Ok so I've been with MRC since the beginning of June. I've lost 30.5 pounds and 30 inches thus far. I love the program and have never found anything better. But I'm becoming really discouraged. Even after all that weight loss I can barely fit into one size smaller! Granted my clothes are baggier but I thought I would at least be 2 sizes down I've always had a big butt which I know is most all the problem! I run and do Zumba through the week. Am I expecting too much? I'm just so down about this!

Ive always heard that 10 pounds equals a lower size - ummmm no.

Im with you, I have lost 10 pounds, and my clothes are starting to show it, especially in my legs but I tried on a smaller size this weekend, and though the legs looked much better (not so baggy) the waist was still pretty snug. I am guessing I have lost more weight in my legs???

I cant give up this time though, no matter how long it takes. I wish low carb/high protein was the miracle diet I have been looking for. But its really not. For me though it has proven to teach me normal portion sizes, to know what hungry actually feels like, and has made me much more aware of how foods affect my body personally. I guess since were all so different , how we loose weight, and where is going to be different as well.

Wishing you success, hang in there!!!

GAIL! You've lost 30 lbs girl!!! That is AWESOME! Stop looking at those dumb sizes. They are so variable it's ridiculous. YOU'VE LOST 30 LBS!! GO YOU!!!!!!!! Great job, Gail.

And mom, 10 lbs is an AWESOME start!! You girls are doing great. Don't let those silly clothing manufacturers get you down!!

read pbolton1's post on THE PAPER TOWEL THEORY:

I found this "analogy" a while back, and I think it really helps in understanding why the weight and inches can come off and not show so much in the beginning. I remember losing 20-30 lbs. in the beginning, and I was so thrilled, but nobody else seemed to notice. Very frustrating. I think that's why so many folks become disillusioned and give up. Now I can lose five pounds and folks comment about how quickly I lose weight and they wish they could do the same.

It was written pertaining to the Body For Life Challenge, but it really applies to any weight loss program.

Paper Towel Theory by Bob White

Let's assume you go out and buy two rolls of paper towels, each with only 84 paper towels on it (one for each day of the challenge). You put one aside, and keep it for future reference (your before/ picture).

The other one represents you (I'll call your paper towel you "Ed"). The core represents the lean Ed. The towels represent the fat that is covering the lean Ed. For sake of argument, let's say that Ed wants to lose 21 pounds of fat, so (84/21) each sheet represents a quarter-pound of fat lost. Let's also assume that Ed loses his fat equally during each day of the challenge.

Each day during the first week, you tear a sheet off of Ed, representing the fat he has lost for the day. Next, you put Ed next to the full roll ("Big Al") for comparison. No noticeable difference!!! Even at the end of the week! This can't be working for me!

But, being a good Ed, you continue to follow Body-for-LIFE. At the end of weeks two and three, you continue to compare Ed to Big Al, and still notice very little difference. That stinkin' Bill Phillips MUST be a liar!

But Ed is determined! He works hard! Three more weeks go by, the sheets peeling off day after day, before Ed gets up the courage to stand next to Big Al again. Holy Myoplex! Ed is skinny! OK, not skinny, but less huge!!!

By the end of the 12-week Body-for-LIFE program, Ed is down to his lean dream, or somewhere near it. Ed is happy. We are happy. Big Al - well he's not so happy.

The lesson to be learned is that fat, like paper towels, comes off in sheets. When you are heavy, you are big around. And when you are big around,that fat is spread over a MUCH larger area - just like that outside towel sheet. The closer you get to the lean you, the more each lost pound of fat shows, because it is spread over a smaller area.

While the outside sheet may only cover 1 layer of the roll, the inside sheet may go around 4 times. That last sheet looks like it gives you 4 times the results of the first sheet, but in reality, the results are the same - your perception is just different! And you'll never see the inside, if you aren't patient while the outside is coming off! - Bob White

Gward714 Great job on your loss, so far. You are doing great! I had lost close to 50 pounds and could really fit in the same pants, although they were baggy. Also, I have lost quite a bit of weight and people are just starting to notice. I have had more people comment about my weight loss in the last month than during this whole process. I don't have any answers, but sometimes it's just the way it is.

I am having the same issues. My pants are really baggy in my legs & butt area, but my waist seems to be staying the same. When I get measured it shows that I lose a lot in all areas except for the stomach. It is making me a little mad. I did make a goal to do more core exercises so I'm hoping that will help. We will see when I get measured next week.

When I lost 48 pounds before my lil break this summer.. I used to do pilates. I am a big girl doing it but I loved it. I am going to start back next monday.. I am trying to keep my menu the focous this week, but back to the pilates... I reccomend it to everyone! Plus my back used to hurt a lot and this really strengthened it. I use the sculpting circle, and I am sure if you go online you can get this same video with the circle. It is called Windsor Pilates Sculpting Circle for Beginners. It is a challenge at first and all, but after a few weeks, you'll be asking what can I do next! It really makes a difference.

Hi there, it took me a looong time to start dropping sizes, partly because I was wearing baggy sweat pants (hence my screen name) and clothes that were way too tight for me. It took quite a while to get into the 16s, then forever to get into the 14s. Now, all of my 12s are fitting quite nicely and it happened pretty quickly after the 14s. Hang in there!

They paper towel comparison is perfect....and soooo true! I started at 253 and the last time I did mrc I started at 257. Both times when I had lost 30-40lbs no one really said anything and I was sooooo discouraged because that is a ton of weight... But for my body when I get around the 45-50lbe mark something happens and my sides come in giving me more shape, I start to look longer and leaner and people really start to notice...although I still have about 40 more lbs until I am more like a rail (lol) everyone has that weight where something clicks. For those people that only have 40lbs to lose it may be around the 20-22 lb mark and those that have 90 to lose it may be closer to the 60lb mark. Everyone hang in there it will happen as long as u are losing!!!!

I just did a new round of measurements and it was very interesting.

Typically i lose about 10 lbs a month and it's about 10 inches a month too. I was in my 16s for a long long time, then jumped to 12's and was in them for only a few weeks before I actually did have to buy 10's.

In my last measurements, i dropped 18 inches in the last month, which is nearly double than before. So it does seem like the inches come off a lot faster now that i'm at the end and i'm dropping sizes too quick to keep up. Now all of my clothes from before are way too baggy, i can't wear them.

Hang in there, it will come.

Don't let clothes get you down. There is no consistency in sizes from manufacturer to manufacturer. I can wear 20's from one place and 16's from another. It's about how you feel. And 30lbs is awesome and you gotta feel awesome! Kepp it up!