Thanks Jailene & Tara. Glad to know I'm not the only one on this boat!

Tara I know what it's like to be a nursing mom. I have two of my own. At the time I had them, I believed that the weight would come off from nursing. I kind of expected the fat to seep out with the milk in a type of advanced osmosis. Needless to say, that didn't happen. I'm now 35lbs over my peak pregnancy weight!
Jailene, I may not have the crazy boyfriend but I do have a hubby who drives me crazy!! I blame him for a good portion of my excess weight.
As for my plans, over the years I feel that I've spent too enough money on my weight loss - e-diets, weight watchers, core training, books, pills etc. This time I want to use the knowledge I've gained from these programs (esp WW) and apply it on my own. Someone once told me that the people who know the most about weight-loss are people who are overweight. I agree. WE KNOW what we should be doing - we have the books, the calorie counters, the points finders etc - but we're just not using that knowledge. Of course I may not be speaking for everyone here

.But I know from my own experience when I've had a little more than I should....
So here's the plan: I've registered on FitDay. My daily calorie requirement to maintain (ha ha) my weight is 2,400. I want to try and stick within the 1,600 to 1,800 calories range a day. I'm hoping to lose 1 to 2 lbs a week so that I can average a 1.5lb loss. The most important part of the plan is NOT TO BEAT MYSELF UP if the numbers don't work out this way. In the past a gain on the scale has typically sent me straight to the fridge! As for activity, I'm not a member of a gym right now. I live in a pretty cold state so walking outside may not be an option for right now. However I have an elliptical at home which I plan to dust off

. I'm shooting for at least 30 minutes 4 times a week. That's the plan.
What about you guys - what are you planning to do? Looking forward to hearing from you.
BB