[sitih]

i started working out just recently, nov 13th, thats 1 month, 1 week ago. i thought by now i'd see at least the slightest bit of changes like perhaps being able to fit into some of my clothes/dresses and feel downright motivated. but.. i'm extremely disappointed to know that nope. they're still as tight and i still look like crap in them. i just feel like breaking down right now, i see no progress at all and i feel so upset! how is it possible that i lost only 2 pound in a month?! i think it's my eating habit, i'm sure it is. what should i do to change it? i'm struggling so much, i feel so upset. what should i do? :'(

[vabs]

I don't think exercise alone will change your body super rapidly. Although you DID lose 2 pounds, so it did have an effect.
For me, the exercise is more about feeling good about my body, and my diet is how I'm losing weight. Exercise helps, but I can easily eat back all the calories I burn through exercise (in like one snack even). So I rely on counting my daily calories for most of the weight loss.

What are you're eating habits like right now? Changing those are probably going to have a much bigger/faster effect on your body. And don't get so down on yourself. You are already doing something that 1000s upon 1000s of people don't and never will, and you've stuck with it for 5 weeks!!! You CAN do this, you just need to figure out a new game plan.

[Nora52]

I HATE plateaus ! Hang in there ! My weight loss has been slow and stop/ start and when it stops... you feel so discouraged but don't give up !

[Thedollylala]

I agree try counting what you eat and become accountable for that as well, try my fitness pal. It's a free site that has a useful calorie counting app for your phone.

[Dreamer2012]

Don't give up yet! When I started losing weight, it took me 4/5 weeks to actually lose the first pound. I found it very discouraging at first but held in there. I was losing a pound a week or every two weeks in the summer because I was able to work out more often and now that I don't get the chance to work out as much because of college, it's a pound every two weeks.

How are you eating? I don't follow any particular diet, what I've basically did was cut down on the amount of fast food, junk food and fizzy drinks I was having. This won't work for everyone but it is working for me. When I started, I used MyFitnessPal calorie counter and I did find it helpful when I did use it. I got a fair idea of how much I should be eating a day and also how many calories were in what. I would suggest having a look at this counter. I've often heard that weight loss is 80/20 on diet! So, while you're exercising, you do need to take a look at the foods you're eating.

Best of luck!

[sontaikle]

I know it's difficult! You're working hard so you want to see results! Unfortunately exercise is really only a small component of weight loss. You MUST find yourself an eating plan, or a way to eat where you track your food intake. Your eating is what will make or break you.

I know that's difficult to hear, because I didn't want to hear it for years (I exercised regularly for years and years and didn't lose weight!) but when I finally did get my eating under control, I lost weight.

[Heather]

Good for you for making a change!!!!

I agree that exercise alone isn't enough. To paraphrase a siggie from a member "You can't out exercise poor eating."

So, you need to make some diet changes. There are tons of options out there -- and you can find out about them by poking around the forums. But the basic rule is that your intake needs to be less than what you "burn" in a day.

For now, don't worry about getting super complicated. You could start by writing down what you eat for a few days and trying to figure how many calories you typically eat. Then, to lose a pound a week you have to cut out 500 calories a day. Try not to go too low on the calories, though, as that can be hard to stick to and give you little wiggle room when you need more, etc.

Good luck -- you've made a good start!

[Misti in Seattle]

Hang in there! You are off to a good start! And while I am a firm believer that exercise DOES cause weight loss, that is only a part of it. Good eating habits are important too. Just get yourself a good eating plan and keep up what you are doing!! Good job!

[sitih]

thank you everyone!! i have heard that its 80% diet, 20% exercise, i did start tracking calories but i often forget to write down/log what i ate. i also think its the carbs or the fried food. i hope i get better at counting calories and remembering to log down what i eat!

i really really appreciate all the advice given, i believe my progress is going to be extremely slow, but progress is still progress right?! thank you for all your support guys! <3 <3