Today is the day
 

So, it my first official day of my weight loss journey. Can anyone tell me what they are doing as far as eating and exercise? I plan on having a low calorie, low fat diet and exercising 5 times a week.

I am hopefully gonna get in between 1500-1600 calories a day. I plan on workout out 5 days a week too...or as many of those 5 days as i can depending how my body feels. I have cable through Comcast so i'm going to go to Exercise tv on their On Demand and do the workouts there. There are a whole bunch i want to try: a bunch of Jillian Michaels' workouts, kickboxing, yoga, strength training ...there is so much to choose from so i don't think i will get bored. I also plan on getting out and walking when the weather cooperates.

I eat 1200-1600 calories daily. I get between 50-75 net carbs. I'm a big believer in carb control. The more carbs I eat, the more carbs I want. Also eating the same calorie range and eating more carbs my loses aren't as good. So for me, there is definitely a benefit with watching my carbs. I personally don't believe low fat is healthy, that our bodies need fat (the right kind). I usually get at least 60g of fat per day and I'm losing great.

I'm not trying to push not eating low fat on you, I realize that it might work for some people, but when I was younger I always thought I had to eat low fat to lose weight, and there is a reason why I still am overweight after trying to lose for 10+ years. =)

I also exercise for an hour 6 days a week. My intensity isn't real up there but that's something I hope to improve gradually as I keep going.

Good luck to you!

I'm tracking calories, and they range all over the place, but I'm averaging between 1400-1500 calories/day. I'm not watching carbs, fats, or protein. I am trying to avoid processed foods for the most part, and concentrate on whole grains for my carbs and lots of fruits and vegetables. I don't have a set exercise schedule or routine, but I am getting out for walks and bike rides more days than not. (Rain is putting a damper on my plans this week. :( )

I am aiming to eat under 2000 a day (been hitting about 1800). I try to stick with whole foods, eat veggies everyday and fruit. I cook in big batches and then eat lots of left overs! I try to avoid HFCS, MSG and Trans Fats.

I don't track fat/carbs/protein b/c that makes me crazy. And a little fat helps me stay full.

I exercise. I am aiming for biking twice a week, running 3 times a week, swimming once a week and some ab work here and there (I am doing a triathlon in September). I think once my triathlon is over, I will mostly focus on running with an occassional bike ride.

I'm gonna be the slacker here haha! I don't count calories- I guess I'm too lazy? But, I did quit drinking sodas- and let me tell you that helps a ton! I tried one 2 weeks after I quit and it literally made me sick. The sweetness was disgusting! I don't eat many sugars anyone, in the last month I've had maybe 1/4 of ice cream and 1 and a half kit kat bars. I watch what I eat more, as in I don't eat out, I don't eat much junk. I stick to simple things and check calories kind of, but I don't count them.

I started out doing zumba 5 days a week. Now, I'm sticking to 6 doing multiple things.

The best changes for me that I noticed, was dropping sodas. I drink water and lemon water like it wont be here tomorrow and a glass of sweet tea at night. And cutting many sweets has helped too. My energy is ridiculous- even at 222 pounds. Never thought I'd feel so healthy in this body, btu the changes even the small ones you make- wow you feel so fantastic!

5 times a week is awesome! And yay for your first official day! Congrats!

I aim for 1200-1500 calories per day. I keep my carbs under 100NET Carbs. I don't eat low fat however I keep fat grams under 65g. Usually end up around 1400. I do cardio and weight training.

Buttercup makes a good point. You don't need to follow any particular program to lose weight. You just need to start eating less than you're burning each day. I've lost weight in the past doing more or less what you're planning. Start changing the areas in your current diet that you know are the problem areas. Start moving more. I use calorie tracking not so much as a tool for determining how much I can eat, but as a tool for keeping me focused on the choices I'm making. (I also like playing with the numbers, but that's more entertainment than anything else.)

To lose weight I counted calories. I ate between 1200-1500 calories a day. For the first several months I didn't even think about exercising. I was too busy learning how to eat properly and coming up with delicious low calorie, highly nutritious food. Slicing and dicing takes a while, and I didn't want to compromise the wheels of progress by adding so many "rules" for myself. I felt that too much too soon would overwhelm me and that I would give up because of the pressure. I just got off my butt and worked around the house a lot more. After I dropped around 50 pounds I started more strenuous activities, but I still don't do structured excercise....I just move ALOT!

When someone starts this journey, I always ask them: WHY are you overweight right now? Is it emotional? Is it a boredom issue? Is it a lack of knowledge? Injury? What caused it.

If you know where it starts, then that's where to begin. Me, I faced too much grazing after my pregnancy, so rather than focusing on any sort of particular strategy (ie. carb control, exercise frequency), I worked on 3 simple meals per day and limited it to that.

As you can see, others find that certain methods (ie carbs, calorie counting) works better for them as that is what they needed.

Good luck!!!

I eat between 1600-1800 calories per day and hit the gym 5x per week (about 10 hours per week, give or take.)

Any particular reason you're going low fat? I find that good, healthy fat keeps me satiated and away from the junky carbs. I tend to stick around 40% carbs, 30% fat and 30% protein. Not on purpose, that's just what happens when I'm eating in a way that's both healthy and satisfying.

Good luck! Remember, you can probably start out at a little higher calorie level and still lose weight. Try starting with 1800-2000 and see what happens. Give each change a good 4-6 weeks and then adjust up or down. :)

ETA: I meant to say that you're definitely going to have to find what works for you. This journey is so very different for each person, and what works for one won't work for another. For example, even if I keep my calories at 1600, if I eat after dinner I won't lose a pound... for months! If I don't eat after dinner then I drop them like crazy. This isn't so for others, some people budget in a late night snack and do just fine. It's all trial and error, finding what works for you. :)