What is your eating plan? I didn't really start losing until I was counting everything, everything I put in my mouth. I definitely felt like you did when I thought I was exercising a ton and eating right and basically losing nothing. ETA: and even though I wasn't losing, I was making fitness improvements...I could hike up a mountain after one year of lots of exercise and minimal weight loss.

On the good news side of things, I bet you are healthier since you started exercising...invisible things are probably changing, like your endurance, bp, cholesterol, etc...that is reason enough to stick with it!

I second what forestroad said. How much carbs/fat/protein/cals? What types of foods (white pasta or whole wheat?)? What kind of snacks and how much?

To be perfectly blunt, it sounds like "a few snacks" "every once in a while" is what's doing you in.

For me, weight loss is probably 90% about what I'm eating. Depending on what your indulgence is, you can take a carefully earned calorie deficit, forged in all those workout sessions, and literally eat it away in a few minutes. So I'd encourage you to really try to figure out exactly how many calories you're eating, and how they impact your average calories for the week.

It takes some time to get into the groove of what works for your body...you'll figure it out and be on your way.

And I agree - all that exercise IS NOT a loss - your body got all kinds of health benefits from it, even if they didn't appear on the scale.

That's right! Don't forget this isn't just weight loss, it's a lifestyle change! There are so many reason you could not be losing weight ranging from a plateau to gaining muscle to not eating enough calories! Weight loss is not linear.

Admire your new goal shirts, keep up your hard work, and even if you don't meet your goal by your timeline, just strive to meet your goal!

If you've never counted calories before, I'd suggest you count them for the sake of knowing exactly how much you're consuming in a day. You'd be surpised at how quickly they can add up, especially if you're not eating the right balance of foods. Do a few days of calorie counting to see where you stand.

Sometimes when people first start exercising their weight will increase or stay the same. I'm not sure why, but I have noticed this with myself.

Also, Bob Greene, Oprah's former trainer has stated in his books that he wishes people would hold off weighing themselves when they first begin an exercise program, because it takes the body time to adjust and sometimes they will gain weight. Eventually the scale will start to go down.

Hi! I am going through the exact same thing. Except that I have been exercising consistently since October 19 and inputting every calorie that goes into my mouth since the same date on Livestrong. I haven't lost a damned thing neither.

One thing that does give me hope is this concept that I read about in an article whose link another chick posted, and this article was all about water weight and water retention. I basically stated that, in many people, they will go day to day being diligent and not see a drop on the scale for a long time. Then, all of a sudden, a significant weight loss shows up, as if by magic. Something about our fat cells losing fat, but filling up with water until the body feels comfortable releasing the water. It is called the whoosh!

This article made sense to me, as I have often noticed, in the past, that I will exercise and diet and be super diligent for a long period of time and want to throw my scale out the window for like a month. Then, one day, my jeans are suddenly falling off of me and I am rubbing my eyes, looking at the scale with wonder. So, I hope that it will be the case for me this time, too.

In other words, hang in there, and I will too, and hopefully we both will get the whoosh!

If you want to lose weight, you have to not only MOVE but you also have to eat right. Your output has to be more than your input at the end of the day. So your "indulgences" - whatever they may be - don't seem to be working along with you, they are working against you.

the Tough Love messages I received here were:
Be honest - whether you are counting calories or doing WW or following another plan, you need to be 100% honest with yourself and what you are eating and 100% committed to the plan.
Don't b*tch about not losing when you are not really working the plan - see the "Be Honest" rule
Make a plan on when you will weigh in and then ONLY weigh in then - just because you are working your butt off or exercising like crazy for one week or even one month for that matter doesn't mean then numbers on the scale will change. Have you taken your measurements? If your input is still more than your output the number isn't going to change, but maybe your measurements have.

I realise that the OP or others may not like what I'm saying, but these messages were given to me (or something like it) back in April when I was whinging about the fact that I still wasn't losing weight, even though I knew I wasn't doing everything I possibly could to really make the changes.

Stop making the excuses, make the commitment and be brutally honest with yourself and make the REAL changes you need to make to see results. If you do that you MAY still have a chance at ONEDERLAND at least by the end of this month!

When you first start working out your muscles retain water. Usually even with 80oz of water a day you will not see a loss the first 2 weeks because of this. But you are losing. You will see it. Your body just holds on to things differently. Also remember to increase your calorie intake as your activity has gone way up!!

I completly agree with the advice that has been giving! i had a post silmar to this awhile back. i thought i was doing everything right and exercising like crazy but i had not got my eating under control completely. i actually took a break from exercise until i could get my eating right. now i am slowly seeing a improvement!

I'm going to just repeat the same thing. Unless you have very little weight to lose, you are not going to be able to exercise it off in a gym. You will have to change your relationship with food-permanently. Exercise is good for you and you should find something you enjoy doing, and do it on a regular basis but that is not what is going to make your scale move. Find an eating program you feel you can really commit to forever and stick to it like glue. Keep a food journal and see what happens. Good luck.

Hi! Exercise is good for you and will help eventually. I didn't start until i lost the first 30lbs. I focused on losing some weight first, then when i felt I could handle exercise, I started power walking. Take a look at how much salt, calories and fat you are eating in a day. Too much salt can cause your body to hold water, if you cut salt down, you just might start losing, even if it is just water weight at first.

Some more tough love coming your way.

You simply can't have it both ways. You can't not have consistent steady weight loss AND have a few snacks. All the exercise in the world can not negate the affect of too many calories taken it. It's the food. It's the food. IT'S THE FOOD. You've got to be on plan, 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10, 11 days in a row etc... You can have those once in a while indulgences, IF you're willing to take a stall in the weight loss department. The choice is yours. Remember, you simply can't have it both ways. You have to weigh what it is you want MORE - those indulgences - or the weight loss. NOT both. You also can alter what your idea of an indulgence IS. A FF/SF yogurt partially frozen with a 1/4 cup fiber one cereal - 120 calories - no harm done. Or a smoothie made from fresh frozen fruits, skim milk and some yogurt. A poached pear. A baked apple with raisins, cinnamon, maple syrup and chopped walnuts. These type indulgences won't derail your weight loss efforts. Well actually they will if you eat too many of them.

So no, DON'T GIVE UP. But give IN. And realize this. Make peace with the fact and accept that you've got to be more diligent. Weight loss is a doable thing for anyone and everyone. Yourself included. I am CERTAIN of this. Rework your plan. Rethink what your idea of a "treat" is. To eat "those foods" or to be slim, trim, fit and healthy. And then of course find treats that are within your calorie budget. And don't think of NOT eating those foods of depriving yourself. Think of EATING them as depriving yourself. Of the best you that you can be.

Keep up the exercise, but tighten up that food plan of yours. And watch those pounds melt away. You CAN do this. You really, really CAN. And you should. The benefits are out of this world over the top incredible.

What Robin said. Food plan is the cake. Exercise is icing on the cake.