Please help- this is so difficult and I'm very frustrated. I have followed this diet to the letter. In Phase One, I actually followed the menu in the book verbatim and lost 8 pounds in the first 2 weeks.

But then I switched to Phase Two and everything has gone to ****. I do NOT understand it. I monitor my calories BOTH in my head and on Fitday.com. I eat 1500 calories every day. I currently weigh 165 pounds, and this has not budged a single ounce in three weeks. I do vigorous cardio 30 minutes at a times every other day, and in my off days, I do 20 minutes of hand weights for strength building.

There seems to be no explanation whatsoever for my failure to lose weight. In the end, it all comes down to calories, right? I know for a fact that I am burning more calories than I consume. So what's going on? Any help would be much appreciated.

*edited to say that I am also following Phase Two requirements closely. I have not added anything back in that is not allowed. Also, I have *always* been able to lose weight in the past by restricting calories.*

Post a menu and we'll see if something jumps out. I've had plateaus of 3 or 4 weeks before and they always break eventually. Are you getting enough water? Are you eating enough vegetables? 4 1/2 cups a day is the suggested amount.

Apple, raw (3-1/4" dia): 125
Cheese, Cheddar lowfat (.25 cup): 59
Egg substitute, (.50 cup): 128
Tomato juice (5.5 oz.): 28
Tuna salad with cheese (1 cup): 358
Onions, young green, raw (4, 4-1/8" long): 32 0 7 2
Artichoke, globe (French), cooked, from canned, NS as to fat added in cooking (1 cup): 147
Mixed salad greens, raw (3 cups): 27
Cheese, Blue or Roquefort (.25 cup): 119
Beef steak, fried, lean and fat eaten (5 oz.): 367
Strawberries, raw, medium (8, 1-1/4" dia): 29
Yogurt, vanilla, nonfat milk, sweetened with low calorie sweetener, (cup8 oz container): 105

Totals 1524 67 123 122


Here's a typical day copied from Fitday. I guess I just don't understand how it's possible that I'm not losing weight. It's all about calories, right?

How much do you need to lose, Sarah? Your food looks good.
I wonder if there is a bit too much saturated fat - I see three cheeses and a steak with lean and fat eaten. Yes, it is about calories but it's also about choosing good fats and good carbs. Some whole grains or legumes could be added to the plan for some of the calories in the cheese and meat. What is the fitday balance for carbs, protein and fat?
As Barb says, we do stall and it eventually moves again. I stalled at 212 for about 4 months!

I have no answers for you, but I feel your pain. I've been on South Beach since early January. First week, 5 pounds gone. Second week, 1 pound gone. Third week, I'm up a pound. Now I'm halfway through the fourth week and still around 6 pounds total gone.

Meanwhile, dear hubby has lost 16 pounds. Yes, I hate him.

I've posted menus before and everyone says they look good. I *know* I'm eating WAY less than I used to be, so I guess I just have to hope that it'll come off eventually. I mean, how can't it? But it's still frustrating beyond belief.

Are you getting your water in? Is the exercise new for you? These two things can effect weight loss. Good luck to you! I hope the scale starts moving downward

That's why I keep giving up, but I've been doing some thinking on my portion sizes. I realized that for 3 nights I made WW couscous, I ate more than 2 times the serving size, I'm not drinking enough, not exercising at all. This week will be different for me. So as long as you know you're doing the right thing, the weight loss will come.

I would try having only one serving of fruit a day. If I eat more than that, I can't lose either.

Sarah, I empathize with your frustration. This dieting thing can really make your brain hurt! I've been on a plateau for two months and am trying so hard to figure it out!!!

Are you drinking enough water? That could be an issue. The exercise sounds good, but you may need to vary it from time to time to make it really work. Try doing an hour of weights instead of 20 mins. Are you lifting until you cannot lift the weight any more? If you are doing the same exact lifting with the same weights you may not be building any new muscle. Try the Ladies Who Lift forum for more tips on how to add in exercises and build muscle.

The fact that your weight has stayed the same for this long could be that you are building muscle and losing fat...are you measuring your fat or your inches? Do your clothes fit any better? Like I said, I've been plateaued for months, but I lost 6.5 inches in the last month...one of them off my waist! Something is happening, even though it's not reflected on the scale...

Like Ruth, I saw a lot of satuated fat, and some salt...you could be retaining water.

I hope you can figure this out...I'm rooting for you!!!

SarahDF, where are you? I notice you've not been online since posting this.

How are things going?

I'm down a pound (finally) bringing me to 7 pounds lost. Not as much as I'd like, but the diet is really so easy I don't mind staying on it longer.

I wanted to let you know what just happened to me. I am copying a post from another (non-diet) board I frequent. Any explanations?

Please explain this to me. I am so confused. I have been dieting and hit a plateau. I'm doing the South Beach Diet so there's no sugar allowed and restricted simple carbohydrates. I lost 10 pounds right away and then totally hit a wall. For three weeks, I didn't lose an ounce. Finally, earlier this week I became so frustrated that I binged. I ate an entire box of cinnamon Life cereal in two days. Today I woke up from the second day. I decided to see how much damage I'd done, so I weighed myself. I HAVE LOST TWO POUNDS.

I've been weighing myself every single day for the past three weeks and it hasn't budged so much as a single ounce. Now I eat like a banshee and I lose two pounds in two days???

Simple...your body thought you were in starvation mode and was holding on to its fat. When you binged, it was relieved that the famine was over and dropped the weight it had been holding. This probably means that your calorie consumption and energy expenditure were wrong.

That makes sense. I am currently at 163 pounds and I WAS eating exactly 1500 calories a day before the binge. Do you think I should go up to 1700 or something? Or stay at 1500 but have a 2200 day once a week?

And as far as exercise, do you suppose this means I should exercise more, less, or just differently? I'd really love some advice to help me continue the weight loss. Thanks so much!

Sarah