I lost 6 lbs and some blood pressure points, yeah!

Thank you for the examples. It does make it seem that like you can easily achieve 1500 calories and have a little snack here and there. I have read that if you want to loose weight it is important to eat 6 light meals a day rather than 3 huge ones. Maybe that is what I need to start focusing on. I don't have a ton to loose~ I'd be happy with 10-15 pounds. I wonder if I would have to do a 1000 calorie a day rather than 1500.

Find out from a Doctor what the right amount of calories for you would be. It depends on the individual. If you go too low, you can make yourself sick. If you go too high, you won't loose weight. Also a nutritionist can help you. Like I said, these aren't the greatest examples due to my finances right now, but even half broke, I can still do 1,500 calories, just maybe not enough fruits and veggies. Also my husband has to quit giving me junk food. At 1,500 calories, I end up missing out on a food group. Once a week, that's OK, but daily, it can be a problem. Always start a diet by talking to your Doctor. I tried to be a vegetarian without talking to my Doctor first. Big mistake. I had a tumor that was taking my red blood cells, I needed more iron, not less. Some for the tumor and some for me. By the time it was figured out, I was really anemic. So be careful and take care.

Here's another example: Milk 80 OJ 120 Donut 210 Walnuts 200 2 bread 160 1 cheese 110 1 apple 100 2 tbls peanut butter 210 1 bread 80 lentils and onions 260 a little ketchup (free food, but does have 15 calories) I need more veggies in my house, but 2 fruit, 2 veggies, 3 protein, 3 carbs/2 starches, 1 1/2 calcium, but nuts also have some and I take a multi-vitamen with calcium, esp. on days I don't get enough. You can probably do a better job on your own instead of trying to follow mine. If I get some money, there are pre-made diets that are diabetic (you don't have to be diebetic to use them) that do a better job and they're geared to whatever calorie intake you need. If Phil would quit brining home junk food, I'd do better. The donut was him, otherwise, I would have had fruit cocktail or youghurt, but this does show how you can work cheating in and still stay within calories, but you may be shorting yourself on nutrition. Take care

I've been lifting for a year, but not that reular. I also have some extra-weight on my belly (probably from drinking), which I shed but did not work or maybe I still lack on discipline. I still do lift weights, I have my own equipments here in our house and this is where I mostly do my regiments. I'm thinking of consulting nutritionists or dieticians, since I can't really wear fit shirts without my belly bulging under it!=)

Yes, I consulted a nutritionist after seeing my Doctor. That way the right number of calories. Since you're not overweight, probably nothing needed to change. Seems like running plus weightlifting would create more muscle. How long did you try? I did a 12 week program once, and each thing took its own time. Like shoulder muscles took 4 weeks before I saw some improvement, but 8 weeks I started to see definition. By 12, they were the best they could be. 10 weeks before any real changes in my stomach and upper thighs. Also legs and arms took the full 12 weeks. I rotated muscle groups for weights according to the program. 12 is about the least amount of time for weight lifting to see a change in most people. But three months, you're supposed to be Fit for Life or Body for Life, have all the habbits down and keep going. I quit all the habbits I had developed. So I still need to work on discipline and perseverence. That's why I need encouragement. That was a few years ago that I did Body for Life. I don't know why I quit, I feel better, have more energy, and look better. I guess I just want to stuff my face and lay around! Take care and thanks for your response.

Try to get a diet and exercise plan from your Doctor or a nutritionist and a Physical Therapist or a Personal Trainer. Also, don't expect miracles overnight. It often takes 12 weeks of diet and exercise before you see a difference. The first week, with my body type and with the reduction in salt, I usually loose fast, but after that, I level off. Take care

I've used caloriecount.com before. Wonderful site! Yes, with the wrong foods in the house, it is very difficult to get the proper nutrition. Right now, money is tight, so I'm having trouble, too. I just bought some carrots for my vegetables--35 calories per portion and my husband bought me some orange juice for my fruit--120 calories, but I wish he had bought high pulp. We have some canned fruits left. So I'm close to the same boat right now. Thank you very much for your response and we will keep working on this and encouraging each other. Take care

I was in a car accident, so it hasn't been until recently that I could exercise. I used to be fit, too, mostly when I was a lot younger. Next month, I'll be 50 and I will be fit again. Can't ride anything except recumbent bikes, knees aren't good. Heriditary problem, all our knees go bad, so the recumbents take pressure off the knees. We do better at swimming. Walking works well and I've been doing more of that. Strangely enough, I do well with stair climbing, real stairs, the stair climber gizmos are as bad as bikes for me. Trying to drink more water, but our water is bad and I can't afford to buy a gallon a day plus food. But I'm trying to find more work. Thank you for the congratulations, I need encouragement. Take care

Thanks! The right amount of calories for loosing weight for my body type and size plus increasing my activity. Not much of a secret. Take care

If I eat carbs at lunch time, I have to go to bed by 2, so I know what you're saying. Drink water with every meal to avoid dehydration. There is a scale that tells muscle versus fat. Let's say you weigh 180 today with 32% fat, the scale will tell you that. Then tomorrow, you weigh 182 with 30% fat (you just lost 2 percent fat), it will tell you. I bought it at GNC. It's digital and the first reading is weight, the second is muscle mass. I'm doing great on 6 meals a day. The nutritionist took my frame into consideration. I'm heavier boned due to poly cystic ovarian syndrome, I have more testosterone than most women. It's good that you know a lot about yourself. So now you know to only eat carbs at a certain time of day. Take care and good luck.

You go girl! Seriously, I didn't know you were loosing weight, too. Great! In my life, I have gotten every part of me firm except for my abs. Even when I was a Martial Artist working out 3 x s a week for 3 hrs each time, I still had a budgy gutt. I look at all the fitness models and body builders and I wonder what my muscles look like underneath the fat pouch. This year, I want to find out which one of those bellies looks like mine, or if I have my own variation of a 6 - pack. I do plenty of crunches, I just don't stick with a diet long enough to see them. This time, I want to go all the way to flat abs! Since Halloween, that's more months than I've stuck to diet and exercise before, I want to really do it this year. Congrats on sticking with it and on firming everything up. That's not easy at our ages, but slow and steady wins the race. We can do it. Thanks for responding and the encouragement. 13 pounds, way to go!

I'm working on it... its just all so new to me!I didn't have a lot of trouble keeping the weight off... even after all my surgeries I stablized at 140, and stayed there for over 10 years! I was very active with the house, the yard, my crafts, grandkids... breaking my wrist started me on a slippery slope, and taking care of Pop was the last straw... when I hurt my back and went through all that stress, the belly fat just piled on! My blood pressure has been going up, and there is heart disease on both sides of the family... I don't want to have to deal with any more problems, so in a way, this may be the easiest way to avoid hassles!LOL!