My immediate reaction is "Where is the FAT??" Now I cannot help you ladies (& men for that matter) from the experience prospective. BUT,I have read and reread PPLP and been reading the boards for quite a while, so my comments are out of that knowledge. [Of course, an old mans foggy memory can get it wrong form time to time.]

I know that several (Dedria?) ladies have found that when they increase their intake of fat, the weight starts coming off. This is thought to be evidence of the "starvation" syndrome where, thinking it might be in a famine and thus apt to starve, the body slows down its metabolism and holds on (for dear LIFE!) to everthing it can, fat included.

So my question for you is, what are the amounts of protein, fat and carbohydrates you are eating per day? What is the TOTAL calorie count? In PP/PPLP they do not make much of calories, but you MUST get enough energy in your diet to fuel your daily activity. Since you have (if you are following the plan) cut way back on your carbohydrates you HAVE to make up that loss. Protein will provide some energy, BUT that is not as effective or as efficient as using fat. So adding fat in the correct answer - go to the head of the class! LOL

You may need to measure, etc. and then use one of the web counters, like fitday, to really know where you stand. From the few that have posted their fat consumption, most are over 60%. My breakfast has a lot of oil in it. Coconut oil, about a tablespoon, olive oil, quarter cup, maybe more, and cream, 3 oz since I drink about 6 oz. of Half and Half. And of course, sufficient protein. That often will do me from about 10AM to supper at 6PM.

PP/PPLP does work! Trust us! Your problem may be something simple like not enough fat. You must persist to unlock the secret to what your body want for it to give up the excess fat you want to lose. And you are not the only one to struggle to find "her own key", which is why this forum is so necessary.

No surprise that I agree with Larry! Tmagic, I dropped some of my weight quickly in the beginning but then the scale didn't move for months. I only recently started seeing a move again, but please keep in mind I work out and my body composition and need for fat loss differs from yours.

But the fat part in terms of eating is RIGHT ON. Deidra has posted about this and I'll second that...I eat plenty of fat...lots of kinds, too...fish oil, coconut oil, olive oil, avocado..and of course mayo and fats found naturally in meats and eggs...butter. Oh, and I have coffee with cream and 1/2 'n 1/2. I also enjoy nuts and cheese in moderation, though I'd admittedly backed down on those a little just as a precaution. I do measure everything but I enjoy fat liberally and my calories are still plenty reasonable (not that I'm suggesting counting calories, but I'm making a point). I do believe in approaching everything with serving sizes, but also being sated. Fat is truly the key for that.

I track everything in Fitday, so I have watched my results and I can see what works. I very specifically try not to overeat, but if I'm hungry, I do pay attention to my body. I keep my ratios of protein and carbs in check and in line with PP, allowing myself extra protein when hungry and also because I do strength train. I enjoy the fat liberally and do feel like I've hit my stride with eating and working out. (I work out at a fairly challenging level just 3x/week.)

I think it's crucially important that PPLP be appreciated for more than just weight loss, but weight loss IS a wonderful "side effect" of it. I suspect it might have taken me a bit longer than if I'd been a bit more extreme...but what would be the point of that? Plus it has so much to do with you and what your body responds to as well.

I'm happy to see you're eating lots of good proteins and veggies. Consider backing off on cheese and nuts and alchohol if you don't already, but do up the fat. Are you working out? Moving your body is another great well to help encourage it to shed fat.

I hope some of this helped. I'm a bit swamped right now, but I'll try to check in as often as I can. Hang in there!

Well I am sorry to report that the scale went right back up again just a day after the two pound loss.......very frustrated and about to throw in the towel...I am up to two protein shakes a day with 34-42 grams protein per shake and then I still eat the tunaw/mayo and avocado and a serving of meat/protein with dinner...no extras..staying away from the cheese and nuts for a while as suggested...this is the most stubborn fat in the world, like it has a will of it's own!! LOL...not sure what to do next...getting depressed as the whole month of January feels like such a waste and I was hoping to be at least 5 pounds lighter by now....I should have just eaten the ring dings and enjoyed myself as I feel like the result would be the same....

I am getting the protien suggested
I am getting the fats suggested
I am watching the carbs as suggested
I don't have sugar as suggested
I am writing it all down as suggested...

I have no idea how much longer this will take and if I am ever going to really lose the weight this way...

Well, you are being very thorough and very forthcoming with us, which is great. Thank you.

Personally I still have to tell you I'm not too keen on the overuse of shakes. Plus the high end protein allotment you mention is nearly my minimum protein for the day...so I'm wondering what your total intake for the day is AND if your body is digesting this stuff properly? There are some people I know who've had major problems with shakes.

I realized you've said you are doing "everything suggested" so I don't want to counter your claim. I'm just trying to help you get to the bottom of what's not working for you.

As far as the fat is concerned, based on what you say your daily intake is, it still doesn't sound like much. How much fat is in the drinks? Are avocado and tuna your only sources? What about your daily totals?

Ultimately we can't control how you eat or want to eat. This is your choice and it's a very personal one. And any diet needs tweaking to be just right for YOU.

Different diets will allow for different approaches, some fitting us better than others. (e.g., those that want more traditional carbs either go SB or hedonist PP) So while I'll encourage you to hang in there, I'll still commiserate with your frustration that PP as you're currently attempting it is slow with the weight loss.

Of course this begs the question, are you measuring yourself and sure that your body isn't changing?

And lastly...are you exercising?

I personally don't know if I would be getting results without my exercise and anyone as close to goal as you unfortunately needs to step it up with your efforts I'm sorry to say! Hang in there!

tmajic, If I can get you to “calm down” (at least let go of the frustration you are showing in your post) a little, we can attempt to deal with your problem logically. I hesitate to say, but will so you are fully aware of what possibly lies in the future, in reading the boards for several years I know that a few of the ladies struggled constantly with finding the right “formula” for their body. Some lost weight then stalled for over a year.

HOWEVER, there IS and answer! There IS a diet that will cause you to loose the weight you want to in a healthy manor. Staying in contact here is the best way I know to find YOUR special diet. Have faith!!

Sometimes it is just one thing that is blocking you. Then others it is a combination of several things that interact in the wrong way. When I was working in the computer center as the only Electronic Engineer doing hardware trouble shooting, I would often get “wrapped around the axle” as they say. Computer hardware is sets of circles that the signals run around in so it is easy to get lost when the fix is not simple. Lots of times after getting no where but frustrated (like you), I would stop, get a couple of blank sheets of printer paper and start to keep track of EVERY thing I did. Eventually the problem would surrender and I would get it fixed.

Document, document, document! The most important thing you can do to find the problem. That includes writing down the results of every change you try. Your results should include all the things Lisa and the others have talked about. There may be other things that someone else might suggest, I hope they speak up (post). Some results will be objective, weight, etc. and some will be subjective like how you feel energy level, etc. But often the subjective ones can be good indicators of where a problem might lay. So keep track of those.

So I strongly recommend you keep a journal. That journal will help the other gals here to see what you are doing and suggest changes to try. Remember they are to help you! But you have to come to them by posting, they cannot drop in on you like a neighbor can since the internet is the only communication path most of us have with you. If you do not post we do not know that you are reading the encouragement we are offering.

Larry

How do you feel about heavy whipping cream? It has 1.some carbs per ¼ cup and 22 g fat. Maybe use that instead of half and half to get your fat intake up.

I feel your pain too. I'm in the same boat. I've been on plan for 36 days and watching the same 5 lbs go back and forth. I've just taken my weight off my profile, kinda like hiding the scale.

Maybe you're not eating enough calories too. I had been religious about posting my meals. Almost all of January. (got busy, but I am recording my meals in a actual physical journal) I'm still eating pretty much the same foods. I've also added protein powder. Mine is the whey one. I've heard the soy ones can be problematic. At this point, since I do feel better, I'm just going to hang in there. There may be repairs going on that don't show on the scale. ie cholesterol (my Hdl is 67, my tri 64. My ldl was high at 150, but since tri are low they are probably the good ones) Perhaps muscles are building, under the covert cover of fat.. I personally have decided this is a way of life for me. So, it doesn't matter if I lose weight or not. I feel better. And I believe I am healthier. I also believe that it WILL eventually come off.

Current stats 210/200/135

Hang in there, Tmajic! I think I'm the one with the stubborn fat! Maybe you could post your actual food eaten and times. You might omit the avocado for a while. I think I read in Atkins that this can stall people.

I had a stall last year so I hit the book again (PPLP) . It does say if you are not losing weight, to limit fat. So I tried to have no more than about 3-4TBSB of mayo, butter, olive oil (not that low in fat really ). Then, I ate exactly my minimum protein and not much more (some days I did eat a little more).

I gave up all dairy (even cheese!, but not butter) and of course grains for two months.

After reading Regina's column about getting a good Omega 3 balance, I chose to eat omega-3 eggs, canned wild salmon, grass-fed beef and take some fish oil. I also had turkey and chicken breast. I lost a consistent 2 pounds a week for two months (then the holidays hit).

Here is what I ate each day:

B: 3 eggs cooked in butter, black coffee
L: 6oz protein and 2 cups salad, 2TBS mayo or olive oil
D: 6oz protein, 1 cup cooked veggies, 1-2TBS butter

I'm a type 2 diabetic, but once I became better 'fat adapted' and improved my insulin resistance, I did not require any snacks. No blood sugar swings. Even Dr. Mike says he does not snack.

Then in my 3rd month, I did have a few low carb snacks and added some cheese. I didn't lose any weight, but I still lost an inch off my waist.

Thanks to all of you for your continued support. I guess I am confused since one post says add more fat and the other says lose the fat....I guess the protein shakes were not a good idea for me but I was hoping to get all the protein the program says I need for the day... The book says 34 grams of protein per meal...I am asssuming three meals a day..I wasn't getting anywhere near that number so that's why I started the shakes to begin with...again I have a huge problem with eating that much protein..it starts to gag me, (especially eggs!)

I have kept a journal and will go to the website suggested in an earlier post and see if that helps..

Up until about 2 weeks ago I was exercising regularly,,1 mile per day and every other day I did the mile and strength training too...Then I hurt my back ( I have a herniated disc) so I had to stop but will resume either today or tomorrow...

But during the month or so that I was dieting and working out I had the same results...no weight loss! I hear what you're saying about losing the inches but honestly that is something I can feel in my clothing and trust me the inches have not moved either..

I have my book out today and will read thru it to get myself motivated and see if there is something I'm missing...

I appreciate your thoughts and look forward to checking in daily to see if someone out there has the "key" for me!!

You guys are the best!

Something I'm currently trying is avoiding Arachinod (sp?) Acid. I don't know if this is discussed in PPLP as I have the PP book. Anyway, AA can cause you to make bad ecosanoids (sp?) which apparently can have several effects.

Also, I did a search for the highest protein, lowest carb for 100 gr svg.

It was soy protein first, and then fish, then beef..
http://www.nutritiondata.com/foods-...05000000-w.html

I am also using eggbeaters to make french toast and such. I have to say they are missing something to me as an omelet or scrambled. But, it's difficult because I like my eggs easy over! I love the yolk.. (Kinda defeats the purpose of me eating them. ) However, using them to cook with is at least a tool.

Good luck with the back, I have two herniated discs myself!

Edited for typo

What is this, the herniated disc club? LOL Ok, I don't mean to be light about something so serious, it's just that I can totally commiserate! Two years ago (and 28 more pounds than now) I went to the chiropractor to get checked out and discovered herniations in my neck and lower back. I immediately joined and gym and started aggressive treatment. My goal was to switch from treatment to training. It took me a good year to find my stride in terms of fitness, but I finally did. Today I go every 4-6 weeks to my chiro just to be checked out and I go to the gym 3x/week. Tmajic, if I can be of any assistance with exercises that work for back and neck issues, let me know!

Thanks for the tips on the back, I have many excercies and stretches that really work for me, I just made a big mistake in not doing them prior to working out. So I paid the price. I plan to walk tomorrow although very slowly...

I went to fitday website and it won't even "accept" the protein shake so that takes care of that.

I did not have any shakes today, I had:

8 oz whole milk yogurt with 1/4 cup fresh blueberries
1 cup tuna with mayo and a cup of lettuce with olive oil
rudebegga (spelling?) soup made with cream - about 1.5 cups and a 3 oz piece of chicken
I had a cup of green tea/ 2 cups coffee with cream and water water water.. That was my day

Not sure what my next move is but I guess the protein shakes did not work out for me...

Oh and I meant to respond to this question earlier but I am not a drinker...sometimes in the summer I love my margaritas but other than that I don't partake...don't smoke either..just a regular working mother of a 21 year old son and a husband who works a 9-5...regular folk here! (BTW he is doing low-carb --barely---and he is losing weight!!!)

I also meant to tell you that I was using GNC Designer Whey Protein Shake..not a soy product.and again I don't eat any red meat.

Good idea on starting back slowly with the exercise. Stretching and proper form are SO critical when it comes to the back. I'm currently in the process of discovering Yoga now that I'm strong enough. It sounds like you've got a good handle on things! Keep it up!!

I use the custom entry section in fitday to add in my designer whey protein for shakes. Then I put in the other ingredients separately. Did it not accept your custom entry?

Or, you could use the My P.L.A.N. on this site. Yellow words in green bar that goes all the way across..

I really like how I can add bulk entries. I have several recipes that I change some of the ingredients frequently, and it's nice to just click the ones I didn't put in that time and delete from the day's entry. Then I can just add something I did put in, if it's not already in the bulk entry. My main one for this is salads. My smoothies (with protein powder) are one also. If I'm out of strawberries, or it's chocolate this time, I can take out and put in without searching for all the ingredients or making a new recipe. (I'd have SO many recipes if I did each thing I did)

You can do bulk entries for a whole day too. I never really know what I'm having for dinner though, so I usually use the single meal option.

Good luck!