1) You are NOT alone on this struggle!!! My husband and I have been on this journey for some time and he haw a success story while I continue to stay frustrated! Maybe Humzoo would be a good place to connect all those who share this struggle and we could encourage each other and support each other with this effort?? What do you think??

2) I'm in!!! I bought a treadmill not long ago and have been faithful about getting on it an hour every day (except Sunday!!) and I have lost very little, all the while watching what I eat and doing better than before. If I gave up much more food, I wouldn't be eating at all!!! I am very discouraged and I guess, as they say, misery loves company.

3) cdc, Great idea, I am in. I am at 191 now and want to get to at least 180, 175 would be better.

I have been working out 6 days a week all my life. I lift 4 days of that week, run up to 4.5 miles 3 days and bike for 35 minutes the other 3 days, still I am stocky, not fat but I still have a decent roll.

I also thought that I was eating right. I do drink beer a few nights a week but other than that I thought my diet was fine. I have been racking my brain to see what I can do different. And I think I found the answer. I am 41 and my metabolism has slowed down quite a bit. Research shows that the way you look is based on 60% of what you eat and 40% how active you are. I think I am fine in the working out part but the eating part needs drastic changes. Dont get me wrong, I eat OK...no fast food, and I only eat red meat on the weekends. The bottom line is, at least for me, is to cut out pasta's, breads, and eat more green vegetables (spinach, broccoli, etc..) I have started to keep a case of low-sodium V-8 in my car and drink that in lieu of soda.

So, despite the fact that you think you are eating well, you really have to scrutinize your diet and go more towards a heavy fruits and vegetable diet. Eat more fish than meat. It aint easy but I think it is the only way to go.

4) Hi "RM" (may I call you that?) and !,
I'm glad there are at least two people in Humzooland that struggle with the wieght loss effort!! It is nice to know we are not alone with this, right?
My husband did WW and lost 83 lbs in 6 months and has kept if off for over a year now!! And he is very limited with what he can physically do so......I tell him he is alot like Oprah...he has someone who plans his meals, shops for his meals, prepares most of his meals and puts them right in front of him at mealtime!!! Now doesn't that sound like Oprah's lifestyle??!!! I must give him credit for having an enormous will power and discipline! He makes great choices about snacks ~ oranges and apples, mostly! And he pays close attention to portion sizes which is so important!
Now my problem on the other hand is that while I am preparing meals I tend to nibble and taste, etc...and all those tastes have calories!! And I have a real sweet tooth like SallyPants and that makes it harder for me...I do not have the same discipline standards as my husband...hence my weight loss challenge is more challenging!!!
I lost 54 pounds but have regained some of that...still need to lose 32 to be at my WW goal...and I really, really want to do that!!!! Soon!!!! That is what is so frustrating to me!! It is such a slow progess and I have been working at this for such a long time....but I know I did not gain this weight overnight so it does take time.
I think one of the things I need to do is to track what I eat every day...every bite of what I eat, every day!! I have done this in the past and that is when I have the greatest weight loss...so....maybe if we all try to do that this coming week??? Wanna join me???

5) P.S. If there is anyone out there in Humzooland who has the answers to success at weight loss (other than my husband!!!) would you please join in the discussion and share your insight??? Thanks!

6) Yes, cdc, I think that is a good idea and I am in. Are we supposed to keep track of the calories too? Rick is right - fruits, vegetables, whole grains. I too have a huge sweet tooth as you do and HAVE to have chocolate every day but I try to limit it to a very small piece (or two!). And nibbling while preparing meals - yes!!! You almost do it without even knowing you're eating!! The real battle happens in the grocery store. If I can just not buy junk food, then it won't be here at home for me to eat it. And don't ever go to the grocery store when you're hungry!!

7) Sugar-free peppermint patties are really good and so a couple of those each day would not/should not be a problem!! I have had to steer my cart away from the bakery and candy aisles at the store...and I keep reminding myself that I have enough candy stored around here to nibble on for many months to come so I don't have to buy more!!!!!!!! That has helped me, believe it or not!! Self-talk can be a powerful tool in this weight loss game!

8) P.S. I do not keep track of calories but you could if that would help you!!

9) This will sound crazy, but one of my favorite tricks is Peppermint Water.
I just take a little dab of peppermint extract (sometimes I just dip the end of my straw in the bottle) and then mix it into ice cold water. It is soothing and refreshing, and makes your mouth feel "clean" so you don't feel so inclined to snack. Sort of how you don't really head straight to the pantry after brushing your teeth?

I am SO glad to see that there are others in this boat. Thanks for being here. Great ideas!!!!

10) Peppermint Water sounds great and I will try it soon!! In fact, anything with peppermint sounds good to me!!
Any other ideas like this??

11) Drink lots of water (good hydration is drinking 1/2 of your body weight in oz). (For Example - if you weighed 150 lbs, you'd want to drink 75 oz. of water a day). You'll feel lik you are sloshing at first but your body will adapt. Eating more meals and smaller ones is better too. I try to eat something every couple of hours--even if just a couple of almonds. It keeps you from overeating when you finally get to a meal. Good snacks are almonds or fruit or veggies.

12) This is great! Keep the ideas coming!

13) I agree...this is all very helpful and especially a good way to stay focused on the attempt to eat healthier food and lose weight...all at the same time!! Amazing but I do think it can happen!!!
I was so much more physically active last year than this year due to a big move (after being in the same house for 25 years!!) and it is just harder to make myself get up and move!!! Hence I am finding it harder and much slower to lose the weight I want and need to lose!! But I am not going to give up!!!

14) Is anyone out there in the - "losing weight used to be so easy, but now I'm a little bit older it's so dang hard" boat??

15) J-Mar, I think the question should be is anyone out there NOT in that boat!! Yes, that's what Rick was saying. Our metabolism gets slower as we age so we don't need as much food. But it seems like even though I've cut way down on the amount of food I eat, I still don't lose. I exercise and still don't lose. It's very discouraging.

16) Thanks. So basically it sucks, huh??
Maybe we can figure it out together!!!

17) Keeping track of everything you eat is a great idea. Many people think they are eating fine, but when they track every bite, every cracker, they see how quickly it adds up. I'm using a site called thedailyplate.com right now. I once swore by WW, and I still recommend it, but it's not for everyone.

18) The formula to weight loss success is simple and has been tried and true for decades. Burn more calories than you eat. You can try every weight loss plan known to man but it comes down to eat less exercise more, I definately believe it is very very helpful to track every calorie you eat. Check out www.sparkpeople.com. You can track your food intake, listen to experts talb about health and nutrition and join a support group if you want, I think it is a great site. The other pointer I can give you is to never eat any food after 8 p.m. When I started doing that I started losing weight. Finally, find an aerobic activity you enjoy and do it frequently.