Don't worry if you have a bad week or a bad few days. Think long term, not short.

And GOOD LUCK!!!

good sleep is your friend! menu sounds good, maybe I'll join you

One more pound and I'll be down 20 from Halloween. I did take a break over xmas (family dinners, cooking, treats). I watched what I ate, but as long as I exercised, I allowed myself to splurge some. I stayed status quo -- which is what I was aiming for. Now I'm gearing up for my next drop! I kicked the walking up a notch and have started back really pushing the veggies and lean protein.

I was 264, now 245..... Onward and downward!

Sooo ... git movin'!

I suggest paying more attention to the tape measure rather than the scales though.

Although I need to lose a lot more weight than you to get down to where the height/weight chart says I should be. My initial goal is to lose the weight I gained when I quit smoking- about 30 pounds.

This was my first day as well. I've done good so far. I'm going to have a big salad for dinner.

I have dieted most of my life. I am now 76 years old and it is not so difficult any more because I don't have much of an appetite in my old age. The only food I pig out on is ice cream.

I've lost 60lbs since August of last year.

Some of the same things you are doing now, common sense stuff. I do the juice in the morning too (Breville has the best Juicer - Apple/Kale/Celery/Cucumber/Ginger).

I have not knowlingly touched anything with high fructose corn syrup in it. If anything, HFCS is normally found in poorly made, processed food so if you see HFCS in it then skip it. But here's the shocker - it's in alot of stuff that could shock you. Like Pepperidge Farm 40 calorie Wheat Bread and Slim Fast shakes. Recent studies released show that the excessive fructose in HFCS actually disrupts your bodies ability to feel full which is why people whose diet is high in processed food tend to be heavier in weight. There was a great documentary about how this is why this is causing weight gain in low income families - so many of these families rely on food from places like The Dollar Store where it's cheap but it's all processed/chemicalized. The lack of nutrition and overabundance of chemicals are actually a key aspect as to why these kids are gaining weight even if the families are on a fixed income.

Also, stop using artificial sweeteners. Again - there have been studies that show excessive use in these products can actually go against losing weight. Splenda has been show to affect the natural yeast in your system which might actually increase your hunger, not decrease it. If you need sweetners try something natural like Stevia or Monkfruit (both made from plants like sugar cane but lower in calories).

And last but not least, learn this phase - thanks but I'm just sticking to my plan of 'eating healthy and reading labels'. It seems everyone and their mother when they realize you are losing weight will want to chime in with their bad tips on how to lose weight with every bad weight loss plan known to mankind. It is annoying as hell especially when the people giving you the tips probably could lose weight themselves. I just learn to do this 'nod and smile' because I don't want to use fad diets to lose weight - I want to be a healthier person. I know I'm giving you advice but I like you - I want to do it healthy and with no gimmicks.

most of us are just trying to get through the day the best we can. I avoid farmer's markets because of social anxiety - - the ones around me are packed and full of kids ( don't like kids). I do get to the regular grocery stores on off hours. Income is limited so no fancy shmancy gluten-free organic shit for me.

Once I started eating healthier and eliminating the junk food I found myself actually buying LESS food. My bi-weekly shopping bills went from $100 to almost half of that and that new price included me switching to healthier organic foods in many cases.

Things I found when shopping organic.

Skip Whole Foods - they really do charge a premium for organic.

Many regular grocery stores have organic food lines that are reasonably priced. I found the best grocery chains with organic lines is Giant Foods. A loaf of their organic bread is about 20 cents more than the brand name regular breads. I can manage those costs.

Even if Organic is pricey there are other options such as all-natural or cage-free. Those labels means there is a chance that there are pesticides in the food (most farmers try not to use pesticides) but the product is still usually GMO-free, anti-biotic free and raised humanely. Also means it is lower in price. Organic means the food is raised in a way that it cannot be contaminated by pesticide, which isn't the easiest thing to do - a nearby non-organic field could actually contaminate a field trying to be 'organic' thus losing the branding. So going with the lesser labels could save you some money and still be healthier than the corporate processed brands.

There are some things I prefer going organic/all-natural over others. Fruits & veggies are nice but not as critical as protiens and dairy. Maybe someone might think otherwise but that's how I roll.

Trader Joe's is awesome for buying Organic/All-natural at regular store brand prices. And as a rule of thumb - they do not sell anything GMO in their stores.

Don't fret when you hit a plateau...you will start dropping again.

I'm down to 191 and falling.

It can be done!

I'm following this diet:

http://www.chewfo.com/diets/the-fast-metabolism-diet-by-haylie-pomroy-2013-what-to-eat-and-foods-to-avoid-food-list/

I am totally amazed with the results, and it does not feel like a diet at all.

Must. Have Coffee. It's only one to two cups per morning but I gotta have it.

But my spouse convinced me. The diet says you only have to follow it for 28 days. So I said, what the heck, I can live without coffee for 28 days. 15 days into the diet and I'm not missing either coffee or alcohol. It was very surprising to me how easily I was able to switch from drinking coffee in the morning to herbal infusions. Chamomile, spearmint, lemongrass, hibiscus.

You can do it. Keep us updated.

I've dropped 52 pounds in over six months with nothing more than a change in diet and portion control. It can be done as long as you focus on eating the right things in the right quantities. The rest just falls into place.

Good for you to make the decision to permanently change.

I'm trying the same tactic. I'm female, 51, and in menopause. Man, the metabolism has slowed down

And looking and feeling younger than I have in years.

Keep us updated.

We'll be waiting

My advice is to do one day of a fun exercise like hiking or playing a sport.

time and don't always have time to juice considered Naked Berry Veggie. Sooooooo Good! Also sometimes juicing takes more time than making smoothies because of the clean up. So I alternate between juice and smoothie.

Also you can juice for about 3 days and should be good. That came from the 'Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead' guy.

then the pouns start coming off again, so don't give up the fight!

I cannot do such restrictive diets for more than a couple weeks. Then I gain the weight back plus more. Best I can do is cut out pastries, pizza, burgers, etc., keep my dark chocolate, and walk about an hour a day. I just feel too deprived if I diet then I get pissed off, etc. Being 51 and in menopause and grieving the loss of sister and mom just makes it harder. My mom gained weight after menopause and I am too.
Good luck, hope to hear how it goes!

Portion control, exercise, and nutrition are the best way to go. I've lost a massive amount in a short time, but my circumstances are unique. The best time of weight loss I ever had was 30 # in 3 months, and the first month I actually gained weight. I changed to muscle mass from fat, but I lost inches during that time.

The things I can recommend:

Don't cut out all fats; you need some. I cut out almost all fat, and my gall bladder went China Syndrome. I didn't know to keep the RIGHT types of fat in my diet.

Exercise is important. It will change fat to muscle, and you will feel fantastic with what you are able to do and how you feel. Be careful to do something that is not damaging to your joints, and work up from small amounts of exercise to more in quantity and quality.

Keep hydrated. Plenty of water help flush out fatigue toxins and keeps your electrolytes balanced.


Good luck, and stay in it for the long run.

I lost 108 lbs. 267 down to 159. It took me about 4 years. I basically lost 2 lbs. a month, if I gained a couple that was okay, the next month I might lose 3 or 4 instead of 2.

Good luck, keep it up.

If you get stuck, frustrated, angry, sad, etc at your progress. I insist you drop me a pm. It's all good. My wife and have seen a few through their goals. It doable, no doubt. The road you are on is rough, and less traveled. But take the word of a traveler, and reach for help when you need it.

Cut out sodas, then quit bringing junk food home. Start replacing meat with meatless meals. Keep thinking, "It's a lifestyle change, not a DIET." DIET is the worst four-letter word of all.

I started changing things up in June last year and have lost 52 pounds. My exercise is Leslie Sansone walking videos, they were perfect for someone like me who was a total couch potato. My goal is to lose 70 to 75 pounds, so I have a bit to go, but I don't feel I'm "stuck" in a diet.

Good luck to you! Let us know how you get along. And if you get discouraged, let us know. Support is a great thing.

AND DRINK LOTS OF WATER!!!