Hi all,
I have been lurking for a little while, but now is the time that I need to become vocal. I figure if anyone knows what to do, it will be you. You all seem to be so successful and helpful, maybe you have an idea I haven't thought of yet. I just finished phase 1 Friday. I lost around 5 lbs the first week, but since then, have hit a plateau and am now gaining it back. During week 2 of phase 1, I didn't gain but didn't lose and figured my body was just freaking out over the fast loss. Since then, I have started phase 2 and have gained it all back. I'm stuck and frustrated. Tonight, I got home from a terrible work day and gave up in a fit of tears and chocolate muffins. Now, I just feel bloated and disgusting. I don't understand the plateau and gain since I ate roughly the same things as the first week. Yes, I am drinking my water. Yes, I exercise 5 days a week. (That alone is quite an achievement since I am not into it and have to get up at 5am to do it.) Nothing seems to be working these days. I haven't cheated once-until today's binge, and have re-read the book for any clues as to what I've missed. Any advice or words of encouragement are welcome with my heartfelt thanks.

(((sodapop))) Welcome to the Beach! Sorry you're feeling frustrated. You didn't mention what type of exercise you're doing..but if you're doing weight bearing exercise, you might be building muscle fiber and it weighs more than fat. So, it's very possible you could be losing fat but not showing any weight loss.

Did you take your measurements before starting SBD? And have you taken them within the last few days? That might be a better yardstick for progress than what the scales say.

Forget about the muffins. Just hop back on the wagon, drink lots of water and keep doing all the things you did right. It'll happen!

Mamacita

Welcome to The Beach.
How much do you need to lose? Sometimes weightloss is very slow if you are close to the right weight.
Could you post a day's menu with amounts for us to check out?
And Mamacita is right, forget about the muffins. It's the long term that counts.

Hi Sodapop, SB is rife with plateaus, so don't get discouraged. It's a delicate subject, but some people on SB get constipated and will 'experience' their weight loss later. That might contribute to your recent regaining of weight. Also time of month could be a factor.

Definitely post your day's menu and some more experienced people can probably spot the culprit.

Keep your chin up!

Welcome to the Beach! Definitely keep with us, Sodapop! Some other things to keep in mind, though I may be stating the obvious:

Remember that consistency is the key to accurate weighing. Always weigh yourself at the same time of day, in the same (or similar) clothes and allow the same amount of time after eating/drinking/exercising.

Make sure that the scale is reading right. If it's at home, it should be on a level, firm surface. They tend to work better if they're in a place where they don't have to be moved often and they're away from heat and humidity. You might want to try weighing something with a known weight. I've heard a 5lb bag of flour or something would work. But since a scale can drift on the high end without drifting at the low end, I just weigh my husband or some of his free weights. If the scale is in a doctors office or gym, pretty much the same applies. Scales that are kept in a locker room can really drift from exposure to the shower humidity. Scales that are used a lot may need to be calibrated more frequently, so you might want to check with the nurse or gym manager if that is a concern.

Almost anything you put into your body can affect the scale. Have you changed any medications or dietary/herbal supplements recently? I could go on and on with suggestions on this topic and none of them may be true in your case. The scale can be a fickle friend!

Please just keep in mind that while you may be discouraged right now, if you hang out on the Beach longer, you will be able to see (and feel) more concrete results. Good luck!

I can sooooo relate to your problem. I do the same thing. I did stay on Phase 1 longer than the norm with the same results that you are experiencing. I did manage to lose (after 5 1/2 weeks of phase 1) 13 pounds. When I started phase 2, I noticed that my weight loss stalled the first day when I added 1 starch, and I started to gain the second day when I added 1 fruit (no starch).

I then started to add 1 serving every 2 to 3 days...the result was a plateau. Just the way my body processes starches and sugars. Soooo, I have been experimenting with adding fruits and starches and find that the best for me is to do 2 weeks of a modified phase 2 where I only add a starch/or sugar every few days. I consider this more a treat than a regular part of my eating plan. With this, I usually stay the same or gain slightly, but I am getting to recognize that as normal for me.

The 3rd week, I follow a strict phase 1 plan. This seems to kick start the weight loss again. I do try to schedule the phase 1 week around special events in my life. If I know that something is coming up that I want a little more latitude with my eating and it would generally fall on my phase 1 week, I do the phase 1 week the week before, rather than during the special event. That just gives me the peace of mind at the event that I have already deprived myself and earned the right to indulge a bit more.

This works for me, but you need to try different approaches to phase 2 and come up with a plan that works for your body and your metabolism. I was glad that I weighed myself each day when I was starting phase 2 because I would never have known that the normal phase 2 approach didn't work for me.

You can do this, but be flexible.

Gosh, you guys really are great. Thank you for the support and advice. I did jump right back on the wagon this morning and my disappointment has subsided. You know, I felt awful after eating that junk! That alone was enough to kick my butt back in gear. The scale is at the gym, but I think I'm just gonna forget about it at the moment. Feeling better is going to have to be enough for me. My dad had triple bypass earlier this year and knowing that I am being active in my health is what pushed me into this plan in the first place.
In a typical day, I would eat:
1 egg and 2 turkey bacon w/ pam spray & coffee w/ ff creamer
1 l/f string cheese or cottage cheese
1c. greek salad w/ olive oil and lemon and 1 packet sweet sue chicken breast
2 tb. peanut butter w/ celery
approx. 1 tuna steak w/ steamed veggies w/ spray butter
1 ricotta creme w/ cool whip lite
I just put in a call to my ob/gyn. I am on a trial of a new birth control seasonale and I am thinking this might be attributing to my problem. Also, if I have the munchies really bad, I would go overboard with the snack stuff like cashews or milk. I think I am going to journal for a while to see if I can catch myself, as well. Thank you so much.

Soda, it sounds like you are on the right track to figuring things out.

I didn't see a ton of veggies in your plan...could you add some into breakfast? Like a veggie omelet, or throw some salsa in with a scrambled egg? That might help with either constipation, muchies, or getting the weight to move.

Also, the FF creamer and the Cool Whip have sugar in them...if you use more than the serving size, that could affect your loss. I would use Cool Whip Free because the hydrogenated oils in the Lite are horrific stuff!

Make sure you don't go overboard with the nuts...that can totally affect loss.

And I think what you said about feeling healthy is the most important thing of all! : Feeling good and healthy is what this plan is about, IMHO. You learn a way to eat that makes you feel good enough not to do anything else for the rest of your life!

Glad you're here and hope you keep posting! Let us know what you find out about your pill...I think I need to change mine and I'm a little nervous about what it's going to do to my loss!