Big Change

[bigthunder]

I have decided to stop BFL for a while. I have made no headway at all this month. I think it's because I'm just going through the motions, pretty much on auto pilot. I think I need a change, something to shock my body. So I have decided to do Atkins for a couple months. You really can't ask for a bigger change than that. Eventually I'll switch over to South Beach and then finally I'll start BFL again.
Hopefully I won't be excommunicated, so I can stop by to update my progress. Maybe somebody here why have some ideas on how to tweak Atkins. Wish me luck on my new endeavor.

[Maljonic]

I thought Atkins was just a diet?

[bigthunder]

Yes, it is. It's radically different than BFLs balanced approach. I plan on changing my excercise plan too. A body part a day and cardio everyday. With my weight I'll still be doing the excercise bike BFL style. Mostly though I'm trying to get my cheating under control and Atkins is all or nothing. You can't cheat or you have to start all over again.

[Maljonic]

I don't know too much about Atkins so I may be talking out of my ass, but I always got the impression it was little more than a short-term crash diet type thing with possible health risks for your heart. I don't know for sure if this is true, but it's the main thing that's put me off in the past - i.e. I would like to lose weight quickly, but I don't want to risk shortening my life doing it. I think the South Beach Diet is better, healthier than Atkins, but it's still a short-term plan isn't it?

For me the only true working diet plan as such, ignoring BFL and exercise etc, is Weight Watchers because it's based on food energy intake measured against food energy expenditure. BFL does the same sort of thing which is why that makes sense to me too.

I think BFL and Weight Watchers are the only commercial type plans I've seen that make any sense because they're both based on being sustainable, i.e. you could live the rest of your life following them without steadily killing yourself and be healthy at the same time.

Logically no one should need any kind of diet plan if they thought about it, we just need to exercise a bit every day and not consume more calories than we burn and we'd all be fine figures of human beings. Only life these days is far more complicated than it used to be, so most of us need some structured plans to follow.

Anyways, I don't know why I said all that, it's just my way of looking at things really. It will be interesting to see how you go, whatever you do, and don't let my meanderings put you off if you have a definite plan in mind.

[bigthunder]

Well I stuck to Atkins for a week and according to my scale I gained 4 lbs. Now this is pretty much impossible, way too few calories to gain weight. So this proves a suspition I've had that my scale doesn't work properly and I weigh more than I thought I did. My scale goes up to 440 lbs and apparently if your over that it will just make up some number near that. So I have 3 choices 1) buy a new scale 2) find someplace that has a heavy duty scale or 3) wait a while before I weigh myself again. I was very upset, but I am hanging in there for at least one more week. The reason being is the other 2 times I did Atkins I lost 18 lbs in 2 weeks.

[Maljonic]

I think if your goals are set around how much scales say you weigh you should definitely get some accurate ones, or at least consistant ones, otherwise you'll just drive yourself mad.

I think the best are these types of doctors' balance scales, or maybe Weight Watchers Scales.

Or you could go maveric and decide not to weigh yourself at all and just measure yourself with tape.

[bigthunder]

I appreciate the response, but remember I weigh over 440 lbs. These scales "only" go up to 330 and 350 lbs. The scale I have is accurate, but not if you weigh more than it's calibrated for. I'm just going to keep at it until I fall under 440 lbs. No need to waste money, when time and effort will fix the problem.

[Maljonic]

I agree, but I don't think you should concentrate on weighing yourself so much anyway.

[bigthunder]

Under normal circumstances I agree, but this is a new diet. On top of that my scale issues, I normally only weigh myself weekly at best. I was almost debating not weighing myself for a month, but I'm not sure I have that kinda resolve.

[Maljonic]

It would be a cool experiment to try and follow Atkins to the letter, no cheating whatsoever, and not weigh yourself at all until you've finished. I bet there aren't many people with that kind of willpower.

[onehappymom]

BigThunder, I really believe that you should be much less concerned with what your scale says, in fact I think that it is a good idea to only weigh yourself every 4 weeks as well as take new measurements. Considering your scale does not accomodate your needs you may actually be making headway and just not realizing it.
I think that leaving BFL for a diet plan that has failed you in the past is not a wise decision. And I certainly feel that bouncing from one to another to another will not only hurt and confuse your body but it will set you up for failure. With your weight you will probably have to take this challenge more than once but think of how wonderfully you will be treating your body by picking a program and sticking to it.
You so deserve to complete this challenge because you wanted it enough to start in the first place. Above everything else get your eating under control and you will succeed, but remember not to set the bar so far out of reach that you give up before you have even begun. If your mind can't conceive it then your body can't achieve it. You are amazing for trying!!!

[bigthunder]

As I said in the begining of this post, this is only temporary. I just want to shock my body and lose some weight quickly. I plan on staying on this diet for a month. Then go to a south beach diet easing carbs back into my diet. I'll do that for a couple weeks and then I'll start on a balanced BFL diet. It's just an experiment. I hope to lose a hundred lbs by the end of the year and cut my body fat in half from 42% to 21%. I do thank you for your kind words and encouragement.

[Maljonic]

I don't want to put you off, but I think losing 100 pounds by the end of the year might be setting the bar a little too high - you would have to lose an average of 1.82 lbs every day. It would be amazing if you could do it, but I'm not sure it's feasable or healthy to do that through dieting alone? I think it might be possible with some radical changes to your daily routine. I know my friend has lost 84lbs since he got himself a dog and has to walk it twice a day and has been for like a year or so, so those types of figures are possible to lose I think so long as you can come up with a conistant exercise plan that's sustainable.

I agree with what onehappymom says about the different diets confusing your body and think you probably would be better just doing BFL from the start, but if you are determined to follow your diet plans I think you should combine that with going for a walk for at least an hour every day, and still go for walks even if you're doing BFL. You will get closer to your goal for the year that way.

[bigthunder]

I'm sorry for the mis-communication, but I no intention of doing this on diet alone. Starting monday and for the rest of the year I plan on lifting and doing cardio 6 days a week. I plan on doing a body part a day and doing 20-30 minutes of cardio on the bike bfl style. I also plan on walking to and from the gym, which is a 15 minute walk.

[bigthunder]

Well the big experiment is over. In 2 weeks I gained 6 ounces and lost 0% body fat. The odd thing is I never cheated I stayed below the recommended 20 grams of carbs every day. Yet, when I used the ketostix to measure if I was in the fat burning zone...NOTHING. I tried 3 times and I didn't even register. The good news is I'm not diabetic, which is something else it measures for. When you're my weight, this is something you worry about. I don't look at it as I failed, but the diet failed me. I did everything right and got nothing in return. The one good thing that came out of this is the knowledge that I need to cut back on potatoes, rice, soda and bread.
I'm going back to eating sensible, lifting and doing the bike 20 minutes a day. I'm also going to add a 2 mile walk to and from the gym. I'm going to try really hard not to weigh myself for a month August 3rd. I'm shooting for 415 lbs.

[Maljonic]

That's great, not that the diet didn't work but that you're going ahead with a new plan.

[jamesgarcia]

Can you provide a sample day of food and a weeks sample of what your workout is? You shouldn't be at a plateau at the point you are at right now.

[onehappymom]

Hi BigThunder~ that is great that have made a decision regarding what plan would best work for you. Don't think that you got nothing out of the two weeks that you were on Atkins because you got the knowledge that that wasn't the plan for you plus it also propelled you back to BFL which I believe is the only place you will gain lasting results. Remember to watch closely your meal sizes and don't go over just because you feel hungry at first. Do what you are able on the weights and cardio and push yourself the most you can while still following doctors recommendations. One last thing come August 3rd if the scale hasn't dropped to 415 lbs DON'T GIVE UP!!!! Your body was created to be healthy so you will get there just be patient and endure!!
God Bless You and let us know your progress next month.

[bigthunder]

normal food day

8am- 12 ounces of water and a protien bar
9am- gym
11a - 10 ounces of Orange juice and 1 banana multi vitimin
noon - 24 ounces of water and a protien bar
2pm - 1 ham and fat free cheese wrap with lettuce and mustard
1 roast beef and fat free cheese wrap with spicey mustard
1 small helping of 2% cottage cheese
1 cup of sugar free jello
20 ounce glass of water
4pm - 1 protien bar and 20 ounce glass of water
6pm- 10 ounces of skinless, boneless shake and bake chicken breast
half can of canned sweet peas
half can of canned green beans
1 cup of lite yogurt
20 ounce glass of water
8pm- 1 cup of sugar free jello
20 ounce glass of water

tuesday workout
arnold raises 25 lbs x 12
30 lbs x 10
35 lbs x 8
30 lbs x 11
cable front raises 80 lbs x 12
85 lbs x 10
90 lbs x 8
95 lbs x 12 (go higher next time)
side raises 10 lbs x 12
12 lbs x 10
15 lbs x 8
12 lbs x 10
cardio = stationary bike levels 7-12 BFL style for 20 minutes
1.5 mile walk on the way home aprox. 30-40 minutes

this is my current workout plan 5-6 days a week. It started Monday.

[bigthunder]

Still 430 lbs. I really don't get it. I've never heard of a plateau starting out.