Any 5'0 starting at 165 pounds?

Not quite, but Im 5'2" and started at 175. I've been losing since February 2014, with all manner of missed gym days and diet slip-ups. If you're going to just be walking and not changing anything else, it could take quite a while. The main things I changed with my diet are less processed food and smaller portions. I still eat out, but I make better choices. I still even have the occasional diet soda or fruit flavored fizzy water. I started with walking, graduated to a Couch to 5k program and I've begun running 10k on the weekend. Build slowly, keep going, you've got this. I would love to show you my transformation, but I can't figure out how to put a photo in here. :sad:

Hi! I'm 5''3" and started at 153, and am now down to 148. My goal weight is 125. I'm doing P90X3. I felt it was important to build some muscle, which helps boost metabolism and burn fat more than cardio alone. To answer your question about walking, the answer is yes, if you were to walk at a brisk pace for 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week, and if you switched to whole, non-processed foods, you would see changes. Not sure what your diet and exercise habits are right now, but honestly, making lots of small changes and sticking with them will make a difference. Good luck in your journey, and keep me posted! Also, I'm here if you have any other questions. I used to be in great shape, but a bottle of wine a night packed on 20 pounds in 6 months. I used to run marathons, and now I can barely do 3 miles without getting so winded I almost pass out. But I keep chipping away at it doing P90x3 workouts, using the elliptical, and doing work with weights about 5 times a week. I've lost 5 pounds in 3 weeks and an inch off my waist, chest and hips already! You can do this!!!

Hi, I'm 5'0 and started at 190. I started in mid May and have lost 20 pounds so far. I'm really bad at the exercise part, but I have been counting calories and drinking water. I do need to get motivated on exercising, walking or something. Good luck with your lifestyle revamp!

What do you do when the weather is not good to workout, like when its raining or too cold?

I prefer working out in the comfort of my home. You can add some bodyweight exercises like squats, pushups, lunges in addition to walking. Youtube is a goldmine for free workout videos.

I'm 5"0" (and a half an inch, as I like to always add... haha) and started out at the end of January 2014, bought a scale a week later and found I was 158 lbs!!! (Biggest I've EVER been in my life) My weight has been fluctuating a lot ever since... I saw a loss when I stuck to a 1200 calorie diet during the weekdays and made sure to put in about 20-30 min YouTube work-out too from then to the end of March. I think I got down to about 152. Then I started a new job and moved-in with my boyfriend and had a wedding I was in the bridal party (so lots of parties in April and May leading up to the big day) and I gained it all back from end of March to May (I also wasn't tracking). Now I just seem to be maintaining at about 156... I am hoping that next summer I can be down to 125ish so I can finally wear a bathing suit that I'm proud to wear at the beach in Chicago (where I live).

My issues are socializing and emotional eating. I am a huge foodie and I love to eat. Living in Chicago is hard since there are sooo many good eats and everyone wants to go out all the time and eat. I can't say no to that! So I just need to learn moderation and ways to modify my orders to keep myself in check. I also realized that if I want to eat, I need to step up my work-outs too. My 20-30 minute low-intensity workouts are good for if I am eating just 1400 calories a day; but I find sometimes I wind up eating almost 2000 calories or more a day. To compensate, I joined a gym where I take the 60 minute classes and switch up between BodyWorks (weight endurance class mixed with some cardio sometimes or tabata), Step Aerobics, & Zumba.

My biggest suggestions are to keep with the work-outs and try to maintain as close to the MFP/TDEE recommended calories a day. I noticed you mentioned you are doing Leslie Sansone walking DVD, I recommend you also check out JessicaSmithTV (she's got some good walking videos). Start adding some toning/strength work-outs too.

We can do this!!!

140 pounds at 5'0" seems really high to me...isn't that still clinically obese (or close to it) for that height?

140 pounds at 5'0" seems really high to me...isn't that still clinically obese (or close to it) for that height?

Technically 140lbs for a 5’0” person is still in the “overweight” section of the BMI chart (not the obese section), but BMI is a pretty imperfect measure to be honest. It doesn’t take into consideration what your body composition is, so I don’t really know if it’s the best indicator of a “healthy” weight or not.

All of that aside, I know I do much better when I set smaller goals for myself. I just reached my goal weight a couple days ago, but am debating setting it for 5lbs lower now that I’m here. We’ll see. I say, find the place where you feel healthy and strong.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/rides4sanity/view/time-to-share-the-belly-photo-ughhh-616669

This is a blog I wrote about my loss and struggles... I'm am down to 110 now, but the story is the same and I wore a bikini to the beach sagging skin and all...

Good luck!

I am 5 foot and started at 175 pounds. Last Sunday was my hubby's August birthdays get together at this nice Italian restaurant in Santa Cruz, California. Not the best deal for my weight loss so basically started this week at 174. Just working nice in slow on eating small healthy meals and drinking lots of water. Good luck evrryone. My goal is to reach <130 lbs. I will turn 64 yrs on Oct. 3.

I'm 5' 0" too. I started logging on MFP at 162 lbs a couple months ago, and have been losing at about a pound a week. I am exercising daily, and like you my initial goal was also 140. But I am happier and more confident than expected with the progress, so to challenge myself I set my goal to 120. I don't expect to reach it in a few months but maybe in a year. No matter what, I know I'll be more fit.

I've been told I was overweight all my life and can't remember weighing less than 140 as an adult, or for the past 10 years less than 150. I stopped weighing myself when I hit 175 but knew needed to I start eating better, less fast food, less beer. That was a couple of years ago. I wish I had tried MFP then, but I was making slow progress on my own and forming good habits.

You mentioned the carb heavy diet, I can relate! I know I cannot live without rice, but gradually over a few years, my body has adjusted to the right portions. I say a few years because I visited an old favorite teriyaki place I hadn't been to in so long. They use the same size bento box filled with more than 2 cups of rice and covered with a lean protein and vegetables. I used to eat it all, every last grain of rice. This time I ate until I was full, and the leftovers lasted for 3 more meals. What a surprise! I could never cut out carbs completely, especially rice, because the deprivation only makes my stomach growl louder. But consistency, discipline and a gradual approach really helped. I bought a special rice serving spoon so that I was never guessing the portion. If I finished a plate and wanted more, I had more, but sensibly.

There are so many great workouts online now, I agree they get monotonous so do mix it up. And if you have done 3-mile a few times, by all means you are ready for the 4 and 5 Your body can always do more than you think. Be patient with yourself, just don't give up!