Hey and welcome! Are you doing any kind of strength training right now? That is what really helped me lower my body fat and get that fit/toned look

I've been on MFP for 3 weeks now and finding it helpful. I'm also in the normal weight range and started with the goal of losing 9-10lbs - I've already lost 4 so another 5 to go, I also have the arthritis issues which sometimes makes exercise a problem but I'm doing my best. I find logging food very good as it makes me more aware of what I'm eating. I know from experience it is always more difficult to lose a few pounds as you are not really overeating by that much anyway so you have to try really hard..

Hi All. I am new to the group and have to lose this last 15 pounds. I work out 3-4 days a week but I really need to get more toned. Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!!

Hi, I've got about 7lb to lose now, but it's going really slowly. I have lost 9.5lb this year. Keep telling myself it's not a race, but a healthy more active lifestyle that I want/need.

Good luck

Hello! I used to swim in college, recent grad so i'm officially retired from the "professional" athlete life. I've gained a few pounds since then, so i'm trying to get back down to the more lean body I had.

Back in the day I used to swim intensely about 16-20 hours a week and lift about 3-4 hours a week. So now I'm at roughly 6-10 hours of working out a week, a steep drop I know. I was a sprinter so i'm struggling with the longer cardio parts of working out alone, but I've recently gotten into being able to run a 10k at a steady/slowish rate. Land is new to me, but it's a start!

Just trying to lose another 5-10lbs, I'd be happy to do this together with the community. I miss having a team of amazing people as support and I am happy to offer my support as well!

Hi, I'm 56 years old and I have trouble keeping off that last 4 to 5 pounds! I am 4'11" and 109 pounds, which just feels a little too much. I teach fitness classes, including two regular Zumba classes, Aqua Zumba, and Zumba Gold every week as well as Silver Sneakers classes and strength training classes. You'd think I would be thin, but I love to cook and I love food, and all my classes make me hungry, so I struggle just like everyone else. I look fine, but I just feel better at a little lower weight, and also my body fat percentage is pretty high, 30% or more, which I also don't understand except that I do a lot of cardio. I should do more strength training and less cardio, but then my calorie goal is so low it's hard to be compliant. I do need to be more consistent about logging, but when life gets busy it's just SO TEDIOUS! And when you cook, logging is much more complicated because you have to add every recipe.

Hi I wanted to let everyone know that I find drinking hot water is a great way to fend off eating binges. I have been doing this daily for the last two weeks and it really is helping me keep my mind off of food.

Hiya. I'm new, and wanted to say hi. Public accountability is a pretty good motivator, apparently, and it's also inspiring to read about what other people are doing. Here's my two cents' worth - maybe there are bits you can relate to? Suggestions/advice welcome.

I've always been kinda semi-fit. Like, I fit into an (Australian) size 10, I've played soccer and done a couple of half-marathons (very slowly and with lots of training) and mini-triathlons. I've never made it to the next step, where I actually feel really fit and strong, and now all of a sudden I'm 35 and I'm scared I never will. Fear is also a good motivator! If I'm honest, I am still tempted to glorify what I think of as my 'fitness peak', at age 15. Number one, that was 20 years ago; number two, I was desperately unhappy and losing weight in really unhealthy ways.

I started a new job last year, which I love, but which has a massively steep learning curve. I'm always mega stressed - which is playing itself out in various unpleasant ways in my body - and working all the time. I've prioritised work over health and fitness, and the end result is that I don't exercise regularly and am not eating healthily. I've lost muscle tone, gained about 6kg, and feel pretty gross. I'm starting to get cellulite on my upper arms, which I am not happy about! I am also drinking alcohol a lot more regularly than I used to, which I don't like. It's never been my vice of choice, and I don't want it to start now.

The biggest hurdle for me is moderation. I can reduce my calorie intake for probably about 6 weeks before I end up reacting like a toddler, chucking it all in and going nuts with a box of guylian (do you even have those chocolates in the US?). It pains me to say it, because I'd love to be a self-discipline ninja, but it's true. I know it's blinding common sense, but I need to build in habits for diet and exercise that I can realistically carry out for the next month, twelve months and twelve years. I tend to see my weight-loss goals in terms of a time of 'dieting' and then a mythical time of 'afterwards', which never happens, because I never get there. So I think it's actually better for me to aim for what seems like a high calorie intake, like 2000, but really genuinely keep under that consistently, and do lots of exercise consistently.

Luckily for me, I really love exercise and sport. So how hard can it be to get fit? I hate being tired though, and when I start from being unfit, I get really tired after exercise.

Although I'm tempted to go hard, cut out all alcohol, sugar, carbs and whatever else, and exist on salmon and zucchini noodles for the next twelve weeks, past experience suggests it's not going to work for me.

Here are my very extremely achievable goals for the next week:
- Maximum of five alcoholic beverages
- Take my mason-jar salad for lunch every work day
- Egg on toast for breakfast
- 3 half-hour exercise sessions
- 8 hours' sleep every night (sorry if you are a parent and you're like omg what even is that)
- Meditate 10 mins each day after work (I think it's really good for bringing stress levels down -> less desire for cake)

That's it.

Also, I've managed to tear both knee ligaments, annoyingly. So I'm looking down the barrel of 4 weeks of no running or high-impact exercise. I will need to be a bit creative. Looks like it will be swimming, walking and bodyweight workouts.

Thanks for listening. Good luck comrades.

Hi! This group is a good fit for me. I workout almost every day, but I have been stress eating over the last 6 months and gained about 10 pounds. Not caving into the cravings has been tough.

silverbullet2017 I totally get what you are saying about this being for the now and the future, I'm just getting my head to try and think like that, I know what I am doing needs to be a long term thing, not just 'I will get down to x weight and then that's it' I know that I can get down to the weight I want, but I also want to be fitter and healthier forever.