Exercise has always been a critical component for my weight loss and maintenance - not only because of the calorie burn, but also what it does for me psychologically. Exercise makes me feel happier, more energized, and more "in control".
I understand your frustration - I've had those weeks'-long plateaus before. You've gotten good advice. My strategy to break though plateaus has always been to increase the exercise intensity or duration (throw in an extra workout here and there), make sure I'm getting enough high quality protein, drop the refined carbs, and drink more water.
I also will go back and really scrutinize my calorie count, because I've often found that I'm mis-measuring or miscounting something which is making my intake higher than I thought. I remember I was hooked on a low carb ice cream available locally called D'Lites and was eating a lot. The calorie count was so low, it was like magic. THEN I found out that they had misrepresented the calorie count, and when I actually measured by weight and got the actual count, it was 2-3 times what I thought!!! Boy was I PO'd. And yep, I was plateaued at the time and that's why - eating several HUNDRED calories more than I was counting. It is so easy to undercount our intake.
I just started in with the exercise about two months ago, and yes, the scale stalled. However, the inches haven't, so I can deal with it.
Might want to take a look at Dr. Al Sears' PACE program. It's interval training, and he's got solid evidence that the short-term, high intensity workouts substituted for a couple of the long cardio workouts can really shake things up. Plus, it SAVES TIME. And who can't use that?
WOW! Great advice from everyone! Thank u so much!!! I got on the scale this morning and I dropped a pound! I guess someone else was listening too? One thing I didn't mention is stress. I think extra stress doesn't let my body get rid of the weight. I think if I had a more easy going personality, I might just be a few lbs. thinner right now, but I'm doing the best I can and am planning on taking a Yoga class on Tuesday.
Yes, I have lost about 30-40lbs without ANY exercise.
However, I also lost muscle and ended up looking like a sickly little bean pole. We call that "skinny fat" (look skinny, but have a high bodyfat, you are still "flabby", and have little strength)
Muscle is what made my body look "fit".
Your friends may be "skinny" and look gorgeous to you, but girls like that really aren't that much healthier on the inside. Infact skinny girls who do not exercise are often quite unhealthy.
As for adding weight from resistance training, it takes a woman about a year to put on 3-5lbs of muscle mass IF she is lifting heavy,heavy weights on a consistent basis.
If you don't exercise, you lose muscle as well as fat. There are a lot of unhealthy thin people walking around out there with too much BF and too little muscle. Muscle takes more calories maintain so you can eat more. And finally, muscle takes up less volume so you will be sleek and toned, not skinny and jiggly.
I went from 248 to 186 with no exercise and I'm hoping to go from here to 150 without exercise. I want to wait until I'm 20 pounds away from my goal to start. I just feel, whatever you start out doing to lose weight, you're going to have to do twice as much to keep losing. So if I start small, it won't be so hard for me to turn it up a notch when I need to.
If you're doing the same cardio and weight training all the time, mix it up! If you do the same exercises too often, your body gets accustomed to using those muscles, and they get stronger. When your muscles are stronger, you have to work them harder to get the same benefits. Try something different- run outside instead of on the treadmill, do yoga, a cross-training video, jump roping, whatever will entertain you!
I am one of the ones who has lost almost 50 lbs...with NO excercise. I just stayed to my eating plan religiously and I drop every week without fail. I do believe that excercise is very important and have always told myself that as soon as I got under 200 lbs I would start incorporating excercise. As of Jan 1st I will be excercising daily since I am so close to Onederland. I dont think that going without excercise is the best way to lose, but everyone is different. It worked for me.
I definitely believe it's possible to lose weight without exercise. And certainly we have to deal with whatever health and body issues we may have. And a healthy diet is worthwhile in itself, regardless of exercise.
But I can say this. I've been off track (with both exercise and with the foods I was eating) most of this year, and still lost weight in the spring, and again this fall. But despite the scale going down, the abdomen and hips are larger.
I suppose if I had never exercised to begin with, I would say I was doing fine without exercise, because I wouldn't know the difference. But the difference is very real.
I have been very successful at losing weight twice in my life, and both times it was due to my diet habits (mostly Weight Watchers). I was never a couch potato, but I also was not working out intensely or regularly.
I had thought I would lose a lot of weight when I went to law enforcement academy a couple years ago. They worked us like dogs! My weight stayed exactly the same, although I lost 2% body fat in three months and became more toned. One very overweight guy in my class lost 50 lbs though.
In the beginning I lost about 20 pounds without exercise and eating Lean Cuisine and Salads. That was probably 2-3 months. I felt hungry though and knew there had to be a better way. I went to whole foods and started exercising almost daily. It was a good decision and a healthy one. I am never hungry now and definitely have more energy.
And who can't use that?
One thing I didn't mention is stress. I think extra stress doesn't let my body get rid of the weight. I think if I had a more easy going personality, I might just be a few lbs. thinner right now, but I'm doing the best I can and am planning on taking a Yoga class on Tuesday. 
