3 Fat Chicks on a Diet Weight Loss Community

I just joined and thought I would introduce myself and say hello.

I am 53 years old and 5'5. I have never been what you would call "thin" or "fit" -- I am pear shaped, with most of my extra junk in my backside and thighs.

I weighed 144 in high school, 153 in college, and 162 when I got married at age 23. After having each my children, (I have several), I always managed to lose most of it and get back down to about the mid 170's before I got pregnant again. But after the last baby 11 years ago I never lost the weight and instead my weight started creepy up slowly. I ended up at about 209 in 2004 (it may have been more -- I stopped weighing myself for a long time.)

I started counting calories in Feb. 2004, and in 11 months I got down to 158. But then Thanksgiving and Christmas derailed me, and I never regained the weight loss momentum, and stopped losing -- my goal at the time was 155, but I leveled out at between 165-167. I managed to maintain that weight until early 2009, and was satisfied with that.

Then in early 2009 I hurt my lower back and ended up sitting on my butt behind the computer screen at home, munching on Cheese-Its, and you can guess the rest -- I started gaining weight, and went back up to 189.

This past May I finally got motivated to re-lose what it had taken me so much effort to lose in 2004, and I started counting calories again. I started in mid May and am now at 174 -- I feel better already, but I really want to get back to at least what my driver's license says that I weigh -- 158 -- and maybe to my original goal in 2004 of 155 or even lower.

I will never be "skinny" -- at my goal weight I will still be a size 10 on top and size 14 on bottom, but I have to think in terms of what I will be able to maintain long term, and I am fairly certain I could maintain 155-158.

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I have been looking around at the various forums here, and am still not sure where I am going to plug in -- maybe the over 50 forum --? Any suggestions anyone?