Well, I'd avoid them if you're truly stuck, and if you can.

In my last post I asked you a number of questions, can you answer any of them? Just trying to figure out what's going on.

I know exercise is somewhat of a touchie subject. Some days I exercise I burn up to 600 cals a day. Should I eat at least 1000 cals a day (leaving a 400 cal intake)? Or should I just eat the least amount possible?

Take today for example. I havent really started but am trying to whittle my way down in cals. It's lunch time and I have already eaten 130 g of protein and about 600 cals, but tonight I have power yoga and hip hop class which will burn like 500-600 cals. Should I not eat dinner.. or do I need t food to be able to make it through classes?

KCookys: It's a free meal! Use regular pasta, unless you prefer the taste of Dreamfields. In Lyle's forum, people are talking about eating maintenance to maintenance plus 500 calories on a free meal day, so even with regular pasta, I doubt you'd go too high calorically.

Cindy: Lyle recommends getting 3-5 g sodium a day, and supplementing with up to 1 g potassium. So no, potassium shouldn't be double the sodium.

I seem to recall Lyle warned about exercise induced energy conservation. *shrug* I think that would plague some of us with metabolic issues more than others. I think you've gotta eat enough food you don't pass out during class!

Okay, well I am going to try tomorrow with no soy and no citric acid. I will see what I am tomorrow morning (hopefully I will be down some from yesterday and today of PSMF).

I have gotten my thryroid tested about 2 years ago when I was on Atkins. It wasn't a fasting blood test because they neglected to tell me to fast. I think everything was fine. They were just checking out all the hormones.

Compared to what I used to eat (can we say bingeing after every hard day at work?) I should be dropping pounds like crazy. Since Aug 1 I have lost 12 lbs, but it was mostly water at the beginning from starting Atkins. I haven't lost much lately, that is why I am doing the PSMF.

I will keep you posted on my weight. Is there any special way that I should do this? Do you guys change your current weights every morning???

PS I haven't eaten more than 30 carbs (only 30 on two pseudo-carb-up days, usually 17 carbs a day) since Aug 1.

If you consider that most folks on psmf are eating primarily whole foods, it makes sense that Lyle says to sup with more sodium. Not much sodium unless your eating lots of processed foods. So it makes sense that you'd add more sodium in this case. You're getting a larger amount of potassium in the whole foods.

That 2/1 ratio is what I use to make sure I'm not retaining boat loads of water. I never stated it as coming from Lyle.

I only change my weight stats when it seems like a new low is going to stick. Everyone does their own thing.

LCookys, I also noted that you are very low on veg.

Hi Joan! Its nice when there are only a few lbs to lose!

Val

I got my fat caliper and (if I did it right) it says 22.4% BF. Which is way lower than his estimate of 27%. So this definitely puts me in category 1 I suppose...?

Urban,

My suggestion to you would be to do a refeed and a free meal weekly. Diet for no more than 4 weeks OR until such time as you start to feel the body tanking, then take your 2 week break. As you only have 10 lbs to lose, and at low body fat, don't have great expectations about losing heaps weekly. It make a take a while, but at least it will happen. Even at my higher BF% it is now taking longer to lose.

Val

My free meals I have been having on the week ends--back to back. That is something that might be stalling me.

Ive lost six pounds since I started this diet over a month ago (when we were located in the Tips and Stalls section of this site)- four of which I dropped immediately when I moved from atkins to psmf.

I use Fitday relegiously...and trust me, its not too many calories. My doc finally came back from traveling and I have an appointment early next week.

Thanks for taking the time Nancy.

Im glad you brought that up bc I was on the Bodyrecomp site and I find that most of the men there have some type of excerisise schedule--including cardio. They say it helps them loose the weight faster. I dont get it...I thought excersise wasnt too good on this diet. Ive seen some posts where the members do up to 45 min. cardio in addition to weight lifting while on this diet. What gives?

Val, you're killing me here! Its K Cookys!

Sorry- typos of names don't get picked up in software and I rarely stop and look (story of my life).

As I recall, some people on bodyrecomp said that they did cut back on exercise..others are too into BB to be able to let go..they all however are in Cat 1 and so only do the diet for a few weeks at a time. I think if you don't tank doing exercise, then do it and see if it makes any difference to kick starting further weight loss. But up your veg consumption to get the health benefits and perhaps eat a bit of dextrose before doing any heavy exercise.

Val

I just found this restaurant by my job that makes salads to your liking and for under 5 bucks! I has one last week and filled it with chicken which was really good! Ill incorporate more veggies and water ( and moderate excersise) into the diet to see if it helps any.