I need help. I'm 6'3', I work out 3 times a week when time allows. I started LAWL about a month ago and have lost and gained the same 3-4 lbs every week. I did TO last week and lost 3.9 lbs. So far I've gained 2 back. I'm currently on the Purple plan, but not sure if that is best. I need any help I can get. I need to get these last 40 lbs off.
I get all my servings in and weight most of my food. I do drink on the weekends but have limited that to match my servings. I do have a small SF chocolate/peanut habit that I'm trying to break.

Any advice would be GREATLY appreicated. TIA


I was on LAWL a couple years back and did ok. Went off for 2yrs and gained 90lbs. Lost it all with Atkins. But I still had 40 to lose in the first place.

Please try this if you like chocolate..

1 tablespoon baking cocoa 1 starch
1 to 1 1/2 cup frozen strawberries and 1/4 to 1/2 banana 2 fruits
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 oz fat free yogurt 1 dairy
water (just enough to make it easy to blend)
also, you could add some espresso powder or some decaf coffee
or add a portion of peanut butter 1 fat or a protein depending on plan

Blend in a blender until smooth. It will be the consistency of ice cream or a milkshake, depending on how much water you add.


Very good and will help with chocolate cravings.


Much love to you all! I am greatly inspired by everyone.

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My guess would be that you should be at least on the red plan if not higher. I don't know all the details (age, sex, activity level) nor am I an expert so that would just be my guess...you need to be eating more

REally? Well i'm a 30 yo, female (hi! I just added a pic) I work out 3 times a week, work normal hours, 8-5 and do school online at night.
maybe I will try the red plan next week and see waht happens.
Anyone know or can directed me to the plan breakdown ( size, amounts)

The red plan is typically for people that still need to lose 80-100 pounds but everyone is different so you could definitely try it. It's 2.5 proteins, 3 starch, 3 fruits, 3 veggies, 2 dairy, and 3 condiments. Chicken is 8oz and most beef is 6oz. Veggies are typically 1/2 cup cooked or 1 cup raw. Fruits are probably the same...half of a banana, small orange or apple, 3/4 cup pineapple. Most condiments are 1tbsp.

That's what I thought also, that it was for people who had more to lose than me. I have forty lbs I want to lose, I already lost 100 and gained some back around the holidays. Oooh 2 dairy? I think I will try it for a week and see what happens.

Congrats on your weight loss!
If you're taking in too many calories you will gain weight - so red may be too much for you.
How long have you been on purple? Sometimes you will hit a plateau as your body adjusts to what you've been doing. If you think this could be the case the best thing is to shake up the "diet" and spend a weekend eating regular foods then going back on your normal plan the third day.
Also, if you are drinking alcohol - each drink should really count for 1 starch and 1 fruit, and may be you could try SF pudding and nuts for the fix and it will still be "on plan"
Hope this helps

I think the red plan is too much food too, but i'm trying it this week to see what happens. I've been on purple 3 wks. I may switch though before the weekend is over, its hard getting in all that food, namelt the third starch and third fruit.
the days I drink I save all my starches or fruit, depending on what I plan on drinking. Wine= fruit and hard liquor=starch
I thought SF pudding was a starch? that's why i havent eaten it before.

When I was counseling, we always told eveyone that any alcohol would count as both the starch and the fruit (too make up for the empty calories), and you are correct about the pudding.
Good luck!

What it will really boil down to is consistency. Your activity is not enough to increased your plan to Red IMO. Alcohol can really hurt your progress, even if it is within your allowed servings. And, unless your food is already weighed out for you, you really need to weigh it. There's a restaurant guide in the back of most of the menu plans that can help you when dining out. Little cheats, little bites- all of those things can take hyour from weight loss right into maintenance before you are ready.

Try something like this:

Breakfast: 1/2 protein, 1 fruit, 1 dairy
(aim for dairy products that are higher in protein (example Greek nonfat yogurt) and try to use pure protein, eggs, meat, etc as oppose to nuts or nut butters on a daily basis unless you are truly measuring it out

LA

Lunch: 1/2 protein, 1 starch, 1 fruit, 1 veggie

1/2 LA, 1 fruit

Dinner: 1 protein, 1 starch, 1 veggie, 1 fat

1/2 LA

I usually space things out like this:

b- 1/2 P,1F,1D,1S 1Ft
la 1F
Lunch- 1P(on red this week) 1/2 P ( on purple) 2V, 1S,
1F
D 1P,2V
lite

I have also started substituting one shake for one of my lites.
I will be going back to Purple next week. I have lost the same 2 lbs so Im back where I started prior to switching to red.
I maybe drink once a weekend, never during the week.

Hmmm.... Alcohol does cause many people to not lose well. You could try going for a week or two without and see if it makes a big difference for you to not have that. I know it is allowed, but some people can get away with it and for some their body does not handle it well. You might be in the does not handle it well and may have to put off having much until you get to maintenance. I do think based on your great height that perhaps you might do OK on Red, but it is really hard to say, since everyone is different. For me eating more works better if my metabolism is being turned down by cutting calories too much. I can tell if this is the case by the way I feel.. cold, tired and hungry most of the time (I've actually taken my temp and been 96 instead of 98 degrees). Somehow I think if you were contantly hungry and cold you would not be complaining of too much food. Are you losing during the week and gaining on the weekends? This is my own personal problem, and it is not the diet, it is the adherance to the diet on the weekends.... Even with being perfect all week, you can easily undo all your work. Of course perhaps that is just my personal problem and not yours.

Alcohol is a definete diet killer, even though we're allowed a small amount with the plan.

I was on the red plan when I started and did really well with it.

It's VERY hard to wrap your mind around the fact that you have to eat more to lose weight, but believe it.. You may have to force yourself to do it at first, but it will become easier to do.

Another thing that makes me believe you need to eat more is the fact that you work out. Any time you do a lot of physical activity, your body holds onto what you give it to help you recover.. So if you're not eating enough, your body will go into starvation mode and hold onto every gram of sugar, salt and fat you feed it.

Can you time your workouts so that when you're done, you can immediately take in lean proteins and a fruit serving? By doing this immediately after you get home, your body will use the food to continue burning calories and it will go a LONG way to help you recover.

The other thing I would suggest is to make sure you get rid of your starch servings early in the day.. Have them with breakfast or an early lunch, so that your not eating breads, pasta, rice or potatoes with dinner. Believe me, this will make a difference!!

On edit...

1. make sure you're cutting out every kind of processed, pre-packaged food you can. Avoid processed deli meats and cheeses with a passion!!

2. When you do drink, only go with what is allowed on the plan.

3. strict adherance to the plan during the first few months of the process is vital. Any deviation for most people, will not result in good things. After a few months, when your body is better able to process out any crappy food, you'll be better able to survive a few small cheats, but don't press your luck..

4. SALT SALT SALT.. Gotta cut it out as much as you can, but make sure you intake what is called for on the plan. Processed meats and cheeses are FULL of sodium, as are canned veggies and soups... Say goodbye to them... Even the "low sodium" stuff contains WAY too much...

Barbarb
I decided to cut the drinking this week and see how I do, on purple without it. Its really not that much anyway, I used to drink alot more and still loss when I was on Atkins. I am cold, ALL THE TIME, always have been. Some days i'm starving by the time I get off work (5) sometimes I'm not.
I think its alot of food b/c I'm not used to all the starch or fruit for that matter, I'd much rather have another dairy than 3 starches. I lose during the week and gain a little on the weekends. I stick to my schedule but sometimes I dont get all my food or lites in. Also i snack on Peanuts ALOT when I'm at home. when I'm at work I only can eat what I bring for lunch and breakfast.

I jsut need to figure out what works soon. I have spring and summer clothes that I cant wear, but could wear them last year. It's stressing me out along with everything else. It amazes me that I gained back 25 lbs in two months.

Well I cut the drink this weekend and lost but now I'm up the 2lbs i lost over the weekend. I'm soooo fustrated! I'm thinking of just going back to Low carb and seeing if that helps me. It makes me soo upset and as stressed out as I am I dont need to worry about this too.