Ok, here I go again. I restarted my program this week. I have been cheating for about a month and a half off and on (usually on the weekend.) but this week I decided no more cheat days. Until now. I am feeling very discouraged. My COD has me on the red plan because I workout about 5.5 hours a week. I also have been substituted my lites with luna bars. I am not losing! Even when I would have a cheat day I was still working out, just not losing. No I am back OP and still nothing. I just started taking an oral contraceptive three weeks ago and have been on my cycle this entire time. I don't know what to do. It seems as if all these changes are wrecking my weight loss goals. Before I started with my personal trainer I was losing alot of weight. Now nothing. Its as if I am destined to be plus size forever. Should I do take off? Should I just stop working out? Take off doesn't even work for me. Sigh.....

[bizlawchik]

If you've only been on the "no cheat days" for a few days, you need to give it some time. I've noticed that when I plan a cheat (like Irish Fest) that it takes a week to get off what I gained. So since you were cheating once a week, you would maybe be staying the same because you are working off your gain. Just be patient and stick to it. And try your darndest to be POP. Because only then can you truly say you aren't losing and then your COD will be able to help you. You can make them work for their $$$.

[Kimphin]

I usually need to be POP for at least a week before I see a loss that sticks. I always struggle to get to that point, but when I do, the consistent losses help keep me on plan, and it gets much easier to stop the cheats.

I wouldn't stop the exercise, I find that just doing that keeps my head in the game and reminds me of what I'm choosing to do for myself.

[marzbe]

I'm going to go ahead and add my mantra in, because it's the only thing that's keeping me even remotely on plan.

Muscle is twice as dense as fat. I'd rather be heavier and firm, than lighter and flabby!

I'm in the same exact boat, Red soley because I work out 5 + hours a week, on top of working an active job that typically has me hoisting boxes and racks of clothing on an hourly basis. If you're building muscle the scale won't be dropping as quickly. The tape measure will alwasy be the better judge. I've stayed static while pretty much being POP for the last 13 weeks. The only sanity is that I've lost 13 inches in those 13 weeks. Thus, I'm 2 sizes smalller with a minimal change in the scale.

When I was near the full I want my money back, I can be stabalized eating McDonald's melt down, COD put me on phone with one of the regional managers who's a work-out junkie. She told me what I knew but wasn't going to accept. It's far healthier to have the fat turning into muscle than muscle turning into fat. Granted, there will always be the one counselor at COD, who will keep telling me that if I stop resistance training the pounds will fly off. When she brought it up last week, I told her to look at my inches. I know I've lost about 3 times what I should have in that area!

Thats so true. Like I said before, I workout even when I cheat. Just doing that makes me feel a little better. Thanks you guys for the advice.