Hi all! I'm new here and I joined because i'm starting to get REALLY frustrated in my weight loss process!

I've been exercising at least 4 times a week for about 45 minutes, making sure to burn at least 350 calories a workout. I also calorie count (via LiveStrong.com's My Plate) and eat about 1300-1400 calories a day. My weight wasnt budging and was anywhere from 175-180 on any given day. SOOO frustrated! So I got serious and started doing at least 60 minutes of cardio (mostly elliptical and running on the treadmill) 5 days a week (making sure to burn AT LEAST 500 calories a workout) and eating less, not letting myself eat more than about 1200-1250 calories a day.

Last week, I went from 178 to 174 as of last Friday. This past Monday, I weighed in again and was at 172. I was satisfied that working out more and eating less was actually starting to pay off. I started the week off motivated and hit the gym even harder!

But then, I weighed myself this morning and the scale read 177lbs.

How could I have gained 5 pounds in just days when I've been burning tons of calories and watching what I eat like a hawk?

I FEEL as if I am the healthiest i've ever been. I cook all organic, clean food: tons of organic veggies and fruits, lean protein, whole grains. I exercise religiously and when I can't find the time to exercise, I make sure to cut back on my calorie intake. My family and husband say that I look great and when I look in the mirror, I can see my body looking leaner and firmer...but the scale will NOT budge.

I'm getting so frustrated and, honestly, really really depressed about it. I'm 30 years old. I would like to start having children soon but before I do, I would like to be at my ideal weight (145-150) and I feel as though I work so hard, but the scale just WILL NOT stay below 175.

HELP!

Short answer, you haven't.

Those two paragraphs are contradictions. One is more fact, the other is more emotion.

You feel great. You look great. Your family is noticing. You can even see that you are leaner and firmer.

What you are doing is working.

Our bodies are machines: wonderful, complex amazing machines, but machines nevertheless. Your body finally is being given the fuel and tools to do what it has wanted to do for years. It's probably in the midst of recalibrating.

We all hit times where we seem to stall, but our bodies use these plateaus to rearrange things and make some impact. You are losing inches obviously. Have you measured yourself recently??

No, i've never measured myself though I think I should. I know that can be a better indicator of weight loss than a scale because I know i'm gaining more muscle...I can see it!

Frantically working out and cutting calories more and more and weighing yourself and stressing over the numbers and getting more and more frustrated is not the way to go.

First step: Chill. Then relax. Then breathe. Then, pick a moderate workout schedule. Weight loss happens in the kitchen, not the gym. Think of your workouts as toning and strengthening, not as something that will burn off the calories you are eating.

Then, find a calorie range that works for you. Don't base your intake on what you did for exercise that day. Bodies are not math equations.

Then, just settle in. And settle down. If you are trying to lose 25 pounds, figure you've got at least a 25 week journey. Yes, it could take you 6 months to lose all of the weight.

Use the tape measure as well as the scale to measure your progress. You've already discovered that your weight will bop around, just track it to see if it's on a general downward trend (or if your measurements are going down while the scales hang out at the same place for a while.)

You didn't put this weight on over night and you aren't going to take it off overnight. You are building life long habits to keep you healthy. Stop stressing and settle into the journey.

Thank you Seagirl! You're right, I definitely do stress myself over my weight loss! and I know I shouldnt be too hard on myself because I do see changes in my body and I do feel healthier! You're absolutely right though...I do need to just relax a bit!