Hey guys,
Today marks 2 full weeks since I have stopped eating out, not exercising, etc. Prior to 2 weeks ago, we would eat out maybe 4-5 times a week, I would always over eat, not exercise at all and drink no water (but 3 energy drinks a day).

NOW - I am eating 6 reasonable meals a day that consist of whole grains, veggies, chicken (sometimes noodles), low fat cheese, etc. Not the cleanest diet but the purest I have ever eaten in my life! I have 100% whey protein shakes (one with toast for breakfast and one post workout), take redline energy supllement and I do 170 situps each night + either light/moderate weight or 30 minutes on the elyptical. I also drink water like a camel, and that is all I drink other than those protein shakes.

I started out at 233.5 lbs. Over the first 2-3 days, I got up to 236.5 for some reason, and at the end of my first week, I dialed in at 228.5 - I was very happy! Now, after another week of hard work, I am at 231. My body fat percentage seems to show to be bouncing from 27.5-28.5%, and not really any improvement.

I feel stronger and think I look better - but to be honest with you, I don't see how thats possible if the scale doesn't show it, so it could be all in my head. Any advice is greatly appreciated!

You should be shooting for 1-2 pounds a week. You stayed in those limits, you should be proud of yourself for that as well as wanting to chage your habbits.

Start a new thread with what exactly you eat in a day, and the times. And post your weekly workout routine. I'm sure we can find what the problem is and work out the kinks.

Welcome to the forum.

i guess i was just so excited about the thought of going from 236.5 to 228.5 in a matter of a week - I was thinking wow 7 lbs in a week! This is great! I always was able to drop weight MUCH faster than this. A few years ago, I went from 278 to 213 in probably about 4 months.

I agree,

It sounds like your playing with a few variables here and there but without much consistency. You may be at the point "you know just enough to hurt yourself".

Give us a better look at your diet and workout regiment.

ok i will do that then - is it possible I could be replacing the fat I am losing with muscle, which is why I am not moving as fast in terms of weight loss?

In a small amount yes, I really doubt you lost 7lbs of fat then gained 4lbs of muscle, see what I'm saying? I would say you lost 4-5 lbs, decresed your BF some, and they sudden drop and sudden gain had to do with your water weight. Weight is a real tricky factor, dont dwell on it, the important part is that you stay working hard.

my hope is to get to a point where i feel comfortable taking off my shirt this summer. We'll see how that goes (haha) My love handles seem to just want to hang around me no matter what. I would love to get to be 200 or less, but that is just going to take FOREVER I think.

You'll not get decreases like that - unless you've an excess of liquids etc in your system. The closer you get to your goal weight, the harder the weight will be to lose. As mentioned in the thread already a decrease of 1 or 2 lbs per week is considered a healthy loss, especially so if you're working out to maintain your muscle. Good luck and keep posting.