I decided from day one that I was going to diet until the diet didn't work anymore...and then I'd throw in some exercise. The scale was in agreement! I lost 30 lbs in two months!

Then some little 3FC gremlins suggested I start exercising now, even though diet alone is working. I really do love exercising. I love the rush of endorphins and the feeling I have for a few hours just after a good hard workout. I love, love, love the feeling of accomplishment as I improve.

What I do not love is that the dag-gone scale does not move!

It's not going up, but it's not going down either. It's fluctuating up and down about a half a pound.

When this happened before, I quit. I will not quit! I will remind myself that I got into a pair of pants that didn't fit AT THIS SAME WEIGHT a week ago. I will remember that 30 lbs ago I couldn't comfortably tie my shoes. I will remember that I was lieing to myself when I said I didn't like wearing my coat in the car because it was too bulky. I just didn't fit in the car very well with the coat too. I will remember that recovering muscles retain water. I will remember that TOM really does make us hold water and that possibly, just possibly, a WHOOSH is right around the corner.

*sigh* The good, the bad, and the ugly, right?

I just want to let you know I know exactly how you feel! It is so frustrating when you do something you know is good for your body but doesn't cooperate with the numbers on the scale (in my case they go up!) I have also lost a nice amount of weight without exercise, diet only (about 20 lbs). But I'm telling myself the same things you are and trying not to just give up on exercise because I love how I feel after and am sure I'll look better in the long run. Right??

It sounds like you're keeping track of calories, but I thought I'd just mention that exercise increases appetite, so beginning an exercise regimen is an important time to make sure that you continue to control calorie intake.

Other than that, you've got all the right answers. It's really tough to get over the mental block that just because the scale's not moving that we're not making progress. It sounds like you're doing great, though, so congratulations on getting the exercise plan started! All the stats say that exercise is an essential part of a long-term weight management solution.

I'm one of the weird opposite people with all things weight loss. Even if my appetite did increase, which it hasn't, I eat six meals a day of 200-220 calories each, period. There's no outside snacking so there's no chance I'm eating extra calories. I'm ridiculously disciplined.

I'll give it a week for TOM to get itself out of the way and then I'll think about increasing the calories.

Fashionjunkie, thanks for the encouragement. Here's hoping some good scale vibes come your way too. Why is that number so important to us?

3FC gremlins - too cute!

New exercise causes a scale stall for a lot people. Good for you for turning to the results shown in the fit of your pants instead of turning to the junk foods. I'm sure your scale will be moving again soon.

LOL, I seem to recall the 'gremlins' were talking about how exercise helps you fit in smaller sizes even at the same weight at someone else who doesn't work out, so you've proved the theory all over again!

Congratulations on the pants. I'm sure the scale will budge for you soon. I'll be keeping my fingers crossed.

It does seem like you are being punished for doing something healthy. Don't give up. Your body is just adjusting to the new routine. With every stall eventually comes a whoosh.

Ooh, I like that.

Eliana - thanks for sharing your story! It makes me feel better to know that "the number" matters so much to others as well! I'm not so weird afterall...haha. This time around I decided that I was going to focus on getting "healthy" instead of just losing weight. I started working out, along with dieting, from the very beginning. I am just not losing as much weight as I usually do at the beginning. It's so frustrating and I've realized that I do really focus on the number to keep me motivated. I like how you have focused on fitting into smaller pants...hopefully a NSV will come my way soon to keep me going. In the mean time...congrats on your accomplishments and thanks for the encouragement. If someone else has felt this way and overcame it...darn it, I can too! Thanks!

I'm so with ya, girl! I really think my issue is that I haven't been eating enough calories... but I'm terrified to eat more! Hang in there and I hope your Whoosh comes soon!

If you really sit down and think about it, I bet you can find something that's easier now than 10 lbs ago? It's amazing what 10 lbs can do. And, that's a whole bowling ball lost! But besides the stupid scale , what improvements have you made exercise wise? What can you do today that you couldn't do 1-2 weeks ago?

I myself just got back into it. But last week I walked up and down the stairs 5 times before giving in, and today I made it 6 times! (I do other things too, but that one's really measurable) And my last walk was a 25 minute struggle and yesterday I walked a good 35 minutes and wanted to keep going, but was pressed for time.

Eliana,

Just remember, exercise may not be the culprit- you lost 30 pounds relatively rapidly and so you may just be playing catch up now....

If you were to ask me about my weight loss, I'd say that I've had LONG stalls... but weirdly enough, if you look at my long term graph, I'm averaging just over 2 pounds per week, which is about what I'm shooting for with my calorie deficit.

Give it time!

one of my favorite movies, The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly.

yep, stick with it. don't let the little ups and downs discourage you. (I know, the scale can feel cruel sometimes)

Keep it up!

One thought - if you are only eating 1200 calories and exercising, you might be stalling your metabolism a bit. Never net out less than 1000 for too long. Your body might be resisting. When you exercise, you really need lots of nutrients and protein. Those muscles you worked so hard for in the gym can't build unless you feed them. Believe it or not, but I bet if you ate 1700 calories a day and burned 500 at the gym, you will lose faster than if you ate 1200 and didn't exercise at all. I know calories in - calories out, but muscle plays an important part in the equation too. Sure, you will see an initial stall, but overall, you'll subtract more by adding a little.

To lose more you need to eat a bit more....when you exercise. Try adding in one extra serving of protein to feed your muscles. Added muscle burns fat more efficiently. If you don't fuel your body well when you exercise you may start losing muscle rather than fat...and make your body less efficient at burning it.
Even if you don't see a weight drop you may have gained a bit of muscle (it is more dense than fat) So if you notice clothes are fitting better then that is what is likely happening....fat takes up 5x the space of muscle.