I just joined this diet blog last weekend, but I've already come across a few women who have lost considerable weight, 100-200 pounds! That is so sooo motivating to me, and should be to everyone. I only need to lose 30-40 pounds, but I want to know...for those of you who have lost 30+ pounds, what worked for you? How long did it take? What dieting tricks have you learned? What are you doing to keep it off?

I've lost about 25 pounds, and for me the biggest thing has been being open minded to trying new foods (like, vegetables!). Now that I know that I really do like healthier foods, AND I learned that they aren't hard to cook, I can't even imagine going back to the junk food and take out I used to eat. The other big thing was finding a workout that I really enjoyed. I've been doing Turbo Jam, ChaLean Extreme, and now I'm starting Insanity. I absolutely love Turbo Jam and I can't imagine that I'll ever stop doing it, as long as I don't wear out the dvd's! And last but not least I've learned that eating badly for one day (or even a few) won't kill me. I have the willpower to get back on track.

Good luck to you! You've definitely come to the right place for support.

Consistency was my key. I started in June and lost a little over a pound per week. I'm a calorie counter so staying within my calorie range was HUGE to losing the weight. I also used a bodybugg for awhile that helped to determined what my daily calorie needs were on days when I worked out & on days when I just lazed around. Also, sticking with the exercising. Even if it's just 30 minutes every other day, after I did it for a few weeks, it became a habit (an annoying habit) but one that became a necessary part of my life.

Everyone's journey to losing weight is personal. You might find great success in low carb or weight watchers or just increasing your exercise. My best advice is to find what will work for you for the long term. Consider this a change of lifestyle not a diet. Create healthy habits like increasing your cardio, fruit & veggie intake, cut out the sugars, etc.. And eventually not only will you lose weight (bonus), but you'll start feeling better, healthier, more energetic.

All that said, I still have weight to lose. I'm a firm believer in slow & steady. 2 steps forward & 1 step back is still progress. I've been sidelined w/a back injury and was just able to hit the gym for the first time today. For me, I can't just cut my calories, I have to also work out. But that's just me.

Best of luck in whatever you decide. We're all here to support you!

Check out our goal forum, there are some amazing success stories there!

http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/goal-199/