[JJascaxal]

i know colleen and i could debate this all day long, and have... Yes, he makes that statement about people who were already exercising. but he never tells you, or even hints, that we should not exercise. if he didn't want us to exercise, i believe he would have said so. my take on both those paragraphs is that he encourages it, if anything. plus, we know a LOT more now than we did back then about exercise- and how it's CRITICAL for proper body functioning, on just about any level.

in regards to water retention, he's just explaining what might happen. but exercising does not make you gain weight! just like he talks about in discussing apple days, water retention is TEMPORARY.

let me say this, too. THOSE OF YOU WHO EXERCISE MAY LOSE LESS WEIGHT, BUT MORE INCHES. Fat weighs less than muscle. so if you are losing more fat, you'll actually lose less weight. Muscle weighs more- lose more muscle, and the scales will look better, but not your measurements.

i had a friend who is older than i am, and it totally frustrated me that she lost so much more on her first round than i did- UNTIL i checked her body fat. she had lost MUCH more muscle than i had!

yes, we all like to follow the protocol as closely as possible. but this "don't exercise" myth is much more harmful than helpful. BOTTOM LINE- the more calories you burn, the more you will lose, in the long run. i've known people who gave up exercise programs because they gained 5#, even though they lost an entire pant size!!! That is CRAZY. Are we not doing this in the long run, for our health? Fit muscles are also longer and leaner than those that aren't. So you will look better, feel better, and wear smaller clothes, the more you exercise. who really cares what the scale says, as long as you're getting smaller??