Thread: Lovely Losers 2022- MARCH'ING On!!

Congrats on the milestones, discoveries, stabilizing and pushing through P2 for those of you still there.

I seem to have stabilized, finally, even though it’s 6-7lbs above my LIW instead of 2. I’m just glad the gaining stopped, and the hunger finally subsided. It seems like a weird case of my body wanting to be back at a former set point, and doing whatever it needed to get there, if that makes sense. It’s been a very strange P3.

Leez (or anyone) have you heard of this or experienced it?

I had planned do another round after 6 weeks anyway, and (of course) would have liked to start that off lower than where I landed, but my body seems to have had other ideas.

I can only speak from my own experience on this as its not something we have data on. I've not experienced the extreme hunger you dealt with this P3. My gain-backs were always gradual, didn't start in P3 and not obviously related to increased hunger.

Those old set points can sometimes be stubborn. And at some point, you have to decide whether to accept them or not. For me, I tried 5 extra rounds to stay at a number I liked, but my body did not. I eventually accepted that even though I wanted to be 130, my body likes 138-140. I can maintain fairly easily there, but anything below is an endless struggle. I will occasionally dip down near 135 naturally, but I haven't found a way to make myself stay there.

@emily: I wonder if your heart skipping issue is related to an electrolyte imbalance. If you were drinking way more water than 2 litres/day, or had cut back on salt, its a possibility. The next time you try, take a magnesium/potassium supplement or add pink or grey salt to all your foods, and maybe even a pinch in each glass of water. It might resolve the problem for you.

If you have a sense of nerviousness during the palpitations, it could just be increased anxiety from hormone changes. If you sense anxiety is part of the episode, you can try taking GABA. It can often settle the anxiety down in 10-15 minutes. It is an amino acid, so not dangerous in any way. 250mg works for me.

Originally Posted by Leez

I can only speak from my own experience on this as its not something we have data on. I've not experienced the extreme hunger you dealt with this P3. My gain-backs were always gradual, didn't start in P3 and not obviously related to increased hunger.

Those old set points can sometimes be stubborn. And at some point, you have to decide whether to accept them or not. For me, I tried 5 extra rounds to stay at a number I liked, but my body did not. I eventually accepted that even though I wanted to be 130, my body likes 138-140. I can maintain fairly easily there, but anything below is an endless struggle. I will occasionally dip down near 135 naturally, but I haven't found a way to make myself stay there.

@emily: I wonder if your heart skipping issue is related to an electrolyte imbalance. If you were drinking way more water than 2 litres/day, or had cut back on salt, its a possibility. The next time you try, take a magnesium/potassium supplement or add pink or grey salt to all your foods, and maybe even a pinch in each glass of water. It might resolve the problem for you.

If you have a sense of nerviousness during the palpitations, it could just be increased anxiety from hormone changes. If you sense anxiety is part of the episode, you can try taking GABA. It can often settle the anxiety down in 10-15 minutes. It is an amino acid, so not dangerous in any way. 250mg works for me.

Thanks Leez. Totally understand not wanting to fight for a certain number, and it just not being possible and having to accept that and appreciate that perspective. If I were anywhere near the same range as you, or anywhere near my own “number in my head”, I think I would be less frustrated about this bounce back. But I have a good 30/40lbs to go to get close to that number - which I think would be 150-160. I’m fairly tall for a woman (5’10”) and don’t have a small frame so I am trying to be reasonable about “the number”. That range was one where I was comfortable in my own skin in the past, and before all the hormone and thyroid issues came crashing down on me. Being that I’m now mid-40s and contending with those issues, maybe I need to adjust up a little again, and if so I can deal with that. I was maintaining fine for a year or so at 172-175 and was ok & somewhat content there, especially since I was holding steady for the first time in a very long time. I was contemplating whether it was worth it to do another round or I should just hold tight and enjoy being level for once, and like so many others, toward the middle of last year, life happened: stressors took over, a surgery kept me immobilized for awhile, thyroid levels went all out of whack…weight piled on, so a round or two was no longer a maybe, but a necessity. Anyway, hoping to get back there and then reassess because I am in no way comfortable where I’m at now. Certainly better after my last round, but not in a good/comfortable spot just yet. The set point thing is no joke.

Originally Posted by KerryLR

I have heard that if we skip fruit and breadsticks during a round, we will not be able to stay within 2lbs of LIW because those are the type of carbs that do increase glycogen. Once we begin P3 foods we will gain that glycogen which is usually 5 to 7lbs. I have found this to be true so I no longer skip the fruit on round.. I never eat the breadstick though but would if still hungry.

Interesting. I never skip the fruit. I can’t do the breadstick since I have celiac, so there’s no getting around that one.