Thanks Colleen! I didn't even think about using WW counting system. I have their Flex Point system and never used it! It came with the Dining Out Companion and some other book that was the same size. I'll review it tonight.

I think I'm going to end up customizing my own plan with several different mainstream plans. This thread is great! There is so much variety and great info on here already!

When doing strict somersizing, you aren't supposed to count anything, just eat until you're full. I did it that way for the first 6 months, then I was curious how many calories I was eating, so I decided to start counting calories. (I may have thought the weight loss was slowing down - I honestly can't remember why I decided the number of calories mattered .) I guess I'm making it harder than it is by counting calories , but I like doing it this way, and I've added a few things that aren't legal on somersizing by counting calories, like natural peanut butter, sugar free fudgesicles, pumpkin, nuts.

Otherwise I stick to the somersizing food choices with the exception of these additions. I feel so much better eating that way. If I cheat and combine incorrectly, I have indigestion and my stomach rolls. I enjoy my food choices so much, I couldn't dream of changing it now.

I don't know that everyone needs to follow a plan... I think what you need most is COMMITMENT, no matter what you choose to do. Though be careful of commiting to a plan that doesn't work for you. Commit to a healthier you, and know you may need to change things up to work for you.

And as for fear... I certainly was scared, and I'm still scared. Terrified. Scared I'll gain it all back and then some. But I finally decided that my life was more important than that fear. So, here I am!

I'm not exact at all with my counting, and I've found that when I do measure everything and tally it up that my estimates are generally 100-200 more calories than what Fitday says. I know approximately how much I need to be eating in terms of meals and snacks and generally have a vague calorie count running in my head but I only write it down when I've been slipping or if I'm really hungry and trying to justify another snack. I also mostly eat fresh foods and prepare everything myself so I don't have the ease of knowing that there were 327 calories in my burrito or whatnot.

Funny you say that...I'm afraid of not eating ENOUGH calories if I don't measure everything. I'm probably going to be so paranoid in the beginning, that I under-do it. And I worry about that because I know that too few calories will be detrimental to weight loss, and overall health!

Thanks wyllenn... That fear is powerful. But so is my determination to get rid of this weight!

Interesting - that's why I started counting calories in the first place, to ensure I was eating ENOUGH. I was eating a lot of whole foods and it was really easy to come in low for the day when I was eating mostly vegetables, brown rice and fruit. Seeing the actual low number in Fitday helped me add healthy fats, more whole grains and salmon/chicken.

Thanks Glory87. I've heard enough about Fitday to believe that it MUST be good! I'm going to look into the site soon.

I count every crumb or drop that I put in my mouth. I make sure the peanut butter is a perfectly level tablespoon, etc. I won't eat something unless it says the calories on the package either. And I too measure my bananas. I get funny looks when I do it but... hey it's working.

Hey snuggle, if it's working, and it looks like it is, keep on squishing that banana into that measuring cup!

I began eating SuperFoods and using FitDay today. I love it! It is so very easy for me and took the headache out of counting calories! I actually put food in BEFORE I prepared/ate it to see what my caloric outcome would be and then I cooked it. Made it so much easier than eating first, counting second. Or making my plate and then stopping to count and log it in. I am way under what my calories should be, so I'm going to plan better for tomorrow. I don't want to shove more food into my mouth at this time of night just so I can raise my calorie intake for the day.

Thanks everybody! It was easier than I thought!

I'm very strict only becuase I want to lose weight very fast...some days i have less than 900.

Not smart.

You are causing your body more damage than good-malnutrition, for one...and you are not learning a lifestyle change. In other words, you may see some pounds gone on the scale...but you are not learning what it takes to "keep it off".

Losing too quickly can also cause other health issues-such as gallstones, hair loss, and other things.

900 calories a day is not sufficient. Losing weight by eating so little will cause you to lose a lot of MUSCLE...not fat. For a healthy, firm, fit body-you want to lose FAT, and KEEP the muscle.

It sounds like you really need to do some reworking of your diet-before you do some damage.

You could cut off your leg - you'd lose a lot of weight, really fast. Permanent weight loss means permanent, sustainable change.

I "dieted" my way to 200 lbs over 20 years, restricting and binging. I would restrict calories (often using diet drugs). Did I lose weight - sure I did. Did I KEEP THE WEIGHT OFF? Not even for a week, usually. Two things would always happen:

1. I would restrict so much my body would force binges in order to get the nutrition it desperately needed.
2. I would meet my goal weight, have absolutely no plan for keeping the weight off and would happily return to the unhealthy eating habits that had made me heavy in the first place.

I went from 150 lbs at age 16 to 200 lbs at age 35 "dieting" like this. Good luck, I think we've all been in that "must lose weight as fast as possible" mind-set. What you learn from this will help you or hurt you in the future. I would spare anyone else the 20 years of dieting self-loathing that I experienced.

PS You'd better be 4'10" to want to weigh 90 lbs.

It's a REALLY big pain to count calories and with 3 children, 4 ferrets and a job there is NOWAY that I am exact! I'm just not always able to keep track. I love the info on the internet, such as Fitday, and it makes life easier, but I know I'm still not exact! But as long as I'm seeing a HEALTHY weight lose and I keep learning about the food I eat and ways to be healthier, then it's good enough for me

Thanks for the advice. I don't think im losing muscle becuase i work out regularly and it seems to be building...i eat a lot of protein tho so that may be why...my doctor said 1000-1200 cal/day is normal for me so im sure i could up it to that.