I am not in this for the quickest way possible either. I have been working on this for 2 years and have not lost as quickly as some but instead have researched and incorporated this into my lifestyle. This is not a diet to me and is NOT about just looking good. My health is of the upmost concern.

Both my parents are dead. 52 and 65, both diabetics. I could go on and on, but I won't.

I do understand how 1700 or so is easier to do than say 1200. I really do. 1700 has kept me sane and giving myself treat days once a week makes this bearable. If I told myself certain foods were off limits or never again etc I would go nuts. Unfortunately sometimes certain foods trigger a binge or more unhealthy eating.

I have a friend who is diabetic and 330 lbs. Her doc told her to do 1200 cals a day! I told her heck no! She will never be able to do it. I told her to do 2000 start walking and work from there.

That was 7 months ago. (I see her rarely.) I ran into her at target and she is still in a scooter at the store and looking the same.

How many cals is best? Whatever works for us. If we can stick to 1700 and lose, than do it, if robin can stick to 1200 cals and lose, then do it. I just don't think you can make a blanket assumption on everyone saying 1200 is too low and no one can follow it. Robin has for almost an entire year.

When I was 15 I went from 220 down to 160 by walking and really watching the food. I have no clue what the range was but it was probably 1200-1400.

Bottom line is Robin has done extremely well. She has lost 155 pounds, she obviously could teach us a thing or two and we may do well to cast off some of our preconceived notions about cal counting and weight. JMO

Robin, is that true? How did you avoid the plateau? By varing what you you do each week? What was your typical intake when you started out.
I am also trying to ensure my loss sucess. I go the gym every day (yesterday was the first day I've missed since 2 weeks) Some days I go twice a day. I am eating less, and actually counting calories shows me that I need to eat more, most days I underachieve, because I am just not hungry.
I am not concerned about doing things, I am somewhat worried that I might miss an important step....

Robin -

Then ironically we probably were doing something very similar as far as overall calorie level. The difference is my non-exercise days were probably lower then your normal calorie range (When you were heavier)

I start my baseline really low I don't include any daily activty in my burn other there purposeful "hey I'm exercising now!" work or unless I do something out of the norm (Weeding for 3 hours etc)

So it just depends on how you look at it I suppose. It comes to almost the same thing in the end.

Hope I can stand by you some time in the next 2 years and say Look I did it too!

No blanket statements here I understand all too well everyone is different... I guess I'm just not the best with expressing myself in words.

"if robin can stick to 1200 cals and lose, then do it. I just don't think you can make a blanket assumption on everyone saying 1200 is too low and no one can follow it. Robin has for almost an entire year"

Thats just it though... she just said she didn't start at 1200 she worked her way down. I'm sure when we are as light we will have to get close to that as well. I think its probably easier to work your way down the go from eating 3000 (or whatever) to 1200.

I just posted this a few minutes ago, I didn't want it to get buried on page one, since it's at the end. So here it is again:

Ideal, don't worry, I know no one's looking to argue here.

I think you misunderstood me. I wasn't saying that anyone SHOULD eat only 1200 calories to start out with. I picked that number in particular because I believe that was the number that you used as an example. I would DEFINITELY start out a higher number. DEFINITELY.

Lowering calorie intake as we go along the journey is something that is going to have to happen - usually. I think it's best to stay at a certain number until you are no longer losing and then lower it by a hundred calories or so. The smaller and lighter we are, the less calories we require - hence we need to lower them.

I'm going to add this to it now, after reading Jasmine's post:

I did not start my journey consuming only 1200 calories. I porbably started out at about 1800. I quickly took it down to 1600. Stayed there for a while, then down to 1400. By this time I was much lighter and yup, my 5 foot, less weighing body just didn't require as many calories anymore, so I went down to 1200.

I still eat 6 times a day or so. I'm never hungry, although I am sometimes "munched", which has ZERO to do with hunger. Just my dopey brain. I am EXTREMELY satisfied with the food that I am eating. I have more energy and drive then I have EVER had. Elminating the sugar and the bad carbs has helped with that. Making those 1200 calories healthy ones is what I attribute it to. I never thought that that could be possible at 1200 calories, but it is. I have tried my hand at maintenance a little bit and DID maintain my weight at a higher calorie level. Not much though. And yes, I do think I can do this for life, what other alternative do I have? I'm not willing to be overweight and unhealthy ever again. Do I wish I could eat more calories and still remain in the 130's? Yup, you betcha. But I can't - so I won't. It's worth it to me. 100% so in fact.

Another thing, I never ever looked at those calorie calculator/metabolisim things. I never set myself ANY goals as to how much weight I wanted to lose per week. I just knew that if I ate right and exercised it WOULD come off. I think the reason it came off in the manner that it did was not only about the number of calories that I consumed and the quality of them (although I do believe that had A LOT to do with it), I believe it was the fact that I was EXTREMELY consistient. ETREMELY. I don't think I had 10 "off plan" days total. And even those 10 days were minor, really, really minor in fact. So if you ask me, that's the key - consistiency. It's not for everyone and I'm not pushing it , but this is how I went about it.

We all have to find our own "right" way to lose weight. There is no one across way to do it. None of us are wrong - just different. Through trial and error we can hopefully find what "works" for us and stick to it.

I don't know all the details. I do know that when I pmed with her back in April she told me she was doing 1200 calories and it was working for her. *shrugs*

Still, 155 pounds!!! Whether she started at 1600 and then hit 1400 and then hit 1200 etc, like I said, where is the plateau? Maybe one week here or there, but to consistently lose 3.575 pounds a week? I don't call that a plateau.

Posted before seeing robin's reply. Thanx for clarifying Robin!

The evil plateau - May it never visit any of us!

I see lots of posts while I was typing and then interupted by a phone call, yes work.

I avoided a plateau by lowering my calories and upping my exercise. And being extremely consistient, like I said in the above post. Consistiency - staying on plan through holidays, birthdays, social events, stressful times and what not. Again, it's not for everyone. This was my choice. I never ever once feel deprived. I'm sorry, but I'm not sure I understand that when I hear that. Deprived? I had been depriving myself for years by being so darn overweight and inactive and so out of the game so to speak. It was time to really stop DEPRIVING myself and choosing to be healthier and happier. I wasn't giving up cookies, pasta, bread or _________, I was GAINING a healthier and happier ME. No deprivation involved.

Robin, I am sorry to be so precise.
I understand about the consistency, and I think I am going to try to achieve it. Here are a few questions.

1. With intake, did you right away cut-off the 'high carb' stuff? Or did you do it gradually?
2. How did your exercise patters change over time, timewise and intesitywise?
3. I don't know if it is possible, but could you give an example of a day's worth of food?

Again, I know I am almost being personal, but I do think others might benefit from the examples.

p.s. One more... Were you targeting a certian break-down: like 50% protein, 25%carbs, and 25%fat?

You CAN and you WILL. There's absolutely NOTHING to stop you. Losing weight and a lot of it IS doable. Cliche' alert: If I can do it, ANYONE can. I was the worlds worst eater. Simply horrendous. Totally inactive as well.

One just needs to make the decision. And follow through with the commitment.

1. Yes, I cut out the high carbs/floury AND sugary stuff from day one. It was the ONLY way for ME to do it. I overate them. Period. I couldn't have them in my life AND be thin and healthy. Since I was no longer willing to stay fat - I said bye -bye. Adios. I didn't now how or when to stop eating them. That coupled with the fact that I started counting calories. 1/2 cup of pasta or rice is simply not satisfying for me. I needed to find foods that were tasty and satisfying. I like volume, always did, always will. A measly 1/2 cup of rice or pasta just wouldn't do it for me. One slice of bread was just not worth it to me. I'd rather eat an entire plateful of roasted veggies. But you need to find your happy medium. This was mine.

2. Hmmm. I started out slowllllly. Maybe walking for 15 minutes, slowly at that, 3 or 4 days a week. But I quickly saw that the more I walked the more I lost. My speed has increased and the length of my walks has increased. I still don't like to exercise for more then 30-40 mins at a pop. I just do it several times a day. I added in strength training as well. Sit ups, stretching, dancing - MOVING. Just plain old movement. The more you move, the better. I do some kind of exercise 7 days a week now, have been for the past bunch of months. Again, this is not for everyone and I surely didn't start out that way.

3. The food. I love to eat. Love it. Always have, always will. That doesn't mean that I have to abuse it though.

My meals have changed a bit. I find if something no longer works for me, I need to move it on out. Unfortunately that is the case with me right now with Kashi Go Lean Cereal. I find myself going back to it too often. I just finished up the last box of it and I won't be buying it again any time soon.
I am always adding in new vegetables and new ways of preparing them. Also, I am very, very fortunate that I don't mind eating the same thing many days per week. I love what I'm eating THAT much that it's not a hardship to repeat them often.

B- 2 Danon Lit and Fit yogurts with 1/2 cup of Fiber One Cereal. I just started eating this since cereal is now out of the picture for me. I usually space them apart. I also partially freeze them - absolutely delicious.
L- My VERY favorite - 1 Morning Star Farms Chick PAttie with 3 cups of cooked in a little consomme, cauliflower

Another favorite - an egg white omlette with a big, HUGE veggie stir fry (broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, spinach, mushrooms)

D- lots of different things. Grilled chicken and salad. Chicken breast/veggie stirfry or Salmon (love it) and roasted green beans. Basically it's some kind of low fat protein and lots and lots of vegetables (I like volume, I may have mentioned that )

S- at least 3 of them. Another yogurt very often. Grapes. Strawberries, raspberries, blue berries. An apple. Baby carrots. Roasted zucchini. Sugar free ice pop.

Lots of water.

As far as my % go, I haven't check them out in ages. The number I really concentrate on is the calories. But since I want to get the most, uh huh, you guessed it VOLUME for my allotment, as well as nutrients, I choose lots of veggies and low fat proteins. Counting those calories and wanting them to be healthy and plentiful takes care of all the "correct" numbers. Fat is never an issue for me. The only carbs I'm eating are the good ones, so it's also not a concern for me.

Understand about the consistiency - fine. But DON'T beat yourself up over it if you hit a few bumps. I have. You will. I will again. Get RIGHT back on track. Right back. We didn't get morbidly obese by one bad meal or even one bad day. It was the day after day after day - week after week. Bad days are bound to happen. Just try to keep those bad days to a minimum. And those bad days shouldn't be all that bad. Everything that you put in your mouth counts and it matters.

Experiment. Find foods that you LOVE. This way it's not all that difficult to stay on plan. Be really honest with yourself, dig deep. Find your weaknesses and find a way to combat them. Remember - you are NOT depriving yourself by taking on this new lifestyle - you are doing the EXACT OPPOSITE.

i decided a long time ago that calorie counting just makes sense. thats what i do. im just now starting to incorporate exercise into this, because i dont think i can drop the calories anymore. ive lost a lot of weight with very little effort. i carry around a little mini composition book and each page is a day. i use calorieking.com to determine a sort of estimate for foods that wouldnt have a nutrition label, or things i forgot to write down earlier in the day.

i also lose weight in a strange way. i will lose 15-25 lbs and then maintain. i dont lose consistently, and i dont mean to. i restrict into counting mode for a few months, and then i count in my head just to keep it in check for a few months. that would be why it took me two years to lose 100 lbs, and it will probably take me another year to lose the last fifty (or however much i end up losing). but i am completely confident in my ability to not regain. i know how to go to burger king with my buddies, or go out drinking and still not gain weight.

i hate to see women on here beat themselves up over 'falling off the wagon' or 'cheating'. bah, this is life, live it! in moderation. calorie counting is my garunteed moderation.

Consistiency. STICKING to my plan. Determination. Wanting it so bad that I didn't give into temptation. Wanting it so bad, that I wasn't even that tempted. Making weightloss and my health a number one priority.

There's no secret to it Lalique. No magic pill. Just DOING it. LEARNING to control myself. In fact I was ALWAYS in control. Realizing that. Realizing once and for all that I deserve to be happy and fit and active and a participant in life. Realizing that I didn't have to settle for second best when first best was WELL within my reach.

Making the decision to do so. Making the commitment.

And it was the very best decision I have ever made. I have given up nothing, nothing, by giving up the high calorie/high quantity of food. Nothing. I have in fact GAINED so very much, I can not even begin to tell you.