I'm having a hard time figuring out how to word this question/statement so I will just plunge in. Sorry if it's disjointed.

I've lost 20 or so pounds following Weight Watchers since May. Got a little stalled and tried to incorporate South Beach to shake things up. Lost another 5 that way, but then the wheels fell off. Gained that 5 back.

So a month ago I was .5 pounds away from non-overweight BMI, now I am 5.5 pounds away. (15 away from real goal) I have discovered that this journey/lifestyle is a bit precarious and any little slip-up can cause a negative jump. Why is that ? I have continued to exercise (cardio & strength) 4-5 days a week but have been a bit lax on eating. Not ALOT though, but evidently enough to throw me out of whack. I met with a trainer last week and am going again today. He has advised supportive nutrition eating plan.

Has anyone followed this approach ? eating every 3 - 3.5 hours lean proteins, starchy carbs (whole grain) & Fibrous carbs. I've tried to fit it in with my WW plan and can do it, just need some practice on eating that often. The plan also advocates eating this way 6 days and having one "anything goes day". I haven't bought into this fully, but was wondering if anyone had any advice.

My biggest goal is to find something I can do forever and ever and ever.

Thanks - Julie

Julie, I'm forming some thoughts on the fly here, because I'm relatively new to being "close to goal". I think ... once you get down here, the final pounds depend heavily on matching up your eating style with your biology/genetics. There's a LOT of different ways to eat, but it's a narrow range that is truly the fuel for your own metabolism. In my own example, when I was 25 pounds heavier, I could lose weight easily following a low-fat diet. However ... at even 25% fat, my nails split, my hair falls out, my brain's foggy, and my skin flakes off in sheets. Not something I could even contemplate doing for a lifetime! I tried SB, WW, Atkins, grapefruit, Slimfast, cabbage ... no dice. Then I started to read about nutrigenomics - the study of how what you eat turns your genes on and off. Some of it's built on your family ancestry - what part of the world your ancestors hail from. I'm strongly way-Northern European, which generally means better metabolism of fats and proteins. Tropical ancestry identifies more strongly with less protein and fat, and more fibrous carbs and fruits. I began to add more fat - lots of nuts and avocados, and upped my protein into more fish, grass-fed beef, and venison. Not only did the weight come off, but I'm very rarely hungry and I feel better than I have since I was a little kid.

One of our moderators made an observation that "we are all laboratories of one". I think it's absolutely the truth. At this point, they can't swab your cheek, stick it into a computer, and read off exactly what you should be eating, and that's the tough part!

I don't think the "anything" day your trainer recommends is a great idea. Most of the successful maintainers (visit that set of threads often, because you'll spend most of your life maintaining the loss - and it's NOT as easy as it sounds!) seem to advocate looking ahead to special occasions and planning for them as not-so-on-plan days. The intent of it is probably to show you that you can work anything you want into a healthy plan, and that's certainly true. Many of us here at 3FC still have foods that really cause us to go off the rails, and we've decided to live with the fact that we won't eat them - ever - because cravings return so easily and one slip can literally result in weeks of unease.

Well, that was vague and rambly and probably didn't help much! I will strongly advocate a food journal - log it all, and make slow changes to see what works. Note any cravings, count calories for a while to see where you're at, be a little anal about "if you bite it, write it". The general opinion around here is that weight loss is 90% in what you eat, but maintenance is much more aligned with exercise. Your body might just be thinking you're in maintenance, and you need to shake up your eating a bit. Good luck!

Wow, thank you for your post ICU. I never heard of nutrigenomics before but it's interesting to know a different perspective.

In my case, I have maintained a weight of 145 lb for 7 years. I knew what worked for me in terms of eating and exercising. I wasn't happy with the way I looked, so I decided to lose some 20 lb. What I did was looking for a healthier way of eating that I could maintain, because when you are in the low numbers, what's the point in losing without maintaining the loss? I'm still adapting my eating until I find a weight in which I feel confortable, as ICU said, is all about experimenting. So have a try with your approach, and remember you can always customize your plan so it is the one that works for you.

I would like to emphasize the importance of exercise in those last pounds, because it can really make a difference in the way you look.

Thanks for the replies, I am looking at everything I can to find "my" answer. I know everyone is different, so I'm open to any and all suggestions at this point.

I have gotten to goal a couple of times before, but haven't been able to get my magical maintenance plan established. This time I am determined to do what it takes.

So I'm off to google nutrigenomics now.

I have gotten to goal many times only to gain it back plus a few more. This time I went to the experts, those who have lost a significant amout of weight and kept it off for a period of time . Basically they said they keep it off by doing the same things to keep it off that they did to lose it. WHAT ? I decided they knew something I didn't and followed their advice. I still count calories, still keep a food diary , still weigh myself. Still Plan., Plan and Plan again.I have been at goal now for 22 months and plan to keep at goal. Planning is the key and is a small inconvenience compared to having to start all over. It only takes me about 5 minutes to plan my menus for the day. I am not rigid about it and can alter it if necessary keeping to my calorie allowance. I can have a treat now and then but keep in mind that Xlarge clothing is in the future if I don't plan and keep to my plan.

My friend did something like this. She followed these rules:


meals ever 3-4 hours
protein with every meal
veggies with most meals
most carbs with pre and post workout meals
healthy fats 3 servings per day
cheat meals once a week

Thanks girl81, that's pretty much what the trainer said.
How did it work out for your friend ?

I am finding it difficult to get used to but I am never hungry. I don't buy in to the one whole cheat day, I might have some extras or treats on one day, but I can't just eat with abandon. I'm not really sure that's what they mean anyway. At least I hope not.

Thanks