Original Can I have your expert opinions?

[Amyeve]

Just wondered if anyone else has a problem with original days

when i first started (online only) in november i did a mix of red/green and had small losses 1/2-1lb so a few people here suggested they only did red days to help speed things up so i did nearly all red for a few weeks and sts or gained. so i joined class for first time last week and decided to start afresh and throw in some greens. well i did as follows...
thurs/fri & saturday all - green
sunday - EE (great for a roast isnt it!)

well i weighed myself on monday morn and i'd lost 2.5lb since the thursday! i even felt alot better and kind of 'lighter' if you know what i mean! it was the most i had lost so far!!

well that monday i had a red day and had homemade burger with lean mince for tea.
Tuesday however i had another sneaky weigh, and found i had gained 3lb:sigh:

now im wondering if i have some kind of beef intolerence? or red days just dont work for me? although from reading posts it seems most people struggle with green rather than red?
I have eaten ALOT of red meat over the last year as im very anemic.
Do you think it would be worth a try of just greens for a week? or a mix of green and EE and avoid red meat?

my other half reckons i should go for food tolerence testing? what do you guys think? and does anyone else have similar probs with original days?

Thanks and sorry it was so long xx

 

[jaylou]

Hi, it really is whatever suits you. Some people at my class swear that green days stop their weight loss and some say red days do the same. I would say variety is the spice of life but if certain days/foods do not suit you then steer clear of them.

Vegetarians follow only green days and lose weight and my friend only ever follows red days and she lost 2.5 stone so it does work.

Have a week of green and see what happens but I would say don't keep getting weighed in the week, it really doesn't help. If you appear to have gained it makes you dispondent and it's not a true reflection on a weekly overall loss.

I follow mainly green as meat is expensive and I love rice, potatoes and pasta so it works for me although I have the odd red day, I would say 5 to 2 most weeks.

Flexibility is the key to SW and you should follow whatever works for you!
Good luck.

 

[Mrs V]

Also, why dont you try and have chicken and fish Hun? I do far more Red Days than Green (have 2 a week at the most) and doing ok.
You mention beef, but there are other meats you can have like chicken, turkey fish and pork that wont bind you up so much...another thought thats all.

 

[Amyeve]

yes forgot to say i have alot of chicken and fish as well!! i think its just stuck in my head that i need to eat a lot of beef to help my iron levels, i need to get out that mindset as perhaps its doing more harm than good?

 

[suepat10]

I'm probably going to sound like a cracked record - apologies - but don't weigh yourself so much! There's no way you could have gained 3lb over night.

You need to decide which food you enjoy eating (within the plan(s) )!!!! and work from there. If you make yourself eat stuff because you 'think you should' you'll soon get fed up xx

 

[Mrs V]

Beef in particular takes a lot longer to digest and this will be reflected through your weigh ins.
Try to avoid the regular sneeky weigh ins too as this will not help your situation and may be the trigger that will start you eating something that you shouldnt.

 

[HellieCopter]

As above really, but I also think you shouldn't be doing sneaky weigh ins. They don't help at all! Everyone's weight fluctuates a lot during a day, from day to day and take it from me, sneaky weighing is not good for you mentally. It's not an accurate picture of what's happening to your body.

Weekly WIs are best. In fact, some people choose fortnightly or even monthly! There was a thread here about it over the last couple of days.

Different days work for different people. I know people here who do all red, all green, a random mixture (me) mix2match and Extra Easy... all with varying degrees of success.

Good luck though, I am sure you'll find the right balance. Personally, do a mixture of green and red. I always feel more full and heavier on green days, but then sometimes that's what I want!
What's important is sussing out what's right for you, and what you feel comfortable with.

 

[Amyeve]

...

 

[Amyeve]

i was bulimic before getting pregnant so i have to concentrate quite hard to stay positive and not to slip back into my old ways, weighing myself alot is one habit i cant break:ashamed0005:

Going to experiment with a green week then an EE week.

Thanks for your replies

 

[elizabeth]

I do wonder if some people's metabolisms react differently to proteins and carbs, you know. There does seem to be some anecdotal evidence from the boards that some people have faster, more consistent weight loss by sticking with one day or the other, rather than mixing them.

When I was first doing the plan I was chatting to a friend about how amazed I was to be losing weight so well considering I was eating mainly carbs (am vegetarian so following all green days, obviously), and she said she'd read something online about carbs actually speeding up some people's metabolisms. I wish she could remember where she'd read it, I've been searching around for info but can't find anything concrete.

It seems logical to assume that people who can't lose well on green days but do fine on red are just working better off proteins than carbs, and vice versa. Some people can do both of course, so maybe it's just a small percentage that need to be mainly sticking with one or the other?

 

[judimac]

I love green days but lose better on red, always have done, but I think it's probably portion size with me.

 

[dehli]

I do mainly green with a few red here and there and usually have an average loss of 2lbs a week. I struggle with red days, except for steaks and cooked breakfasts. I'm a picker and always eat between meals (mainly fruit). Picking can keep your metabolic rate up rather than going hungry between meals. Are you 'going' regularly?! Constipation can play havoc with the scales. You don't need beef for iron, you can get plenty from green vegetables, eggs and cereals like weetabix.

 

[Amyeve]

Elizabeth - i wondered about the metabolism therory as i always get hungry on green so wonder if im burning up the carbs better than protein.

dehli - i eat all of those AND take iron tablets 3 times a day and still have a low count, so have to eat all i can inc red meat.

I was in town this afternoon and popped into one of those chinese medicine places and had a food intolerence test done as it was half price. Cant wait for the results!

Thanks again for your replies x

 

[HellieCopter]

That's true...dark leafy green veg are great for iron. Actually, better than meat, calorie for calorie!
Dried beans as well.

If you eat foods rich in vitamin C at around the same time it helps with the iron absorption too.

That should help a bit with your anaemia

 

[DearFatty]

Being a veggie, I only do green days and have no complaints about my weight loss. I agree with not weighing yourself all the time because I think its an easy way to get disheartened and fall off the plan. Stick to weighing in class and you will be fine