Ready to throw in the towel!

I notice you don't have your diary public which is your choice but sometimes when your stuck it is helpful for people to see what you are eating and give suggestions, are you watching your sodium, that will crash and burn a diet, are you eating processed foods all the time?

But most of all you have to just take it easy. Don't look for a quick fix. Look to change the way you eat to a healthy diet, no pop, correct portions, exercise 3 times a week or more and maybe only go for a pound a week instead of 2. Sometimes if your not losing your not eating enough of the correct foods.

A spoonful of peanut butter if your way below calories tastes great. Avocado's are wonderful and have the right fat. And most of all do it for yourself.

You just joined! You can't expect overnight miracles.

I've been here for several months and continue fluctuating within the same 5 pounds. I haven't lost more than 4 at any given point in time... period. So believe me, I get the frustration. This is also a matter of trial an error. Stick with things for a month and if whatever you're doing isn't working, try something else. BTW - if you're not eating your exercise cals, its not the end of the world. See what happens if you *don't* try so hard to eat them all! if that doesn't work after a month, then up your cals by 200 for a month, and then another 100 a month after that.

Hell, if nothing else, you're getting in better health by changing your lifestyle. It's not just about the weight. The weight is the visible results we're looking for. But the important part comes in the results we can't see so readily: heart, lungs, muscles, oxygenation, nutrition, muscle mass..... and the list goes on.

I've had to start over several times for various reasons but I can't quite bring myself to give up. If you want it, if you're committed to it and to yourself, you'll find the strength to keep trying and you will eventually find the system that works best with your body.

I am a former chef. I eat only whole, natural foods. Lots of fresh produce and, generalyl, very little fat. NOTHING processed EVER! Very rarely do I drink soda. I'm not allowed caffiene for medical reasons and I don't care for the overly sweet taste of soda.

I excercise twice a day and don't want to change that as I enjoy it, but it earns me an extra 1400 calories a day!

And I'm allergic to peanut butter and avocados, although I do occassionaly sneak an avocado into my diet. I just pay for it later and it COULD kill me.

If the above is true, I would recommend seeing the dr. to make sure there is nothing medically wrong. Could you have a thyroid problem? I see you are trying to lose 90 some pounds. Good luck and don't give up!!

I am a former chef. I eat only whole, natural foods. Lots of fresh produce and, generalyl, very little fat. NOTHING processed EVER! Very rarely do I drink soda. I'm not allowed caffiene for medical reasons and I don't care for the overly sweet taste of soda.

I excercise twice a day and don't want to change that as I enjoy it, but it earns me an extra 1400 calories a day!

And I'm allergic to peanut butter and avocados, although I do occassionaly sneak an avocado into my diet. I just pay for it later and it COULD kill me.

You are probably not losing weight partially due to the lack of fat in your eating plan. The whole, natural foods approach is good, but in order to burn fat you have to eat fat..............

And avocados will not kill you. It is natural vegetable.

DON'T GIVE UP!!!! YOU ARE ONLY CHEATING YOURSELF! I understand you are frustrated and having a hard time. Try to eat small things throughout the day, instaed of sitting down to 2 or 3 big meals. Your little meals can be just as little as a protein shake (yes there are good ones), a banana and peanut butter, or a couple crackers... Please don't give up.

I think that is BS and you should NOT give up.

Well, as you've seen, you have some friends here that are willing to hang with you and help you through all of this. If you are working out and truly burning 1400 calories a day you will start losing weight, give it 30 days. My body is like yours...it goes through a period where it won't give up any fat for about 30 days, then I start seeing the fat coming off.

Measure yourself. If you don't feel like you're losing weight, you probably aren't, since you'll gain muscle for 30 to 60 days...a GOOD thing, but remember muscle is heavier than fat, so the scale isn't going to show results for about TWO MONTHS of consistent fat loss.

If you're losing one to two pounds a week you could easily be gaining that much muscle.

Like many of the others said, eat at or near your calorie limit (don't increase for the workout "deficit" i.e. 2000 calories a day is normal for most males around six feet tall, don't add 1000 calories and eat 3000 because you worked out) and keep working out at a maintainable rate. Try working out for ONE hour a day for six days a week and rest for one day. Remember, this is a LONG TERM life style change, it isn't going to be easy and it isn't going to happen quickly.

You are a better person for embarking on this great journey! Plan your milestones and don't try to lose the 90 pounds all at once. Set smaller goals to see your progress. From the classes I've taken on health and fitness I've been told losing ONE to TWO pounds a week is healthy and the weight stays off...not just water weight.

If you lose an average of 1.5 pounds a week over the course of a year you'll lose 78 pounds in 52 weeks, or one year.

I recommend setting a goal like 90 pounds in 18 months, or 30 pounds every six months.

You probably know this, but remember to weigh yourself only once a week and at the same time of day, with the same amount of clothes on and keep track of the weight here or somewhere. You have to write it down so you have accountability to yourself. Keeping a food log here on fitnesspal kept me eating pretty much at or below my calorie goal for the first six months...and I lost over 30 pounds!

Good luck and hang in there...you have all the support you need here to keep going, we'll all be cheering as you make progress in the coming weeks and months.