As you can see from my stats I have a lot of weight to lose. It has been almost a month. The first two weeks I dropped 16.5 lbs like it was nothing. The past 2 weeks I have only lost 2 lbs total. I know that is a fair amount, but iI can't help but feel with everything I am doing it should be closer to a 2lb per week loss. Here is where I am and why I feel this way. Any advice is greatly appreciated.

The first week I changed my eating habits, all gung ho like. Went from eating horrible to eating healthy, documenting every bite that entered my mouth. I maintain 1200 to 1400 calories a day. I don't cheat. I drink so much water I have to pee every hour or two. Week 2 I added exercise, 20 minutes of walking or elliptical. Week 3 I added weights for 10 minutes and 10 more minutes of walking/running or using the elliptical (so about 40 minutes of exercise per day, 5 days a week). I also added one semi bad meal per week, normally on Friday or Saturday night. Not terrible, but probably a 1000 calories in one sitting. I am also getting ready to add crunchies and reverse crunchies next week.

I am completely motivated and not in the mind set of quitting, but I feel like I am losing sight of the light at the end of the tunnel. I am sure the initial weight lose contributed to my higher expectations, but I can't help but wonder if I am doing something wrong. I wear a fit bit which tracks my activity and my calories, and I am normally burning about 1000 to 1200 more than I eat (and that accounts for and includes calories burned during exercise). I haven't noticed a difference in my clothes. The only thing I am sure of is that my wedding ring isn't as tight.

I don't want to sound whiny, and I am so sorry if that is how I am coming across. I had my heart set on losing 2 lbs per week and I feel like I'm doing everything I can, but my best isn't enough. Does that make sense? I'm sorry this was so long. I just needed to vent.

Thanks for reading. Xoxo

A couple of things... you started exercising, so you're building muscle and you may not see huge weight loss while initially starting out that process. Keep with it though! Exercise is essential! You may also be retaining a little water if your muscles are sore. The body can do that just to help heal the muscle. It won't be with you forever, though, so don't worry.

The only other thing, in my opinion, is that your calories might be too low. You might try one of the websites that calculate the calories you should have, based on your weight and lifestyle. I've been losing fairly well with exercise every day, but also 1500-1700 calories.

Hope that helps! But hang in there! A 1-2 pound loss per week is great!

That first massive weight loss was likely mostly water weight.

Thank you. I wondered if my calories were too low, but I am so scared to increase them. I feel like I have bee eating a certain way for almost a month now, and the thought of changing it is frightening. The fit bit flex that I wear tracks my calories burned vs calories ate. I know there are some days for sure that I should be eating more, and I never thought I'd say this, but sometimes it is hard eating more! I've always been fairly musculer so maybe I am retaining a lot of water.....I just wish I could see a difference somewhere. Thanks for replying. Maybe I will give it one more week and increase my calories and see how I do. XOXO

Whenever I see frustration posts like these I have to wonder if the changes that you are making have been too drastic. Your weight loss plan should be something that you can maintain for life. If you are getting frustrated because you aren't dropping the weight quickly enough then I suspect that you are finding yourself engaged in a pattern of behavior that is not sustainable over the long term.

When I start a new exercise routine I always retain water for at least 6-8 weeks before I start losing again.

Thank you Locke. Your analogy makes sense, though not for my situation. I am 100% on board for a life style change. I have a passion to be not just healthy, but physically fit as well. I have 3 children who are active and I truly desire to keep up with them. My frustration is based on the notion of the blissful and healthy possibility of a 2 lb loss per week and the happy path of being where I wanted to be before the holidays. The rate I am losing isn't going to get me to my goal in the timeframe I wanted and that, in my mind, doesn't indicate being engaged in something I cannot sustain. This isn't an option for me. I should have clearly stated this is a lifestyle change more than a diet and exercise. I am looking for ideas on how to help me overcome frustration, not comments that I have my bar set to high. Thank you though. I appreciate you taking the time to reply. Whether I agree or not, I enjoy everyone's feedback.

Thank you. The timeframe is helpful. I've never committed to exercise for this long (not since highschool anyway) so I have a lot of questions about water retention and calorie intakes.

It's hard to express in words...but weight loss rate became totally irrelevant to me this go around. And this go around is for life.

I not only subscribed to this is a lifestyle change but the following was a big mantra of mine. Eat well, move well, weight loss is a side effect.

I had an absolute certainty that if I researched. If I tweeked what I did, if I exercised, if I eat whole foods and in my case eliminated grains and upped saturated fat that I would succeed.

I didn't know at what rate. But this was a lifestyle change for life. And I remember back when I had lost the first 20. I felt SO much better and so energized. The appearance part wasn't noticeable. But I FELT it. Which was way more than enough motivation. And it allowed me to do more exercise.

Right now focus on finding what works and is sustainable. The weight comes when it comes. That being said if you plateau too long of course that is a concern. That is where tweeking comes in.

Totally agree about tape. I am right around the average height for a male in the US, a little over 5'9". I am about 8 lbs heavier than the average male right now. But my waist size is 5 inches under the average male. These are males 20 and over in the US. So that means to me I am leaner than the average male even at 48. So yes I am going to weigh a bit more than the average because I have more muscle. I still want to end up between 180 and 190. But ultimately waist size is a better measure than weight. I'd still be 'overweight' by BMI at even 180. But I bet I will be very lean.

2 lbs a week is a good goal..however it may be a bit unrealistic. Especially after you loose a lot in the first. Your body needs to get used to the changes you are going through. It is very frustrating to see a huge jump and then nothing for a long time. It's a pattern we either need to move forward with and have faith that things will change or we give up...again. The more your activity increases the better adapted your muscles will be and the better they will be at burning fat. I am a 268 lb power lifter. I am lucky if I loose .5 lbs a week. It's frustrating but you can do it!

Thank you so much for sharing your story. I believe this is for life for me. I love your mantra. I wish I would have taken measurements when I started. It isn't too late to start now. I will find my tape measure and jot some down tonight.

This is very insightful. I am defintely by no means a power lifter, but do have a muscular build. My hubby keeps encouraging me to keep it up, I just need to hear it from women sometimes. FYI, you are beautiful. Thank you for your support!

You don't control the scale - you control your habits. The output of a number is not what you can manage, but rather the input side of that equation: if you've had a day where you ate the way you wanted and moved the way you wanted, you need to pat yourself on the back and let the scale do what it will. We're not machines and don't respond like it, weight loss isn't a linear process.

Thank you. I hear what you are saying and it makes sense. I think all of us struggle at some point due to that number on our scale. There is so much more that I need to remember, that I need to consider. That's why I am here! I have a lot to learn. Your weight loss is inspirational. Thank you!

Also, that initial 16-pound weight loss may be an artifact. Perhaps you initially weighed yourself when you were very bloated, then two weeks later when you happened to have minimal water retention. The same pattern in reverse could also explain why you only "lost" 1 pound per week in the subsequent two weeks.

F.