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Message: [QUOTE="8893, post: 2030816, member: 93"] Thanks. I was so far over my ideal weight that 40 was also my initial goal, even though 50+ would have been more ideal. Now that I've lost the 40 I plan to keep going. I started seeing a nutritionist (free under most health care plans as preventative care btw; unlimited visits and no co-pays) and even though I already knew a good deal about what works and what doesn't, she has helped me develop and stay on a general plan that works well for me as a lifestyle, instead of a diet. Instead of looking for quick fixes, this time I was set on taking my time and losing it slowly. As a result, it has seem to come off pretty quickly, and without extraordinary effort. A couple things have been key for me: [LIST] [*]At least 60 minutes of cardio or similar activity, at least five days a week. I probably average 6.5 hours most weeks, doing a half hour first thing in the morning and a half hour after work on week days, and an hour on weekend mornings. Brisk walking most frequently, but also some running, elliptical, stair machine, hiking, shoveling--whatever. Just move. A lot. They say that sitting is the new smoking and I believe that. I used to go through periods of intense exercise, but I frequently ended up pulling something or being so sore that I was less and less inclined to keep it up. Keeping it more reasonable has kept me coming back, to the point where I now look forward to it and am vigilant about doing it. [*]Stop eating lunches out. At least three days a week, usually four, I make a modest lunch instead of going out. Low sodium turkey and/or ham on whole wheat, with lettuce, tomato, avocado. [*]Keep healthy snacks around like cottage cheese, hard boiled eggs, raw nuts (and nut butters), hummus, carrots, other raw veggies and raw fruit. [*]Very limited intake of my worst offenders, i.e., beer, pizza and cheese. Like maybe a couple times a month, tops. [*]Cut back on booze, especially on weekdays. I try to get in three to four booze-free days per week, and I drink less on the other days. Incidentally, I have become a lightweight with much less tolerance than I used to have. [*]Keep a food diary. I use MyFitnessPal. My goal is 1800 calories per day, at least on weekdays. If I am going to blow past that, I try to make up for it on the exercise end. [*]Be mindful of where you end up in terms of daily calories in vs. calories out, and weigh yourself frequently. I have often cited Fishy's "What gets measured gets managed" advice because it really doesn't get any simpler, or more complex, than that. It's a very simple equation and there are a very limited number of ways to change the result. [*]Move more, eat less is pretty much what it comes down to, no matter how you get there. [/LIST] [/QUOTE]

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