I was successful at loosing 40 pounds on my own two yrs ago and since then have gained it all back!! Now I don't know where to start ..I seem to be just stuck in a major rut..I thought of trying one of the local wieght loss centers ..but where to start??

hi. i am about to feel like a big goober, but.... i am new too and in a really similar situation. I gained back 35lbs that I lost about 2 years ago and finally decided to try another avenue and get some support since I have that plus lots more to lose. I don't have much advice since I am new here too, but I wanted to let you know there are others that are just starting out too that are in the same situation. Hopefully we newbies can work together.

I think if I could not eat as much, I would be ok.. I can't seem to put the fork down.. But I do wish you ..I think I may start walking a few miles..

Yeah. My big downfall is anything sugary.. especially ice cream. Yum Yum! I have been trying to play tennis, but i think more exercise is called for. Good luck with the walking.

welcome, Silly Girl and Guidingstar. I think you'll find this place to offer a lot of support! I know a little bit of how you feel. I was very heavy as a teen and lost a lot late in high school. Then I went to college, got married, had babies, and gained with all of it. Frustrating. Slowly going down though. I'm looking forward to being in good shape again.

Can I suggest that one of your first steps is to write down every single bite that you put in your mouth? I found that writing everything down was a HUGE wake-up call for me. I had no idea how much I was really eating! I use http://www.fitday.com/ 's free online program, and I've seen http://www.calorieking.com/ posted here as well. I've used that site a little for the nutritional information. It really does help to write down what you eat, and it's nice to chart your progess too, so you can see how far you've really come.

Thanks so much grey-eyed girl! i am really hoping that with support I can be completely successful this time! I am trying to write down everything. I did that 2 years ago and it worked, sooo.. fingers crossed.

If you lost the weight on your own before, then I don't really see any need to join an expensive center to do it again. The problem isn't that you can't lose weight, you have done so successfully, and you will again.
The problem is maintaining your weight loss. It is very easy to have a little extra of this or that, or slack off on your workouts once you reach goal-but the truth is, you can't. You can maintain your weight loss eating a couple hundred more calories than you were eating to lose weight, but not a lot more than that. What I suggest is that you start changing your eating and exercise habits once again, but look at it as a lifestyle change, not a diet. I recommend popping in to the Maintainers forum now and then and reading the posts from the women maintaining their weight loss. You don't even have to post, just read, and learn from those "keeping it off". They are still struggling just like we are. It's never over.

Thanks everyone! I am hoping all the support I am offered here will be enough to keep me going!!I found soem great new recipes, so things are off to a good start!

Welcome Newbies
Well I have a ways to go until I can talk about maintaining but Im sure it seems that you just got a little comfortable in the fact that you were at your goals and that you just were not keeping track like you normally would.
Like the girls said look at what your eating. And how much and when.
Are you eating a good breakfast and having your snacks and eating sensible lunches and dinners, Are you getting enough water. How much are you working our regularly. Have you incorporated any weight traing to maintain the muscle.
Im sure if when you step back and really look at what your doing you will see some improvements. Like gray eyed girl said write down what you eat that will be a big start for you to see how much of what you are eating and what you need to be eating.
You know it all comes down to eating right and exersising. Thats the jist of it. We have all head it before eat right move more. So basic yet we make it so hard. Good Luck Girls and glad to see you on the the site.