Hi Sportmom, Elisa, and anyone else who's interested.
I don't use Fitday, so I can't oblige the request for a link. I do, however, track my calories assiduously. My average during the time I was losing fat (July-October) was around 1300 cals per day, with a roughly even split of fat, protein, and carbs, by percentage. My average calories in the last month have undoubtedly gone up, both because I'm shifting to maintenance mode and because of various work & family "social eating" obligations.
A typical weekday in losing mode looks a lot like this:
B: whey protein, 1/2 c. cottage cheese + fruit of the day, 2-3 c. of coffee w/ cream or milk or mix
L: large veggie only salad w/ EVOO+balsamic vinegar dressing, 1-3 oz. lean protein (tuna, leftover chicken, Krab, 98% FF cold cuts, hard-boiled egg)
S: apple w/ peanut butter, whey, or baby carrots & hummus
D: 3-4 oz lean protein or salmon, two different kinds of veggies
S: fruit or applesauce, hot cocoa if I need a sweet fix
The big change for me has been cutting out refined carbs. I don't even eat a lot of whole grains or potatoes, because it's hard for me to limit my portions on these foods. Instead, I get my fiber from veggies.
I haven't cut alcohol entirely because I lurrv a good IPA. However, I only have alcohol when I'm out with friends, which means that there are a lot of weeks when I don't have any. Alcohol, not friends
.
As for exercise, I pretty much follow Krista Scott Dixon's suggested
4-day split, except I try to lift 5 days a week instead of 4. When I lift, I emphasize compound movements and use free weights. I don't think I've used a machine since I started doing unassisted pullups.
When I'm in fat-losing mode, I also try to do 1-2 days a week of cardio, usually interval training. However, I find most forms of indoor cardio to be terminally boring, and hence avoid it as much as possible. I usually try to build some activity into my "off" day or days, usually hiking, gardening, and/or playing with The Boy.
I should also say that although I'm only about 5 months into my current fat loss project, I've been lifting for about 10 years. Some phases were more active (e.g., grad school), others less so (e.g., late pregnancy & immediately thereafter). But, I definitely wasn't starting from scratch in July. I had a reasonably strong muscle base, but perhaps more importantly, I was able to build more quickly than a beginner because of muscle memory.
Finally, smartmom asked the extent to which I think genetics play a role. It's hard to know, of course, but I certainly didn't start with the worst genetics in the world. My parents are in great shape for their age; then again, they also eat meals that are about 75% vegetables and have very physically active lives. I have fewer obese or overweight aunts/uncles than the average American, but our family reunions don't exactly look like a gathering of sticks, either.
Also on the genetics question, I'm not one of those 2% of women who are blessed with a fast metabolism, or who can put on muscle very easily. If I don't work out and eat clean, I do gain fat. And, although most of my life I've been within the normal range, I did max out in the "overweight" category after after 4 years of beer & pizza in college.
Genetics do play a role (roll? ha ha) in *where* I store fat. I've always had a relatively small waist, even if the defined abs are something new. Instead, I tend to store fat on my upper thighs and butt. So, although I have a 6-pack, I still have a rear-end jiggle. So it goes.
This is probably way too much information.
Hope everyone's day is going well so far!
Be strong,
Kim
.
Big-LOL (at myself)
You look great 
