You know I never really thought about the exercise thing a lot before but after I started exercising I did stall out of about 7-9 days then drop like 5lbs in one day I don't know if anyone remembers. My weight did that for about 2-3 weeks but now I'm back to the steady 1.5-2 pounds a week. Thanks Karen, hadn't even related the 2 till just now.

Tummy

You are right supersized...we didn't gain it fast, we won't lose it fast. And look at it this way, we have time to tone ourselves so we won't have as much flab when it is over...

Yeah..right, time to tone up. Which reminds me...uh...I'm thinking one of my goals was to start excersizing. S'pose I could go back and check, but I don't really need to do that, do I?

I just moved my computer out of my bedroom and into the spare room (which I also had to clean up significantly). In any case, one of the items in that spare room was a "Total Gym 2000". Not the best excersize equipment, granted, but it has the potential to help me tone up. I'm moving it into my bedroom where there's now room for it to be set up full-time which then give me NO excuse not to use it. Well, no GOOD excuse anyway!

Linda, I guess I'm in the middle currently with my weight loss speed. I dread the day when it stops coming off 2 to 3 pounds a week. I know this doesn't help you much, but, for what it's worth, watching you and the others stick with it no matter what is going to be my inspiration.

Jen

Jennifer, my calories are usually between 1400 and 1800 daily although occasionally they drop to about 1200.

I think those of us who are feeling a bit discouraged should stop and take a good hard look at the big picture. Sure, it would be nice to lose a lot of weight quickly but I've been there and done that, haven't you? Do you remember how quickly it came back on as soon as you relaxed your vigilance? What we're trying to do here is make a gradual, painless, lifestyle change. Any tiny change we make will have a beneficial impact over the long haul.
The other day at the swimming pool I was talking to an older woman who has been a member of TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) for about 15 years. She said she lost quickly at first but then came the long plateaus and she was getting discouraged. She was also tempted to quit until she realised that even the small amount of weight she'd lost during the first weeks of her diet were making her feel much better and she knew she didn't want to go back to how she was before. She decided to make just one small change every week in her eating plan. She loved meat and could eat 10 - 16 ounces at once sitting without a problem but she knew this consumption didn't fit in with a lower calorie/lower fat diet. (We're not talking low carb here). So, she started by cutting out about 1/4 of the meat she'd eat at each meal. Gradually over several months she cut back on the amount of meat unt il she got to a normal serving size of about 3 or 4 oz. She started walking. First just to the end of her long driveway and back and gradually increasing it. She said it took her two years but she lost 50 lb and she's still got a ways to go but I have to admire this sensible and effective approach. We're not in a race. We're trying to make life changes that will benefit us in every way.
I'm not an exercise fanatic. I started going to the swimming pool about 8 years ago three times a week, mainly as a social outing. I don't belong to an aquafit class. I hope to in the future because I used to enjoy it. My friends and I just water jog in the deep end and we used to do more yacking than exercising. A couple of years ago I decided to limit my yacking and increase my pace and I've noticed my strength and endurance have improved over time. Still, it hasn't been enough to help me lose weight although it's probably helped me from getting even heavier. That's why I decided to order the Body Flex Workout. It's easy on the joints and I don't have to go out in the weather to do it. You start out with about a 15 minute workout (all sitting in a chair) and gradually increase over time. I'm hoping that the new strength I gain from this exercise will help me in my weight loss efforts and into even more ambitious exercise such as walking. I realise that at my age (60) I can't make sudden changes without suffering for it so everything has to be gradual. I also realise that I can't expect instant weight loss to result from these changes so I have to be patient.
Sorry for blabbering on so long. What I'm trying to get at is that we should be congratulating ourselves for the changes we've already made, no matter how small. Even if you've just cut out high carb snacks, you are doing your body a favor. Even if you are just parking a bit farther from the grocery store, you are benefiting. So, let's not moan and groan about weight loss not being fast enough. This challenge is just for inspiration and encouragement. It's not the Olympics.
Luck to us all.

Very well put, Linda! With that said, I have one more thing for the stallers to look at. Fiber and water! Are you getting plenty of it? We gotta keep everything moving, solids and liquids, and you need both of these to keep that happening. What is the quota...64 ounces and up for water, and 25 grams of fiber?

Really though, Linda, you are right about making the small changes. About the painless part...I'm expecting some pain. I have always tried to make it painless, fun, part of my 'normal life' to be on a plan, but it's been a while and I am still not at goal...so now I am expecting some inconvenience, etc. When I have a rough spot, and I move past it, I feel that much stronger. If I didn't have so much steam built up, I'm not sure I would have made it through the BIG PLATEAU. I told myself over and over that this was the LAST diet I would be on, and so what if I was hungry, or if I wanted french fries, etc., that I'd rather do with lessfor 6-12 months and live a lot longer! Each night that I made it, each morning when the scale didn't move, I got stronger. It was torture at times, but I think the longer the plateau lasted, the more determined I got. Uh...sorry, I rambled!

Tummy - I knew from when I was on WW in 1999 that when I started exercising I didnt lose weight for a few weeks because I was gaining muscle... I am glad that I helped you make the connection!

Jennifer makes a GREAT point about keeping things moving! I am having trouble with the solids though! Do those of you on induction have any tips for me? I have been drinking the psyllum husks in water every morning but that doesnt seem to help a whole lot. Should I drink it more than once a day? Do Fiber Tablets help?

Any suggestions would be great!

Karen, I have the same problem with solids. I haven't been able to find the psyllum husks. Where did you get yours? It wasn't as bad when I was eating the sugar free snacks. I cut those out though as I thought they may have been contributing to my stall. I'm doing Atkin's fat fast now and there is't much fiber on that menu. The good thing is that I started it on Monday and have lost 3 of the 4 pounds that had found me. I thought that was pretty good since TOM arrived as well.

SuperSized - I got the psyllum husks at GNC. They dont taste all that great but I am trying to add more daily to see that helps.

Thanks Karen! I'll check them out. I'm desperate for anything.

I buy psyillum husk at the local natural food store. It doesn't say husk, it says COLON CLEANSE on the front, and has a lovely cartoon drawing of a colon! The ingredients are 100% psyllium husk. LOADS cheaper than buying metamucil, which is husk and SUGAR.

Karen, I put quite a bit in my smoothie in the mornings. I don't have one every day, but I guess I put 1-1.5 tablespoons in it. I have worked up to that - don't do it all at once! Between that, PLENTY of water (vital to the bowels) and salads every day, I do pretty well. Eating the 3 cups of salad a day is important. Taking husk before each meal would be ok - South Beach Diet recommends it as a tip to lower the GI index of a meal.

Thanks for the info Jennifer. There is a health food store just a couple of minutes from where i live. How much did y'all start out with?

Thanks for the tip Jennifer!

I do drink 120 oz of water a day, and eat 2 to 3 cups of salad. Add to that the 1 tsp of psyllum husks in my 12 oz of water in the morning.. sigh. I might try the smoothie idea. what do you put in your smoothies?

I'm down one more pound but this just puts me back to where I was at beginning of week. If we lose power for long I'll probably have to eat a lot of hamburger meat and drop the fat fast temporarily. Power is starting to flicker again. good luck to all of you. Stay safe if you're also catching the effects of Isabel.

I guess I'm lucky. Even though I don't eat a lot of fiber, I still haven't had to resort to psyllium although I do have a jar of sugar free Metamusil on hand just in case. Of course "dumps" aren't what they used to be and not as frequent but still fairly regular. (what a subject but important!) There's nothing worse than feeling all bound up and bloated.

Perhaps a sprinkling of ground flax seed on your salads might help with this problem. Are you eating enough fat? Fat can help lubricate things down there to keep things moving along.

Yesterday, I checked my stats on Fit Day and realized that I'd only had 850 calories. I was so afraid of blowing things at the pot luck lunch I attended that I erred on the side of caution. So, I had my last remaining Atkins Advantage bar. I'm not going to buy any more of them because I'm positive they knock me right out of ketosis. In fact, even with my calories so low, fat intake at about 79% and my carb count about 15, I'm still barely showing the slightest bit of pale mauve on test strips. I think we probably shouldn't take those things too seriously. WhenI first went on Atkins in my 30s I used to eat more carbs than I do now and I was deep purple at any time of the day. I think other factors come into play as we age including various medications having an effect on blood glucose levels. So, I'm trying not to obsess about the damned ketone test strips. Sheesh! Always something to worry about.
I think the Body Flex plan is starting to benefit. Further report on Monday.

I drink about 120 ounces of water a day. I also take 4 HyVee fiber tablets per day. 2 in the a.m, 2 in the p.m. I don't do as well on salad as I should. I like it, but just don't seem to fit it into my schedule every day. I think the water is vital to staying regular. I also notice that my ankles don't swell as much when I have all my water for the day.

Karla