HELP!!! I am desperately trying not to quit!!! I have just completed week #2 of "EXTREME LIFE MAKOVER"...or as my husband and I call it "Operation Butts (yes but plural) Be Gone". I have begun a new program where I go to the gym in the morning before work and do at least 30 minutes of hard cardio and then some light weight training. I am also making sure I get at least 8 hours of sleep. HOWEVER, I have gained a pound. Now, I am trying not to be too hard on myself and just celebrate the fact that I went from literally NO activity to six days a week of activity. With that said, I am TERRIFIED I am actually going to put more weight on...I'm changing my life because I can't afford to put anymore weight on.

Which leads me to the help that I need...when all of you success stories began your life change, did it take a little while for you to see results? I know I could do a lot better with my eating. Right now, I'm just not ready to do the lettuce and cracker thing. (I know negative attitude...but I have always considered eating healthy as a punishment...I'm working on trying to change that too) But, has anyone out there felt that it took them a little while before they started seeing results. Right now I'm working hard to make sure I get out of bed every morning and get to the gym...I kind of feel like once I get used to that, I will get my body (it's probably more accurate to say my brain) used to eating healthy and then BANG...I'll start seeing some results. What were your experiences like??? Did you see results right away or did it take awhile??? And thanks to anyone who responds.

HANG ON!! It's still early going. When I start working out religiously, it takes at least 4 weeks to see a difference. Most reading will tell you 6 weeks. You just have to commit to workign out for another month and then make your decision.
As far as the food thing, Dr Phil's book is a real godsend in my opinion for emotional/mental hangups about food.
Good luck!
Kim

You can't expect to see results if all of your efforts aren't pointed in the same direction. There could be a million reasons for you to gain some weight your first week, some of which might be of concern and some not. People are going to chime in and say, "You're gaining muscle! Muscle weighs more than fat!" And, that's true, but it's unlikely you've gained an entire pound of muscle MORE than the amount of fat you've lost. The scale reads everything, though, including water weight. Some women gain 3 or 4 pounds of water weight right before their period. I think you can gain some temporary water weight from intense exercising. There are tons of other factors at play here, so get off the danged scale and ignore it for a while.

You already know you've got some attitude changes ahead -- seeing healthy eating as punishment. And, healthy eating doesn't mean "lettuce & crackers." You can build a healthy meal plan that will help you meet your fat loss goals while being body- and soul-satisfying. There's no need to starve or eat restrictively in terms of food groups. In fact, that's the WORST thing you can do, because you can kill your metabolism, among other things. The other attitude I see that's harmful is very common: Depending on the scale as the only measure of your success. Right now you are following this path with emotion as your only fuel, and all of that emotion is based on what the scale says. That, my friend, is the quick road back to couch potatodom. Look at your goal as changing your habits rather than "losing weight." Losing weight is a side effect of getting the rest of your life in order and treating your body in a healthy way. It's the PROCESS is going to keep you going for the long haul, the idea that you are doing what you are doing because it's the right thing to do, not because of the quick "results" you are expecting.

Don't worry about being so gung-ho right out of the gate, either. The point is that whatever you do, food-wise or activity-wise, that it be something you feel is sustainable over the long-term. It does you no good to hit the gym at 5am 6 days per week if you are only going to give up in a week and a half because it's too hard. If this is something you feel comfortable with, that's great. If it starts to feel like a burden and an imposition and you're tempted to quit ... then the answer isn't to quit, but to cut back to a more comfortable pace and build back up. The first week I exercised I got on a stationary bike for 5 minutes. Once. The next week I got on it for 5 minutes, twice. I then decided I didn't like the stationary bike and got some low-impact walking videos, which I stuck with.

I highly recommend going down to the maintainers' forums and reading as many of those posts as you can. These are people who have done what you say you want to do, and you'd do yourself a huge favor by listening to their wisdom.

I began changing my ways an exact opposite way than you in that I first starting eating healthy food and less of it. As a few pounds dropped and I found myself with the desire to take it a step further and incorpoarte exercise because, for the first time, had the energy to do it. However, I think exercise is definately a step in the right direction as there are health benefits to it even if you don't change your eating habits. It really all depends what your goals are. If your main goal is to loose weight you will have to bite the bullet and begin watching what you eat.

As for when I began to see results it wasn't a magical number on the scale (although the lower the number got the more pleased I was). Actually, OTHER PEOPLE noticed changes in my appearence before I did. I think I just had a very difficult time seeing myself objectively. It wasn't until I had lost enough weight that I was forced to buy new clothes because the old ones just hung off of me that I saw the difference. For so long all of my progress was hidden behind my baggy "fat" clothes. Once I was in properly fitting outfits I could really see my work paying off.

And finally, there is a lot more to a healthy diet than lettuce and crackers. Frankly, I have always been amazed at how much food you can eat for 1200-1500 calories a day. And in eating the right kinds of foods I find my appetite MORE satisfied than when I ate twice as many calories from junk food. I am not saying that it isn't hard or that there aren't sacrafices to be made - just that with all of the information and food products that are available today, weight loss doesn't have to be as daunting as it used to be. Also, I think you will find that modifying your diet will make those early morning workouts much easier.

Stay focused and keep up the good work of exercising regularly but do consider taking a second look at your overall eating plan and I think you will see the results you want. Good luck!

I worked out for about 6 weeks and saw no change at all. As a matter of fact, I gained 4 pounds in the process! LOL But don't freak out just yet, I was exercising but I wasn't eating correctly. I now log everything I eat on fitday.com and make sure that I don't go over 1200-1300 calories a day. That could be one reason. Another reason is maybe you're not drinking enough water and are retaining water. Or it can be your period coming.

I freak out when I gain a pound too so I understand your dilemna. I try to tell myself that the pound can be lost in a matter of days. You need to realize that its not just about the number on the scale, its about giving your body the nourishment, exercise and TLC you will need for life.

Good luck!!!

Depending on your age, weight loss may be slower for you. I am 30. And since I have reached that magical age, i notice that the weight comes off slower.
However, also keep in mind that with exercise you may gain too, muscle!
When I began my diet, I lost maybe 2 pounds the first week 1 the next and 2 again the following and then no weight came off for 2 months. Then i lost ten pounds and stalled again. I lost 30 pounds total when i hit another stall....and just recently lost 3 pounds, after a 2 and a half month stall.
Do NOT quit, you have the right attitude. There were many days i wanted to throw in the proverbial towel and eat some Krispe Kreme's but I refrained because of all of the hard work i had put into myself, i wasnot about to destroy my efforts

I'm trying to remember details off the top of my pointy little head but ... I think that in the maintainers forum they're discussing a book ... the first chapter is about believing you can lose weight. Maybe have a look there.

We all need help with the 'brains' portion of this journey. You've come to the right place. Come back often.

Don't give up, no matter what! If you stop trying now, then nothing can possibly change, and what would be the point of that? Don't wake up a year (or 5 or 10) from now thinking only if I had just stuck with it... Now is the time to do it. It's wonderful that you are getting yourself into a consistent, healthy exercise routine, that's half the battle! Yup, you heard me, just half! To truly be successful at this you have got to change your relationship with food. Food is not a punishment but you will continue to see it that way as long as you personalize it in this manner. Food is fuel for our bodies. It doesn't care if we are frustrated or angry or sad, it's just doing the job it was made for. The point is, even though you are doing a great job with the exercise, you have got to incorporate healthy eating as a new way of life. Otherwise it can only end in frustration. Don't let this be just one more turn in what for most of us is such a long and viscous cycle. This is up to you, but you've got to decide just how important it is to you. Remember, you can do this, the choice is yours. Good luck!!

Beverly

eating healthy as a punishment?!?!?! you should view eating badly as a punishment. eating unhealthy, fatty, salty and sugar laden foods is beating your body up. you liver has to filter most of those foods like it does alcohol, so essencially, depending on how badly you eat, you could be destroying your liver.

eating healthy well balanced foods helps your body to function better, heal itself better and fule you more efficiently for your everyday functions as well as your workouts. i found that once i started viewing food as a fuel for my cells instead fo fuel for feel good receptors in my brain, i started craving healthy foods.

your energy levels will rise, moods swings will drop. your imune system function increases and you may get less sick. it makes your body stronger. i could ramble on and on ( can you tell that i am getting my masters in public health, focussed on nutrition? )

it is important to realize that people develope huge emotional addictions to food and how it makes them feel and that is not what food is for.

i'm not sure how much sugar you ingest daily but i guarantee if you will cut that back signifigantly, your cravings for unhealthy and junk food will subside. at the same time, try to incorporate some healthy foods into your diet. find healthy substitutes for some of the bad things you are eating.

reward good behavior with something healthy, not a high calorie, low nutrition fix. you have to change your way of living if you can ever expect for any kind of weight loss to last.

Lots of ideas to think about here, thegal. My main thought was whether you are maybe trying way too hard with the exercise for just starting out. If you go every day, be sure that you different forms of exercise, that is, use the treadmill every other day and the rowing machine in between--just as an example. Otherwise your muscles don't have time to rebuild, and you'll feel more tired instead of more energized. It depends on age, of course--if you're a young person it isn't as critical.

Two weeks isn't enough time to see big results. If possible, try sticking to a food program (doesn't have to be lettuce and crackers, as you know) and your exercise plan, and put off weighing for six weeks. You're more likely to see good results.

Jay