Losing too much weight-any advice?

[hollyberry7]

I'm wondering if Atomic can chime in about this....?

[Out of the Blue]

4wildones - DOH...didn't see you were already eating Tahini. Mea culpa, Mama...

[fourwildones]

No probnlem, I am eating it but think I may need to up it, so I appreciate the recommendation!

[atomic sagebrush]

Hi fourwildones - I am having the SAME problem. I'm on week 3 of the diet, it's now CD25 and I have not ovulated yet! I am so nervous because we plan to start TTC next month but now this is throwing everything off. I've lost about 3 lbs so far and am pretty sure the diet is messing up my ovulation. I'm currently 5'6" and weigh 120 (was 123lbs before diet). I keep reading that low-fat dairy can hinder ovulation and fertility, so starting today, I will add an 8 oz. glass of whole milk to my diet to encourage ovulation. It's comforting to know that others are going through the same thing. Should also add that I'm not taking the supplements (except for standard prenatals) and replaced my cup of coffee in the AM with peppermint tea.

I strongly suggest that when you make changes, switching to full-fat dairy isn't one of them. The reason why we use skim milk is partly BECAUSE it can reduce overall fertility. Using full-fat dairy boosts fertility and that is not what you want.

Add in more carbs, more fruits, anything but full fat dairy. You don't have to be superstrict with yourself if you need more calories.

I promise you WILL stop losing weight at some point. You'll plateau as your metabolism goes down.

[atomic sagebrush]

I posted on another thread that I didn't realize was a sticky, so am starting a post here. When I started the girl diet (IG) a few weeks back I was already slightly underweight but did not realize how hard it would be to keep weight on. I am REALLY struggling not to lose too much weight on this diet as I don't want to become anovulatory. Over the first 2 ww I put back on 2 lbs eating off the diet, but now that I am back on the diet in earnest I am losing it again.

I know we talked about just maintaining by bumping up calories, and I'm eating what seems like a fair amt. but I am still losing. MAybe I should switch diets? I am using unsalted butter on my bread, half and half on on my puffed rice...just to bump cals up...but that's increasing fat content-not good? stil lI am losin wt.

Should I just completely stop the diet for a few days-and reset my "calendar"? I am trying to up my calories, but I am still losing weight. I am wondering if this particular diet is just too stressful for my body? If I can't ovulate, obviously the diet is a moot point.

I have been on the diet very strictly (IMO for 4 of the 5 weeks since I started (the first one week was spent trying to figure it out!)

UmaJain I know you were having a similar problem. Atomic or anyone if you have some pointers, do LMK, I know I should not TTC while actively gaining-but how long after gaining should I wait-can I put on a few lbs. this week by eating A LOT of the gilr foods and then maintain? Am assuming I should not TTC now since I haven't been on the diet and all the supps a full 6 weeks (I was not going to TTC this month b/c I had not gotten the diet right until after the first week, and just started vitex). Should I reincorporate breakfast for a few weeks (was waiting til 10:30 or 11 to eat).

TIA!

Sorry if I am beating a dead horse, am just confused.

fourwild, I designed a different diet (it's not complete yet) that is available in the Dream Member section, as is the French Gender Diet. You absolutely do NOT need to follow the IG diet. It is too restrictive, some parts of it may even sway blue and then when you try to encorporate the Low-Everything stuff into it it yields a diet that you have to be nuts to follow. It doesn't have to be so hard.

I would rather see you guys increase your carbs rather than your fat. Even if you throw in some stuff that's pure sugar, pure carbs, at least it's not protein/fat.

I don't think you need to stop the diet for a few days and you don't need to skip this month either. There will always be something that is less than ideal. If you've been doing good for a few weeks, go ahead this month.

At some point, if you're eating a fair amount of cals, you're going to plateau. You won't keep losing weight forever. Bump the carbs up and go ahead and toss in more fruits and veg and TTC this month, hopefully you won't need to stay on the diet much longer.

[atomic sagebrush]

I'm wondering if Atomic can chime in about this....?

I'm sorry, my husband switched work schedules so he's home a lot more and we are dealing with a seriously ill family member, so I don't always have as much time as I would like to answer q's...I hope you guys can bear with me, I will always answer as quickly as I am able to. Thank you for understanding!!

[atomic sagebrush]

Hollyberry, I am so sorry to hear you too are struggilng! Do you have a log of what you are eating?

Here is what a typical day looks like in my diet:
LATE AM: 3-4 rice cakes then later huge bowl puffed rice with half and half, dried cranberries and milk, 1/2 a coke zero or 1 1/2 light coffee (still can't let go of caffeine!). Sometimes I had been eating a cin raisin bagel instead (I know raisins aren't great though)
LUNCH:HUGE sandwich with 1 1/2 slices low salt cheese, homemade low salt bread, tahini and skinless cuc, large glass low sugar cranberry juice
SNACK: cup vanilla greek yogurt with rasberries and equal
DINNER: mixed greens salad (baby lettuce and spinach) with about 5 nuts and a 1 tsp dressing, and hige bowl pasta with a cream cheese/sour cream sauce (low salt and maybe add a veggie to sauce like smidgeon of peas ) and lt. cranberry juice or dasani.
LATE SNACK: 1 morecup yogurt with berries and equal
RIGHT BEFORE BED: 1 more cup cereal, maybe 1 nitrugrain bar

sometimes a cup of milk mixed with a tad sugarfree ice cream and a tad bit strawbery syrup and equal, sometimes a handful of unsalted almonds to boost cals. occasionally drin crystal light.

Supps I am taking, Taking 600-800 mg citracal with D, magnesium 250 mg, folic acid (upped to) 800 mcg, B6 100 mg (for LPD), vitex 800 mg, cranberry 1000-1500mg (no idea of "equivalency ?).

I am 4'11 and am down to 85 lbs. (I know that sound really small but I am really short!) I need to be about 88 to feel healthy and confident in my ability to ovulate.

SO frustrating as I know one is not supposed to gain wt on girl diet but may need to... GL to you.

Man, if you could put that metabolism in a bottle you could make a million!! Forget my plateauing advice, you are eating plenty of cals for your size and you're right, you shouldn't be losing.

Some things you could easily change and still be girl-friendly are - drop the skipping breakfast part (so add in another meal in the morning), keep the cinnamon bagel, add in low sodium marinara to your pasta, double the amount of cheese on the sandwich and use mayo. More salad dressing. See what that does for you.

[atomic sagebrush]

I know, it's terrible, I have been watched and tested for Thyroid/TSH levels and there is no evidence of a problem, but I cannot keep weight. on. I am vegetarian and that coupled with the nursing and running after 4 kids , I guess I just burn through calories? THE GP says I need to be at 88lbs. min, so that's why I know I need to gain. I conceived my son #1 at 86, and I did just ovulate at 86, but I want to make sure I can ovulate regualrly, kwim? I don't want all this work to go to waste with no egg to benefit from it.

Just by virtue of being a vegetarian you increase your odds of pink. Feel free to eat some tofu if you like it. It's not allowed on IG but I think it sways pink.

[atomic sagebrush]

I'm a vegetarian too! Was mostly vegan until I added some dairy to the sway. When did you say you were planning to TTC? I would definitely try to gain that bit of weight back while doing your best to stay on the girl diet and push out TTC (if you haven't already). I know you probably told me when you were TTC but I forgot (). Tahini is okay for the girl diet and has a lot of calcium in it...Maybe you could make your own hummus and eat that to put more weight on (you'll keep the sodium down that way and it'll be healthier). There's definitely protein and fat in there but in your case you probably need it. I'm reticent to give you too much info as I'm definitely not an expert and I don't want to send you in the wrong direction. I'm hoping someone can give you some solid advice. Hugs, Mama!

I totally agree with the hummus suggestion, if you make it yourself it will even be low in sodium. Mix it with white rice and shredded zucchini and you have a really good casserole.

Uma - I STRONGLY strongly urge you to go back to being a vegan. I think being vegan is a much stronger sway than adding in dairy to a vegan diet. Regardless of minerals, you are sending a message to your body that you have a newfound access to dairy foods and that may inadvertently sway pink.

[atomic sagebrush]

I agree hollyberry it seems very extreme and odd.

Just lost my post but Jen so this isn't too lucid but, I think I agree with you, though, I need to gain wt, period. (no pun intended!) Was going to TTC in July (am due to Ovulate June 4-5 so that gives me til July 5-6) with just one attempt using the CBFM and hopefully get it over with. I am already eating 1.5 Tblsp. (which has 140 cals) tahini with my big sandwich, and the slices of bread and bowls of pasta I am eating are HUGE (IMO) I am thinking since I just ended my period, I will work on adding another sandwich with the tahini and maybe an extra glass of whole fat milk or a milkshake? (jsut not worry about the sugar?) for a few days and maybe a few more things to see if I can get to 87-88 waking weight, and then maintain.

I do wonder if I have either an undected thyroid problem, it just seems so strange that I can't maintain weight, I am wondering if the extreme low-nutrient nature of the diet ( which is the point) is just too intense for some bodies, (hollyberry's and yours included) causing malabsorption.

If you don't like it, don't do it. There are other options out there or you can forgo diet all together and focus more on things like jellies, antihistamines, etc.

It's really not extreme or odd, it's simply what nature has designed. (and there is an entire thread where moms of girls share their eating habits and they are very very similar to this style of diet.) That is why I tell people again and again to do whatever it takes to get pregnant quickly rather than waste time on timing, etc.

It's not an issue of malabsorption, unless you are having other side effects like diarrhea...if you are lactose intolerant or have celiac disease you may not be getting all the nutrients from your food. I suspect you're actually eating less calories than you were before even if it doesn't feel like it. If you're really not going to TTC this month, do an experiment and forget about quantities or skipping meals or anything like that. Double your caloric intake (eat more frequently than you would if you were swaying) but eat the exact same foods and see if you continue mysteriously losing weight. If you don't, then you'll know that it was calories. If you do continue losing weight, you need to see a gastroenterologist to rule out absorption problems and have your thyroid checked. If the weight loss stops or reverses itself you'll know that it was just too low a caloric intake.

It is totally possible that the lower blood sugar is actually helping you lose weight. Eating more regularly, even if you are getting the same amount of calories, might help keep your blood sugar higher (there is such a thing as too low, too.)

There is nothing wrong with sugar for a pink sway. So if you take your toast, put some unsalted butter on it, sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar, that will help provide you with some extra cals and taste good too.

The concern in the milkshakes isn't sugar but FAT and protein. I would MUCH rather see you make a smoothie with fat free yogurt, a banana, berries, and sugar to taste rather than a milkshake. Save the fat for when you'll really appreciate it, like butter on bread or cheese on top of your pasta.

A spoonfull of oil will also add cals to your pasta and make it a lot tastier.