Important question, as you loose weight how often should one reevaluate their caloric needs to keep loosing weight?

I didn't do anything scientific - I just dropped my calories by 100 per day when it seemed like my weight loss was stalling. I started at 1600 and ended at 1200, so dropped four times during the year I was losing.

I too am from the Pittsburgh area and I must say I am in awe of your weight loss. I guess you must exercise alot too. If I could only loose 10 lb. Then maybe I would feel like exercising. I started at 172 am 50 yr old and I now am 169 with an averalge of about 16-1700 per day. Its really tough though especially with all the great restaurants in this area. The weather doesnt help much around here either, so cold and gloomy, takes every bit of incentive out of me. But a little but of light at the end of the tunnel the crocus in my yard were in bloom yesterday, maybe the winter is finally winding down. Well anyway at the rate I am going do you think
I could be about 150 by September is it possible? Any tips would be appreciated. Once again your weight loss is awsome, bet you feel alot better too.

I never *feel* like exercising. Even at my highest weight I was lower than many but still horribly out of shape. I started with WATP videos (Walk Away the Pounds), later added some walking at work, and now am adding weights (though really, I should have started the weights sooner). Don't let your weight be an excuse, I had no excuse (neither age nor obesity) and it was and still is hard for me but you just have to do it. I started just trying to do one video (including my 20 min 1 mile WATP) twice a week. Then three times a week. It took me several months to get where I was really doing that consistently, and now I try to 30 mins of something 5 times a week, but it's taken me almost 6 months to get to this stage of willpower. You just have to try, eventually you'll realize how good you feel after a good workout (not at first, I felt miserable at first) and that will give you more impetus to do so. Also with restaurants, I plan all the meals I can ahead of time. Even if I'm not preparing it ahead of time I know exactly what I'm having for breakfast, lunch and dinner and that's helped significantly. Good luck with it, and ask questions any time you need there are so many intelligent and successful ladies on these boards.

Thanks, I know excuses get you no where!

Everybody loses weight differently. Going from 172 to 150 by September. My goal is from 181 to 130 by end of August.


Willpower to excercise....ummm...I don't got it. I vow to do more than I did last year. I aim for 2 times a week, but if I don't get it, I don't cry. Honestly, I didn't add excercise until after month one of dieting. Sometimes you have to make small changes to work your way toward a goal. I also wear a pedometer everyday to see if I can make myself move around more (even if I'm not "excercising"). It helps that I have an excercise buddy.

I'm still calorie zig zagging so I don't know when to drop it yet. I would guess when you start stalling more than 2-3 weeks. Some people have their calories so low that they have to ADD calories to jog the plateau.

Get out and move, Walk more, park you car farther away, take the stairs. You need to get out and do something walk the mall, lift some weights, do some jumping jacks whatever just do something. Remember once you doign something for 21 days it becomes a habit. being lazy is a habit. Time to break that fat habit and get a healthy one

fellow Pittsburgher! I'm 51, so we're in the same boat when it comes to weight loss. At our age, exercise is absolutely essential!! I work in a gym and have never known a woman our age to lose weight and keep it off without exercise. So - since you gotta do it - try and find something that you enjoy doing.

I hear ya on our lovely Pittsburgh weather. Do you belong to a gym? Do you have any exercise equipment or DVDs at home? We have to think of some way to make exercise an everyday part of your life!

Oh, and definitely don't wait to start exercising until after you lose some weight. I was 257 pounds when I started exercising! It will help the weight come off faster and give you a tight, toned body once you get to goal. Don't wait until you're motivated or feel like it -- just do it!

I'm right there with you on calorie counting. It's what I did and still do to lose weight. Count your calories, exercise every day, and you absolutely can be at 150 by September.

I know youre right, gotta get movin and outa this funk. Part of this problem is I have a high emotionally stressful job which I dont really care to discuss, when I get home after working 3-11 I just want to unwind and forget about it all. Then I usually sleep till 930 and drink my coffee in front of the tv for about an hr . Then I reflect on the day before at work, stress about it, make dinner for the hubby, do laundry and what else needs done the basics. Sit at the computer for a while and get ready to go back to work, thats my routine. Cant really blame it on the weather cause thats it in the summer too. When I work 7-3
I am physically and emotionally exhausted when I get home. Unless I have caffeine I lay down and take a little 20 min or so nap then make dinner, throw clothes in the wash . Once we eat and I get everything cleaned up I am falling asleep on the couch by 930 so I get up take a bath and go to bed.
That seems to be my routine, sorry as it seems.

Why don't you get up an hour earlier and exercise? Or, after you drink your coffee, do some exercises in front of the TV while watching it.

To answer your original question, I noticed that FitdayPC automatically lowers your daily caloric needs to correspond with your current weight. I'd assume the other calorie trackers do the same.

Using that, you don't have to get overwhelmed in the math -- all you have to do is figure out what your deficit will be against the new totals as you lose weight.

I hope that makes sense.

Oh, and is there room for me in the 50+ boat with you and Meg?

Why certainly its a life boat!

You betcha!!

It sometimes seems counter intuitive, but getting exercise actually gives you way more energy than it takes. I can hardly believe the difference since the beginning of the year when I started exercising regularly. Before I didn't have any extra energy - I could barely make it through the day. It is also great for dealing with stress. Adding exercise has totally changed everything for me.