Help, I have been staying OP and exercising 3 - 5 times a week. What am I doing wrong???

Since Jan 18, I have been messing with the same pound. Up 1/2 down 1, stay the same, up 1/2.

I am getting discouraged but not going to quit. Just don't get it.

I quit all pop and now drink water or tea. I do get all my water in and then some. Eat the fruits and veggies

HELP
any suggestions are truely appreciated

Check out the plateau thread in the Library forum. Perhaps something in it will give you an idea. For me, I found I was getting lazy about writing down every BLT (bite, lick, and taste).

Jilly's Mom,
Hang in there. You have been doing great. Those last pounds are difficult to lose. Also, depending on what type of exercise you are doing, you might be trading fat for muscle.
I would check out the articles on plateaus, they are very helpful. I've also had a few plateaus in my weight loss journey. I know it can be frustrating but DON'T GIVE UP because it is just around the corner. You can do this
~~~Sil

I would do like has been suggested go to our Library Forum and read the plateau article/thread. There is alot of helpful hints and tips about what might cause it.

You didn't really give us much to go on but my 2 big questions are:

1) where are you eating in your points range? Are you eating enough for the activity you do?

2) are you getting in 2 points in real fats a day?

Jilly's Mom -
What is your weight right now? Just wondering, because maybe your body has a different weight goal in mind for you than you do...

If I remember correctly, you do Jazzercise, right? Maybe, it goes back to the old "you can't lose weight and inches at the sae time" Maybe you've lost inches...

Just my 2 cents

Lisa K.

This is exactly where I am right now. I am losing inches but not pounds.....and trust me, I have a lot left to lose. I am doing all that I am supposed to, eating at the lower end of my points range, exercising (which I usually hate to do!, eating more than enough fruits and veggies, drinking three litres of water daily...I don't eat salt or drink pop.

I was truly psyched for a big loss this week and last. Last week, I lost 0.6 and this week, I gained 0.6. I'm ready to throw in the towel.

HELP!!!! I am so frustrated!

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Work like you don't need the money; love like you've never been hurt; and dance like no one is watching.

I always forget to mention losing the inches and not pounds. During 1 6-month (yes months) period I went from size 16 jeans to size 12 jeans without a budge on the scale.

spinksy - you might try to eat at the middle or high end of your points, depending on the level of activity you are doing. With that exercise, you need to fuel your body!!! Try it for a couple of weeks and see how your WI's go...



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Starting Weight = FLUFFY Current Weight = LESS FLUFFY Goal Weight = DE-FLUFFED
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If first you don't succeed - eat a snickers and try again!

Spinsky - Your quote/signature has always been one of my favorites.
I always used to like to say Dance like no one is watching and love like your heart will never break!

Lisa K.

Thanks everyone.
I weigh 156 1/2, and am 5'4". I have lost 4 inches in my waist and 4" in my hips which I am proud of.
Got a massage today and my lady had been on vacation for 3 weeks and was shocked at how much muscle I had aquired and how toned up I had gotten from the last time I had a massage. (Made me feel REAL good)

I ususally don't eat all my points. A lot of times I am just not hungry enough. If I go over on points I usually try to do it with fruits. I feel like you can't get too fat eating grapes and bananas!!!

Great Job Kelly S on the inches thing. What a great feeling.
Also I guess I don't know what you mean by real fats. Could you define further?

Thanks again. PLEASE Keep up the good support.

Lord knows I need it.

real fats "butters, margarines, real salad dressing, oils" try to get in at least 2 points a day in these.

O.K. I do try to watch those kind of things, such as using spray oleo and FF or reduced cal. dressings. Would that have an effect on losing. I also have a hard time getting my milks in because of the point values.
Thank you soooo much, Kelly s. You add tons to this board.

Jillysmom: You say that you usually don't get in all of your points---by this, do you mean that you do not reach your minimum level? If so, then your body might have entered its self-protective mode, whereby metabolism slows in response to perceived "starvation." If you're exercising regularly, you need to get those points in----and may even need to exceed your point range by using earned exercise points.

Kelly's right---you need to make sure you get at least a couple points' worth of "good" fat in each day. This is one of the easiest ways to boost point intake without overstuffing. Personally, I steer clear of margarine, because its trans-fatty acids scare me more than the animal fat in butter (which I only rarely use). Instead, I use olive oil in my salad dressing, toss a handful of almonds into things here and there, add flax seed to my oatmeal, use peanut butter, etc. I know that my diet does not provide all of the essential fatty acids I need, so I also supplement my intake with GLA (the essential fatty acid in evening primrose oil---great for PMS).

Another thing you might want to consider is the way you are distributing your points across the food groups. The Week 4 (I think) booklet contains a questionnaire that helps you determine whether your satisfied with a diet higher in carbs, higher in protein, or one that is balanced. For each of these approaches, there is a suggested distribution of points. I know that I do not do well with many refined carbs--following the higher-protein plan (which isn't high-pro, low-carb like Atkins by any stretch of the imagination) has made a tremendous difference for me, both in terms of how I feel and how I lose. If you don't have the info, feel free to email me ([email protected]) and I'll be happy to pass them on to you. I also have journals for each of the three approaches--makes it easy to just check off boxes to make sure you get in all of the good things your body needs to run efficiently.

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Betsy
Walking is also ambulation of the mind
Gretel Ehrlich

Thanks, I do eat at least 1 tablespoon of Peanut butter a day.
I also eat at least the minium amount of points but somedays I can't eat the amount I have accumulated because of exercise. I do try to eat a little more the next day to compensate for that. Most of the time I am in the middle of my points range, 22-23 and I feel very satisfied. I eat 5 -6 veggies/fruits a day, the only thing I have a hard time getting in is my 2 milks, I can usually get 1 but 2 is hard unless I eat cheese but those points really add up!!!

Thanks for the replies. You guys are great

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"With God all things are possible"

Your PB is like 1 protien and 1 fat per tablespoon. 1 cup of skim milk is 2 points; 1 8 oz aspartame sweetened yogurt is 2 points; 1 cup of sugar-free pudding made with skim milk is 2 points. Dairy products don't have to be expensive in points. I do do lactose well so I take Viactiv for my dairy. However if you look at the basic EATING BY THE NUMBERS:

Complex carbs: 6-9 points
Protein: 6-8 points
Fats: 2-3 points
Dairy: 4-6 points
Fruits/Veggies: 0-3 points

and if you eat the minimum suggested points it totals 18. And that leaves 7 for 1-2-3 Success/10% Difference and 5 for Winning Points to play with other things.

Also with the exercise you do you probably need to eat at least mid- to high-range otherwise your body thinks it is starving.