I started back on SB on Oct 1st and have been having a heck of a time -- considering all that I have cut out of my diet (mostly pasta, potatoes, rice, bread, and a few higher fat items, etc), and how I've pretty consistently stuck with Phase I (did go out to dinner twice since the 1st and indulged a bit but nothing too bad), lots of water, veg, salad, chicken, beans, egg white omelets and V8 for breakfast, turkey bacon on occasion, sugar-free jello or a ricotta dessert from the book, lots of exercise (to gym or riding bike about 4 days a week or more) -- I am simply getting almost no where fast -- it's terrifically frustrating since it was so easy 4 years ago. I have remained on Phase I since I feel that I need to really give the metabolism a jolt which hasn't seemed to kick in yet. Went down 3 lbs slowly, then total of 6, then back up 3, then down 1, etc etc - back and forth --
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It has been brought up to me that perhaps medications I'm taking could be thwarting me -- so I'm wondering if this might be a serious thing to consider. Does anyone know of such things happening?

My cholesterol meds were raised a few months ago to 80 mgs of Lipitor and I started on Celebrex a few months ago, take Rampiril for high BP, and a few other things including Detrol (also new in past few months) and Janumet for diabetes, and Protonix for reflux. It's kind of awful to think of all these things I'm taking to tell the truth. One of the reasons, out of many, for getting back on SB was to hopefully lower many readings and therefore cut back on some of the meds or even cut out some (it happened like that 4 years ago).

I intend to call my primary care doc next week and run this by her, but just thought that perhaps someone here might have run into some difficulty related to meds. Just a shot in the dark!

I'm hanging in there but get frustrated and thoughts often turn to ice cream (albeit sugar free), chocolate cake, pasta, pasta, pasta!! Don't want to blow it, and haven't yet, cuz I DO feel pretty good, but also a bit bloated and puffy, too!

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Kerry
66 yrs. & hoping to look 10 yrs younger!
Restarted SB: October 1, 2008
SW: 220
GW: 150

Well, I don't know much about meds...maybe RedRox can help you with all those big words..lol...

but...did you say you've stayed on phase 1 the whole time?...for like a month now? That might be your problem. IMO...Phase 1 isn't made to 'jolt your metabolism' as you said, it's made to detox your body from carbs & sugar...if you actually move into phase 2...introduce some of those 'good carbs' back in, it may actually speed your loss...

It may be a number of simple things with your diet and nothing to do with your meds at all....are you eating the right combination of foods together?....good fat, good fiber??? sounds like you've been good at following the allowed foods list for phase 1, but are you eating any yogurt, getting your diary?...how about beans (not the green ones either)...getting your 5 cups of veggies per day...oh yeah, one more question...You ARE eating something every 3 hours right?...even if your not hungry?...

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(Because I STAYED Determined!)

my thoughts would be similar to yours TinyT. Eat more, more often. Transition into P2 more fully. I think checking with your Doc and your pharmacist for side effects that might relate to weight loss is your best bet on that front. Pharmacists in particular are probably more sensitive and knowledgeable about specific drug interactions if you are taking multiple types of meds too, so I would use them as a resource as well. Thryoid and diabetes types meds I think usually affect weight loss I think. But I'm no doc or pharmacist, so would just give advice to ask a professional!!

Darn it all -- I wrote you all a reply but then my log on timed out for some reason while I was writing and I lost it -- so I shall try to recreate what I said quickly now!

First of all -- thanks to the two of your for your responses. I did talk to my pharmacist this morning (yes, I agree, he's the one to go to about drugs rather than any of my docs -- always knows far more) -- he said the diabetes meds could have a slight possibility of interfering but basically it can just be harder for some diabetics to lose weight than others. Other meds I take most probably shouldn't interfere with diet at all. He said to keep going another two weeks and see what happens, hopefully my metabolism will catch on....he thought I should definitely have made more progress since October 1st.

Anyway, I do get my share of beans (black, kidney, white, etc) plus the green kind, too, everyday -- keep making this bean soup filled with beans and veggies and it's kind of addictive! Lot of salad, mostly lettuce and tomatoes, turkey or ham wraps (which I wrap around chopped lettuce rather than other way around), celery and Laughing Cow or hummus, chicken breast meat and so forth. I do not get a lot of dairy because it tends to upset my stomach, but do get some ricotta cheese, a bit of low fat cheese too. I will try a bit of yogurt.

I worry about moving into Phase II and gaining back the bit of weight I've lost, but I'll give it a try and see what happens. It will be a nice surprise if that's the problem! I don't eat every three hours by any means, but I do add in a snack here and there, but usually only think about it if I'm hungry -- I'm usually not the least bit hungry to tell the truth! I know the "feeling" when I'm loosing weight and everything is "burning" and simply haven't felt that at all this time. Oh well.....on I go....I'm not giving up!

Thanks a lot to you both for the advice and the support -- it is greatly appreciated!

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Kerry
66 yrs. & hoping to look 10 yrs younger!
Restarted SB: October 1, 2008
SW: 220
GW: 150

I really would try to slowly add in fruits and starchy veggies/grains. (one new thing a week, then add another for a total of two and so forth) P1 by itself was never meant to be the weight loss phase. As Dr. A has said, "If I wanted to create a single phase program, I would have." I do know a lot of people do stall in P1 if they stay in it too long though. They just aren't usually getting enough food for their bodies to be comfortable letting go of the excess weight. The goal is to create an optimal differential between calories in and out, not the lowest minimum of calories in that you can manage. If you go too low, your body slows your metabolism down to compensate and won't release any of your stored fat because it doesn't know if it's a temporary thing or an extended famine. You kind of have to coax it into believing things are a little tight food-wise but not desparate, if that makes sense.
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I don't know how those things will affect your diabetes though, so check with your Doc first or just work with any food lists he gave you as well that match up with P2 foods. We don't know if it will help get your weight loss moving again or not. I do know you will be healthier with fruits and whole grains/starches in your diet. And whole grains doesn't necessarily mean whole wheat breads and pastas. You can leave those out altogether if you like and I would only add those back in later anyway.

RedRox, what you say makes perfect sense to me, and it's not like I hadn't heard it before....but of course I had forgotten and just dove into the main diet again without reviewing some of the important points (I should read through the book again) -- I appreciate your telling me all this cuz it helps me feel a bit braver about moving on to Phase II -- actually I have added a wee bit of yogurt and some whole wheat toast....have to go a bit easy on the fruit but like your idea of adding a bit in every week or maybe I'll just not have fruit more than every few days or so, a few strawberries here, blueberries there mixed with the ricotta, or some such. And the idea of convincing my system that "things are tight" food-wise, not quite a famine yet, is a great idea....it has always responded nicely to that -- in fact, I have to say that the sound of a growling stomach right now is reassuring to me that the little engine in me might be up and running again! It will be interesting to see what the next few days or so brings -- I'm ever hopeful!
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Once again, thanks for the help!

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Kerry
66 yrs. & hoping to look 10 yrs younger!
Restarted SB: October 1, 2008
SW: 220
GW: 150