GO GIRL!!!!! You can do this hot momma!

*busting out the pompoms* Don't make me get out the cheer skirt and do my Spartans routine!! I have faith in you my happygirl, you will get there

"Always be a first-rate version of yourself, instead of a second-rate version of somebody else." ~Judy Garland

You CAN do this!

I'm a few inches taller than you, but had a freak out one day when my scale was WAY too close to 200 lbs. So, I started making habit changes much like you described. I traded the chips in for carrots, donuts for fruit, etc. It WILL make a difference! I lost 25 lbs in 1 year just by making good eating decisions (I couldn't find time to exercise). It was a slow and healthy process. And the eating changes became permanent. Since then, I've had 2 children and I am still maintaining my weight. I have so much more energy when I eat right and I no longer crave the yucky, greasy junk foods.

Good luck to you! Remember that your body is a temple. Love it and take good care of it!

YOU CAN DO IT!!!!!!!!! I KNOW YOU CAN!! And if Barbie has to get out the skirt so will I and if you see me in a short skirt then I PROMISE you will be shamed into doing it if nothing else!!!

Seriously, I am very proud of you for admitting all this out in the open and I'll be right here to encourage you along the way!!!

Eating healthy is tough at first.
There is so many easier ways to eat. But it's all junk.

My wife and I are doing the Herbalife diet.
We are loosing weight. Eating healthy, feeling more energy!
Unbelievable I know...

We are in a weight loss challenge. this helps the motivation.
But the cool thing is the nutrition you learn from Herbalife.
they don't care what diet you use, you can use any diet, but they teach you nutrition and how it works.
And in a nut shell all I had to do was learn my calorie needs for a day of doing nothing. No exercise.
And I took that and reduced my daily calorie needs by 500 calories. so instead of a 2000 calorie diet I eat 1500.

Now here is the kicker.
LOW FAT (hard to do I know)
High protein. (also hard to do)

I here is how I calculated my daily needs.
1500 divided by 4 = 375
So I eat aprox a 375 calorie meal for breakfast lunch and diner
Now the other 375 left over is for healthy snacks and protein bars.

I eat 6 snacks a day and I eat every hour and 45 min.
And I am never hungry.
And i am not kidding I have been the winner every week at our weight loss challenge.
I am loosing on ave 2-3 pounds a week.
I know men are lucky in terms of weight loss. It just happens easier for us.
But still.

Be a crack head. pull out the calculator and do the math.
Prepare to always have everything so you never run out of healthy foods, or Mcdonalds will help you with your diet!

We also started doing the Wii Fit Plus.
It kicks ass!

We are right here to support you! I lost 75 pounds about 10 years ago. It has gradually crept up on me and I have regained 20. So I'm trying to concentrate on eating healthier. I herniated a disc in my back in September and so can't do much in the way of exercise until it heals, so dietary changes are the only way for me for now. Keep us updated!

I'm extremely overweight too...hence the reason I am walking with you! I HAVE to have a buddy, or I wont do it. Diets also don't work for me....I just end up thinking about my weight and food all the time. I am slowly changing things, so hopefully it will get better.

i hope we both can lose some much needed weight!!!!!!

OneHappy - You can do this!! And the most fun part will be SHOPPING for new clothes!!!

And I have to say, that I would think arthritis and being in pain would make exercise difficult. Are you on medication? My mom is on Methotexate, and while it is really harsh on the system, it has helped her arthritis immensely.

I know you can do this. You sound motivated and you have goals. PLUS - you sound like you got a little somethin' somethin' extra pushing you!!

One day at a time girl... YOU can do it!!

*** A rainbow just threw up on me... and now I'm sh*tting glitter! ***

Onehappygirl and Sia - you can both do it!!! You've all ready done the hard part. You've admitted you have a problem with no excuses and you have a plan!! Go, go, go!!!

"God is great, beer is good, and people are crazy" and you can't change crazy!!

You can do it!!!

I have arthritis also and was told by my doctor to do yoga, pilates, or simply walk. All of these exercises do good things for you body.

Lean Cuisine Pizzas are pretty darn good. And Smart Ones Chocolate Chip Sunday is Awesome!!! There are alot of good low sugar and fat free chocolate products out there, you should give them a shot. I have alot of experience with dieting, lol. Weight Watchers and exercise worked best for me.

Good Luck

"If I turn into another, Dig me up from under what is covering the better part of me" -Incubus

I am in the same boat as you. I am slightly shorter than you and weigh a tiny bit less, but am still in a size 20 petite jeans. I want to start working out for all the same reasons as you. My fiance loves me just the way I am and loves my body, but he is HOT, and I would love to be able to go out with him without feeling like I must have trapped him by getting pregnant or something lol. I think my downfall is I have 7 children at home full time, and I am super busy, and get stuck eating the kids convenience foods quite often.

So me too! me too! I wanna work out too!

Don't be afraid to reward yourself. I've actually talked about this with my doctor because I've lost too much wait and really have no interest in eating. She said that if I set baby-step goals for myself to encourage me to eat and I meet them, there's no shame in rewarding myself. Set realistic goals and you might have fun meeting them knowing that you're going to treat yourself. Good luck!!

"There are two things over which you have complete dominion, authority, and control over - your mind and your mouth".

You can do this. I have no magical cures or words of wit, I've struggled all my life to maintain my weight, I'm one of those girls who if she's see's a burger gains weight (before eating it!) ... anyways, all kidding aside, of course diet and excercise is important, but so is loving yourself just as you are. It sounds cliche, but the happier we are with ourselves right now, the easier it is to not need things like food to fill the void... there is a saying 'think thin'..and although I know it's not easy to think thin when you feel large... it works. So think.. hey.. "I'm one happy girl, I'm hot, I'm good, I'm awesome"..or whatever you want to say, and say it every morning, and force yourself to write down one thing a day that you like about yourself... you'll be fine!

We're with you, OHG!!!!!

The nice thing is that you live somewhere WARM! I live in MN, and right now it's too freaking cold to go out and exercise. Winter's what kills me -- I'm cold all the time, so I just want to carb load and chew on sides of beef.

Walking is AMAZING -- if you can build up to an hour a day, and eat right, the pound will melt off, and your legs will look amazing!

BB

You are not second best, you are not second class. Do not ever let anyone make you feel that way. - 2BLoved

Hey! I'm 5'4"...how come petite jeans r too darned short on me? Then I go for the regular women's size 8 and end up w jeans too long...I have to take them to my tailor to get them to fit right. Am I in the wrong petite department? Lol I end up w really short jeans then end up wearing them as summer pants w flipflops. "Always be a first-rate version of yourself, instead of a second-rate version of somebody else." ~Judy Garland

Just wanted to jump in with my congrats to you for bearing your soul and committing to a healthier you!

So...I'm in the same boat. I'm normally (almost) 5'4 and 125pounds. In less than a year I shot up to 180!!! Stress, depression, uhhg!

I recently joined a gym (have only gone for the assessment) and the trainer, who also has a degree in nutrition, recommended The Paleo Diet.

I've been on it for a month (with a little break...okay a long break over Christmas) and I've lost 10 pounds without increasing my activity level at all.

I won't go into it all, but with a little planning and re-thinking how you eat (steak for breakfast?!?) it isn't that hard. I'm never hungry and actually felt kinda' high the first week I was on it...tonnes of energy!

I also take liquid iron now, as the trainer said all women should be on an iron supplement. I feel great with lots of energy! Now all I need to do is find the motivation to work out instead of spending said energy on the Internet!

Good luck OneHappyGirl and Sia! Keep us posted on your progress!

***Life - It's not a rehearsal***