So I know both of lost your weight doing practically the same thing.. 1200 cal a day, 1500 on the weekends. How much exercise did you do? How much did you lose a week, esp in the beginning?

I'm doing pretty much the same as you, I have set up a calorie range between 1200 and 1500 a day, most days are at the 1200 level (some days I struggle to get in that much it seems, veggies are so filling!) but there are days when I need more, so a few days a week I might come closer to 1500 (not more than 2 a week so far). I'm doing 30 minutes of cardio every single day, which in time I will up that hopefully to an hour, plus I'm trying to find the time to get downstairs to the weights on M, W and F (not really lifting heavy just trying to tone some as I go).

I have lost 8 pounds in 2 weeks... 4.6 the first week, 3.4 this past week. Does that sound about right for just starting out on a plan structured like this?

ETA.. would LOVE to hear from other big losers also

I think what you are doing sounds great! just make sure your meals are well balanced. Not much room for treats in low calorie plans but I like them because they keep you losing even when you mess up once in a while. [And, when it comes to staying on plan, let's just say I'm imperfect (lol) no matter WHAT the target calorie amount. Eating lower cal offsets my "bad" days.]

Thanks Kat, you have lost a lot.. congrats!!!

Yeah right now I'm working on trying to incorporate a veg, fruit and protien at every meal. I still haven't figured out a veg with breakfast.. I have found I don't like veggies in my egg whites, so I have been trying to up the veggies at lunch and dinner to compensate.

Oh and I always make room for a sugar free, low fat fudge bar thing.. it's only 40calories.. and fills my chocolate need quite well YAY for the genius who invented those things!

Does this sound right? Well of course it does!!!

What could possibly be *wrong* with it? You're sticking to your plan and these are the results that you've gotten. There really is on right or no wrong. It is what it is. And it is pretty darn good at that.

We all lose at different speeds even if were to stick to the same exact plan.

Make this plan yours. Find foods that you love. Find behaviors that you love. Don't be concerned with how fast I or Lori lost the weight.Be concerned, focused that is, on your plan. Keep tweaking it, keep bettering it. Keep sticking to it. You stick with it, the weight will have no choice but to come off. Stick to your plan.

And make sure that you have a recovery plan in place if you should falter. No throwing up your hands. Just right back to that plan. ASAP.

As far as those veggies, I don't strictly eat them with meals, I eat them as snacks as well. And I eat yogurt for breakfast. Zero veggies involved. Though the very first thing I eat in the morning IS veggies, but I view it as a snack. I like my *breakfast* a bit later.

My initial exercise was walking. And not lots of it. I couldn't do much in the early days. I walked 15 minutes at a pop; since I could only go 15 minutes, I did it 2X a day. I eventually increased my time and speed.

I'm not good on time frames, but I also incorporated Leslie Sansone's Walk Away the Pounds DVD's. Oh and then there was dancing. Again, not sure of when, but I danced for about 25 - 30 minutes a day.

I did sit ups from day one, as I figured it was something I could do lying down.

Also unsure of the timing, but I added in more formal strength training via a resistance band. That has been phenomenal.

Remember, just keep getting more and more into this. Become passionate about it. Make this your job, your mission. Fall in love with the process.

Thanks Robin, your awesome!!

I needed to hear this

my favorite healthy meal right now is scrambled egg whites and pan fried yellow bell peppers =0) mmmmmm i may have to go make that right now lol

lol.. for a while I was loving peppers in or with my eggs, now it turns my stomach, I think I ate it too many times this past spring. Right now my standard breakfast is 1/2c fiber one (which I don't like so it probably won't stay once I finish this box...stupid Biggest Loser for suggesting it lol) with 1/4c skim milk, 3 egg whites scrambled and 1/2c low fat cottage cheese and an apple or some other fruit if it's here. Not sure if I will replace the cereal with something else or not, but I know I feel full till lunch time eating all of that. Still looking at possibilities

Some good crunch before breakfast, like jicama, carrots, or celery raw, is a nice tactile start to your gustatory day. Many breakfast foods tend to be softer, so that can be a great contrast.

Honestly I eat most of my veggies raw, with maybe one or two big servings with dinner cooked. Lunch has a salad and my snacky veggies are definitely raw, I find that works well for me and can be had in a hurry (a must around here).

Great job sticking to your plan, keep on keepin' on!

What is jicama? and if I find it, how do I eat it (raw, cooked, etc)? What does it taste like? The name make me think of something kinda spicy like horseraddish root or ginger root..lol.

I was just researching this veggie the other day... you can eat it raw or cooked. It is apprantly a little sweet. It is supposed to be good in things like stir fry, b/c it is good at absorbing other flavors.

I just can't find it in my darn grocery store.

I have only heard of it here on the board, so I probably won't have any luck finding it either

Jicama should be found in the produce section of your grocery store. Ask the manager about it.

Jicama is like a cross between a potato and apple. It is sweet and yummy, slightly starchy flesh, good crunch. It depends on the part of the country you are in as to how easy hey are to find, but anywhere near our southern border during the spring and summer months is a good bet for some, and I can even find it all the way up here in Alaskan grocery stores in the middle of the year.

I eat it raw, I don't think I have ever had it cooked, come to think of it.

I like jicama too - it usually is in the section with special fruits and veggies and things like ginger, starfruits, and hotter peppers.

Hi Sommer. Sorry so late in responding, I've been hit and miss on 3FC the last few days.

I think your plan sounds great... If it's a plan you can follow, day in and day out, week after week, month after month...then it's perfect for you. It's not the amount of daily calories that make a "diet" successful, it's the perseverance a person has at sticking to it every single day.

I did start pretty low on calories, and I stayed within 1200 for the first 3 months, and I was much larger than you, so yeah, I lost the first 50 pounds pretty darn quick. (I later added more calories on weekends.) But the real secret in the initial rapid loss was not the calories, it was because I did not cheat/splurge/free day at all. None. 100% on plan everyday...no exceptions. My way deffinately is not the "right way", and many will argue that I denied myself of treats, or whatever. But my way worked for me, and that is all I was worried about at the time.

As far as excercise, I didn't "formally" excercise at all at first. Actually I don't "formally" excercise now. I just got up off my butt and started working hard. Cleaning, and mowing, and washing windows, and moping. Things I had put off because I was so big and tired all of the time. Now I do the same kind of things but for longer periods of time and more strenuous work, (like spading the garden with a shovel instead of using a tractor and plow...push mowing and bagging the grass instead of using a tractor and shredder. I just work really hard. Matter of fact, I need to get outside RIGHT NOW and work on another project. I need to plant all the mums I have in decorative pots in the ground so they'll winter better. They are done blooming and it's time.

I hope I answered your questions to make sence. I'm just a simple girl with a simple plan....with a lot of stubbornness and perseverance.