Why do you reach a weight plateau. I'm still at 176 pounds

I'm on a plateau right now. I think I've been doing the right things on my program but I've stopped making progress. How can that be?

Almost everyone who diets to lose weight reaches a point where they stop losing weight for no apparent reason. They eat the same size portions, eat the right foods and do the same amount of exercise but they are stuck at the same weight.

Here's what's happening Our bodies have been losing right along and our body detects that we aren't getting the same quantities and same calories that it was formerly used to. A physical defense mechanism sets in and our body in effect tells all of its systems to conserve, to slow down, to be more efficient with the food it gets. It doesn't realize that we want to keep contracting or losing weight. It thinks we are making a mistake and physiologically it is going to correct this mistake. It tries to make one calorie act like two and thus keep us on this no lose plateau.

Don't worry. Don't fret and don't let your underwear bunch up on you. Your body will get used to your new lower weight and let you get on with your business of losing weight. Just "STAY the Course" and it will all work out. Naturally our watchword/slogan for this lesson is:

"STAY the COURSE".

Contact me at brownbagdiet@gmail.com or leave your comments below.

Sorry for the absence of 2 months but I'm still on track

Sorry for the absence of 2 months but I'm still on track at 176 pounds.

Last time I reported I was at 178 pounds but since that time I had a little mishap. I thought hiking was a good way to get my exercise in and on a hiking trip I suffered a fall. The contusion on the long bone in my leg was severe but I didn't break anything or so they told me at the emergency room I visited. However the pain was getting worse and worse. So ten days later, after I returned home, I went to my Dr. who told me I had several fractures on one foot around my ankles. Fortunately everything remained in line and I avoided the need for surgery. However I spent the next two months in what they called an air boot. This is a device that acts somewhat like a cast but you can remove it to shower and when going to sleep. At any rate two months later my Dr. told me I had good bone formation and discharged me.

What has all this to do with weight loss? Simply put, life is complicated. Although I expected a smooth program for weight reduction this complication got in the way of my concentrating on my task to lose weight. However in the preceding weeks on my diet program I developed pretty good eating habits. During the entire time in which I had the air boot I never once got on the scale. I didn't try to follow my diet but to my surprise during the preceding weeks I had already developed some pretty good eating habits and those good habits paid off.

Although two months passed before I got on the scale again I was surprised to find that I hadn't gained weight. And I'm on the downtrend again with another two pound weight loss.

So what does this prove? It's simple. Good things happen when you develop good habits and bad things continue to happen when you never start or never try to go on a sensible weight loss program. I suppose we could adopt a new watchword/slogan that expresses this idea. That is Good things happen when you try - so keep trying.

You can contact me at brownbagdiet@gmail.com or post you comment on this blog.
Good luck.

I lost three more pounds on the Brown Bag Diet

I lost three more pounds on the Brown Bag Diet. Now I'm at 178.
April 5th 2009

It wasn't easy but I went back to the basics. AWARENESS, PORTION CONTROL & EAT BY THE CLOCK.

As you know, the last time I reported I had slipped off the track and actually gained two pounds. So I went back to the drawing board to find the three principles (Watchword/Slogans) that helped me lose weight as I started this program. It helped me lose the two pounds I had gained plus put another pound into the loss column.

You can see by my slow weight loss that this is not one of those weekend starvation programs. But you can see how plugging at it little by little I'm shedding the pounds. I'm still not slim enough to fit into my old army fatigues. But with an additional five pound loss I should be able to squeeze into them.

So today's watchword/slogan is: KEEP ON PLUGGING. You can reach your goal if you stay with the course.

Of course you can reach me at BrownBagDiet@gmail.com. And if you do write me I'll try to cheer you on so you too can begin or continue your weight loss program.

Weight Loss Report # 5 - getting with it - again

Weight Loss report # 5 181 pounds.

This doesn't seem like good news since it's a gain of two pounds instead of a loss.
I'm suffering from two weekends of backsliding. But the important thing is not to focus on the bad but to figure out what has to be done to get back to a positive outcome.

I'm still down four pounds from the start and I'm not going to try to starve those extra two pounds off. That would only lead to another relapse. I'm pretty sure that returning to my diet schedule instead of trying to make up for the lapse will be the most effective in the long run.

So today's watchword/slogan is - GET BACK ON THE HORSE (your regular schedule of dieting. You know what they say if you fall off a horse? Get back on the horse - and keep riding. That's what I'm going to do.

If you'd like to tell me how you're doing with your diet program write me, Erwin Posner at BrownBagDiet@gmail.com.

Weight Loss Report - 4 - the Brown Bag Diet - 179 pounds

Weight Loss Report - 4 - the Brown Bag Diet - 179 pounds



The weight is still coming off - but slowly. I'm pleased that I've lost 6 pounds but it seems painfully slow. But then again it is 6 real pounds that have stayed off since Feb. 4th. That's not a weekend of crash dieting only to return to the original weight or more.

So what is the lesson here? I think the lesson is a well used adage that, "Slow and steady wins the race" or "The slower it comes off the longer it stays off".

So let's remember that this lesson's wathchword is, Slow & Steady.

Remember to send your comments and suggestions to me at:
Brownbagdiet@gmail.com

Weight Loss Report -3- the Brown Bag Diet

Weight Loss Report - 3 - the Brown Bag Diet - 180 pounds

Things are slowing down a bit. I had a two pound loss from Feb. 12Th but considering I began at 185 pounds I'm satisfied with my 5 pound loss to date.

Our last watchword was "PORTION CONTROL". That is so important. And so is the next. Remember we started with "PLAN AHEAD". Now we add the watchword, "Eat by the Clock".

When you plan your eating for the day decide when you will eat each meal. If you decide that 12:30 to 1:00 PM is lunchtime don't start cheating by snacking at 12:15. It's a lot easier to refrain from silly eating habits when you know exactly what time your next meal is scheduled.

So keep this watchword handy. It will help you get through the day without breaking down and spoiling your diet plans.

Any questions? Write me, Erwin Posner, at BrownBagDiet@gmail .com

Weight Loss Report - 2 - the Brown Bag Diet

Weight Loss Report - 2 - the Brown Bag Diet



In my last report was on Feb 12Th I weighed in at 185 pounds. The weight is coming off slowly. Today I weighed in at 182 pounds. Although I'd like to show some dramatic results for these ten days, I'm satisfied with a three pound loss. You know that the hardest part is getting started.



As I said last time, my contribution to our economic stimulus is to change our business model from Brown Bag Diet clubs to the Brown Bag Diet Blog. You can get a full refund of any funds you paid to the clubs we were establishing by simply returning to your club facilitator for your refund.

In the last post we discussed setting a goal and keeping your focus on what, when and how you eat. Now we have to turn our attention to how much you eat. Just this week a new medical study reported that over 800 volunteers were put on various diets. Some on low carb, some on low protein as well as other diets. All the volunteers lost weight and it didn't matter what diet they chose. What did matter was how much they ate.

So you see the importance of, "PORTION CONTROL", which is our next watchword. This lesson is simple and short. Stay focused on what you are eating. Keep the watchword, "AWARENESS" always in your mind. Now add the next watchword, "Portion Control", to your list and you will be well on your way to success.

Write me for special tips on how to improve your portion control. Send your email to:

Erwin Posner, R.Ph. at: BrownBagDiet@gmail.com