Monday, January 25, 2010

Losing Weight

I didn't get any sewing done this week. That happens when I have to go to work. How do you all with full-time jobs get any sewing done? Since I don't have anything to show for the week I thought I'd tell you how my weight loss journey is coming along.


As you know, I'm following the Metabolism Miracle eating plan. This is a plan I can follow for the rest of my life. I know I said it was a low carb plan, but it's much more than that. It's a plan that will fix people like me whom the conventional wisdom of calories in minus calories expended doesn't equal weight loss. If it did, than all those years on Weight Watchers would have made me thin. I'm not thin, so obviously something different needed to be done. I'm not counting calories or fat grams. I'm not even really counting carbs, just watching them.

This eating plan is done in three stages. During the first stage which lasts 8 weeks (but I did it for 9 weeks) I lost 20 pounds. That's more than 2 pounds a week. I also started sleeping 8 hours a night. Before that, I was sleeping only 4-5 hours a night. I thought my lack of sleep was being caused by menopause. Not so! My hypoglycemia disappeared the very first week on this eating plan. I had it bad too. Whenever my blood sugar levels would drop, I got seriously cranky and if you got in my way I would knock you down to get to some food. I felt like a version of Dr. Jekel and Mr. Hyde. Carbohydrate food like cookies, potatoes, pasta, ice cream, etc. would be what would fix my "problem." Low carb food wouldn't do. My craving for carbs disappeared with the hypoglycemia. I haven't had sugar in three months. Nothing, nada. Who knew?

During step 2, you are to add back a 11-20 carb every 5 hours. Let's face it, our body needs carbs. But people with metabolism's like mine need them in small, controlled amounts. Luckily eating them like this keeps those cravings away. I don't even want them because I know what they do to my blood sugar levels and I know how lousy I'll feel.

The first 3 weeks of step 2 I only lost point 6 (.6) of a pound. However, this last week (week 4) I lost 2 more pounds. That puts me at a total loss of 22.6 pounds which works out to almost 1-3/4 pound a week. I never was able to lose more than half (.5) a pounds on Weight Watchers ever. While my loss is probably going to be slow, not anywhere as slow as WW was and I'm feeling better than I ever did on WW eating pasta and potatoes. Obviously low fat and restricted calories aren't what works for me. If it works for you, then Yea! It just doesn't work for everyone.

Now the good news. I've lost inches, lots of inches! I've lost 5 inches off my hips, 4 inches off my waist, and only 1 1/2 inches off my bust. None of the clothes I made over the summer fits except one top that shrank after I made it. Sadly, all my TNT patterns now need to be altered and aren't TNTs any more. Luckily, I have hundreds of other patterns that I'll be trying out. I plan to start tracing some Burda WOF patterns this week so I'm sure I'll be back to sewing new clothes very soon.

If you want to read more about this eating plan you can go to these links:

January 4, The Daily Mail - The metabolism miracle: The revolutionary diet that can help you stay slim forever.
January 5, The Daily Mail - The metabolism miracle diet part two: Eat carbs and still lose weight!
January 6, The Daily Mail - The metabolism miracle diet part three: How eating five meals a day can burn away your fat!
January 7, The Daily Mail - Chocolate? That's what I call a diet! The final part of our revolutionary scientific weight-loss plan. . .

The above links are from the Daily Mail, a British on-line magazine. You can also find out more info from the Author of The Metabolism Miracle from her website. I'm sorry to sound like such a commercial, but if it will help someone else, than that makes me happy. It was one of my ASG Neighborhood Group members that recommended it to me, and for that I'm grateful.

18 comments:

  1. I'm very intererested in this diet, since it is working for you. Do I remember correctly that you are a vegetarian? I am. If so, what is your basic foods? And congratulations! You've done wonderfully. I've been on WW since 1973, off and on again. Sigh.

    gwensews@comcast.net

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  2. Thank you for taking the time to write this post. It's especially great that you feel so much better as a result of the new way that you eat. While it might be sad that you have to make new TNT patterns, it is also a happy way to get a new wardrobe--and you're very talented so I know that you're up to the resizing challenge.

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  3. Congratulations, Sherril on your weight loss. Thanks for sharing it with us all. It's good to know you have found a program that you can live with from now on.

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  4. Oh,my god!I think this is not fit for me because i engorge so much .If i have no some snack to eat every minute,i must crazy.

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  5. I work and have been having a heck of a time getting to the sewing machine. When I do get time I hate to start anything because I have gained 30 lbs. the last two years. Yuck!!! I am going to check into this book thanks for the info!!!

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  6. I mostly sew on the weekends, though I have been trying the "30 minutes a day" plan. I don't necessarily get in 30 minutes every day, but I do drudgery tasks during the week (laying out fabric and cutting patterns, putting in all the darts, and pleats, fusing interfacing, etc.) so my weekend sewing is more fun.

    Congratulations on finding a weight management plan that works for you! I am glad to hear of your progress--and inches is generally considered a better indicator than pounds.

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  7. Congratulations! That is great news about the eating plan!

    I found your blog on pattern review and have been enjoying reading it!

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  8. I have been waiting for an update like this! So glad to hear this way of eating is a good fit for you. I too am a vegetarian, and plan on doing this. Have the book, but haven't finished reading it yet - my concern is breakfast. (Can't do eggs.) Stay with it - you'll have fun making and sewing new TNT's!

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  9. Wow! This is great! My husband and I are really trying to watch what we eat right now. I would love to lose 20 pounds. He's aiming for about 40+. He never had a weight problem until the past 8 or so years so he's never had to "diet". This is pretty hard on him. I'm going to tell him about this plan and look into it to see if we think it's something he and I can do together.

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  10. Well Sherril, I just "went public" and added my Weight Loss Bar ;)... Hope I can figure out how to "manage it" ;)
    Wish me luck, my dear ENCOURAGER!!
    Soft hug,
    Rhonda in Montreal (PR)

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  11. Oh, ya... I'm now showing my GOAL as my "Health Weight" goal. THEN there'll be 5#s more to my "Ideal Weight"... ;) :( ;)
    See ya lighter!! ;)
    Soft hug,
    Rhonda in Montreal (PR)

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  12. Hi Sherril-
    Here's the butternut sqush tart recipe: http://smittenkitchen.com/2007/10/butternut-squash-and-caramelized-onion-galette/. It is not health food, unfortunately, what with the two cubes of butter in the dough and the cheese in the filling, but it is really delicious. I have successfully substituted 1 cup of white whole wheat flour (King Arthur brand) in the dough, and used reduced fat sour cream. My tip is to cut Brussels sprouts in half and put them on the pan; the butter melts out of the dough while it's cooking and roasts the brussels sprouts and they are delicious that way.

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  13. Hi Sherril!!
    I want to update my tickler thingy and it wants a "PIN"... What does it even look like?? "They" say they can't recoup mine 'cos it's private. "I" didn't even know I OWNED one :(!!
    Anyway, I need to ADD more # for my little rabbit to nibble :(...
    The cost of a long, hard depression, eh... LOTS of comfort food & LOTS of sleeping...
    That's OK!! I feel FINE now!! !! !!

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  14. Thank you. I have already lost 3lbs after less than a week and my blood sugar readings have improved a lot, they are under 100. Lets see what happens.

    I have started cooking more vegetables from the allowed list my family love them (even the kids), leeks are great.

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  15. I haven't been able to read my blogs for some time. Thought I'd give a read today and was so happy to find this post. I've been concerned with my carbs and blood sugars lately. I'll have to grab this book and give it a read. You look so fantastic, Lady! Congrats on finding a good plan and feeling better!

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  16. Congratulations, Sherril on your weight loss
    Web hosting india

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  17. Sherril, I am so excited about your weight loss! We met at the LA PR gettogether 3 years ago and we have similar body types. I also have been on the diet roller coaster (gave up a year or so ago as it seemed hopeless). I now have some hope and am going to get that book asap. I have 40- 50 lbs. to lose and have sleep apnea, insomnia and constant heartburn. My MD (Dr. Barbie- about 13 years old who thinks I should just Do it- lol) has told me that all of my ailments will disappear with the weight.
    Thanks again, Good luck on your test- I'll be thinking about you.
    Kathi S

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