to lose weight when starting an exercising program. I just got back into exercising. I am 5'3 and started 4 weeks ago at 168 pounds. I joined a gym where I work and go over lunchtime whenever I don't have a meeting so I usually workout 4-5 times a week. About twice a week I'll take a 40 minute boot camp class where we do step aerobics, kickboxing, weights, everything you could think of. 2 days a week I use a few weight machines that a trainer assigned to me and then follow up with 10 minutes on the stepper, 10 on the treadmill and 10 on the elliptical. Generally 1 night a week I'll do a tape I have at home like Denise Austin, the firm, or pilates. No week is ever the same routine. I'm guess my problem is that I'm just not working out enough since I'm using my lunch hour but I thought that going from a sedentary lifestyle to working out for 2-3 hours a week plus watching what I eat for the past 4 weeks would have at least caused a loss of 2 or 3 pounds but I've actually gained 2 pounds and my clothes aren't any looser. Has it taken anyone a few months to start losing any weight at all? Thanks!

What is your eating like, that plays a huge role! It does take some people a while though, everyone's different! Are you losing inches?

I don't follow any specific diet. I generally eat 3 meals a day and 2 snacks. For breakfast I'll have something like cereal or a granola bar or cottage cheese. Morning snack will be along the same lines or a few pretzels. Lunch is usually a Smart Ones or a soup like vegetable soup. My snack is a fat free pudding cup or granola bar. Dinner varies. Some kind of fish and a veggies i my favorite. I have my occasional screw up but all in all I don't think I eat horribly. I didn't measure myself but my clothes are all still tight. When I first joined the gym the trainer did my body composition so I think I'll have that done again soon to see if my body fat % has gone down at all. Thanks!

YES!!

I started working out 3-4 times a week and "watching what I eat" around Labor Day. After a couple of weeks, I gained a pound. After a little over a month, when I increased time and frequency, I gained two more pounds. I have firmed up, but my clothes are just as tight. Just last week, I finally lost one pound, so I am still up by two pounds from my original starting point, plus clothes are still very snug.

I am very frustrated and at times want to give up. But about two weeks ago, I increased my exercise to about one hour, five times a week. I am now following a more strict "diet" because I discovered I was eating a lot of carbs and fat. I hope that by increasing my exercise and lean protein intake, I will see a weight reduction or at least my clothes won't be so tight.

So I don't really have any advice for you, but want you to know you're not the only one. Hopefully we'll have good news to report in the near future.

Thanks, sf40. That makes me feel better. I don't really watch carb intake and could always eat better so I want to try to improve on that end. I work an hour away from where I live and take the train to work so I'm a slave to the train schedule and waste a lot of time commuting so I was hoping being able to exercise 40 minutes a day over lunch would help with my weight but I probably need a little more. I'm changing offices at the beginning of January and won't be able to go to the gym at all so then it will be really hard because I'll have to fit in all my exercise at home after work which is hard but I'm going to try my hardest. Hopefully I'll win the lottery so I can afford an elliptical. I love those things!! Thanks again!!

It took me about 3 months to lose 4#'s when I first started -but I was not watching my calories very well at that time.

Thanks, mayday, for starting this thread. I feel better, too, knowing I am not the only one. Keep up with the exercise! Hopefully it will be such a habit for you that you will find ways to continue when you move work locations in January. Is there a gym nearby that you can join? Or close to home?

And thanks, JuliaTN, for posting your experience. I am at about two months of regular exercise and just started watching calories about two weeks ago. How long did it take you to lose the weight that you have lost thus far?

Watching what you eat, eating as close to nature as possible, eliminating processed foods, eating LOTS of vegetables, lean proteins, eating unprocessed carbs like brown rice, oatmeal, sweet potatoes are crucial to weightloss...It's almost more important than exercise BUT exercise is extremely important... I think cleaning up your foods would make a big difference because it sounds like you have a lot of processed stuff in your diets, like granola bars, pretzels, fat free pudding etc...Sometimes we THINK we are eating well but we underestimate what we eat, try journaling for a few weeks either on paper or using Fitday.com ....

I started going to the gym (about 3x/wk) Feb 1, started being strict on calories & food May 1 (and upped gym time to 4-6x/wk). I've been in a holding pattern at my current weight since Sept, so I lost the majority (25#'s) in 4 months. I think it was about a month of regularly counting calories before I lost a noticable amount of weight that I was certain wasn't just a fluctuation. After that it was fairly steady. Hope that gives you some encouragement.

(Results are not typical, your results may vary )

Thank you, JuliaTN. I do feel encouraged. Maybe I will just avoid the scale for the next month ...

When you weigh yourself, are you doing it at the same time each day? That may sound like a silly question -- I only ask because I weigh about 3 lbs heavier at the end of the day compared to first thing in the morning. If you're weighing yourself in the afternoon or evening, the scale may not be showing your loss.

Just a thought

Good point about time of day! We don't have a scale at home right now, so I weigh myself at the gym once a week. I try to go around the same time, but not always, so I will keep that in mind.

I also believe there may be no loss right now because I did not make very good food choices for the first two months that I exercised regularly (almost all carbs). It's only the past two weeks that I have really watched the total amount and what I eat.

Thanks!!

And are you weighing yourself AFTER you workout at the gym? I weigh at least 2 lbs more after doing cardio/weights. My trainer says this is normal (LOL...a 2 lb gain in 90 minutes!) I think it has to do with water retention during exercise or something.

And like you said, if it's only been about 2 weeks that you've been doing really well with the food, then I can see why you maybe haven't seen a loss yet. Sometimes it takes your body a while to "catch on" and begin to release the fat. When you first burn off actual fat, water goes into those fat cells and fills them out for a bit. It isn't until your body releases that water from the fat cells that you start to see a change on the scale. I don't know the science behind it, so that's the best explanation I can give you. Basically the fat doesn't just "go" -- there's a replacement process (w/water) first. I wish I knew more about it...maybe somebody else can explain it better.

I weigh myself before working out -- motivation, you know!

While I haven't seen a loss on the scale and my clothes (I should say pants) are as tight as ever, I do see improvement in other areas. First, I have much more energy and feel better in general. Second, I am less jiggly all over. Third, the fat rolls on my back have shrunk or disappeared. Fourth, my boobs don't ooze out of my bra cups anymore. So I believe I am losing fat in some areas, but not yet in my "stubborn" hips, thighs, and stomach. That being said, I sure hope my lower body starts to give it up soon now that I'm eating better! It could be as you describe and my body has to "catch on." Thank you!

Sadly (and this is according to my trainer), the places where you've had the fat the longest tend to be the last to go. I look in the mirror now and really like everything I see -- EXCEPT for the darn belly pooch. I look 4 months pregnant, I swear! I'm a size 8 now, but without the pooch, I bet I'd be a 6!!

Sorry...total rant.