Gotta admit, reading the diaries on this forum have really inspired me to write one of my own. I did read the sticky and took some time to answer the questions...

1. How much weight do I want to lose? I would like to lose about 20 pounds, but at this point, I would be happy with just a few to start with.

2. What is the timeframe for reaching your target weight? I would like to lose 20 pounds in 2 months, but a few pounds dropped in 2 months would make me happy

3. How do you want to accomplish your goal? With diet, exercise, and a ton of water

4. When will you start? I started (kinda) June 3rd. Haven't seen much of a difference, so I am starting now full-force...no more extra food on the weekends, and lots and lots of water

5. Current height and weight? 5'5" and 125 lbs (please don't say this is ideal weight for me, I have read that everywhere, I'm just not happy with it)

6. If you were at your ideal weight now, what would that weight be? 105-110 (this is what I weighed before having children & for years afterwards, I know I can do it again)

7. Why do you think you have a weight problem? I don't really think it is a problem, per say, just a kink. I wanna wear my favorite clothes again

8. What lifestyle changes do you think would help you lose weight? No mid-evening snacking

9. Why do you believe that you did not lose weight nor you gained the weight back? surgery, stopped smoking, eating fast food (all in about 2months timeframe)

10. Would you try writing down all food and drink consumed for a given period of time? Of course that's why I'm here , only I don't know how to figure calories

11. If you woke up tomorrow and your body was exactly the way you want it, what would be different? No tummy flab, and I would be parading around in my favorite shorts

12. Do you eat when you are not hungry? yes

13. Do you binge eat? yes

14. Do you hide your food or eat in secret? not so much any more

15. Do you eat when you are sad, nervous, or depressed? I usually eat when I am bored (taking the place of the cigaretts)

16. In terms of exercise, what, if anything, are you currently doing? I walk about 3 miles every morning before work, and I do 100 sit-ups, running in place for two minutes, and jumping back and forth for two minutes, knee to opposite elbow 20 reps, lunges 10 reps each leg, squats 10 reps (nothing seems to help )

17. Do you have rewards for your certain goals? my one reward would be to wear my shorts again

now that I have said all that...my measurements are as follows:

chest: 34
waist: 32
hips: 35
thighs: 22

I would like to get my waist and thighs down a couple inches or more...I don't like the way my thighs look when I sit down....

All for now....

Welcome to the forum! I just started back up..I was posting on here a couple years ago and it was good! Got out of the habbit and just remembered how great this site is! Very motivating! Hope to see more posts from you!

thanks for the welcome.

thought I would go ahead and post what I have eaten today so far to see if what I am eating is OK

Breakfast
16 oz. decaf coffee
2 creamer
5 pkts sugar (I know, it's alot..lol)
1 cup dry Cheerios

between breakfast and mid-morning snack
20 oz. water

Mid-morning snack
1 banana
20 oz. water

Lunch
1 cup chicken alfredo with broccoli
32 oz. Mcdonald's sweet tea (my downfall)

Mid-afternoon snack
pineapple yogurt
20 oz. water

Dinner
Planning to make homemade beef/pepperoni pizza
planning to limit how much I eat
12 oz. caffeine free pepsi (my other downfall, allthough not as much now)

Any suggestions on my eating habits for today?

Thanks.

I have 2 suggestions that you've probably already heard before. The first concerns the pasta. Making any pasta dish with whole wheat pasta will make it healthier, and it will also lower the number of calories a little bit. I think you may have said you weren't counting calories, but it will still help you in the long run. I work at macaroni grill and substitute whole wheat penne in for everything. I really can't even taste a difference. The second thing is veggies. It doesn't seem like you are getting enough. Whenever I eat any meal I always add a serving of green peppers, cucumbers, broccoli, or carrots. It helps to fill me up, so that I'm not tempted to eat more of the bad stuff.

Yogurt was what got me through the times when I was reaaaaally hungry last year. I'd just grab a yogurt and eat tiny spoonfuls while I watched tv to distract me from the hunger. I've never tried pineapple though. Sounds good.

thanks for the reply...as far as pasta, I am trying to cut back on that, I love pasta, I could live on it...as far as veggies, I don't really care for vegetables, I don't know why, and I am not sure what to do to substitute what I am missing by not eating them

by the way...I think I have drank enough water today to fill a small pond..

4-20 oz. bottles so far today

gotta run...water's working again...

well, the weekend went pretty good. I only slipped up once.

Friday night, I didn't fix pizza, I ate Subway; oven roasted chicken breast, bacon, ranch on wheat.

Saturday, ate 2 chicken strips, 2 cheese stix, and 2 potato wedges from local convenience store (slip up), and then a 6 oz yogurt. other than that, it was water all day, except, my coffee in the morning, and my 1 pepsi in the evening. My niece even had a birthday cake and I didn't eat any

Sunday, did really well...ate a 6in. oven roasted chicken breast, bacon, ranch on wheat...drank coffee in the morning, water all day (some with crystal light), and 1 pepsi...other than that, nothing else to eat.

Did my usual excerises all weekend also, and Walked my 3 miles this morning.

Measurements for this morning are as follows:
Waist - 31 1/2
Hips - 34 1/2
Thighs - 21 1/2
Chest 34 1/2

I think it's all down about 1/2 inch. Haven't weighed in yet, my scale isn't working right. It keeps sticking, I need to buy a new one.

Until later

so far today (about noon) I have had:

16 oz. coffee (284 calories)
1 cup dry cheerios (100 calories)
20 oz. water

1 pkg 100 calorie snack (100 calories)
20 oz. water

lg. mcdonald's sweet tea (200 calories)

starting to get the hunger pains...maybe I'll have another cup of cheerios for lunch

so far not too bad 684 calories and 784 after I eat the cheerios

for dinner, I will eat oven roasted chicken breast, bacon, ranch on wheat from subway adding another 525, which sounds like alot, but after adding up the total calorie intake for the day, it's only 1309. Hoping that's falling where I need to be to lose weight. Not really sure how to figure what my calorie intake for the day should be.

I will also do my sit-ups, lunges, squats, jogging/walking in place, and aerobics tonight before bed, so I should burn a few of these calories off tonight. If I keep it up, I might reach my goal weight. YEAH!!!

according to the fitness calculators, my bmr is 1339.75, so I am consuming 30.75 less calories a day (1309), if I stay on this regimine. 30.75 x 7 = 215.25 weekly = about 2 lbs a week. Did I figure this correctly?

then figure in calories burned during exercise, which i have no clue how to do, so I'll just let nature run its course with that...

One pound is equivalent to 3500 calories.
I worked out your BMR at your weight and height and just kept punching in ages until I got to 1339 BMR. the age I got was 35 is that correct? (This is also if you workout 4 days a week moderately)
Anyways, the amount of calories you need to maintain your weight is 2075. You are eating 1300 calories a day right now so that is a 775 calorie per day deficit just from dieting. so 775 x 7 = 5425

5425/3500 = 1.55 lbs per week.

Odds are your are underestimating your calories, unless you are measuring or weighing your food. If you arent, I suggest adding 150-200 calories to your total.

thanks that makes more sense.

one more thing I was told (looking for some help here) was that after you have surgery, and they cut through the muscles in your abs, you can NEVER get that muscle tone back...any ideas?

not very happy with myself this morning...

had subway for supper, with 1/2 sweet 1/2 unsweetened tea

then...I went to class...had a few pretzels, maybe 2 servings, which added about 160 calories per serving, and to top it all off, a Little Debbie Fudge Round cookie, I just couldn't help myself. I hadn't had anything sweet to eat in over a week, and the will power just went straight out the window...

trying to get back on the wagon, again...

Not TRY to get back on the wagon. WILL get back on the wagon. You need to have more willpower than that if you want to be successful. One cookie is just a small slip up. It happens to the best of us. Just forget about it and continue eating healthy.

back on the wagon....

so far today, I have had

16 oz. coffee (284)
40 oz. water
1 cup plain cheerios - no milk (100)

total so far (384)

still have lunch to go...1/2 sweet & 1/2 unsweetened mcdonald's tea (200, I think) I have been eating light snacks at lunch, but before I put on my extra weight I didn't normally eat lunch, and I think I will try that today.

lunch...

1/2 & 1/2 iced tea (115)

total (499)