I was noticing how newbies always seem to look at trackers, notice big loses ... have a hard time getting going or only have a small loss or stall ... and get discouraged.

Do you remember how you started? I do.

For about 3 or 4 weeks I did nothing different. I ate as usual, I sat around like usual but I weighed myself everyday (sometimes more than that). You'll never guess what happened! Nothing.

Then I started counting calories ... by golly ... that worked. But it was slow!
I started walking. And ya know what? It went faster.

Let's encourage these folks by letting them know that we all started out kinda green. We tried and learned and tried some more. It was never a smooth path. But we got lots of good help here at 3fc ... just like they will.

Yes, I attempted a 1 mile run for charity and got overtaken by an OAP pushing a pram. I got a goodie bag with an offer for gym membership in it. This got me thinking, and on the Monday I walked into a gym near work and signed up on a 6 week special offer (not the gym in the bag though). Only then did I find out how much I actually weighed and it was a while before I started eating right too.

But it all dates back to that decision to actually go in the gym rather than just walking past it.

(Although technically, my decision to sign up for the charity thing in the first place shows a slight inclination to get fit I suppose)

Great idea. As my tracker shows, I still have a long way to go but I am an example of someone who did not lose any pounds or inches during the first three months.

I started in August 2005 by cutting out fast food and trying to eat more vegetables. I also added a couple of days of cardio to my once-a-week bike ride. Did not lose a single pound.

In September, after Labor Day, I started a more formal exercise program with 30 minutes of cardio four or five times a week and resistance exercises two to three times a week using my body weight -- lunges, push-ups, chair dips, crunches, etc. Gained two pounds and clothes just as tight.

In October, I increased my exercise time. Also really started watching what I ate. Gained two pounds and clothes still tight. Found 3FC in mid-October. Lost one pound in about 10 days.

At the end of October I started working out with dumbbells and tracking my food in FitDay. Made an effort to balance protein, carbs, and fats. Still struggled with getting enough vegetables. Lost four pounds in four weeks. Even better, I lost inches and my size 14 jeans were finally not as tight.

Pound and inch loss was very slow and steady through November and December -- roughly two or three pounds total and a few inches. Pound and inch loss picked up in January -- six or seven pounds gone and now in size 12 jeans. I credit more intense workouts and the Sonoma Diet with its emphasis on vegetables and whole foods.

I am still experimenting with eating and exercising and expect this to continue for life.

I'm just starting, and probably need a lto of help and motivation. I did, however lose 20lbs before, but i gained it back plus 3 *cries* I used to have a gym membership, and i used to go 5-6 days a week (6 days depending on if my sister or someone got me really angry) then my car broke down, i didn't go for months, and i had to give away my car because i couldn't handle constantly fixing it, my money kept getting away from me because of that car. And since months passed, my parents decided to cancell the membership because no one went. And now, that i have a car, I really miss the gym a lot and working out at home is kinda hard because i have the temptation to sit around and do nothing or watch tv or something.

I currently work at a restaurant where we have to line dance at night to entertain the guests (Like joes crab shack) and i recently realized how much harder it is to do the dances, and the dances only last for like a minute or two. My legs get so easily tired, i run out of breath so quickly. So I know that it's finally time to do some at home workouts. Today so far is day one for me. I just finished doing some Billy boot camp (i honestly could not do the whole hour, it was just way too hard) but i stuck to it to 30 min and cooled down with my lateral thigh trainer. Wish me luck!

Susan - Your "beginning" sounds a lot like mine (and my middle? sometimes, i guess)... Occasionally I'll get into the habit of weighing a lot and THINKING about fitness without actually doing anything about it. And sometimes I have to laugh at myself because I'm positively SHOCKED when the scale doesn`t move.
haha.. if only all that thinking actually burned calories...

Thank you for this tread. I find it encouraging and motivating to see the big "losers" saying that their weight did not just fly off. It's very frustrating sometimes for me to be trying really hard, eating what i should be, and exercising, and not seeing big results. As you can see my 4 pounds has been a slow start, but a start none the less.

Once again thank you... your stories are motivating!

Lindsay