Here is my delima. I started LC'ing right after Thanksgiving. I really wasn't charting my process but I was feeling really good. Then I went to Vegas in mid December for 4 days. I did so well LC'ing even though I was drinking. All through Christmas I did really well, I was down about 7 lbs. My pants were feeling good and I was NOT exercising at all and usually I am at the gym 3 to 4 times a week. I was drinking quite a bit through out this at all the Holiday parties and such. Then I went a week or so over New Years where I was LC'ing but eating AS MUCH as I wanted and not making the best choices, LC candies etc. So last week I weighed myself and I was back up the 7lbs. I started exercising doing Body for Life last week and really eating right. I am only down 1.5 lbs since last Monday.

My question is, do you thing that some of that 7lbs was due to dehydration?
Also, should I quite weighing myself everyday because I am exercising? I did measure myself so I can check my progress in a few weeks. I'm just getting discouraged right now. I have a fitday acct but it takes a long time to input everything and I am usually at work.

Here is my typical menu, I try to eat 4-5 times a day.

2 Eggs, fried in Pam
2 Sausage links or patties

5 3" celery stix with cream cheese

Hamburger vegetable soup.
or Roast Beef rollups with mayo and cheese

2 Chicken legs
or 2/3 cup Atkins cereal (3 carbs) with 1 Cup LC Milk (3 carbs)
I like this for a pre workout meal

Mock Mashed Potatoes
Meat of some sort (Chickien w/skin, or breast, hamburger, beef or pork roast etc.
or
Meat and a loaded salad
or
Meat and veggies w/ butter
I have tried some of the recipes in this forum also

64 + oz water and occasional cup of coffee.

Any suggestions would help. I am getting discouraged here!

Wee

Since you are close to goal and working out, you're weight loss will be slower. Make sure to measure every where. You may be losing inches in places you never imagined. www.mybodycomp.com may help. You may be still losing fat while toning up.

If you are doing body for life, then an initial gain isn't to supriseing. I gained 4 pounds I think it was when I first started. If you search through the BFL forum there is a post about how for women they will rebuild muscle and add a little lean weight before they start to lose weight. Many on BFL don't see great losses until week 4-8, then it really starts to come off.

Hang in there and keep up the workouts. Read through posts on the BFL bored for encouragement. If you hang in there and complete the challenge you will be amazed at how much better you feel, and how much more tone and trim you are even with little movement on the scale.

Thanks Ladybelle. I think part of my problem is is that when I lost that the first 7lbs a lot of it was muscle because I have never taken that big of a break for exercising. But I guess since I am eating so well I figured the weight on the scale should come off just as fast as it did before I started exercising again.
With BFL I am for sure doing way more weight lifting than I was before.
I just need to be patient. I know I'm not getting any bigger but I haven't felt like I have lost any inches yet either.
It's good to know that others like you have gained when they first start out. Hopefull I'll have my wooosh soon!

Wee

Wee

Sorry to be a wet rag, but I initially gained about 10lb doing the BFL exercise and eating plan, and fought like H3LL throughout the rest of the challenge to get it back off. I lost a few inches, but not ANYTHING like the people in the book (BIG shock!). I tried to do LC when I started BFL, but found myself too drained to complete what exercise I had planned for that day.

This past week, I tried TKD, carbing up just for workouts, and that was a COMPLETE disaster. I carbed up before a bodyflex class and almost passed out right in the middle of it.

I'm just dreading the inevitable truth I'm going to have to do either one or the other, but not both. The LC/heavy lifting combo just isn't working for me. Or sure wish I had some guidance one this.

I hear yah on needing some guidance. Actually I kind of do a modified BFL. I don't always use the pyramid on my lifting. I do for cardio. I do the reps 12,10,8,6 the 12,12. But I don't always add weight in. This worked for me last time I did it. I am NOT going for the bodies that the people have in the book. I would be happy with a few inches. I am just trying to get some toning and BFL is the best way to get all your muscle groups worked and I like the fact that it takes less time in the day, but instead of working out 3 days a week, I'm working out 6.

Yikes I hope I don't gain 10lbs!!!

Wee

When you start a weight program, you're almost certain to show a big water gain, since your muscles retain water to use in the repair proces, which you lose pretty quickly after you stop lifting weights. It's about 3 lbs for me either way -- I dropped 3 lbs in about a week after I stopped lifting weights in September, and I'm up 3 lbs right now after getting back to the gym last week. It certainly is kinda depressing -- 3 extra lbs of water makes a difference in the fit of my clothes, and makes me feel fat, bloated, and miserable. I'll be much happier in a couple weeks when I've dropped a pound or two of fat, though, so it'll be worth it.

OHGal, I'm not surprised you're having trouble lifting if you're doing the '72 Atkins thing -- induction and lifting generally don't mix well, and the old-style Atkins is considerably lower-carb even than induction (at least, if I understand the veggie rules right). When I was really trying to lose weight, instead of in quasi-maintenance like I am right now, I was really strict on my non-veggie carbs -- like, 5-10g a day total from dairy, eggs, nuts, splenda, etc. -- but ate all the veggies I wanted. I like veggies, so I managed to keep my net carbs at 30-40 most days, which was fine for lifting weights. You might consider doing something like that -- loosen up on the veggies a lot, maybe add a little yogurt if you still need a bit more. There's a happy medium between induction-level and BFL level carbs, although everyone's varies a bit.

The only other alternative is to quit lifting weights until you're at your goal weight, then pick it back up. This one's a bad option, because you will eventually lose some muscle, so you'll actually have to go a little lower than your goal. And you don't even want to know how much it sucks to go back to the gym after a good long hiatus -- I was in worse shape than when I started working out in the first place. I am recovering rapidly, but those first couple workouts were god-awful. Think hard about whether you've really tried every possible combo of eating and lifting before you go there!

Thanks Atlee, good to know about the 3lbs. Weird thing I am just getting over TOM (guess I should of mentioned that, but I am over the bloating part) when I was in the bathroom, I know TMI, I felt my tummy and I'm starting to feel hip bones again. So I guess I am losing some inches in some spots, just not in the parts I want it too! LOL

Yikes I could not stop working out. I feel so icky tired, drained and flabby. I can weigh more and look better if I'm working out I already know that, tried both. When I was doing WW the scale was moving slowly, then I stopped working out and it went down 8 lbs in 4 weeks. Funny thing was my clothes fit the same. Duh! That is why I quit WW in the first place the scale was driving me nuts. I was starving all the time and the scale wasn't moving. I think I am going to stick to the once a week WI instead of every day.

Thanks guys.

Wee

Atlee,

Thanks for the help, hon! Actually, I do average about 30-40 carbs a day, w/ almost all my carbs coming from veggies. I started the '72 program, in a effort to eradicate myself of many of the processed foods that I was consuming. I'd been stalled for a VERY long time (since May, actually!), and once I removed the processed garbage from my eating, the weight started to come off again.

I'm not going to give up exercise entirely. I made a commitment this year to keep moving and figure out how I was going to incorporate some sort of exercise into my life. I'm just not sure that the heavy lifting required for BFL going to move me closer to some of my old weight and BF% goals I'd set in the past. My results from my first challenge were so dissapointing, I never even sent in my completed challenger's packet with my before and after pics. I was too embarrassed.

I'd hate to go through a year of the same and end up in the same place this time next year. That's ALOT of work for no apparent rewards, KWIM? I'd like to think that wouldn't be the case, but I dunno. Something's gotta change soon.

OhGal, I feel that BFL is LESS work than I was doing before. I used to take a Circuit class 3 times a week which included intense jogging, sprints, weights etc. It was really hard. Then on Saturdays I would take an Interval class, which was High Intensity Aerobics with Intervals of jogging the track and weights, body bars, etc, followed up by a Yoga class! I think know I am probably spending the same amount of time but just in smaller spurts. It is easier for me to work it into my day. I guess since I'm not going for the same results as other BFL'rs I am more satisfied.
Let me know what you try out, after my 12 weeks is up you never know what I might try! LOL

Wee

WeeOne,

IMHO, you should start from scratch and go back on Induction. Also, you didn't mention what you were drinking? Was it some fruity drink with sugar or wine? Going back on Induction would detox and give your system some stability. You can get right back on the wagon and starting the loss again!

Just my thoughts...
Danakins

Can someone explain to me the whole working out thing. I work out 3-4 times a week at least and through 2 weeks have only lost 5 total pounds.

Kind of depressed

It did! Thanks!