Weight concerns

I have been following the LE diet in a loose way - I have cut out snacking. skipping/delaying breakfast until at least 11 (making it a 15 hour fast). Breakfast (if I have it) is usually white bread with raspberry jam on. Lunch is between 12-1pm (depending on if I have skipped breakfast totally or delayed) and I have plain white pasta with parmesan cheese on or a tin of veggie soup with white roll followed by a small slice of cake or couple of biscuits. I then eat a normal portion dinner between 6-8pm (I am still eating meat) accompanied by a couple of glasses of white wine and followed by a yogurt or fruit crumble. Since doing this I have lost around 16lbs taking my weight from about 126-128lbs to 110-112lbs (dropping my BMI to 18.5). I should mention that I have a petit, small frame so have always been naturally quite slim. My worry is that my weight is now, possibly, a little on the low side and it is preventing/hindering me from conceiving. Is there a way for me to increase my weight slightly without jeopardising my sway?

Any tips/advice greatly appreciated : )

Thanks

Add in a full sugar drink, like a 16oz can of cola, to lunch and dinner. Btw, I strongly recommend you stop eating red meat completely.

Thanks for the advice. I cant really stop eating red meat completely as my husband doesn't know I am swaying! Don't think he would take too kindly to cutting out red meat : ( I am trying to reduce the frequency in which we eat it as part of our evening meal though and over the next week (in the run up to OV) I am trying to cut it out completely by choosing chicken/veg/pasta based meals (just hoping he doesn't realise!)

If your cycles are regular I would just try to hold steady where you're at. Do whatever it takes to stop that weight loss, but you don't need to regain weight as long as you are having regular AF.

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Originally Posted by popple

Thanks for the advice. I cant really stop eating red meat completely as my husband doesn't know I am swaying! Don't think he would take too kindly to cutting out red meat : ( I am trying to reduce the frequency in which we eat it as part of our evening meal though and over the next week (in the run up to OV) I am trying to cut it out completely by choosing chicken/veg/pasta based meals (just hoping he doesn't realise!)

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:agree: I had to do that a few times too. My husband is used to me going onto weird diets but he really didn't know I was actively swaying (if he had, he would have pulled the plug on the whole idea as we weren't really TTC, just NTNP and he would have been happy if I did not get pg), so what I would do is just make normal meals and then I'd eat everything but the meat. A couple times I had little choice but to eat some (as in, we were at McDonalds or my inlaws house)

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Originally Posted by atomic sagebrush

If your cycles are regular I would just try to hold steady where you're at. Do whatever it takes to stop that weight loss, but you don't need to regain weight as long as you are having regular AF.

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Cycles are regular-ish - prior to altering diet (and subsequent weight loss) they were pretty much bang on 28 days. The last couple of cycles are closer to 31 days (although I am wondering whether this may be due to taking SP? I have decided to quit SP this month to see whether my cycle returns to 28 days). My weight seems to have held steady for the last 6 weeks or so, fingers crossed I can keep it that way! Thanks for the advice atomic : )

I agree with atomic; just try to maintain your weight at this point.

As for DH not knowing about swaying...can you make up some other reason? Like maybe, you are avoiding it to see if it improves your AF (helps with cramps or makes it shorter/lighter), as you read the hormones in it can cause problems for some women? I don't actually believe this theory but it is an actual theory some people believe! That way you can either still make red meat for DH but have an excuse to stop eating it yourself, or you can even stop making it altogether so you won't even have the temptation.

It would be even better if for some reason you could make all your meals vegetarian (or as much as possible) and there are MANY different reasons people are vegetarian so that may be easier to sell to your husband as well as swaying more strongly for both of you. Just say it's something you want to try for a month or two, to see if it gives you more energy/improves your skin/helps AF/gets rid of insomnia or whatever reason you choose (saving money/environmental concerns are some other popular reasons to go veggie).

I've had a similar weight loss to you but I've managed to keep steady for the last six weeks or so, with a BMI or 18.4 ish now. I keep track on MFP and if I realise I've had less than 1600 calories, I eat some sweets or have a fizzy drink. Also, I understand that it's not your BMI as such that matters too much here, it's your percentage of body fat. Someone on here pointed out a link (which I will try to find) that discussed the minimum % body fat in order to ovulate. I think that's what you need to be wary of going under. Good Luck!

The minimum BMI to ovulate is just a very rough guideline. Some people lose a lot of weight and keep ovulating even at lower BMI while others lose only a few pounds and mess up cycles even tho BMI is higher than really "should" interfere with things.

Definitely still have body fat (I am by now means what you would call lean! ha). Have also been adding sweets on occasions after my lunch to up my calories and maintain weight. Thanks for the advice ladies : )