This is why I start and fail diets biweekly! I started eating healthy and exercising on Mon Oct 23., by Friday I had lost 5lbs. Sat my scale quit working, Sun I checked, up 2lbs. And that is where I have stayed! I don't understand. I am eating between 1200 and 1400 cal and doing areobics for an hour and toning for 10min 6 days a week.

I know the scale isn't everything, but I have nothing else to go by in the begining. I Have made a drastic change in my life style I would think it would be making a differents on the scale

I do not want to biweekly diet I am tired of this! I can do the work, but I want results! Sorry for whinning when I just started. Jelly

This is exactly why you need 3FC, Jelly. We'll help pull you through the perserverance part
Stick with it my friend. We, as women, know that a month is a better indication of changes in our bodies.
Come back often and use us to coach you through!

My weight loss has been very erratic the past 8 weeks. I have virtually kept my food intake at about the same level, really within 100 calories or so and I have increased my exercise. But over the course of the 8 weeks, my numbers were all over the place. I had a 9lb per week weight loss, 2 1/1 lbs and a 1 lb.week. Just keep it up and it will come off. Our bodies are adjusting to this new lifestyle and it's not exactly sure what to do with it. But it will figure it out and your weight WILL come off. I know it's hard but you have to try and look at it a full week at a time, even two weeks at a time. Gosh that scale can drive a girl crazy.

Weight loss is not linear. That is the way it happens! If you're going to stick with it you have to accept that first of all. You go up, down, stick, down, up.

So, we don't have to like it, but we accept that's the way it will be. This is why many people weigh once a week or less -- they hate the fluctuations!

Keep at it, and don't worry about the scale for a while!

I weigh myself every day but I understand weight fluctuations. My weight can fluctuate up to 5 lbs within a single day. It doesn't mean I gained or lossed 5 lbs during the day, just that I may be retaining more water or what not.

One day a couple weeks ago, I weighed myself after what seemed to be very reasonable eating and I was up around 5 lbs more than the day before. I find my morning weight is pretty consistent so 5 lbs from morning to morning is crazy. I knew I hadn't gained 5 lbs overnight but I knew what I had eaten was a bit salty and maybe other hormonal issues were going on. So I kept going and that hormonal/water weight disappeared within a few days.

One of the best things to do as well is to start measuring yourself. You won't believe how big an improvement your measurements can show after a month of eating right and exercising. I find that I enjoy measuring myself and being able to feel my clothes get looser rather than relying on the scale.

Hang in there. You are only 8 days in to this thing. 3 lbs in one week is great. Just keep doing what you are doing and it will fall into place.

Wish I would have lost 3 pounds this week!

This is for the long haul. You can do it.

Definitely look at weight loss over time. Lots of people like to weigh themselves everyday or multiple times a day, the variations just made me miserable. I couldn't handle the emotional roller coaster - when the scale was down, I was euphoric and committed to weight loss. When the scale was up, I felt like a miserable failure, I was working so hard and not losing weight, I might as well quit.

During my last (and hopefully final weight loss attempt) I only allowed myself to weigh weekly (same time, same situation every week). This really helped me see some consistency in my weight loss (although there were some weeks where I did not lose weight).

The scale is evil (well, it was to me). There were weeks when I would do everything "perfectly" and not lose a pound. Then there were weeks (like Christmas that year) where I ate my mom's cooking, Christmas dinner AND had pie and still lost 2 lbs.

If you like to weigh yourself every day and it doesn't rattle your resolve, do that. If the variations make you miserable, consider charting your weight loss so you can see the gradual downwards movement over time or just weigh yourself less frequently.

Another good thing I did was make my goals non scale related, I made sure I had lots of little victories that kept me motivated that didn't involve the scale - like working out everyday or packing my lunch everyday or trying a new healthy recipe once a week. I gave myself rewards for meeting scale goals AND non scale goals, that helped keep me motivated.

3 lbs in one week is definitely cause for celebration, not frustration. The hardest thing for me was sustained motivation - how to stick with healthy eating when it didn't seem to be working. Definitely work on your long term strategies for long term weight loss success - this is for LIFE. If you quit, you might gain the weight back and possibly more.

Susan, I loved reading that

Jelly, I know it's hard... I was there myself not too long ago but as much as it sucks, it does take TIME. The good news is that after a while, your efforts begin to accumulate so 2 pounds becomes 3 pounds becomes 6 pounds lost becomes 10 pounds lost, becomes 20, etc. If you keep with it! Another great thing is that there are things you can do to help distract yourself from the scale! Measuring yourself, going by clothes sizes, tracking exercise minutes, days, times, types, etc. food, non-scale victories (there's a month thread, NSV - that's also awesome). It's hard but it's possible and TOTALLY worth it.. hang in there!

What a great way to look at it Wyllen!

Jelly, I know it's not the easiest thing but when you get frustrated or slip try to stop doing the "Well, I've wreaked the week now - I'll start again on Monday" & change it to, "Ok, I'm discouraged (or slipped) I'll start again right now!".

Good luck - we've all had our discouraging moments. bb

I completely agree with everyone!

Like Nelie, I weigh myself everyday and sometimes more than once a day! It frustrated me a little bit in the beginning but now I understand better the fluctuations that happen day to day and month to month. I know if I eat a lot of salty foods, I will retain water. I know when it's TOM, I will gain weight. I know that sometimes, for no reason at all, I will go up a pound or two. But, overall, steadily for the past three months it has gone down. Keep with it, you're doing AWESOME!

Thanks guys! I am really glad I found this site.

It is the scale that is driving me crazy! I took the battery out of my scale and put it high on a shelf. I will put it back in once a week. Hopefully it will not rule my life anymore!

Thanks again! Jelly

I have nothing to say that would top anything already said.

Soooo...hang in there! It will work if you stick with it!!!