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1666434 tn?1325262350

Summer Weight Loss Challenge Week 3

Ok everyone it's almost the end of the week, how is everyone doing with their weight loss program?  Do you notice some things you are doing that help more than others?  Is it exercise or watching what you eat?  Or both?  Share your progress, we can do it!
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1666434 tn?1325262350
Thanks for the link will definitely check it out.  And yes when I give in to a fried temptation, with high sodium the scale literally changes over night.  Amazing how that works.  What proteins are you most consuming now?
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Avatar universal
Hello,

@seattlemom2plus I feel you. I think water plays an important factor here. We need to hydrate ourselves to prevent the fluid retention. caffeine is really a culprit!

I found this link very helpful when it comes to hydration. This might help you with your fluid retention.

http://www.energiseforlife.com/alkaline-water-ionizers/missing-piece-of-the-alkaline-diet/

I am still eating salads and fruits but the smell of bacon cooking is so irresistable sometimes I would allow myself to have a cheat day sometimes. But I know that I can get a hang of this. I can't say that im doing this all straight I usually have my weak moments when I give in my cravings. It is hard specially if you are new on the diet. But it feels really good tho!
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1666434 tn?1325262350
Last week I literally gained about 3 lbs in a few days.  Had fluid retention, so really have to watch having too much sodium.  The last 3 days I have cut out the coffee/tea, think I have to face the reality that I have either an intolerance to it or allergy that affects me all around.  Making that change and just drinking water as well as increasing the vegetables has helped me get the fluid retention back down.  I hate when the scale skyrockets up in 2-3 days like that.
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Avatar universal
Hello!

I just want to check in here and say that I am feeling really good and amazing. I feel light and full of zest. I jsut wish I can carry on this diet. Sometimes sugar is pretty enticing but I am not depriving myself. I make sure I stick to my 70:30 ratio.

How is eveybody doing?
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1666434 tn?1325262350
Great tip on information, lots of resources there indeed.

I also like this too because it does help if you have issues with heartburn.  I always notice a huge change there.
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Avatar universal
That is very informative website. It is very much helpful epecially when you are pregnant it is a good way to nourish not just yourself and your baby too.

This is the website I had been referring to:

http://www.energiseforlife.com

They have been pretty helpful to me they made it sound so easy! I'm trying to stick with  the guidebook. And it is looking good so far. I think they also have those pH strips where you can measure the acidity.

Hope this helps!
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1666434 tn?1325262350
I agree with you there not being a slave to the scale, but still using a place like MedHelp for accountability is great for support.

Here is a list that I have been focusing in on, it talks about the ratio of alkaline and acid too:

http://www.fertilefoods.com/healthy-pregnancy/fertility/alkaline-foods-for-conception/

I do want to get these strips I had before too because it was interesting to see the levels of our family members based on what they normally ate.

I still have issues giving up the teas and or coffee but I limit it to two cups a day.  I hope to get better with this though.

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Avatar universal
Hello seattlemom2plus,

I would likeo update you so far on my alkaline diet. So far it was great! I feel so light and detox-free! I feel that I have so much energy everyday. I'm drinking a lot of alkline water to keep me hydrated. And so far it is good! the only thing is that every once in a while I get my cravings on acid foods like chocolate and something sweet. But I read somewhere that having a ratio of 70:30 is the way how it works 70% of alkaline and 30% acid. I haven't weighed in yet. I'd like to do that after a couple of weeks to see a dramatic change :) a pound or 2 is not too exciting for me.

I'd like o gain more knowledge and do a lot or research on the food lists and try it by myself if it works then we can combine our resouces. I'm fairly new in this diet I want to make sure what I share actually really works :)

How is your program doing?
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1666434 tn?1325262350
Definitely let me know how your experimentation goes with this.  I can say from my own personal experience I really find out how well an alkaline approach worked for me when I go off of it and start introducing acidics.  Then I get upset because I almost forget how good I felt, not just with the weightloss, but the energy I have and the less burning I have from foods that I consume.  By all means too if you have any good food lists too maybe you can post a new thread and we can combine resources there :)
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Avatar universal
I agree! You really need to find that "diet" that would work perfectly for your body. it will all depend on your lifestyle and your body type I guess.

right now I'm there at the experimenting phase on what is the best for me. But i'm leaning towards the alkaline one. It looks promising for me. I want to cleanse my inner body as well. So will try that see if it is goign to work for me.
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1666434 tn?1325262350
I use a variation of this and the Fat Smash Diet Phase I--- I hate using the term "diet" I rather tell myself I am just eating differently.  I'm short so every inch of fat that I eat does acquire on my body relatively quickly.  And protein diets bulk me up instead of slimming me down.

What helps me immensely is writing down what I eat or just logging in daily on my computer.  It makes me accountable too for my actions if I have something that isn't on the list.

And I cannot encourage anyone more with experimenting with what works for you--- try different things out and see how your body responds.  What do you feel best eating?  What gives you energy and what doesn't?  Certain foods make me groggy--- pizza would be one of them.  If I have a slice or two of pizza I'm tired.
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Avatar universal
That looks interesting. I haven’t heard of this diet before. Is this the diet that you are using right now? It does seem like it focuses on the problematic area. Thank you for the information.

@barb135 thanks for posting that. The body does have their own detox sytem and they do the job for us. But I think for excessive use meaning too much acids in our body then the sytem will double time in their work and might cause the break down and that is what causes illness. So detox somethimes is just helping the system cleaning up the "trash" we accumulated. That is just how I see it :)
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1666434 tn?1325262350
Great link Barb135, thanks for the post.  I always think of the term "detox" in different ways.  When I stop eating lots of sugary things, for me that's a detox because I know for about 3 days I usually will crave it until it's out of my system so to speak.  And perhaps that's just a mental attribute for me, but it works lol

I found this link too that I wanted to share, we have a history in my family of Gall Bladder Disease and this was a diet that specialized in this that I wanted to share for anyone else that might be interested:

http://www.gicare.com/Diets/Low-Fat-Diarrhea-Gall-Bladder.aspx

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649848 tn?1534633700
COMMUNITY LEADER
Our bodies are designed to detox on their own and unless you have a liver or kidney disease, detox is neither needed nor recommended.  Following is a link to an article by Dr James Beckerman, who is a cardiologist on Med Help, and also is the author of the book "The Flex Diet", which I highly recommend..

http://www.medhelp.org/user_journals/show/295241/Detox-Doubts
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1666434 tn?1325262350
@ burnzem yes thank you for writing that, it's hard to find some good concrete information on that but it is out there.  I was like I don't put sugar and loads of stuff in my coffee why does it affect my weight?  And yes it is the acids in my body, it upsets the balance.

I don't know if you any of you have ever bought the pH strips you can get to test your body's acidity but it is very interesting to monitor.   When I am a vegetarian, eating bean protein, etc.  my body is in a more alkaline state.  When I eat red meats and animal proteins, my pH increases to more acidic.

Granted I will say that for some people they can go on a high protein diet and lose weight, for me for some reason it has an opposite effect, I don't lose anything and I feel horrible.  It just goes to show how all of our bodies can be so different.
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Avatar universal
My culprit is the sweets.. I have weaknes for them that I just can't control. Then I will feel guilty afterwards. I am trying to teach myself to resist temptation. but it is just so hard. I love eating and I just wish we can eat anythign we want without bloating up! But I realized that eating everything is not treating your body. Eating the wrong or unhealthy food is like choking down your body to its death bead. So I have to keep that in mind all the time to stop me from my craving.

@seattlemom2plus caffeine got lots of acids that forms the fats that's why you gain weight when you drink coffe.
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1666434 tn?1325262350
Aaliyah_rose you sure can join the challenge, we need all the support we can get :D

Having an alkaline state in your body is very helpful with losing weight.  When I cut coffee out of my diet, I literally lost 4 lbs in one week.  The caffeine did something with my metabolism and it literally never fails if I start drinking coffee again, my weight goes back up.

So always good to pinpoint those triggers.

@ ChitChatNine it depends what carbs I eat.... bread especially white bread or sweets make me bloat up.  It's like the yeast and sugar just reap havoc on my body.
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Avatar universal
Hello,

I'm trying the alkaline method. it removes the acidic part of the body which cause the fats of our body. so it consists mostly green drinks and green fruits. :)
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Avatar universal
Hi!im new here can I join your weight loss challeng? Really want to lose a stone or two xx
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168348 tn?1379357075
Ok .. my culprit is one word CARBS

I do much better when I don't eat them

Am going to try to do the 100 calorie popcorn thing instead

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1666434 tn?1325262350
burnzem what kind of detox are you doing?  I know there are a lot out there so would love to see your method :D
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Avatar universal
No prob! Glad to help :) I'll be staring my detox next week hope this can help me lose a few pounds.
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1666434 tn?1325262350
Wow this was a very comprehensive break down thank you!!

I have known so many people close to me suffer with their weight and watched years of yo-yo diets and extreme body changes.  The one person I knew who had suffered with their weight for over 30 years finally had a gastric bypass... it wasn't until after the procedure that they found out she has an issue with her thyroid.

So yes that is always in the back of my mind now.  What a great post thank you so much!
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Avatar universal
I read somewhere the 10 signs that you have thyroid issues.
I'll share them here :

10. Muscle and Joint Pains, Carpal Tunnel/Tendonitis Problems.
Aches and pains in your muscles and joints, weakness in the arms and a tendency to develop carpal tunnel in the arms/hands and tarsal tunnel in the legs, can all be symptoms of undiagnosed thyroid problems.  

9. Neck Discomfort/Enlargement.
A feeling of swelling in the neck, discomfort with turtlenecks or neckties, a hoarse voice or a visibly enlarged thyroid can all be symptoms of thyroid disease.
To help find out if your thyroid may be enlarged, try a simple "Thyroid Neck Check" test at home.

8. Hair/Skin Changes.
Hair and skin are particularly vulnerable to thyroid conditions, and in particular, hair loss is frequently associated with thyroid problems. With hypothyroidism, hair frequently becomes brittle, coarse and dry, while breaking off and falling out easily. Skin can become coarse, thick, dry,and scaly. In hypothyroidism, there is often an unusual loss of hair in the outer edge of the eyebrow. With hyperthyroidism, severe hair loss can also occur, and skin can become fragile and thin.

7. Bowel Problems.
Severe or long-term constipation is frequently associated with hypothyroidism, while diarrhea or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is associated with hyperthyroidism.

6. Menstrual Irregularities and Fertility Problems.
Heavier, more frequent and more painful periods are frequently associated with hypothyroidism, and shorter, lighter or infrequent menstruation can be associated with hyperthyroidism. Infertility can also be associated with undiagnosed thyroid conditions

5. Family History.
If you have a family history of thyroid problems, you are at a higher risk of having a thyroid condition yourself. You may not always be aware of thyroid problems in your family, though, because among older people, it is often referred to as "gland trouble" or "goiter." So pay attention to any discussions of glandular conditions or goiter or weight gain due to "a glandular problem," as these may be indirect ways of referring to thyroid conditions.

4. Cholesterol Issues
High cholesterol, especially when it is not responsive to diet, exercise or cholesterol-lowering medication, can be a sign of undiagnosed hypothyroidism. Unusually low cholesterol levels may be a sign of hyperthyroidism.

3. Depression and Anxiety.
Depression or anxiety — including sudden onset of panic disorder — can be symptoms of thyroid disease. Hypothyroidism is most typically associated with depression, while hyperthyroidism is more commonly associated with anxiety or panic attacks. Depression that does not respond to antidepressants may also be a sign of an undiagnosed thyroid disorder.

2. Weight Changes.
You may be on a low-fat, low-calorie diet with a rigorous exercise program, but are failing to lose or gain any weight. Or you may have joined a diet program or support group, such as Weight Watchers, and you are the only one who isn't losing any weight. Difficulty losing weight can be a sign of hypothyroidism. You may be losing weight while eating the same amount of food as usual — or even losing while eating more than normal. Unexplained weight changes and issues can be signs of both hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism.

1. Fatigue.
Feeling exhausted when you wake up, feeling as if 8 or 10 hours of sleep a night is insufficient or being unable to function all day without a nap can all be signs of thyroid problems. (With hyperthyroidism, you may also have nighttime insomnia that leaves you exhausted during the day.)
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