Hi all. well a 21 yr old college student who has always had issues with my weight. so i decided to start the south beach diet due to the success rate n was really excited to start it. well its been about a week and a half and i must say i am discouraged. i have been following the what to enjoy list as well as the recipiesb from the book and cookbook and only have lost three maybe five pounds (my scale is hard to read). and i must say i am getting upset that i am not losing more. if anyone has any suggestions (i have read the sticky bout not losing weight), advice, or just simple support it would be apppreciated. thanks

Well. I'm not following South Beach, but what I do have to say goes for any program.

What is "bad" about 3 - 5 pounds lost in a mere week and a half? That's progress that a lot of people here at 3FC would be -jealous- of, and grateful to see on the scale.

The truth of the matter is that 3 - 5 pounds lost in that short period of time to start is absolutely phenomenal. There's nothing wrong with your body or you. You just set your expectations far too high. Your body is doing what it needs.

1 and 1/2 weeks into any plan is hardly enough time to see significant scale progress. Try 3 to 6 months of steady changes. We didn't gain the weight in a week and a half... we're not going to lose it all in a week and a half.

Stick with it, and the weight will come off with time.

I totally feel your discouragement..100%.. i know how it feels to feel like your working your butt off only to see numbers that arent as big as you invisioned...And i wonder at times how to not be discouraged..but i guess the only thing we can do..is realize that this isnt for a day or a month..its for a lifetime..and if we can think of it this way..then we realize that we have tons of days left to lose weight...

As far as what you can do. I honestly found that exercising helped.. I used my wii fit and would work out for an hour to 2 hours sometime and it definitly helped more..

Yeah i guess ur right. i always do set my expectations high in every aspect of my life. i just thought i would lose more cuz i keep reading all these stories about ppl on south beach who lose like 10 the first week. then the book says u will lose 8-14 pounds at the end of two weeks. then it never helps when u have no support from your family or friends. they only try to tell u how to do the diet when they dont even kno about it or have even been on it. i guess my big issue is that i have no support and i think if i did those few pounds loss would feel great. you know?

yeah well i decided to take my dog out for longer walks. but he isnt the easiest to walk so thats a workout itself. i just find walking boring and dont have a wii or i would so buy wii fit. i love volleyball but finding someone to play it with is hard since no one i really kno likes playing it. oh well guess boring walks with a crazy dog will have to do lol

Honestly healthy weight loss is anywhere from .5lbs to 2lbs a week. I know it seems slow and you can get impatient but when you lose at that rate it is more likely to stay off for good. Keep going and you will get the results you want.

I think that used properly there are a lot of good programs out there to lose weight, but I cringe every time they advertise how "fast" it can be done, and look at this (non-typical) story of Jane Doe losing 250 pounds in 3 days. Wowee! Everyone should be able to do that, then, right? (/end sarcasm)

There may be averages, but the point is that not everyone is average. Individually we're all going to have hundreds of different quirky weightloss differences, and the problem is that a lot of it takes time to discover what those differences are, and what OUR personal averages are.

This is why so many people join weight loss groups or use forums like 3FC. We don't always get all the support we need elsewhere. Forums are a good place to reach out and read and know that we're not alone. That other people have similar struggles or have found great solutions and have overcome seemingly insurmountable odds.

To encourage yourself perhaps you can get a good digital scale. Mine with a coupon was around $22. I have the weight watchers one. It goes into the tenths. Sometimes just seeing that I am going down, even 2/10 of a pound is encouraging. I think you will do great on the SBD!

I'm very torn about what to say to you about this. Partly because I was in college myself the first time I officially went on a diet. And I have been yo-yo dieting ever since. So I'd love to have a magic wand and save you what I went through. My advice is coming from many, many years of "experience."

As others have said, 3-5 pounds in that time frame is a very reasonable weight loss. The sad truth is that it has been shown that the more slowly you lose the more likely you are to keep it off. There really is no secret or no magic bullet here. And it just takes time. Yes, it can be motivating to lose more fast. But when that happens it is usually just water weight and the loss slows or stops as the body catches up.

I know you don't want to hear this, but you just have to be patient. It takes time. Just like it took time to get to the weight you are at. The other thing that it took ME yearsssss to learn, is that this really is a marathon, and not a race.

So hang in there. Stick with the plan and, as hard as it is, be patient. Find things to focus on as measures of progress that are not only the number on the scale. Measure yourself periodically. Consider how you feel, emotionally and physically. And hang out here - you will find lots of support

Hey there,

It's a great loss! The less you have to lose, the slower it's going to come off. Patience is key - SBD like any other real change in lifestyle, takes time.

Maybe you can post a typical day for you and we can help tweak it for you? Are you drinking water? Do you FEEL better? Clothes fitting differently? Are you exercising??

there are lots of great recipes and tips here for snacks so you don't feel deprived too.

We're here!

First of all, welcome and congratulations on what you've lost so far!
Also, what is your current height/weight? That also has a lot to do with how much you expect to lose. The more you have to lose, the faster it may initially come off, then slow down after that and you will have to work harder. Also, you mention you are having trouble finding ways to exercise but you are a college student? Do they have a fitness center there? Or physical education courses you can take that will challenge you? Some colleges and local gyms offer classes like zumba and aerobic dance that you can check out too. Unfortunately, getting the weight off does take a lot more work than it did to put it on. But it CAN be done! You just need to be patient and find out what works for you!
Good luck!

First off i would like to say thanks for all the replies and things u guys have said. it makes me feel a bit better. to answer a few questions (using my phone so dont really wanna reply to everyone or this would take a long time) i am 5'5 and starting weight is about 210. as far as the question about workout places in college...i am on break so i dont have thbe access to the school gym until i got back in september where i do plan on going or going a intermural team. and finally...later tonight i will upload my food intake for the day.

To jenne1017 questions...i do drink alot of water daily, my clothes do fit a bit better, i feel better not a tired, and by exercise consist of walking my dog for about 30 to 45 mins, with some short joggin with him like everyother day, some pushups and squats.

Hey sconny!!!!!! I'm a UWM grad. I love me some Milwaukee in the summer time !! I played a ton of volleyball too!!!!

Everyone has given you some really great advice already. Whatever positive steps you take for your health are always a bonus. Keep on keepin on . ask around and hopefully someone will take you up on exercising together. walk new places etc. just make a commitment to do it for a couple of weeks weather you want to or not. I thank that's the key. make it a habit. Good luck and check in here for the support your not getting in RL.

Welcome and congrats - be proud of every pound dropped. We've all been at the emotional place where you are, when we really thought the scale was going to say something it didn't. It sucks. But sometimes the pant size moves when the scale doesn't. Sometimes shirts or bras just fit better. Keep going even when it stinks. Makes it easier in the future, and you'll be proud of yourself for overcoming the hard times.

Ok so here was my food intake for the day. scrambled eggs with cut up canadian bacon (note i have canadian bacon once maybe twice a week). 15 almonds. chock full of vegtables chili from the sbd cookbook. one part skim string cheese. and the grasshopper ricotta (which i found on this site) thats about it..oh and water. exercise wise me and my dog went to a fenced in scholl playground and walked, jogged and ran a bit. then played fetch with a ball for 10 mins or so (which was fun cuz this is the first time he played fetch =D) a typical day consist of eggs in the morning sometimes with mushrooms and red. fat cheese,water, cucumbers, sometimes a turkey wrap, sometimes a salad with dinner, a dinner recipe from the cookbook, and a sbd approved dessert. I dont usally eat lunch cuz lets be honest i get up like at 1pm (go to bed at like 3) i eat breakfast when i get up, sanck in between, dinner at 6 or 7. could u eat my "lunch" lets say at 11? so that my typical day. suggestions?