Intro: Discouraged but persisting
 

Hi everyone! I decided to post a short intro on the SBD page to see if anyone can help me out/has the same problem. I have noticed some other similar problems but feel like they don't mirror my own.

I've been trying to lose weight since Aug 09, but in March I decided to really get motivated, and began South Beach phase 1. I followed all the rules, kept a food diary, gave up WINE :(, and never cheated. Yesterday, three weeks after starting SBP1 (and wk1 P2), I went to a free screening at my grad school, and found out that I have lost ZERO pounds. At 5'5 and 150, I am considered overweight with a BMI of 25, AND now I find out I have high blood pressure (140/90 and 134/84 for my second reading.) Needless to say I am discouraged.

Has anyone had the results of following phase 1 to a T and losing NO weight? I know some have noticed measurement changes, but my jeans fit exactly the same. I feel like my problem may be exercise, so I am aiming to fit in 5-7x cardio and strength training a week. I also read about someone taking nuts out of their diet, so I am trying to decrease my consumption of healthy fats, as sometimes my fat % consumed is very high. I always stay between 1200-1500 cals. Any tips/help would be much appreciated! I am thinking maybe this diet doesn't work with my metabolism/body?

Hello Lisa. I have not heard of that. Sounds so discouraging:( Exercise is always good but even my trainer agrees that diet is 80% of the equation. Adding it is great, but seems you still should have lost. I wonder if your calories are actually too LOW. I have heard the body can react by lowering the metabolism, thinking it is being starved. Another idea is, even though this is not a plan about calories, varying day to day, more one day, less another, to confuse your body.

I hope someone else has ideas for you.

P.S. Check your blood pressure again. Maybe you were particularly stressed that day.

Hi Lisa,
Why don't you post some menus, - maybe we can give you some feedback there? So sorry to hear it has been discouraging!

You said you weighed in at this one place- did you originally weigh in there before you started? Different scales will show a different weight.

For instance on my old scale it said I was 225 and I got down to 211 on it. THEN I bought a new scale only to find my old one was weighing me 10 lbs lighter than I was. So when I saw 221 on my new scale and 211 on the new one I was very discouraged BUT in reality I had lost 14 lbs though it only looked like 4.

Also since you weigh less you will lose at a slower pace. If you are eating 1500 calories a day and not exercising than you are basically eating enough to maintain. So either lower your calories OR add cardio- but don't do both. You can still eat 1500 calories a day and work out and lose weight.

I have had the same thing happen to me I started ww last may with exercising 6x per week following the flex program after an intial loss of 5lbs from july to nov not one pound! even if I ate more exercised less or more nothing! Now here is it 5 months later and a gain of 10! I am trying SBD and hoping that this will jump start me.

I have high blood pressure, so medication and my age plays a factor in my ability to lose weight but at the same time it does not seem fair to work so hard and see no results

And giving up the wine is sooo hard but I am willing to tuff it out

keep us posted

:welcome: to The Beach, Lisa!

Wow, not too often if someone truly follows it, we don't see it work for them. I agree, can you post a menu for a couple days, and have them look at it?

Good luck!

:?: I agree if you post your menus here it may help shed some light on what is going on with you! :welcome:

lisa, that is so frustrating, I've been there (not w/SB, but with other diets). I had the same thought as beerab that maybe the scales are showing different weights - they can vary a lot. Also, at 150 you are very close to a healthy weight range for your height (149 would put you there! - I know because I'm also 5'5") and for some people it becomes much, much harder to lose those last few pounds. Exercise can help.

And completely unrelated, I saw on your bio that we like the same TV shows! Especially Lost, I geek out for that show so much, I even have a blog about it. :D

Hang in there!

Are you drinking enough water? For me I find that if I don't drink enough water, the scale moves a lot slower.

First of all, thank you to everyone for the replies. I have never done one of these blog/forums before, and now I can't believe I waited so long to join! As to the scale difference - my scale at home I knew was a little off, but the results between the two are about the same - no change in weight. For the water, I have one of those wonderful nalgenes, and get down at least 2 a day (64oz), usually more. Here are some sample menus, if anyone notices anything out of whack I would much appreciate it. I never thought about the fact that my calories may have been too low- that is something I didn't even think to consider!

Typical Phase1 menu:
Breakfast:
2 circles Canadian bacon
1 egg, 1 egg white
1 ½ tsp goat cheese
½ tsp herbs de Provence
8 oz Spicy V-8, green tea
Mid-AM Snack:
15 Spanish peanuts, String cheese
Lunch:
1 oz turkey lunchmeat, 1 slice reduced-fat pepper jack cheese
1tsp yellow mustard
Salad: 1.5C baby greens, 1 plum tomato, ¼ avocado, sliced onion
Dressing: 2tsp olive oil, 1 tbsp lemon juice
Mid-PM Snack:
½ C low-fat cottage cheese
16 oz crystal light pink lemonade
Dinner:
1 C kidney bean and lean ground beef chili (KK)
1 ½ TBSP cheddar cheese
1 TBSP sour cream
1 C skim milk
Dessert:
½ C ricotta mocha creme

Typical Phase2 menu (what I am currently doing):
Breakfast:
1 egg, ¼ C 100% liquid egg whites
1 slice (2oz) 97% lean Easter ham
1 slice Kraft low-fat American cheese
¼ C sautéed onions and peppers
Mid-Am Snack:
Irish tea w/1 tsp Splenda
Lunch:
1 slice whole grain fiber bread, 2 tsp mayo
2 oz lean turkey
1 slice Kraft American cheese low-fat
Mid-Pm Snack:
¼ C Blue Diamond vanilla bean almonds
1 low-fat string cheese
Dinner:
3 large shrimp, 1 scallop sautéed
1 C mache lettuce w/olive oil, lemon juice marinade (1-2 tsp each)
1 tsp fat-free feta, sliced shallots
½ C orzo w/sautéed carrots, zucchini, yellow bell peppers
Dessert: 5 oz white wine


I have not exercised at all on SBD P1, I thought maybe that might have something to do with the lack of weight loss, and have added in cardio and strength training, hopefully this will do it!

Hi Lisa :wave:

Just took a quick look at your menus and it looks like the sodium might be pretty high. That could definitely slow you down. The other thing that jumped out at me is lack of vegetables. The goal is 4.5 cups per day with the majority not salad greens.

Now back to work for me :)

This is going to sound really strange, and please forgive me if it offends you but as far as the blood pressure goes - do you smoke?

When I smoked I went to the chriopractor for the first time. They took my blood pressure which was high (not through the roof but high none the less). Apparently if you smoke right before you go into the doctor your blood pressure is going to be higher.

If you aren't a smoker then I don't have any suggestions. :) Thought I would throw that out there though.

Hi! Personally I think your menu looks pretty good, but as Cyndi says, you could focus on reaching the 4.5 cups of veggies (I think salad greens count for half as much as they measure; there is a sticky about measuring veggie servings) and see if it shakes things up.

Also, I noticed on your sample Phase 2 dinner, you said you ate 3 large shrimp and 1 scallop. I know that's just one example, but that's not much protein for dinner! I entered it into FitDay and they came up with 61 calories and 8 g. protein. The shrimp I have frozen are 12/serving (~100 cal and 20 g protein) and they are pretty good-sized. Anyway, just another thought to up your lean protein at dinner.

[ETA: I re-read your post that said you gave up alcohol, so ignore this if you did - I just saw the glass of wine in your menu...] Also, I am so sad to suggest this, buuuut ... maybe cut out the alcohol entirely, or just once a week or so to see if that helps? Ugh, I hate that but I have found that the empty calories, even from heart-healthy wine, don't do me any favors.

The only other thing I have to say is that losing is slow going when you don't have much to lose. I am an inch taller than you and started a couple of pounds heavier... my average weight loss has been 1-2 lb/month. I don't mean that to be discouraging but I had to focus on other things, like how much healthier I am eating and how much more I am exercising 'cause the scale was making me a little cuckoo :dizzy:

I hope this all falls into place for you! It really is a great way of eating.

:welcome: to the beach!

Thanks for coming and posting. I agree with Cyndi -- sodium seems high and there is a lack of veggies with each meal.

If you want to keep your menus, add some more veggies to your eggs and add more water. When I have salty stuff, I drink double the water.

Also, 3 shrimp is only like 25 calories. You might just need some more lean protein with your salads as well :)