Hi Everyone! I started SB on Friday but got really serious on Sunday. I've been following the book, eating 3 good meals, having a snack only when I need it (not for the last 2 days) drink a lot of water, 1 small cup of tea w/ a pinch of FF powder and 1 splenda a day, 1 V8 with breakfast and a diet 7 up once in a while. I excersize every day but I just can't get the scale to move! I've been dieting most of my adult life and I've tried different things but I really hoped that SB would be it! I'm not looking for the huge losses that I hear about, I'd be happy with a pound or 2 to start. Any advice on what I could change? Thanks.

So sorry you are feeling frustrated Alicat. Sometimes the scale isn't really the best indicator of weight loss. Whenever I diet, I can't even look at a scale on a weekly basis or even monthly (going to the Dr. for blood tests every month and getting weighed is driving me bananas).

The thing that is making me feel better about losing weight is realizing that my jeans that I about busted out of 2 weeks ago are starting to look better around my thighs. Plus I am just plain feeling healthier since starting the SBD. I have no idea if I actually lost any weight or not but it almost seems like it is besides the point as this diet truly helps you become more healthy IMHO.

Also, did you consider that you may be getting more muscle tone? Muscle weighs more than fat so you may be losing inches but the scale won't reflect that.

Good luck and don't give up!

Thanks for the encouragement Adrianna! Nothing fits me any better yet but I'm going to try to stick with it a little while longer and see where it goes. I was hoping to be one of those people who dropped a bunch of pounds the first week but oh well. I'll keep you posted on my progress, (if there is any) and I'll keep visiting the SB boards for support. I did just go food shopping and bought all good food so hopefully that will keep me motavated!
THANKS AGAIN!

Everyone's experience with this diet seems to be different. I hear about people who didn't lose anything the first week and then lost several pounds the second. I personally lost 7 pounds the first week and only 1 pound the second. Give it some and I'm sure you'll see some weight come off. The only thing I can think of is to make sure you're eating enough. If you eat too few calories your metabolism will stall.

Hang in there and good luck!

Maybe you should make sure you have your snacks whether you need them or not. That is what my book said to do. That way you won't be ravenous at mealtimes, keep your blood sugar level. That might get the scale moving. I am eating fairly regularly and I'm losing pretty well.

Also do you have a lot or a little to lose? That might make a difference if you only have like 5 lbs to lose instead of 50. I find if I drink lots of water, even beyond the minimum, I lose easier. Flushing the fat out I guess! You exercise could be giving you muscle like the others have said too.

I wish you all the luck.

Everyone loses differently, Alicat. I don't think you're the first not to lose on week one. I'll bet you drop several during week two. You're doing great... keep at it!

Ali -- you are doing great. I WOULD have your snacks whether you need them or not though -- it helps to stabilize your metabolism. Also, make sure you are eating all approved foods for your meals.

If I work out and try to loose, it takes me about 2 weeks to see the scale go down at all. But when it does, it's significant [3+ pounds]. I am having tht problem now. I went up while trying to stick out phase 1 for an extra week. Took one day back on plan and I am back down. But I have not been to the gym, which is wreaking havoc on how I feel in general. I try to tell myself not to care about the scale, but I do.

Also, remember that the less you have to lose, the slower the number moves !

Thanks for the encouragement Ladies! First it gave me the strength to add my weight and goal to my signature and second I think it has inspired me to stick out the rest of induction and see what happends. I think I will start eating the snacks and maybe even dessert. Maybe it will help. Last night was so hard I almost caved. My husband took me out to dinner. I was so tempted to get a burger! Instead I got clams cassino (clams, spinach, garlic a little butter and lemon) and a grilled salmon salad with vinagrette. I wasn't really satisfied with it but at least I didn't cheat! By this morning I was so discouraged that I was considering throwing in the towel but then I saw all these posts and decided that I should keep trying. Although this weekend I may allow myself a glass of wine even though it's not allowed yet. I'll be at a bar with my husbands grad school buddies and I don't feel like explaining about the diet.
Thanks a bunch girls!

Hi, Alicat!

I might be wrong, but I think that along with the suggestions everyone had here (which are great!), you might want to watch the little things during Phase 1. Butter is not a good choice on any phase (not that I didn't eat any last week while out!), and the FF powder for the coffee probably has a ton of sugar. That alone might put your blood sugar enough out of whack to affect the diet. Did the vinaigrette have sugar in it? So hard to know. If your DH's buddies don't understand how much your health is worth, don't hang out with them! Or maybe you can get water with a twist of lemon in a cocktail glass...if they ask, say it's gin and water or some such thing. Fake them out!

I guess I just think that if you are going to keep yourself from yummy things like cheeseburgers, you might as well get the great results of phase 1. If you cheat here and there (even unintentionally) and don't lose, then it's like you did all that other suffering for nothing, you know?

That said, I mess up a lot (see my post about the 3 bean salad...ack!), and I agree with those who mentioned that the weight is not as important as our health and how we feel! I wish you tons of luck, Alicat!

jenn, do you still have enough energy when you go to the gym? anyone else have any problems with excercising?

Hi, FutureJBondGirl

Awesome name!

I know your question was directed to Jenn, but here's mho: when I go to the gym now, I do not have more or less energy, but I tire less quickly. And I feel much more powerful and in control! However, I am exhausted afterwards, but that is how I usually feel. Since I am doing more exercise than before, I suppose it makes sense.

Are you having trouble?

Beachgal,
I haven't been using butter and my creamer, which I don't use everyday, has 0 sugar. I used the resturant vinagrette sparingly and it seemed nice and bitter. Altogether, I may have lost a pound and I'm half way through my second week. I think I'm turning into a leafy green.....

Future007---I am pretty much fine when I go to the gym. I think it's more so just laziness than anything else. The key for me is hydration -- I try to drink a lot of water in the hour before I go to the gym. The more hydrated you are, the longer you will last working out.

But honestly, I took that first week off to get used to eating like this...