I'm sure this has been posted before but I felt the need to write anyway....maybe to just get if off my chest. I have been on Phase 1 for 11 days and maybe lost 1 pound. My scale seems to go up and down. One day I'm tickled...the scale actually shows I lost some weight, the next day it's back to where it was. I have been really trying hard to watch everything I put into my mouth. I have read almost every post and copied and made many of the wonderful recipes. Sometimes I feel the weight is just stuck...it has alway been hard for me to lose weight. I am active...play tennis a few times a week and stay busy. I try to drink water but I really don't like it much and I'm not sure why drinking water makes you lose weight. I read from Dr. A that everyone is different in the amount of water their bodies need and not to think about quantity as much as drinking when you are thirsty...makes sense to me. I try to eat lots of veggies too. I'm wondering if I should try another diet. I'm not necessarily concerned about how much I weigh but how my clothing fits. I really only want to lose 8-10 pounds...you would think it would be easy...wrong I must say all you ladies have been an inspiration to me and I love reading all the messages.

Actually its harder to lose 8-10 pounds than more. How much exercise and what kind are you doing? That tones up your body and builds muscle so your weight may not change but your clothes will fit better. Do you weigh and measure your portions or just guess. With so little to lose, portion control is really critical.

I'm sorry to say that since you don't have much to lose, you aren't going to be seeing those huge drops during Phase 1. A better way to think of it is in terms of percentage - by losing a pound, you've lost 10% of your goal. That is a huge accomplishment.

Maybe you could post a typical days menu and have some of the "experts" here take a look. You may be lacking in some areas or getting too much in others.

As far as water goes - some people need to train themselves to like water. Apparently the lack of flavor is a problem for some - if this is you, try adding a flavor (cut a lime or a lemon, even oranges or cucumbers deliver a great taste).
Water is very important to weight loss. While it is true that each person requires different amounts, waiting until you are thirsty means that your body is already dehydrated. Your level of thirst is not a good indicator for your level of hydration. It takes about two hours for anything you drink to have an effect on your hydration level - if you feel thirsty, you're two hours behind!

Here are some links as to why water is crucial to weight loss.
http://www.inch-aweigh.com/water.html
http://www.freedieting.com/drinking_water.htm
http://www.webmd.com/diet/news/20040...ed-weight-loss

You may also want to re-evaluate how many calories your body needs...as a person loses weight, they need fewer calories to maintain and to lose. What once made you lose might make you maintain now. http://www.ahealthyme.com/topic/calneed Try this site.
After you find how many calories your body needs to maintain and to lose, be very diligent about how many calories you are consuming. Log every morsel that crosses your lips and get an accurate reading of how many calories you consume in a day.

I think you're expecting too much, too fast.

11 days is not all that long AND ... when you only have a little weight to lose, it doesn't come off as fast. A healthy rate of loss is 1% of your bodyweight per week. If you currently weigh 155 lbs, then you should expect an average of 1.5 lbs per week.

Now, the part about AN AVERAGE is really important. Because some weeks you'll lose weight more and some weeks you won't lose at all. Maybe you ate a lot of salt. Maybe you are starting your period. Maybe you exercised hard an dyour muscles are retaining water. There are a ton of reasons why you might not lose one week. Don't give up. YOu need to look at what happens over the long haul, rather than day by day or even week by week.

Also I agree with everything Zeffryn said. Drink lots of water - sometimes when we're not used to drinking water, our thirst mechanisms can be screwed up.

And maybe post what you're eating on a daily basis and we can help you see if there are any imbalances or maybe you're getting more salt than you think you are .. or something like that.

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Thanks Photochick & Zeffryn...great advise. It does get discouraging at times. I'll be away next week and will certainly try to stay on target. Will write down what I consume when I return. Perhaps I am eating too much food for my body even though they are on the list. 4 cups of vegetables seems like a lot to me. I usually only eat one egg and 2 pcs of turkey bacon in the morning. Lunch is usually turkey or ham rolled in low fat swiss cheese. I keep string cheese to eat as snacks (mid morning & mid afternoon). I have been eating the breakfast cheesecake for my dessert at night. Maybe I'm eating too much cheese.

Honestly I don't think you're eating too much cheese - esp if it's low fat cheese.

It sounds to me - if what you describe is anywhere near accurate - like you're not eating enough. Hard to say for sure based on what you've written, but you shouldn't go below 1200 calories a day, no matter what your weight. So maybe do a quick rough calculation and see where you fall.

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I agree with PC. I know that 4 cups of veggies does seem like a lot, but if you strive to have some at each meal and at least one snack - you shouldn't have a problem. I don't even see veggies in your morning or mid-day meal, nor your snacks.

Even low fat cheese needs to be limited to some extent, as it does have quite a few calories and not enough good nutrients to really devote that many of your daily calories to.

Try having at least a half cup of veggies for your morning meal, and at least a cup at your mid-day and evening meal. Round out your snacks with some cut veggies and different kinds of protein (whether it be a serving of nuts, or a piece of deli meat).

Thanks again. Think I will cut up some veggies (celery, cucumber, carrots) and keep them at the office to nibble on during the day. I think I can finally have carrots. I did find an herbal tea that has regulated my system because that was a problem also.

Glad it all worked out for you.

Realtor Rose, when you eat, it actually "revs" your metabolism. It takes a lot of work for you to digest vegetables, so eating them could definitely help your metabolism out. I'd definitely work on incorporating them more. Plus, they add nutrients and help keep you full so that you feel less deprived.

The chicks have given you great advice--you need to make sure you're eating enough, especially with your exercise--and with so little to lose (good for you!) it'll take time for it to come off.

Everyone needs different amounts of water, but I hope what Zeffryn posted helps you think about including more in your life. The best test of whether you're getting enough is to check the color of your urine. If it's very pale yellow (almost lacking in color), you're getting enough. The darker the color, the more dehydrated you are.

Glad to hear you are sticking with finding what works for you. You'll figure it out.