I have just started PP and am on day 2. I haven't seen any change in the scale yet. Now I know they say to measure yourself and I have been doing that but again no difference.

What are other people's experience with this?

Hi

I am new to low carb eating, so I do not know what "PP" means.

As tempting as it is to weigh yourself every day, it can become discouraging so may I suggest that you try resisting weighing until after a week. Your weight can fluctuate on a daily basis.

I have left my scales in my storage shed because I am certain that I could not overcome the temptation to weigh myself every morning.

At work in our shower room/changing rooms we have some scales, and I have determined to only weigh myself once a week.

I appreciate that the object of the exercise is the reduce weight. However I find that if I try to enjoy my day, and have interesting meals, then I am not so focused on weight. Strange I know, but it helps me at least

PP stands for Protein Power...the speific plan section in which we're in right now! Anyhow, Scarlet, for me that's a tough question to answer since my weight was lost through a variety of things over the last year+ (well lost and gained back and lost again). I would say I noticed my size more than my weight, especially because at the same time I started doing some challenging weight training. My clothes have just fit differently and I probably lost a good inch in my hips. For me PP is a way of life and a good way to learn and hold LCing for the future, not just a way to lose weight. It's a great balance of LCing with an understanding of how to live well, as strictly or flexibly as you like...that's how I see it. And to be honest with you, the past month or so I've been TOO flexible. So I'm going to take all the advice from PPLP to heart and get a bit more strict.

Some of the things I've done for my overall health...cage-free eggs, nitrate free bacon, removed nearly all trans fat (partially hydrogenated) from my diet...now I take supplements daily, etc.

I don't know that fast weight loss necessarily happens on this program, especially since the first phase allows more carbs (and different kinds) than Atkins. So I just want your expectations to be managed!

That being said, depending on how you were eating before and how healthily you follow this plan, I would not be surprised if you noticed something in a week or two...

P.S. For a female of 5'5" at 164 PPLP (the lifeplan book, which I read a little from almost daily) suggests 34 grams of protein for you per meal...same as me! Think 5 ounces of meat...give or take depending on what else you add (eggs, cheese, other protein sources, etc.)

I may be one of the current posters and believers in PP, but look at this thread (which is similar to your question)...it's filled with lots of people here who've been successful with PP...

http://forum.lowcarber.org/showthread.php?t=306987

Personally I don't believe it is good to weigh yourself on a daily basis, at least during weight loss. Since your weight fluctuates, it's very easy to get discouraged when you don't see that scale go down, or worse, go up!!

I've been on PP for a while and doing well. Weight loss has been slow, but that's ok with me, since I feel so much better....and I eat a lot! Loss has also been fairly steady.

My personal advice is to weigh once a week, measure once a month. And don't get upset if you stall, at least if you're following your plan, as you'll probably find within a week or two you'll start loosing again.

Oh...one other thing. Remember, if you only have 30 pounds or so to loose you're not going to see as big a drop as someone that has 100 pounds to loose.

Other factors matter too....how active are you? How big a difference from your "old" diet is PP? Do you have a lot of fluid retained? Are you on any meds? Have any diagnoses?

Excellent points, CindySue. You know I realized that I was eating "better" during the holidays than ever before, but the scale still jumped up. And now that I'm back on track...dropping the alchohol and sodium...it slid back down to about where I thought I was supposed to be. The key for me was not freaking out about the number and daily fluctuations. Whatever you decide to do, I think paying attention to all facets...how you feel, how clothes fit, measurements...is so important along with what the scale says.

Hi Cindy

Thanks for your helpful posts. I originally started low carbing in 2002 and lost all my excess weight caused when I balooned up with PCOS. Before that I was slim always, even too slim. I reached goal in 2003 and maintained until late 2005 when my ex and I broke up. I then fell into crappy food for the next six months and regained all my weight back.

Summer of 2006 I decided enough was enough and went back to my low carbing of 15 to 30 carbs per meal, roughly between 70-100 carbs a day. I lost about 10lbs but since September I have been stalled and it seems this range of carb no longer slims me down. So as of Tuesday I have switched to Protein Power. I feel impatient I suppose because I feel like I have been working hard for months and months with nothing to show for it. If PP doesn't work I will have to try Atkins but I REALLY don't want to as I feel restricted by PP's phase 1 so Atkins would be even harder.

I am on metformin which makes the body more sensitive to insulin. I have PCOS. I do yoga about twice a week as well as walking most days.

Scarlet, if it's any consolation I feel like I've been treading water and in a "stall" since October. But I have a newfound determination to eat even more cleanly according to PP as well as to work out. Plus I'm changing up my workout routine.

I seem to recall you mentioning in another thread how you walk where you're currently living but don't have a lot of other exercise options, right? Do you have a DVD player and the option to get some exercise videos for home? They can be a great resource to add to your fat-burning.

According to PP, diet can be enough to help you...but I also wonder if you're close enough to goal that you might need an extra hand. As for me, I just want to see the scale move again!

Just a quick note about my loss this current go-round (regained plus more, long familiar story).

After the first week or two of water loss I've been losing a steady 1-2 lbs a week. I'm now mid-way and my loss has slowed a bit to around 3-4 lb a month rather than 4-5. I expected that during the holidays because my calories are up a bit. As the rest of the gang here knows, I'm not much for exercise: I do some yard work, walk a couple of times a week, occasionally use my stepper.

Sounds like your loss is complicated by the PCOS and insullin ressistance - so your loss might be slower. I'd stick with intervention levels on PP and watch the kinds of carbs you are getting (ie go more Purist than Hedonist with your plan). When I stick with the basics my loss is more steady and even.

And thanks for asking this question because it reminds me that I do need to refocus my eating habits now that the holidays are over. and yeah, get more exercise...I bought some bands to use with my stepper so my arms get some workout too. Will let folks know how it goes.

Scarlett - let us know how you are doing. I'm willing to bet that if you drop your carbs to the 30-40 level you will see some results in the next two weeks - hang in there.

I don't understand why people are using a scale!!! You should be ignoring it. You always know how your diet is progressing by the feel of your clothing! It defeats the whole process, if you keep looking at the scale and wondering and fearing why you don't seem to be losing weight. And you wonder why people just give up...

That's a really interesting idea from someone whose signature trumpets a NUMBER weight. Why use a scale? How about going by how you feel?

Well....I *feel* like I'm 125 and look like...um (quickly trying to think of famous person with my hair color)... Christie Brinkley! Yeah, that's it...that's the ticket. LOL

The reality is I'm 180 and I still have a long way to go, but I'm making super progress and I feel awesome.

Ok, seriously, I use scale, measurements and clothing. D) All of the above Each of them keeps me in check in a different way.

WELL,......

IF you REALLY want to know how you are doing, you would need to have blood work done to check your lipid panel plus several other things, not easy to do every day, or even week.

But then my WHOLE reason for this being a permanent WoE, is my overall health.

I use a scale once a week because it keeps me in check. I also measure once a week. And yes I know that I am losing based on how clothes are fitting.

Everyone has thier own way of determining when they have reached thier goal. Maybe I'll stop weighing and measuring. Maybe I won't. When I was in maintenance last time I rarely weighed myself. I also ended up adding 60 pounds back on. Maybe I should have kept the weekly weigh in...