How much weight might I expect to lose?

[APBTlover]

Despite a longstanding general dislike of "fake" foods like margarine, I've only recently discovered the TF style of eating. Everything about it makes so much sense! Thankfully these revelations came during deer season, hehe, so I've already collected several livers and quarts of venison bone broth... for free! I'm all ready to jump in.

I've really been convinced by the overall health benefits, but I am currently more than a little impatient about losing weight, too. I know that, ultimately, a truly healthy diet and mindful eating would get me to a healthy weight, even if it took years. But, uh, patience is not a virtue I possess in abundance. Additionally, DH and I are wanting to TTC very soon... probably next cycle, approx. 6 weeks from now. We already "tried" a couple of months ago, and I found myself so down and worried at the prospect of putting even more weight on over what I already have that I called TTC off so I could have some more time to lose some of this excess weight.

I guess what I'm asking is, how much weight could I expect to lose in about 6 weeks? I was prepared to "crash diet" before (total desperation for me, as I do not think cutting calories so low is either healthy or effective in the long term), but I can't imagine doing that now. I want to be nourishing my body with good stuff before we conceive! I don't want my weight-loss dreams to be totally unrealistic, but at the same time, I want to lose something significant. I want to be realistic yet hopeful... that's my best chance at making this work.

If it matters, I am currently pushing 190 (gawd!!) (and also edging up to the "obese" mark on the BMI). I'd prefer to be at a solid 175 or so before conceiving -- I wouldn't mind being lower, of course! My diet has been extremely carb-heavy lately and full of Dr. Pepper... I feel sure that just cutting out the soda and reducing the carbs (even if I don't go ultra-low) will help a lot.

What do you think? I prefer health to weight loss, but I know I need to lose some weight to be at all healthy at this point. It just feels horrible on me (it never did until I reached 180 or so). Any tips to maximize the weight loss while still getting all the nutrients I need (ie, no starvation!)? I am game for anything for the next few weeks.

[blueridgewoman]

It sounds like you're probably taller than I am if 190 is pushing obese- so you're probably...5'6 or 5'7?

I think weight loss really depends on a lot of factors.... Obviously, large changes in diet mean that you'll probably gain or lose, and I think it's easy to do both on a TF diet, honestly.

If you stuck to a low carb diet, I would say in 6 weeks you could conceivably (ha! pun! ahem) drop about 10 pounds or so, give or take. Low carb diets (especially combined with interval training, I find) cause you to drop weight fast. It's going to require your body to switch fuels, so to speak.

I usually stick to about 50-75 carbs a day which seems to be the weight loss sweet spot for a lot of people. (I'm nursing, though, so...) It doesn't sound like a lot, especially when you look at a can of soda, but in addition to eating all the protein I want, I can eat 1 cup of grapes, 2 cups of strawberries, 2 cups of broccoli, a whole cucumber, a cup of kale, and possibly a few pieces of dark chocolate in the course of a day. That, combined with, say, some eggs at breakfast, leftover pot roast at lunch, and a piece of salmon for dinner definitely won't leave you hungry.

Again, I'm nursing, and I work out a lot. I eat a lot of food, as a lot of people here already know. The point is, low carb diets, after a while, don't feel restrictive, and it seems like a pretty whole foods approach to eating to me!

[APBTlover]

I am about 5'7". I run up against 190 around my period, usually, and drop down to mid- to high-180s otherwise. I've never weighed this in my life. I hovered around 135 as a teenager (on the thin side for me... very bony!), and only put this extra weight on over the last 3-ish years. It snuck up on me with my abysmal eating habits... lots of times no food all day -- maybe a bag of chips and a soda at lunch -- and then being so hungry I would just gorge when DH got home, usually on pizza or pasta with breadsticks. Not that I didn't know better... but I was going to fix it "tomorrow." Right! Well, we can only go on from where we are.

[blueridgewoman]

I hear ya- I developed (or rather, I'd always had it but it finally came out full force) a gluten allergy when I gave birth to my daughter and gained a TON of weight quickly. It's really demoralizing and you just don't feel like yourself. I understand.

One thing I'd say is that bone broth is great at handling hunger. That said, I seriously doubt that you'll ever be hungry on a low carb plan since it does such a great job at leveling blood sugar and hey, if you're hungry, eat some cheese!

It's going to be quite a change, but you'll find little treats that work with your new diet, and you'll feel fantastic.

[APBTlover]

I have some raw, grassfed cheddar on the way now. Can't wait. Yum.

[Magelet]

I don't know about how much weight in 6 weeks, but I'll tell you this.

I lost the first part of the weight FAST when I cut out (completely, except maybe 2-4 times a year, now, but totally cold turkey to start) all processed foods, particularly anything with corn syrup.

As I cut out the refined sugar, and reformed my diet to a healthier more TF diet, I lost the rest of my excess weight somewhat slowly (but at a fairly healthy rate).

Definitely going grain free might help, as grains can cause bloating and weight gain for some people, honestly though, I would say that with eating a better diet (rather than "dieting") weight loss is more easily maintainable, but slowly, over months. Losing a lot of weight in 6 weeks isn't too healthy.

Adding good fat to your diet can help as well, because it makes you feel fuller mentally, so it helps prevent overeating. (plus it is so nutrient rich).

weighing yourself in the morning, before breakfast. your weight can fluctuate up to 5 lbs a day from food, water, and is heavier at night before bed.

5-10 lbs in six weeks sounds about right.

(sorry this post is ALL over the place, I'm tired)

[blankwhitepaper]

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[elleystar]

Check out Mark's Daily Apple for info on the primal diet: http://www.marksdailyapple.com/?gcli...FVl35Qod2Cz3Uw
It's a low carb way of eating that's very flexible, IMO, and easy to maintain. I did Atkins for a long time in my early 20s with great success, but I knew I could never do it again because now that I have raw dairy in my life I couldn't give up milk and yogurt completely! In an attempt to lose the baby weight I start eating primal, 2 days after Thanksgiving. I've lost about 13 lbs since then, and it would have been more but I had two planned 'cheats' for Christmas and my birthday. I stick to about 50-60 carbs a day, but you could certainly do a bit less.

It's tough to say for sure but if you put off TTC 3 months and really stuck to it, I'm betting you could lose at least 15 lbs. But remember getting pregnant doesn't mean that you will have to crash on everything and put on a ton of weight! You can eat primal through your entire pregnancy, eat more liberally of fruits and veggies with your carbs closer to 100 I'd say. Here's one of his articles on the subject, I'm certain there are more:
http://www.marksdailyapple.com/pregnant-diet/
I wish I had known about the primal diet when pg with my first. I would have been less sick and had so much more energy, and I wouldn't have had all the excess weight sticking to me for so long. At least I know for the next time!

[jamie79]

Originally Posted by elleystar

Check out Mark's Daily Apple for info on the primal diet: http://www.marksdailyapple.com/?gcli...FVl35Qod2Cz3Uw
It's a low carb way of eating that's very flexible, IMO, and easy to maintain. I did Atkins for a long time in my early 20s with great success, but I knew I could never do it again because now that I have raw dairy in my life I couldn't give up milk and yogurt completely! In an attempt to lose the baby weight I start eating primal, 2 days after Thanksgiving. I've lost about 13 lbs since then, and it would have been more but I had two planned 'cheats' for Christmas and my birthday. I stick to about 50-60 carbs a day, but you could certainly do a bit less.

It's tough to say for sure but if you put off TTC 3 months and really stuck to it, I'm betting you could lose at least 15 lbs. But remember getting pregnant doesn't mean that you will have to crash on everything and put on a ton of weight! You can eat primal through your entire pregnancy, eat more liberally of fruits and veggies with your carbs closer to 100 I'd say. Here's one of his articles on the subject, I'm certain there are more:
http://www.marksdailyapple.com/pregnant-diet/
I wish I had known about the primal diet when pg with my first. I would have been less sick and had so much more energy, and I wouldn't have had all the excess weight sticking to me for so long. At least I know for the next time!

I just had my 3rd 9 weeks ago, following a Paleo/TF diet the entire time, only including some grains when I was super nauseous, but those were even gluten free grains, such as rice or buckwheat. I also worked out prior to and during the pregnancy very hard (Crossfit/weights/etc), so that may have played into my weight, too. In the end, though, I only gained 35 lbs, down from the almost 60 I gained with my first when I ate AWFUL!! The baby was 8lbs 12 oz, and I am down to my prepregnancy weight and have been since about 4 weeks postpartum, save about 5 lbs which I am convinced is from breastfeeding.

So, there is my 2 cents.

[elleystar]

Originally Posted by jamie79

I just had my 3rd 9 weeks ago, following a Paleo/TF diet the entire time, only including some grains when I was super nauseous, but those were even gluten free grains, such as rice or buckwheat. I also worked out prior to and during the pregnancy very hard (Crossfit/weights/etc), so that may have played into my weight, too. In the end, though, I only gained 35 lbs, down from the almost 60 I gained with my first when I ate AWFUL!! The baby was 8lbs 12 oz, and I am down to my prepregnancy weight and have been since about 4 weeks postpartum, save about 5 lbs which I am convinced is from breastfeeding.

So, there is my 2 cents.

That is AWESOME! And the kind of results I'd like to have the next time. Can you compare energy levels and general feelings of well-being between your pregnancies, on the different diets?

[barefootmommy]

It really depends. You may not lose any weight, you may even temporarily gain weight. It's not a bad thing. If weight is a big concern to you, I suggest you look into Dr. Diana Schwarzbeins books on metabolism: "The Schwarzbein Principle". Combining the principes in her books with the TF way of eating is guaranteed long term weight loss success for life! You just can't go wrong. Also I would cut out grains for good measure. They make you feel fatter then you really are cause of all the bloating.

[barefootmommy]

Also I should add, you would also probably get fit a lot faster after having your baby by following TF, paleo/primal, Schwarzbein etc...

Just an example... after baby #1 it took me 15 months to get back to my pre-pregnancy weight (eating a standard healthy diet, not TF). After baby #2 I lost all the baby weight by 6 months. I gained the same amount of weight each time (about 35 lbs) and was the same starting weight each time. I also have had way more energy this time around, with one extra kid to take care of!!