Something that helps me is really watching my calories.. I use sparkpeople.com, and its really helpful. You fill out all your info, and they give you a meal plan according to the foods you like, or you can just put in whatever youve eaten that day and it will count the cals for you.

Keep your head up, you CAN do this. Slow n steady...

I def recommend that you start tracking your calories! Even just now to get yourself back on track and motivated again!

I use fitday.com but also really like livestrong.com. Both are great sites and you just have to type in what you ate, find it on the list, and the calories (including carbs, proteins, and fats) are all there for you.

DONT GIVE UP! I wish that when I was in the lower 200's I wouldve toughed it out the many times I started a weight loss program but like you I got unmotivated and slowly started letting all the junk sneak back into my life. You're weight isnt going to stop moving up unless your 100% determined to eat healthy and continue working out. You can see where I am right now and I am miserable so get motivated and stay strong!!! I find that browsing through the goal photos on here really helps me out of funks.

I wish you the best of luck!

"Don't let the fear of the time it will take to accomplish something stand in the way of your doing it. The time will pass anyway; we might just as well put that passing time to the best possible use." - Earl Nightingale

Watching myself, cutting back, cutting out certain food groups, giving up soda, lessening my portions, eating only healthy foods, adding in exercise NEVER EVER worked for me. Nope. Until I started tracking those calories carefully and faithfully weight loss could not occur.

One needs to create a calorie deficit on a steady basis to lose weight. And there is no way to know if you're doing that unless you're counting them.

You said you don't know what else to do.... May I suggest that you COUNT your calories? All the exercise in the world can't make up for taking in more calories then the body needs. You've made some major changes, now take it a step further. It's worth the time and effort and is quite simple once you get the hang of it. I mean why take a guess with your calorie intake, something so VITAL, when KNOWING for sure is available to you. Put your hard work to good use and don't let it go to waste. COMMIT to doing this - fully and faithfully & NO MATTER WHAT - and watch those pounds melt away and then watch your life transform before your very eyes.

Yup, counting those calories - VERY WORTH IT.

How can you find out how much calories to consume in a day? Im 5'4-5'5, and 212lbs

No one can give you an exact number of calories to consume each day, it is more a matter of trial and error, in my opinion. You could try a calculator for caloric needs like this one - http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm -. My advice would be to start at 1800-1900, keep accurate account of everything you eat and drink for 2 weeks to be sure you are staying within your calorie "budget", then tweak as necessary.


Again, the above is just my opinion.

i agree with michelle. if you're going to go this route, just keep in mind how VERY important it is that you track accurately. rounding down, not counting those 2 potato chips, or underestimating your portion size will sabotage you! when i first started it would fudge a bit. "even though that measuring cup was heaping over the brim, ill call it 1/2 a cup!" its a bad idea, it only leads to frustration when you "stay within" your calories and dont lose weight because you've been fudging in your favor.

good luck!

To echo what Michelle, there is no dietician, nutritionist, doctor, website, someone "who's been there done that", genie or psychic reader that can give you that number. We're all experiments of one and need to find out for ourselves the "correct number". Found out by trial and error. But here is where I do differ with Michelle, I would not start out that high. IMO, and it's only my opinion, I would start out at about 1600 calories. "Usually" and again there is no way to know for sure, those higher numbers are for the over 250 plus crowd, but hey, you never know. I also believe if you were to start out that high in a very short while you may be frustrated because you've stalled out. Provided they're high quality calories, you can eat a TON of food with those 1600 calories, keeping yourself highly satisfied and full.

Again agreeing with Michelle and Julia as well. Be accurate. If you're going to do this, then you may as well do it "correctly". To do so any differently will only end up leading to no weight loss and frustration and you stating that "this just isn't working". Remember, the program works IF you work the program. You owe it to yourself to take the time and effort to do it "right".

Check out one of the many online calorie counting websites to get you start. Livestrong.com, fitday.com, thedailyplate.com are just a few.

Don't dread doing this. Get excited about it and look forward to it, as it's a means to get you to be that slim, trim and healthy person you deserve to be.

Just remember that motivation cannot get you to your goal. Motivation is fleeting like the wind, it comes and goes and you can't control it.

What you can control is committment. Stop waiting around for motivation to come, and do something that WILL work.

I'm a blonde too and I don't have a problem with counting calories. Sure it seems tedious at first, and it's an extra step to weigh and measure your food but it's the only thing that will make you aware of how much you're eating.

I like this quote!

I'm going to echo the calorie counting. I use www.mydailyplate.com and track my calories that way.

LOVE it!

i tried to lose weight for 2 years with no success, i kept gaining. i finally came to terms with my demons and now i've got my head on straight. my point is, don't give up, keep fighting. i finally figured out that drinking regular pop was keeping me from losing any weight.

Im another to echo the calorie counting, or at least SOME FORM of diet control....not just "cutting out" here and "cutting down" there. I know for me personally, i worked out like a FIEND for over THREE YEARS--faithfully---everyday at the gym, and i never could really lose a pound. It wasnt until i started eating REALLY Clean, and following a strict diet (eating regime, lifestyle change) whatever you want to call it, that the weight FINALLY started coming off......we are all different...... I always weigh and measure EVRYTHING. you have to, especially at first. And planning out your meals in advance is a MUST!! I cut up all my veggies for the week, and cook up a bunch of chicken breats and turkey burgers on Sunday afternoon. It takes a while, but then i have lunches and quick dinners ready to go! I measure out and put together my lunches and breakfasts EVERYNIGHT while im preparing dinner...... it takes time, dedication, and commitment, but, on a weightloss journey we cant leave anything up to chance!!

Your whole post was spot on. But the part about planning is certainly worth highlighting. The same was/is true for me. Eating healthy simply won't happen by chance. It won't happen on it's own. It's got to be thought out IN ADVANCE. Planning, coupled with the calorie counting - is a recipe for success, IMO.