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  #1   ^
Old Tue, May-23-17, 23:09
lvin4jc lvin4jc is offline
Registered Member
Posts: 82
 
Plan: Just Low Carb
Stats: 320/250/225 Male 6'1"
BF:
Progress: 74%
Location: Rapid City, SD
Default Going to try giving up anything remotely sweet after 1.5yr plateau. Help!

Hello everyone, it's been a while.

Two years or so ago I started a low carb diet. For three months of sub 50g gross per day I lost 30lbs. Then I went sub 20g gross per day to lose another 40lbs over the next 8 months. So 70lbs in a year from 320 to 250.

Then I continued low carb for another year and never lost another pound. Silver lining is that I never gained any. It's weird, if I go on vacation for a week and eat absolutely whatever I want, total junk, i'll gain about 15lbs. That weight will drop off in less than two weeks, but when I hit 250 again the weight loss shuts off and I stay right there again. (verified across several scales).

I tried a different diet for a few months, what most people would probably consider "healthy" and not only did it not not work but I didn't feel nearly as good as on low carb.

So I came back. I was hoping the shock of going from that diet back to low carb would kick start some weight loss but it hasn't. So I sit here, still at 250, can't budge it.

So... I'm going to try the only other thing I can think of. Giving up the sweets. No, I haven't been eating ice cream or cake or anything all this time, lol. I mean the "low carb sweets" Zero calorie/carb pop, Splenda sweetened tea or Splenda sweetened whipped cream or even a Carb Smart ice cream bar every now and then. All the sweet stuff that probably shouldn't be a problem but might be.

Now, i've given up pop for long periods to try and see a change and i've never noticed any improvement in anything so i've always come back to it. But i'm becoming a diet pop addict and well, that can't be helping anything.

So obviously if i've waited 18 months to try this it's because I don't really want to do it. It's going to be hard, i'll need support. My wife is next to me drinking a Mtn Dew right now and snacking on M&M's (we have different eating styles to say the least).

So if you have any support to offer please do. Thank you!
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  #2   ^
Old Wed, May-24-17, 03:03
Merpig's Avatar
Merpig Merpig is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 7,582
 
Plan: EF/Fung IDM/keto
Stats: 375/225.4/175 Female 66.5 inches
BF:
Progress: 75%
Location: NE Florida
Default

Speaking as one who has been stalled for 8 years now, , I'll be interested in seeing how you do! I hope you will post here with any progress you make.
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  #3   ^
Old Wed, May-24-17, 04:04
JEY100's Avatar
JEY100 JEY100 is offline
Posts: 13,371
 
Plan: P:E/DDF
Stats: 225/150/169 Female 5' 9"
BF:45%/28%/25%
Progress: 134%
Location: NC
Default

That sounds a good first "stall-breaker" to try. Since Dr Westman's plan allows patients to use AS in the beginning, it is one of his tips if stuck later on. Get rid of them all, or maybe wean off to a small amount of stevia extract? Still sweet so some claim there is no difference between the herb based and chemical sweeteners, but might be a step down to make it easier? avoid anything mixed into a maltodextrin base..that's just sugar, count each packet as 1g carb.

There is a also a whole Tips and Stalls forum, some good ideas and stall breaker lists in there: http://forum.lowcarber.org/forumdisplay.php?f=14
Egg Fast? See you have asked similar questions last August...did you track for a while? Check for ketosis? All the usual ideas you will see on those lists?

Another tip heard recently on the FastingTalk podcast..."shake things up". No matter what you are doing, your body can get use to the meal pattern, the calorie intake, whatever and sometimes just changing it will break a stall. I had slipped into OMAD for 3-4 days a week, which is just a different version of calorie restriction if done same 'ole, same 'ole. Changing my IF pattern has helped. http://forum.lowcarber.org/showthread.php?t=472377

Last edited by JEY100 : Wed, May-24-17 at 04:14.
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  #4   ^
Old Wed, May-24-17, 06:05
tess9132 tess9132 is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 873
 
Plan: general lc
Stats: 214/146/130 Female 5'4"
BF:
Progress: 81%
Default

Artificial sweeteners keep weight on me, no question, and other than the occasional emergency Atkins bar, I really don't use them anymore. Except for those Atkins bars, I gave up the fake sugars more than two years ago. After that, I had an experience similar to yours where I seemed stuck with a low of 180 for two years. A couple of months ago, I gave up almost all dairy (only having a little cheese on the weekends) and I sailed through the 170's. I think if you give up the fake sugars, the scale will probably move, and move rapidly, but when it stops, you may want to consider cutting back on dairy, if you haven't already.
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  #5   ^
Old Wed, May-24-17, 06:06
WereBear's Avatar
WereBear WereBear is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 14,609
 
Plan: EpiPaleo/Primal/LowOx
Stats: 220/125/150 Female 67
BF:
Progress: 136%
Location: USA
Default

There is some evidence suggesting that artificial sweeteners actually do affect insulin release. Just the sweet taste on the tongue can be enough for some. While others, and I suspect I am in this category, can "digest the undigestible" and get more carbs out of it than the label says.

The biggest and best thing that has gotten me only 12 pounds from goal is Intermittent Fasting. I read Dr. Fung's book, The Obesity Code, and after I cleared up some underlying health issues, I have stretched my fatburning abilities to the point where I have two meals of tea and coconut oil, and one good-sized, low carb, meal, a day. Most days.

I think I have a very reactive pancreas: one bite, and my body releases Tanker Car of Insulin.

The only way to get around such a response is to eat fewer times a day. This lets my insulin levels drop enough for my body to get at my stored fat. Otherwise, it is constantly "locked away."
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  #6   ^
Old Wed, May-24-17, 07:06
JEY100's Avatar
JEY100 JEY100 is offline
Posts: 13,371
 
Plan: P:E/DDF
Stats: 225/150/169 Female 5' 9"
BF:45%/28%/25%
Progress: 134%
Location: NC
Default

Read Tess and WearBears great answers first before mine...I forgot to mention the first two steps towards IF and started with stall-breaker step #8 might have been because wrote about it so much on another similar thread in another sub- forum. More tips here: http://forum.lowcarber.org/showthre...367#post9207367
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  #7   ^
Old Wed, May-24-17, 07:24
GRB5111's Avatar
GRB5111 GRB5111 is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 4,036
 
Plan: Very LC, Higher Protein
Stats: 227/186/185 Male 6' 0"
BF:
Progress: 98%
Location: Herndon, VA
Default

Great answers for this post. Yes, AS and any other "natural" sweeteners are not the same for each individual. IF is also something to try. Lots of information available to do this on this forum and from other sources, such as dietdoctor.com.

I'd also add that you might want to take a quick survey of the fats and oils you're using to identify any seed oils that may still be in your diet. Store-bought salad dressings are the primary culprit, as seed oils are cheap, so many companies use canola, soy, safflower, cottonseed, and others that are simply processed foods and can cause inflammation (individual responses, again, vary) that can cause stalls. I make my own salad dressing and use olive oil or avocado oil with Bragg apple cider vinegar or lemon juice with herbs or whatever else is around. The elimination of unhealthy processed seed oils has helped me.
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  #8   ^
Old Wed, May-24-17, 10:08
WereBear's Avatar
WereBear WereBear is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 14,609
 
Plan: EpiPaleo/Primal/LowOx
Stats: 220/125/150 Female 67
BF:
Progress: 136%
Location: USA
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by GRB5111
The elimination of unhealthy processed seed oils has helped me.


Me too. I can actually feel the difference. The only seed oil I use is hemp, which has a much more proportionate Omega balance.
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  #9   ^
Old Wed, May-24-17, 10:27
thud123's Avatar
thud123 thud123 is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 7,422
 
Plan: P:E=>1 (Q3-22)
Stats: 168/100/82 Male 182cm
BF:
Progress: 79%
Default

I'll offer some support for abstaining from sweet...

GO FOR IT! I did for a few months, no noticeable change in weight but I did notice that if there was some day old coffee left over in my cup that was in the car, if it had sweetener in it, I drank it.

This tells me something about sweeteners
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  #10   ^
Old Wed, May-24-17, 10:48
Justin Jor Justin Jor is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 184
 
Plan: Bernsteinish
Stats: 314/231/199 Male 6'1
BF:
Progress: 72%
Default

I am perfectly capable of maintaining a 280 pound body eating only beef and butter.

I have to keep an eye on caloric intake to lose weight, so this might be a thing.
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  #11   ^
Old Wed, May-24-17, 17:27
lvin4jc lvin4jc is offline
Registered Member
Posts: 82
 
Plan: Just Low Carb
Stats: 320/250/225 Male 6'1"
BF:
Progress: 74%
Location: Rapid City, SD
Default

Wow, thanks for all the replies everyone!

I wish I could "multi-quote" but unless i'm just missing the button I don't know how to do it on here so i'll try and remember what the pertinent topics were.

I did really well yesterday, kept away from everything sweet all day. Then this morning I just realized that when I got home late last night I poured a glass of Diet Cream Soda. I've only ever seen it at WalMart, it's delicious. I love that stuff. So much so that I poured a glass last night and drank it and even slept overnight before I realized I even did it. I guess I do have a bit of a habit on my hands here..

The only seed oil I know that I use is in my Mayo. I haven't been able to find a store bought Mayo that isn't pretty much straight up soybean oil. I haven't taken the time to make my own more than once or twice and I don't think i'd have the time to do it consistently. Wish I had something with better ingredients available locally.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Justin Jor
I am perfectly capable of maintaining a 280 pound body eating only beef and butter.

I have to keep an eye on caloric intake to lose weight, so this might be a thing.


What do you keep your caloric intake at for weight loss out of curiosity?
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  #12   ^
Old Wed, May-24-17, 18:56
WereBear's Avatar
WereBear WereBear is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 14,609
 
Plan: EpiPaleo/Primal/LowOx
Stats: 220/125/150 Female 67
BF:
Progress: 136%
Location: USA
Default

There's a mayo method that uses a mason jar and an immersion blender. Easy and awesome.
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  #13   ^
Old Sat, May-27-17, 11:58
YNot YNot is offline
Registered Member
Posts: 48
 
Plan: Atkins
Stats: 308/285.1/199 Female 66 inches
BF:
Progress: 21%
Location: Central Alberta
Default

I think I can do it, except for the coffee. Not sure I can go without coffee, and I've always been a double-double type of girl. Any tips to wean myself off the sweetness? Or do I just need to give up coffee?
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  #14   ^
Old Sat, May-27-17, 12:44
GRB5111's Avatar
GRB5111 GRB5111 is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 4,036
 
Plan: Very LC, Higher Protein
Stats: 227/186/185 Male 6' 0"
BF:
Progress: 98%
Location: Herndon, VA
Default

Coffee with HWC works and I found it tackles any bitter taste without using a sweetener. It's now preferable to me.
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  #15   ^
Old Sat, May-27-17, 15:59
cshepard cshepard is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 425
 
Plan: Low Carb Paleo
Stats: 156/120/125 Female 64"
BF:
Progress: 116%
Location: BC, Canada
Default

I got off of sweetened coffee gradually - just a little less Splenda each week until I got to zero, also using HWC. Also, towards the end, I would take a few swigs of the coffee with just cream before I would add my sweetener, every day, and I would start to think that I liked it just as well, or even better that way. By that point it was easy to just stop adding the Splenda.

With tea I just went cold turkey. Just stopped, knowing that if I choke it down, unsweetened, long enough, I would come to prefer it that way. And that worked. Only took a couple weeks.
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