I just looked at your picture trail. First, can I say - you are so beautiful. I hope you know that. Second, let's explore why you lost weight on fat flush. On the pix there, were you at your lowest weight after doing FF? I have the book, but personally am not really up on what the plan is LONG TERM. Did you follow that stringent plan for more than two weeks? What worked for you about FF? Sometimes when you find a plan that works you can refer back to it.

I also want to say something else. I read Suzanne Somer's book on her diet plan (which I don't really recommend, but whatever). Anyway, she says for the first two months she didn't lose any weight on her own plan, then it started coming off. Sometimes your body does have to adjust to a new way of eating. If you were doing FF for a long time, your body may have to readjust to healthy eating. Just a thought. Don't look at your relatives. You are not them.

Even if you stay at 232 for the rest of your life, you can be healthy at that weight. I'm frustrated for and with you.

Thank you. It's nice of you to say. I did it from Feb 7 2005 until 2008ish...but...I lost weight so fast...11 lbs the first week. The picture with me and my dad was only 6 months later (in August) and I was 154lbs down from 223.5 ...that's 69.5 lbs and a cruise thrown in there. But man it was hard to live normal life like that. It's very strict. I ate no dairy, wheat, gluten, yeast, flour, sugar, salt, potato, pasta, etc...I had supplements...(flax seed oil and flax seeds, whey and GLA and CLA and Vitamins and unsweetened cranberry juice). Nothin processed. 2 fruits max per day and 8 oz meat per day (no pork). 2 eggs per day. It was hard to stay on it and the second I stopped...I blew up . And I didn't even binge to get back here...just blew up. I wanted to do it this time with regular food. Healthy but regular. I'm fine with no breads...really. I could care care about pasta. I've been doing south beach since February. It's April. And I did have 3 clean weeks of phase 1 before my first meal out. I only just started that a few weeks ago. I know you guys have all been there so thanks.

I don't think anyone can stay on a diet like that long term. As you can see. I'm sure you have answered this question, but what is your dairy intake on a normal day? That is the one thing I can think is allowed on SB that is not on FF, at least during Phase 1. Also remember with this diet, and so many others, you lose weight from the top down. Your pants might fit the same, but you might have lost in other places.

I have yogurt (nonfat plain) and cottage cheese (fat free) everyday. Sometimes milk too. I hear what your saying about size changing but I can't possibly stay 228lbs and be losing size. I have a lot of muscle (lifting for 14 years) under the fat. Oh, I'm a losing cause tonight. I thank you for being so understanding of my rants! I'm usually never like this. My husband doesn't know what to do because I am NEVER down. If there is a problem, I don't go into victim mode I go into fix it mode immediately. And now I'm in victim mode. I know it's bad. I feel like I deserve to stay here a while. I am out of helpful suggestions for myself.

Not telling you what to do...if it were me, I'd stay the course if I felt better physically. I'd monitor my BP daily and giveSBD some time. I'd keep up the workout schedule I wanted and would definitely watch measurement. I personally made a 6 mo committment to myself on SBD before I'd do anything else. I'm glad I did that because I had lots of ups and downs, which I call personal battles, during that time. One day I felt slender the next day I felt fatter than when I started. I wasn't very scientific about measurements, only keeping track of my waist. It's just a piece of string, but it worked for me.

This is a great support group. Everyone genuinely cares....I never had that before coming here.

I have been so impressed with your resilience and commitment. Honestly I don't think this diet or way of eating could have negative consequences for anyone. I hope you will stay!!! I and so many others are struggling too, but we're all in it together.

Just for the sake of ruling out something correctable... have you had your thyroid checked?

That fat flush sounds incredibly strict. And doing it for 3 years also may have negatively impacted your metabolism. I might work at eating 6 small meals a day (forgetting bfast, lunch, and dinner) just to try to get things going, though it would likely take time.

Just some thoughts, since everything else sounds like its in place.

just throwing it out there ever checked your thyroid? seems like you've tried just about everything. if you are true to what you say maybe you should do some labs. there could be other underlying problems.

I concur about the thyroid. I was always the healthy eater in the family, yet kept gaining. Lo and behold I have hypothyroid, now Hashimoto's. I'm trying to find the right dose to regulate my levels and then we'll see, but it makes weight loss THAT much harder when its slow. I FEEL YOUR PAIN!!!!!

I don't have any additional suggestions. You appear much more knowledgeable than I and it sounds like you are doing so much right. All I really want to say is that I understand how you feel and sincerely hope you can figure it out and that you will be staying with us. We all have walked in similar shoes and know what you are going through.

((((((HUGS))))))) to all of you. Thank you! I'm not going anywhere! I'm here for the duration regardless. Labs are ordered. I am hoping it is not thyroid because I do not want synthetic anything in me. I refuse to accept my blood pressure and I have no idea what I'm doing about weight but I'm going to keep trying. I have no other options. Re FF....I've been off it for some time so I don't think it has screwed up my system. You have no idea what losing that weight felt like....it was truly a gift. But this cannot be the only way and I am adamant that I find another. The 2 things I know about these last 6 weeks or so is that I lost 4.5 lbs in a month when my calories were lower and when I bumped them, then I had a gain. So according to the calorie counters, I should lower them...contrary to people saying I should rais them. I have averages of all weeks (6 weeks) and that is the only conclusion I can come up with. So...this week I lower. Still staying with SB principles for sure. I know bread and I don't get along. I'll keep you posted with my struggles Again, thank you so much for your support and advice and kind words. They have gone a long way to help me pick myself up. I'm still not right this morning but I don't usually stay down for long. <3

The ladies have given such wonderful advice!

I gotta say,when I read your thread on the bodyfit media, I was STUNNED to see the caloric recommendations that it had for you. I almost posted, but didn't want to be discouraging. I'm pretty active, and nearly the same height as you (five foot three and A HALF darned it!!!), and there's no way I'd ever lose weight at that calorie level. I'm not sure I trust that, if that's what you're using to determine your calorie level.

I really, really feel that south beach works, and hope you find it does for you too. When people say something about it, I just say it's "eating healthy". Good luck! You're in the right place!!

Have you tried the Wendie plan on WW? My cousin used it when she was at a plateau and it worked. I just heard about it, and I am going to start it. hrrp://www.angelfire.com/crazy4/ahealthylifestyle/WendiePlan.html

I'm going to try the Wendie plan I think. I sort of naturally Wendie b/c on the weekends I eat more than during the week, but I think I'm going to switch it around a bit. Saturday will be the day I'll eat most, less on Sunday, less on Monday, more on Tuesday, etc. Let me think about this for a while.

I also echo what Twynn said. I don't lose if I eat more than around 1300 calories a day. I don't necessarily believe that the more you weigh, the more calories you need. Bodies just don't seem that straightforward. Kmac, want to join me Wendie-ing?

I agree with MMC, I am very active and don't lose unless I'm eating 1500 cals or less on average.

I think Wendie-ing could be something to consider. It will jolt your metabolism. I also think that getting your thyroid checked would be a wise move. I have low thyroid levels, and have had to continue to have them checked every so often. It hasn't gotten so bad that I have had to take medication....yet. we'll see.