to count calories, and never felt hungry. My digestive issues also disappeared (i.e. heartburn, constipation, etc...)

Of course there are other ways to lose weight that work. My personal experience with moderation is that I'm constantly hungry and the weight loss is relatively slow. Obviously counting calories works, I just don't believe it is the easiest or the healthiest way to eat.

If one is really interested in losing weight quickly and improving their health, I highly recommend looking into "Eat to Live".

I understand everyone has their opinion and experiences. I'm just sharing what worked very well for me.

Why would you assume we are defensive? I was asking a simple question. And in my case, I believe more in science and studies done by reputable research facilities (NIH, etc..) as opposed to diet books (although, I did read the Paleo book as my wife has to be gluten free).


You probably had some allergy to dairy which is why you cleared up your intolerance. I am glad it worked for you but it is not a requirement for everyone. Now I do suggest to people that if calorie counting is failing, then they need to take it to the next step in cutting food groups to see if there is an undiagnosed intolerance.

Awesome! Here are some scientific papers to check out on the negative effects of dairy and processed foods.

12. Ma RW, Chapman K. A systematic review of the effect of diet in prostate cancer prevention and treatment. J Hum Nutr Diet. 2009 Jun;22(3):187-99; quiz 200-2. Epub 2009 Apr 1.
Kurahashi N, Inoue M, Iwasaki M. Japan Public Health Center-Based Prospective Study Group. Dairy product, saturated fatty acid, and calcium intake and prostate cancer in a prospective cohort of Japanese men. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2008 Apr;17(4):930-7.
Allen NE, Key TJ, Appleby PN, et al. Animal foods, protein, calcium and prostate cancer risk: the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition. Br J Cancer. 2008 May 6;98(9):1574-81. Epub 2008 Apr 1.
Ahn J, Albanes D, Peters U et al. Dairy products, calcium intake, and risk of prostate cancer in the prostate, lung, colorectal, and ovarian cancer screening trial. Cancer
Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2007 Dec;16(12):2623-30. Qin LQ, Xu JY, Wang PY, et al. Milk consumption is a risk factor for prostate cancer in Western countries: evidence from cohort studies. Asia Pac J Clin Nutr. 2007;16(3):467-76.
13. Chan JM, Stampfer MJ, Ma J, et al. Dairy products, calcium, and prostate cancer risk in the Physicians Health Study. Presenta- tion, American Association for Cancer Research, San Francisco, April 2000.
14. Bosetti C, Tzonou A, Lagiou P, et al. Fraction of prostate cancer attributed to diet in Athens, Greece. Eur J Cancer Prev 2000;9(2):119-23.
15. Tseng M, Breslow RA, Graubard BI, Ziegler RG. Dairy, calcium and vitamin D intakes and prostate cancer risk in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Epidemiologic Follow-up Study cohort. Am J Clin Nutr 2005;(81)1147-54.
16. Park S, Murphy S, Wilkens L, Stram D et al. Calcium, Vitamin D, and Dairy Product Intake and Prostate Cancer Risk: The Multiethnic Cohort Study. Am J Epid. 2007; 166(11)1259-1269.
17. Ganmaa D, Sato A. The possible role of female sex hormones in milk from pregnant cows in the development of breast, ovarian and corpus uteri cancers. Med Hypotheses. 2005;65(6):1028-37.
Genkinger JM, Hunter DJ, Spiegelman D, et al. Dairy products and ovarian cancer: a pooled analysis of 12 cohort studies. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2006 Feb;15(2):364-72.
Larsson SC, Orsini N, Wolk A. Milk, milk products and lactose intake and ovarian cancer risk: a meta-analysis of epidemiological studies. Int J Cancer. 2006 Jan 15;118(2):431-41.
Qin LQ, Xu JY, Wang PY, et al. Milk/dairy products consumption, galactose metabolism and ovarian cancer: meta-analysis of epidemiological studies. Eur J Cancer Prev. 2005 Feb;14(1):13-9. Larsson SC, Bergkvist L, Wolk A. Milk and lactose intakes and ovarian cancer risk in the Swedish Mammography Cohort. Am J Clin Nutr. 2004 Nov;80(5):1353-7. Fairfield KM, Hunter DJ, Colditz GA, et al. A prospective study of dietary lactose and ovarian cancer. Int J Cancer. 2004 Jun 10;110(2):271-7.
18. Fairfield K.Annual Meeting of the Society for General Internal Medicine. Dairy products linked to ovarian cancer risk. Family Practice News, June 11, 2000, p. 8.
19. Keszei AP, Schouten LJ, Goldbohm RA, et al. Dairy Intake and the Risk of Bladder Cancer in the Netherlands Cohort Study on Diet and Cancer. Am J Epidemiol. 2009 Dec 30. [Epub ahead of print]
20. van der Pols JC, Bain C, Gunnell D, et al. Childhood dairy intake and adult cancer risk: 65-y follow-up of the Boyd Orr cohort. Am J Clin Nutr. 2007 Dec;86(6):1722-9.
21. Davies TW, Palmer CR, Ruja E, Lipscombe JM. Adoles- cent milk, dairy products and fruit consumption and testicular cancer. Br J Cancer 1996;74 (4):657-60.
22. Voskuil DW, Vrieling A, van?t Veer LJ, Kampman E, Rookus MA. The insulin-like growth factor system in cancer prevention: potential of dietary intervention strategies. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2005(14)195-203.
23. Cohen P. Serum insulin-like growth factor 1 levels and prostate cancer risk- interpreting the evidence. J Natl Cancer Inst. 1998(90)876-9.
24. Chan JM, Stampfer MJ, Giovannucci E, et al. Plasma insulin-like growth factor -1 and prostate risk: a prospective study. Science. 1998(279):563-5.
25. Scharlau D, Borowicki A, Habermann N, et al. Mechanisms of primary cancer prevention by butyrate and other products formed during gut flora-mediated fermentation of dietary fibre. Mutat Res. 2009 Jul-Aug;682(1):39-53.
Bordonaro M, Lazarova DL, Sartorelli AC. Butyrate and Wnt signaling: a possible solution to the puzzle of dietary fiber and colon cancer risk? Cell Cycle. 2008 May 1;7(9):1178-83.
Pisani P. Hyper-insulinaemia and cancer, meta-analyses of epidemiological studies. Arch Physiol Biochem. 2008 Feb;114(1):63-70.
La Vecchia C, D"Avanzo B, Negri E, Franceschi S. History of selected diseases and the risk of colorectal cancer. Eur J Cancer 1991; 27: 582-6. Schoen RE, Tangen CM, Kuller LH, et al. Increased blood glucose and insulin, body size, and incident colorectal cancer. J Natl Cancer Inst 1999; 91: 1147-54.
26. La Vecchia C. Mediterranean diet and cancer. Public Health Nutr. 2004 Oct;7(7):965-8
Larsson SC, Bergkvist L, Wolk A. Glycemic load, glycemic index and breast cancer risk in a prospective cohort of Swedish women. Int J Cancer. 2009 Jul 1;125(1):153-7.
Wen W, Shu XO, Li H, et al. Dietary carbohydrates, fiber, and breast cancer risk in Chinese women. Am J Clin Nutr. 2009 Jan;89(1):283-9. Franceschi, S., Favero A, Conti E, et al. Food groups, oils and butter, and cancer of the oral cavity and pharynx. Br. J. Cancer 1999; 80 (3-4): 614-20;

How about you try to post information from the studies instead of the references from the book.

Dairy and cancer

Dairy products contain many hormone-containing and -promoting substances. U.S. cheese consumption has increased 182% (almost 3-fold) in the past 30 years11, and the incidence of our hormone sensitive cancers has also increased. There are strong associations between dairy consumption and prostate cancer.12,13,14 Interestingly, some studies have found that prostate cancer risk was elevated with increased consumption of low-fat milk specifically, suggesting that the potential threat to prostate health may be more closely linked to dairy protein than dairy fat.15,16 Ovarian cancer risk is also elevated by consumption of dairy products equivalent to three glasses of cow's milk per day.17,18 Butter use is associated with an increased risk of bladder cancer in women.19 Eating larger amounts of dairy products during childhood is associated with adult testicular and colorectal cancer.20,21


Cow's milk is the perfect food for the rapidly growing calf, but foods that promote rapid growth promote cancer. Consuming dairy protein on a regular basis elevates blood levels of insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1).22 IGF-1 is known to stimulate the growth of both normal and cancer cells, and there is a strong and consistent association between serum IGF-1 concentrations and prostate cancer risk.23 One study showed that men who had the highest levels of IGF-1 had more than four times the risk of prostate cancer compared with those who had the lowest levels.24 If you choose to consume dairy, minimize your intake to small amounts - dairy products are not essential for good health and carries potential health risks.

Sugar, white flour, and cancer

It has been hypothesized that levels of triglycerides, glucose, and insulin are associated with increased risk of colon cancer and that diets high in simple sugars and white flour increase risk of colon cancer because of their impact on these factors. There are interesting similarities in the epidemiology of colorectal cancer and adult onset diabetes. In a number of studies, diabetic patients have been shown to have an elevated risk of colorectal cancer and non-diabetics with elevated postprandial glucose levels also have a higher risk of colorectal cancer than individuals with normal glucose tolerance.25 One explanation for these associations is that both diseases are linked to becoming overweight and the resultant metabolic effects and heightened inflammation that results, but it is interesting to note the evidence supporting the possibility that chronic exposure to diets rich in rapidly assimilated carbohydrates may act directly as a promoter of colorectal carcinogenesis.

Considering that both animal products and processed foods supply us with a rich caloric load, but not with antioxidants and phytochemicals necessary for the normal function of cells and the immune system, it may also be the lack of these nutritional elements that are important (as low-nutrient carbohydrates make up a higher percentage of total caloric intake). Free radical production increases and chronic disease develops as the level of produce decreases in the diet and the combined consumption of animal products and processed foods increases.

Similarly, there is evidence that cancers of the breast, stomach, thyroid, upper digestive tract, and respiratory tract are linked to increased consumption of refined foods.26

Unrefined plant foods and cancer

According to the CDC, only one-third of U.S. adults eat two or more servings of fruit per day, and only one-quarter of adults eat three or more servings of vegetables per day.27 These minimal amounts cannot be expected to provide disease protection. I recommend a far more substantial intake of fruits and vegetables with 90 percent of calories coming from nutrient rich plant material, lots of it raw and green. I recommend about two pounds of vegetables and at least 4 fresh fruits per day. Most importantly, attention should be paid to the highly cancer-protective plant foods, greens, onion, berries, beans and seeds.

Cruciferous vegetables including kale, cabbage, collards, broccoli, and several others contain the most potent anti-cancer substances of all types of vegetables. Although they contain many different bioactive compounds, the anti-carcinogenic actions of cruciferous vegetables are commonly attributed to their content of glucosinolates. Glucosinolates are relatively biologically inert but can be hydrolysed to a range of bioactive compounds such as isothiocyanates (ITC) and indoles by the plant-based enzyme myrosinase. A number of mechanisms whereby ITC and indoles may protect against cancer have been identified including including inhibition of angiogenesis (blood vessel formation; important for tumor growth), detoxification or removal of carcinogens (like heterocyclic amines), inhibition of cancer cell growth, promotion of cancer cell death, and prevention of DNA damage by carcinogens. Human studies show a huge protective effect; people who were regular consumers of these foods had approximately 60 percent less cancer.28

All vegetables are not equally protective. Epidemiological studies suggest that cruciferous vegetables, onions, and mushrooms are far more protective against cancer than vegetables overall - inverse relationships between cruciferous vegetable intake and breast, prostate, lung, and colorectal cancers have been found.29 For example, in one prospective study, one or more servings per week of cabbage reduced the risk of pancreatic cancer by 38%.30 This was only one serving a week, which demonstrates that dramatic protection is available and real when a diet is ideally designed. The regular consumption of mushrooms has been demonstrated to decrease risk of breast cancer by over 60 percent.31 Onions, berries, seeds and beans also have dramatic beneficial effects.32 Beans in general, not just soy, are beneficial for protecting against reproductive cancers such as breast and prostate cancer.33

psuLemon

You do realize that they are linking dairy to cancer, not weight loss prevention?

eAddict

Want to see my year chart? There are plateaus scattered all over the place. Some as short as 2 weeks, others near 2 months. Trend is still downward. Don't worry until you have gone a long, long time. HEALTH is the goal. Weight loss is just a side effect (at least for me). I started at 265lb and am down to 208... you can do it too. Patience.

clint_covey

The point is that cow's milk is not health food.

On another point "cow's milk is the perfect food for the rapidly growing calf". Common sense would dictate that one would not want to consume dairy if they're trying to lose weight.

Dairy is also infammatory, which I had originally stated, which causes the body to hold on to excess fluid and tissue, not to mention promotes disease.

pricedl01

Cara, you are not on a plateau at all you are doing great. 9 lbs in 4 weeks is great; weight loss will slow down as your body adjusts to the new way that you are eating and exercising. Make sure that you are consuming enough calories to help your metabolism burn the stored fat when you exercise and just keep up the good work! I am trying to concentrate on eating better and adding additional activity to my life rather than concentrating so much on the scale. Don't let yourself become a slave to the numbers on the scale. Take it one day at a time and make changes to get your body the best shape that it can be in over time and try not to worry as much about the scale.

psuLemon

The point is that cow's milk is not health food.

On another point "cow's milk is the perfect food for the rapidly growing calf". Common sense would dictate that one would not want to consume dairy if they're trying to lose weight.

Dairy is also infammatory, which I had originally stated, which causes the body to hold on to excess fluid and tissue, not to mention promotes disease.

It's kind of funny because I have consistently cut body fat, improved my cholesterol numbers and have gotten sick less over the past three years and I drink milk every day. The problem is identifying one product as the culprit to cancer. It could be milk of the billion other processed products in peoples diets. To make a further point, are eggs good or bad these days?

saldelmar

I was talking to a friend of mine about this today and she had an excellent explanation:

Fat is like dirt and your body is like your house. When cleaning your house (AKA losing weight) you'll find that some dirt is light and loose and comes off easily. Some dirt needs a bit of scrubbing and then you get those patches of grime that's been clogging on for years that need a lot of soaking & scrubbing (rinse & repeat) to get rid of it.

When you think you're on a plateau, your body is "soaking the grime" to get it off. Don't give up & keep focused. It will come off eventually and then it'll be gone for good!

Keep it up, you're doing great!

This is an awesome image, and really helpful! Thanks!