I don't even know what to label this or what type of solution I want...
I weigh 177.5, and my goal is to lose 30 lbs ( to get to 150) by the end of the year.
I've done weight watcherrs in the past but felt that CC would be the way to go since there's no calculations, and the info is easy to come by. I'm old school, my cell phone isn't 'smart' enough for apps so I weigh and measure all my food and keep track of it on paper.

I am 5'7" and I check the 'lightly active -work out/sports 3 days a week' box, I have karate twice a week, one night with sparring after regular class. I do the 30 Day shred dvd when I can (lately it's been 2 or 3 tiems a week, and it's 20 minutes). I've been eating about 1400-1600 calories a day. I started this on 6/30 and haven't a thing to show for it. I'm dilligent about my calories. I plan a 1400 cal day, write all the food down and check it off as I eat it, and leave room for an extra snack at night or whatever.

I suppose I'm just afraid of this not working. I know everyone says to tweak your calories, but I also am afraid of spending so much time 'trying out' calorie amounts to see if I lose or not.

I'm just down about this today. I felt like I was really doing well, and then found out that nothings happenned, so I ate 6 waffles. Yeah, that's going to help, I know...I"m falling into the 'oh ****, it doesn't matter if I'm 200 cals over or 2000 over, I still can't lose weight' mind set.

Has anyone had the weight loss take awhile to start? I don't expect it to melt away but even .5 lb in the downward direction would motivate me...

Are you drinking lots of water? Water is a must. Weighing on a food scale is better than measuring cups so maybe try that if you aren't doing that. It could just be that dreaded plateau.

I didn't lose a single pound my first month of working out (cardio and weights) and calorie counting. In fact I gained five. But I stuck with it and it finally started coming off. Like TxMary said...water is essential! Stick with it a bit longer!

I am measuring out my food on a food scale, which, if anything has given me a sense of control.
Maybe I can get my plateau out of the way now... I will confess that I've been stressed out and reaching for diet soda. true, it's not as bad as chocolate bars or cigarettes, it's not the best.
I've been doing karate for about a year, but have added the other activities in recently.

I think I probably do just need to stick with it, it's just rather discouraging... in the words of the great philosopher Jagger: You can't always get what you want....but if you try sometimes,you might find, you get what you need"

It has been less than a month......stick with it and you will see results.

Diet soda's are high in sodium which will cause water retention so that might be stalling your loss too. Plenty of folks drink diet soda's and still lose weight just fine but I think it can complicate the process for some and you may be one of them....

^ She is right about the diet soda.

Also, you didn't post what you actually eat. Processed food and fast food can have a lot of sodium and other "bloaty" ingredients that will make you retain water and just feel big and blah.
I'm no expert, by any means. In fact I'm just starting out! But I do know that salt will make you feel really bad about yourself and can keep the scale from moving.
Also, I'm not entirely sure what your workout routine is apart from karate, but if you have been lifting weights or anything, muscle can move the scale up! Like Mindi said, when she started working out she actually gained five pounds.

And your body just goes weird things when you decide to diet. I would think about maybe putting the scale away for a while, so you don't get upset. I know that can be almost impossible, but if the scale bums you out, why get on it? If you don't think you can handle having it in the house without giving in to the temptation, take it to your mom's house or give it to your friend or boyfriend for a month, so it's somewhere you can't even get to it.

It might sound like stupid advice, but I think the obsession with the scale undoes a lot of good diets before they even have a chance to get off the ground...

I know that the biggest difference for me is stepping back from the scale for awhile. I'm not doing weekly weigh-in's because they just wreck havoc on my self esteem I'm trying to go on how I feel and how my clothes are fitting. I will be weighing myself 1-2 times a month. That is just works for me.

When I get real about it, I've only been serious about this for about 2 weeks, and one of those is with a serious work out plan...so even though it feels like it's been forever it really hasn't and I'm impatient. It feels, at times, that the more you want it the harder it becomes. I do feel it may be a good idea to avoid the scale since it obviously bums me out like no one's business...my husband knows exactly how much I weigh now, since we got in a discussion about me possibly being his kidney donor. I want to lose the weight so I can either be the donor or be able to take care of him while he heals.
This is the first time ever that he's truly known what I weigh...color me ashamed...

Hang in there. No need to be ashamed about your husband knowing what you weigh. Look how far you have come. He loves you no matter what and probably could care less what the scale says.

Sheila from TN

You're not going to lose at a fast rate anymore. I see you were once 220 pounds. You may have lost fast at first but it slows down eventually. I slowed down 199 exactly and I'm shorter than you. What is "slow" to you? I average 4 pounds a month now but those 4 pounds add up. I had an 8 pound loss this past month and was turning cartwheels! (Not literally. I could never figure that one out.)

The one thing I changed this month was this: I do my normal morning workout. Then I have an earlier than normal dinner (5:00 or 5:30) and get a good 3-5 mile walk in after dinner. I find that cutting off my food supply earlier AND walking it off perhaps keeps my metabolism higher in the evening during times I'd normally have been vegging on the couch. You might try that.

But basically...don't drown your sorrows in waffles. You're just being impatient.

I went from 220 to 145 about 10 yaers ago w/ weight watchers. took me just under a year.
I was hoping for .5 lb to 2 lb a week loss....my eating is wierd, I work from 9 am to 8 pm M-F, so I eat fairly frequently through out the day, picking at what I brought...I count all my calories before I eat a bite, I cross my food off as I eat it.

I do notice I can be likea little kid, where if I don't like something, I won't do it. If there's food I don't like I won't eat it, no matter how good it is for me. Very close crossign my arms over my chest and and stomping my foot...
I'm just impatient. However, I can't binge like I used to. Lots of salt and or sugar makes me feel really crappy, like crappier than any satisfaction or joy I get from the food... so that's plus. I also think that if I choose non-weight related goals, like this many sit ups,to walk this m any miles, whatever, it'll be something to strive for but not as fickle as the scale....I'm also going to make a point of noting and acknowledging the positive instead of that .5 lb that wont budge

Bingo!! This is what has made me successful. I finally found something I could rely on. The scale is insane. Fitness levels are well within your control. It's amazing and make you feel wonderful!

I know, it's very tough. I'll tell ya, I started working out consistently the beginning of May. I GAINED 6 lbs, but I lost INCHES!! It was so frustrating, but thank goodness I took my measurements (Neck, bust, rib cage, arms, thighs, belly etc) because I lost so many inches even though the scale was up!! I slowly lot everything I gained and am back to the weight I started at but am a whole size down!

I started calorie counting a week ago and not eating processed foods. I have so much more engery, feel better, and think I have got to start seeing the scale go down now.

So I'm just saying, be prepared for a couple months for it to really start and stick with it even if it seems impossible. You will lose eventually!! Also consider measuring. I would have been just devastated before that I put in all that work and thought it wasn't doing anything!

HI everyone!

I have been having the same problem with optical. I just started this way of eating (cc and exerise). I cant work miracles and change EVERYTHING drastically about my diet but I have changed it signinficantly. A lot more healthier, calories around 1400-1500 (down from 3000 on average), and have been doing 40 minutes of cardio. One thing I noticed with my diet however, is that I have a lot of sodium. Averaging around 2200mg. I know it will make me retain water and can prevent the scale from moving, but can it prevent actual FAT LOSS? I will eventually work on making that sodium number smaller but like I said, I cant work miracles and change everything! lol

SO basically, will sodium prevent the actual FAT loss?