Hi Kneed,

I tried everything as well, including calorie counting and diet pills until I found a book at Sam's Club called the Belly Fat Cure by Jorge Cruise which places an emphasis on cutting down on sugar. Since I discovered that sugar was EXACTLY what was making and keeping me fat, it has all been downhill from there.

The Belly Fat Cure is about eating less than 15 grams of sugar a day and eating 6 servings of carbs (a serving is an item up to 20 grams). Check it out, read the reviews on amazon, etc. There is also a BFC thread in the carb counters forum.

I am 24 years old, I love to go out and be social and have drinks and party food. I also love eating out at restaurants and this is the most easy and effective eating plan I have ever come across (for me anyway). I have not cheated ONCE since March 1, 2010. Check it out if it interests you!!

I wish I knew the answer! Losing weight is easy. I know, I've done it a bunch of times. Continuing to lose weight is the hard part, and I still haven't figured that part out. That mind set is the tricky part.

Here's what I'm trying THIS time: not much. I'm keeping track of my calories, but I don't actually have a set plan for how many to eat. I'm avoiding junkfood, but I've had a few chips here or there. I had cake on my birthday. I haven't really started an exercise regimen, although I have gone for a few walks and bike rides.

Every other time I've tried to lose weight I've convinced myself that really it was a lifestyle change, but in the end it was just a diet. So I'm not pushing myself quite so hard this time, in the hopes that I can make the small changes I'm making stick. I know there's plenty more I should probably be doing, but I can work on that further down the road.

good idea zoodoo some people just need to take things slow. little changes will add up over time. just don't let yourself fall into the "all or nothing" attitude a lot of people fall into. do what you can and just focus on creating one or two new habits a week and before you know it you will see some real changes happening. :)

Wowwww THANK YOU ALL SOOO MUCH!!!!

You guys are all so great, thank you so much for all of your responses.

Heather: I checked out TOPS...i had never even heard of it before! It looks interesting and I might go check it out! There is a meeting about a mile away from my house. Thank you so much for the information.

fatburner77: You're right, i guess with me its always been all or nothing. Which is a huge problem bc my mentality growing up was...do your best or its not good enough. So through this thread and all of your great responses, I think i've realized that i dont have to be extreme to do my best and once in a whlie i can still enjoy a moderate amout of Doritos! =)

may77 - I did get my thyroid checked mainly because my mom has thyroid issues. But a large part of my weight gain was from anti-depressants i was taking for a while. So sorry to hear about your possible diagnosis. I know that having thyroid issues or PCOS can be very difficult. But keep your head up and fight through it. I know there are many threads on here with other women who have dealt with those issues and have been able to lose tons of weight!

JohnP - Thank you so much for taking the time to write back. I can see how it can be upsetting. I tried diet pills in the past and i havent taken them for yearsss. But now when walk past them in the drugstore Ill consider them for a second, but then realize it did nothing for me back then and its just a shortcut...and I have definitely came to realize...there are no short cuts in weight loss. I think im going to look into Atkins or fitday. again thank you so much! :)

krampus: Thank you for your advice. Its like anytime I have a bad day, i just give up, as if its the end of the world and I've failed again. It makes it hard to pick myself up again. My problem was that I wanted immediate results, but I know that with this journey, its not possible, so just one day at a time..

shannonmb: Thank you so much for sharing that story about your friend. Along with everyone else's comments it really opened up my eyes. I really do need to start working on my work ethic...just another thing i need to do...one day at a time.

Brooklynn: There are days where im counting calories....and ill still be hungry too!! I think im going to take a look at the Aktins diet. Does it involve a lot of cooking? You're almost one Onederland!! Keep up the amazing work! :)

Txalupa: I have never heard of that book, but its something I'll look into! I have a hugeee sweet tooth, so it should come in handy!. And congrats on not having cheated for an entire year! Thats amazing! You look great! Thank you so much for your reply.

zoodoo613: Looks like we are on the same boat! At this point, because I am in the same boat at you, I would recommend posting on these forums and just being honest. With this thread alone I have realized so much about myself and weight loss. Good luck! =)

Again, thank you all for you're replies. It means a lot for you to take time and reply back. :) Good luck to all of you on your amazing journeys!