I completely understand what your saying. That happened to me in the past on the low carb diets too. It is depressing. However, this time I am going to stand tall and keep walking, counting, and continue with positive thinking. No matter how slow or how many years it takes... I will be successful and be at a healthy weight one day! (not saying this rudely... just saying it in a positive happy tone of voice..)

Lol... I did NOT ONLY mow my lawn... I mowed 2 neighbors lawns too!!!! HAHAHAHA. I wanted more, more, and more lol. And I can feel it today lol. But it was so worth it!!

I would love to be in an 8!!! When I met my hubby I was in a size 12 girls!! I was tiny!!! And no I was not a kid lol... I had one child already!! Lol. I always stayed between a 12 girls to a 5 womens size. Till I had my other 2 kids. Now I am in a 14 and/or a 16 depending on the materials. I got into a 10 last summer though!! It felt AWESOME!! And I will do it again!

Don't stop girl!!! We can do this.... together!!!

So true!! I am enjoying being able to get off of the couch without help! Sometimes I couldn't do that at all before. There are so many benefits!!! Slowly I will be able to see and enjoy them all!

Same with me on the weight loss progress. When I started out, I was losing something like 5 pounds per week on average. Closer to 200, that dropped to around 3 per week. Under 200, and it was more like 2 per week. By the time I was 5 pounds from my goal weight, it took me a month just to drop 3 pounds. And that was with even more drastically increased exercise and decreased calories.

Of course I guess I should mention that I was pregnant at the time and didn't know it. But man! I worked hard for those 3 pounds.

Bummer! I always new when I got pregnant because I lost weight and looked AWESOME!! Then a couple of months later... well, everyone new I was pregnant already lol.

When are you due? Are you gaining a lot? Are you still exercising through out your pregnancy? They said that helps for an easier labor... I didn't think so. :X But with my last child I was in and out of labor within 30 minutes. I new to stay close to the hospital with that one! Will you continue to count calories after the baby is born?

Much luck with your pregnancy and weight loss after that.

I'm due Sept. 23, but been feeling he's gonna be earlier than that. Dunno. He's just done everything totally opposite of my daughter, who didn't wanna come out at all. And the way he squirms and kicks around in there, you'd think he was trying to bust his way out.

I was still exercising regularly up until 8/6/05...my last day at Curves for now. I'm having too many back and hip problems that exercise, even a walk, aggravates it. So I've been trying to at least do 30 to 60 minutes of walking in the pool. The water keeps my back and hips from hurting. But I'm at the mercy of the weather. Though this week, I've been able to go about every day as it's been sunny.

I've stopped counting my calories so much right now. I just sort've add them up in my head and try to stay within a range, much higher than the 1300 I was eating. LOL And I will drop it back down afterward. However, being that I'll be breastfeeding, I doubt I'll be dropping it to 1300 again. But I'll at least be able to get my exercise back up to the 60 to 90 minutes a day I was doing.

I've gained more than I was supposed to on this. Should've stopped at 35 and have gone 45 pounds, but holding steady there. But it's all in my stomach and the doc said he's a chubby baby. LOL No wonder my back is killing me. I keep trying to hold my belly up, I feel so heavy in the front like I'm gonna topple over.

WOW! Sounds like it is almost time! It sounds like you have everything under control even after the baby is born! That is awesome. I hope you stick to your plans. I know I never did. And I think that might be half of my problem. I wish you an easy labor and delivery!

I have a question. You have ALL been so AWESOME and helpful for me. But I am afraid I might be messing some of my calorie counting up. WW offered me to re-join the online membership. I am thinking that it would be easier for accurately counting the calories (WW is really calorie counting and seems a lot like the American Heart Association No-Fad Diet) if I did WW. I am thinking it might be easier.. and with all that I have learned on these boards here about calorie counting that I might be able to be successful on WW now that I have a better understanding of calorie counting and food in general. I am wondering what you all think? So many of you were so awesome with helping me. I just want to make sure everything I do is done perfectly and with little error so I can be successful.

Also.. I copied and pasted from another calorie counting board too.

Well, I have done WW before and I know how to track everything for that. And with evverything I learned here I think I could be successful on WW. I am afraid I am not counting calories correctly. For example, splenda is 0 calories, but if you have so many of them then they do add up. I cannot find it on fitday at all. And on the WW point tracker it does add up. I am just worried that I will mess up with counting calories alone like that. I have also found out that 24 WW points are actually more then 1200 calories a day. And when I seen my doctor last she said to do WW. Except for when I told her it was 1200 calories, she said stay at 1600 for now. Which is what 24 points can be if you eat correctly. Which I have also learned throuh this site how to do. I just want to make sure I do everything correctly and don't mess up at all.

Tracy were you successful on WW previously? If you were, and you can find a reason as to why you slipped off the plan (Like we all do !!), then it makes sense to give it another try. I know a few people who find it easier to count WW points than to count calories.

However if it didnt work last time, you need to ask yourself why, and see if you can overcome problems you had before with it.

I'm learning that any diet will work, it just has to fit your lifestyle and personality, and you have to work at it of course.

First and foremost, I want to say that you have to do what works for you. If it's difficult or confusing you can end up being frustrated and we all know where that leads.

Having said that ... I have three little qualms about WW. I also want to add that I have not studied the programme. These are just things I've noticed from reading and talking to folks.

One is that I'm afraid you may miss the importance of real food ... whole foods. I believe that you learn alot about the nutrient content of what you're eating by using a programme like fitday. If you have to learn what's high or low in calories, you also learn to watch how full or empty of nutrition they are.

Two is the counting. I believe it was Jill who said that you have to count anyway. You need to know how many calories are in a food in order to determine how many points it is. For me, that would be more math ... a bad thing Unless you buy a WW munchiola which has the points written on it, you'll have to figure it out. And mentioning a prepackaged munchiola brings me back to my first point about real food.

Three is money. A notice just went up at work that we can start a WW group if we have 20 people with $260 each! Do you know how much real food I can buy with $260? Which brings me back to the prepackaged, processed munchiola. One labelled WW is going to be more expensive than a yellow label one, for certain.

I have a personal note that I was going to pm to Tracy but I think it has a place here. As with anything new, calorie counting seems complicated. You're trying to learn so much right now, that, how to shop differently, how to exercise ..... It does become much easier. Almost second nature.

I'll wind this up by saying that I am indeed biased toward calorie counting. I think that being absolutely aware of almost every morsel we eat is inextricably entwined with being optimally healthy.

Well, I did better on WW then anything else in the past 16 weeks I think it has been. I have gained more weight since quitting WW then I did when I did WW. And when I did WW was at the exact same time I quit smoking. So my mom said (she is a successful WW'er and a non-smoker now to and quit while doing WW) I was doing great with it then! But I wanted FASTER results. Which was NOT good by no means. It took me some time to learn all that I have learned from these boards on here. I also think I will be more successful at it this time because of my new understanding of calories, healthier food choices, exercise, and weight loss. I think last time I ate to much garbage (chips etc) when I did WW. Now I hardly ever eat them! I eat fruits and veggies more then anything. I think with everything I have learned here (perticurly (sp?) on this board) I will be able to be more successful.

I did both (points and calories) yesterday. I have to say... I was so confused! I was thinking about doing that again today just to try again and see what happens. Someone explained to me last night about how the points work... with the fiber and fat. I understand that either way I am counting. But I just think/feel WW would be easier. I am kind of stuck though. But I think with everything I have learned on these boards that I could be successful with WW now.