Question of the Week? – What about the ” Fat Fast”

The question of the week will address the “Fat Fast” and other methods used to manipulate the scale during the protocol. In Pounds and Inches, Dr. Simeons discusses the importance of the process in resetting the hypothalamus. This protocol, whether you are on the original or on a modified version through your doctor, is point specific to do two things; break down abnormal fat and reset your hypothalamus so the weight stays off.

When we get anxious for quicker results we find there are many versions of scale manipulation out there that others have tried and it starts a bandwagon effect on everyone doing whatever it takes to get the scale to go lower. The fact is, with this particular diet stalls do happen, and there is a reason for them. (Read this article on stalls.) When we are not losing pounds, our body is reshaping and we are losing inches.  You need to track your inches from day one and throughout this diet.  Your body needs this catch up time to be able to reshape the inches and get rid of stubborn fat in areas we have never been able to lose before.

I would encourage you if you are doing the protocol to stick to its guidelines and boundaries.  If you want to forever be done with yo-yo dieting, re-setting your hypothalamus is key.  We have seen many fads of scale manipulation come and go over the last few years and I can tell you those that do them are still on the roller coaster.  If you want to do this right, then think of the this as a tool you are using to re-train your body to eat healthy and also look for the long term benefits to your overall health.

This diet can cause some people to focus to much on the scale, but it is important to remember that it is not all about the numbers at the scale.  We encourage you to avoid that crutch by focusing on optimizing your body for long term health and benefits.  Use food as your fuel and for nutrients versus a # at the scale in the morning.  If you make the right choices you will see your body will stabilize and you will be able to maintain for life.

Addressing some of the scale manipulations, the most recent has been the “Fat Fast”, which in its own texts tells you it can be dangerous to your health for anyone who is losing weight normally.  If your body will lose weight, even slower than you like, then the “Fat Fast” was never indicated to be a tool for you to manipulate the scale.  I would also point out that on Phase 2 it could completely ruin your overall results and stabilization efforts.

Focus on healthy eating habits of a balanced diet and you will see the benefits of dedication and consistency.

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Healthy Loading Options

Loading is key to making phase 2 a success for you! Those who do not load correctly experience hunger during the first three to four days of the 500 calorie diet, while those who load correctly report low-to-no hunger.  

The protocol burns your abnormal fat stores for fuel, but it does not begin working until the third dose, so eating 500 calories without fat loading will cause you problems in terms of losing structural fat and being extremely hungry until it does begin to work. Dr. Simeons’ Protocol states to ‘eat to capacity’ for those first 2-3 days on the diet. If you experience a gain while loading, do not be concerned.  Most users release all of their load weight plus additional weight within the first two VLCD (Very Low Calorie Diet) days.

If you are on round 2, loading with healthy fats might be a better option, as reintroducing processed sugars can make you really sick.  We should load with healthy fats, our favorite foods, things we miss and things we crave.  It will be quite awhile for cheese, dairy and your favorite Mexican restaurant to now is the time to indulge yourself.   Here is the list of “Good” and “Bad” loading foods.  Using high fat foods on the bad list are completely fine but if you overdo it you may feel sick.  Definitely take this opportunity to eat anything you will miss.

Here is what Dr. Simeons says about eating to capacity to get your fat stores built up before starting the 500 cal diet.

Gain before Loss– from Pounds and Inches
“Patients whose general condition is low, owing to excessive previous dieting, must eat to capacity for about one week before starting treatment, regardless of how much weight they may gain in the process. One cannot keep a patient comfortably on 500 Calories unless his normal fat reserves are reasonably well stocked. It is for this reason also that every case, even those that are actually gaining must eat to capacity of the most fattening food they can get down until they have had then third injection. It is a fundamental mistake to put a patient on 500 Calories as soon as the injections are started, as it seems to take about three injections before abnormally deposited fat begins to circulate and thus become available.”

“Patients in a satisfactory general condition and those who have not just previously restricted their diet start forced feeding on the day of the first injection. Some patents say that they can no longer overeat because their stomach has shrunk after years of restrictions. While we know that no stomach ever shrinks, we compromise by
insisting that they eat frequently of highly concentrated foods such as milk chocolate, pastries with whipped cream sugar, fried meats particularly pork, eggs and bacon, mayonnaise, bread with thick butter and jam, etc. The time and trouble spent on pressing this point upon incredulous or reluctant patients is always amply rewarded afterward by the complete absence of those difficulties which patients who have disregarded these instructions are liable to experience.”

Carol’s VLOG shares the tips for loading and loading right!

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We are sharing advice from Pounds & Inches on this subject, but we really recommend reading it cover to cover. Knowledge is power!

• “We distinguish four types of interruption in the regular daily loss. The first is the one that has already been mentioned in which the weight stays stationary for a day or two, and this occurs, particularly towards the end of a course, in almost every case.”
• “After the fourth or fifth day of dieting the daily loss of weight begins to decrease to one pound or somewhat less per day, and there is a smaller urinary output. Men often continue to lose regularly at that rate, but women are more irregular in spite of faultless dieting. There may be no drop at all for two or three days and then a sudden loss which reestablishes the normal average. These fluctuations are entirely due to variations in the retention and elimination of water, which are more marked in women than in men.”
• “When these cells are empty and therefore serve no purpose, the body breaks down the cellular structure and absorbs it, but breaking up of useless cells, connective tissue, blood vessels, etc., may lag behind the process of fat-extraction. When this happens, the body appears to replace some of the extracted fat with water which is retained for this purpose. As water is heavier than fat the scales may show no loss of weight, although sufficient fat has actually been consumed to make up for the deficit in the 500-Calorie diet. When then such tissue is finally broken down, the water is liberated and there is a sudden flood of urine and a marked loss of weight.”
• “This simple interpretation of what is really an extremely complex mechanism is the one we give those patients who want to know why it is that on certain days they do not lose, though they have committed no dietary error.”

Interruptions in Weight loss

Plateau: “The second type of interruption we call a “plateau”. A plateau lasts 4-6 days and frequently occurs during the second half of a full course, particularly in patients that have been doing well and whose overall average of nearly a pound per effective injection has been maintained. Those who are losing more than the average all have a plateau sooner or later. A plateau always corrects, itself, but many patients who have become accustomed to a regular daily loss get unnecessarily worried and begin to bet. No amount of explanation convinces them that a plateau does not mean that they are no longer responding normally to treatment.”

Former Level: “The third type of interruption in the regular loss of weight may last much longer-ten days to two weeks. Fortunately, it is rare and only occurs in very advanced cases, and then hardly ever during the first course of treatment. It is seen only in those patients who during some period of their lives have maintained a certain fixed degree of obesity for ten years or more and have then at some time rapidly increased beyond that weight. When then in the course of treatment the former level is reached, it may take two weeks of no loss, in spite the diet, before further reduction is normally resumed.”

Menstrual Hormones: The fourth type of interruption is the one which often occurs a few days before and during the menstrual period and in some women at the time of ovulation.

Dietary Errors: Any interruption of the normal loss of weight which does not fit perfectly into one of those categories is always due to some possibly very minor dietary error. Similarly, any gain of more than 100 grams is invariably the result of some transgression or mistake, unless it happens on or about the day of ovulation or during the three days preceding the onset of menstruation, in which case it is ignored. In all other cases, the reason for the gain must be established at once. The patient who frankly admits that he has stepped out of his regimen when told that something has gone wrong is no problem. He is always surprised at being found out, because unless he has seen this himself he will not believe that a salted almond, a couple of potato chips, a glass of tomato juice or an extra orange will bring about a definite increase in his weight on the following day. Very often he wants to know why extra food weighing one ounce should increase his by six ounces. We explain this in the following way: On protocol, the blood is saturated with food and the blood volume has adapted itself so that it can only just accommodate the 500 Calories which come in from the intestinal tract in the course of the day. Any additional income, however little this may be, cannot be accommodated and the blood is therefore forced to increase its volume sufficiently to hold the extra food, which it can only do in a very diluted form. Thus, it is not the weight of what is eaten that plays the determining role but rather the amount of water which the body must retain to accommodate this food. This can be illustrated by mentioning the case of salt. In order to hold one teaspoonful of salt the body requires one liter of water, as it cannot accommodate salt in any higher concentration. Thus, if a person eats one teaspoon full of salt his weight will go up by more than two pounds as soon as this salt is absorbed from his intestine. To this explanation many patients reply: Well, if I put on that much every time I eat a little extra, how can I hold my weight after the treatment It must therefore be made clear that this only happens as long as they are on protocol. When treat melt is over, the blood is no longer saturated and can easily accommodate extra food without having to increase its volume. Here again the professional reader will he aware that this interpretation is a simplification of an extremely intricate physiological process which actually accounts for the phenomenon.

Ways to Break a Stall:

The Plateau: “In such cases we consider it permissible, for purely psychological reasons, to break up the plateau. This can be done in two ways. One is a so-called “apple day”. An apple-day begins at lunch and continues until just before lunch of the following day. The patients are given six large apples and are told to eat one whenever they feel the desire though six apples is the maximum allowed. During an apple-day no other food or liquids except plain water are allowed and of water they may only drink just enough to quench an uncomfortable thirst if eating an apple still leaves them thirsty. Most patients feel no need for water and are quite happy with their six apples. Needless to say, an apple- day may never be given on the day on which there is no injection. The apple-day produces a gratifying loss of weight on the following day, chiefly due to the elimination of water. This water is not regained when the patients resume their normal 500- Calorie diet at lunch, and on the following days they continue to lose weight satisfactorily.
The other way to break up a plateau is by giving a non- mercurial diuretic for one day. This is simpler for the patient but we prefer the apple-day as we sometimes find that though the diuretic is very effective on the following day it may take two to three days before the normal daily reduction is resumed, throwing the patient into a new fit of despair. It is useless to give either an apple-day or a diuretic unless the weight has been stationary for at least four days without any dietary error having been committed.”

Investigating Dietary Errors:

“When the reason for a slight gain in weight is not immediately evident, it is necessary to investigate further. A patient who is unaware of having committed an error or is unwilling to admit a mistake protests indignantly when told he has done something he ought not to have done. In that atmosphere, no fruitful investigation can be conducted; so we calmly explain that we are not accusing him of anything but that we know for certain from our not inconsiderable experience that something has gone wrong and that we must now sit down quietly together and try and find out what it was. Once the patient realizes that it is in his own interest that he plays an active and not merely a passive role in this search, the reason for the set-hack is almost invariably discovered. Having been through hundreds of such sessions, we are nearly always able to distinguish the deliberate liar from the patient who is merely fooling himself or is really unaware of having erred.”

Related Posts to help you with Stalls:

Melba Toast Has Hidden Sugars

What Am I Doing Wrong?

I Cheated Now What?

Eating Clean vs Correction Days

Apple Day on Phase 2

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1.  If you are in phase 3 and have gone over 2 lbs of the last doseage weight (LDW). Dr. Simeons indicates in Pounds and Inches that if you have gone over the 2lbs you must do a correction day on the same day that the 2lbs is registered.  When you begin Phase 3 there may be a few times when you are adding new foods that this will happen.   The goal of Phase 3 is to identify the foods that cause you to gain.  In working with many individuals I have learned a few things that usually cause gains in Phase 3.  There is usually an introduction of new foods that is too fast, hidden sugars (sucrose,sucralose), introducing too much dairy too quickly, or they have gone over the caloric intake.  Also many get lax in Phase 3 and will cheat or drink alcohol which will cause them to retain water and gain.  Click here for the correction days link.

2.  Eating clean vs correction days. Eating clean is another option to help you re-stabilize.  When we refer to this we want you to cut all dairy and fats out of your diet for a few days.  Eat Phase 2 type foods, but just more of them, to reach your calories for the day.  This will usually correct the problem within a few days.  Why do we prefer this method?  After you have been in Phase 3 for awhile or are in Phase 4,  you can usually identify what we did to gain.  Eating clean places you back in the conscious mind of eating healthy and you will make better choices once you have done this for a few days and will not introduce sugars or chemicals to your body.

3.  Do you do a correction day if your gain is hormonal or because of TOM? In almost all cases, no.  If you are tracking your gains you will see a pattern of when you have hormone related gains.  It is very common for the body to retain fluid during this time to help you go through the normal process.  This always corrects itself.  Make sure there is no other reason for the gain and try to eat clean and get your vitamins and drink the recommended amount of water, and it will all balance itself.

4.  Back-to-back correction days? We do not recommend this.  If you feel there is a need for this then there is a problem that needs to be identified during Phase 3.  Check the Phase 3 tab and see what you are doing wrong.  Eat clean for a few days and get back on track.

5.  Are there any other correction days for Phase 2? No-  The only correction day in Phase 2 is the apple day which is its use is indicated for stalls only.  If you cheat in Phase 2, doing a correction day will slow down your overall process.  It is better to get back to following the protocol correctly and expect a 3 day delay due to the cheat.  Click here for Phase 2 Basics.

Don’t stress over the gains.  Eat healthy and get back on track in order to take it off and leave it off!

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The diet takes discipline, determination, and careful planning. I think careful planning may be the smartest thing we can teach.  I will link some of my favorite to go recipes that kept me from cheating.   According to Dr. Simeons, if you cheat you will have a 3-day plateau with no weight loss and possible gain.  Expect this and be determined to stay on track.  There are many who start this diet without reading Pounds and Inches and I can honestly say that will be your biggest mistake.  You have to be mentally and emotionally ready for this diet whether doing the 23-day or the 40-day plans.  There have been some that take interruptions and cycle but I would just caution that this kind of thinking can lead you to a slower weight loss pattern and more than likely stabilization issues.

Here are a few tips to get you back on track:

1.  Immediately restart your 500-calorie diet and follow the strict protocol in Dr. Simeons Pounds and Inches

2.  Make sure you are getting at least 2 liters of water a day and detox tea.

3.  Do a detox bath or try the Health Pro Detox Plan.

4.  Stress can hinder your weight loss so relax and get plenty of rest.

5.  The only acceptable correction day for Phase 2 is the Apple Day. The other correction/alternative correction days are for Phase 3 only.  The Apple Day is intended by Dr. Simeons to correct stalls not cheats.

6.  I always kept grissini in my car and an apple or orange in my purse.  If I was away too long, they have saved me so many times.  One of my favorite  TO-GO lunches is the Apple Chicken Salad.  This salad is perfect when I had a lunch meeting or was going to be gone from home for an extended time.

Protocol Refresher Course

Breakfast:

Tea or coffee in any quantity without sugar. Only one tablespoonful of milk allowed in 24 hours.  Some eat their fruit mid-morning if they cannot make it to lunch.

Lunch:
1. 100 grams of veal, beef, chicken breast, fresh white fish, lobster, crab, or shrimp. All visible fat must be carefully removed before cooking, and the meat must be weighed raw. It must be boiled or grilled without additional fat. Salmon, eel, tuna, herring, dried or pickled fish are not allowed. The chicken must be removed from the bird.
2. One type of vegetable only to be chosen from the following: spinach, chard, chicory, beet-greens, green salad, tomatoes, celery, fennel, onions, red radishes, cucumbers, asparagus, cabbage.
3. One bread stick (grissini).
4. An apple, an orange, a handful of strawberries, or one-half grapefruit.

Dinner :
The same four choices as lunch.

There are many resources on our website and our Facebook support group has additional resources.  Click here to join.

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The diet is all about Pounds and Inches.  When we are not losing pounds our body is shrinking right before our eyes.  One of the biggest mistakes we can make is always focusing and getting discouraged by the scale.  This is where this little handy tools come into play.  When we are in a stall we are usually losing inches and the only way to know that is to measure.  Many skip this very essential part of the diet.  Take before measurements and measure frequently throughout phase2 and you will see how much progress you are making regardless of what the scale says.

Track your body measurements and progress as your unwanted fat goes away! The MyoTape Body Tape Measure is a great tool for all protocol users. We all know Simeons book is titled Pounds and INCHES, so make sure you keep track from the beginning so you can see your inches melt away even if the scale doesn’t reveal a loss in pounds.

Watch your improvement! The MyoTape from AccuFitness is an improvement over the simple tape and it works excellent.

You can download the measuring chart Lisa shows here.

You can purchase the MyoTape here.

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It happens to the best of us.  We set out with great intentions to not succumb to the pumkin pie and fattening carbs of the holiday meal.  What happens if we cheat and we are on VLCD.  I wanted to give you some tips to detoxify and get back on track.  According to Dr. Simeons if you cheat you will have a 3 day plateau with no weight loss and possible gain.  Expect this and don’t be disappointed if it takes 4 days to get yourself back on track.

Here are a few tips to get you back on track:

1.  Immediately restart your 500 calorie diet and follow the strict protocol in Dr. Simeons Pounds and Inches

2.  Make sure you are getting at least 2 liters of water a day.

3.  Try using detox tips on the tips page. click here

4.  Stress can hinder your weight loss so relax and get plenty of rest.

5.  Reread Pounds and Inches click the link to the right and there is a section on cheating and getting back on track.   Here are the food choices to get you back to losing those pounds and inches and keep you from crying at the scale!

Breakfast:
Tea or coffee in any quantity without sugar. Only one tablespoonful of milk allowed in 24 hours. Saccharin or other sweeteners may be used.
Lunch:
1. 100 grams of veal, beef, chicken breast, fresh white fish, lobster, crab, or shrimp. All visible fat must be carefully removed before cooking, and the meat must be weighed raw. It must be boiled or grilled without additional fat. Salmon, eel, tuna, herring, dried or pickled fish are not allowed. The chicken must be removed from the bird.
2. One type of vegetable only to be chosen from the following: spinach, chard, chicory, beet-greens, green salad, tomatoes, celery, fennel, onions, red radishes, cucumbers, asparagus, cabbage.
3. One bread stick (grissini) or one Melba toast.
4. An apple or an orange or a handful of strawberries or one-half grapefruit.
Dinner :
The same four choices as lunch.

Related Posts:

hCG Takes Discipline

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Phase 3 Secret to Keeping the Weight Off

We have people ask us all the time about Phase 3 and tips for stabilization.  We have a special section on the blog dedicated to Phase 3 stabilization.  We strongly believe in stabilization before moving into any other phase, whether you are going back to Phase 2 or on to Phase 4.  The importance of resetting the hypothalamus is written in Pounds and Inches.  Dr. Simeons recommends a six week break between rounds and I believe this allows you enough time to get completely stabilized before moving on.   We were very careful to stabilize before adding in any starch or sugars to our diet.

I am 100% positive if you track you foods and see what is making you gain in the beginning of Phase 3 you will be able to correct this and modify your diet to stabilize.  There are some who see gains with milk or cheese, so it is best to see how your body responds to the Phase 3 basic foods by adding them in slowly and tracking the results.  Use Fit Day or something similar to journal your diet and keep good notes.  You should also check your calorie range for your current height and weight for maintaining at Calorie Council website.

The biggest reason we gain in Phase 3 is not tracking our daily diet, staying within our calories and cheating.  It is easier to cheat in Phase 3 when we are not as limited in our food choices or as disciplined.  Don’t let your hard work be for nothing and really concentrate on stabilizing correctly so you will not regain the weight.  It worked for all of us and it will work for you too!  Good Luck~ Shawna

Related Links:

Phase 3 Stabilization Section

Calorie Control Council

Pounds and Inches

Fit Day Website

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Here are a few tips to get you back on track:

1.  Immediately restart your 500 calorie diet and follow the strict protocol in Dr. Simeons Pounds and Inches

2.  Make sure you are getting at least 2 liters of water a day and add lemon to your water.

3.  Do a detox bath or try the Health Pro Detox Plan.

4.  Stress can hinder your weight loss so relax and get plenty of rest.

5.   I always kept melba toast in my car and an apple or orange in my purse.  If I was away to long they have saved me so many times to have that with me.  One of my favorite  TO-GO lunches is the Apple Chicken Salad.  This salad has saved me so many times when I had a lunch meeting or was going to be gone from home for an extended time.

Breakfast:

Tea or coffee in any quantity without sugar. Only one tablespoonful of milk allowed in 24 hours.  Some eat their fruit mid-morning if they cannot make it to lunch.
 

Lunch:
1. 100 grams of veal, beef, chicken breast, fresh white fish, lobster, crab, or shrimp. All visible fat must be carefully removed before cooking, and the meat must be weighed raw. It must be boiled or grilled without additional fat. Salmon, eel, tuna, herring, dried or pickled fish are not allowed. The chicken must be removed from the bird.
2. One type of vegetable only to be chosen from the following: spinach, chard, chicory, beet-greens, green salad, tomatoes, celery, fennel, onions, red radishes, cucumbers, asparagus, cabbage.
3. One bread stick (grissini) or one Melba toast.
4. An apple or an orange or a handful of strawberries or one-half grapefruit.

Dinner :
The same four choices as lunch.

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Lettuce Wraps

I have had many people ask me how I eat on P4 and I have to say its similar to P2 and P3.  I really just concentrate on eating healthy.  Do I spluge from time to time, yes!  I thought it would be helpful to just share for what I am eating and document any side effects from it.  I am a little more simple and just make stuff up as I go along.  I do not own a recipe book and do not research recipes,  I am however great at throwing things together.  Yesterday I shared my Taco Salad and today for lunch I went in and threw together these lettuce wraps.  I am sure there many different ways you can make lettuce wraps and make them work for any phase.

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Taco Salad

Phase 3 recipe

1 lb of lean ground beef

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Tangy Coleslaw

This recipe was highly recommended from a friend.  I have been eating this for 3 days and have lost 3 lbs.  I am on p4 so I thought I would adjust the original to what worked for me and keep both recipes in the recipe blog.  I am calling this the little magic potion and I really attribute that to the combination of the apple cider vinegar and cabbage combo.  All our recipes are Dr. Simeons protocol friendly and adjusted to be p2-p4 compliant.

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