What is the Plan?

For new readers that aren’t familiar with Lyn-Genet’s food plan AKA “the plan,” this is NOT A DIET but a lifestyle of how to choose foods that are “friendly” (non-reactive) and how test to determine which foods are “reactive” (where our body has an inflammatory response).  The metrics you use to determine if a food is friendly vs. reactive are:

• Your weight fluctuations where you weigh yourself each morning
• Your body temperature measured each morning
• How you feel overall after eating and in general

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My journey with flax granola has been in stages in preparation and purchases:

Purchases:

• Gerber flax seed, $11/2 pounds on Amazon.com = $5.50 / pound uncooked
• Columbia County pre-made stuff, $25 / 42 oz on Amazon.com  = $9.53 / pound cooked
• Bulk flax seed at Earth Fare, $2.49 / pound uncooked

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Last day

How can today be the last day when it’s only day 19 out of 20?  Because I said so!  I’m a mums so I can do that.  In our last week, Joe and I move around some of the days on the last week because of Valentine’s Day and possibly eating out on Friday night.  Once the dust settled, we see that both of our last two days are no test.  Good Plan following people would have tested something on 19 and let 20 be a no-test recovery rest day.  Instead, I make the executive decision to end the plan early.  Plus that gives us Saturday to get back to our regular food.  More to come on this post-plan life.

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Bad news – No steak

News flash.  I do not pass steak.  Hmm… How did I not see that coming?  Steak is one of the items that is 5% or less reactive (page 82) and yet, it’s been a problem food for me my whole life.  Red meat in general has always upset my stomach.  I have gone years trying to eat more of it because I’m trying to get over having upset stomach.  I sound like one of those crazy people in the book that says, steak has been hurting my stomach for years so I’ve been trying to eat it more so that I’ll build up immunity to the upset stomach.  Um, no, it doesn’t work like that.

Just like the book predicts, after a reactive day, I see a spike in my weight.  Besides the incremental increase of 0.2 pounds that happened a few times, I have seen a steady drop or maintenance of weight EXCEPT for the two days after I eat one slice wheat bread and now the morning after I eat a steak.  This is exactly the kind of information I am after!

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Potato or Potatoe?

Dr. Caroleen says that I passed potatoes even though my weight goes up 0.2 pounds.  My weight has been 116.6 for three days straight and goes up a smidge (now 116.8) the day after potatoes.  Admittedly, I eat two portions of potatoes at dinner even though Lyn-Genet says not to.  Then I pile on the wine and another tiny square of dark chocolate.  Frankly, if the damage is 0.2 pounds, then I’m good to go.  I feel my weight has stabilized so as long as I don’t see a big spike in weight, I’ll say it’s good!

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I passed eggs! Well, I barely passed eggs since my weight is exactly the same. I’m not egg-zactly (har-har) digesting eggs and losing weight but I’m also not having a weight spike. I’ll say that’s a green light for eggs.

My weight loss has come to a stall lately. I think I’m so close to the set point that it will take a stomach bug (aka fast track to skinny jeans) to take it the next few pounds. Not that I’m wishing for stomach bug or anything but my body has a happy place and I’m within two pounds of it. So I think I’m close to the end of my weight loss.

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I am excited to finally test eggs as the new breakfast addition today!  We had the option to test eggs as an approved protein early on(day 6 or 10) but we haven’t.  I’m confused because I feel there are so many things left to test and we are already in the last week. I guess that means there will be a lot of homework left in phase 3. This makes sense.  The first 20 days are just to show us the way and we have to do the rest. Anne says it’s not a diet, it’s a way of life!  I’m also starting a list of friendly foods.

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I passed Brussels sprouts!  Who would think this would be such an exciting thing?  We are also starting realizing that the plan does follow a pattern.  Of course, we know this all along but we are struggling to just keep up with the prescribed plan.  This is addressed in Phase 3 in the book when you learn to make your own menus.  I guess Lyn-Genet is onto something.  These first 20 days, just do what she says (phases 1 and 2).  Then get creative once you figure it out (phase 3).  Another thing is that you now have quantitative data (your weight on the scale) supporting what you’re doing.

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The weight loss continues after yesterday’s “no test” day (which is expected). In the book, she calls them “rest days” and “no test” days. I’m assuming both are the same. Besides the BBQ party day and that one bloop after rest day (water was off based on my exercise), my weight has been on the steady decline.

I thought the food plan would be so restricting but it’s been the opposite, it’s been freeing! Although Joe spends a lot of time preparing food, we don’t spend as much time with food. I know that sounds strange but with a prescribed meal plan, we simply prepare the food, eat the food, and then the food is done.  We don’t hem and haw about what to prepare, if we’re going to eat out, if we are having snacks.  The decision time is zero.  The book says we eat this at this time and we do it.

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Joe’s theory is if I continue down the same path of weight loss (assuming I passed pork yesterday – which I PASSED PORK!) then it must be the water from the day before.  I guess it is the water!  Not only did I lose all the weight I gained after yesterday’s rest day, but I lose an additional 0.2 pounds.  I ask myself, how could too little/too much water really cause weight GAIN?  It seems the strangest thing but Lyn-Genet says that’s the first place to look.  Your body process water at a set rate and if you drink too much before bed, then you can’t expel it (pee it) away in time.  As for stopping water at 7:30pm, it’s because for our 20 day plan testing, having that water weight can confuse the data from being non/reactive to a food.  And I go back on the daily wine because you know that one day I skipped it, I do gain weight.  I wouldn’t want to risk that again.

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