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Originally Posted by ruthla
I've been hovering around 168ish for months. I seem to have broken through a full-fledged stall, but I'm still not losing very quickly. I started out at 190 over a year ago, and found myself down to 175 in about 2 months. Then it took me 6 months to lose another 8 lbs, and in the 6 months since then I gained some of it back (rather quickly) and then s.l.o.w.l.y. lost it again.
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Ruth - first, kudos on losing the weight, and on keeping it off!
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There are really two directions I can go from here. The first would be to really crack down and try to be super-strict with my dieting to get the weight loss back on track. The other option would be to start moving into Maintenance mode.
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There is a third option you might want to think about
: set a body fat (not weight) loss goal. I've lost a lot of weight over the last three years, but haven't lost so much as a pound in the last 12 months. However, by continuing to eat low carbs daily (between 20-40, depending on the day, mood, etc) and thus being able to keep up a high fat consumption (I try to keep my ratios at 70% fat, 20% protein, 10% carbs) - I continue to lose body fat/inches, while increasing lean muscle mass. That means smaller bra, dress and even shoe sizes.
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Should I start buying stuff that fits "right now" so I feel good about where my body is at this moment, and risk "wasting money" by outshrinking the clothes before they're worn out?
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Yes. But perhaps with a caveat. Because I've gone through so many sizes (you should see the PILES of clothes I've given away!), I've learned to buy inexpensively on the net, and buy to jjjjjjusssstttt fit now, so that in a few months it will fit perfectly, and in a few more than that be a bit big, and then, well, it's gone. And you don't need a lot to show off your new bod. A pair of great jeans, a few sweaters and a dress for now. You can get a few summer dresses next summer.
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is it time to re-introduce fruits and higher carb veggies and small portions of gluten-free grains and potatoes, and do so without guilt? Will it REALLY affect my weight loss if I have 50g of carbs per day instead of 30? If not, why am I denying myself?
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You can take it slow (increase 5 carbs daily for a week or two and see how it affects you, if at all), and always back off. I will say for me, though, that there's not much in high carb-ville I miss very much. I don't miss bread (I have Joseph's low carb pita, which is fine for everything from pizzas to sandwiches to chips), sugar or rice. I eat dark chocolate daily and make good-for-me low carb treats (scones, muffins, cookies, fudge, ice-cream) by the ton. I make small size cookies, for instance, and freeze them, and only pull out _A_ cookie when I want it. So really, what am I missing that I don't have now, even with the carb restrictions?
I will add oats and oatmeal this winter, occasionally. I will use some oats to make my traditional winter batch of killer granola (I love some on yogurt w/berries) - but without the sugar or dried fruit. I do (very seldom) have a few tiny roasted potatoes, but don't crave them and can't see myself wolfing down a big one.
Meantime, I am continuing with my SuperSlow weight training, and building great muscle. I am continuing to lose inches and body fat. I am continuing to wear ever-smaller clothes - and I'm eating all the lovely fat I want without having to count calories. Honestly? I don't see me feeling a desire to change my WOE anytime soon - I'm ENJOYING eating this way.
Guess what I'm saying is that if you are feeling deprived of a few foods - add them in moderation and see how you do. But remember that the measuring tape is far more powerful (and accurate) than the scale.
And by all means reward yourself for the great job you've accomplished by buying a few lovely items to show off the new you!
Lisa