complicated swaying questions for experts...

[janie]

Ok, ladies. So I read in one of Atomic's awesome essays how not to cut calories too much because it can cause an increase in testosterone and then sway blue...and it occurred to me that perhaps that is exactly what happened to me, why i have 2 boys.
I have always eaten a low calorie diet, exercised quite a bit, and have been quite slim and muscular. iNow I totally understand the logic behind a low calorie diet to ttc a girl, but i'm wondering, in ladies like myself who do not eat a ton to begin with, if gaining weight might not be a better strategy? i am following low everything, but i am losing weight but still look muscle-y.
Maybe it would be better for me to get a little more fluff on me?
thank you in advance!!

[nuthinbutpink]

I'm sure atomic will chime in but are you getting your calories from different sources then when TTC with your boys?

[atomic sagebrush]

I actually just addressed this very question here:http://genderdreaming.com/forum/gender-swaying-discussion/10922-weight-loss-pink-weight-gain-blue-%96-how.html

There is just no way that you could possibly gain enough in a reasonable time to sway pink. This is esp. true if you're starting off with a lot of muscle, because the more muscle you have, the more you tend to build when you gain a few pounds (your body is smart like that.)

Losing weight on a lower protein, lower calorie diet WILL shrink your muscle mass over time. Eating less fat will also tend to reduce testosterone over time as well. What I don't want anyone to do is cut calories to 600-800 and cause their bodies to panic and think starvation is imminent and send out a big burst of T. If you stick to 1200 calories minimum and preferably 1500-1800, that's all you need to do.

Tons of slim women have boys. It's not about being slim that sends your body into crisis mode, it's having no food coming in, esp. when you're thinking/planning/hoping/dreaming about swaying constantly. A slim, healthy woman in great physcial condition has every chance in the world at conceiving a son.

It's not the weight you are that sways. It's your physical condition/environment/fertility. The weight loss is just a way to send a signal to our bodies that times are hard and resources are scarce, while slightly depressing our condition and fertility.

[Mochagirl]

I just thought I'd mention that after a few months on the LE diet, my arms shrank into little twigs, so it definitely had an influence on my muscle mass!

[amari]

Me too. I don't know what I am having yet, but I started the LE at only about 102 and I am 5'4". I went down to 93 and I think most of it was muscle shrinkage. I got quite mushy with what was left! I stopped the meat and nuts and I think that helped. Good luck!

[fresas]

If you are lifting weights, you may want to stop. You may also want to switch meat sources if you eat a lot of red meat. I get your idea of doing the opposite to get a girl than what you did to conceive boys. I conceived my sons during times of major weight loss, lots of exercise, and very limited calories, but it might be possible to keep your weight low even if you don't change your calorie intake. Maybe change where your calories are coming from.

[atomic sagebrush]

I just want to clarify that fresas also has PCOS and sometimes PCOS can sway blue even with an otherwise good sway. As a general rule, weight loss and limited calories, will sway pink.

I think doing the opposite of what you were doing to get boys, only makes sense if the opposite actually sways pink. Doing the opposite will only backfire on you if you end up making yourself MORE blue friendly. If you didn't lose weight on the Atkins Diet, there might be many reasons for why that was but the solution is not to do the opposite and start eating massive amounts of birthday cake and expect to lose weight...that's even worse for losing weight.

[Praying4Pink]

Hi all! I am a newbie and I have an even more complex question about diet and signaling your body to sway one way or the other. In January, I began a physician monitored weight loss program which included phentermine, 500 -700 calories a day, and cardio 6 times a week. I lost 35 pounds. My question is would there really be anything further that I could do since my body is already accustomed to the low cal-low fat-low carb plan? Might it be more beneficial to increase a bit for a month then put my body into "famine mode" or maybe just go low everything with veggies rather than the protein?

[atomic sagebrush]

No, and increasing for a month would actually be the worst thing you could do. Your body will grab onto anything it gets and will hang onto it for all it's worth. You'd take a big step backwards and then start swaying and probably just end up right where you are already - or even BEHIND where you are now, because your metabolism will have shifted and your body will cling to those nutrients. Much better to stay where you are and either hold steady than to take the risk!

[Praying4Pink]

Thanks Atomic! Since I was doing mostly protein I went out and purchased lettuce, white grapes, apple slices, ect...I shouldn't have too much trouble with it all...only skipping breakfast since eating breakfast was a requirement on the weight loss plan. It's funny that before I never ate breakfast and now I can't go without it!! I can but I am starving by lunchtime, lol. Oh and my iced decaf :nails:

[atomic sagebrush]

Give yourself a few weeks to ease into it and be forgiving of yourself. If all you can do is just delay breakfast 1-2 hours, that's fine!

[atomic sagebrush]

oh and remember, you can have 40-50 g protein on LE Diet! You don't need to eat ZERO protein, nor should you, because you need protein for a healthy body and baby.

[Mumness]

This is so tough, bit confused about the LE diet is it mapped out somewhere??

[Praying4Pink]

Thanks Atomic...I am hard on myself with everything I do unfortunately! I can definitely go without he breakfast if it may up my chances a bit. I know you probably know this but 40-50 g of protein is actually an ok amount! Once a person starts reading labels and portion sizes ect it is unbelievable how much it takes to get those cals in especially on a healthier plan!

[atomic sagebrush]

This is so tough, bit confused about the LE diet is it mapped out somewhere??

It's in the Dream Members section. Sorry I can't post it publicly because other people will steal and repost it on other sites.

[janie]

ok, more complicated questions! first of all, atomic, do you have any ideas as to why people with eating disorders have more boys? wouldn't less nutrients sway girl? it brings me to my second ?...i am not losing weight on girl diet. i never was anorexic per say, but i realize now i exercised far more than my caloric intake would justify. now that i have quit exercising, i am gaining weight on 1300-1500 calories per day! (i think i consumed about that before, but i would run for about 60 min, 5 days per week.) do i start exercising to keep my weight in check? or just sort of stick to the diet and let cards fall? my gut is telling me to get squishy and not worry about losing weight(for once in my life), i think somehow girl hormones will increase if i have a little fat on me. i was very thin with both boys, and it took a lot of effort to stay that way.

[atomic sagebrush]

1)People who are actively suffering from eating disorders (both anorexia and bulemia) have more girls. It's people who have recovered from eating disorders or whose eating disorders never got bad enough to stop their ovulating, who seem to have more boys. The reason for this, I believe is twofold. Firstly because if you've been in VERY poor condition with diet and BMI, your body will interpret any improvement as improving maternal condition and may sway blue even if a woman is still quite thin compared to other women. Secondly because people who have had eating disorders tend to be people who like being in control and are often very driven in all arenas of life (perfectionistic and perhaps a bit uptight) and often this personality goes hand in hand with conceiving many boys, possibly due to higher than average testosterone.

2)Yes, I think exercising could help your sway BUT I don't want you to activate any triggers for eating disorders because you may very well be 100% correct and a little squish might make you more girl friendly. We just don't have the data to say for sure. I wish I could give you an answer, but I just don't know unfortunately what would be best for you.