BCPs, aka another fat loss hurdle!!

[futurenow]

Hi everyone,
I lurk a lot and just thought I’d ask one of my yearly questions!!

After being a frustrated dieter and taking a 3 month diet break that ended a few months ago ( I gained 5lbs of something during the break- I was still lifting and having fun with it). I started a moderate diet and very slowly lost a few lbs. I watched the scale go up and down. I was 162 when I started and 154 at my lowest (I’m 5’ 7”). I say lowest because I seem to be hovering around 157.

Anyway, I stopped taking the pill (Yasmin) about 6 weeks ago and have found that I’m holding water that just doesn’t want to move. I’m hovering around 161 even with quite low carbs. Depressing.

Anybody have this issue with going off the pill? Does it just work itself out and, lastly, is there a way to speed up the (hopefully) eventual water loss? As I’ve gotten older (47) my body simply does not want to respond to anything with regards to losing fat. Lifting weight, getting stronger, no problem- losing flub, forget about it!:help:

[RpH]

Hi everyone,
I lurk a lot and just thought I’d ask one of my yearly questions!!

After being a frustrated dieter and taking a 3 month diet break that ended a few months ago ( I gained 5lbs of something during the break- I was still lifting and having fun with it). I started a moderate diet and very slowly lost a few lbs. I watched the scale go up and down. I was 162 when I started and 154 at my lowest (I’m 5’ 7”). I say lowest because I seem to be hovering around 157.

Anyway, I stopped taking the pill (Yasmin) about 6 weeks ago and have found that I’m holding water that just doesn’t want to move. I’m hovering around 161 even with quite low carbs. Depressing.

Anybody have this issue with going off the pill? Does it just work itself out and, lastly, is there a way to speed up the (hopefully) eventual water loss? As I’ve gotten older (47) my body simply does not want to respond to anything with regards to losing fat. Lifting weight, getting stronger, no problem- losing flub, forget about it!:help:

Until you know exactly what your weekly caloric intake is, hard to say what is going on. I don't think the pills have anything to do with long term weight loss, just short term water gain. How many calories are you eating a week?

[futurenow]

Hi,
I'm hovering arounf 1500-1650 cals a day right now, thinking about a week at maintenance. I just finished a month psmf (with weekly refeeds) though.
The mysterious extra bloat started right in the middle of it which I thought was strange.

[Meechel]

maintenance is usually not at 10 x bw calories :scratch:

[futurenow]

No not maintaining now, just eating above psmf levels and thinking about maintenance!

[Meechel]

No not maintaining now, just eating above psmf levels and thinking about maintenance!

gotcha :thumb:

I will be coming off my depo shot soon (it expires any day now and no plans to use it) but I don't anticipate any stalls in my progress but my food is 100% on.

[futurenow]

That's good!
I was doing some research and read that yasmin has diuretic properties due to one one of the hormones it contains (?). So sometimes when you stop taking it, that diuretic effect is lost for a bit. Makes sense, don't know if it's true....

[Noel Clark]

Hi,
I'm hovering arounf 1500-1650 cals a day right now, thinking about a week at maintenance. I just finished a month psmf (with weekly refeeds) though.
The mysterious extra bloat started right in the middle of it which I thought was strange.

1500 at 160 is just over 9 X BW
You SHOULD be losing. How are you tracking your meals? Are you weighing your food?

[Jen]

ok you said you went to a moderate diet, you lost weight, then did a month long of PSMF... thats def not moderate, even with refeeds. I'm going to suggest going to maintenance, bwX15 for 1-2 weeks, then resume moderate diet again.

[futurenow]

I track on fitday, weigh measure, the whole 9 yards. I've never been someone to lose quickly or easily but in the past it did come off the few times that I got lazy and let myself gain.
This time my body is being extra stubborn and I haven't seemed to find the right balance of dieting and taking a break to get things going again. I'll lose for a few weeks and by week 4 everything just stops and I hit that plateau. I'll keep going, get frustrated, take a break, gain a few lbs back take a deep breath start over. I just keep getting stuck.
Never thought I'd play the age card (NEVER EVER:tantrum:) but it does exist.
I feel as though these days I have to almost "fool" my body into letting it go, it's gotten way too smart!!

[Erik]

I feel as though these days I have to almost "fool" my body into letting it go, it's gotten way too smart!!

Or your methods are just not optimized for your body.

[futurenow]

ok you said you went to a moderate diet, you lost weight, then did a month long of PSMF... thats def not moderate, even with refeeds. I'm going to suggest going to maintenance, bwX15 for 1-2 weeks, then resume moderate diet again.

Thanks, I did take alittle over a week break between the 2. I wanted to see what this psmf was all about. I think a break may be good. yum.....


Or your methods are just not optimized for your body.
I would agree And the more I read the harder time I have trying to figure out what might work for me. Successes have been so short lived.:shrug:

[futurenow]

Just thinking here.
What if (after a little break) I diet for 3-4 weeks at a moderate deficit then go back to maintenance for a week and repeat that cycle for a bit? Since things seems to come to a standstill so quickly, do you think it would be best to work with it rather than push to keep losing if it's not happening? In other words stop the diet before my metabolism has a chance to switch into slow mode......

[GraceGirl]

I'm not on the pill, but I just wanted to say that a 5 pound gain after a three month diet break is awesome! Congrats on that!

[futurenow]

Haha:D
you mean only 5 lbs or wow 5lbs:yayconfetti:
I slowly increased my cals over the holidays and just kept going. I had been dieting too long so I wasn't above maintenance before the break, I was trying hit maintenance without bloating too much during the break! I stopped when my clothes were just about unwearable. It was fun though......
Still, I've only dropped about 3 lbs since Feb, hence my frustration:grrr:

[GraceGirl]

Just thinking here.
What if (after a little break) I diet for 3-4 weeks at a moderate deficit then go back to maintenance for a week and repeat that cycle for a bit? Since things seems to come to a standstill so quickly, do you think it would be best to work with it rather than push to keep losing if it's not happening? In other words stop the diet before my metabolism has a chance to switch into slow mode......

That could work. Calorie cycling is a proven method. If there's anything I know about weightloss, it's that you have to keep your body guessing. A diet break at maintenance levels is a good idea!

[GraceGirl]

Haha:D
you mean only 5 lbs or wow 5lbs:yayconfetti:
I slowly increased my cals over the holidays and just kept going. I had been dieting too long so I wasn't above maintenance before the break, I was trying hit maintenance without bloating too much during the break! I stopped when my clothes were just about unwearable. It was fun though......
Still, I've only dropped about 3 lbs since Feb, hence my frustration:grrr:

I meant WOW, only 5 pounds!

I took a diet break (meaning I ate whatever I wanted) for 8 weeks during the holidays, and while I didn't weigh because I was scared :oops:, I know I gained at least 15 pounds, as I went up two full sizes. That's when I decided to get my act together in mid-January, and am now at my leanest!!

[futurenow]

congrats! That's fantastic. eating anything I want would probably pile on 15 lbs for me too- probably more:D
No, I was just slowly increasing my cals, but still counting. I realy wanted see where I would hit maintenance. Can't say I didn't have some really fun food days though!
My break started yesterday with a big pasta dinner.....