Hi,
Firstly let me introduce myself. I am a 53 year old that has tried just about every diet going over the years to lose weight. I have lost as much as three and a half stone in the past but it has always gone back on. I suffer with Rheumatoid arthritis so at times exercise can be hard. To put the icing on the cake I stopped smoking a year ago last month and piled on the pounds.
Anyway now the good news. NO DIET as such just very healthy eating and its working. I am in my seventh week of my new eating plan and with the help of a low impact arobics dvd I purchased in the States and major willpower on my part the weight has started to come off although I have miles to go I am gonna do it! To date I have gone from 113kgs to 102 kgs = 25 lbs. I intend losing at least another 50lbs so here goes.........

You didn't mention your name, but I'm responding because we have some things in common. Though I am 43 yrs old and instead of arthritis I have diabetes, but in common is that I too have tried so so many diets over the yrs. I too quit smoking a yr ago last month, and for that we are both winners don't you think?. Anyway, I am following the sugar buster plan as it is diabetic friendly program that my doc is ok with and for me it's not really a diet but a lifetime change I need to make.

I don't completely understand your kgs to our lbs( I'm assuming your from GB?) but I do understand 25lbs in 7 weeks is just fabulous and does prove an
amazing amount of willpower, planning and strength. Congrats!!!

Well I have about 100 lbs to lose and I have stuck to the plan or WOE (way of eating) since 2/02/04 not quite as long as you, but I am pleased and my major downfall is my lack of exercise. I really do need to work on that. Please keep posting so we can keep track of the yrs we add to our lives by not smoking and by losing weight. How wonderful to be winners and losers

congratulations on quittig smoking. i quit 12 yrs, ago and i know how hard that was.
i also have about 80 lbs, to go i have lost 28 since oct. you are both doing well. if we can quit smoking we CAN loose this excess bagagde.
pat

DonnaD Hi, and you too Paper doll. We certainly do have alot in common and the one thing thats coming across very strongly is that we all seem pretty positive about shedding the baggage. I see youre both from the States, somewhere that I am becoming very familiar with. I have one son married to an American girl and living in CT. and a 6 month old grandson . My youngest son is marrying a girl from NJ on 3rd July this year so I am desperate to shed as many pounds as I can for the wedding but I am frightened to have it come off too quickly because thats when it always seems to go back on. I have lost the first 25 lbs very quickly but last week and this week seem to have come to a standstill. I am determined to get there and you both have given me a real boost of encouragement just replying to my post...Thanks a bunch. You say your downfall is your lack of exercise DonnaD, normally thats a problem I have too. I invested in a couple of videos from the states that are pretty low impact dance around arobics with that nutty happy arobics guru that frequents the TV. I do those now on my own and they make me laugh. My kids all say a little exercise is better that no exercise. They would laugh their socks off if they could see me. Anyway I have rattled on for long enough. Keep up the good work and I will call back to see how youre both doing from time to time.....Pam

Iamgonnadoit and paper doll,
what a difference a day makes. I made the big mistake of getting on the scale and it seems I've gained back almost everything I'd lost. I am just about to give in. I tired.

donna don't give up. it may be only water weight. take it one day at a time. diabetes makes dieting harder. i too have diabetes. my weight loss has slowed dowm alot but it comes off slowly.1/2 lb. at a time,
gonnadoit. that is great you will keep it off just keep going sometimes it slows down. i need to exercise. will have to think about a tape. nice to talk to you gals. pat

Hi DonnaD.... Dont you dare give up! You got loads of willpower! You gave up smoking and my god that is hard, I know. I am not dieting either I am on a lifestyle change too. At our age we realise the faddy diets dont work you really do have to work at changing your lifestyle or it goes back on. We all get down but then the only way to go when your down is back up so there you go. I found a site and read it through, not for the recipes but for the ideas and motivation and i found it helpful.http://www.noweightgaincookbooks.com/index.htm Read it, it might help.ttfn.

HI, I've been posting my apologies for my breakdown last nite. I do feel better today. I was so discouraged by the weight gain. But after reading posts from my friends here at the sweettalk sb board, I do feel better. So a new day, a new beginning.
Thanks everyone.