I lost about 20lbs by walking intervals - I didn't know I was doing intervals at the time, I was just shopping on my lunch break! - but I was only 18 so that probably accounts for something.
Currently I have a friend (47) who's working out with a personal trainer 2 x per week, going to yoga 2 x per week, and walking 2 x per week. She's not on a diet per se. Her weight is actually creeping UP.
I think I got my thinking messed up a bit there (wrt Mel). She did very well losing weight but used increased exercise to kick-it-up-a-notch to continue shrinking into a very fit, little shape.
Did that make sense?
Yep, makes sense. Mel's story is a favorite of mine because it's such a testament to the power of weightlifting. Mel reached her goal weight, but not her goal body. So she changed up her exercise to emphasize heavy weights instead of circuit training. And she lost two pants sizes without losing a pound.
I think I got my thinking messed up a bit there (wrt Mel). She did very well losing weight but used increased exercise to kick-it-up-a-notch to continue shrinking into a very fit, little shape.
Did that make sense?
If I recall, Mel's stated that AFTER she was DONE losing ALL of her weight, she then went onto lose inches, not weight, by adding in the lifting.
I've been losing weight mostly due to exercise this time around... I haven't been counting calories (like I have in the past) or adhering to any published diet plan or anything, just trying to eat mostly healthy foods with small but frequent treats.
I'm not eating "anything I want", but then I never have in my life. If I let myself eat anything at all, I'd probably weigh 400 pounds. I could eat all day long.
I'm not losing as quickly as most people I know who are keeping track of their diets more carefully - maybe I could lose 1-2 lb a week instead of my 0.5 lb a week, but I have a lot of other stuff going on right now and I like this level of effort.
In 2005 I joined a gym and started out by adding 1-hour of exercise to my day (30-min cardio/30-min weights) 3x a week and NOT really changing my diet. I stuck with that plan for 3-years and guess what – I did not lose 1lbs. I DID however, build strength and gain endurance, but weight wise, I hadn't lost an inch.
In 2008, I started a strict food diet, logging in ALL my foods into Fitday. I kept my caloric intake to 1100 – 1200 calories per day, eating clean foods. I also up'd my workouts to 6x-a week changed my routine to ALL cardio, except on day 6, which was all weights. I lost 25lbs. in 2008 by using this formula.
However, just recently I gained 3lbs. and I'm positive it's because I stopped logging my foods. I am up to 1400 per day, but IF I don't exercise and IF I start to go over what I should, I do gain weight. My log keeps me accountable.
Weight is so easy to put on and SO HARD to take off. I consciously deal with my weight daily. I think about everything that goes into my mouth and I make time to have that 1-hour workout. I’ve even worked out when I had a hip fracture! Nothing is or will stop me from reaching my goal. Just gotta do it!
Keep it up! You’ll find the right combo for your weight loss. But I agree with the others, it wasn’t until I really watched my food that my weight started to come off! Good luck to you!
Of course, it's kind of funny how once a person starts to commit to a training regimen, the binge days are less, because the self esteem naturally rises.
I have sure found that to be true. Without even trying, exercise makes my food choices better. Not that I don't still have to try to eat even better, but I really feel like for me, exercising makes those choices possible.
When I'm running regularly I eat a lot better-- part of it is that what I want to eat is what's healthy, part of it is that I know that if I eat crap I'll feel it during the next day's run. (Increasing my normal daily activity at less intense levels--say, walking a lot more-- does not have the same benefit for me.)
OMG, me too! This is one reason I have given up red meat completely. I noticed I was sluggish and didn't want to run the following morning. I feel it with junk food too.
Mel's story is a favorite of mine because it's such a testament to the power of weightlifting. Mel reached her goal weight, but not her goal body. So she changed up her exercise to emphasize heavy weights instead of circuit training. And she lost two pants sizes without losing a pound. 
