Good Morning everyone!

This week let's try a weekly thread and see if that works better for everyone.

Jamian: Thanks for all the information. So happy you have joined us. It's nice to have someone around who understands the chemistry of all this. I will take your advice and check out my minimum protein req.

Amestyst1 (sp?): When I started gaining on carb down I switched to carb up, thinking that my metabolism had slowed down too much to lose on carb down. That happens every so often for me. Also, it could be what nepeta said, are you recording/calculating your carbs/cals to be sure you aren't creeping higher than you think you are?

Well, today I weighed in at 146.6!!! Ahhhhhhhh!!! I was away over the weekend, but thought I had done really well. I'm thinking it was the extra salt in everything, if so it should fall off quickly. I'm just under three pounds above my lowest which was 143.8.

Today, OBVIOUSLY, I'm starting carb down. I am going to incorporate some of the BANTA principles, i.e., lower protein and higher fat and see how that works, otherwise I think my basic up/down cycles will continue. I do enjoy the relief of the UP's. Also, I haven't been posting to fitday, so I am going to start that again today (as per nepeta's wise advice).

Well, I'm off to Curves, then I'll be back and see who's checked in.

Have a great day cyclers!

Good Morning Everyone~

Anita: Thanks for the welcome. I think you have started something here that may help alot of people. Looks like you may have your own book in the works....lol. Hey, I'll buy it.

Today I weighed in at 167. That is 2 pounds up from yesterday but last night was also the start of TOM. So, I am hoping that the gain is due to water retention.

Ok, so here is my question: I started carb up on Saturday at 167. Sunday Iweighed in at 165 and continued carb up. Today I am up 2 pounds, but TOM is here so should I continue with carb-up or switch to carb-down? I'm holding breakfast off until I hear from someone....lol.

I know htis is a very individualized plan but I'm hoping that someone can give me some first hand experience where TOM is concerned since this is my first carb-up cycle. Would it be better to continue carb up for another couple of days to give my body time to recognize that it is getting more cal's and carbs or should I switch now since I have the 2 pound gain?

Ok, gotta grab the paper and some coffee for this chilly morning in So. Florida. It's 65 degrees outside......burrrrrrrrr.

Have a wonderful Monday!

Hi Christy.

Hopefully someone else will come on soon to help. I THINK I would stay carb up a little longer. I have virtually no weight gain with TOM, so I really have no experience with your question. But, if you normally gain a couple of pounds with TOM, and you are comfortable that TOM is the reason for the weight gain, stick with Carb Up a little longer. Make it a day to day decision.

Can someone else help Christy with this? Maybe there is another opinion out there?

No Weight Gain With TOM??? Well, now I am just out right jealous, Anita!
My body holds onto water like a greedy child with a piece of fudge during TOM. I'm usually good for 3-5 pounds.

Enjoy Curves. I've heard of it but don't really know what it is. Wanna explain? Is it strictly exercise or is there a program that goes with it?

Morning all. Anita I did Curves for a year and loved it. I thought it was good stepping stone to joining a gym and doing weight lifting. I think Curves helped make me stronger whereas when I did start lifting I wasn't as weak and frail as my friend/trainer thought I would be.

Today I weighed in at 173.5 ..not sure what is going on with my weight. Last Tues I weighed in at 175 and Friday I was 172.5. I haven't been 100% on my carb down but I am today. I will also be doing the Banta during carb down. I actually use coconut oil to keep my fat level high...I actually gulp down 2-3 tbls/day...I'm used to it now. And I'm gonna keep my calories under 1250. I also am adding 30 mins of cardio/day to my excerise routine. I usually lift 3-4 times/wk but didnt have time to stay at the gym for cardio (I have to pay for babysitting!!)
So I will walk at my lunch time or on my treadmill once I get the girls to bed at night.

Have a great week all!!

Good morning, all!

Anita, those extra few pounds will melt off you in a few days--you obviously recognize them as water gain, but I think you're wise to begin a carb down anyway--and going higher in fat usually helps with the hunger from a drop in calories, no? Remember how excited you got that first day your weight dropped to major virgin territory? I still feel your jubilation over that day! One pound at a time, you've been my inspiration over this long haul....

Christy, I can't help you much either with TOM questions, but Nancy LC surely can--she has great weight fluctuations before and after. Just an opinion, but if you know that you usually get bloated and maybe retain water at this point in time, you might try continuing carb up--provided you keep really good track of cals/carbs and don't give in to cravings, etc.--with an eagle eye on the scale. If you gain more than you already have, and begin to worry that you might have trouble getting the pounds off with just 2-3 days of carb down, perhaps then might be a good time to switch. This is just my personal intake after reading everyone else's posts about this devilish monkey wrench we call TOM!

As for me, yesterday was a major hunger day for me, always an indication that my body is burning itself. I tried very hard to keep to my day's meals, but I ended up eating 2 more tablespoons of soy-nut butter (a soothing, low-carb fave). Everything I ate yesterday got inhaled, practically! I feel better today. I weighed in between 113.5 and 113, but I'm still suspicious. I have my regular carb down schedule for today (still trying to keep at about 73% fat), so we'll see what happens tomorrow. I can tell you this: There's a flax roll-up and about 25 extra grams (4.5 oz) of boneless chicken breast with my name on them when I segue to carb up!

Later, guys~

Christy: Curves is a circuit weight training/cardio program for women. There are (at my Curves) twenty stations, ten are flat boards where you jump, jog, walk, etc., and ten are hydraulic weight machines. Every other station is a weight machine, the rest are the boards. Three times around the circuit takes about 30 minutes, then I stretch for 5-10 minutes, and I'm outta there! I don't like to exercise, but I do truly enjoy this. It is a weight training and cardio program at the same time.

We play games, earn "Curves" bucks to buy t-shirts and other stuff, and have a lot of mutual support and talk. I think that some Curves also incorporate the Curves diet plan, but ours has not done that as yet.

I was this weight MANY years ago (probably more than 20) and I was DEFINITELY NOT this small. Curves (and probably the Atkins style diet, too) has made a BIG difference.

About TOM: I've never had a weight gain problem with TOM, and now I'm perimenapausal (skipping periods), so TOM effects my life even less.

I'm sure there are some other cyclers who can discuss this issue much better than Sona and I, but I do agree with what Sona said. (I almost ALWAYS do! )

Wow, thanks Anita! I think I will look into Curves and see if there is one in my area.

I decided I will stay with semi-carb-up one more day. My calories are around 2000, my carbs about 33g, and my fat percentage is 73. Tomorrow I will carb-down again until I have steady weight or no loss for 3 days.

I will shoot for 70+ fat percentage when I carb-down and try to keep calories below 1200 and carbs around 15-20. That should be interesting.

Thanks for all the help and encouragement. You guys are the best!

Hi all - great info here. I too am struggling with when to carb up/down. I am starting my second cycle today with a carb up. I lost 2 pounds into virgin territory with my first cycle but gave back a 1/2 pound this am. I think I need to rev metabolism again. Sounds like everyone is doing really well. Keep the faith ladies.

All I can tell you is carb up + TOM = enormous water weight gain for me. I went up 4 pounds from carb up and TOM coinciding. So be prepared for that to happen. It'll probably take me a week or more to shed that. *sigh*

I rather wish I'd stayed "down" for TOM, but the TOM munchies got to me and the low carb cereal and bagels were calling my name.



Woot! Glad to hear it appeared a second day in a row! Hot damn!

Hi all,
I'v been checking out what you all are doing and I am willing to give it a try. I recently went back to a strict induction because I can't seem to get under 140 lbs. I'v been on strict induction for 4 days and I'm going to continue this as my carb down up to Wednesday. I'm visiting my parents fo the weekend so I'll carb up Thursday to Sunday. I'm really excited to see if this works! How strict are you guys on carb-down? I have been cutting dairy, soy, caffeine, sweetners and even most processed meats while trying to break this stall...do you allow these things in limited quantities during carb-down? I know this is a very individual-based plan, but I'm just curious about what the rest of you are doing, since it sounds like you are getting good results.

I know you only carb up on healthy carbs, but what does this include? LC breads? sweet potatoes? lentils? LC desserts? It sounds like you still avoid sugars and flours, but do you avoid anything else? I would guess bananas would be out, what kinds of fruit do you allow?

Hi Apk and welcome.

I'm very strict on carb down (others will speak for themselves). But, I do not eliminate dairy, in fact, I have a lot, i.e. cream and cheese. I do eat processed meats in limited quanities, but I use nitrate/nitrite free lunchmeat, bacon and sausage. I never use soy products, too much unclear information out there about soy. I always have my fully leaded coffee in the morning, but otherwise only drink water during Carb Down.

On carb up I add fruits, usually grapefruit, oranges, apples, pears, peaches, berries, nuts, yogurt or kefir, dry red wine, dark chocolate, and higher carb salad dressings. I personally do not add grains because they are a trigger food for me for cravings, but other cyclers do add grains. This is a very individual thing and you will have to experiment to see what works best for you.

Good Luck!

I have apples on carb up... with peanut butter or extremely sharp cheddar. Oh yum! I also use low carb bread on carb up days, and low carb cereal and low carb bagels. Somehow eating those relatively low carb things adds up and on Saturday I had 70 net carbs! I over did a bit. I would think many of the choices you named would be fine. Experiment around and find out what satisfies you without making you rage for carbs.

I'd probably prefer to hold the carbs to around 40-50g on carb ups.

Thanks Nancy and Anita. Your reccomendations for what to eat carb up/carb down are helpful. I agree that it isn't a good idea to go overboard and I think one LC bread product is the limit for me for one day for carb-up. I guess I will just try things out and see what works. I want my carb up to pretty much be how I will eat on maintenance someday. I don't think I'll add grains on my carb-ups, but I think I might add a little cheese back into my induction. Anyways, thanks for the help!