I started gaining weight in my 40's - now I'm 51. I've always been active, but still the weight gain. At my current weight of 150 lbs, I find I can eat/drink pretty much what I want, but I find it very hard to lose weight. I even went on a 3 week canoe trip last year, and didn't lose significantly (my husband lost 15 lbs). So if I'm 'good' for 4-5 days and nothing happens, I get really discouraged. I want to try the South Beach diet, but am a little nervous about the 2 week no carb part. If I exercise 1 hour at the gym, will I still be ok on a no (low) carb diet. Thanks for any words of encouragement because I sure would like to wear a size 8 - now a size 12. I know I would feel much better.

Glad you found us at 3FC. I'm 51 too, so I can assure you that you CAN lose those extra lbs. even past 50

I calorie count, so I can't help you with your South Beach question. But, I will offer one small piece of unsolicited advice - pick a plan that you can do forever. I "dieted" my way to 215 lbs over the years. It was only after I learned to change my lifestyle and incorporate healthy portions into my day, that I was able to finally shed those lbs. AND stay at a healthy weight.

Don't think about being "good" or "bad" with food - just find a plan that works for you and forge ahead.

I also found that journaling my eating really helped me stay on track. I like Fitday, and others around here like theDailyPlate. Both are free and are GREAT resources.

Of course you have found one of the very best resources of all in 3FC. The folk here are amazing!

Welcome NicRic!
This is a great place for support. I found that when I started my weight loss journey, in late Oct/Nov 08, that it was really helpful to focus on one thing at a time and slowly incorporate changes over time. Also, it took my body a good 2-3 months before I really started to lose weight. And I still only lose about 1 lb per week. Slow and steady wins the race.