Zeta- I'm starting slow as well. Cutting one bad habit at a time. This week I'm going to try and get 3 days of exercise in. Work my way up to going to the gym 5 days a week and staying for 45 mintues. Also adding a walk with my dogs in the evenings. I know the more exercise I do the better I feel. I think twice before messing up my whole day with fast food or some other high fat food. Just need to figure out a plan for the weekend...I'm home with the family and all they want to do is eat

Hey guys, I was reading where someone said that even if they lost 100 lbs they would still be overweight. I feel your pain. I have lost about 128 lbs and I am still obese. I did start out morbidly obese so it is getting better, but sometimes being so short bites.

I lived in the south Orlando area, where my parents still are.

Yeah, I just quit soda totally as of yesterday (Sunday). Before that, I was only drinking a cup of coke zero in the morning, but now nada! So, all I really drink all day is water, some flavored with the low-cal mixes like crystal light as well. It is amazing how much better you feel when you aren't drinking sugar all day!

Oh, and I do the Biggest Loser videos along with working out in my apartment's fitness center. I love Jillian, but wonder how difficult her 30-day Shred is. I have a couple of her other videos and am working up to being able to do them.

I would love to jump in here at 5'2". I am just getting back to counting calories and aiming for a 1500 a day. Before having my darling daughter I was exercising 5x a week and averaging 1500 calories. This worked out really well for me. Today I made it back to the gym in the early morning hour and it felt great. It just gives me so much energy in the morning.

Hey RangerChic, a lot of people swear by her 30 Day Shred. It kicked my butt. After doing it twice I decided maybe I need to start off a bit slower. It was hard for me to get through the first 10 min. I think I'm going to try it again in November after I've got a solid month of exercise under my belt. Good luck if you're up to the challenge!

Hey all!

I'm new to everything here on this site..but I definitely fit in on this thread!

I'm 5'1 (5'2 if I tease my hair LOL)..and I'm 176..a tight sz 14 pants; I can't wear clothes from the "plus" section as they are TOO big on me the size 14's..and the shirts too..
but I'm too big for the regular sections too ..talk about discouraging!

Petite's are just a bit too short for me in every aspect; plus I am a 36DD so thats playing against me too..

(and hubby wonders why I don't get clothing!!)

anyway...for the last year I have been a martial artist in TaeKwonDo..now some schools are "fluffy" but I purposely picked this 7th degree black belt Master instructor to kick my butt!

and he does!

I usually get there 2 times a week on the week dh is home..the wk he works his 77 hrs in one wk; I don't get there at all except to drop my kids off..cause i have 2 small children that i need to take care of..
(17, 10, 4 and 2)

he doesnt turn on the air etc..he actually turns on the heat! UgH in Illinois; middle of summer and the heat on! ackk..but it is a great workout!

The first few times I thought I was going to pass out, I did get sick in class; he stopped class and waited for me...said I worked my abdominal muscles really good right then..then made me get back in line..

We have 1 1/2 hrs of workout; the first 1/2 is situps (about 100 or more..sometimes about 200 depends on if we make him upset lol)..leg lunges and pushups are interchanged and not necessarily every day for them..we do lots of VERY FAST active kicks, turns and punches ..

when we spar (fight) we have 30 to 1 min rounds and every spars the entire time..usually lasting about 15-25 min..

I leave and I am completely soaked from sweat..so I know I burn calories there..my issue is I've GAINED weight..I know its muscle..but now the muscle pushes my fat out more lol...

so..he used to help train witht he Chicago Bears years years ago; he rec'd the US Ski Team diet and a few people in our school have used it lately and lost anywhere from 12 to 22 lbs in 2 wks..

so out of desperation I am trying it..altho I hate grapefruit, hate tomatoes raw, dislike cabbage and spinach...the other stuff I can handle..but its a chemical based diet..so we're trying it for 2 wks (thats all you can do..)..

I just need a jump start..the other jumpstart is that this is making me eat..that was 90% of my issue..I never ate..literally; then when I did (late night while working from home after kiddos went tos leep) I binged big time..

AND it is making me drink UNsweetened tea..

so...there is good n bad w/it I think...

Hi fellow shorties -- I'm a little late to this thread ...

I'm 5'2" too, in maintenance, and I figure that my baseline calorie needs (without exercise) is around 1200-1300 calories per day. Sucks, but that's what my tracking over time tells me. I strive to burn between 400-500 calories per day in exercise (and I do work out pretty much every day, with rare exception), so my actual maintenance calorie "budget" is around 1600-1700 calories. I have to be very careful to measure accurately, because it's really easy to underestimate calorie intake.

What I find that happens, though, is that maintenance for me is a series of mini yo-yos. I go on vacation or a business trip and gain several pounds because I'm totally off plan. Then I come back home, drop my calories back to 1200 per day and spend the next 4 weeks taking it off at a half pound per week. I stay pretty good until my next trip and repeat the cycle. I wish I were more consistent .... but maybe this is what maintainence really is ? I never go below 1200 for any length of time though, because that sets me up for binging, big time. 1200 seems to be the lowest, sustainable calorie level for me.

Size-wise, I'm either a 2 or 4 petite, depending on the brand.

Hmmm...maybe I'll pick it up in a couple weeks since then I'll have been working out and all for a month.

Congrats MBN- I still have plenty of weight left to lose, but one of my motivations to lose it is dreaming of the maintaining stage... do you feel it is easier to maintain then it was to lose, or is that a misconception?

MarStevens- food is my weakness. I'm just trying to take it slow. Slowly cut out the food that is bad for me, if I eat something unhealthy I try to make sure it is the only bad thing I ate that day. It's not easy, but you can't deprive yourself of everything. AND i also always fall in between sizes. Everything always seems too big or too small so shopping is never any fun because I try on clothes for 2 hours and walk away with one misfitting item.

RangerChick- 30 day shred is hard, but kind of fun actually. Before that I was doing Bob's 20 minute segment of cardio max. I found some of that to be really hard too. What's your favorite biggest loser workout?

Hey mermaid, my fav is the first dvd, all of it. I love working out with Suzy and Drea especially. Though, I do think the 2nd set of dvds is harder which is good in that it keeps you growing and everything.

I hate to burst anyone's bubble, but in many ways, I find it just as hard to maintain as to lose. I still count calories, I still watch what I eat and log it daily, I still work out faithfully, I weigh and monitor regularly, I just have about 300-400 more calories per day leeway. That's it! On the other hand, I now reap all of the benefits of my weight loss -- better endurance, improved health, cute clothes!

It's seeing the benefits that keeps me on track, I don't want to backslide!! (again) I've yo-yo'd many times over the years, so I'm much better at weight loss than maintenance. But, I've been here for over 9 months now and counting and I'm determined to stay here this time. The difference is that I've finally accepted that I have to do these things permanently, and monitor diligently. Where I failed before is that I viewed the "diet" as temporary and stopped watching ... then the weight slowly crept on again. This has to be a lifestyle, and not some temporary thing. Hopefully I've finally got it this time!!

Mermaid:

My partner is 5' even and has lost weight on a new meal plan called Fat Mom Skinny Mom. The food is great and very affordable. hope this helps.

Hey all. I went to the chiropractor for the first time in my life today. It was great--I can finally sit up straight. I feel taller too. Most times my legs are too short to reach the floor when I sit in chairs unless I sit at the very edge. I feel like this has contributed to my back problems. I just had a baby too so now my hip bone (or whatever that is called) is back in place! Yay.