Losing Weight...

I've always been most successful doing exercise I liked doing for it's own sake rather than exercise for losing weight's sake. I do videos occasionally like maybe once a week or so. But I've had better results when I've done things I thought were fun like joining a tennis league or walking with a friend every night since I'm less likely to skip when I'm looking forward to it. So maybe find a fun activity you can do too like a sport or fitness group?

I don't really have any tips other than that, but good luck with everything! Looks like you have some tough workout programs there.

I would recommend going very slowly and setting realistic goals. One of the biggest problems is that people set unrealistic goals and then feel defeated when they can't attain them. Don't set yourself up for failure.

Track your progress. Maybe not daily, but at least at regular intervals so that you can see the progress you're making. Celebrate every little victory.

Weight training is important because muscle mass consumes more energy than does fat. So while you don't necessarily want to bulk up, you do want to tone and build some muscle mass. It will help you reach your goals faster. Also, muscle mass is heavier than fat, so don't get discouraged if your weight doesn't seem to be dropping as fast as you like.

Don't burn yourself out. This is a long process. Again, set realistic goals and try to hit them as best you can.

Stopping junk food and soda is great, but you still need a good, balanced diet that includes whole grains, fruits/vegetables, and proteins low in fats or high in healthy fat. As much as possible, cook for yourself rather than eat out or prepared/packaged foods. Plan your meals and snacks daily so you know what to eat. People tend to stray off diets when they get hungry but don't know what to eat. After awhile, you'll get a better sense of what are good foods and snacks and you won't have to plan quite as much.

Get a friend to support you. You will have bad days for a number of reasons. It's important to have some moral support to push you and pick you up when you do have a bad day. If they are willing to exercise with you, all the better.

Good luck and be sure to give us updates so we can celebrate your successes with you!

In the past when I've put on a little extra weight it was never a problem losing it. I'd cut out things like pop (which I rarely drink now) and other empty calories and I'd lose the weight quickly with no problem.

A few years ago, I lost about 20-25 lbs and looked great. Soon after I had to go on HRT for some hormonal problems. I have always had a hard time losing weight while on hormones (I gained 40 lbs while in Depo Provera, it was the largest I've ever been, except for while I was pregnant and I didn't lose any of the weight until I got off the Depo Provera.)

I am finding the HRT is almost as stubborn as the Depo. I haven't gained nearly as much weight, but enough to bother me. I look best at about 110-125 lbs. I'm about 130-135 or so now, and it's about 10 lbs too much for my comfort.

I keep telling myself I'm going to start walking, like my husband and I did last summer, but I haven't gotten around to it. Last week was beautiful weather in Chicago, and I was in with a cold and my little one had a tummy bug. It's been ingrained in me not to exert oneself while sick, so hopefully next week will be just as nice out so I can get out and MOVE!

walking with a friend

Some simple things to do are to catch enough zzzzzs and to drink more water.