There are tumbleweeds blowing through this group. Anyone here?

Anyway, I will go first and share a little something.

I have been struggling with health problems that have made it hard to exercise. So I splurged and got a rebounder--a bellicon to be specific. I started out doing only 10 minutes a day, 5 days a week. I've now built up to 20 minutes a day, 5 days a week. Its not a "magic exercise," but its exercise, its easy on my joints, and I can do it at home. I actually love it. I would encourage anyone out there who is trying to find a gentle exercise to do at home, and who isn't partial to 'workout videos' to consider the rebounder. The bellicon is an investment, so I'm not sure I'd suggest it for your first rebounder. But before my joints became a problem, I had years of enjoyment on a less expensive, but well made rebounder.

But more importantly, I'd encourage anyone out there who is struggling to exercise, for whatever reason, to not give up looking. I kept trying to do the exercise I was use too--interval running, calisthenics, weight-lifting--and my "new body" just kept saying no, no, no! But I had found these after years of 'hating exercise,' so I was loathe to give up something that I had actually come to enjoy. Not only was it demoralizing to always feel sick, it was really demoralizing when the things that use to make you feel better started to make you feel worse. But I didn't give up, and I've found a good place to start. I'm only doing 20 minutes a day of an energizing, but no exactly vigorous form of exercise, and, if the scale is any indication, its been helpful!

I did my 20 day weigh in. Not pleased. I have stuck to my plan, but I didn't lose anything. I was disappointed. But I can't let that stop me. I also feel like its important to share when things don't go as planned. I've been on and off MFP for several years. And I see a pattern where the successful people post all the time. And those that struggle will "disappear." They might come back when the struggle is over, but the aspect of day-to-day struggle sometimes gets lost in these forums. (We can see that in this group...look at how many people started and how few of those folks are still posting?) It starts to feel like if you're not 100% successful, that you're the only one. Well--for those who are struggling, you're not the only one. I do have a weight goal for the 100 days, but its a pretty modest one. My primary goal is consistency. To stick to my plan. Regardless of what the scale does or doesn't say.

I am just having 0 luck with this scale. It's not quite 30 days for me yet in this challenge, but outside this challenge, its been exactly 8 weeks--56 days. I think I lost 5.5 lbs in 1 week (oddly, not the first one, but the 3rd one. So it wasn't water weight. Who loses water weight on the 3rd week of a diet?). But nothing any other week. If I hadnt' lost anything, I'd think maybe I was doing something systematically wrong. But if what I was doing made me lose almost 6 lbs, then why won't it work again? My body seems to be fighting me every dang step of the way. I have kept to my diet--a pretty stringent one--for every day of these 56 days. I've even given up my vice during this time--no "end of the week" glass of wine for me. Not in 56 days! I went on a very strict diet after a more liberal one failed to work. (Never mind that the more liberal one has worked for me my entire life. That, my friends, is a different story.)

I am about as annoyed as I can be. But you know, I'm still in this. I'm annoyed, but I'm not out of the game. I guess I can be glad I'm not gaining weight. I guess I can find some small consolation in that!