50 pounds to lose...

I've lost approximately 100 pounds over the course of a year, and what helped me tremendously was a free site online called http://sparkpeople.com Sparkpeople is free. It helps you keep track of your calorie intake as well as your exercise and how many calories you are burning. It factors in your height and all sorts of other things, but the site is so much more than a simple calculator. The site is also a community where people encourage one another on their way to losing weight and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. There are motivational articles and all sorts of resources. Another helpful thing in my journey was watching the tv show, The Biggest Loser. That gave me motivation to get out and do whatever I needed to do to shed the pounds and keep healthy. An interesting piece of information that I picked up along the way was that it is not necessarily a straight calories in vs. calories burned equals net weight gain/loss. Some bodies will adjust to caloric intake, so that even if you starve yourself, it may still happen that you may not lose the weight. Whatever you do, check with your doctor to see what your doctor would recommend. And then find a weight loss buddy to help keep you honest in sticking to your plan. Best wishes to you!

Well everyone is different in how they can lose weight Maybe add walking or some pilates to your schedule watch out for salads some have just as many calories as a combo !!!! As for me I just cut down on anything fried and cut out most drinks with high calories and walked a good bit i didnt snack or eat late at night

Wow I really can't imagine what it is that your body needs. Everyone's body is different. My body has trouble keeping weight on. Do you exercise much. I do know my husband has problems where it doesn't matter how little or healthy he eats. His body has got to work out period. He started walking a lot and then running and now weight training and now he eats like crazy but the weight stays off as long as he exercises. Start walking as much as possible. If you must sit a lot do some leg exercises under the desk or whatever to keep moving.

I too recently had one of those moments. I went to the doctor's office for my sore heel and of course, they weighed me. I was horrified and even made my husband get on the scale when I got home to prove to me that I don't weigh more than him. I have now replaced my daily Easy Mac with a slim fast shake and have been trying really hard to say no to the treats that the families bring to the nursing home. I am trying really hard to make better choices. Exercising is the hardest part though. I just don't have the energy after 8+ hours at the nursing home. Dealing with dementia patients and pushing a heavy medication cart. I need to bite the bullet so to speak and exercise when I get home anyway. I have never found a diet pill that works yet. I need one that gives me energy and willpower. I tend to eat when I am bored, not when I am hungry. I too am trying to quit the soda habit. I am limiting myself to one good soda per day. Not diet soda. The rest of the time I drink water and crystal light. I even put a bottle of water by my bed and drink it right away when my alarm rings to start my day.

Two years ago I joined Weightwatchers.com. I did the program online and lost twenty-two pounds. It took me six months, but I did it. Unfortunately, I didn't do maintenance and I gained most of it back over a two year period, so now I'm back on it and in one week I already lost five pounds. Like you, I was shocked that the weight had come back because I thought I was being careful. Now that I'm back on Weightwatchers.com, I have to account for everything I eat because I'm only alotted a certain number of points. I also began walking again and I work out with weights twice a week and that makes a difference too. Good luck to you.

You can do it, if its something you really want. I've been excersing everyday for the past few months, I started doing this walking program. I've lost 15 lbs. so far. I also cut down on how much I eat, before I could almost keep up with my husband, eating as much as he could, and I finally realized that wasn't good for me, especially when I gained alot of weight and I wasn't feeling very good anymore. I'm still walking and losing a little at a time, and I feel a whole lot better, my clothes fit better and I can breathe. Heres a website for you, its the walking program that I use, I'm now walking 3 miles a day, and its all in home, no special equipment needed but your DVD player. www.lesliesansone.com she's the instructor on these videos, its easy, and it works, I can testify it does. Good Luck to you....

i am also over weight to an alarming degree and have set myself a year to get in some kind of shape. I really have no advice other than eat less than you burn off in energy. Also remember the hole the food goes in is larger than the hole that it comes out of blessed be

write down everything you eat and when you eat. talk to your doctor to see what he/she recommends and lastly, exercise, even if you walk.

Man.. I really feel your pain. I'm too afraid to weigh myself. I lost 12 pounds earlier this year but I'm pretty sure I've gained it all back. I also need to loose 50 lbs. Technically I know how to do it... but finding the time is another story. I also eat bad foods to make me feel better so that doesn't help as well. I think the best way is to be ready for a total lifestyle makeover. Loosing weight requires a new way of thinking and doing. Support is also very important.

hey, don't feel so sad.u'd better love urself first, and then maybe try to do yoga

If i were you I'd go to the doctor and see what changes they suggest and if they can test for thyroid and other hormonal issues that cause weight gain and difficulty losing weight. Two things i found that made the biggest difference for me was Eating breakfast and getting more exercise during the day. I also try to make sure I dont snack after 8 pm. (more because after 8 snacks are junk food for me)

I had to respond to this .. you are starving your body that is how you gained 50 lbs. when you don't feed your body enought it stores the fat.. I use to do the same thing. my trainner asked me how many calories did I eat a day .. I told her between 900 and 1,000... she put me on a daily calorie of 1,815 a day .. low and behold the weight with excersise is coming off .. she explained to me how your body will hold onto the fat if you are not fueling your body.. it thinks your not going to eat so it is storing it .. another thing she tought me .. is to eat something 20-45 min after a work out .. to refule your body .. as she says .. eat or be eaten... I hope this helped.. ps.. I am 64 lbs lighter thanks to her :) and her help and advice

Don't overwhelm yourself because it will only end in badly for you. Don't worry about what the scale says, but only how you feel in your skin. Today's expectations for us women is horrible and should be thrown away. If you want to loose weight, then do it safely and slowly. This is the best way. Eat foods that are good for you but also taste good. Exercise three times a week even if it's only taking a brisk walk for 30 minutes. I would definitely tell you to give up the coffee so there's no complaint there. Don't diet because diets don't work. Be confident in you and don't care what others think. Good Luck!

I feel your pain, fran429! I'm right there with you! I get so discouraged. I do drink water AND I usually go to the gym 2-3x per week. I don't eat fried foods, I rarely eat "fatty" foods. My biggest struggles are chocolate and soda, but even that - I drink a soda maybe 2-3x per week, certainly not several daily! I blame it on having children later in life and midlife hormones! I would DEFINITELY do everything within your power to learn to like water. Even Crystal Light or other "diet" drinks have the artificial sweeteners. I've read articles that say how your body reacts to those the same as sugar. So, even though you're not adding the calories, your body treats it the same way. Salads can be good if you don't add the heavy calorie items. Many salad dressings are high calorie. Don't add cheese as it's very high in fat. My husband and I did really really well once (and need to get back to it) on the Body For Life diet. You actually get to eat! And you eat a reasonable amount. But weightlifting/exercise is a key component of the program. But what I like about it is that it's real food so you don't feel deprived. Good luck on your quest! I'll be working on it too.

Learn something about calories, then burn more of them...

I think you should have meals natural.And do great exercise.That's healthy for you. I don't need to lose weight.So,I think a good custom is good to you.Good luck.

You might just have a slow metabolism and I heard that to speed up your metabolism you need to drink a lot of water and eat a lot of low calorie small portion meals, usually about five. You should go to the doctor to see if you have a slow metabolism for medical reasons.

i can sympathize big time (no pun intended) because i need to lose more like 100 lbs. i am trying and sometimes i do well and some days i do not. today i got some mild exercise in and ate moderately. if i were to stop eating right now and eat nothing else for the rest of the day i will have done pretty well calorie wise i think. but they day is young and it is not even 3:00 pm. i intend to only have water and some fruit later. losing weight is hard and the older you get the harder it is. i am 47 and i find i do not lose as quickly as i used to and i do not have the determination i once had either. good luck to you and let us know how you are doing with this!

Check out SparkPeople.com. Its a free website that helps you lose weight healthfully. I get nothing from posting this - I'm a member there myself. I've made alot of friends there too.

The best way to lose weight if you really want to is to just excerzie. You dont have to eat a lot in a day to gain weight. You gain the weight by not doing anything. So try to get up and start moving. Walk around your neighborhood or ride a bike. See if that helps you.