[pigpen065]

All of us have had the problem with our weight loss coming to a screeching halt at some point. It is very frustrating to be working so hard and not see any results. I think that this is the main reason so many people give up, and that is so sad.

Well, instead of giving up, or getting frustrated, I would like to share some valuable tips I have learned while on this forum....I have noticed a lot of people with this question, so I thought I would just put this in one thread.

First of all, changing your calorie intake around is a good step towards getting off that plateau. For example, if you have 1200 calories today, have 1900 calories tomarrow, and 1300 calories the next day. Keep changing it around every day. This will help a lot. And don't forget to keep drinking that water!!! 80 to 100 oz per day!! It not only helps keep your body flushed out but it also keeps your organs working properly. It is very important!!

Second is to change your exercise routine. Having a set routine is not neccessarily a good thing while dieting. Our bodies get into the routine, and it doesn't get the full benefit of the exercise you are doing. The best solution is to keep changing your "routine" around. Changing what exercise you are doing, for how long, and at what time will do wonders for kick starting that loss back in gear. For example, if you do 30 minutes of cardio/strength training today at 4:00, tomarrow try doing 40 minutes of toning exercises at 7:00, and the next day try doing 20 minutes of a dance/aerobics video at 2:00.

This isn't an exact way of doing it, it is just a suggestion to give you an idea how to work this into your own schedule or routine. If changing the time you do your exercising is an issue, just try doing it before work a couple of times a week rather than always waiting until the evening to do it, if possible, or vice versa.

I am by far not some exercise freak...I like it better now than I did when I first started this diet, but I still could very easily live without it if it weren't so imporant to reaching my goal and staying there!! So if you aren't good about exercising, I definately understand...but you need to understand, too, that by exercising, you are helping the phen work better for you. You will get much better results than if you don't exercise and you also will stand a much better chance of keeping that weight off when you reach your goal. Nine times out of ten, when you hear someone complaining about gaining all their weight back after stopping the phen, it is because they didn't make the important changes in their lives. They just let the pill do the work for them, and didn't put in any work themselves to change the habits that got them there in the first place.

So, I hope this helps some of you out....I know that when I did these things, it really helped me. And feel free to add things that you have tried that worked for you to help get over that "hump" of not losing!!! I would love to hear other ways to kick it in the rear! lol!

Have a great day, all! Take care!

[nikkimacawgirl]

i added a little extra to my diet yesterday, i had 1 cheeseburger from burger, one of those whopper juniors, then my xbf made me a hamburgur last night. and i had 4 64 genuine beers. i left the house at just about 490 calories. so that otta put me at the 1200 mark huh? man that bk whop junor w cheese good lol. its really nice to treat yourself once a week to something that is bad!

[pigpen065]

You are right...if you don't treat yourself once in a while, then what is the point?! My bad/good treat is pizza...kids love take out pizza, but I hate the calories. It is not horrible, but I can't seem to control my portions when it comes to certain kinds of pizza!! Oh, well, I am getting better!!

Congrats to you!! You are doing great!

[babyweight2008]

Is this normal? I was 200lbs and 5'4. I only been on phen for three days now and have 9 lbs off. Will it continue to fall off like this or should I count on gaining some back?

[pigpen065]

No, you probably won't gain it back if you stay on the phen, and limit your calories and exercise. Phen is a wonderful tool, but by itself, it isn't as successful. A lot of the weight that first comes off is water weight. It will probably slow down after a week or possibly two. Even if it slows down, you should still lose fairly steadily. I can't say for how long, but the closer you get to your goal, the slower it will come off.

You are doing a great job!! Just remember that the ideal calorie intake per day is 1200 to 1500. Also, it is very important to drink 80 to 100 oz of water per day. Don't forget to include plenty of fruits and veggies in your diet, too. And you will find that at least 20 minutes of exercise 3-5 days a week will also really boost your loss.

Good luck!! And be sure to let us know how you are doing!

[crazymel21]

When did you all start to notice a plateau in your loss? I'm almost finished with 4th week and since I weighed last, I haven't lost anything. I'm doing alot of cardio and lifting, so it may partially be muscle I am gaining, but it's kind of discouraging, especially because I really haven't been hungry much at all this week.

I may still end up losing some this week, just a bit discouraged this morning!

[pigpen065]

Everyone tends to hit plateaus at some point. The best solution that I have found is to zig zag. This keeps the body working its hardest because it doesn't know what to expect. I believe I hit my first plateau after about 3 or 4 weeks, and it took me about a week and a half to get off of it. I still plateau, especially when it is getting toward the end of my 42 days on the meds ( my dr has me on the meds for 42 days and then off for 30 days ) but then when I go back on, it kicks back in.

And you are right, you could be redistributing...losing fat and gaining muscle, and you will probably notice it more in the way your clothes fit rather than on the scale. Muscles weighs more than fat, but it is also denser so it takes up less room for a 1 lb of muscle vs 1 lb of fat.

Hang in there and try the zig zagging and see if maybe that will help get you off that plateau! Good luck!!

[nikkimacawgirl]

im begaining to wonder if i need to be off a month a now. so afraid to do that. i have been on for almost 3 months. mostly everyday but now always ihave skipped a day here and there. my biggest problem is excersizing, im prone to headaches, and have bone spurs in my lower back which some days i cant even walk they hurt so bad and i get back spasms. rain is like death to me, the migranes and my back pain kick in. so changing up is kinda hard. i dont know if i could do 40 mins of aerobics without hurting really bad. i have a flirty girl fitnes pole and doing too much hurts my back. (im a retired dancer too for 10 years, one of the main reasons why i quit at 28 besides i couldnt deal with carreer anymore, was because my back would hurt soooo bad)

i wonder if i could do like half or a so many mins of dancing on that pole, then pull out my excersize bike, its sedentary so it doesnt hurt when i use it. but after awhile i hurt.

there are days when too much walking makes my spasm, and that bites. i went to a nascar event with my friend and all that walking i did i was almost in tears at the end of the day, he was willing to carry me, and im like no we can catch a golf cart ride they have for the handicapped people. ughh!!