Losing Weight

lol you sound just like me, at my lightest I weighed 103, about 3 years ago...sigh. I weigh about 120 or so now. I was dieting but have in the past week or so fallen off the wagon with working and the remodeling to the house and just not having the time to eat healthier. I was working out, doing cardio and weight training, but have since went to cardio only and noticed my little belly starting to shrink and my clothes are feeling alot looser. I am not certain about a calorie count per day, but I would say I'm around 1000 - 1200.

I do hard cardio 5-6 times a week, and I try to eat healthier. I really enjoy granola with non fat plain yogurt. Or whole wheat english muffins with all natural peanut butter and a banana, and of course, salads with low fat dressing (vinageriatte is my fav.) :)

Anyway, that's what I do...I wouldn't take weight loss pills though, I don't think any are truly good or even help.
 

Cutting down calories and upping exercise helps.  I have to say, though, that if a SO made comments insinuating I should lose weight or looked better before, I would likely lose him as well as the weight.

In the last year I dropped some without really doing much other than the following:

• Eliminating junk food from the house with the exception of one sweet thing (ice cream usually)
• Walking the dogs twice/day for at least 1 mile each time
• Snacking on healthy foods throughout the day vs. only eating when I was absolutely starving (I tend to crave sweets when I'm really hungry) - I eat breakfast around 8:30am, snack at 11ish, lunch around 2pm, snack around 4pm, dinner at 7ish, dessert at 10ish.
• Drinking something first when I do feel hungry - I've heard sometimes thirst can manifest as hunger in some people and it certainly does cut back on how much I eat while making sure I'm well hydrated
• Managing portions: I take less food than I think I want to eat and generally I don't need 2nds because my eyes are bigger than my stomach

I would watch your calorie intake and increase your exercise and skip the diet pills.  Last April I started the Weight Watchers 1, 2 3 and just did that and walking and lost 70 lbs--more than my original goal.  But, I also have to say how tall are you because I'm 5.2 and I'm about 125 and if I was 105 I'd look emaciated.  I guess it depends on your body frame also.  I discovered when I finally found my bones again that they are large. 

Also, walking on trails really helped tone my legs and butt. 

It's also important to find some sort of excercise you really like to do.  I know everyone says that but once you find the one thing that you look forward too, that isn't like a chore for you to do everyday, it's so much easier to stick with it. 

And, drink lots of water.

And, if you mess up one day or eat something you shouldn't at a party, don't beat yourself up over it.  Just turn the page and get back on track the next day. 

And, do this for you and not your boyfriend.  He should be able to handle you putting on a few lbs.  You are going to change as you get older and if you have kids, etc.  He should love you regardless of your size. 

The only weight loss pill that works well is Alli but I don't think you'd qualify.  The others don't work or are really bad.  My FIL tried one, he is still overweight and he got addicted to the pill after a while.

I lost 25 lbs in a few months just by exercising 5 times a week for 45 minutes and keeping a calorie journal.  Originally I had between 1200-1500 calories a day.  Now that I've lost weight and am in shape, I eat more like 2200 even though I don't work out as much and have easily maintained the weight loss since mid-April.

One thing everyone told me was to drink tons of water, but I didn't and it worked out just fine.  Someone showed me a recent study that proved you don't need to drink a lot of water to lose weight.  Different people have different water requirements.  I simply drink when I'm thirsty (which sometimes is only 2 times a day) and losing weight ended up being a lot easier and faster than I thought it would be. 

You don't need diet pills. Cut the fat and sugar out of your diet, but mainly cut the fat. I used to eat ice cream and cookies every day. Pretty much anything I wanted to eat. Since I have been undergoing dental work, including extractions, I have switched my diet. For soft food days, or breakfast, or sometimes lunch, I will have Dannon's light and fit yogurt. And my desserts are now non-fat or sugar-free puddings and jellos. In March, I weighed 253 and my jeans were tight, especially out of the dryer. Now, I weigh around 225 and my pants are hanging on me. I've lost my butt and my gut.

Eat what you want, minus the fat. If you eat fat, it stores as fat.

If you count calries you will never enjoy food again.  Eat when you are hungry and don't deny yourself anything you really do want.

Horse riding will sort your bottom out!
 

For me..it's all about the portion control.  If you figure that a healthy lunch could be an ounce or so of chicken salad on a whole wheat roll with a lovely, crunchy apple to satisfy the sweet craving..it doesn't even fill a plate!

I've found that, given the opportunity (ie. a buffet) people will FILL their plates even though that is way too much to eat.  Have a little, wait 20 minutes and, if you are still hungry, have some fruit or veggies to munch on.  It's been working for me!

I don't eat a lot to begin with, When out to dinner, I can usually only eat about half a hamburger until I am full.  I have a weight loss pill but it if at BFs houes and I can't remember the name of it.  I am 5'6ish  I think I mainly need to lose the weight by my thighs and tone my bum.  I just feel very discouraged when I know BF is looking at me

I will start by cutting fat out, and watching the calories I am consuming.  And no more pop and such, though I don't drink a lot of that anyway

I'd tell the BF he's nuts. 120 is a low-end weight for 5'6'' - you're very slim! Your prior weight of 105 is very, very low. I was almost thrown into inpatient when I dropped down to 104, and I am 5'4''.....if he thinks you're overweight at 120, then there is something seriously wrong with his psyche...and this is coming from someone with a bad body image to begin with, so I'm usually more critical than most! 

 But being at a low weight already, and considering taking pill to lose weight for someone else...that could be a starting point of an eating disorder. That's how I got started...

I would focus on exercise and strengthening your muscles, which makes your body look more taut and in shape - definitely not losing weight. But that's my opinion , of course...I don't mean to sound mean :) Maybe see a dietician - they have great food plans good for your body, your skin, etc - the whole package.

Remember also that you also cannot lose weight in specific spots (i.e. thighs).

 
When you cut calories, you lose fat as well as muscle. And that muscle can be anything from the muscle in your bum, making it look even less toned, to the muscle in your heart (when you severly cut calories and are already very thin, cardiac problems are the first to pop up). Just be careful.... I would stick with the normal caloric routine, even increase a bit, and increase your exercise to match. That will give you much better results.
 

l.michelle

I will start by cutting fat out, and watching the calories I am consuming.

No no no...  You don't sound like you are eating too much at all and you NEED some fat in your diet.  Lose the little fat you are eating and your skin, hair and nails will all suffer.  Sure you MIGHT get a skinny bum out of it (unlikely actually as few diets actually work), but you'll look and feel poo anyway.  Work on exercise and toning your bum.  Get on a horse, in a month you won't recognise it! (your butt that is, not the horse...)

Here's a thing to ponder - muscle burns more calories than fat.

Diet Pills? EEwwie, LOL! You've got dogs, get your butt up and go walkin! Its summer so get some sun! Do you have a bike? If you start a walking or biking routine with yoru dog and start to slack off they will notice, give you sad eyes and you'll feel motivated to go...its so true, they are creatures of habit and will notice when you dont go!

Find soemthign you enjoy to do. Make your bf get off his bum and go with you. Once you start seeing improvement it will be easier to stick to. Just recently my friends and I started taking yoga and pilates ( I used to think it was boring and low energy) ha ha it kicked my butt the first week or so. If you have friends to go with you its easy to keep eachother motivated!

I did yoga one summer - DANG. It kicked my butt, and I was already in shape from skating and hockey!...plus working with the dogs (nothing adds muscle like trying to walk a very excited dog past a row of other very excited dogs!)

Tell your BF to shove it - muscle weighs more than fat anyways!

I'm about 5'8" (roughly I think...) and around 120 lbs. I'm TRYING to gain weight....

swimming is another good exercise.