Ladies: Were u once 200+, now at/close to UGW(w/o surgery)?

I don't really qualify, as I'm nowhere near UGW, however, I'm well on my way. I started at 211.6 lbs and I'm now down to 183.4. That being said, For exercise, I walked... and walked... and walked.... because literally, that was pretty much all I could handle. I did do 30 Day Shred, but once it got to level 2, I couldn't handle the plank position (and I still can't). I started out by walking at my local park, and walking to the 1 mile marker, and then back. Slowly I upped it, and did 3.5 miles consistently. In August I tried c25k, because I really felt like I was ready, but at the end of week 2 I got plantar fascitis, so I had to shelve those plans, and went right back to walking. And walking. And more walking. My daughter started pre-k in September 3x a week, and luckily for me, there's a nice nature/hiking/jogging/biking trail a mile from the school. So now, I drop her off, walk a mile to the trail, hike for a bit, then walk back to the school to pick her up. Totals about 6.5 miles. I also recently started doing Kettlebells 2x a week. Mind you, I can't do all of the moves yet, and I use a pretty sissy weight kettlebell, but I'm doing it.

As for food, I'm pretty much following MFP's goals. I have my setting set to 1.5 lbs/week, which gives me 1430 calories/day and I eat most (or all) of my exercise calories back. So, like on hiking days, I'm usually somewhere around 1900-2000ish calories. On kettlebell or walking days, I'm usually around 1600-1700. I still eat all of the foods I love, pizza, ice cream, burgers, etc... but in much more moderation. Usually it's chicken breast and veggies, but I can still have anything I want, I just have to work it into my calorie goals. Lately, I've been able to cap off my day with a nightly ice cream. It makes me happy and I don't feel deprived, haha. And you know what? I consistently lose weight every week (except 1, there was a funky gain, but then I dropped it next week, plus an additional 1.4 lbs). I generally lose 1.2-1.6 lbs/week, pretty consistently.

I think the keys to success, is finding the RIGHT caloric goal (1200 is the lowest, but it's very hard to do, and it feels lacking, been there, done that), as well as finding an activity that you love. And when I say love, I mean LOVE. The kind of LOVE that makes it not feel like a chore. Something that is exciting, and makes you happy. As my doctor put it, don't do too much too soon. Start out small and work your way up.

Don't think of how far you have to go, but how far you've come. Make mini-goals for yourself, such as, losing 5 lbs in October, and if you meet the goal, reward yourself with something (nonfood, perhaps). Take photos so that you can see your progression, when you feel like you're stuck. Take measurements! Buy a food scale! Ask for help when you need it!

That's pretty much all I've got. That was pretty long, lol. Good luck!

I'm also not quite at my goal yet (my ultimate goal is 160, which may or may not change depending on how I feel when I get there). I started at 235 pounds in January and this morning weighed in at 184 (I'm 5'6").

Honestly, I think your plan so far sounds pretty good! Seeing a dietitian is the right move to make sure you're giving your body what it needs while working with your other challenges. I definitely advocate eating as much as possible while still losing weight. That number is different for everyone, but most people can eat a pretty solid number of calories and still reach their goals. Since January, I've pretty much eaten a base number of 1500 calories plus all of my exercise calories, which usually put me between 1700-1900 calories a day, and it worked out just fine. I don't eat any special foods, and I didn't eliminate anything from my diet. I eat what I want, try to make healthy choices, and work it all into my calorie goals for the day. I also try to hit my macros, although I'm still working my way into that.

As far as exercise goes, I think it's most important just to do what you can do and what you like doing, because you're more likely to stick to things that you enjoy. I started out doing Jillian Michaels DVDs, because most of them are only 30 minutes. I still do them, and they can be pretty challenging, but she usually offers modified exercises for people who are just starting out. And the fact that many of them are 30 minutes or less makes it easier to get through. I also really enjoy walking, hiking, and kettlebells, and I like to go for a 6-10 mile bike ride when the weather is good. I typically do some sort of workout about 4-5 times a week.

My plan is to just keep doing what I'm doing until I reach my goal, tweaking as necessary.
It sounds like you're on the right track!

My UGW 143 which would put me at total 100lb loss and since I started using this APP it has helped me reach it faster. Just stick to the cals it tells you too and don't go over! If you follow it then you should see results. Slow but steady progress, I am now at -62 lbs with only 38 to go! YOU CAN DO THIS!

SW: 265
CW: 161
UGW: ???????????????

I have bad knees also, but I found I really love circuit training, it gave me variety and it works different body parts. I also had a knee injury last year and had to have surgery and CT allowed me to continue working out around my injury. I started with Jillian Michaels, when my knee healed I moved on to Turbo Fire and now I'm almost done with FocusT25. Right now my focus is on toning and building muscle. When I started I pretty much ate what I wanted, but less of it, but the more progress I made and the more I learned about nutrition, I decided to stick to mostly whole foods and actually measuring my food, I realized I was actually eating more than I thought. The reason I don't have an UGW is because I have no idea what that is, right now I'm a size 8 which I never thought I would get back into, but now that I am I decided to do maintenance for a while.