I have been on SBD now for 7 weeks. Lost 9 pounds during Phase I (woo hoo!) Transitioned into Phase II and lost 5 more pounds over the next two weeks. Since then I'm STUCK! Haven't lost anything in 3 weeks. I was advised to add more calories as perhaps my body went into 'starvation' mode. I've done that and still have not lost anything. I have been using Fit Day as an online journal and I'm averaging 1220 calories per day, with 33% of them coming from fat, 30% from carbs, and 35% protein.

Three years ago I lost 50 pounds on WW (put them all back of course ). And while couting points became tedious, it worked. After doing SBD, I don't see much difference in the food contents, but why isn't it working? Am I doing something wrong? Does doing a Phase I acutally throw your metabolism off? Are my calorie/fat/protein goals off? With SBD's approach of good/bad fats, good/bad carbs, I thought it would work. Any advice would be helpful....so many I know (including Doctors) say SBD works. Actually, my husband's diabetes doctor suggested doing Phase I until I reach my goal weight (can't do that! Got too dizzy.) It's gotta be something I'm doing...right???? Help!!!!! (and thanks in advance.)

It could be a combination of several things:

1. How much do you have to lose?
2. How many starches and fruits are you eating per day?
3. Are you drinking enough water?
4. Do yoiu exercise?

Just a few things to think about. I know that whenever I am in rut it helps me to search and try new recipes to "spice" things up.

Just my opinion, though, there are better experts on our board to ask/answer!

Not sure why you aren't losing. How much do you have to lose? How are the clothes fitting?

There are lively debates about scales every once in a while here. Some believe in them and some don't. You body shape and clothes should be a good indicator.

The body doesn't want to change, be patient with it and stick with it.

SB is rife with plateaus, so be patient. I often hit a plateau and continue what I'm doing, maybe cut back on nuts, and the weight loss begins again. As others have said, it depends on how much you need to lose.

There is the dinner-off paradox to think about. Sometimes when I have a meal out that is not totally on plan, but not a binge either, it kick-starts something and I lose in the next day or two. Others have remarked on a similar phenomenon, so there's something to it but I'm not sure of the science.

Drink the water because you can get constipated if you haven't got the water to move things through.

Maybe post a sample of what you're eating in a day and see if others have any ideas?

Ruffir, please don't give up! This plan really does work, and your success to this point prooves that it works for you. There are lots of reasons why you might not be losing now, and the hunch about calories is a very good one. Most people trying to stay on a low calorie diet aim for less than 1200 cals, so you are almost there. I would see what you can add. It sounds very counterintuitive, but you have to eat to lose! Try to check the following things, too:

• Are you eating lots of veggies? 2.5 cups a day, at least? Lots of people say they lose more when they eat lots of veggies
• Are you drinking lots of water? At least 64 oz a day?
• Are you incorporating exercise? Some cardio and some strength training? Though Dr. A says you don't have to exercise, I disagree, and I think lots of 3FCers do, too. It definitely gets your weight falling off and it improves your health.
• Are you letting little things sneak into the diet?
• Are you measuring the high calorie foods, like PB and Cool Whip to ensure that you aren't eating too much?
• Are you measuring yourself as well as weighing and, if possible, getting your fat percentage? The scale does not tell you much...if your weight is the same, but your fat percentage is lower, you have lost fat and gained muscle...same idea if you are losing inches but not pounds.

I hope things start moving for you again...I know plateaus can be super frustrating...I've hit at least three since April, but they always right themselves, eventually. Kiko has the right ideas...changing your routine, changing what you are eating, trying a new recipe, all seem to help.

Good luck and keep posting!

My mom said to me once "Just keep doing it. And six months from now you'll wake up and it'll be much, much better." I try to remember that when I start to micro-manage the scale. This is a life plan, and it is a long-term project. I am healthier, happier, and in control of food, and whether or not it is showing on the scale that day, I still have those other non-scale rewards.

Hang in there!

Lauren

Hey all, Ruffir is my sister so I thought I'd hop on the bandwagon and say that the same plateau hit me. Lost 9lbs on phase one, another 4-5 since then (in three weeks) and now stuck. I just keep trucking along. Clothes feel better and my softball team tells me that it looks like I am running faster! We do pretty well, but found that we fill up on far less than 1200 calories. It's been hard to get MORE in without feeling stuffed and yucky. We ate 2lbs of asparagus at dinner alone, and that was between only 3 people so are veggie intake is good. I will rat her out on the water part though - MORE WATER RUFFIR! :P She doesn't drink any! But we just got her a water bottle at lunch, so maybe she can get into the habit.

We don't exercise as much as we should. (What, not at all isn't enough?) But like she said, we both lost weight doing Weight Watchers without exercising and without so much fuss. We really wanna stay on this diet because it's all around healthy, but it is so frightening to think you might be doing something wrong and are halting your progress - yet not know what you're doing wrong!

Thanks for the support and keep the suggestions rolling in please!

The advice already given is excellent advice. Do be patient, it will come off.

I found with this diet that the minute I add any starches or fruits, I tend to stop losing weight. Although this is very disappointing for me, I have come to a resolution with it and found 2 solutions:

1. Add a starch or fruit every other day (basically use phase 1.5).
2. Do a phase 2 for 2 - 3 weeks, then one week of phase 1.

Both of these solutions seems to keep me in a weight loss mode, but I really have to struggle to maintain weight loss after phase one.

Thanks for the advice and encouragement. Went out at lunch today and was going to toss it all away, but I just couldn't do it....so, at least the mind set has changed! Now that lilwolfe006 ratted me out ...no, I don't drink the water I should...kind of addicted to Diet Coke. Exercise is something I am trying to add, but feel so exhausted after working full time and then going home and being Mrs. South Beach that I just collapse with the bills or laundry on the counch :-). I am eating roughly 2 starches (a bowl of Kashi Go Lean for breakfast and 1 whole wheat wrap for lunch) a day, plus one serving of fruit. My sweet tooth is partial to my sugar free jello, but I only have a 1/2 cup serving a day. Could I be filling up on too much protein....I know there are hidden fats there. I will increase water and activity (oh my...does running to the bathroom count as exercise?) and see what happens.

Thanks again for the encouragement...this site and its members are wonderful.

Diet coke contains a lot of salt which makes you retain water so you don't tend to lose weight while you are drinking it because your body is clutching all the water it can. I find if I stall I start drinking a lot more water and the weight starts comes off again. Also the exercise is really important. If you are too tired at night perhaps try exercising in the morning or building it into your day. Sometimes it is worth biting the bullet and going out to get some exercise even though you are tired because when you get fitter you will have more energy anyway. It is just tough gettting out the door to exercise those first couple of weeks but be rest assured that you will make big progress really quickly and feel much better for it, and it will happen in a couple of weeks.

Hang in there Ruff and Lilwolfe! I have hit a bump in the road lately too... I keep going up and down the same 2 pounds for the last week and a half. I am going to step up my exercise and eat more (my personal weaknesses) and stop weighing myself daily -- (I know it's a bad idea to do that, but it's suddenly a bad habit to break after going for years without a scale... )

We can do it!!

Here's my $.02. Understand, your body's number one job is to stay alive. If you feed it a lot, it stores up fat to get you through lean times. If you deprive it, it starts using the fat, but after a while it slows down your metabolism so as not to deplete the fat stores, preparing for a long shortage of food. This is why, as many have suggested, throwing a change up (eating an off-plan meal) may get the body out of it's starvation mode and back to loosing. Remember everyone's body is different. As far as exercise, I try to do short workouts, so it's not as inconvienent. I walk a mile every day at lunch, I have an hour and it takes about 20 minutes to do a brisk mile. I also lift weights after work, at home (it's convienent), for 30 minutes (not much time) and I do 3 exercises I like to do and 1 I hate. I've recently added a friend to my workout, I've always found that company and conversation can make the workout something I look forward to. If you and your sister are close enough you can get together to walk, it's a great way to visit and each of you should be driven by the desire to help your sister. Hang in there, it'll come with time. Funny, I was going to post about how I've been stuck for a week, after typing this out for you, I feel better ;-)...

HW 307
started SBD 295
Today 235
goals TG 220
XMAS 210
48 b'day 2/24/2005 200

Thanks for all the advice.....its nice to know there is a support network out there for me. And thanks to Lilwolfe (my sister) who tattled on me! (Some things just never change.) Sometimes we need to be accountable to someone.

Took the advice and for the last week I went down to one Diet Coke a day...all other beverages are water. Rode my stationary bike (gawd I hate that thing) every third day for 30 minutes and the weight started to drop again. I'm down to 169 now, which means I lost 2 pounds in 3.5 weeks, but at least THIS plateau is past. I know now there are more to come and at least I'm prepared now.

Does anyone have any exercise suggestions other than bike riding or swimming? I had surgery on my foot in May and walking more than 15 minutes brings pain. Doctor says no running or jumping. I live in a climate where it is already cold and not many places have indoor pools. And if they do, they require a membership to use them.