Broke plateau, down 85 lb, and two major milestones

douglerner · July 2013

After a very trying 5 month plateau, and trying everybody's theories (eat more, eat less, just wait it out) my weight finally started coming off again. I'm now down about 85 lb (since May last year) and as of this morning passed two major milestones:

1. I am under 200 lb at long last! (199.3 to be exact).

2. According to standard BMI tables I am no longer "obese" and am now just "overweight." My BMI finally went under 30 and is now 29.9. Yay.

In metric my weight is down to 90.6 kg, so I should have another major milestone to report soon.

And for those curious how I got my weight loss moving again, I substituted the daily servings of rice I was eating for tofu. Here is a quick comparison of each serving:

Rice: 333 calories, 5 g protein, 60 carbs
Tofu: 132 calories, 13 g protein, 3.4 carbs

So whether it was just the difference in calories, or the addition in protein, or the reduction in carbs I'm not sure. But it seems to be working. I do think the higher protein and less carbs helps control appetite though. Plus my late afternoon lethargy has gone away.

By the by, my blood test results are superb now. My total cholesterol is 122, LDL is an amazingly low 64, and my HbA1c has dropped (without medication) from a dangerous 10.7 to a perfectly normal 5.5. And that's even with eating lots of fruits, like bananas, each day.

So this way of eating (vegan + no oil + no nuts) seems to be working for me.

doug

FattieBabs · July 2013

Congratulations that is great news. I wish more people would post how they worked through and broke a plateau. Interesting about rice v tofu too!

MyJourney1960 · July 2013

Awesome! I am still at the "trying tings out" stage (just upped my calories, hopefully that will work). Good for you and thank you for sharing!

Scubanana7 · July 2013

Wow. great success. Amazing blood sugar number! It is so strange how our bodies are the same, but respond so differently. I have dropped my cholestrol 40 points to 162 and have a nice h1c of 6.0.....doing it soooo very different from you! I am eating high fat, low carb, moderate protein. How VERY different! and yet, we both lost weight, have good numbers, and obviously feel great about how we are doing it!

Good job and here's to continued success!

douglerner · July 2013

Scubanana,

I'm convinced that for many of us the secret to getting blood sugar under control is not a matter of whether we control carbs or fat or whatever, but mainly the fact that we have lost weight.

I am eating quite high carbs (being vegan) and things which are high in glycemic index. Yet my HbA1c has gone steadily down every month.

Low-carbers will say "fat doesn't make you fat." Using the same kind of logic I would say "sugars (carbs) don't give you high blood sugar." I think it's the fact that we both lost a substantial amount of weight that was key to our good HbA1c results.

Lets keep it up!

doug

douglerner · July 2013

But I do think for cholesterol, getting down to an LDL of 64 is because of avoiding animal products.

doug

norahwynn · July 2013

Congratulations! I'm glad you found the right 'formula' for you and broke that plateau!

ColleenRoss50 · July 2013

Congratulations on your weight loss and one reaching "One"derland. Way to go.

Scubanana7 · July 2013

Scubanana,

I'm convinced that for many of us the secret to getting blood sugar under control is not a matter of whether we control carbs or fat or whatever, but mainly the fact that we have lost weight.

I am eating quite high carbs (being vegan) and things which are high in glycemic index. Yet my HbA1c has gone steadily down every month.

Low-carbers will say "fat doesn't make you fat." Using the same kind of logic I would say "sugars (carbs) don't give you high blood sugar." I think it's the fact that we both lost a substantial amount of weight that was key to our good HbA1c results.

Lets keep it up!

doug

Yes sir....let's do keep it going! I am definitely not one of the diet plan argue-ers I see on here. I really tried different approaches with higher carbs before trying this 'something different'. And I am Certainly not anti-Vegan. I actually toyed with the idea of trying vegan because I don't like the junk they feed to our meat sources. I passed on vegan at the time because carbs were having a negative impact on me. But it doesn't mean I won't switch to that someday! I do like the idea of less animal products, but right now I am going to stick with what is working. However, I feel so much better without grain products, that I would starve as a vegan...lolol. I know I am not Celiac, but I must have a sensitivity as my body tells me by several issues that have gone away since I stopped eating grains. and I do miss my quinoa!

Our success stories are exactly why I am so amazed at the different ways our bodies respond...even though our machines are all built by the same Maker! and you are absolutely correct....losing the WEIGHT has made our machines function so much more properly! I am inpired by your story and your numbers! Let's keep it going!

ygglove · July 2013

Congratulations (: - I'm so happy that you found something that works for you, instead of giving up!

douglerner · July 2013

Scubanana,

I'm basically avoiding grains too right now. As mentioned in my first note, I stopped eating rice and substituted tofu for it. I think the main reason was the caloric difference. And it is true that certain foods that are very high in glycemic index generate hunger pangs rather than satisfy you. And I was feeling sluggish in the afternoons.

Since switching out rice for tofu, I began losing weight, the higher protein tofu keeps me more satisfied (high protein foods do have that positive effect) and the late-afternoon sluggishness went away.

I'll still order rice when I go out to eat. But I won't eat it multiple times a day like I had been.

So really I'm not having any grains at all right now most days. I don't eat bread because I can't find any vegan no-added-fat kinds here.

Yet with tofu, and salads, and all kinds of vegetables, and steamed chestnuts (very low fat, high protein and tasy) and snacks like fruits (I like watermelon and bananas), baby carrots with salsa and corn on the cob I'm not having any hunger problems.

doug

happieharpie · July 2013

I've been searching for the last 50 years for a doable solution to my eating problems and obesity. I've just done 3 months of egg and egg whites, nuts, leafy green vegetables and berries, NO salt, NO sugar, NO grain, NO dairy. I eat on a daily IF schedule.

I'm losing + or - 1.5 pounds per week, and feeling about 10 years younger than I did four months ago.

I wouldn't dream of telling someone what they should or shouldn't eat. I believe that's part of the journey.

I had a brief blood profile and breathing assessment last Thursday, and all were good. In fact the nurse practitioner acted surprised at how good they were.

You look healthy and happy and young, douglerner!

Scubanana7 · July 2013

douglerner : wow, i always think of vegans eating tons of grains. You are really giving me some new insights -- thanks!

also, you probably don't eat eggs or cream cheese, but if you do, then OOPSIE bread is awesome. that is the only ingredients. course you have to make it yourself.

bdubya55 · July 2013

doug,

Congratulations on breaking through your plateau along with your fantastic lab results. Your success and accomplishment is an inspiration to be sure.

Amazing job man, thanks for sharing your experiences and welcome to the 5% club.:drinker:

douglerner · July 2013

douglerner : wow, i always think of vegans eating tons of grains. You are really giving me some new insights -- thanks!

also, you probably don't eat eggs or cream cheese, but if you do, then OOPSIE bread is awesome. that is the only ingredients. course you have to make it yourself.

Thanks people. And yes, I don't eat eggs or cream cheese. I used to eat 2 or 3 eggs a day. I didn't realize how much cholesterol there was in them! It definitely contributes to plaque. Quite dangerous I think. Since going vegan and no-oil my LDL has dropped to an incredibly low 64 (and total cholesterol is just 122).

The only non-vegan exception I allow myself, because it's allowed on the Ornish "heart-reversal" program, are two servings of non-fat dairy per day, because there is minimal cholesterol. So each morning I will have an 80 g tub of Danone non-fat, plain, unsweetened yogurt, for the probiotics. That's just 39 calories.

doug

JDHINAZ · July 2013

That's so inspirational. And to see you stuck with it through the plateau is really a boost. Great job.

pbrahan · July 2013

Your A1C numbers ALONE are cause to celebrate. I can't even list how many aspects of your longevity and health you've wiped out with that reduction!
This nurse applauds you!

douglerner · July 2013

That's so inspirational. And to see you stuck with it through the plateau is really a boost. Great job.

I think your message hits the key point here. The plateau was really long and quite discouraging. But two doctors told me the SINGLE biggest problem people have with sticking with a long term healthy diet (and then rebounding) is just that: getting discouraged. They kept on emphasizing that everybody goes through plateaus, and yes, they can often last for months.

So I just kept trying different things, without going off the basic plan concepts (keeping with a reasonable amount of calories and eating heart-healthy foods) until I found a combination that eventually helped.

I guess in this case, after having a heart attack last year, I was just convinced this was my "last chance to do it already." That helped me from sticking with it even during the long plateau.

barefoot_shuffler · July 2013

Yay!!! Such amazing news!! I am so happy for you....for reaching your milestones and, most importantly, achieving better health!! Keep up the great work :drinker:

douglerner · July 2013

Your A1C numbers ALONE are cause to celebrate. I can't even list how many aspects of your longevity and health you've wiped out with that reduction!
This nurse applauds you!

Yes, I agree. And without blood sugar medication too. It's a vitally important stat, because so many other health problems are caused by high blood sugar. The list is too long to mention.

What's interesting is that the key to getting this under control was simply losing weight. It didn't matter that some of the foods I eat are high in glycemic index (e.g. bananas). All that mattered in the end was losing weight. That slowly brought my HbA1c down to a perfectly normal 5.5.

As of this morning I've lost 30.1% of my starting weight!

applecheeksaz · July 2013

Wow!! Way to go!

Broke plateau, down 85 lb, and two major milestones

Replies

Categories