Losing too much weight-any advice?

[fourwildones]

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.

[hollyberry7]

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.

[fourwildones]

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.

[Out of the Blue]

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.

Wowzuhs, Mama! You are TINY...Your BMI is around 17.2ish...That's probably too low to keep Oing (just my humble opinion). I'm at 18.5-19 so nothing like you! Hoping someone can give you some good, sound swaying advice. XX

[fourwildones]

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.

[hollyberry7]

Thank you, GL to you too! I struggled the first week of the diet and barely ate anything. Here is what a typical day looks like for me:
Breakfast - Was not eating until noon, but now eat 10:00AM (I'm up at 6, so noon was really pushing it!). I eat a bag (~1.5-2cups of wheat puff cereal (no milk), and drink a cup of peppermint tea and sip about 14 -20 oz diet cranberry juice or CL throughout the day
Lunch - Pasta with some parmesan or cream cheese (or peanut butter) & jelly (sugar-free) sandwich on low fat bread, side of strawberries, sliced cucumbers or raisins (I know they're a boy food, but I needed my potassium!) and non-fat yogurt
Snack - Unsalted top saltines with some sugar-free jelly, 1 strawberry pop tart or homemade strawberry-banana smoothie (will occasionally cheat and have reduced fat wheat thins w/ sharp cheddar as it holds me over for awhile!)
Dinner - Salad (mixed up spinach and ice berg), green beans, broccoli, corn, also mixed up the menu with the following dishes: pasta with a tiny bit of Alfredo sauce or unsalted butter, IG homemade chicken nuggets (I dipped them in egg whites and ran them through homemade breadcrumbs & Mrs. Dash...oh so delicious!), fish, ground turkey seasoned with Mrs. Dash on corn tortillas with iceberg, cucumbers & fat free sour cream (my favorite!), etc. I drink water or CL with dinner
Dessert - 1/2 C chocolate ice cream or 8 oz glass of milk w/ 1 T chocolate syrup (sometimes I'll have nothing if I'm still full from dinner)

*I do cheat here and there due to social events with family and friends :-)

Hope that helps! I usually have 35 day cycles and O around CD19 pretty consistantly, this is the latest O I've ever had since tracking my temps (if I even O at all :-( )

[Out of the Blue]

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!

[fourwildones]

HollyBerry, it looks like you too have a high metablosim, and are eating a variety of foods, I wonder if for some of us the foods on the diet are not absorbed well at all (perhaps the point of the diet) and hence the nutrient loss is too intense and causes malabsortion? It seems so strange to me as I feel like I am eating plenty...

[hollyberry7]

HollyBerry, it looks like you too have a high metablosim, and are eating a variety of foods, I wonder if for some of us the foods on the diet are not absorbed well at all (perhaps the point of the diet) and hence the nutrient loss is too intense and causes malabsortion? It seems so strange to me as I feel like I am eating plenty...

I completely agree! About an hour after lunch I am STARVING again, so I really can't go without that snack. Whatever it is, my reproductive system is not happy! I really want to get PG quickly and don't feel like this diet is helping :-( I know the idea is to make yourself less fertile for conceiving a DD, but it seems extreme...

[fourwildones]

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.