Calling all dieters!

[Elise.m]

To get rid of my baby weight years ago (my yougest son is 6 now) I did the Nutrisystem diet where they send you the food in the mail. I lost 10 pounds a month doing that without any exercise. I took off 70 pounds that way. I am one of those pregnant ladies that think they can eat whatever they want. Now after the 10 pounds off from the IUD I only have like another 10 still to go. I wear a small on top, but more of a medium on the bottom and thighs. So I'd like to get that a little smaller to back to prepregnancy weight. I highly recommend the Nutrisystem diet, it teaches you how to eat also, not just to eat the food they give you. Also a great way to lose weight is to write down every single thing you eat with how many calories are in it. Aim for around 1500 calories and then the weight will creep off. Measure out your salad dressing, count out those 3 hershey kisses, be dilligent!

That's awesome that nutrisystem worked for you! In total I've lost 36 pounds just from watching my diet and exercising. I know quite a few people who have lost weight on weight watchers and nutrisystem. I just never really looked into it. So far my plan is to start running 5 days a week along with doing the Iron Grip class I do 2 times a week. I might do a spin class a couple times a week as well, depending on what I do or don't do.

I think... I might go out and get an eating calendar today. Might as well, can't hurt!

[Sarin]

I've been having weight issues my entire life. I was finally able to become strict with myself and start to lose weight a little over a year ago. I started at over 215 lbs and today my weight was at 126.1 lbs. My lowest being 125.5 lbs. I am very proud of myself, however I feel there is still weight to lose. I can honestly say I am not ashamed of my image any more. I am 5'3" tall and will be 19 in November.

For all you people out there trying to lose weight.. Remember.. It's not a "diet", it's a lifestyle change that you have to stick to. Do not deprive yourself, have fun, and don't give up..

[Elise.m]

I've been having weight issues my entire life. I was finally able to become strict with myself and start to lose weight a little over a year ago. I started at over 215 lbs and today my weight was at 126.1 lbs. My lowest being 125.5 lbs. I am very proud of myself, however I feel there is still weight to lose. I can honestly say I am not ashamed of my image any more. I am 5'3" tall and will be 19 in November.

For all you people out there trying to lose weight.. Remember.. It's not a "diet", it's a lifestyle change that you have to stick to. Do not deprive yourself, have fun, and don't give up..

Wow Nicole, that is freakin impressive! HUGE kudos to you for deciding to go through with it!

[AkHerps]

Most important things to remember about losing weight are...

Always eat breakfast. This gets your metabolism going early and works all day.

Eat negative calorie foods like oranges. Your body has to work harder to burn off an orange than it does a cheeseburger.

If you want a big pasta dinner, eat it EARLY. Like, as a lunch, do not eat pasta, like a big helping of spaghetti for dinner, eat it for lunch.

And of course, drink lots and lots of water and exercise!

[onna_shinigami]

We've been working on loosing weight in the house, minus the toddler she's just right in height/weight for her age. We've just cut down on how much we eat per meal, taking a meal shake once per day and vinegar pills. They smell horrible but to me its better than doing a small glass of vinegar, tablespoon of honey and just enough hot water to rinse off honey from spoon right before bed. It does work, my hubby's grandfather took it for a while there and the doctor told him, what ever he was doing to loose weight to stop for a bit. lmao He was 76 at the time, and even me being in semi decent shape (before having a 10lb baby) could not keep up with his pace.

[Elise.m]

Today is my second day writing everything I eat down. First thing I realized... 2% milk has got to go! I didn't realize how many calories that stuff has in it. I picked up fat free milk, and although it tastes like crap, it's a sacrifice I'm willing to make!

I'm aiming to only eat 1000 calories throughout the day, then dinner at night. I'll most likely go a little over 1000 some days, but I aim low just to make sure I don't over do it. I'm not counting the calories in my dinner, so that's another reason why I aim low during the day. (I don't always stick to the recipes, so the calorie count would be off)

I'm not good at keeping good habits, so this probly won't last long. But it has helped put things into perspective.

[Jay_Bunny]

Boy oh boy, do I ever need to diet and be more active. Back in highschool, I was 135 and loving it. I felt good, looked good (well as good as this could look. ) and was very active with marching band/color guard. Then I hit college and in one year, gained about 70lbs (we think this is mainly due to hormones as my right ovary had become a dermoid cyst by then and my hormones were wacky). I managed to lose about 10 of that but then gained more. I'm now up to 220lbs. (Last weigh in was 219) I don't eat a very healthy diet any more. I have yo-yo-ed between eating a crappy diet (fast food, big dinners, lots of snacks) to really healthy (raw vegan) and back again. The only activity I get in my day is when I work. I'm constantly standing and walking for several hours but that isn't much activity to me.

It would be nice to have somewhere to report to and be held responsible for what I eat and what activity I do in a day. I want to get back down to 135 at some point.

By the way, a great place to keep track of what you are eating is sparkpeople.com. You can track food intake, water intake, and even have them track certain nutrients to make sure you are getting enough or not going over. I joined a long time ago but I think I'm going to start using it again. It was really helpful.

To give you an idea...I just input my breakfast and let me tell you, I'll never eat that again. Over 800 calories in my breakfast! And soooo much sugar. Tomorrow, its a slice of toast and a banana.

[Sarin]

Today is my second day writing everything I eat down. First thing I realized... 2% milk has got to go! I didn't realize how many calories that stuff has in it. I picked up fat free milk, and although it tastes like crap, it's a sacrifice I'm willing to make!

I'm aiming to only eat 1000 calories throughout the day, then dinner at night. I'll most likely go a little over 1000 some days, but I aim low just to make sure I don't over do it. I'm not counting the calories in my dinner, so that's another reason why I aim low during the day. (I don't always stick to the recipes, so the calorie count would be off)

I'm not good at keeping good habits, so this probly won't last long. But it has helped put things into perspective.

Woah.. You want to starve yourself there? 1000 calories is way too low. Look up your BMR, and times it by how active you are. Subtract 500 calories from that final number and that is how many calories you should eat a day. I do not suggest going below 1200 and even that is asking for trouble.

[Elise.m]

Woah.. You want to starve yourself there? 1000 calories is way too low. Look up your BMR, and times it by how active you are. Subtract 500 calories from that final number and that is how many calories you should eat a day. I do not suggest going below 1200 and even that is asking for trouble.

According to my BMR I burn 1531.7 calories. Fits perfectly into what I'm doing.

[Jay_Bunny]

My BMR, last I checked said I burn 1790.6 calories a day. I'm not very active, save for standing and walking at work. (lifting animal cages, washing dishes, cleaning cages, etc) That is somewhat active I guess. 1000 calories still seems a little low, but whatever is working for your body.

Last night I did a little better with food than I normally do. I made veggie stir fry made with brown rice instead of white rice and I did not cook the veggies. Broccoli, carrots, bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, all raw, and I added a little teriyaki and soy sauce. It was really yummy and I only ate half of what I served myself (a bowl's worth). I made some homemade coconut icecream from some left over coconut milk I had (about 1.5 cups worth) but it wasn't ready until today. I gave it a taste and while its a strange new taste, I can say it is yummy.

I'm hoping to go on a walk today and increase my intake of fresh raw fruits and veggies. Now the only problem is convincing my husband to take a trip to the Fresh Market or Whole Foods.

This mornings breakfast was a lot better, calorie wise. Only 267 calories in comparison to the over 900 I had yesterday. Today will be a better day.