Very frustrated.....

8 pounds in 3 weeks is really good. Most weight loss plans say that any loss of 0-2 pounds a week is good -- and you're already exceeding that.

So many people think they have to practically starve themselves to lose weight. This is SOOO not true. The less you eat, the more your body thinks you're in starvation mode and will hold onto any morsel you decide to give it, if and when you decide to do so. To borrow a phrase from Hardee's: Eat like you mean it. Make sure you hit your daily goals.

AND realize that this process does take time. It comes off MUCH more slowly than it can be put on (unfortunately). Stick with it and you'll get the results you're looking for.

I am going to echo what 99% of the OPs have said.. 8 lbs in 3 weeks is AMAZING!

Just remember.. you didn't put the weight on overnight, and it's not going to come off overnight (or as fast as it came on!) either.

Don't hinder yourself by having unrealistic expectations.. you will have up weeks, you will have weeks where it doesn't change at all, and you will have weeks where you MIGHT lose .2 lb.. BUT.. this is my list of what I have learned over the past 7 months.. Some of it may work for you, some of it may not.. but DON'T GIVE UP! Keep putting one foot in front of the other, and moving..

1. (Sorry guys), You are a female.. you have Ovulation water weight fluctuation and you have PMS water weight fluctuation.. So pretty much, you have something every 2 weeks to struggle with, BECAUSE you are a female.. so remember it now, you are going to see yourself go up even when you've busted your butt to lose in a week..because of those two factors.

2. Find something you like that will feed your sweet tooth but won't bust your daily calorie/nutrient goals.. and I have a 3 year old son.. completely understand that it's SO HARD sometimes to eat healthy when your LO wants to eat pizza rolls, pasta, hot dogs, cakes/sweets, etc every single meal (thankfully mine doesn't like fast food!)..

3. Give yourself well over 3 weeks to build a routine and figure out what works for you with meals/goals/exercise, etc before getting frustrated. When I first started on MFP and this journey in January, I was so frustrated beyond belief, until I realized I was making a huge change in my lifestyle - a change to something that I had been doing for 37 years... I needed to give myself a little time before I got frustrated. So I say give yourself at the very least a month to 6 weeks to just find your groove on what works for you. Don't be surprised if along the way you have to tweak your routine as you continue to lose weight. - The hardest thing for me has been to NOT always pay attention to the scale.. If I've seen it said 100 times on here, I've seen it said 1,000... The Scale LIES.. Take your measurements now.. neck, chest, waist, hips, calves, upper arm, forearm, wrist, and ankle. I'd do the same side..so stay all left or all right when you're doing the measurements.. On the weeks that you don't see any change in the scale or as much as you were expecting (or even a gain).. get out that tape and measure! Keep a spreadsheet or a written log of it.. with the dates. You'll be AMAZED!!!

4. WATER.. Drink LOTS of water.. keep yourself well hydrated.. (It doesn't necessarily make me feel fuller, makes me pee a lot.. lol..)..

5. I Live by this phrase.. If you BITE it, WRITE it. I fell off the logging truck for about 2 weeks in the first couple of months and made virtually no progress..got back up, dusted myself off.. and have been logging ever since.

6. Exercise.. whether it's running through the yard with your LO, or working your horses.. or walking.. make sure you get some form of exercise in regularly.

Best of luck to you! You CAN do this!!!.. Just don't get down on yourself.. each day is a new day.. and you will have "bad" days.. just remember 1 bad meal won't make you gain all of your weight back.. the same as 1 great day won't make you skinny...

(Please read - I'm not saying that my way is perfect.. far from it.. or my way is what you SHOULD do... I'm saying that we each have to find what works best for us... but sharing what has helped us along our journeys might help each other. )

GOOD LUCK!!!!!

This thread was very inspirational to me. Honestly I have gone on threads before, where I think people can be harsh and mean. I was doing good for a while,and have recently just lost all motivation. Seeing the honesty here, and the support, gives me faith to try to get right back on the wagon again.

I honestly know your frustration...Im scared to even get on a scale because I feel like if i havent lost what I wanted this first week of my diet...I will quit. I know Im being unrealistic about how much weight I want to lost in a week...But i feel like im sacrificing all of my favorite foods to still be fat!! I might as welll eat what I want if Im gonna remain the same weight. Frustration is not even the word for me..Ive been on and off dieting for over a year now and I always give up...I need motivation!

Your diary looks pretty good, except for the sugar. I would cut out some of the fruit and switch it for veggies. Also it might be more beneficial to have something for breakfast with more protein & fiber, that will keep you full longer. I like to have eggs/toast, fruit and greek yogurt parfaits with granola (home made) and sometimes if I am in a hurry I'll get like an egg white breakfast sandwich from a fast food place. I also noticed that if I cook at home and make healthy meals like chicken & veggies for dinner, and try to eat organic and natural, I feel better and have more energy & feel fuller for longer. Its not just about calories but about the quality of food and the nutrition that you're getting from it. Feel free to add me/message me if you want more support

I would take measurements from today then once a month measure yourself, not just bust, waist and hips but top of arms, wrist, top of legs, calves and ankles, even your neck because you will be surprised at the difference. I'm doing my measurements tonight for first time since I started this in May so definitely hoping that there is less of me.

I stay away from scales because I get obsessive about them and they depress me when they don't move quick enough.

I also try and go walking a couple of miles every night after work and have found that this has helped moved weight from everywhere not just certain parts of my body.

Don't be frustrated, Rome wasn't built in a day and its a lifestyle change you are doing not just a temporary change so the slower the weight comes off the longer it stays off.

Congratulations on the weight you have already lost - be positive, your glass is half full not empty :flowerforyou:

I have an office job too. Do you have 15 minute breaks at work? that is when I walk even if it is around the buiding. 15 minutes might take another 100 calories off. I just started last Thursday so I haven't lost any weight yet. (I think my body is in shock) lol. Plug away at getting small amounts of exercise throughout the day and the calories burned will add up!

8 pounds in 3 weeks is a decent loss. You might have unrealistic expectations about how fast this is supposed to happen.

This.

Eight pounds in three weeks is very respectable. It's more than two pounds a week! That's a great loss.
You didn't put the extra weight on overnight, and you're not going to lose it overnight either.
The only way to lose it faster is to be more "extreme", and that kind of nonsense inevitably leads to gaining it all back.
So enjoy your eight pound success. And understand that two pounds a week adds up over time.

Doh, how thick am I!! Just noticed diary settings, so have just set it to public. So go and take a look.

Took a quick peek at the last week! Here would be my personal advice.

- Swap part of your fruits for veggies
- Keep doing an awesome job on that proteine intake!
- Try to avoid processed foods such as cake (or anything that you don't recognise!) etc

Next thing I noticed is that you might be eating at maintenace instead of at a deficit. That may be your problem; your deficit isn't big enough. What is your normal calorie goal set to, and how did you get this number?

She is losing weight, so she isn't at maintenance. She is also losing at a pretty safe rate, so her deficit seems good (or at least close). Without knowing her height and weight, you can't tell what her calories should be.

Thank you sunshine! Did I somewhere mention that I knew what her calories were? Simpel fact is that if your weightloss is stalled, you're probably not on a big enough deficit.

To be exact; Damside, your intake has been 2075 calories on average per day (in the last week). On average you have earned 302 calories from excercise a day. This makes that you have consumed 1772 calories a day on average, in the last week.

Tha COULD be enough of a deficit for you, but as I've stated earlier, if you read the following thread carefully you will find a lot of answers. http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/974888-in-place-of-a-road-map-2k13
It's a matter of trial and error. Find out what your TDEE is and consume at about -20% your TDEE.

Also, how do you measure your calorie burn? Did you use an HRM? For me personally, I found that what MFP and the equipment at my gym gave me was wayyy off. I burned a lot less! This also influences your weightloss.

The key is to finetune everything. Your macro's, knowing what you burn, your TDEE and BMI.

Good luck sweety!!

She lost a pound. She is not stalled, just impatient at this point.

You have given her great info. But she's lost 8 pounds in 3 weeks. She is doing well, and should use the info to make sure she continues to do well.

8 pounds in 3 weeks is a decent loss. You might have unrealistic expectations about how fast this is supposed to happen.

I guess I am just being guided by what I have lost before at the likes of Slimming World. (

Ive done sworld and lost a lot now doing gym and calories to lose last bit as well as getting fit too. Sworld will give you those expectations - if I go home and eat pasta for whole week 4lbs off instantly. This is slower process but body changes faster with clothers looser and looking better fitted. Like they say in SWorld - take it over a month - and in 3 weeks you lost 8lbs that's great. Even by SWorld's standards