[rd290]

I just started my healthy living change (I refuse to call it a diet) 10 days ago. I've heard the first 10 pounds are usually easy to lose. My goal is to lose 5 pounds each month.

What I want to know is why I've dropped 5 pounds already (not that I'm complaining about it) when I haven't been eating 'clean'? Yes, I've cut back on trips to Taco Bell and McDonalds for lunch. Now I got to Subway and get a 6inch veggie sub with baked chips and a diet coke. Just yesterday, I gave into tempation and went to Taco Bell for dinner. I got the #4 combo (i.e. 1 mexican pizza, 2 supreme tacos, and a large diet coke...sooo good yet soo bad). On top of that, I had a lot of strawberry ice cream. I thought for sure that I would have jumped back up to my start weight.

So imagine my delight when I weighed myself at the gym tonight and found out that I actually lost a pound to make my monthly goal already. My pants don't feel lose or anything.

What's going on? I'm a novice at all of this. I've been going to the gym 3 to 4 times a week and doing 45 minutes of cardio. Prior to my start date of healthy living, I didn't go to the gym for the entire summer.

Any thoughts on what's going on with my body? I'm delighted that I don't have to eat completely "clean" in order to slowly lose weight....this way, I won't quit and go back to my bad lifestyle ways.

[Number8]

there are lots of factors to weight. Water is a big one- some parts of the month your body retains more then others. Also what you eat will help flush water out. Even just adding more water into your diet (entirely counter intuitive!) will help flush out water weight. This is a major factor in your initial weight loss.
The rare unhealthy day wont slap on pounds (unless your eating over 5000 calories on that day) It will effect your over all progress though. Don't let one day of weakness become 2-3 days, or 2-3 times a week and you shouldn't hinder your progress too much.

[JayEll]

That quick rush is probably water adjustment. Don't ever think that eating that kind of meal at Taco Bell followed by ice cream will help you lose weight.

Most folks drop water weight at first and then things slow down. If you want to keep losing, you have to stick with your plan.

Jay

[QuilterInVA]

It sometimes takes 2-3 days for that indulgent meal to show up on the scale.