I actually *thought* I responded the other day but I must not have...hmmmm.... I wrote a lot too so I'm trying to remember it all - lol.

Thanks everyone for so much support and encouragment! I started a blog here at 3FC and plan to visit here regularly. So far so good. I really am eating much more then I was before but I don't know if it's just because I'm eating smarter or if I wasn't eating enough before.

I do think that after a few weeks of tracking what I eat/calories I am going to go to just counting the calories. It will save so much time! For now I'm logging it all though just to learn.

I would like to use an online software but I only have access to my computer in the late evening so I think it'd be easier just to stick with my pen and paper.

Thanks everyone! I am very determined. Very.

I would also reccomend Calorie King Calorie Fat and Carbohydrate Counter. in addition to calorie counts on fruits, vegies, meats , etc, it has restaurants, fast foods, ethnic foods and loads of other info. I have it nearby at all times. It is small enough to carry in your purse. I wouldn't be without it.

glad to see you're still at it! keep up the good work!

I agree. I have given up on spending any more money on diet stuff. The only thing I spent money on was a membership to the Rec center so I can go to the gym. I too need all the support I can get. I dont want to give up. I also use Sparkpeople.com to count calories and they also have a lot of great support.

A few years ago I was in the same situation as you. My weight was up and down between about 175 and 235 for most of my adult life. At one point I lost 60 pounds in 9 months only to regain almost all of it over the next few years. In the summer of 2006, I was back up to about 225. It was at that time that I was just fed up with what I had been doing in the past and was just ready to try to take the weight off for good. The main decision I made was I was going to do it SLOWLY. Weight taken off quickly will most likely not stay off. The slower you lose the weight, the more likely it is you will keep it off.

I started making small changes. For the first few months I just tried to eat smaller portions, like if I was going to McDonalds I just got a regular cheeseburger and small fries instead of the QPC value meal. Over the summer I lost about 5-7 pounds just by cutting back slightly on my eating. In the fall I started exercising and trying to cut the eating back further, making healthier choices, etc. I continued to lose weight and was down about 15-18 pounds by the end of the year. I kicked it up a little bit in the new year and lost another 12-15 pounds by the spring and then just went into maintenance mode. I maintained a weight of 190-195 for over a year. Then this past January I went back into weight-loss mode and have since lost another 15 pounds.

I feel more confident that I will be able to maintain my weight loss because I have taken my time losing the weight and have made permanent changes in my lifestyle that I can live with. In the past when I've lost weight quickly, I ended up eating and exercising in a way that I could never stick with permanently and that's why I think the weight always came back. Now, I've taken a slower weight loss, about a pound a week at most, and have continued to eat the foods I like, I get my fast food when I want it, but I just try to limit the splurges and always have a few days each week that I cut back on my calories to balance out the days I may eat a little more.

My greatest suggestion to you is to avoid making drastic changes to lose the weight that you won't be able to stick with after the weight is lost. Most people who cut way back on calories and eat in a very limited way to lose the weight will probably regain the weight when they go back to their old eating habits. And don't underestimate the value of exercise - that had always been the hardest part for me and it seems that I have finally learned that if I keep up with the exercise, I can have more freedom in what I can eat.

Hey Hoosier,

I woke up feeling the same way this morning. I wanted to quit and just give up on trying to lose weight. But, I think that "this too shall pass" and you need to believe in yourself. Just try to keep it moving!!! Remember that you are not alone!!