We are pleased to announce that as of March 4, 2025, an updated Rich Text Editor has been introduced in the MyFitnessPal Community. To learn more about the changes, please click here. We look forward to sharing this new feature with you!
My Final Official Update
MandaLeigh123
Posts: 351 Member
Hey all. I know some of you are curious as to how it's going for me. I started my reset back at the end of February and kept at it for almost 4 months. In all, I think I gained about maybe... 4-5lbs, which isn't bad at all! I don't look like I gained any weight 
I've been attempting a cut now (had big water *swoosh* loss), but my schedule is so wacky that it's really difficult to calculate the right cut number.
So here are my list of difficulties....
I'm starting a new medicine tomorrow, which may slow metabolism and cause water retention (I'm still looking for science to back these claims up).
On top of that, I start back to school in three weeks. This means my activity level will increase dramatically and I will have to completely rework my diet again. This will be me basically every 4 months until December 2016, reworking my diet because of schedule changes.
The final added difficulty, is that I'm having to eliminate some foods from my diet to see if it helps with my chronic joint pain. Starting August 1st, I'll be eliminating gluten and soy products. Wheat will be easy, but soy will be more difficult as I follow a mostly vegan diet. Some dairy has crept it's way back in recently. But I have a bunch of recipes collected, and started doing soy-free/gluten-free shopping and I already have a weekly menu prepped!
So right now, my focus is really on getting my joint pain under control. My focus isn't on getting a perfect 10-20% cut value of calories. Some days I cut more and some days no cut at all. I think most of you know that I have had chronic joint pain for the past 8 years (I'm 33) which has mostly been attributed to having hyper mobile joints. The doctors are starting to dig deeper with this SI joint pain though, because usually with hypermobile joints, physical therapy can provide relief. It hasn't been working for me though, so we are taking it to the next level.
So I guess I never really did get to the "weigh less" part of "eat more to weigh less". But the lessons I learned here are invaluable. Not just the education I received about food and the body, but that time that I spend in reset... I wouldn't trade that time for anything. I was eager to get done with reset and start losing again at the beginning. I'm so glad now that I took the time to give myself a long and proper reset. My relationship with my body is better. I don't base my self worth on the number on the scale. I've learned about water weight fluctuations. Take the time to really reset before you attempt to cut.
I'm sure I'll be back sometime in the future, but for now, my updates will stop.
I've been attempting a cut now (had big water *swoosh* loss), but my schedule is so wacky that it's really difficult to calculate the right cut number.
So here are my list of difficulties....
I'm starting a new medicine tomorrow, which may slow metabolism and cause water retention (I'm still looking for science to back these claims up).
On top of that, I start back to school in three weeks. This means my activity level will increase dramatically and I will have to completely rework my diet again. This will be me basically every 4 months until December 2016, reworking my diet because of schedule changes.
The final added difficulty, is that I'm having to eliminate some foods from my diet to see if it helps with my chronic joint pain. Starting August 1st, I'll be eliminating gluten and soy products. Wheat will be easy, but soy will be more difficult as I follow a mostly vegan diet. Some dairy has crept it's way back in recently. But I have a bunch of recipes collected, and started doing soy-free/gluten-free shopping and I already have a weekly menu prepped!
So right now, my focus is really on getting my joint pain under control. My focus isn't on getting a perfect 10-20% cut value of calories. Some days I cut more and some days no cut at all. I think most of you know that I have had chronic joint pain for the past 8 years (I'm 33) which has mostly been attributed to having hyper mobile joints. The doctors are starting to dig deeper with this SI joint pain though, because usually with hypermobile joints, physical therapy can provide relief. It hasn't been working for me though, so we are taking it to the next level.
So I guess I never really did get to the "weigh less" part of "eat more to weigh less". But the lessons I learned here are invaluable. Not just the education I received about food and the body, but that time that I spend in reset... I wouldn't trade that time for anything. I was eager to get done with reset and start losing again at the beginning. I'm so glad now that I took the time to give myself a long and proper reset. My relationship with my body is better. I don't base my self worth on the number on the scale. I've learned about water weight fluctuations. Take the time to really reset before you attempt to cut.
I'm sure I'll be back sometime in the future, but for now, my updates will stop.
0
Replies
-
Manda, Hoping the drs. get your joint pain straightened out.
Did you ever take the gluten test? No gluten and no soy is not going to make it easy to get the protein you need for your strength training. But it sounds like you are preparing for the worst.
Thanks for sharing your journey with us, you have inspired me to reset and be patient with it, and carry on. So here is a recipe I thought you might enjoy:
https://www.theculinarylife.com/2008/baked-falafel-balls/0 -
Nope, didn't get the gluten test. My doctors are trying to help me not get unwanted medical bills. Since I don't have most of the signs associated with gluten sensitivity, it's not likely insurance would cover that test. Gluten has been linked to some joint inflammation, but not so enough that insurance will cover the cost of the test. By eliminating it though, I can see if it's causing issues without paying for a test
Glad to hear you are carrying on with your reset! I learned a lot about my body during mine! Still incredible that I was able to go from eating 1200 calories per day to find my true TDEE was actually 2800 calories per day. Amazing.
Thanks much for the recipe!!0 -
Didn't you comment you had done the Zone diet years back like me? Perhaps it was someone else.
He has some research about the carb spiking other hormones besides insulin that causes inflammation.
And I'd forgotten that part of the comments when I did the diet year ago.
And the slight joint issues I had went away. And I was terrible about following the recommendations of what good carbs to eat, but the drastic reduction in them combined with protein and fat, was enough for me.
Then again, I came from a high carb, really low fat, didn't even add up protein, workout diet prior to that - when high carb was the recommended way. Not any kind of weight loss needs, just for workout fuel.
The Zone worked better there too when I slowed the cardio down to lower intensity encouraging fat use.
Anyway, if it was you - dig that book out again on it. If it wasn't you, perhaps find a used one by Barry Sears. I would NOT recommend the eating levels - though I am shocked the calorie level I trained on successfully and got even leaner.0 -
Heybales it was me who followed the Zone when I was serious about losing weight. And the first time in the mid 90s after the Zone first came out, I ate at the 8 blocks a day level, lost very quickly and kept it off for almost 10 years eating additional fat blocks for maintenance. I am a fish oil junky since that helped my inflammation problems and still does to this day. He has upped the blocks for women, but at the stage of the game, I just go by the c/p/f % and eat the calories I think I need. I even did WW for a while but didn't go by points, I did it by blocks instead, it was so engrained in me.0
-
Thanks for Zone diet feedback info you two. I will look into it. I do tend to eat a ton of carbs.... I've got a meal plan set up for myself for the next couple of weeks where I am focusing on low glycemic index load foods. Mostly just because I am worried about gaining weight while on this steroid injection. A few of my friends gained a lot of weight on corticosteroids, and I don't want that to be me. I did a lot of reading in the last three days and noticed that people who successfully lost weight on steroids were eating low glycemic load foods. So maybe the reduction in carbs might help my inflammation too. SI joint injection yesterday wasn't fun but wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Will hopefully know in 3-5 days if the injection works for me. Right now, it's just really sore
0 -
I think I was at 19 blocks. Which just seems incredible to me now.
Then again - he was an early proponent of eating less to slow metabolism for longer life.
I'm sure if I had much more than 5 lbs to lose that I did - I wouldn't have been happy, since the eating goal was based on LBM and wouldn't have increased as much.
But I can't even attempt 40/30/30 now on high calorie level - that much protein too expensive for my budget. Well, or picky eating habits could be part of it too. ;-)0 -
Manda- love the new pic!0
-
Glad to see the success with the cut!0
This discussion has been closed.