What the heck!!

[iwineng03ss]

ok so i started the abs diet and starting working out last week.. Monday wednesday and friday are my weight days and tuesday and thursday i use those days as my cardio days. I have been following the abs diet very closely. For those that dont know the abs diet is a high protein diet. I also cut pop out of my diet totally. I drink nothing but water. In the morning i drink maybe 2 cups of coffee to get my day going.. For the most part I have been eating 3 or 4 eggs for breakfast and I munch on carrotts or celery through out the day and I have been eating an 8 inch turkey sub for lunch from jimmy johns everyday! At night I have either been eating steak or chicken along with a salad or peas for my greens. Ok so last week monday i Weighed in at 180lbs. I then weighed myself at the end of the workout friday at which i weighed 178lbs!! I thought sweat some progress already!! Monday rolled around and I ate just as I have been all week except i ate my cheat meal for dinner which consisted of 2 or 3 pieces of pizza just peporonia and cheese light sauce. I also had a couple beers.. Sunday I went back to the regular eating small 6 meals 3 meals and 3 snacks just as the diet states to do.. Monday rolls around Im feeling good! Finish my workout and weigh myself 183.2lbs!!! What like what the heck!! So im pissed allday reading trying to figure out what im doing wrong and from what i can see nothing! I went in a ran and did my cardio this morning and I was sweating my ass off.. I go in weigh myself and Im up to 184 now!! Has anyone else had this where they gain weight while dieting and working out? Ive never been one to keep track before till now I find it nice to keep a journal of what exercises ive done and what i weigh. Please tell me that this extra weight is either muscle already or water lol.. any help here would be great!

[BigWheelinBubba]

Take a laxative and a big dump, you'll be down to fighting weight :lol:

[iwineng03ss]

Take a laxative and a big dump, you'll be down to fighting weight :lol:

Lol trust me Im about as regular as they get especially with the protein ive been consuming on this diet.

[Becca_007]

I'd start by not only taking note of what you are doing but keeping track of the actual calories for the activities and food. 3500 calories = 1 pound.

3-4 eggs is quite a few calories. Especially if you add stuff to 'em. How many calories are in an 8 inch sub? Turkey or not, it all adds up. How about portion control?

All that aside, it is going to take your body a while to get used to what you are doing to it. The very first week I started using the treadmill I actually went up 4 pounds. I was not counting calories at that point though, and had a very filling weekend dinner at one of my favorite restaurants. Pizza and beer sounds very high calorie to me. That alone can explain fluctuation.

While I am in this to lose weight, I also want to develop tone and strength. Keep that in mind when the scale isn't going where you want it to. Do you feel better? Can you go further? Can you lift more? If you're answering yes to any of those then you are moving in the right direction no matter the number on the scale.

Keep it up!

[iwineng03ss]

Thats the thing with the abs diet they dont want you to count calories. I thought that too that maybe im taking more calories in then im putting out. I may tweak the diet just a tad maybe cut the eggs or whey out to everyother day.. Im gonna keep my water intake the same as we all know water is important. I know pop is bad but are there any other alternatives to water that I can drink water just boring at times. Especially with supper.

[nacf]

I have started getting those drink packets that you add to water (like crystal light or ocean spray makes a great one!) They are about 10 or so calories, but make water taste like juice! It is a nice break from the ssdd routine of water.

It took my body a little while to adjust to the change in diet and I retained water for a while before my loss started. Now if I don't drink enough I can really tell in my body (hands swell and feel tight-just overall bloated feeling)

Give it a little while and I bet the weight will come off:)

[Chris89Stang]

Don't pay that much attention to the scale. Depending on what you eat your body will hold more water some days than others.

Also, that Jimmy Johns sub, that may sound healthy, has close to 600 calories and 50+ grams of carbs. I know your diet doesn't say to watch calories but with certain foods you have too.

[Becca_007]

According to the trainer I spoke with, water really is the best option. While things like flavored water, and the zero calorie pop don't show the calories, they contain many sugars which are difficult to break down (kidneys). She also brought up the point about how anything carbonated irritates your stomach and over time it can have an effect. We have at least 3 cases worth of pop sitting in our frig. It's been sitting there for 3 months now. Lol. I suppose we will slowly work through it. I do indulge on the Zero Coke every now any then, maybe 1 can every 2 weeks, otherwise I drink plain water.

Guess I'm not sure about the abs diet and I wonder how they expect you to lose weight without making sure your out calories are higher than your in. It's just not plausible. I guess they just assume the out will be more than in.

[iwineng03ss]

I have no idea how they expect you not to count the calories either lol.. They actually say that you can lose weight without working out on this diet im starting to think not.. But im gonna stay on it for a while longer and just see what happens. I know I do feel better, My skin is clearer and I sleep much better then I have in years. My wife says she can see changes in my stomache but i dont see them as of yet... I am gonna try not stepping on a scale for a week or more just to see what happens. As most said you cant go by what the scale says and its more of what you see and feel.. Like I said I feel better then I have in years, Ill keep you all informed on what happens in the future!

[King of Awesome]

Never used the Abs diet, but I can tell you when I was following the Eating for Life plan last year, I lost about 20 pounds by just changing what I ate and cutting out the pop.

[Timberwolf]

According to the trainer I spoke with, water really is the best option. While things like flavored water, and the zero calorie pop don't show the calories, they contain many sugars which are difficult to break down (kidneys). She also brought up the point about how anything carbonated irritates your stomach and over time it can have an effect. We have at least 3 cases worth of pop sitting in our frig. It's been sitting there for 3 months now. Lol. I suppose we will slowly work through it. I do indulge on the Zero Coke every now any then, maybe 1 can every 2 weeks, otherwise I drink plain water.

Guess I'm not sure about the abs diet and I wonder how they expect you to lose weight without making sure your out calories are higher than your in. It's just not plausible. I guess they just assume the out will be more than in.

While she is offering sound nutritional advice, it really doesn't have anything to do with weight loss. Sure carbonation can mess with your stomach. Will it cause you to gain weight? Nope. Sugar replacements effecting your kidneys... maybe, but messing with weight loss? Nope. She's not giving you training advice so much as nutrionist advice for overall health.

Bad advice? nah.. relevant? up to you I guess.

[Becca_007]

I'm not too sure it doesn't effect weight loss when you break down all those sugars. I viewed it as your body had to work harder and process it in a different way; like calories from fat versus carbs versus protein. Most sources will tell you calories from carbs and protein are better than calories from fat. And even more stress that protein calories are better than carb calories. In the instance of drinks there aren't calories to count (when you do the zero stuff) but that doesn't take the sugars and sweeteners into consideration. I got the feeling those extra taste added items slowed down the weight loss process more than just pure water would. If I see her around I'll try to remember to clarify the discussion we had about it.

[Timberwolf]

Maybe, but I don't know that flavor is a dietary consideration when it comes to breaking down calories. Most low carb or sugar free food/drink items use sugar alcohols instead. Some people can't digest these very well, but in that case the body flushes them out of the system, sometimes very rapidly LOL

[BAd DaD]

Here's my 2 cents.
I not only want to lose weight I want to be and feel good/healthy.

What I am putting into my body?
Is it good for me? Do it
Is it bad for me? Don't do it
Is it neutral? Its not good or bad for me (as some diet drinkers explain)
If it is neutral then it is a expense.

Water will help my system operate in the most efficient manner.
Diet sweetners never claim to be healthy just low cal.

[Timberwolf]

don't get me wrong, I am not advocating replacing water with diet soda, but when I need a change from just pure water, I will drink a cherry coke zero.

now and then I NEED carbonation and flavor :)

[X Factor]

Water and Strictly water. I carry around a 32oz jug with me everywhere I go.

If you need flavor put in a lemon slice, lime, starwberry, raspberry etc to give it some flavor.

Occasionally I'll have a glass of fat free milk but other than that its water.

Water is the best thing for you, it flushes all the crap out of your system

[Timberwolf]

drinking nothing but water, even with a bit of fruit stuck in for flavor is a quick way to get bored with diets... at least for me. And when I get bored, I don't do as well.

[X Factor]

I've drank plain water since Oct 07. If I do have an iced tea or something I drink twice as much water as I did ice tea.

Water is the best way to lose weight even if it does get boring.

[Becca_007]

Since Oct of 07? How much have you lost?

[BAd DaD]

drinking nothing but water, even with a bit of fruit stuck in for flavor is a quick way to get bored with diets... at least for me. And when I get bored, I don't do as well.

A diet is something you do until you get what you want.
I'm not on a diet, I'm on a long term change to better myself.

I agree the lack of carbonation has been a drag!