any advice on best way to lose 50 pounds

There is really not one magic way to lose weight.. It is a person to person thing! I have had great success with paying close attention to the things I put in my mouth, quality and quantity, and staying active!

as they said, you can't out exercise a bad diet, eat less, move more. I've been at it for almost a year.

It's going to take time...change happens on the inside first. Also, maybe cut back on the cardio and replace it with more lifting/resistance exercises.

Check your diet. Have you been on freedieting.com or fat2fitradio.com yet? You can calculate roughly your daily recommended calories there. Don't just rely on MFP recommendations. Maybe you are still eating too much or not eating good quality nutrients? Not trying to criticize just don't know you and trying to give you places to look for change.

I have lost 40+ pounds in 9 months. I am almost at my goal of 43 lbs. You probably won't lose 40-50 pounds in 4 months if you want to do it safely and keep it off. You can safely lose 1-2 lbs. per week. Realistically some weeks it will fall off faster and some you will work your butt off and the scale won't budge. So if you start today and count one week in December, then roughly 12 more between now and April, you can possibly lose 26-30 lbs. Still a great start!

Everyone has to find what works for you. I can tell you that for me, I cut out most dairy (and that was hard, used to love to eat cheese) and most meat. I eat mostly plant based diet but am not labeling myself anything in terms of diet style. I make sure to get plenty of protein with greek yogurt and protein powder. I have a breakfast smoothie everyday. I work out hard (50 minutes approximately) four to six times per week, varying the routine to include cardio and resistance. Lots of people here on MFP will share their stories, we all find success in different ways. Weigh and measure, log ALL food, or as much as you reasonably can. We tend to overestimate our burn and underestimate our calorie intake, so be as precise with both as possible. Bottom line is to have realistic expectations, find diet and exercise plans that work for you, stick with it, and when you have a rough day (or week) don't give up!!! You can do this!!!

good luck! There are a million opinions.

I eat a plant based diet, but I've found eating for nutrient density and avoiding added fats and refined sugar and grains, I was able to lose weight quickly. I tracked my calories religiously at first but as time went on, my habits stuck and I don't worry about calories as much. All of the stuff that causes weight gain isn't in my diet at all. I suppose I "could" gain weight by eating fruits, veg, and beans, but I'd be hard pressed to eat THAT much food.

I have a HUGE appetite, so I did well eating like this, and my health, energy, and fitness has never been better. I just finished my first ultra marathon.

My initial information I gathered from Engine 2 diet website and book, Dr Furhman, Dr. MacDougall, Jeff Novick, T Colin Campbell, Dr. Esselstyn, Happy Herbivore website, Reverse and Prevent Heart Disease website, etc. Some websites had menus and shopping lists (helpful for me)

Whether you meat and fish, or not, it's important to know the nutritional value of your food, and to avoid processed foods at all cost. Exercise is important for your mental health and circulatory health, but weight loss happens in the kitchen.