Hello ladies - I need your help. I have been stuck at 168 for about 3 weeks now. I've been on plan, but have added cardio and major strength training to start gaining muscle to help with the flab. I've been doing research on my own (not sure if that's a good thing with the plan) and I feel that I'm not eating enough calories and that's why my body is in stall mode. Any advice from y'all? I go in for my WI tomorrow morning and have a great center, so I'll be asking for their advice as well. Just a little frustrated at this point that the scale is not moving. Glad I can feel it in my clothes, though! I probably shouldn't be complaining.

katie-When I bumped up my exercise program I was staaarving and stalling out, I asked my center and they switched me to metabalance. Much better for my activity level. With the amount I'm eating I still can't be quite as active as what I want to be, but I'm getting in some good workouts. The metaslim plan does not give you enough calories if you are being really active. My loss has slowed some since switching, but my waist, etc is decreasing more rapidly. And I've been keeping my sanity. I know if I went back to metaslim I'd hit my goal pretty quick, but I'm actually okay with a slower loss or maybe not even getting as low weight wise as I'd like if I can build my muscle back (I lost about 7 lbs of muscle losing the first 20 lbs, the last 10 lbs I lost 2 of it was muscle...if I can just gain back my muscle without putting back on fat weight, I'll be smokin' hot where I am)

Hi Ladies!
Just got back from weigh-in. No loss. No gain.

When I look back at my Food Journal, I've been NOT eating - skipping meals, not drinking enough water. I'm paranoid about EVERYTHING I put in my mouth - especially carbs. Also, I started with a new protein drink this week, the new menu came out this week, and I'm just all out of sorts.

When my counselor looked at my Food Journal, she was like, "what's going on with you? I usually have to take food away from people!" (in a nice way)

I told her, "I'm just paranoid about eating now. I'm not drinking enough water. It's crazy."

Of course she explained that I'm starving myself and that's not good (and I know this!).

So, over the weekend, I'm going to "get my mind right" and try to get my eating back on schedule.

Any words of encouragement or insight are appreciated.

Sounds like your body is going into starvation mode. Just remember, you do need carbs. However, you need to eat them in moderation. If the plan calls for carbs, it's there for a reason. Just take a deep breath and take it a meal at a time. All will be ok.


Lunchtime WI and I lost 2.5 pounds since Tuesday. I know a lot of that was flushing the salt out of my system and my body letting go of the water weight. I've been on a great roll since then. Just have to keep it up. Also, they did my measurements and I'm down 59.75 inches. Wah! I want that 1/4"!!!!

May I ask what type of food scale everyone uses?

The closest thing I can find online to the one I have is over at Amazon. It's a Salter Mechnical Scale. However, if I could do it over, I'd go digital. I've been debating making the switch.

i have a digital food scale, something from walmart. I love it. I had a manual one before to try to save money and it sucked.

Way to go, Jen!! Keep it up. (don't get overconfident and backslide)

Leo-your body DOES need carbs, . It's just that most of us were eating way too many. If you restrict any below the plan they give you are really putting your body in starvation mode. Their plan really borders on too low of calories, especially if you are active. If you aren't active, what they give is the absolute lowest you can go, so don't restrict so much. Your body will revolt and most of you loss will be from muscle (which slows down your metabolism).

I have a Taylor digital scale that I purchased at Target - I think is was about $30. It is great - much easier to use a digital, less room for error.

Jen - Way to go on the inches loss. That is almost as rewarding as the pounds lost. ALMOST!

I had WI today and was up 1 lb. I was very bummed. I did start today and think that may be some part of the gain. I have not wieghed on the day that I have started before, only in the middle of a cycle. I know that has an effect on weight but a pound seems like a lot. I also did a new to me workout last night and thought that could have something to do with it. I usually do gazelle which I really enjoy but decided to go to a stretch and tone class that the center was doing. We did interval walking which was great but "new" to my body. I'm am guessing this would also have something to do with the gain. So maybe it is a combo of both.

This will have me watching program even more closely than normal. I am determined to sign the 60 pound board before February is over. I will get there.

I know! I am usually on my iPhone and have a bad habit of not quoting the person I am replying to. I sound like an idiot, making random comments pulled out of thin air.

I just finished my preconditioning today and start the diet tomorrow. I am so excited. I lost 8 lbs. on preconditioning. Yeah!

no you don't, i figured you were on the iphone - made me laugh which is good (dealing w/ inlaws). i am glad they have the edit feature - i've gone back and edited a few times a lot of times! wish we could edit on Facebook! just got an iPad and when replying have hit return too soon and the message totally did not make sense! still trying to catch up to you Girl, i'm stuck on 170...but super happy i haven't gained
Have a great weekend!

hey, Leo,
definitely get more water in - if you do not, that alone will stall you big time and cause you to retain water. as soon as i get up after i weigh in, and walk my pups, i drink two huge glasses of water to get me started. that alone gets me in the right mind set to stay on plan. i've been replacing my starches w/ fruit - grapefruit and strawberries are more appealing to me than my lite bread and melba toast! (and i used to be a huge carb freak) fruit does have carbs and they are like dessert to me. i'm having a chocolate truffle strawberry shake right now! i've found when i eat more salads, i'll register a loss. feel like i'm eating all the time but it works. guess that's what they mean about this metabolic science thing that MRC is all about. get at least 3-4 HNSs in a day and increase your water - it all works!!!

TOO many carbs are the but what the plan calls for are energy. you can do this!!!

I'm a yellow belt! I can barely walk today, but i did it. That's all.

Chickadee

Contemplating backing off my exercise for 2 weeks and going back to the green menu just to speed it up and get it off. I've been stuck for a week. i'm going to see what Monday's # is (I know I worked out hard this week so I do retain water as part of my muscles healing). Going to ask my sister, mom, etc for advice on what I should do. Here's my quick internal discussion, if you have an opinion, I'd love to hear it:

1. My goal of 150 was a totally arbitrary # I set. My lowest ever before this was 172, so I had no idea where to set a goal. BUT, 150 would be a healthy BMI for my height...

2. I'm loving exercising more...and even though my loss has slowed, my measurements are getting less. I feel good and everyone tells me I look great.

3. I don't want to fall into the trap of "just a little bit more" Of course we'll always want a little more off our waist, a little more off the scale and it can be enslave us...I was thinking about this last night when I was at work and saw both a high school girl and a mom who have been battling anorexia lately. In my field I work with eating disorders a lot and a few times along the way I've found myself falling into some of that thinking.

4. If I switch to green I can back off on my exercise and probably hit my goal weight in 2-3 weeks.

5. If I stay on metabalance and workout, it will probably take me 6ish weeks to finish (if I don't totally stall out), but my body composition might improve.

So I see three options: 1) stabilize here with keeping my exercise level high. Be happy with where I am and maintain it (if I lose a bit more, especially body fat, great!), 2) stick with metabalance until I'm at or close to goal, knowing it may take longer, or 3) switch back to the green menu, back of exercise, and just get it done...

Part of my post is just me processing...but if anyone has an opinion, I'd love to hear it. Either from past experience, etc...