I've been stalled for 2 and 1/2 months, since the end of January. I had lost 30 pounds rather quickly (15 in November, 10 in December - even during the Christmas holidays!, and 5 in January). Then everything just stopped. I still worked out as always and ate, most of the time, according to my plan. But slowly 5 pounds crept back on and I would bounce between 150 and 153.

So I'm trying something new. Still PP-ish, but candidly, I don't think I would recommend it to others just yet EXCEPT FOR THE BLUEPRINTING PART. I'll explain.

Saw an infomercial for Michael Thurmond's 6 Week Body Makeover. Perhaps you all have heard of him before, but I hadn't. The general thrust of his program is that everybody's metabolism is different - that's why some of us do better with more carbs, while some of us only have to look at them to gain weight. Some need more fat, some less, etc., etc. He says that in order to lose weight, you need to know what your specific body type is and then eat the foods that work for your metabolism/body type. (This is a methodology called metabolic typing and it's been around for years.)

Then he adds 15-18 minutes of body sculpting moves done twice a week with a body band for your specific body type, so you sculpt the body you want. No point in working on areas you don't need help with, or wasting time working the wrong muscle.

You also add some aerobic activity (he recommends walking). But he says 70% of your weight loss will come from the diet plan, so if you can't do everything all at once, don't worry about it. You do have to eat every 2-3 hours, which I think many of us do anyway. Only fresh, whole foods. Nothing processed.

So I ordered the program and I'm on Day 3 and I've lost 6 pounds already! I'll bet you dollars to donuts that all of it was water, but I'll take it. I'm down to 147.5. The reason I wouldn't recommend it yet, though, is that it's SO restrictive. NO added fat. NO added salt! No added sugar. I looked at my lunch Sunday and wanted to burst into tears: 3 egg whites scrambled with red peppers - and no salt. 1/2 cup of rice - and no salt. A cup of Brussels sprouts - and no salt. (I hadn't shopped for the program yet.)

I disagree with a lot of the program (like no dairy - at all) but I'm giving it a shot for this week. If I see real progress - not just water weight lost - then I may continue. It's a 6 week trial and you can get your money back if you're not satisfied.

But the thing I really DID find helpful was the blueprinting process! You can do this part on line, for free, at www.provida.com - then go to the 6 Week Body Makeover and look for the "Get Your Blueprint for Free" area. What an eye opener! I'm a Type E: combination ectomorph and endomorph. That means I'm basically a skinny body type (was a skinny kid/adolescent/young adult) that has a very hard time building and keeping muscle, with a lot of loose fat hanging on my frame. The thing that's so inspirational is to see the before and after pictures of people with the before pictures marked up with blue ink for the areas to be changed - kind of like a blueprint - and then see how their new bodies reflect those changes! WoW!

The program is INCREDIBLY detailed, because it's specific to MY body - the food, the exercises, everything. It gives me a little hope that maybe this time I'm not stumbling around. But I'll let everyone know how it goes. By far the hardest part so far is the lack of salt - and I'm not even a salt user! I only use a little on my eggs, but other than that, I never use the salt shaker! What a surprise to realise how much I miss sodium! Yeah, you can use Mrs. Dash and other seasonings - I have to get some Mrs. Dash tonight. But no salt substitute, because it has sodium in it, which makes your body retain water...he says. Actually, salt substitute has no sodium, but it does have potassium chloride, which, scientifically speaking, is a "salt." I have adjusted, though, in 3 days. I didn't think I'd get past Day One without a little sodium, but I was wrong. Nothing succeeds like success!

So that's my story. If anyone's interested, I'll let you know how it goes. Check out the free blueprinting for yourself, though - it's REALLY interesting! Here's the link directly to the blueprinting part (if you don't go through the website's front door)


I have already posted this is the PP and exercise areas of this forum, but since I got such a big WHOOSH (3 pounds the first day alone!), I thought others might appreciate the information to help break a stall. I'm not suggesting you buy his program, but the blueprinting part (and the basic info you get for free) is really helpful. And that's what this forum is all about, right?

Michelle