>I'd be very surprised if you could consume even weight maintenance calories >on a zero carb, moderate protein, high fat diet. I certainly couldn't and >the weight fell off of me starting about day five. As others pointed out, >you'd HAVE to learn to get your calories from fat and thereby level off. >But in three weeks I didn't. >Jim I remember you saying that at the time. I guess I'll eat the few veggies I have at the house and then go to just protein and fat for a while. I might add some lettuce at least with dinner. >I think Jim's suggestion of slightly increasing your protein may be very >helpful -- especially since you exercise. Also, perhaps try playing around >with meal frequency ie intermittant fasting or meal timing ie no food for 3 >hours before bedtime -- just to see if that could shake things up a bit. I think not eating 3 hours (or even 2 hours) before bedtime would help a lot and it is the one thing I have the biggest problem with. It seems within 30 minutes after dinner I am already looking for more food. Maybe it's not real hunger but more of an emotional thing. >Finally, perhaps you could tweak your workouts - focus on strength training >and reduce cardio a little. I'm a firm believer that mixing up one's >workout can really make a positive difference ie if you usually run for >cardio -- try hill sprints or jumproping or interval bike training. If you >usually do x number of reps/x number of sets for weightlifting - mix it up >-- go heavy and less reps. Also, try bodyweight exercises. That may give >you the lean, tone look women want to have. I've been inspired to get >into bodyweight exercises by my hubby. Tamir Katz's book has bodyweight >exercises for all levels; Eddie Baran has a good book and of course, Matt >Furey and for more advanced types. These are just suggestions - lots of >free bodyweight exercises on the internet. I agree on the work outs and I used to mix it up a lot more. We belonged to a gym in Austin, TX and I would lift 3 X a week. Every 3 or 4 weeks I would change the type of workout (light/high rep, high/low rep, drop sets, super sets, etc.) plus I would change the type of exercises and body parts I worked together. Now all I have is a weight bench and dumbbells so I am a lot more limited. I am doing more Pilates now but also still lift but here lately I have been doing mostly supersets and a lot of the same exercises. My cardio has been mostly walking and occasionally riding the stationary bike because my energy has been so low. I am currently experiencing 11 days of PMS and 6 to 7 OK days and fatigue is something that hits me during PMS. I also get depressed and am not near as motivated as I used to be - I am during the "good" days but it seems I barely start feeling better when the next round of PMS hits. >Middle age and beyond brings about hormonal changes that affect skin >firmness etc so that even reaching purportedly ideal body-fat targets >frankly will >never look the same now as when you were 20. >Rising stress hormones and diminishing progesterone, testosterone and >estrogen can definitely impact skin appearance, firmness, thickness. >Paleo type >diet should help reduce stress levels - plus maybe add in a few minutes of >meditation. Also, keep a close watch on your thyroid function. >Hypothyroid >conditions are common in women and many are undiagnosed or undertreated. I >highly >recommend Mark Starr MD's book Hypothyroidism Type 2. It deals with >hypothyroidism that often goes undetected by standard bloodwork I am hypothyroid and have been taking Armour Thyroid for about 10 years now. However, I also started supplementing with iodine a few months ago and it seems to make a difference. I am actually tempted to slowly taper off the armour and see if it makes a difference. And I am about to have my hormones checked to take care of the PMS. As much as I want the paleo alone to help I just don't think my body is there yet. There is so much going on with my body right now I feel like I can't reach solid ground where my health is concerned. >Hope this helps -- I always enjoy your interesting postings and you seem so >motivated -- I am certain you will find the right tweakings necessary to >reach >your goals. Thanks - as I said above, I am not near as motivated (or strict) as I used to be. It was a lot easier to stick to paleo when I was seeing continued results. Then I was diagnosed with heavy metal toxicity, viruses, and overgrowth of candida. After 2 years of IV chelation (weekly) you'd think the metals would be gone but the last test (several months ago) still revealed fairly high levels (it was a post dmps/edta urine challenge indicated the levels secreted, not the levels in the body). Now at our new place I have not found a decent doctor. My doc in Austin believed in paleo and was alternative minded. I guess I can do the medium protein/high fat/low to no carb thing as an experience and post my results here. It would also help to figure out food intolerances - it's been 3 months since my last blood test and I can't afford to get another one so I am on my own. Thanks for all the feedback...it's nice to get encouragement right now. Kristina ************************************** See what's free at http://www.aol.com.