Who here has significant experience with any commerical product or plan designed to aid weight loss? this could be anything from Weight Watchers or Jenny Craig to NutriSystem to late night advertised stuff like the Six Wekk makeover or whatever.... to various supplements like Hydroxycut or that contraversial stuff I cant remember the name of lol.

Reason I ask is because a precious friend of mine has recruited me into ViSalus and I'd like to appeal to my overweight friends, but I'd also like to have some idea of other's people's experience with it and other products as a point of comparison (for instance, I've used a lot of SlimFast and I can confidently say "this stuff tastes good, not nasty like SlimFast" since I know what SF is from experience)

Discuss?


(also, there's a viable tangent on this conversation having to do with to what extent we "lose weight like a male" or "like a female" depending on our hormone levels, but the science of that might be over my head)

Hiya Tammy! ^.^

I actually refused to transition for a long time because of my body.  I know a lot of girls fear passing, but for me it was more than that.  I hated that I was a boy growing up, and tended to try to end the torment by doing things that pushed my body and put it in danger.  To my horror, all this did was bulk myself up, huge chest, huge quads, giant arms, which in turn made my self loathing push me harder into more dangerous and physical activities. *Enter downward spiral* When I hit my mid twenties, I had given up trying, and all that nice muscle went to fat.  Through all of it, I saw my body not just as male, but the horrific opposite of my self identity!  Not feminine, not petite, not willowy or an hourglass - not china, but instead the bull. 

One I got my head out of my posterior and became engaged in my life and my body, I started to focus on changing my body in the right way, instead of the wrong one.  I started on a lifestyle routine - MyPlate is a great tool over at Livestrong that lets you track calories, and I got an ~amazing~ workout program from Rusty Moore, called "Visual Impact for Women."  It's a program that specifically burns fat and is designed for building non-bulky muscles, smooth curves and a feminine body.  It's all low impact, so no fear of injury or hurdles for beginners.  I'm happy to say that these two tools are working amazing wonders!  I've lost 10 pounds in 2 weeks~!  I haven't gotten "thicker" in my legs or my arms either!

I don't have much experience with many weight loss products - I tried Xenedrine ... that didn't work.  I've found that nothing can really help as much as taking control of your calorie deficit.  Most weight loss products are designed to do that, reduce your caloric intake and curb appetite, which in turn means every day you're using more calories than you're bringing in.

The most efficient way to really lose weight and get your "shape" is to combine calorie burning activities with a controlled caloric intake.  Anything else is kinda like leaving the driver's seat of your body.

I started what's called "The Belly Fat Cure Diet" in February and as of this week I've lost 25 lbs and about 3" of belly fat. My waist, band size, and hips also went down a few inches.

Mind you, it wasn't all the diet. I picked and chose from it and did a few other things as well.

1. No eating after 6pm (except for protein shake before bed)
2. Lunch is the biggest meal of the day, something home made, not prepackaged
3. Eating nuts and protein bars/shakes in between meals
4. Doing a 20-40min video workout 5 days a week
5. Small portions.

It's really worked for me and it feels like something I can maintain pretty easily. Bikini modeling has finally become possible now too =)

Here are the basics of the Dr. Fuhramn Eat to Live Plan, (ETL) re-posted from my Facebook group, a sub-group of Overeaters Anonymous who follow a whole foods vegan diet. Transition requires ultimate health! My members have lost hundreds of pounds by following the principles of OA and "ETL."

Raw Vegetables (Including Salad)

These foods are to be eaten in unlimited quantities, but think big. Since they have a negative caloric effect, the more you eat, the more you lose. Raw foods also have a faster transit time through the digestive tract and result in a lower glucose response and encourage more weight loss than their cooked counterparts.1 The object is to eat as many raw vegetables as possible, with a goal of one pound (sixteen ounces) daily. Meeting this one pound goal is not that hard to do. A small head of romaine lettuce is 6 to 8 ounces, a medium tomato or bell pepper weighs about 4 to 6 ounces, Include raw vegetables such as snow peas, red bell peppers, carrots, raw peas, tomatoes, cucumbers, and sprouts. The entire pound is less than 100 calories of food, and when you chew very well and spread this out between meals, you may find it easy to consume this amount each day.

COOKED VEGETABLES:

Eat as many steamed or cooked green vegetables as you can. Cooked non-green nutrient-dense vegetables such as eggplant, mushrooms, peppers, onions, tomatoes, carrots, and cauliflower are unlimited as well. My saying, "The more you eat, the more weight you will lose," also applies here. Again, the goal is one pound per day. If you can't eat this much, don't force yourself, but the idea is to completely rethink what your idea of a portion is; make it huge. One of the keys to your success is to eat a decent portion of food; so when you eat these greens, try to eat a much larger portion than you might have in the past. A serving of 1½ cups of cooked kale weighs 7 ounces, 2 cups of cooked broccoli or Brussels sprouts weighs 11 ounces, and 2 cups of cauliflower weighs 9 ounces. Go for variety in your cooked vegetables by using string beans, broccoli, artichokes, asparagus, zucchini, kale, collards, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, bok choy, okra, Swiss chard, turnip greens, escarole, beet greens, spinach, dandelion greens, broccoli raab, cauliflower, peppers, mushrooms, onions, and tomatoes. Remember that eating one pound of green vegetables and one pound of raw vegetables a day is an average goal to shoot for, but you should eat only the amount of food that is comfortable for you. Some people may do better with more or less.



Beans or Legumes



Beans or legumes are among the world's most perfect foods. They stabilize blood sugar, blunt the desire for sweets, and prevent mid-afternoon cravings. Even a small portion can help you feel full, but in the Six-Week Plan I encourage you to eat at least one full cup daily. Beans contain both insoluble and soluble fiber and are very high in resistant starch. While the benefits of fiber are well-known, resistant starch is proving to be another highly desirable dietary component. Although it is technically a starch, it acts more like fiber during digestion. Typically, starches found in carbohydrate-rich foods are broken down into glucose during digestion, and the body uses that glucose as energy. Much like fiber, resistant starch "resists" digestion and passes through the small intestine without being digested. Because of this, some researchers classify resistant starch as a third type of fiber. Beans are the best food source of resistant starch. Overall, the starch in beans is about evenly divided between slowly digested starch and resistant starch, although the amount of resistant starch can vary depending on the type of bean and the preparation method. This means that a significant amount of the carbohydrate calories listed for the beans is not absorbed. Resistant starch offers many additional unique health benefits. It: Aids weight loss and digestive health Helps prevent constipation Helps to maintain lower blood sugar levels Reduces the risk of developing diabetes and heart disease Reduces the risk of colon cancer Legume or bean intake is an important variable in the promotion of long life. An important longitudinal study showed that a higher legume intake is the most protective dietary factor affecting survival among the elderly, regardless of their ethnicity. The study found that legumes were associated with long-lived people in various food cultures, including the Japanese (soy, tofu, natto), the Swedes (brown beans, peas), and Mediterranean peoples (lentils, chickpeas, white beans).2 Beans and greens are the foods most closely linked in the scientific literature with protection against cancer, diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and dementia.



Consider beans your preferred high-carbohydrate food. They can be flavored and spiced in interesting ways, and you can eat an unlimited quantity of them. Eat some beans with every lunch. Among your choices are chickpeas, black-eyed peas, black beans, cowpeas, split peas, lima beans, pinto beans, lentils, red kidney beans, soybeans, cannellini beans, pigeon peas, and white beans. Fresh Fruit Eat at least four fresh fruits per day, but no fruit juice. Shred or cut up apples and oranges and add them to your salad for flavor; they will help you feel full. Clementines are a nice addition to a green salad. Pineapple is good with vegetables and can be cooked with tomatoes and vegetables for a Hawaiian-flavored vegetable dish. On the Six-Week Plan, no fruit juice is permitted, except for small quantities for salad dressings and cooking. Juicing fruits allows you to quickly consume three times the calories without the fiber to regulate absorption. The nutrient-per-calorie ratio is much higher for the whole food. Frozen fruit is permissible, but avoid canned fruit because it is not as nutritious. If you need to use canned fruit as a condiment (mandarin oranges, pineapple), make sure it is unsweetened.



Dried fruits should be used only in very small amounts for sweetening. Exotic fruits are interesting to try and will add variety and interest to your diet. Some of my personal favorites are blood oranges, persimmons, and cherimoyas. Eat a variety of fruits; try to include many of the following: apples, apricots, bananas, blackberries, blueberries, clementines, grapes, kiwifruit, kumquats, mangoes, melons, nectarines, oranges, papayas, peaches, pears, persimmons, pineapples, plums, raspberries, starfruit, strawberries, and tangerines.



EAT TO LIVE The Six-Week Plan

UNLIMITED



Eat as much as you want: all raw vegetables (goal: 1 lb. daily) cooked green and non-green nutrient-rich vegetables (goal: 1 lb. daily; non-green nutrient-rich vegetables are eggplant, mushrooms, peppers, onions, tomatoes, carrots, cauliflower) beans, legumes, bean sprouts, and tofu (goal: 1 cup daily) fresh fruits (at least 4 daily)



LIMITED

Cooked starchy vegetables or whole grains: butternut and acorn squash, corn, white potatoes, rice, sweet potatoes, bread, cereal (not more than one serving, or 1 cup, per day) raw nuts and seeds (1 oz. max. per day) avocado (2 oz. max. per day) dried fruit (2 tablespoons max. per day) ground flaxseeds (1 tablespoon max. per day) OFF-LIMITS dairy products animal products between-meal snacks fruit juice oils.



The preceding is provided for educational purposes only. Those considering adopting this plan should purchase the complete text. You can purchase a kindle version for just $9.95.

I have the worst time with eating at night ... I don't get home from work until almost 7pm (I work from 8am to 5:30pm), and then have to make dinner for the house, but I've found lately that I just never get that hungry late in the day.  If I try to eat after the sun goes down I just pick at the food and have maybe 5 bites before I lose interest.

I've been working out on this;

    Monday - Chest, Back and Abs, then 10 minutes of High intensity interval training and 20 minutes of low impact cardio
    Tuesday - Shoulders, Biceps and Triceps, then 10 minutes of HIIT and 20 minutes of low impact cardio
    Wednesday - My day off
    Thursday - Chest, Back and Abs, then 10 minutes of High intensity interval training and 20 minutes of low impact cardio
    Friday -  Shoulders, Biceps and Triceps, then 10 minutes of HIIT and 20 minutes of low impact cardio
    Then I take the weekend off!

I have a LOT to lose before I do anything more than monitor weight - tape measures scare me right now, lol.  But I'm can see that I'm heading in the right direction fast!

I have lost, at times, up to 20 pounds and then plateaued, over and over. I can't seem to finally break through the 260 barrier.

My problem is that anything which might be defined as "healthy diet" of the sort listed above under "unlimited" - i HATE that stuff. if I had to go Vegan or die, i'd starve to death. Other than Lettuce and tomato in a salad or on a burger or some other sandwich...yuck.

I have done a lot with calorie control (other than the last month when I have just decided that since I was plateaued anyway I'd give my body a chance to "re-set") but I can get down to 1200-1500 calories a day and after the first 15-20 pounds (4-6 weeks) i plateau. for months at a time (during which I will inevitably creep back on 5-10 of those pounds.

I have done a lot of walking, with little discernible results.




which brings me to "products"

i KNOW they are not the recommended way to lose weight, but the recommended diet i'll never be able to choke down. That leaves some sort of meal substitution that helps me maintain calorie control.

Since I'm working now I'll surely be burning more than i was so the time is ripe to get back to calorie counting. but I have to have something that helps me meet my target in that regard.

I mean no disrespect to the vegan diet or any other "eat right" diet, but there's some things i know myself well enough to know are just not going to happen.



also, for the record, I can handle being a bit over my healthy weight, IF its in the right places. My plan is to lose 80-100 and get the belly mostly or completely gone. I plan on being on HRT in the fall and if that's ramped up, then if i do end up gaining some back because i don't do the "healthy diet" thing, at least it should be in the right places. But i do want to stay under 200 if possible.

I'm going to run with the Body by Vi thing, both as a user and as a distributor, even though I know the perils of MLMs (i am NOT going to invest a bunch of money i don't have in it)

I figure if it works, I'm a walking advertisement and i should do pretty good.

If it doesn't, it didn't cost that much more than SlimFast or whatever that i have been using. it's a reasonable gamble.

I'f anyone wants to know more about it shoot me a PM...I'm assuming I don't need to be pimping it in the open thread here.

IMHO, appetite is a physiological desire, very difficult to defy in the long-term. You can defy it for several days or even up to several months, but eventually your body physiolgy will revert it.

If diet is a kind of input control, exercise is an output control. Input controls are mostly ineffective in loosing weight in the long term. Only output controls can make you maintain your proper body weight in the long term. Slow walking is ineffective, but fast walking is. If you can run at least very slowly for > 30 minutes every day, then it is the best method to loose weight. If you can not run, then walk as fast as you can for > 30 mintues. Loosing weight requires some laborious activities, not money.

Barbie~~

Furhrman posits, and I believe it is true, that most Americans are suffering form a low grade addiction to meat, dairy and processed foods. It takes a t least six weeks of abstinence form these foods to begin to break this addiction.  Like many addicts, it took me a long time to  own up to the fact that I am addict (Food, drugs,alcohol, shopping...you name it.)

Over five years clean of drugs and alcohol and almost a year 99% (I still have minor relapses the worst usually some kind of non-whole wheat bread) clean from meat, dairy and processed foods, the thought of eating meat or dairy nauseates me. Of course, part of this is concern for animals, I have been "fully indoctrinated" into the vegan lifestyle. I won't even eat honey although I will not throw away my leather boots! 

The main point is that people say "Oh I could never give up meat...' but what they do not realize, perhaps out of not knowing or because of denial, that once the addiction is addressed, the desire to eat all that junk (poison really) lessens. Like cigarette smoke to a "reformed" smoker, the smell of meat cooking becomes nauseous.  I have done several papers and speeches on this topic. One of my conclusions is that a whole foods vegan diet and moderate exercise can not only prevent but even reverse many diseases such heart disease, diabetes and even some cancers. (see China study, ornish, esselstyn, neil barnard, joel fuhrman)  So one can continue to use gimmicks to try to maintain healkh or one can choose to stop poisoning herself.

Quote from: barbie on June 20, 2012, 12:28:51 PM
IMHO, appetite is a physiological desire, very difficult to defy in the long-term. You can defy it for several days or even up to several months, but eventually your body physiolgy will revert it.

If diet is a kind of input control, exercise is an output control. Input controls are mostly ineffective in loosing weight in the long term. Only output controls can make you maintain your proper body weight in the long term. Slow walking is ineffective, but fast walking is. If you can run at least very slowly for > 30 minutes every day, then it is the best method to loose weight. If you can not run, then walk as fast as you can for > 30 mintues. Loosing weight requires some laborious activities, not money.

Barbie~~

Most Americans are obese or overweight because they are starving. Starving because they are eating foods that increase rather than decrease their appetite. Nothing wrong with exercise but it is a not a cure for obesity. Many of Fuhrman's patients wer too obese to exercise, even a little bit, but were successful in losing hundreds of pounds.

At my peak I was 250 lbs and had gotten myself down to 140. I can gain 10 lbs in a week if I don't watch myself. I swear all I need is 1200 calories a day. A lot of that lose was from plain simple portion control and exercise. I was basically trained since childhood to eat until you are stuffed and while the food is hot. So you quickly shovel in as much as you can as quickly as you can. When it takes upwards of 30 minutes for your body to tell your brain we had enough, you cannot help but to be always overeating. With portion control you still get to eat most of the fun things you want to, just smaller portions of it. Of course you can have more vegies or a bigger salad to make up the difference.

The typical meal around the house was meat and potatoes, or pasta. Bread was also plentiful. Vegies was something that came out of a can or corn on the cob in season. It took a long time to appreciate vegetables. Nowadays, meat is mostly a garnish in my meals. I live mostly on a hearty salad, some fruit, and my little treat of some tiny pastry during my coffee break. And, of course, chocolate when it comes time for a shot 

Two things you need to lose weight.  Diet and excersize.  If you're looking for a pill that will help you do it, it's not there.

Excersize has more benefits other than weight loss.  Strength (which also prevents injury), lower blood pressure, lower resting heart rate, better lung capacity, etc.

Diet is even more important.  When people work out and can't lose that "extra little bit", you can find it in the diet.  Processed foods are horrible for you.  Just look at the sodium alone.  Eating clean can really help you lose weight, and fast.  Plus it will give you more energy for your workouts, or day to day activity.  If you really want to look at your diet, you keep track of EVERY BIT of what you eat for two weeks....  Everything.  Every ingredient if you mix things together.  Look at calories, fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, sugars and carbs, dietary fiber, and protein.  You'll be shocked at really how much you take in.  One nutritionist had a nice comment that said you should try "to eat the calories for the weight you want to be".  Makes sense, but you need to work your way down to that.  Don't let your body get hungry.

I was almost always in good shape, and when I started HRT I was running three miles as my cardio warm up. (Intervals on an incline) Then, weights.  Lighter weights, as I didn't want to bulk.  I still managed to put on 30 lbs from the hormones.  I changed up everything and did the Insanity workout.  Lost 20lbs in 2 months, and felt great.  It's hard.  Very hard.  But you do what you can do and get that heart rate up.  Boost the metabolism.  Eat small meals every 2.5 - 3 hours.  I'm doing insanity now as a warm up, and weights after.

Working out is a life long commitment.  It doesn't have to be crazy, but you do have to raise your heart rate and get out of breath sometimes.  It helps the body build a wider range so when stress comes in, your body handles it better.  If you commit to your body, your body will commit back to you with health.

Lastly, and this is the most important thing.... BE SAFE.  Do not starve yourself, or excersize beyond your limits.  Although you have to push your limits when you work out to push past the plateaus, be safe.  Nothing is worth your life. 

But the best way to lose weight is found in both diet and exercise.  They go together.  And the effects go far past just losing weight.    Oh, and by the way?  I really hate working out.  I'm not a workout freak, nor have I ever been.  But I have realized the difference in clean eating and excersise than in the way I used to eat.  (Used to be on meds for cholesterol and acid reflux.  Cholesterol used to be in the high 200's.  Now, without anything, 143.  And I haven't had any acid in at least 5 years.  no meds.)

*nods* Being on the starting portion of getting into shape I totally agree.   I also understand how hard it is to get going.  It's actually really frightening thinking about all the things you won't be doing, or eating once you commit.  In reality though, after you start, most of fears I've had have been totally unjustified.  My Free time loss? I really only spend about 5 hours a week going to, coming from, and working out.  Loss of palette?  No way!  Reducing the portions I haven't had to give anything up except seconds!  Pain from getting started? Absolutely!  Though that goes away a little more every-time I work out, eventually it won't be anything at all!

I too, like Joanne was raised in a "meat and potatoes" house.  My parents were Pennsylvania dutch, and if it didn't have starch, it wasn't a meal, lol.  I broke out of it though, and if I can, anyone can!  Granted, it took me 15 years to get my wits about me, but I did it! 

I know you don't want to hear this but:

1) Vegan.
2) Never count calories.
3) 3-4 hours of jogging a week.
4) Eat chocolate and cake 2-3 times a week.
5) Lots of bread and sandwiches.
6) Lentils, beans, legumes, veg, fruits.....
7) Porridge every morning.
8) Walk each evening.

Loosing 5-6lbs/month.

Good luck with losing weight counting calories and doing the products but I can tell you that I eat loads, never feel like I am dieting and have fun with food and I am loving losing the weight.

As others have said what you eat and how much you workout are the deciding factors. My wife and myself just started the P90X program. We are not going by the book and doing it everyday(due to time limitations). I feel that it alone has restarted my "natural" metablosim. I now can eat a semi normal dayand not exercise and still see light weight loss. I have lost about 6-8 pounds in the past 2 weeks doing my current routine. As far as food goes, I lost almost 20 pounds by stopping drinking soda alone. I drink mostly water now with a sweet drink maybe 1-2  a week. But as always when thinking of starting an exercise regiment of any kind, Consult a doctor.

Things that help with eating control can be quite interesting....
*eat off a salad plate- the smaller size of the plate makes it look bigger than the meal is....Dont overfill the plate size.
*Color of the room can change your appetite-Blueish rooms lower appetite due to the idea of rotten food by the brain..

Weird things but they can be helpful

P90X is serious stuff, good luck!

I don't have a ton of weight to lose, but I've lost 10ish and have a goal of 5-10lb more that REALLY want to hang around.  I'm sure that I know where those pounds are coming from, though.

I joined Weight Watchers a month ago, and have already lost 7 pounds.  They have web and smartphone apps to track what you eat.   You are weighed weekly and keep track of how many "points" you use.  It's easy with the apps.

You can eat anything you want as long as you count the points.  Exercise gives you "Activity Points".  I walked 20 miles last week, as well as water aerobics and the elliptical machine.  That gave me 67 activity points which you can "eat".  My normal daily allowance is 40 points, so I could have a extra day's worth of food.

Also some foods are "zero points", so you can eat as much as you want of them.  Banana, tomatoes and lettuce are examples.

The weekly weigh-ins are plenty of incentive to stay with the program.  Every week you get 49 extra points, so you can pig out every now and then and not break the plan.

Tracking your use of "points" as well as activity using the "eTools" is fun and easy to do.

Weight watchers works. Follow the program and you will lose weight

Randi

I've been using myfitnesspal which tracks food and activity.  But basically it all comes down to what you eat and how active you are.  Since changing my diet, and working out regularily (and like Aubrey, I'm not a fan of working out) but losing 1-2lbs a week over the last few months and feeling healthier is great.

And I'll echo the change in diet is important.  Cutting out the crap has made big difference. I'm eating a lot more raw veg, lean meats and fish, and getting more healthy fats (omega oils) into my system I feel great.  Oh and water, lots of water 2-3L/day.

The number on the scale isn't everything though.  As I'm sure we all remember that muscle weighs a lot more than fat and as you lose fat and gain muscle tone, the scale becomes deceptive. 

Quote from: auburnAubrey on June 20, 2012, 08:37:19 PM
Two things you need to lose weight.  Diet and excersize.  If you're looking for a pill that will help you do it, it's not there.

Excersize has more benefits other than weight loss.  Strength (which also prevents injury), lower blood pressure, lower resting heart rate, better lung capacity, etc.

Diet is even more important.  When people work out and can't lose that "extra little bit", you can find it in the diet.  Processed foods are horrible for you.  Just look at the sodium alone.  Eating clean can really help you lose weight, and fast.  Plus it will give you more energy for your workouts, or day to day activity.  If you really want to look at your diet, you keep track of EVERY BIT of what you eat for two weeks....  Everything.  Every ingredient if you mix things together.  Look at calories, fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, sugars and carbs, dietary fiber, and protein.  You'll be shocked at really how much you take in.  One nutritionist had a nice comment that said you should try "to eat the calories for the weight you want to be".  Makes sense, but you need to work your way down to that.  Don't let your body get hungry.

I was almost always in good shape, and when I started HRT I was running three miles as my cardio warm up. (Intervals on an incline) Then, weights.  Lighter weights, as I didn't want to bulk.  I still managed to put on 30 lbs from the hormones.  I changed up everything and did the Insanity workout.  Lost 20lbs in 2 months, and felt great.  It's hard.  Very hard.  But you do what you can do and get that heart rate up.  Boost the metabolism.  Eat small meals every 2.5 - 3 hours.  I'm doing insanity now as a warm up, and weights after.

Working out is a life long commitment.  It doesn't have to be crazy, but you do have to raise your heart rate and get out of breath sometimes.  It helps the body build a wider range so when stress comes in, your body handles it better.  If you commit to your body, your body will commit back to you with health.

Lastly, and this is the most important thing.... BE SAFE.  Do not starve yourself, or excersize beyond your limits.  Although you have to push your limits when you work out to push past the plateaus, be safe.  Nothing is worth your life. 

But the best way to lose weight is found in both diet and exercise.  They go together.  And the effects go far past just losing weight.    Oh, and by the way?  I really hate working out.  I'm not a workout freak, nor have I ever been.  But I have realized the difference in clean eating and excersise than in the way I used to eat.  (Used to be on meds for cholesterol and acid reflux.  Cholesterol used to be in the high 200's.  Now, without anything, 143.  And I haven't had any acid in at least 5 years.  no meds.)

I was going to write reply... but Aubrey's post above sums it up nicely. Diet and exercise. Eat less, work out more. No magic, secrets, clubs, or gimmicks.

Last thing on the subject.  If you'd like, weigh yourself at the beginning of your new program.  Then, don't step on a scale for at least 45-60 days.

It's a number.  And muscle weighs more than fat.  Go by how your clothes are fitting..... better way to see results.

But your body takes a while to get adjusted to working out, especially if you haven't done it in a while. (or at all).  So you can even gain weight in the first week.

I get on a scale once every two months, or, a month after I make a change in workout or diet.  That's it.  Those numbers can get you down, and make you want to stop.  It takes about two months for your body to really start to change with a new diet and workout.