I know what you are going through. I have been there before and continue to face the challenges of trying to lose weight. I have recently lost 60 punds through making small changes and doing things that I like. I had success with eating meals that were lower in carbohydrates and fat. I also made a point to treat myself one day a week. It might be something as simple as having ice cream or eating out at my favorite restuarant. By treating myself one time a week (and keeping the treat within moderation) I did not feel deprived. I also shopped and tried different foods. I would try different low carbohydrate muffin mixes or recipes.
As for exercise, I would do something that suited my mood. If I had a bad day, I would do kick boxing or lift weights. When I was feeling more depressed, I did something that made me smile like Richard Simmons (I admit he does keep work outs fun). If I wanted to take it easy, I would walk on the treadmill or simply take my dogs for a walk around the block. You may also be able to think of some activities that you children would enjoy doing that you could do as a family, such as playing a game of tag or softball.
I hope this helps. The main thing is to try different things. It is better than doing nothing at all.

Jenn

My diet secret was...don't diet. I've tried that before. It only works short-term. To make things worse, I generally gained back more weight than I'd lost. So I was determined to NOT diet. Instead, I just replaced unhealthy foods with healthier choices and found ways to make exercise routine and sometimes even fun. It was the daily exercise that boosted my loss, but just changing to lean meats, whole grains, more fruits and veggies, etc. helped as well. I eat when I'm hungry. I just choose to eat something other than grease and sugar now. And if I'm not in the mood to exercise, I find something else I AM in the mood for that makes me exercise. IE: I still like eating out, so taking a jog or walk past Wendy's allows me a salad and/or chile or a fruit bowl. I also don't like paying for something I won't use. So joining an exercise program puts me in the mood to exercise and make good use of my monthly fee. I also have to go places. If they're close, a bike over instead of a drive over accomplishes the task and gives me the exercise to boot.

There are a few things that have helped me succeed on this last (and it is my LAST) weight loss journey.

First, I'm not in any hurry to reach my goal weight. In the past, I've had a "let's hurry up and get this over with" attitude. The thing is, this is never going to be over so what is the rush? I plan to keep this weight off so it isn't as if I'll stop eating healthily or exercising just because a magic number pops up on the scale. My goal is to lose a reasonable amount of weight each week. I like watching the numbers on the scale go down as much as the next person. But, as long as I know I've done all that I can and if I am honest with myself when I don't then the scale holds no surprises for me. If it doesn't move, then it doesn't move. I like to think of those weeks as maintainence practice since I won't have the scale to validate my efforts week after week once I reach my goal either.

Second, I've learned to only pay attention to what works for ME. There is so much information out there and it can be overwhelming. I still read as much as I can on nutrition, weight loss, and exercise. I still want to hear what other people's experiences have been. But I know what my body responds to. I take the information I've collected, pull out the bits that make the most sense to me, and apply what seems a good fit with my lifestyle. If it works I keep it, if it doesn't I drop it and move on. Along the same lines, I don't do anything that I don't enjoy doing. I don't care how many studies or testimonials there are telling me that it is the be all end all in health or weight loss. If I try a certain food or exercise a few times and still don't like it, I'm done with it. I intend to enjoy my new life and there is no room for what other people swear by if I have to force myself to do/eat it. That isn't to say that I don't push myself out of my comfort zones - but I think we all know fairly quickly whether or not we'll acquire a taste for something. I am constantly evaluating where I am and where I want to be. My goals change often as does my plan to get there.

Finally, and probably most important, I've learned to cut myself some slack. I don't expect perfection in any other part of my life. Why should my weight loss be any different? The truth is that I am going to make poor choices sometimes, I am going to give into cravings sometimes, and I am going to plan indulgences sometimes. As long as I MANAGE these situations properly I have no reason to feel guilty or worthless and they are certainly no reason to give up all together. Again, in the big scheme of things one meal, one workout, or several for that matter, is a drop in the bucket compared to the thousands of healthy choices I'll make over the course of the rest of my life. Plus, I've found that my feelings and attitude while I'm eating is a better indicator of whether or not I'm off track than WHAT I'm eating. So, those are what I try to pay more attention to anyway.

Flexibility is the key. Our lives change, our ideals change, our goals change. You have to have an eating and exercise plan that can keep up and be willing to make adjustments when it doesn't.

I try to eat 1200 calories per day and end up averaging more like 1500 over a week. I use fitday.com and try for 40% protein, 40% carbs and 20% fats. I try to bike, walk or row almost every day. I try to weight train 3 or 4 times a week. For me it's an inexact science based on move more and eat less.

For me, exercise is easier than dieting....but I changed to more fish, less oil, more veggies, less pasta, less sugar, more water and herbal tea...i never really like soda, but I do enjoy seltzer with a splash of fruit juice or lemon...sugar isn't really my thing, but give me a bag of chips and it's like a feedbag. now I use fat-free sourcream for dip and celery, raw snow-peas, a few baby carrots, radishes for a crunch-fest. I also love V-8 with extra hot sauce , worsch. and lemon for a snack.

I've found that exercising first thing works best as the day gets away from me... I mostly do interval training with a variety of tapes and dumbbells (Firm Tae-bo, who-ever is on TV)...i try to work at a harder intensity (75-80%) for the cardio.

that was really good information i know i need to try what works for me so i cut out some stuff i cut out white stuff i cut out candy chips soda and i drink lots of water i cant really afford to stick to a certain diet right now but i exercise for 2in a half hours each day except for sunday i just walk on sunday i think i finally understand now thank you all so much for replieing this website really is up lifting thank u again

I DON'T DIET!. I can eat anything I want in moderation. Moderation for me means 40% Proteins 40% carbs and 20% percent fats
but here is what I do instead
I exercise 6 days a week
my usual routine is as follows
Monday
walk 5 miles ( I just upped it from 3 miles) I do this 6 days a week
upper body weight training at the gym (chest,shoulders, back, triceps, and biceps)
bike ride ( 5 miles per day 6 days of the week)
elliptical trainer 20 minutes per day
Tuesday
I do all the above except instead of upper body weight training I do lower body
(Quads, hamstrings, calves and abs )
Wednesday
No gym
I do pilates
bike and walk 5 miles of each
Thursday
same as Monday
Friday
Same as
Tuesday
Saturday
walk 5 miles
bike ride 5 miles
Sunday
Now that's my day of rest (motivation day: my favorite mantra You will either live with the pain of discipline, or the pain or regret)
I exercise my mind as I envision the body I want and the price I must pay
then I pray for the fortitude to do what I need to do


work that body and soon you will become an addict plus I have to eat a lot of calories and as my muscles increase the fat cells or breaking down and I want be left with flab .
every 8 weeks I change my regime and I take a week off