How I did it: First I recognized that I was overweight and needed to do something. My doctor told me that I was pre diabetic and tried to put me on medication and that was a major wake up call.
These are things I did to lose weight.

1.I switched to diet soda first- I eventually stopped drinking it all together
2. Began eating nothing but raw fruits and vegetables with 6 oz of grilled chicken daily.
3. Bought a balance ball and sat on it when I watched television at home.
4. Began walking a mile at the park every work day at lunch.
5. Signed up for sparkpeople.com.
6. Indulged in 'bad foods" periodically so I wouldn't feel deprived.
7. Used resistance bands to start building more muscle mass.
8. Gradually got into more challenging excersise like running as I lost more weight.
9. Started weight training.
I'm at the tail end now. I have 30 more pounds to lose and I've kind of stalled slightly, but I'm still losing about 3 pounds a month.

I set small monthly goals of a few pounds to stay motivated.

Lessons & tips: Measure yourself and keep a chart to track progress.
I keep a tape measure hanging above my scale so I can weigh in and log my measurements weekly.
Set up a goal board where you will see it frequently. Write your next weight goal on the board and track recent progress. I keep mine above my scale.

Resources: www.sparkpeople.com
I cannot stress that enough. It's a free site with diet plans and trackers. It helps track weigh-ins too!

Feb 14, 2009, 03:18PM PST | 3 comments | 27 cheers