So I think my first post was about how I couldn't find the motivation to get the weight loss going.

Well for the past 2 weeks- I've been controlling what I eat (for the most part) and dropped 7 pounds but gained 2 back after a weekend (i'm still trying to teach myself limits- alcohol & eating out, etc). I did this with lots of stress at work and NO working out. So I'm just imagining what I can do when I start to exercise (with my gym membership I've had for 2 years... and gone only 10 times).

What's great is that I could totally tell I had lost a few pounds. Pants fit better. When I sat down- I could suck in my stomach more and sit up straighter. The best thing is- I could see it in my face that I had lost weight!

I'm a big girl too- about 222 right now (maybe more after my dinner tonite) but it's just refreshing to know that differences can be seen with a bit of control in your life.

Today- i splurged on some brie & olives & proscuitto for dinner (a weakness of mine) ... but I know that by writing down what i eat and keeping track of the nutritional value- I can get over this evening and go back to my routine tomorrow.

So anyways- this post is for those newbies like me- see what works for you and live inside realistic limits.

If you can't cut out bread- don't! Just limit your intake. If you are good with routine- control the meals you can and keep healthy stuff nearby when you're feeling a splurge. Okay I'm done.

yay for the loss, 5 lbs is amazing!!
Whish I could lose that might in one go. I'm about the same weight range as you right now and struggling really hard to get below 200lbs.

on your loss! Don't worry about those 2 pounds, you will lose them again.

As far as exercising, don't be startled if you start not losing as much as you were before you started exercising. If your body is building muscle and burning fat, you might even out (poundage-wise) a few weeks. You just need to realize that and not get down about it. If you are still following your plan and exercising, you are still doing a good job!

I have learned that weightloss has a tendancy to be slow and steady; it's a marathon- not a sprint.

I've personally never kept a food journal, but I'm a snacker, so it might be a good idea . Way to go on the 5 pound loss!

And I agree- it's about what works. I couldn't do cheat meals or have off days when I was losing and cut out breads and pastas as well. I had to relearn how to "do" them. For me, it was too stressful to deal with gaining when for the first time in my life I was losing.

Congrats on the 5 pounds!!

I know what you mean about those subtle changes... I see weight loss in my face in the first 5 pounds, too. My mom was commenting the other day that I look like a whole different person (since a month ago), and not because I have lost a tremendous amount but because my face has changed.

Keep at it, don't get discouraged if you have a slip-up (they used to say at WW meetings, "don't let a slip become a fall"), and know that you'll soon be seeing BIG changes (pants too big, easier to climb a flight of stairs, etc), and the more results you see, the stronger your resolve becomes (or at least that's the case with me).

Good luck!!

I agree with not having to cut out stuff completely, but just make different amounts. I always thought calorie counting was WAYYYY too much work b/c I didn't want to weigh things, look up amounts for fresh foods, etc etc.... but that's why I LOVE LOVE LOVE Fitday.com (didn't know about it until I found out about it here)b/c they have standard calorie counts for MILLIONS of foods and you don't have to know it on your own, just look it up.

I love it b/c if I know I'm going to be having a not-so-good for me meal that night, I will figure out how many calories I can afford to eat during the day. So if it's a big meal, I make sure that I pick lots of low-calorie foods to eat for breakfast and lunch (lots of veggies, usually, since they're crazy low cal)

Before FitDay I might have just "chanced" it and hope that I would come out alright. I'm kinda addicted now--- I'm on there all the time, but at least I know I'm 100% accountable for what I ate and I can't be like "hmmm... that was probably only like 100 calories" when it really was a TON.

I use MasterCook software for ALL my recipes, type in the ingredients and it prints up a complete nutritional workup of what a serving size has in it based on the ingredients I entered---- I then take my favorite food recipe nutrition information and type it into FitDay and save it as a Custom Food... so when I have it I know exactly how big a portion is and how bad it is for me. It's all about PLANNING and I don't know how I managed to diet successfully before FitDay.

Also, it holds me ACCOUNTABLE. which is always good.

YEAH...5lbs is great.

Keep up the great work and good job for finding something that works for you and fits into your lifestyle. I think that is key to being successful!

I lost 5lbs too. I weighed in this morning and seen I lost 2 more lbs. So i'm really excited. Its great to see those differences. I see it in my face too. Its a wonderful feeling. I stopped drinking after my 21st birthday (a really bad case of alcohol poisoning seems to have that effect lol) but its great when your finally learning how to eat better and control it and to see those numbers is the best reward.

Thanks for everyone's great words- it really does mean a lot because this is totally an emotional thing!

Congrats viola for those 5lbs too!

We'll see how the weekend goes-- a friend's birthday tonite at a tavern (I'll just drink some red wine and play some shuffleboard 'til i sweat!) but hopefully i'll break a sweat this weekend if things turn out well with this one guy i've been seeing. *wink*