[annonymous_girl]

I used to go on here alot a while ago but then for some reason i stopped but im trying to lose weight again and so ive just been kinda hanging out and looking around on here and ive noticed that everyone seems to be having great progress, congratulations on that btw, but anyway i was just wonder what have you found works for you? and how much weight have you lost and in what amount of time? i went on diets before but they were all i guess "yo yo diets" and i would lose weight but then when i stopped i would gain it all back plus more. im built small and im about 5'4" and i currently weigh between 135 and 140. i want to go down to about 110 to 115. any advice?

[Alora199]

The decision to lose weight is a personal decision, always will be. No matter what your reason is, ultimately it comes down to how YOU want to look and feel. Not how OTHERS want you to look or feel. If you've been here before and lurked around the posts you already know that yo-yo dieting doesn't work. Sure, it may knock off a few pounds quickly but in the end they will almost always come back with a vengence. My advice to you is nothing new, nothing you haven't heard before, but it has worked for me. I simply cut back on my calories, exercised more and drank more water instead of soda. It wasn't easy and I'm no "will power" goddess, in fact I have almost no self control when it comes to my trigger foods. Having a good support system will also help you become more successful, and if you can't get it at home you will always get it here! Try to start small, don't try to do it all in one day. I love Dr. Oz's theory about cutting out just 100 calories a day. Seems simple enough doesn't it? Of course that may not work for you and you may be able to cut out even more. I would aim for 30 minutes of exercise 2-3 times a week until you build up your endurance. Also, I've found it helpful to talk to myself.. lol.. as in.. "Do you really need that extra biscuit? Are you hungry or just bored? How are you going to feel after polishing off half a box of cookies?" It may seem strange but it works because it forces you to dig deep into why you are wanting to over eat. Sometimes you are generally hungry, other times it's something else... stress, hormones, boredom. Everyone is different, and we all lose weight at a different rate. What works for some may not work for others. And if something comes across that sounds too good to be true.. it probably is.

[denice81]

it's taken me a 11 months to loose 25 lbs...that may seem so slow, but if i overeat for a few days, or eat a bunch of bread or something, i'm not at risk of gaining it all back. I've done it mostly by counting Weight watchers points (basically calories but they also factor in fat grams and fiber) plus adding a couple exercise sessions to my week. Its been gradual,but i feel confident (this time!) that it will stay off (and continue to loose) because i'm not being extreme about it in any way. I would recomend this method to anyone, it makes so much sense, we already know what we need to do, we just need to realize it's not going to change us from a size 16 to a size 4 overnight.

[almostheaven]

I'd seriously consider revising that goal. I'm 5' 4" myself. 110 is below a healthy weight for even a small frame of that height.

As for losing just a little weight, you could simply add exercise a few days a week to boost weightloss.

[Mami]

I agree with almostheaven that you're goal is too low and unrealistic. If you get that low, you might end up thin but FLABBY. I bet if you just tweak your diet a bit, not extremely, and focus on exercise, you will lose the weight. If you focus on weight lifting, you will be much heavier than your goal but still slim and NOT flabby but firm, toned and sexy. To each his own though, some people find ultra thin attractive and if you do, you might have to literally starve yourself to get down there but it sounds like it will be worth it to you (though most guys I've spoken to like a little meat on a girl).