I have read a lot of your posts and you are such an inspiration to new and old members...Thank you for all your positive feedback you give us the members :).

I need help...i have just started this program and it advices me to eat 1800 calories a day and 50ish grams of fat...i find that too much so i gave myself my own calorie and fat intake...1300 - 1500 calories a day and 30ish grams of fat. my starting weight is 214pounds...but due to bad food choices and "time of the month" i gain 5 pounds...so that would make me 219 lbs. I need to do this once and for all!

I have been exercising (doing the couch to 5k) following the plan diligently, it about 25 - 30 minutes of walking/jogging.

this week i have gain 5 pounds...not sure if it's "time of the month related" but i am feeling very discouraged and fustrated that this cycle is never going to end...gain/lose weight every week.

Any suggestions is greatly apprieciated!!! please I want to do this....and i need all the help i can possible get...:)

ready42010

Hi Ready,

I will tell you it very well could be Aunt Flo issues ( woman issues) making you gain the 5 lbs. I am always bloated and feel like I have 100 gallons of water weight added onto me! Plus make sure you weigh yourself at the same time of everyday. I usually weigh myself upon waking up. Hope this helps. And you aren't a lost soul! We have another member in the Oct starters group :) I have added you all as favorites if you don't mind so we can keep in touch

I would suggest that you read Betty Kovacs article on why you need to reach your calories and fat grams. They will help you understand what could be causing your difficulty in losing.

http://community.myalli.com/forums/t/15130.aspx  READ FIRST:Why you need fat to reach your fat goal by Betty Kovacs

http://community.myalli.com/forums/t/18013.aspx  Why you need to reach your CALORIES by Betty Kovacs - Dietitian

When I started Alli I did find the 1800 calories to be too high but I also knew that cutting my calories too far could also hinder my weight loss. I just lowered mine to 1600 and found that it was a perfect fit. I also had to make sure that I was getting enough fat because that is what Alli works on. If you don't meet the fat grams, Alli has less or nothing to work with. By lowering your fat grams too far you may exchange that for too many carbs, which can also cause weight gain.

Hi Ready how re you doing today. Check in if you have time. I am here for you!!!

 you are so sweet...thanks for the motivation...i am worth it...i am not a lost soul..but when you see that number on the scale but was intisipating a lose and not a gain...you feel hopeless...

I am not sure if it's Aunt flo related, i do feel bloaded and i drank 10 gallons of water...i wil have to wait until i am finished wiht aunt flo and see it that was teh cause.

meet you on the Oct. group...Thanks so much for your support!

reptilemom:

I would suggest that you read Betty Kovacs article on why you need to reach your calories and fat grams. They will help you understand what could be causing your difficulty in losing.

http://community.myalli.com/forums/t/15130.aspx  READ FIRST:Why you need fat to reach your fat goal by Betty Kovacs

http://community.myalli.com/forums/t/18013.aspx  Why you need to reach your CALORIES by Betty Kovacs - Dietitian

When I started Alli I did find the 1800 calories to be too high but I also knew that cutting my calories too far could also hinder my weight loss. I just lowered mine to 1600 and found that it was a perfect fit. I also had to make sure that I was getting enough fat because that is what Alli works on. If you don't meet the fat grams, Alli has less or nothing to work with. By lowering your fat grams too far you may exchange that for too many carbs, which can also cause weight gain.

Reptilemom,

Thanks for your help.

the first week on the plan i did eat the 1800 calories recommended but that resulted in 5 pound gain...however, i did get my monthly friend too so that might have hindered my weight.

i reduced my fat and calories because i didn't want ot gain more weight this week...but maybe the 1300 -1500 calories is low..but not sure i did read the forum on fat and calories and went on teh website that calculates how much calories to eat based on your: age, weight, gender, and exercise....and it gave me

i wrote a post to betty kovacs to see what calories to eat to lose 2 pounds a week.

Thanks for your support i really needed it.

ready42010

Mom_Of_Three_Boys:

Hi Ready how re you doing today. Check in if you have time. I am here for you!!!

 hey girl,

i will be check in in a while...i am doing pretty good..not great, but hanging in.

We can do this!!

ready42010

 yes..you can lose weight on 1800 cals a day.. read lables.. write everything down.. make sure that you get the right amount of fats and cals in each meal....GET MOVING!!!!take a walk.. start with 10 minutes a day and add one minute every few days until you are moving at least 30 mins a day..i am proof that this works..its not fast and it doesnt happen overnight , but yes, it does work...it is NOT a diet..if you go back to eating whatever you were before you will gain it back.. this is a tool to give you a lifestyle change.. and i AM a success story... i have lost my weight and maintained it for over 4 months without  any big deal..i have changed my eating habits and got in shape..you can too...kathy

 Kathy, I needed to read your post. SO helpful. I started May 22, 2009 @183 lbs. I have been "stuck" on163 for 2 weeks. I am VERY happy to have achieved the 20lb loss.  I have been VERY good with my meals & snacks. I usually give myself a little  "treat" on saturday. I'll stay on track this saturday instead. My husband was  home on vacation last week & my exercise routine got interupted. I'll get back to it now.

Joanne

 joanne.. i was "stuck" around 160 too.. be patient.. mix it up.. that means do something different..i got in a rut every 10 lbs or so..i mixed up my excercise.. i changed what i was eating.. i think that your body acclimates to whatever you are doing and stays stuck..  try dropping 100 calories a day for a week or working out an extra 10 minutes.. now I always liked to eat too much to give up the 100 cals.. 10 minutes of cardio or weightlifting was easier for me to do.. also i would encourage you to measure yourself in several places and write it down.,. sometimes i did not lose weight, but i dropped a half inch in my hips or tighs or waist.. i am the type that needs to "SEE" progress.. so once a week i measured and weighed myself..try this and see what you think!!.. do not give up.. you are worth it and you will be so glad you stuck with it..wait until you fit into that smaller jeans size!!.kathy

 Kathy,

Thank you SO much. I will take your advice. Sounds so simple I don't know why I did not think of it!!!!!!

Joanne

 Hi Im sorry I missed your post!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you for the positive comments! I too gain weight during the time of the month usually 3-5 pounds... How tall are you? I am 5'2" and when I started I aimed for 39 grams of fat and about 1500 calories . I didnt exercise evey day and I still dont. I started out walking a few days a week, using the hip hop ab tapes, a little lifting of light weights and some basic stretching and situps while I watched tv... Usually 3 to 4 days a week sometimes more but that was a good average. What kinds of questions do you have? I would be VERY glad to help you !

 hey brody,

thanks for your responce. my weight, as of today, is 212 pounds, and my height is 5'7". my age is 31 y/o.  i wanted to ask you if you stay with-in you fat and calorie intake, but you answered that question in you last post.

Another question is DO you find it so hard to stay motivated and stay on track? every single day, for me, is a struggle. i need some sort of motivation, my family is not as motivational as i would like them to be...and it is very hard for me to change them.

i want to lose at least 2 pounds a week but i find it so hard to even lose that much. maybe it's what i eat or how much of that i eat. when i first started i was on the 1800 calories and my body responded with a gain. so i lowered it to 1300 and it would not budge..so now i am on 1500 calores...and i am struggling with 2 pound lose every week. i exercses 4 times a week..no weight lifting..just walking on the treadmill for about an hour.

some people say that my body is converting the fat into muscle and muscle weight more than fat...but i still want to see a decline on th scale..and i am stuggling in that area. i don't measure myself...maybe because i don't feel that i have lost any inches either.

I do write everything down...i found a site that calculates the fat and caloires so that is not my issue...i stay with in the recommendation but i am not sure how much, fat or calories, is too much for my body.

for exampel, when i started i stayed with in 1800 calories..ate lots of fruits, veggies, whole grain, nuts...for b-fast, lunch, dinner and a snack and no exercise so i gain weight.  i do need to exercise but i am not sure what should i do with my body...eating and exercise...i am still learning.

if you don't mind answering...how hard was it the first couple of weeks to stay on track? what tools or tip did you use to stay motivated? did you begin losing weight right away or did it take time?

I know it's a lot of questions but i am in need of help to lose this weight once and for all.

Thanks so much!

Ready

    I have a picture that I keep with me of what I looked like when I first started Alli....... If you dont have one I suggest you take a nice whole body picture of yourself. I do also suggest you do a baseline of your measurements. I didnt do that and now I wish I had to compare how many inches I actually have lost. My friend also had great success on Alli and is the same height as you. She aimed for the 1800 calories and 54 grams of fat. I would say use the alli recomendations for fat and calories as close as you can... If you go a little under its ok just keep track and dont go over! You really need to be consistent,measure and weigh everything you eat. I use an electronic food calculator that I bought on ebay and it fits in my purse and I still use it faithfully every day.    I started to see the scale go down after the first week which definitely kept me motivated. I also just looked at my before picture and knew I didnt want to look like that anymore. As you start to see a loss and going down in clothes sizes your motivation should be pretty high! No one else at home was that supportive of me either. My husband wouldnt even go for a simple walk with me so I took a kid or a dog with me. A year later he is still overweight and has little energy but the same definitely cant be said for me! LOL     Hope this helped some and keep the questions coming!!!!!!

yes, the advice has helped me. Thank you!

I will look for a picture that i can't stand to look at....i have plenty because my children love to take pictures of everyone. i just hate to look at myself! also, today i will measure myself....maybe i can use that as an insentive to motivate me when the scale doesn't want to budge.

i think all men are the same because my hubby doesn't want to go walking or go down stairs to workout...and tries to convince me that it won't help me either...sometime i use that anger to motivate me but it motivates me to eat the pain. my children, god bless them, they want to help me because i am consistantly complaining how i look.

the problem i am having is when i workout an hour on the treadmill it says i burned 500 calories and walked for 3 1/2 miles...i usually do this 4 days a week. however, the days i workout i eat over my calorie intake (1400 cal) and the days i don't workout i am fine. the days i workout i am always hungry and can't get enough of food...and i keep tellling myself that is enough but i rebel. then i tell myself "tomorrow is a new day" and it becomes a cycle...and i hate myslelf for the actions i do to myself...but at times i can't help it.  i did hear the more a person work out the faster the weight will come off...i am not having that problem...it has been a slow process..if i am lucky its a pound a week...

Today and for the rest of the week i will eat 1600 cal and see if that would make a difference....i will let you know how things go...did i lose or gain the week of 1600...i will post my results next week. i have tried so many things but nothing is really helping...maybe because i give up so quickly...before i start to see results....i might need patience...

Thanks for all the help and advice you have given me....i am truely grateful...:)