i've been reading everywhere (and i've known from previous weight loss attempts) that you want to lose fat, not muscle. there are diets that are geared towards that and they say that if you are doing it in a healthy way you should lose about 2 pounds a week of fat. i know you lose more than 2 pounds your first week. so my question, on ww what are we losing?? is it fat because of the way we are changing our diet (hopefully!)? or are we losing muscle too?

i haven't yet (three weeks in) began working out, not because i don't want to, but because b/t my job and taking care of my family i can't always find time in the day. i get up before 6 everyday to get myself ready for work and then i have to get my 19 month old up and ready for the day. i work from 7:30-4:30, go pick little one up and head home. usually i get home around 5:30, but sometimes it can be 6:30 or later if we had to go to the grocery. then i have to cook dinner (since we are eating healthier) and pack my lunch and my husband's. clean up from dinner, do dishes, give girlie a bath, showers for the adults, get girlie to sleep and then it's usually time for us to go to bed. when do you work out?? we've been walking at work, but i do home visits and sometimes i'm not able to do that, i would say that i average maybe twice a week, although this week so far it hasn't happened at all. when we do walk i don't feel like i'm getting much out of it. i've always been an active person and to me a work out means getting hot and sweaty and not being able to hold a normal conversation because you are trying to keep up with your breathing!

ahhhh!! any comments or suggestions for me today?

We are losing both, as well as water weight. Muscle loss can be prevented by lifting weights during weight loss. If you don't lift weights, you will still lose more fat than muscle. But, muscle aids in weight loss, so you do want to try to preserve what you have. In the first week, most of the weight loss is water weight.

Wikipedia explains fat vs muscle loss pretty well.

Here's a thread on weight fluctuations and water weight loss:
http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/showthread.php?t=115826

I workout in the evenings, but I don't have as busy of a schedule (no kids yet). I get up around 5:45, at work around 7:45 (45 minute commute), home around 5:30, then dinner for me and hubby, then gym, then I'm usually home by 8:30 and we usually go to bed around 10. I go about 3-4 times a week. But during the warmer months, I walk at work about 3-4 times a week about a 1/2 hour each time. Try to take the walking slow. Explain that you are just getting into your walking routine and would appreciate it if the group slowed their pace a bit. If they aren't willing to do so, ask around if anyone would be willing to walk with you at your pace. I bet that at least one of the people in the group would be willing to leave the group to walk with you at the pace you need.

i don't need them to walk slower, i am usually ahead of them. i am a very fast walker in general, which is why i don't feel like i am getting much out of the walking. i know it helps some, but since i've always been active i'm used to running/jogging, lifting weights, doing cardio, taking classes at the y, things along that nature. when the weather is warmer i take my daughter for walks around town (very hilly town) so i do feel like those walks are very good b/c i'm pushing a stroller with a 20+ pound child up hills.

Oh I'm sorry, I thought you were saying that you WERE having trouble breathing! Well you could ask if someone would walk faster with you, if that is what you are looking for

Some gyms have an activity area for children where you can drop them off while you work out. You could try looking at one of those if you are looking for a gym.

I actually work out twice a day. I do 25-35 minutes in the morning before work in a cardio DVD at home. Then in the afternoon I go to the gym. My schdule is as follows:

Mon & Thu - weights for legs, back and biceps
Tue & Fri - weights for shoulders, chest, triceps and abs
Wed & sometimes Sat - high intensity cardio machine

I take Sundays off for a complete day of rest.

I think ModKittn explained the high rate of loss the first 1 (and sometimes up to the 3 week) with the water and there are times where your losses may be more than 2 other than that but usually the are accompanied by either before or after a low weight loss week.

i have figured out a way to get in a little bit of exercise every week (at least until i can afford a membership at the y). my friend takes a spinning class once a week. i am going to have my mom watch little one for me (she won't have any problems with that!) so that i can go. we are going to go on tuesday's (except next week b/c my friend has a hair appointment, so we will go a different day). when i have a little more flexibility with cash i am hoping to get a membership to the y where i can go on my lunch break and maybe take a class or do cardio or lift weights. not sure when that will be able to happen, but it's all i can come up with at this point.

We walk at work at breaks and lunch, when the other two aren't around, I make myself take myself for a walk. We walk through work areas now that the weather's not bad. I hate going by myself, but I do it. I can't wait for nicer weather, then we go outside.

I got the Yoga Booty Ballet DVD for xmas, it has a workout called light and easy that I enjoy, it's not all that easy it's fun though. I also try and do some work with the dumbells, I feel like I have no upper body strength anymore...