weight loss is hard and you may have not gotten where you want to be but you certainly made a good start. Good luck and yes, alot of good food have significant calories

Got my fingers crossed for you... counting calories, fats and carbs is a hard way to go and exercise can be a major pain in all kinds of places... portion size is perhaps the best... I often leave a third of what I'm served at restaurants on the plate and take the meat home in a doggy bag.

Sarah, you're doing so well. Don't be so hard on yourself.

Let me help you out a little here:

BADA BING IS NOT AUTHENTIC PHILLY CHEESESTEAK

Pat's Steaks and Pat's Steaks alone are authentic Philly cheesesteak.
Ask Mr. Wolfman, I'm sure he can corroborate. Accept no substitutes and you will stay slim.

Greek yogurt and blueberries and red wine? Goodness, not at the same time I hope! Have you tried a teensy bit of honey in the yogurt/blueberry combo? It becomes kind of like ice cream...

Just a thought: How's your muscle/bodyfat ratio? It could be that you're down on body fat and up on muscle which weighs more.

And another thought: you could indulge in a mini portion of the bad food you're craving. This way the craving is knocked on the head and there's not too much damage to the daily calorie count.

: )

Good luck Sarah. I am with you on this journey. And you're right, the world is full of temptations!

I've recently started Weight Watchers (again). For me, I decided to focus completely on my actions, not the scale. This comes from a stint writing materials for industrial safety training. If you want to reduce accidents (the results), you don't count accidents. You focus on the behaviors you want people to do (not NOT do), and reward them (wearing hard hats, doing ladder checks, wearing steel-toed boots, etc.).

So I've been obsessively tracking everything. Every Single Thing that goes in my mouth. And the weight has been slowly coming off. Seven pounds as of this week. Many to go.

The tracking thing, once you get the hang of it, isn't so bad. It's the practice of it that is magical, not the math and the numbers. It's me having to acknowledge and witness and record every cookie, every second helping, every second glass of wine. I weigh stuff on a kitchen scale a lot. Three ounces of frosted birthday cake is really really small, and it took a lot of calories, and it wasn't really all that good. But before weighing and measuring and tracking, I would have had a second piece. And another one the next day.

The practice of weighing, measuring, and tracking is making me be mindful, and acknowledge what's going in. I am becoming better at thinking about what I'm doing before I do it (instead of after).

It's hard. I really appreciate your journal.

kenneth, Thanks for the encouragement.
jmac, Just when I thought I could pick up the excercise, winter came back to Cedar Grove.
V. The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. Great advice, though.
baltimore, Exactly right--eat less--and I shall.
froggy, Right. I need to pay more attention.

Good luck girlfriend! lol. I know those same battles..so weird we started out at about the same weight. I started my diet at Christmas, but I tell myself this is not a diet, it is a life change. Having no insurance, it is all that I can do for myself. We have started the glass of red wine with dinner. I have to be careful cause a tall glass makes me silly.(Majorly low tolerance level!) Yogurt is only pushed as healthy because of the protein, but Greek is the best and you may like the consistency better. It is quite creamy. I want to try making my own. You can avoid the colors and preservatives that way. I have promised myself not EVER to hit 150, again. Love hearing your progress. I am still at it too.

PS. Didnt really feel that big at 170, but I did take measurements, and I have lost 10 inches in my waist. Almost fell over when I saw that!!! Unbelievable!

I have come to the conclusion that it is the physical activity in combination with a healthy diet that makes the weight go down. I also know first-hand that a body has a built-in "set point" -- a weight level it "wants" to maintain. Such a low-calorie diet, even at 1500 calories, sends the message to your body that it is starving, so it goes into weight protection mode. Maybe you could try concentrating more on eating the right foods, exercising more and leaving the scale under the bed. That's what I've been doing lately.

Lezlie

Cindy, You're doing way better than I am. Grrr. You must be one tough lady--who writes wonderful poetry.

L, I wish you could have been my older sister. You're the wisest lady I know.

I've always heard that it is unhealthy to go under 1,200 calories/day. Your body goes into starvation mode. ... I must admit I have not been following your weight loss journal. I should be. I'm trying to lose the weight I've gained while being laid off. ... Forgive my questions if you've already answered them.

Are you working out? Are you following a specific diet? Have you heard of MyFitnessPal.com?

Thanks.

thing is, to chew. chew chew chew.
the brain has a section that decides when your tummy is full.
i dunno where it is, i forget, but that aint the point...
if you chew your, uh, healthy stuff more than you think you should,
you will find
you not only get fuller faster but
actually enjoy the food more.
your achievement has been momentous, to get down to 157.
your legs must be feeling lighter, and stronger, and
wanting to walk and run and frolic. Listen to them, your legs!
How delightful it feels to wake up in the morning
feeling strength in the body, in the arms and legs...
the great thing is, the more you indulge
this feeling and move around, the better you feel..
the weight will disappear
as the lithe woman inside
wakes from her food -induced slumber
and gets physically connected back to the world.
at the point you feel attractive again, all hell will break loose.
showers of lovely chemicals in the brain.
telling you to chew chew chew,
and move.
and realizing you are a work of art in the making...

Deborah, My idea was that at 1200 calories a day I would lose about a pound a week, but I think I've been going over that. I do exercise but not enough. I like to bike ride and beach walk, but winter has returned to Cedar Grove, alas.
James, Actually I think that is part of the problem I have with Yogurt. You can't chew it. Thanks for the encouragement.

Sarah! I think you are doing incredibly well! Don't eat stuff you don't like just because they say it's "good" for you! Yogurt? Blech. ~r

Good luck. I've been trying to lose and this has been a very bad week for that as my Old Sweet Tooth has reared his ugly ugly head and I have followed him. That was about four mixed metaphors, sorry, the sugar has addled my brain. Keep doing what you are doing. One day at a time.

Sarah, 13 pounds is nothing to sneeze at. Be kind to yourself. Like you, I cannot have a glass of red wine (or white, for that matter), without complimenting it with some good cheese and crackers. Jarsberg is a favorite of mine.

I meant "Jarlsberg."

joan, Thanks. I've decided to give up on yogurt. The texture is like baby food.
Amy, Sugar calls to me, too. I just saw on the yahoo page that Gladys Knight lost 60 pounds in two months by eating healthy. Wow.

Erica, I like jarlsburg too for its nutty quality. I may lay off of the red wine, though, for now.

Sounds like you already are doing well. Please don't be too hard on yourself. It goes slowly, especially if you want to keep it off.

That is a great weight loss. It must have come over to me. I am shocked at how few calories I am able to eat-I cut my cardio down from 50 minutes and 20 minutes lifting a day to more strength training and just 20 minutes and I gained five pounds withing three weeks.

Like the others said, you're already at a pretty good weight. So maybe just try to maintain good eating and exercise habits? Wow, you had a successful wegith loss program!

I think it's best not to be too rigid. One day, a little wine and cheese could be factored in but not anything else fattening. Another day, it's all salads. Another day, yogurt, veggies, and one candy bar. Etc. That way, within a week, you got your treats but kept to 1200 calories, which is a good number for losing slowly and keeping it off.

157 is a pretty acceptable weight, but I know it's important to be at a weight we feel comfortable with. I've been struggling and yo yoing for years.

It's possible to find a balance of eating healthily, losing weight and include the things we love but as with most things it takes time and perseverance. You'll get there I'm sure.

Sarah, I assume regular exercise is part of your regimen. That might take a little longer, but it burns calories. Don't despair. You're entitled to backslide, so long as you keep your eyes on the prize, so they say.

It is frustrating when we get stuck at a certain weight. And I know what mean about trying to eat healthy but the foods just not helping because you eat them a certain way or with certain other things. Like how I'll eat a piece of fruit tart saying, well, there was fruit in it! I think 2 pounds is a good goal and I wish you luck!