Help?! I am 155 pounds and want to get down to 120-125...advice/suggestions

Hello, so I weigh 155 pounds and am 5'2 and need to get down to 120-125.

Does anyone who is working with closely the same numbers or have accomplished this have any advice/suggestions for me and other people like me?

Thank you so much!

Intake and exercise :) I am 5 7 145 and trying to get back down to 123 from last May. Went off Birth control and my weight shot up. I found this web site out of frustration trying to figure out why I was not losing weight :( Any luck for you yet?

Hi SkinnyHippo,

Your numbers caught my eye because they are so similar to my own.  I am also 5'2" and 2 years ago, I weighed 159. This morning, my weight was 117.  Went from wearing sizes 12 and 14 into sizes 0 and 2.  Feels great!  Looks great!  And I didn't diet this time.  Done that before.  Lots of yo-yo-ing.  Doesn't work.  Lifestyle changes do. 

Small changes made over time: Switching to some low-fat and no-fat products instead of full-fat.  Deciding that butter was evil and that I could live without it.  But, I still splurge on full-fat cheeses on occasion - in moderation.  Yum!  Salad dressings and sauces served on the side instead of mixed in.  Putting a single serving on my plate at the counter instead of putting the whole serving dish on the table.  Choosing the side of fresh fruit instead of the hashbrowns.  Really enjoying a few bites of my partner's dessert instead of ordering a whole dessert of my own.  Eating lots more fresh veggies and fruits and fewer processed foods.  Lucky there because I like fruits and veggies anyway.  Being attentive to my body signals - not just stuffing myself mindlessly.  Reducing portion sizes slightly.  Two or three fewer bites each meal does add up.  Love snacking - just doing it in smaller quantities and picking healthier choices.   

Bigger changes:  Monitoring what I eat.  Counting every calorie.  Without being obsessive about it.  Generally eat between 1200 and 1500 calories a day.  I'm 52 years old, have hypothyroidism, and am only moderately active.  I definitely enjoy my food and still have days of food decadence.  But not every day or even every week.  Enjoying those days of eating what I want and not feeling the need to stuff myself in the process.  Not even trying to lose any weight between Thankgiving and New Year's.  I consider it a great success to not gain weight  during those 5 weeks.  Buying a food scale and actually measuring what I eat.  MEASURE what you eat.  So important.  Amazing how easy it is to pile up 2 servings while only counting it as one.  For me, logging what I eat is part of my daily routine.  I don't cheat on that.  Even when I have a splurge day, I record everything I eat.   

Small activity changes:  I don't take elevators anymore.  Regular meetings on the 11th floor of my office building.  Don't fuss about parking nearby anymore.  Prefer to park far away or walk.  Walking across a large parking lot is an opportunity, not a chore.  Make multiple trips up the stairs with the groceries instead of loading myself up to make just one.  Look for small ways everyday to burn an extra calorie or two.  A little more formal exercise - not a lot - has always been hard for me to maintain a daily exercise routine, so all those little daily things become more important.  A little more regular with my exercise.  I weigh myself every morning and log it.  Probably not good for many people but it works for me.  Don't fuss over a few pounds in either direction.  Last Friday I weighed 115.  Today I weigh 117.  No fuss....  I had a wonderfully decadent  weekend at a 5-star resort in Las Vegas!

Biggest change of all:  Attitude adjustment.  Not dieting.  Not being hungry all the time.  Not doing anything that isn't sustainable.  Not depriving myself of foods I like.  Not trying to restrict my foods to a few specific items.  Defining this as a change of lifestyle.  Paying more attention to what I eat.  I eat the foods I want.  Just in smaller portions.  Being very happy with my body as it is.  Being patient.  Being very patient.  Being especially kind to myself after that fourth chocolate chip cookie sings its irresistable siren song.  Not using it as an excuse to blow off my attention to being healthy the next day.  Rewarding myself for all this attention to my own health and well-being with a new pair of jeans in a smaller size instead of with a hot fudge sundae. 

Whatever we give our attention to shall flourish.  Paying attention to our health means that our health will flourish.  Good luck to you!

Hi Skinnyhippo,

I'm on the same journey.  5'2" and started losing weight after my 2nd child when I was 150 something...I'm currently 133 and my goal is between 112 and 115.  I agree with everything rjs said and follow pretty much the same plan.  I count every calorie that goes into my mouth and record it down...I stay between 1200 and 1500.  I'm trying to work out more with some aerobics and pilates but I don't get to it everyday because I have 2 little ones and there's not always time...or I'm too tired to move.  But the weight is going down...it's taking a while but I'm being patient and looking forward to the end results!  Good Luck on your journey.

thank you very much for taking the time to write all that. excellent advice with alot of common sense. I think this will help other readers struggling in the same area. I just signed up for this site yesterday and already it's made a difference :) I do agree that it's definitely a lifestyle and I admire people who strive to be the healthiest they can

awesome. 

Hi all!

First of all, rjs243, thank you for all of your advice.  Your story is incredibly encouraging, and I wanted to congratulate you on your success!!!  Plus, you look great - I would never guess you were 52 years young!  :)

I am on this same sort of journey ... I am 5'2" and currently weigh 139.  I started out on CC at 147 right after last Thanksgiving 2008 (although I know I was hovering around 150-153 a couple of months before getting really serious about losing!).  My goal is 115, and I am so looking forward to getting there (my lowest maintained weight was about 130).

I am obviously still on my way, but I follow a lot of the pointers that rjs243 had ... counting every calorie, reducing portion sizes, making better and more educated choices about what I put into my mouth but not depriving myself of foods I love, weighing myself every day, getting my butt to the gym as often as possible and really pushing myself while I am there ... all this being said, I am still learning new lessons every day (many of them from other CCers).  I know I am not yet an "after" ... but I feel like I am on the right track.

Best of luck, everyone!  Thanks again to everyone for posting your stories ... they make me realize I am not alone!

Hello again :D

So yesterday I was reading some posts on this website and some people close to my weight and height said they were eating only 1200 calories a day...is that healthy?

Hi again SkinnyHippo,

For some people it might be, but age and activity levels are the big factors.  I'm 52 years old, only moderately active, and have hypothyroidism to boot.  So 1200 is sufficient for me.   If you're under 21 or more active, then 1200 will NOT be enough for you.  I believe that the rule is not to exceed a 1,000 calorie per day deficit.  If you are young, there are teen forums here that could be more helpful to you with good information.