So I am calorie counting and I am feeling lost and like this is all a big joke... Like I will never make it. I am not about to give up, I just feel like I'm not getting anywhere some days. Yesterday I ate under my calorie goal and worked out and this morning I'm up .6 lbs from yesterday! I am so upset!

I can definitely understand your frustration.

Perhaps take a look at the nutritional value of the calories you are eating? Are you getting lots of fruits/veggies and grains?

Don't give up ! You have made a good start. Weight loss is rarely predictible stay with it and you will be successful.

Generally I drink a fruit and yogurt smoothis for breakfast, yesterday I skipped breakfast.
Lunch was a tuna sandwich on whole wheat bread
Dinner was boneless skinless chicken breast, roasted red potatoes and a salad
Snacks were skinny cow ice cream bar and fat free sugar free jello

I totally understand your frustration. Been there, done that.

Don't skip meals just to lower your intake. Stick with your calories, drink enough water- it will come off. Maybe you're up from the sodium in canned tuna (from your tuna sandwich.) Honestly your meal plan yesterday sounds very low in calories, I wouldn't do that too often because it can set you up for a binge if you keep eating under.

Do not put too much stock in the numbers if you're a daily "weigher."

You've already lost 17lbs so it IS working. Just have more patience and keep doing what you're doing. (Easier said than done.)

The scale can fluctuate on a daily basis. Be careful weighing so frequently. Every "gain" is not truly a gain. These fluctuations are normal and could mean that your body is doing a variety of things: retaining water, repairing muscle, TOM, etc. Give it a few days before you declare it an official gain.

Thank you ladies I am trying to keep my head up and stick to my plan.

The hardest part is always before you start seeing results. Once you do, it's almost like an addiction to watch yourself shrink. Look at the before and after pictures of some of the members here and think about how great it's going to feel when it's you.

Stay strong. Everyone in this forum has been where you are now and know what you're going through.

As Amandie say, don't skip meals and don't lower your calorie count. It seems counter-intuitive, but you have to eat to lose. And it sounds like you're eating the right things.

I feel exactly the same way you do. Since I have so much to lose, I want it to happen right now. Having the same amount of fat that I had last month, after 4 weeks of eating right, doesn't seem fair.

But you're down 17 pounds, I'm down 10, and pretty soon we'll both be seeing the results we want. We just have to wait it out, and know that what we're doing is working, sort of behind-the-scenes.

Someone said to check out before & after pics...I do that almost every day, just so I can see that it's possible to get there.

Most people here who have lost a lot say "If I can do it, you can do it." And I believe them!

Oh, yeah, and try not to weigh every day. It's not a true measure of what's happening to your body and it will just upset you. I'm considering putting my scale in the car and only bringing it in once a month to weigh-in...

Hi aasshhlleeyy

You and I started almost exactly the same weight. I have felt exactly like you do and one thing I tell myself that seems to help is to "trust the process." If you do what needs to be done consistently the weight will keep coming off. Even my doctor told me "No one loses weight on a straight downward line. Everyone's weight loss goes up and down as life happens but as long as the long term trend is down, that is what is important"

Also, I am not sure what kind of workout you did but I thought I'd share my experience with you. EVERY TIME I work out with weights with my trainer I will gain around 2-3 pounds. Like someone above said, it can be water weight from your body repairing your muscles. I went on a 5 hour hike with my husband the other day during TOM and gained 6 pounds. SIX pounds lol!!! But I know the hard workout I gave my body was worth the increase in my fitness level.

Maybe don't go on the scale for a week if you can hide it away from yourself My trainer told me to do this and once I stopped stressing about it my body finally let go of 4 pounds in one week.

Hang in there girl!! It will all be worth it

Really... stepping on the scale is just one moment in time. You didn't eat enough extra food to gain. That number is reflective of salt, water, hormones, poop (sorry),food, etc. It's just information. It's hard to learn to see that number as one that fluctuates from day to day according to many, many things. I know that if I weigh daily - it's a matter of getting used to the daily flucuations. Make sure that you are getting enough calories.

You've lost 17 pounds. Awesome!!

I totally know how you feel! But just remember that day to day (and even hour to hour) fluctuations in weight are completely normal. Somedays I'll be up 3lbs, then back down the next, then up a little, then down...it's just the way our bodies are.
You're doing awesome, don't give up!

This is the most common question we get on this site ~ weight-loss is not linear day to day. Water fluctuations can occur daily but over time, you will see a loss. Weighing every day can make this issue more pronounced. One of my doctors told me to weigh only every three weeks for this very reason. He said that would take care of water-weight fluxes, hormonal water gain, and most people will see a true loss by that time.

If you choose to weight more often, then you will see this yo-yoing up and down; and it may take at least a week to see a more consistant loss ...

It definitely takes a certain mindset to be able to 'handle' weighing in daily.
For me, I admittedly can't. I just can't. The fluctuations drive me batty.

The only way I would do it is if I kept a journal of it all somehow and then could look back over the history to see when I was fluctuating and putting the why to it.

For example, from past experience, just feeling heavier, and sometimes taking a peek mid week LOL I know that I gain 2 to 5 pounds for 2 to 3 days around ovulation each month and I do it again a couple of days before TOM until around day 3 of TOM. Some days I just feel like I am 'full' and know if I stepped on that scale I wouldn't like the number.
So like everyone else was saying, there are SO many factors in your weight every day, sore muscles retaining water from working out, etc.

Hang in there. You have done SO great so far. And evaluate whether you want to be a daily weigher. It's hard staying off the scale and we want instant gratification, but I know for me it does more harm than good. Just depends on whether it helps or hinders you.

Thank you to all of you ladies for the support! This group is amazing! I feel like the calorie counting is working, I've thought about trying to do low carb, but I just don't think I could live with that for an extended period of time. I am doing the best I can to not only count calories, but also eat much healthier than I used to. I just really like the flexibility I have with it, I like knowing I have it there. I am definitely reconsidering daily weighing. I an only "supposed" to count my thursday weigh ins but yea right... I am freaking obsessed with the scale .