I was losing weight--6 lbs. in 4 weeks--although I realize that a couple of those pounds were probably water. Still, that was a good loss, especially for me. I tend to lose weight very slowly. That was in the beginning of November. Then I got off my diet a little and gained back two lbs. I got back on the diet and lost the two lbs. again by November 21st. I haven't been perfect, but I also haven't gone way off the diet at any time, but I'm not losing any more weight. I've even increased exercise for the last few weeks. When I began, my LBM was 84.4 and now it's 82.93, which I don't think is a significant change. I certainly don't think I've [i:a5c53726ab]gained[/i:a5c53726ab] muscle, which would account for the no weight loss. My body measurements haven't changed significantly either. I now weigh 125 lbs, which is a lot for me. I'd like to lose 15 to 20 lbs. more. I'm eating 11blocks a day. The only thing that's changed recently is that because of my schedule I wasn't eating the last snack (1 block) until the last few weeks. Because my job has become very stressful, I seem to need that extra block. I also have been a bit lazy about drinking enough water and am going to start monitoring that more. Any other suggestions? Andrea

Yes, water is good. Eating all blocks is good. Also make sure you are getting enough rest. Try adjusting your carbs a bit (for me, eating broccoli really helps!) One more thing, though--you may be at a plateau. Everyone seems to hit them. (I sure do!) Be patient and stick it out. Sue or Anne Marie may route you to some posts that list ways to break plateaus, but they do happen to many, myself included. Don't panic, it will break. Count your blessings as you have them--even if you didn't drop 2 lbs. this week, you still feel better, have more energy and increased concentration abilities. The weight will come, too, but it's not the only reason for the Zone. Good luck Ronica!

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[quote:a91ea6f9ce="Bugeater93"]Also, what is your activity factor? To me, 11 blocks seems too high for you unless you're Very Active (2 hours per day, 5 times per week) or doing Heavy weight training or twice-a-day exercise (5 days per week)?[/quote:a91ea6f9ce] Why do you think that 11 blocks would be too much? :?: Isn't it the minimum for most women (if you are not very petit)? I'm fine with 11 blocks myself, losing some weight nearly every week. And I'm not VERY active, walking 3 times a week for one hour, two times a week body balance (=yoga, pilates, and tai chi combined) for one hour, once a week strength training (and one day rest).

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Hi... You need to learn to incorporate some low volume carbs into your meals if you can't handle the volume of things such as brocolli. kidney beans for example are very low volume per block. Applesauce is another item as are other fruit items that are low volume per block. Grapes only require half a cup per block. As suggested by Sue to me a long time ago...add tomato / spaghetti sauce to steamed veggies such as cauliflower. It's a low volume way to up your carb block intake. Additionally, it is accepted that up to 30% of your carbs can be unfavorable if need be. A half of a small potato once in a while isn''t going to derail you. You have to judge all of this on how your body responds to these foods. Some folks such as Sue (slknorr) respond poorly to higher glycemic load carbs. You'll learn to tweak until it works for you. Jim

[quote:ec7f050447="Bugeater93"]If your LBM is decreasing, doesn't that mean you're [i:ec7f050447]losing[/i:ec7f050447] muscle? [/quote:ec7f050447] My LBM isn't decreasing, or at least you can't tell from those numbers. The calculator isn't that exact and there's always a margin of error in any measurement. I'm sure that that decrease isn't statistically significant. Now if it keeps going down, I'll be concerned. Eleven blocks is the minimum amount of protein. I wouldn't mind eating less food; I am petite. But I don't do well when I decrease protein too much, and 11 blocks worth isn't a lot. And there are a lot of days when I don't eat the last block because I can't fit the snack in. Andrea

I eat eleven and am not very active at all. I still lose weight, and find that I feel great. I am not sure if the calculator is always exactly right-- but Sears has said that 11 is the minimum you should eat unless you are very petite. I believe petite is usually 5'3" and under--so if you are under 5 feet maybe then 8?? I think if you search the site you may find more info on this. I have not got a clear answer about the LBM thing--my personal feeling is that people can gain and lose in different areas (my waist has not budged but I am down 6 pants sizes--go figure!) and that may skew results on the calculator. My calculator says I have lost LBM, but I really doubt it because I have never carried weight around my umbilicus--more in my thighs and upper arms. (Upper arms are down a whole inch each in circumference!) Even at my biggest, my waist was too small for the pants that fit my thighs. The calculator cannot be incredibly accurate--it only has you take two measurements, after all. The only way to really tell body fat percentage is in a tank. Ronica

My plateau ended and I lost another pound :wink: and then I got sick and couldn't keep food down. This has been going on for about 4 days and I'm barely consuming anything, but my doctor says I have to ride it out. I can't follow the Zone because there are very limited foods I can tolerate. The good news is that I've lost another 2.5 pounds. The bad news is that I don't know if I've lost fat or not. I tried the calculator, but I've never been able to figure out how to use that properly. Measuring over the umbilicus is easy enough, but what does it mean to measure the hips at the widest part? Across the buttocks? Across the widest part of the thighs? Does anyone know how to interpret the directions? Also, I'm not sure how accurate the calculator is for people who don't have large amounts of weight to lose. My measurements (assuming I'm doing it correctly) haven't changed since I began, but my weight has. It looks like I'm losing LBM, but I don't know if I can trust this calculator. Andrea

I agree with you on the calculator--my measurements of the things the calc has me measure haven't changed much, but I am down from a size 14 to an 8, and have lost nearly 20 lbs. The weight you've lost being sick is likely water weight. Hopefully you'll be feeling better soon! :) Ronica