I wanted to take off a few extra lbs so that the scale would read the "right" number. I am a little number focused and sometimes instead of focusing on the whole picture I tend to stress about the number. I started doing Medifast, as it was becoming quite a popular weight loss program in my community. I knew that I should be careful with the amount of protein I eat, but the idea of being able to drop 10 lbs was very alluring. After being on it for a couple of months and losing about 5 lbs I had my labs drawn. My creatinine was fine, it usually live around .8 - 1.0 after my donation but my microalbumin/creatinine ratio was quite high, probably more than 10 times what it should be. I stopped the diet and reduced my protein intake to the recommended .7 -.8 grams of protein per kg and redid my labs. My microalbumin was back down to normal range. I'm not sure if there is any clinical significance to having an elevated microalbumin level but my body certainly recognized that it needed to work harder to process that extra protein. I have since decided that the number on the scale is of less importance to me. I would love to weigh to 125 lbs and always have a BMI of <25. But being just shy of 5 ft. tall and having had 4 children, I am a little more at ease weighing between 128 - 130. I try to eat from all the food groups and not overdo one group in favor of another. If I was a body builder doing a lot of extra lifting and super exercise, I might be more at ease with increasing the amount of protein. But considering I just do the average amount of walking and some yoga, I can't justify increasing my protein intake and decreasing my carbs.
I have had good success on Weight Watchers. I lost about 25 lbs ten years ago and have managed to keep the bulk of my weight off. Its always the few extra lbs that I struggle with. But I do believe a balanced diet eating the recommended amounts from all food groups is the way to go. It's not fast and not glamorous but, in my opinion, the most well rounded and balanced.
All the best with the weight loss.
Sherri