Help! Feel like quitting :(

Don't give up, this is something that is a life change, but some people think it will happen right away. I love to eat good tasting food and am still learning when I need to put the fork down. Do I get discouraged? You bet, but I am not going to stop. Have you tried eating a few more or less calories? little adjustments can make a big diff, and that may be all you need. Stress plays into your body holding onto needless fat also, I have that problem. Stick with it, make little changes 1 week at a time to test them out and see what happens. Never give up tho..Look at my signature..do, or do not, there is no try. I believe you can DO!

Three weeks isn't a very long time to let your hard work pay off. Make sure you're eating the right foods, and foucs on making it a lifestyle change, not a diet.

I was dieting and exercising for a while before I started losing weight. I think everyones body is different and for some reason it takes a little time for your body to decide to let the weight go. I was in the same boat when I started about a month or so ago. I would lose a pound then gain it back. I stuck with my calories and exercise plan strictly. In week 3 I lost 10 pounds then the fourth week I lost 11 pounds(21 in all). This 5th week I haven't lost a pound or gained anything but I'm sticking with it. Don't give up! Cry, scream, vent, hit something just don't give up.
Doug

What I like to remember is that a 2 steps forward and 1 step back pace is still progress at the end of the day. Ultimately, I also keep in my mind that the option of eating irresponsibly and not taking care of myself leads to such a cruddy feeling and lazy/sedentary lifestyle - so sometimes I get discouraged and say, "Screw it - I'm eating crap!" and may do so for a few days, but then I wake up - feel HORRIBLE and get back in the saddle again!

Mosaics aren't clear when you are too close - examining this lifestyle change too soon or too frequently doesn't bring clarity either.

Don't give up just yet. Ignore the scale just continue eating healthy and exercising. Remember this is not a race I personally work my *kitten* off for every lb lost and there are days that the scale will tell me I gained it all back. If you want to rant and whine about it fine get it all out but never give up on yourself you will get there eventually,being slow is better than not trying at all.

I went through the exact same thing! I started eating better and did the Insanity program...I instantly lost 6 pounds, and then gained half back, held onto that for a long time, lost a pound, gained 2 back...never ending roller coaster. I asked for advice, everyone told me to eat more...so I did, at first, I lost 3 pounds, then quickly gained it (and some more) right back. I felt so discouraged! I finally lowered my calories, and now I'm losing again. Who knows if this will stick, but so far, so good. The best advice I can give is, trust your body and your instincts! You know you best...the other thing I can say, keep working out and eating right...the time is going to pass anyway, so why not be trying instead of giving up. Think of where you will be a year from now...chances are, a much more fit, healthy you! Good luck to you, and just know you are not the only one!!!

1. The scale isn't always 100% accurate.
2. Water retention is always possible.
3. Go by how you feel.
4. Start doing 15-30 minutes of exercise a few times a week to kick start it.

I am in my 4th week, and I have stepped on the scale once a week ago. I don't really care what the scale has to say. If I'm diligent in the food I eat and put in the effort to exercise as well, there's only one way the weight can go..

You know, you can always quit later, and it will be just as easy. The hardest decision is to start, so hang in there for a bit longer.

I have started counting calories and restricting what I eat and drink 2 weeks ago (I drank 2 litre of cola every day, now I drink a glass, I ate a lot of junk food before, now I am preparing most meals myself), and I have seen the scale go down a couple of pounds and going up again. Now, I have some good news and some bad news for you. The bad news is: The pounds you lost may not actually have been a real loss of body fat as you wanted it (yet). But the good news is, the pounds you gained are probably not a gain in body fat either. You can not gain two pounds of fat in a couple of days if you are not eating an incredibly large amount of calories (you are keeping your daily calories intake in check, don't you?).

The body is a complex system, and there are many things that happen in it. Most of the body is actually water. Water comes and goes over the day as you drink, sweat, urinate, deplete and replenish your systems. Also, you have a bowel that holds weight and loses it. The changes in these systems can happen quite fast.

There is no way you can see a change of a couple of pounds of body fat on your scale. The body fat change is hidden behind the normal ups and downs in the rest of the body. You need more patience to see a trend.

So, I suggest to laugh it off, and enjoy the ride! Take pleasure in the new foods you are trying, and the workouts that remind you of muscles that you didn't use properly in a long time. Due to my desk work I developed posture problems, my right shoulder was always hanging low and rolled back. Now, because of the daily workouts, the shoulder is almost perfectly aligned again. That's a real change right there, and it doesn't show on the scale.

I just spit my drink all over my computer monitor, thanks for that ! (in response to the zombie bat comment)

seriously dont quit. It takes 30 days of doing something everyday to make it routine and habit. Instead of doing a diet, try a clean healthy lifestyle. Diets fail, diets end, diets suck!