Hi BuuBuu - Welcome!

I started close to where you are now. I am 56 years old and work part time.

It's important to realize that we are all so different in our journey, metabolism, exercise, food we like, lifestyle, family, and more. Keeping that in mind, I'll tell you what I've done this past year:

I started out eating between 1600 - 2000 calories a day. As I started losing slower - I slowing had to change it to a lower number. Now I eat 1200 - 1550 calories a day.

I eat lots of veggies, fruits, lean protein (chicken, fish, turkey, beans etc), lowfat or nonfat dairy (I like ff milk, 2% cheese and ff cottage cheese), good carbs (whole grain bread, brown rice, pasta, sweet potatoes, crackers), & I aim for healthy fats (olive oil, canola oil, I Can't Beleive its Not Butter Spray). I love natural peanut butter and almond butter - I eat it every day. And - I also eat beef, pork, chocolate, and other goodies once in while. I used to eat ice cream, cookies and/or candy every day. Now I do have them...just once in a while.

I keep track of my calories, etc in a paper journal (lots of folks use online food logs) If a food doesn't come with nutritional infor I find it usually :

http://www.calorieking.com/

I do meditation and guided imagery almost every day.

I do stretches and some movement 3-5 days a week.

I drink lots of water every day- aim for 8 glasses.

I weigh once a week.

I plan my food everyday and then write down everything I eat - planned or unplanned.

I weigh and measure my food.

When I go to a restaurant - if possible - I check on line and decide what I'll eat even before I get there.

I need to eat protein of some form at breakfast - if I don't I am wanting food again right away.

I've been at it almost a year and have stayed with this program most of the time. If I go off for a few days or have a binge...I forgive myself and get right back on my plan.

My body doesn't ever tell me when or if I am 'full'. I think that part of me is broken. I wish it worked. So, I need to figure it out in advance and try and stay with my plan.

It kind of seems like alot of 'stuff'. But, it's the first time in my life that I've found something I can stick with for more than a few months. It's almost a year now. Doing these things has given me sanity with food.
Even if I don't lose everyweek (of course, I WANT to lose everyweek) - as long as I have had sanity with food - I am happy and grateful.

I also post at the 100 pound forum. (it's a good one, too) Here's thread from there about foods people find helpful for staying on their food plan:

http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/showthread.php?t=148105

Good luck.

buubuu.

I started counting calories around 280. I was religious in writing down everything I ate and making my best guesses. I lost weight initially eating 2000 calories/day. I did have to drop calories some as I lost but never regularly went below 1800/day. But by then my weight loss had slowed.

When I first started, I just counted calories, but I quickly realized that I get more bang for my calorie buck with some foods. Other old favorites became "not worth it" on a regular basis. I also have goals of being healthy, so eating lots of fruits and vegs, lean protein, whole grains works for health too.

By all accounts, I'd call my approach moderate. I never wanted to starve myself to lose weight. I wanted to find ways of eating (and moving!) I could sustain for the rest of my life. I love the foods I eat and love how much easier so many things are now.

I think making a commitment and doing your best to be consistent are very important for successful weight loss and maintenance.

I was 45 when I started and 267lbs. I am now 46 and 169lbs.

I log everything
I exercise regularly and consistently try to make improvements in endurance and strength
I watch the quality of my food - mostly cook at home and don't eat alot of packaged stuff. I am not a nut about it.
I average 25% Fat, 20% Protein and 55% Carbs with Fiber at 45g+

Overall the key to my success is consistency. I am VERY consistent. I have my better and good and bad days but I never miss a day of loging and I get right back on track when necessary.

My biggest challenge these days in perimenopause - not knowing when TOM is going to show up is frustrating and does not hep with the water weight gain.

I was 39 when I started counting calories and walking. It took me about a year to lose 100 pounds. (I kept my calories between 1200 & 1400 a day pretty much the whole time). I'm 42 now, I've maintained the loss (for the most part - give or take 10 pounds) by continuing to log my foods every day. My calorie levels are higher. I weigh pretty much every day, I exercise pretty much every day. I'm still walking, but I've added in weight training 4 days a week and spin classes and bicycling outside as well.

I eat home cooked food for the most part, too - I try to keep it whole foods as much as possible. I'm with lorilove on the consistency thing. Exercise has become a habit. Logging my foods? A habit. I don't plan to lose either habit any time soon.

I started at 258 lbs and 1300 calories a day. I was in my late 30s and a chronic dieter. I am in my 40s now. I wish I had started my calories much higher. I did lose 100 lbs in 9.5 months but it took 2 more years (including one year in which I yo yo'd and gained 8 lbs) to lose any more. But I am also a binger so that is an issue. I did not binge once during those 9.5 months tho. I also worked out every day and pretty much still do. I just have to exercise much more intensely now. I highly recommend starting out with the highest number of calories because now I am pretty much stuck - 1200 is too low for me (esp with my level of exercise) and I refuse to drop to that level. I write my foods down the night before. The most important thing is consistency and learning how to deal with emotional eating (if that is an issue). Good luck to you - you can do it. And if you have not counted calories before, you will have the counts memorized in no time!
A typical day for me at 1300 cal would be:
breakfast: morningstar farm no meat link
healthy harvest oatmeal
hard boiled egg
snack: 100 cal kettle korn
90 cal cottage cheese
lunch: bumble bee bbq chicken (170 cal)
fruit
sugar free pudding
dinner:
veggie burger
broc or corn (single serving size)
salad: lettuce, tomato, 2T low cal dressing, 1 tsp parm cheese, 5 croutons
fudgsicle (60 cal)
crystal lite
2 pieces gum
5 almonds
one mini can of diet root beer
I also count fat grams and try to keep it at 40 or less.
Exercise: 1/2 hr elliptical, 1200 jump rope, 30 min treadmill