So it's been about 2 weeks since I started this weight loss journey. It seems like every couple of days I'm changing my weight loss plan/life style changes. I went from oh I'm going to eat 500 calories a day (that was stupid) to let's make it 600, let's make it 700, and so on and I've finally realized after weighing myself today (AND NOT LOSING A SINGLE POUND!) that people are right when they say eating under 1,200 calories a day won't really work. I want to lose weight the healthy way but I'm so impatient! Especially with summer coming.

So my new plan is to eat 1,200 a day (healthy foods, protein, veggies, fruits) and try and work out when I can.

So I know all of our bodies and lives are different but I was just wondering what plans work for all of you? What have you been doing that has worked? What is your plan of attack?

-A can-do attitude with positive reinforcement.
-Following my WeightWatchers PointsPlus food plan.
-Working movement and exercise into my days.
-A regular dose of 3FC.
-Keeping an open mind to allow my plans to change if they need to change.
-More positivity sprinkled along the way!

Overall, never allowing the word "quit" to be a part of the equation in any way.

ETA: Except when I have to say that part of my plan is never quitting... then I'm sort of forced to use the word quit.

1) Take all my meds on time for my various health issues.

2) Take my multivitamin.

3) 1800 cal per day with as close to a 40% carb -30 % protein -30 % fat split as possible.

4) Earn me a PALA.

Right now just activity with a dvd workout... easier to fit in at odd hours. Will work on getting to gym next month.

A.

I love Atkins, I can eat over 1200 calories a day and still lose weight as long as I watch my carbs. I find it easy and I'm never hungry. I've lost 5 lbs so far my first week back on it (I was pregnant last year) and it seems like most people lose quickly on it. I like how the plan is set up and I love how I get to eat on it.

I also like lifting weights, they shape the body and make you look better no matter what the number is you have lost.

I have been eating 1400 calories a day and exercising 6 days a week, at least 30 minutes each day. If I'm still hungry, I do eat back some of my exercise calories, but not every day. So far this has been working well for me! I've been doing this since around the middle of January and have lost 10 pounds.

Plus, I have a friend who is doing this with me, so we are encouraging and motivating each other and holding each other accountable. We've been working out together every day and if one of us says that we don't want to work out, we make each other do it and end up feeling sooo much better afterward! It helps so much to have support and accountability partners.

Well, it's really hard for me, because I'm doing this alone, besides all of the support here at 3FC. I'm trying to find ways to eat right since i'm on a budget, so mostly I just stick to having a larger scoop or veggies and a small portion of pasta during dinner. That's what I did tonight and I feel good about it. I haven't exercised in a few days. I'm a pretty lazy person in general, but I've been thinking of making a list on the pros and cons of getting off my butt and doing the work. I'll read it everyday. I'm 20 and I'm already starting to have health problems. I don't want to just roll over and let bad things happen to me, just because i didn't do anything about it. This is my life and I'm the only one that can change it. Positive thinking!

1200 a day for your height and weight is still really low I eat between 1500-1800 a day and manage to lose on that. I've recently started cycling my calories, since people have told me it helps keep your metabolism up. I spend about 45-60 minutes, 6 days a week exercising. I mix up my exercises and the intensity regularly. Coming on 3FatChicks everyday helps me feel like I need to stay on plan. And not looking at the amount I have to lose, but rather splitting it up into 10 pound mini-goals.

Celebrating every milestone, from exercising, to a day staying on plan, to every pound loss...And always trying to be positive about it. We will get to our goals. Maybe not as quickly as we always want, but we'll hit em good luck on your journey

If you have a smart phone, I heartily recommend the Lose It! app. It has been the easiest way I've ever lost weight - it just clicks for me.

I guess i'm looking for a new plan as well. I was recently in the hospital for diverticulitis, where now I am suppose to be on a high fiber diet. I was doing IP an alternative kinda of thing. I lost 20 pounds. Then I ended up in the hospital last week for six days for diverticulitis. The doctor told me I should stop doing the high protein and no carbs and find a different alternative. I am scared I will gain all 20 pounds back. I was doing fantastic. I am scared to death now to try anything different. I am scoping out some different alternatives I guess. I did weight watchers once and lost 35 pounds in four months. I was thinking about going back to weight watchers or just doing a calorie counting type thing. But, i'm not sure how many calories I would have to eat? I am 5'3 274lbs.

I'm sorry that your diagnosis put a wrench in your plans.

If you're curious about Calorie Counting, you might want to check here to start.

Introducing carbs back into your diet will likely initially cause a gain. This is only due to the way that the human body stores carbs. It's an adjustment gain, but as long as you continue with your plans you'll start to lose weight again.

If you're interested in Weight Watchers, there's a section under Diet Central for questions you might have. Of course, there are also meetings or even Weight Watchers Online that could also provide information about the Plan.

I hope you're able to find what you need during this transition period.

Cool, it's interesting to hear everyone's different methods. I will have to try them and see if they work for me too!

I'm keeping a journal/blog so I can see what works and what doesn't.

Good luck to you all!

I know it's really difficult to do, but the best thing you can do for yourself is try not to be in a hurry. Try not the be impatient.

So many people give up on weight loss efforts not because they aren't losing, but because they aren't losing "fast enough."

You might not be able to be as trim and fit this summer as you would like to be. But if you give up because of that, you won't be as trim and fit as you would like to be next summer, either. If you stick with it, though, even when it seems long and slow and daunting, you have a good shot at being right where you want to be next summer.

So just try to focus on your choices and behaviors, and on developing a plan you can stick with for the long haul. That takes time to do - you won't always know after a few days or a week whether something is "working" or not. It takes time to develop a staple of go-to snacks and meals that fit your tastes and your lifestyle and your plan. If you focus your efforts on these things - and not on whether you are down half a pound today or how far you are from some magical goal weight - the weight will come off in time.

I used to do what you did--started off with a bang, totally motivated, really low calories. That worked for a while but i'd always gain the weight back. This time i'm doing it differently, with tiny small changes. The first thing i did was to eat only protein for breakfast, nothing else. I could have as much meat as i wanted. Well that was good, but i didn't lose weight. Now i'm counting calories and keeping it under 2000 a day. That's not much of a calorie deficit, but i'm going to keep it there and slowly decrease it. I'm in it for the long haul so i don't care if i don't see changes in the scale every day.

My plan of attack started small. First, I decided to cut out fast food and increase fruits & veggies. Then I decided to do Curves 3 times a week. When I almost immediately noticed a difference in how I felt, it evolved to restricting my calorie intake, and going to Curves 5 times a week. I've added some small exercises I do with 3 lb weights every morning for about 15 minutes. Honestly, the more I exercise, the more I feel like exercising, and the more excited I am about how I look and feel. Somewhere along the way I dropped the snacking habit, one of my downfalls. I feel great and I always have "permission" to be less restrictive when I eat out. This only works because I only eat out 2-3 times a month, and I still aim for the better for you stuff on those occasions. It's funny, I will tell myself if I want some great bar food like a juicy burger or some wings, I will have it. Then I get there and there's usually something less deadly that sounds great and I have that. If I do get something more decadent, I'm finding it actually pretty easy to stop after a reasonable amount.

For me, baby steps was the way to go. I feel like my "game", if you call it that, is 90% mental. Success leads to even more motivation, and I have to say I have not really struggled like I did in the past, after the initial couple of weeks. I feel more motivated every day than I did the day before.

I second carter's idea that you have to find what works for *you*, what you are willing/able to do and that you can enjoy --- none of wants to be miserable, just healthier! Ok, and hotter ; )

You're hearing lots of good options here, but you can't "try one" for a couple of weeks and then move on to something else. Unfortunately, it's a slow process!

My 2 cents: for me big changes are easier than incremental ones. I have read Dr. Dean Ornish's books several times (I reread them for motivation/clarification), and I've gone mostly veggie. (I am happy with that as a life change.) I just had oatmeal + PB2 + chopped apple + protein powder for breakfast. The rest of the day I'll have lots of fruit/veggies, a bean dish, one hardboiled egg. I started to FEEL better very quickly, and that makes it easier to stick to the plan. (I cook on weekends and freeze things, btw. It's REALLY important, as you will hear from many folks here, to plan ahead, so that you don't get stuck saying "I'm starving! I'll just go to the drive thru!")