Ok Ilene, you told me I might put on a couple pounds from upping my weights, and I did! When will I start moving the scales again in the right direction??? I am still having bouts with being hungry and it is very hard to try and figure out what my body wants! I think I'm going to take a hard look today and see what video options I have. I don't want to change but this is my 14th week of doing the same step video and weight routine. I just hate the period of learning something new and feeling lost! How long could I get away with the same routine??? I have heard so many different things, it's best to shake it up, you can do the same thing for a year. I'm so confused!!

It's always going to be best to change your routine, but it's not hard to do. You don't have to stick with videos. Take a brisk walk or ride a bike. If you wish to stay indoors, can you add a stationary bike and alternate that with videos? How about marching in place briskly with hand weights while you watch your favorite TV show? Do some jumping jacks during the slow periods in your step video. Anything you do to change it will help to use a different muscle group and speed the process. But if you can't change it, you're still exercising and it will still work.

Why are you starving? How many calories are you eating? What are you eating? Sometimes you can keep calories low but be eating the wrong things, things that won't fill you up. Try apples for a good filling snack and drink lots of water, which will also make you feel fuller.

Sorry, you didn't catch my previous post! I upped my weights and hit some major starving mode! I was horrifed and thought something was really wrong. So now I'm working on tweaking my intake so I don't go over board, but my body is just giving me a hard time. It dosen't know what to do with all this new muscle. My body wants fed, but if I eat too much my stomach screams for me to stop it I'm over eating! (I get that bloated yucky feeling) So I'm playing with added smaller meals and trying to avoid eating to close to work out time (which is very hard to do)

Hi Lori, I'm sorry to hear you're having such a period of adjustment. But that's exactly what is happening, your body is adjusting to the intake...

What kinds of foods are you eating? I know if I eat processed I get very bloated... The 'cleaner' more unprocessed the foods the better... oatmeal, brown rice, sweet potatoes, lean cuts of beef, chicken, turkey, eggwhites... Everyone is different but just before I start getting ready to go to the gym I will have 1/3c of oatmeal with a scoop of whey powder, this for me, is very easily digestible and doesn't make me feel bloated before my workouts...

About the scale moving or not, to tell the truth the scale may not move much in the downward direction because you are making muscles. For example, you and I weigh the same, I'm not very tall though 5'3''. For myself since January I have not lost any weight on the scale at all, BUT I have lost inches... I've lost 1.25 inches on my chest, half an inch on my waist and an inch on my hips in 3 months but NOT one pound... My size 8s are very very loose... I'm very happy with those numbers and I feel they are more important than the scale numbers because I know I'm not a ''skinny fat'' person which I don't personally consider healthy...

Absolutely, positively, change your routine, 14 weeks is way too long to be on the same routine, are you not bored yet?? I know I change up every 2-3 weeks.....

Use the pant-o-meter instead of the scale for while... Take a really close look at your nutrition.... Most of all be patient ....

Hope this helps....Ask any questions you may have...

I have to get going now, I have to go to the gym...

Ilene, thank you for the advice. I don't eat much processed food, coz it makes me feel sluggish and bloated too! I just think the current problem is when the bad hunger strikes, my eyes are way bigger than my stomach !!! I am shorter than you only 5'1" and asking my body to be around 130 lbs of muscle is by far not pushing the envelope. Before I was sick I think I was around 130lbs and just needed some tummy tonning, (I was working out) but when I got sick and stopped lifting I dropped to 122 lbs and looked horrible. Any way I've always weighed more than I looked, I have a musclar build and played alot of sports in my younger years. I'm never going to see a size 5, or 120 something I know better!

As for changing the routine, I'm not bored because I think it is becoming more of a habit. (which isn't all bad) I just need to adjust!

Of your eyes are bigger than your stomach, maybe portion control would be best... I weigh and measure everything... I always only eat a half cup of whaterver, most of the time anyways...at one meal I may have half a cup of eggwhites, half a cup of lima beans, half a cup of mixed veggies, this is what I had for lunch as a matter of fact ... This amount doesn't stretch my stomach and I don't feel bloated and I am totally satisfied...for a couple of hours anyways ...