Michelle - assuming you don't have any unknown illnesses or medical problems, I'm sort of surprised you are not losing, especially since you are POP.
Are you drinking enough water?
Quote:
Overweight people tend to need more water, because fat cells hold more water than other fat cells in the body. To determine the number of ounces of water you need per day, divide your weight by two. For example, a person who weighs 140 pounds should consume 70 ounces, or about 9 cups. Of course, this is an estimate. The best way to gauge whether you are getting enough water is to monitor the color of your urine. If you're drinking enough, it should be the color of pale straw. If it is a deeper yellow, you're not getting enough fluids
Are you getting enough rest? are you measuring your portions? Avoiding BLTs? I have to say that I don't really agree that "working a night shift" messes with ones metabolism. Seems like there has to be something else slowing you down.
Some tips in the past have been:
-Try to split her meals into 5-6 mini meals each day, and plan each meal to contain some protein or dairy in each. Eating frequently can help to keep metabolism active and burning through out the day.
- Make sure you are getting a variety of all foods, and not eating the same type of foods at the same times, everyday. The body gets use to burning the same types of foods, so mixing it up can help to jump start metabolism. Try including a Carb craver menu items or some new recipes from the cookbook-to add variety and introduce new foods.
You said you've been on the program only 4 weeks and have lost almost 8 lbs (according to your ticker) which is almost at the 2 lbs/week mark, which is good and healthy, but I understand your frustration.
Another good article I have on this subject:
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A Positive Spin On Those Frustrating Weight Loss Plateaus ediet newsletter - April 13, 2000 by Cyndi Thomas, N.D.
We live in a society that wants instant gratification. We want our health and weight loss... and we want it now! True health and permanent weight loss takes time. I have so many clients that have the attitude, "Well, I've followed your advice for a month now, why don't I feel better yet?" I have to remind them, "You didn't get sick overnight and it will take time to see the desired results." Now, onto weight loss...Just as the body was formed and operates on a priority basis, so it heals on a priority basis. This means that the most important parts of the body get the healing attention before the less vital tissues. We can't force the body to place its healing priority on weight loss when in fact the liver is about to die, for example. The liver is more important to your body than the extra pounds. So all the energies of the body go to heal the liver and weight loss will stop. The body will not compromise what health and vitality it does have in one part of the body to bring about healing in another. In other words, the body will not "rob Peter to pay Paul." So you may be eating nutritionally and exercising and you start out losing some weight. But then all of a sudden, you become stuck at a certain weight -- the needle on the scale won't budge anymore. The body is rejoicing on the inside and saying things like, "You know, we have all this extra energy now because Mr. Doughnut here has decided to start eating right and exercising -- let's take some of our new available energy and start the healing process on his congested liver!" So the body will take all the available energy and channel it into the liver. As a result the weight loss stops. The body will NOT take away any energy needed for daily activities and maintenance. It will only take what is left over to start the healing process. It's my belief that the body does not completely heal one part before moving on to the next item on its priority list. Rather, it heals a part to the degree that it is no longer a priority. At that point the healing attention is shifted to the part of the body that is now in most need of repair. In the above example, once the liver has been cleansed somewhat, the body will refocus its attention on other areas... perhaps back to weight loss. During my weight loss period, I would hit plateaus where it seemed like I'd never lose another pound. I lost 10 pounds and then nothing for 3 weeks. During that time I woke up one morning and my arthritis was gone and my blood sugar had stabilized somewhat. If you keep on your diet and exercise program, you will eventually lose all the weight you want. A healthy body is not overweight. Remember, "Always strive for health and the weight loss will happen!"
Hang in there. You will lose weight, just give your body some time to adjust to it.