Okay, I've downloaded, printed and read the eBook... I've figured up my protein requirement... I picked up chicken, fish, tuna LF Cottage Cheese & Sour Cream, I will pick up more food tomorrow morning... Now I'm a bit confuzzled My protein requirement worked out to be 96.3 grams. Do I just make sure I get that much, then add in the 2 servings of dairy and unlimited allowed veggies and that's it? (96.3 grams of protein only works out to 385 calories ). I get 2 "free" meals a week and no refeeds (good, I don't know if I could handle that ).

Guess I need to start figuring out how much of what = how much protein. LoL.

Debbie

Are you sure about that protein #? Mine is something like 144. It is your current LBM times .8 - 2.0 depending on your category and activity level. You'd have to weigh about 100 pounds for that to be correct. Look at the chart on page 31. That's your minimum protein.

There's no limit on veggies and I didn't see a limit on dairy, where'd you see that?

Other than meeting your minimum protein, keeping your carbs, fat and calories as low as possible, there really aren't any other hard and fast rules. The goal is to create a large calorie deficiet.

Also, don't try to go super low in one day. I had to do about 1000 calories for the first couple of days, and I think I'm around 850 now. Have some legal snacks around so you don't get so hungry you blow the diet. Ease yo bad self into it.

Nancy, you have an eagle! Whooo hoooo!

Re protein: With my LBM and activity level my protein comes out to about 121 g per day. However, I try to eat at least 135 g/day. In fact, according to Fitday, I have an average protein of 136 g with about 875 avg calories, including the calories from Sunday's refeed (ugh). As long as you can keep your calories low I don't think it matters if you go over in protein. My avg calories without the refeed is about 750, and I count every calorie in every stalk of celery or leaf of lettuce I eat, even though most people don't count veggie calories.

I do find it difficult to get to 130 or more g protein without having a whey protein shake every day. I just can't eat that much tuna/chicken/turkey.

I think that maybe because I'm eating more than "required" protein I'm experiencing no hunger. I thought I'd starve on this diet, but I'm not. I also take an EC stack 3 times a day, which helps with appetite suppression. I have to make myself eat. Odd.

I'm glad more people are joining this thread. It's good to compare experiences with others.

Nancy, others,

I see in Lyle's book he recommends some forms of exercise over others during the crash diet. I am wondering about Curves..how is that classified? One is opening near me at last and I want to join with a view to the 30 minute, 3 X/week program. In addition I do two aerobics classes a week elsewhere and walk as much as I can, etc.

I am going away for 10 days and so think I will try this diet after I return, and want to get all my ducks in line. I have been stalled with no fat loss for over 2 years, so I think I want to give this a try for fat-loss. He doesn't seem to consider age in his estimates either (or at least he hasn't p to where I am currently reading..haven't finished it yet.) Nancy, have you joined any of his forums? I wonder if this is discussed there. I am a bit mistrustful when age is not considered.

Thanks,

Val

Nancy,

Another Q. If as your stats say you are almost 38% BF...how does this get you into Cat 2? His chart said that 35%+ is Cat.3
My estimate of BF is 34.5% which just barely puts me in Cat 2..

All this would mean would be to cut out the re-feeds for you, (and I question them for me, looking at the very fatty stomach and thighs that I have)... And as your re-feeds to date have made you feel unwell, perhaps this is the reason?

And my idea of a 'free meal' would be to go back to normal LC meal with fat in it!! I loathe FF dressings and I think they must be unhealthy...was wondering about mixing one with low/no fat yogurt as a compromise..

Thanks in advance for your comments,

Val


Val

just popping in.. I've done this a couple times - once for 2 weeks, once for 3 and another for 2 weeks. I love it - and so does my best friend who can never stick to any diet. Except for the boringness I have always felt GREAT doing this diet, I also liked that it was so restrictive that a teeny bit of extra carbs or fat here and there didn't make a difference. I've never done a refeed the way it's outlined, mainly because I remember refeeds from the CKD and had no wish to feel that way. I'd recommend it to anyone who needs a kickstart on their weightloss.. or is freaking out about an upcoming vacation I can't wait to do it again...when the baby doesn't need my body or milk!

Meg S,

What maintenance diet did you return to afterwards? Lyle McD is not recommending more than 25% fat in maintenance so it remains pretty low fat overall.

Val

umm... once I returned to a low carb moderate fat with restricted cals (I can't eat much or I gain weight) which was great because it lead to the next time I did the psmf. Last spring (which was the last time I did it) I ate the "I do so many sports and am being a student I'll eat semi low carb and not worry about it diet.. it was fine maintaining until an injury laid had me off my feet (well I could walk, but not much) for several months.

edit in: to each their own. I love fat. I LOVE it. I'll probably be switching around high fat/moderate/low fat for the rest of my life... I think it's very healthy to eat high fat when you get the right kinds, the only time I need to restrict it is when I need so much protein (for whatever goal) that the fat would make my cals go way overboard.

Well your pic looks great...you have youth on your side, and if you can maintain a moderate fat intake plus low carbs/low cal your health should be good too and not have huge weight issues. It will be interesting to see what results I get, given my age and the slow metabolism that brings. I expect that weight loss will be very much slower. Which is why I want to add going to Curves as well...should help.

Val

From the chart on page 81 my BMI is 35 and my BF% is 46.5
From Page 25 my LBM figures to 107. (This using 200 as my weight though right now I am at the "top of my bounce" and weigh 203.)
From Page 25 I fall into Category 3, Female with 35%+ BF.
From Page 31:

___107_____ * ____.9____ = _____96.3______
LBM in Pounds g per pound g protein per day

I used the "Aerobics" column of .9 grams per pound since I walk on the treadmill M-F and do minimal free weights M-S. I figured that was the closest.



I misread that part, it just recommended "one or more servings".

ETA: I make my own beef jerky and am going to make up a batch today, much better than the store bought stuff and you don't end up with extra carbs or sodium

Debbie

Val, I'm 52, post-menopausal, and have been "stuck" in the lower 130's for years. I can't seem to get past the 130-lb mark (although going above it is very easy). I'm losing very slowly on PSMF and probably am one of those women Lyle says needs to do cardio to lose, although I have not had the "oomph" to do much cardio. I'd rather lift weights, and have been able to get 3 workouts a week in.

But if you have not done much exercise before, starting it when you start PSMF will be very difficult. Where before I could do cardio 3-4 times a week and at least 3 sets of exercises during my workouts, I just can't get the intensity I had before PSMF. Lyle even recommends in his book to wait until after you've gone off the diet to start new exercise. From my experience so far that makes sense.

Maybe you could diet down for a few weeks, then go to maybe 200 calories below your maintenance calories and start going to Curves then. Then after maybe 2 months of Curves, go for another round of PSMF.

Am I making sense?

Wow, I didn't notice this thread was so active. I'll have to subscribe to it.

I'm finally back down into the 130s. I'm down several pounds, and that shouldn't happen because my TOM is about to hit!

I've been a little more generous on the fat than the PSMF guidelines permit. I had 8 hard boiled omega-3 eggs over the course of the week. I wasn't going to waste them after spending three bucks a dozen on them. I've been at about 1000-1100 calories most days. No sign of fatigue or slowing metabolism. I had a cheat meal on Wednesday - a square slice of pizza in addition to my tuna salad.

I'm probably going to use Sunday as a refeed day, because my workout yesterday sucked. I could hardly do ten squats. That's pretty pathetic for me. I made some sugar-free applesauce and I have some oat cereal I'll probably eat.

Twofat, don't tell the PSMF nazis, but I've still been having some LC beer.

Thanks Joan,

I have been doing aerobics (step) for years, but in the past year it has been just twice a week due to a change in the gym schedule, plus a modified belly-dancing type class that has strengthening effect. In addition in recent weeks have been doing much more walking and some light weights.

Curves is not meant to be 'cardio', or so they say, so that is why I asked about it as still being possible while trying the low calorie diet. But now that you mention it, I did try a low cal ketogenic diet with a naturopath a couple of years ago and I recall feeling very tired
with it...I only lost 2 lbs in about a month too...sigh. I am 65 so the situation for me is worse, but I am really so tired of carrying so much fat, even though I am thinner than I was 3 years ago, by about 15 pounds....but I dropped that weight in about 6 months and nothing further. Low carbing didn't make any difference except that I feel less hungry on it and I am convinced it is better for health anyway. But I have known for a long time that I would have to reduce calories to get rid of the last bit and at least Lyle's approach sounds more flexible..
I would love to be "stuck in the 130's"! The last time I got to that I was your age.

Thanks for the advice, I will bear it in mind and see how I go. Lyle also said that women may have to do aerobics when men don't have to as our bodies are more resistant to losing.

Val

I probably won't be able to limit the fat to the same degree as you can, here in Australia there is mainly very low fat dairy etc. but little fat free...but after all the fat I now use, and liberally, it should really get the calories down.

Kristine..you are doing well!

I hope this thread remains active as I will be needing support.

Val

I haven't updated by body fat stat in ages. when I did his calculation I came out close to category 2 and he recommends using the next lowest if you're close.

Give Curves a try. I'd just join it with a monthly membership at first though. I tried it for 3 months myself. I had some health issues which made it impossible at the time.



I don't think so, I think your stomach capacity shrinks so much on this diet you just can't cram in 250 grams of carbs. What used to be a large meal to me before is utterly impossible to eat. Or... well, I can eat it but it'll just make me ill. I suppose its like having stomach reduction surgery. At any rate, I'm just going to keep modifying the refeeds until I figure out some way to make them work right for me.

As far as his forums, they were of limited help. He does clarify that Cat 2 only gets 1 free meal and 1 refeed, but the book says 2 free meals. Also, prepare to encounter strong language on his message forums.