me too...still got some of my baby weight on! And its been 6 MONTHS!

"Nobody will ever win the battle of the sexes. There's too much fraternizing with the enemy"

"To Thine Own Self Be True" William Shakesphere

off. And I am planning to lose about 475 lbs. as soon as I get a job (H & his d's!)

Seriously, the only thing that has ever worked for me is not dieting...exercising. Specifically, running and lifting weights.

I ballooned up to 160 due to a 4-year-long alcoholic binge - when you're putting down 2 bottles of wine a night, that's a lot of calories.

I can't recommend what made me lose the weight - I went to Iraq for 5 months, crappy food and 120 degree days made me lose 20 lbs. (I had dropped 10 prior)But I did lose another 5 lbs after I came home.

I try to stay away from sugar and carbs, the sugar crash makes me eat more. I eat the same thing a lot, but I try to stay with smaller portions and healthy stuff. I cook from scratch a lot because I enjoy it and that way I know exactly what I'm eating. It's cheaper too. A typical day's menu:

1/2 c plain yogurt with a little Splenda, a couple Tbsp fruit, and 1/2 c Kashi Go Lean

A baggie of raw veggies, no dip

A spinach salad with mushrooms, tomatoes, chickpeas, and balsamic vinagrette

String cheese

A smallish container of leftovers - spaghetti, casserole, chili, etc.

3-5 L water.

I seriously think portion control is a big issue, especially when you've already cut out junk food. One of the reasons SD is obese is because she doesn't realize she's eating more than my DH. A lot of water helps you feel full and is good for you. DH helps a lot by making lunches the night before so I can just grab and go, and I cook on the weekend only. Packaging large lots of whatever individually makes it easier to grab and go during the week.

My mom did South Beach 4 years ago - went from 150 to 120 and loved what she was eating.

~Trish

A guy was telling me about this cabbage soup diet he was on. That's all he ate, cabbage soup.

One night he went to work at the coal mines, was already into his coveralls and boots, then crapped his pants...more like filled them up all the way to his neck and down into his boots. He swore he lost 30lbs right there. He was thankful he had a change of clothes in his locker.

Needless to say, the coveralls and boots ended up in the trash.

slimfast worked for me and riding my recombant bike and doing some pilates and other exercises. Now if I could just get back in that routine.

One fun form of exercise is belly dancing. It's simple and you don't have to be ultra thin to do it. In fact any kind of dancing works.

Yep I sure do...I have lost alot of weight with Sparkpeople.com. It's a really great health, fitness, and weightloss community! Its kinda like a my space for healthy living!! It's much better then weight watchers on line and it's FREE...

I follow the spark people diet, get in at least 30 minutes of cardio every day, do "Body Pump" classes three days a week, drink a gallon of water a day, and do Karate three to four evenings a week..I do not snack or eat after 7:00 pm. I have cut out sugar and only cosume complexe carbs..No white bread, white pasta, white rice ect. (Though I do indulge in a peice of sour dough toast once in a blue moon.)

If you decide to try it let me know and I will email you my user name on there so you can add me to your friends..

Good luck,

Disgusted

I joined a Weight Watchers at work program-but WW is expensive-lost about 20 lbs-I do low impact aerobics, treadmill (in the cold Canadian winters!) and walk my dogs-

I am interested in that Sparkpeople.com-sounds good!

Step Parenting – you might need to step back before you step in something!

IF you want to lost it and keep it off, it takes a lifestyle change. I have lost 35 pounds since last december and kept it off. I am 5'6' and weigh 150. A little more than what the books say i should weigh, but a lot of it is muscle mass now.

I had to do a 360 on how i ate. I no longer purchase the chips, soda, unhealthy snacks and cookies.

Fresh fruit and veggies. I make sure i eat at least two servings of each daily. Leaner cuts of meat, fish, and salads. Everyone in the house eats it becuase that is all that i buy. They have no choice.

I do not eat red meat on a regular basis - and if i do - maybe 1 - 2 times maybe every 2 - 3 months - they are lean, thin, less fat cuts.

I purchased a grill that i use to cook my meats. No oil used. Fat free Pam on the grill. I use garlic, herbs, and different seasonings for flavor, sometimes lemon or lime juice. I use turkey meat for alot of other dishes. And eat a lot of brown and yellow rices. Besides that every meal is served with at least two veggies.

I make sure i always have more veggies than meat or anything else on my plate. Once i am full, i stop eating, and only drink real fruit juices and water. I drink skim milk, and if i want a soda - i may pour a little ginger ale into fruit juice for a little fizz.

I cook normally, 5 nights a week, and try to eat healthy when we eat out. If i pick something fried, I eat a salad first to ensure i don't over eat the fried stuff.

I feel that if i eat healthy during the week. I can pig out a bit on the weekends. I eat whatever i like on sundays - which is family day and I don't feel bad about it. We usually eat out that day.

It is so much easier to eat right - when you only buy healthy foods in the house. It took some getting used to but I feel so much better.

Also eating oatmeal in the morning - helps to keep you from being ravening hungry at the middle and end of day. Buying thinner cuts of meat, take less time to cook and most of my dinners are done cooking in 30 minutes. Beans and rice also help fill one up with more protein and less fat.

Besides that - after 8 pm. If I find myself hungry. I eat fruit. Plums and Apples are great as late night snacks with a glass of water. Banana chips work well when you want chips and a crunch.

Then i work out at least 30 - 45 minutes 3 - 4 times a week.

It works - My husband and my choles are both below 160. Blood pressures are both under 120. And our skin have cleared up wonderfully.

It takes a lot at first to change, but once you do, and start to notice the changes - it feels great.

If you work - take your breakfast and lunch with you if possible. Keeps you from munching. Set dinner out in the fridge - so when you get home - you can cook and eat within an hour - keeps the fast foods away.

It works and you will feel great.

Dance Dance Revolution! I got it for the playstation 2 and even FH plays with me. It's a competition and he's very competitive (I think most men are) so we've played for hours before. He threatened to kill me if I ever told anyone he plays, now he thinks it's a hoot, he'll tell anyone and challenge them at it. The kids like it too, though, they aren't as good as we are.
I lost about 30 pounds when I first met FH probably because I was no longer depressed. Fell in love and left the cloudy Pacific northwest for sunny Texas. Haven't gained any of it back. I lived in Washington for 3 years and during the rainy season I would stuff my face constantly with fast food. Probably had seasonal affective disorder or whatever it's called.
I guess what I'm trying to say is, I know exactly the toll that depression can take on your weight. Short of pulling out of your funk on your own, have you considered talking to your doctor about the depression? It's SO hard to motivate yourself to any positive lifestyle changes when you're depressed.

SM where in Washington did you live? I lived in Tacoma for 3 years.