Help me I am getting discouraged!!

Everyone's weight loss slows down after the initial rush. It is disappointing that we can't sustain the early success, but perseverence is the key. It may be that you've gained muscle since starting all that walking and that can add a bit in the short term, but longer term the extra muscle will help shift the fat. You need to give the plan months not weeks to see real results so hang in there. Real weight loss needs a lifestyle change not a quick fix diet. The walking is good, keep it up.

I would say that you are probably building muscle. Try measuring yourself and keeping track of inches for a better measurement. Also, drink LOTS of water. Seems the general consensus is that weighing every day is not a true meaure of your weight loss or gain as your weight can fluctuate due to water. Maybe weigh in once a week on the same day at the same time. I wish you luck. Don't give up on yourself. YOU CAN DO THIS!!!!

I think you need to limit your scale time to once per week or once every other week.

. Quit looking for results and understand its a life style change..... they will come. You will not see it, its like watching your hair grow. Just remember there are not fat people in the world that exercise and eat right..... do not delude yourself into thinking otherwise.

Hi mnichols,

Keep persevering! You're doing fabulously! Weight loss does slow down after the initial weeks, but don't forget muscle tone either. Muscle mass going up can cause what looks like weight-gain. Do you do measurements as well? This might help you. If you're body's toning up, the scale might be decieving but the tape-measure can re-inspire you!

I would suggest increasing your exercise for optimum results. Something which raises your heartbeat more will help. It sounds silly, but skipping (jump-rope) burns calories quickly and even 15 minutes of skipping 5 times a week added on to the walking will really help, you'd be burning around 270 calories a time. Swimming's also great exercise, or doing an aerobics DVD (there's some great routines to follow on youtube!). Even just dancing round the house (really going for it) to your favourite tunes helps (around 126 cals per 15 minutes)!

Keep us updated! You're doing really well!

If you don't start now and be patient you will be kicking yourself in the butt 1 or 2 years from now going " DAMN, if I would have stuck to changing my lifestyle, I would be there right now, happy and healthy" don't make yourself have regrets, just do it!

so you lost nine pounds in four weeks?? AWESOME!!! keep up the good work!!

You lost more weight with the "no walking" because it was your first week, most of that first weight you lost was water.

What you're losing now is fat, and losing two pounds a week, or even one pound a week is great. Plus you'll get a LOT more benefit from walking than just some numbers on the scale.

And honestly? You need a reality check. If anything's going to change, and obviously you want it to, you're going to be needing to eat a LOT less than you have been for the rest of your life. Not just for a few weeks or a few months. For years. If you're not ready to face that, you may as well just give up now.

But why give up? You've made a great start. It's not as if you have to starve yourself to lose weight, at your size you can eat loads and still lose weight. Me, I have to eat 1450 to just stay the same weight, for the rest of my life. If you're finding it hard to stick to a healthier diet, why not change your goal to losing 1lb a week? What's the rush? Better to do it slowly and keep at it than lose a load quickly then put it straight back on again.

This is a really great post. Do not give yourself permission to quit - you haven't given this new lifestyle eating a chance yet. I know it's difficult, I have a lot to lose too, and I've been logging everyday since January this year. You can do this but it's going to take effort, hard work - and you can't do what you've been doing to get yourself into the state you are. Once you get your head into that mindset, you'll be ready to work and not putting such expectations on a body that you've mistreated for so long. There are many of us who either are - or were - in exactly the same position as you.

It takes time. It isn't going to be easy but it is going to be worth it. Are you in? :flowerforyou:

Please do NOT give up. You are on the right path to becoming healthy and fit. Trust me...I know how you are feeling. With all of the exercising and watching what I eat since January I feel that I should have lost a lot more weight than what I currently weigh. But I know I am doing the right thing for my body. You made the step to join this site and to get better....stick with it. It will pay off in the end...:flowerforyou:

I would say that you are probably building muscle.

No chance, not if she's eating at a calorie deficit. If only building muscle was that easy!
It's possible that if she's working muscles hard, they may be temporarily retaining fluid.

It could be fluid retention, but I've always been taught it is possible to build muscle at a deficit. Hence someone who suffers eating problems such as Anorexia Nervosa can build muscle. It isn't always the case, of course, and is much more likely if you are exercising at a higher cardio rate. Either way, though, it doesn't matter too much and it should still help to start keeping measurements, increase exercise and limit scale time.

Forgot to add in my last post that swimming is of course a great exercise if you don't want to put stress on joints.

sounds like you might have to kick it into higher gear. perhaps instead of walking, try a slow jog at the same distance. I'll bet you burn more calories. Friend me, and I can help motivate you and vise-versa.

[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v494/ElizaF/Scales.jpg[/url] Also: The scales will not tell you NOT to weigh yourself every day (Once a week at the same time in the same state seems to show consistent loss for me) The scales will not tell you, WELL done, where fat once was, you now have muscle The scales will not tell you, those low fat crackers were FULL of sodium so now you are packing a bit more water weight as a result of eating them The scales will not tell you that is is also measuring the weight of that pint of water you had when working out Have you thought about measuring your body once every two weeks to gauge the changes that way? I measure: Neck Wrist (widest part) Forearm (widest part) Thighs ((widest part under buttocks) Waistline (just above naval) Stomach (around naval) Bicept (widest part) Give it a go. See if it works for you too as a better way to measure inch loss.[/img]

The scale is only one tool.

Tool 2: Take beginning pictures in some kind of form fitting clothing that you can put on again later to remeasure using the same poses from your beginning picture. Take progress pictures maybe once every 2 months or so. We get fooled by the mirror but pictures side by side are easier to see. If you add strength training to your routine, you'll get more noticeable results as well. Be aware though, for some, it can take awhile to really see your first initial results. Don't worry. Keep working.

Tool 3: How do your clothes feel?

Tool 4: measuring tape. Look online for a good explanation about how to take body measurements. Measure yourself about once a month or so.

Tool 5: body fat test. Ask your gym for a body fat test. Like the scale, cailipers aren't the most reliable tool, but it does give you something to show as you aim your way down.

Mostly, however, weight loss begins in your head. You have to become educated about it. You have to start working on developing a healthier attitude and relationship with food and exercise. It's important to understand that this is for the long haul and about changing how you live your life. It's not temporary. It's not easy, but done right, over time you will gain skills that can last a lifetime, if you work on the THINKING part of your weight loss journey. It's not just about logging, picking foods, weighing and moving. It's about thinking about your patterns, why you have them, what you can do to change them, how to work with your natural tendencies but in a way that is more productive and healthy, and how stress and emotions can play a part and what will you do to work around that. You have to change the head part to truly be successful during maintenance. It's not an overnight process. The beauty of it though is the more you reflect, the more you think about what you are doing, the more you go back and look at your data over time, the more you educate yourself, ask yourself questions, and learn what you are doing, the more you will really learn about yourself and THAT my friend is where the real change happens. Doing things by rote, won't completely cure the cause if you aren't examining the cause. But it starts with small steps. Right now the mental barrier, for example, is your unhealthy expectations about how fast weight loss happens and your relationship to the scale. Start thinking about that as your first reflective exercise. Start reading. Start telling yourself you can do this and believe it.

Another thing I want to share with you is that you can't panic here. You will be doing this for a long time. A lifetime. If you quit, you'll regret it. It's far better to keep going and take a long time than it is to quit and wish 5 years from now that you hadn't done that. Just do it. Commitment means you recognize that you WILL do this. You are fully capable of doing this. You will do what it takes to make it happen. That happens gradually but it takes determination. It takes loving yourself enough to work on it daily. Stop entertaining the thought of giving up. That is no longer in your vocabulary. You WILL DO IT. If you have a bad moment, forgive yourself and move on. DO analyze what you are doing over time to note any really repetitive behaviors but this is not about a single point in time. This is about an overall gradual change from the mental part to the fueling your body part to the moving your body part. ALL of it is connected.

Breathe. Relax. Educate yourself. Be passionate and excited because you are embarking on a journey that may take time, but will yield results if you just work on it. Soak it all up. Don't panic. That's unproductive. Work on those mental games your mind plays on you. Learn how to have a healthy relationship with the whole process.

YOU CAN DO IT!

One time, I lifted my butt off at the gym. That night we went out to eat....and earlier in the day I had eaten at Chick-Fila. I was under my caloric goal and ate extremely healthy that day. The next day I had gained 5 pound. Why?

A: Because the body retains fluid to repair muscles
B: Food when we eat out has tons of sodium...which retains water.