why am I not losing in week 3-4 SBD

[luv2nascar]

I lost 10 lbs in the first two weeks on SBD
I know it would slack off and not come off so quickly
but I only lost 1 pound in week 3
I worked so hard at not cheating - not once.
And I feel like I only lost one measly pound
It is frustrating.
Is this the way it goes?
I was hoping to lose 3-4 pounds this past week
now I'm starting week 4 and afraid if I only lose 1 pound this week That I'll cheat because I'm so discouraged.
I see lots of people have lost 30 lbs in 8 weeks why not me.
I haven't started really exercising yet.
Walked pushing baby in stroller today for a few minutes

 

[WeirdEyes]

I have been on Phase 2 of SBD for 3 weeks and I've GAINED 3 lbs. I've been eating all the right foods and exercising. I'm not losing inches either. I've made an appt. with my doctor on Monday and I'm getting him to check my hormone levels and thyroid.

 

[Jeannie]

I've been on SBD for 6 months (started July 28). I lost 6.5 pounds after the first two weeks. Since then I have averaged a total of 1 or 2 pounds per month. I figure it's better than gaining 1 or 2 per month!

Started July 28 134 (5' 2 1/2")
February 9 116.5

 

[JCJRSmith]

I hit a plateau this past week. One thing to be careful of in phase 2 is adding back the carbs (the right ones) S L O W L Y. I may have overdone it and plateaued, so I am cutting back on some to see what happens. And, as soon as I beat this danged cold, I will start exercising again.

You may want to try varying the diet, with more phase 1 dishes than phase 2 to see if that kick-starts the loss again. Good luck.

 

[ZerasPride]

I only lost 1 pound this week and that is unusual for me. The first thing I did was look back over what I had been eating the past week and see that I have had on the average 2 to 3 slices of bread per day with grape spread most mornings on my toast. I think that may be the culprit for me. So I am cutting back on the bread.

That's one great thing about this program, you can tweak it and still see results. Although something does puzzle me, several people at my work say the same thing. They lost 10 pounds during Phase 1 and now they are not losing. It's strange.

I do know that exercise helps. I work out just about everyday and I drink a ton (and I mean a ton) of water. I also have a lot of weight to lose and wonder if people who are not "mordily obese" (that what the charts say I am) will lose at a slower pace.

I have probably not been of much help. I am just at a loss because it's happening to several people I know but so far not to me and DH who both have a lot of weight to lose so I was wondering if that contributed at all.

 

[LisaTx]

I think it's pretty normal, on any diet, to lose a lot of water weight the first week or two. After that, people usually slow way down and level off around one or two lbs a week. It's much safer to lose at that rate from what I read.

Also, when you first start an exercise program, your body may retain water for a few weeks before you start seeing a steady loss.

Just keep doing the right things and the weight will come off.

 

[antmaril]

I am on week two of Phase II. I lose weight very slowly. I've decided not to weigh myself too often. I know that I am eating healthier than I have in years. I am exercising at Curves 3x a week (something I've NEVER done before). I'm 52 years old and it's going to take time. I would like to lose 30 pounds total (I've lost six pounds on SBD and had lost five before that). I keep telling myself that it will happen, slowly but surely. The scale is not my friend. However, my clothes are fitting better and I feel fine. I'm in control of my eating. Not struggling at all. My cravings have stopped and it's not a matter of willpower anymore.

I have high hopes that this will work!!!

 

[sueg]

One of my strongest disagreements w/ SB advertising is the claim that there is no need for exercising. To me, exercising is a most important part of any weight loss program and needs to continue as part of any WOE. It doesn't have to be a serious, go-to-the-gym routine. But increased activity is the key. Walking, using stairs instead of elevators, bowling, gardening (or shoveling snow) or a very basic taped routine like Walk-Away-the-Pounds for One Mile can make a difference.
I'm not a big believer in the scale. But I guarantee that if you combine Phase 2 with increased activity/exercise, you'll look & feel better. And if you look and feel better, you may care less about one pound on the scale.

 

[ZerasPride]

Sue - I wholeheartedly agree with your comment. Perhaps Dr. A was thinking from a male's point of view. It seems men lose faster and easier than women sometimes. I know DH and I started South Beach at the same time and I drink a ton of water and exercise almost every day. DH drinks water but not like me and he has not exercised once since we started and he has lost as much if not MORE weight than me. It can be frustrating sometimes but I am so happy for him, that I can't be upset. It's not his fault. I would like to see him do some type of exercise though. I'm trying to get him to try our exercise bike and he keeps saying he will but hasn't yet. He is a walker though and I know as soon as the snow melts and warms up a bit, we'll be out walking.

 

[WeirdEyes]

I think you DEFINITELY have to exercise on SBD. I only need to lose about 23 lbs. so I don't think you lose more slowly if you are morbidly obese. I'm beginning to think that this diet is made for you to lose only about 2-5 lbs. a MONTH. I think the ONLY thing that will make you lose weight faster is tons of EXERCISE! And I mean, at least 45 mins to an hour of cardio a DAY and weight training 3 times a week. I lost 20 easy on SBD last year and I think the ONLY reason I had success was all of the exercising I did. I would be happy with a one pound a week weight loss...but I haven't lost anything in 4 weeks.

 

[K and K's Mommy]

I've lost 33 pounds in five months, and that was with cheating some over the holidays. It is coming off much more slowly as I get closer to goal. Remember that it is healthier for you to lose only 1-2 per week.

Zera's Pride - I bet you have gained some muscle whereas your husband has not. It is the opposite at my house. My husband as lost 25 pounds, but he does so well at working out so I am sure he has lost as much as me, just gained more muscle.

 

[Lisa F]

I can commiserate. I lost 5.8 lbs my first week and then gained 1.6 lbs back eating the exact same things my second week. The only thing I changed was adding exercise. I also have a LOT to lose so it's frustrating. 30 lbs would be a mere drop in the bucket and it seems like it's going to take me a year to lose that. I would be absolutely THRILLED to lose a steady 1-2 lbs/week. I've decided to weigh myself once a month instead of weekly.

 

[WeirdEyes]

Lisa,
I'm also thinking of only weighing once a month. I'm tired of being a slave to the scale. I will judge my progress my measuring and seeing how my clothes fit.

 

[luv2nascar]

I think my problem may have been lack of carbs
I did not increase them - stayed on phase 1 in week 3
increased my carbs slightly for two days and 1 more lb gone
I'm down 12 lbs with 4 more days to go till I'm officially 1 month into SBD. I am still hoping to make 15lbs by 1 month - maybe just maybe I'm hitting one of those whoooshes.

Thanks everybody

 

[sm4987]

don't you just hate that men lose faster without doing anything!! My husband has cheated more than once. Several times to be exact. Potatoes (lots of them) bar-b-que sauce, breads and sweets. He's lost as much as I have and I haven't cheated once. Not fair I tell ya

 

[ZerasPride]

Lisa - I know what you mean about weighing yourself less often. My weight loss has slowed to this week's low of 1/2 pound. I was so discouraged until I tried on clothes that were given to me. I posted my experience on the SBD thread but I used to wear a size 26 jeans before SBD now I can fit into a pair of size 18 low rider designer jeans. I also wore size 14/16 jogging pants last night to a party. I must be gaining lean muscle but it registers heavier on the scale. It can be depressing. I would have been seriously discouraged if it had not been for these clothes I can fit into.

I don't want to be a slave to the scale anymore. I think I will try weighing in a couple of times a month and see how that goes. I'll just go by how my clothes fit and how good I feel. That's more important anyway than a number on the scale, don't you guys think?

luv2nascar - I'm happy to hear you are losing again! Great news!

 

[JCJRSmith]

Originally posted by sm4987
don't you just hate that men lose faster without doing anything!! My husband has cheated more than once. Several times to be exact. Potatoes (lots of them) bar-b-que sauce, breads and sweets. He's lost as much as I have and I haven't cheated once. Not fair I tell ya

It is due to muscle mass. A man's frame has more muscle mass on it which causes it to burn fat more efficiently.

A few months ago, Men's Health magazine published a diet they call the Testosterone Advantage plan. The idea is that, by increasing protein and reducing fats and carbs (and eating the right fats and carbs), a man's natural testosterone production goes up, leading to the creation of more muscle mass which burns fat.

In other words, its a guy thing