Horray! That's utterly excellent, Cindy! Congratuations!

Cindy:

I'm in the "healthy weight range" for my height, and almost everyone keeps asking why I want to lose more weight, but I've got the "female pouch" thing going on with quite a roll of tummy fat. I can pinch more than an inch in that area. However, my ribs are beginning to show on my upper torso. So I understand why people who "appear" to be at a good weight want to lose more.

Urbanzero, do you lift weights? You keep mentioning "toned", but "toned" isn't a word that most people who seriously (try to) build muscle use. If you want to get rid of the saddle bags you should concentrate on increasing your LBM through heavy lifting. That will get rid of the excess BF% and keep it off more than just dieting alone.

Not to be unpolitely skeptical, but I can't help myself.

I still don't see it. How is building muscle going to remove fat that is as stubborn as breast fat? I mean, building muscle wouldn't make my breasts disappear. Dieting will, once you get down below 10% the breasts are gonna go too. But that isn't healthy for women. It just seems like you'll have muscular thighs with saddlebags.

Joan, I used to be on a lifting program. I had a friend that was a personal trainer to show me how to do it. I naturally have broad shoulders and my muscles are dense w/o working out anyway. I tried gaining alot of muscle in order to lose weight but it just made me bigger, gain muscle and not lose fat. Only recently I switched to cardio only with mild strength training and I lost fat. Now after eating low cals (1000-1200) relatively low carbs (50-100 day) and working out 5 times a week (kick boxing, running, cycling, yoga, pilates, dancing, etc) I am just maintaining. I want to try PSMF to lower my BF % so my muscles are more defined. They already are there, just under fat layer. I use the word toned b/c I don't want to be "shredded" or built, the difference to me is a fitness model and a female BB. Anymore heavy weight training and my arms would be too big. My biceps are already 12" and my neck is 11" ha ha.

My guess is Truffle you're due a big whoosh soon. My own body refused to give up any weight for the first 5 days as well.

And I agree, I think you are drinking too much water...many people get so used to the 'feeling' of water sliding down their throat all the time that they drink out of habit more than need.

Nancy, boy do I know the low bounce effect. So far, I am now on post break Day 4 and there has been no change. I sit on 155.5.
I am just happy that I didn't gain more than that on the break
(which is 1.5 lbs) so I expect something to happen in the next few days. I am not going to do a free meal until the scale shifts, plus after the 2 week break I don't feel the need anyway.

This morning I made a pancake: usual eggs, 1/2 scoop PP, 1 tbsp oat bran and 1 tbsp resistant starch, 1 tbsp cottage cheese, vanilla sf syrup...topped with the ALC (Awesome Lemon Curd).....very nice, and filling.

Cindy...WOHOOOOOO!!! Congrats!! You inspire me to continue with this diet! CONGRATS AGAIN!!!!!!!!!

I get what you're trying to say Urban, about losing the fat layer. I have about 100 layers to go still, but when I get down there, I hope to have nice strong muscles that are visible.

Do you know any fitness models? My friend Melissa won 3rd place in a fitness competition in Seattle (I can't remember the name). She did that by lifting heavy weights and dieting (cutting) just like a body builder would. She was lean to begin with, so you can imagine that when she started cutting, she looked pretty well defined. I'm betting you might be like me. I want well defined muscles, but I draw the line at bulging veins Thats not a look I want to recreate And really that will come down to how much body fat you have. Dang... I wish I could remember what Melissa was at during comp. Have you googled any fitness models to find out their body fat %? I think's its actually pretty low.

Thanks KCooky's! I'm loving psmf these days.

Nancy... do you have stubborn breast fat?? I'll trade you some of that for my stubborn butt fat LOL. I already have gone down a cup size in bras I started out in a 40DD. By the time I'm done, I'll need implants!!

LOL! Well, you know, it isn't so stubborn that it hasn't shrunk some. I'm in a B cup now. :\ But even though they get smaller, they never go away totally. Thankfully! Not like some of the bodybuilders who get down below 10% body fat and look almost completely breastless.

I bet my breasts would go before my saddlebags.

I always had some saddlebags even when I was at my most gorgeous and slimmest (125 lbs) in my 20's...but if I had lost any more weight I would have looked emaciated. Some of us just aren't genetically made to look like adolescent boys and girls. Today things are different due to age...I would have to do the impossible with body building (impossible because I have various injuries that prevent doing it), and getting too thin means looking really gaunt and haggard, with lots of sagging old flesh. So my goals are more aimed at clothing size than anything else. Joan, you look wonderful I must say....unless that's not you in the avatar. But your considerable exercise and your weight watching obviously has served you well.

Urban-- I have had a two friends with your same problem/situation. They both swear by running. The one girl ran every day all summer and could fit into jeans 2 sizes smaller. The other girl (I just talked to her on the weekend) and she joined The Running Room. Not sure if you have it in California, but it's a place where they teach you how to run and you can run with groups and stuff. She used to be quite bottom heavy and she went down three sizes. She can't believe how much she has tightened up the hip/thigh/butt area. I think you should try more running vs/ your other cardio. Other than that-- lipo is what I say.

It sucks that we still have problem areas after all our hard work. When I was in hs, I got down to 128 (I too had friends telling me to eat more) and I still had the under the belly button "puff". Granted, it was smaller, yet still there! Of course, now it is much, much bigger!

Only thing with running is I tend to have bad knees. I kind of already over do it. I have to take aleve when my knee starts to hurt to control inflammation. I am much more of a sprinter than a long distance runner, lol.

So I just took the yohimbe.. will let you know the effects!

Thank you Val. That is indeed me, about 5 pounds heavier than I am now. I try to keep young looking (hair dye does wonders) and stay active while I can.

I just got back from swimming 20 laps (50 yards each) of the city pool, and then a "free" meal at a Mexican place. Before the meal I was at 690 cals, 13 g fat, 12 g carbs, and 123 g protein. After the meal 1268 cals, 43 g fat, 50 g carbs, 158 g protein. I had some tortilla chips with cheese sauce and a chicken taco salad, sans sour cream and guacamole (can't stand either).

Gee, even with the "free" meal I'm still below maintenance and decent on fat and carbs today.

PB Girl, You're very welcome.

And I agree with you, this is probably the most healthiest way to eat, period.

It also has the best results.
There's no reason you can't adopt this WOE to your WOL permanently.

Cut the fat, eat more veggies, and make protein your garnish.. The Galloping Gourmet guy used to say this.

But in truth, it's all about moderation, and making portion control very important. Fat is not the answer, portion control is.

Morning all!

Cindy!!!!!! WTG!!!! VT, bay-bee!!!! Save me a room, a'ight?

'Course, it may be awhile before I get there.....I'm sitting over here with Truffle...up a pound today, But at least I can claim female hormones,

Feel great today, not just because the sun is shining, finally, but it's also a refeed day,