Well, this is my umteenth time trying to lose weight!

I'm on weight watchers yet again. In the 7 weeks I have been on program I have lost 12.6lbs. That may seem like a lot but my starting weight was 361.4 lbs. Normally I can lose a lot more at the beginning but this time it seems to coming off at a snails pace. I'm not giving up (thats my usual course). I think maybe my motabolism is screwed up from yo-yo-ing for so many years!

My friends wedding is next June (2010) and I am a bridesmaid! I wanna look half decent in a dress so I have to kick it up a few notches lol.

Just wondered if anyone else feels like their weight loss journey is starting off a bit slow????

I completely understand where you're coming from! I just started back up after falling off again, and I keep looking at the scale wondering why it's not moving! You and are pretty close in terms of starting weight-I'm not doing weight watchers per say, just eating healthier overall, but I have been implementing some exercise,so I'm *Crossing my fingers* that maybe I'm gaining muscle instead?

Keep up the good work! I'm sure if we keep trying we'll both see a difference soon!

sort of yes and no. When I first re-started, I was disappointed because I didn't have the great whoosh I've had in the past in the first couple of weeks. However, what I've found this time is that although there haven't often been any serious losses, they seem to be a lot more sustained.
So the last time I lost a lot of weight, I lost 106lbs in 2 years. This time, so far, I've lost 50lbs in 6 months, which is pretty much twice as fast as before.

Hang in and keep plodding: weightloss, for 99% of us, is a simple matter of physics (or it may be biology or it may be chemistry; science anyway) less in + more out = weightloss: it WILL happen!

Found it easier this time round until now - but now I'm around the weight I always tick at and end up butting weight back on at so I guess it's psychologically hard at the moment. I really need to lose 12lb or so to feel more positive again then I will be well away from this weight and will know I can do it but I wasn't well this week and didn't lose any weight despite not eating much so feel it's got much harder now.

I think the important thing to remember is however hard it is to keep going - doesn't matter how long it takes to lose weight as long as you do. 12.6lb in 7 weeks is good - it's just under 2lb per week which is considered a good amount to lose so well done Lose the same again over the next 7 weeks and you will of lost 23lb in total

You have most likely lost muscle mass over the years. Its your muscles that are the engine of your body. Fat tissue doesn't do any "fat burning" metabolism. I suggest doing some muscle building exercises. Try getting some of the elastic bands they sell to help. I purchased some at my local Target store for about $30. The more you increase muscle mass, the bigger your fat burning engine.

betty -- congrats on the progress you have made!! I think sometimes we set ourselves up psychologically to lose the weight more quickly than we really do and end up feeling disappointed a lot!!!

From what I've read, there aren't necessarily long-term metabolic effects of yo-yo dieting, so that may not be it. Part of it may be age-- it's harder to lose, it seems, when we hit menopause.

You didn't really say what your plan is, but some plans result in greater early weight loss than others (that seems to be an advantage of many low-carb approaches). Are you staying really on-plan, or are there things you can tweak?

Whatever you do, don't give up! Even if the weight loss rate slows!! Look at it this way -- even if you only lose one pound a week on average for the next year, you will be 50 pounds down next June. But if you give up, you might end up actually gaining between now and then!!!

Good luck!

Thanks for the advice girls! You all are very inspirational!

Heather I'm 32 so I think (hopefully I'm far from menopase lol). You are right are bodies do slow down quite a bit as we get older (and wiser). Congrats on your weight loss! You look fabulous!

I have been very good at journaling, staying in my point range (I don't think I was ever this dilagint on journaling).

My new WW leader is amazing! I think that is why I'm still there. My other leader in the past (that meeting is just down the street), didn't motivate me like the new one does (that meeting is across town). My new leader had a very point last week. "We are all lifers here at weight watchers, we always end up coming back anyways. Lets just continue with our journey, get the weight off for good this time"! Shes really awesome.

I will have to incorporate a weight training schedule into my workouts. I think that will be the key. Right now I take my pugs to the park just about everyday for at least an hour. I go to the gym about once a week (I'm gonna strive for 3 times a week), and on my busy work days maybe an exercise video).

This is what I have learned in the past few weeks working with a trainer. Strength training is key, for every 1 lb of muscle you gain you lose 3 lbs of fat...so the scale will only show 2 lbs but the best part is when you are doing strength training your muscles continue to burn fat for an additional 8 hours after your workout. I was going about it all wrong..I was doing 60 mins of cardio then some light weights because I didnt want to bulk up. My weekly weight loss has increased since I switched to 30-45 mins of cardio and hitting the weights to where I am sore the next day.
But I would like to say....YOu are doing great! Dont give up! Oh quick story
I met a girl at the gym about a month ago and she was running on the treadmill..she looked at me and said "I started exactly where you are now" at first I was offended but got over pretty fast as she kept talking..she said "for 4 months I didn't lose anything...I was getting so frustrated then after 4 months I dropped it like crazy (she did this hand gesture that was like her body sucked in..I hope that makes sense) lol. So I think the key is our bodies are all different and respond differently. You may lose really slow for awhile then your body may do what hers did and drop it like crazy for awhile. I know its frustrating but the #s are going down not up and that is Fantastic! that is something to be very proud of

I lift too, and it really made a difference! I don't know that everyone gains a pound of muscle and loses 3 pounds of fat -- the 2 are different kinds of tissue and independent of each other. When I first started serious lifting my weight stayed constant after 3 months, but I was down a dress size!

I have pugs as well!! Two males -- Othello (9) and Hamlet (4)! What about you???

I have 2 males as well. Pugsy (black, 2), Murphey (fawn, 1). I used to have 3 pugs but we had to put him down due to cancer. Poor little guy, we got him from a rescue. He was 9 and no one wanted to adopt him, so we fostered him, fell in love and adopted him! We had 6 happy months with him.

betty -- Wow, I don't know if I could do a foster like that! You gave him a happy end.

I adore my pugs even though they frequently interrupt my sleep...

Thats hilarious! My boys can't wait for me to get into bed. They sleep like logs!

Oh, mine usually sleep okay at night... but othello wants to eat early in the morning and it often up by 5:30... doing what he can to nudge me awake!! so I often wake up earlier than I had planned!

I suppose thats where I'm lucky. Mine graze throughout the day. They seem to know that on side is Pugsys and one side is Murpheys.

Oh goodness, really!! They aren't crazy for food? They don't inhale a meal in a minute? Are you sure you really have pugs?