I surrender
 

Don't give up u r doing great and doing all the right things. It WILL come off, sometimes our bodies are just stubborn about giving up the extra weight,keep up the good work and you will see success.

Lakegirl, that sounds like a great idea!!!! Tracking your calories, even for a few days will give you an accurate picture of just how many calories you are actually ingesting. Those pesky little suckers have a way of sneaking up on us without us realizing it.

There are some great fitness dvds that can be done at home during any kind of weather. Walk Away the Pounds by Leslie Sansone is a great collection of DVDs that is super easy to follow and very effective.

You've done so well -- 18 pounds! That's a VERY big deal! I think you're making a great decision if you've decided to start counting calories. That seems to be the secret to success for most of us here at 3FC! If you don't want to bother with Fitday (I don't like it, personally, though I see the benefits), you could always do what I do and just keep everything in a little notebook. I'm probably not EXACT with my calories, but I know I'm keeping them within a certain range and that has worked so far. I'd lose my mind if I got TOO exact with it, and I don't want my plan to be so annoying that I'll burn out and stop at some point. We do what we can handle forever, so figure out what that is for you. If it's Fitday, great. If it's a little notebook, great.

It sounds like you're doing a great job at Curves, but I think it's also fantastic that you're looking for an alternative for other days. Are you planning to do some walking or other cardio? Curves incorporates strength training, I believe (correct me if I'm wrong), so it might be good to do a nice cardio session on the other days to burn lots more calories. You can gradually build up the intensity and the length of your cardio sessions to keep burning more calories as you get more fit. With the hard work you've been doing at Curves, you're already an old pro at working out, so it'll be a piece of cake! (Bad metaphor for a dieting site, I guess... :lol: )

Anyway, good luck and keep us posted! :)

Lakegirl, I myself don't use FitDay to 'count calories'. Rather, I find it a good way of paying attention to just what it is I'm eating. The only times I've really lost weight in the last couple years was when I wrote it down.

When you keep track of about how much you're really eating, it helps to keep you aware. Otherwise, it's too easy to "forget about" that handful of cashews (oh wait--I really had nearly a half cup, didn't I--hmm, maybe I better watch that; oh! and I had that ice cream sandwich later, too.) That's kind of an example of how my mind functions while I'm trying to remember just what I had that day. If I can't find exactly what food I'm looking for (and boy, they've got some weird combinations that they do have), then I find the closest approximation.

Eat for health, a well-balanced diet, with smaller portions. It may sound funny, but I asked my body for help. I told her I hadn't been listening to her properly, and apologized. "I need to eat more slowly and listen to you when you tell me that's enough food for now, you don't need any more."

Hope this helps!

Hi Kimberly,

I really feel your frustration.:hug: If its any consolation, even some followers of Southbeach will use Fitday when they hit a plateau. Its always a good thing to get an idea of how many calories you are consuming. Maybe you're consuming too few calories?

For myself, I have to do cardio at least 6 days a week to keep the weight and inches coming off. I think walking is one of the best cardio exercises for losing weight. Maybe you can walk on the other two days. And, like Rockinrobin said, the Walk Away the Pounds DVDs are great workouts. Hang in there. Your committment and hard work will pay off soon.