Have you read the book called "The Fat Smash Diet" by Dr. Ian Smith? I used that book back in 2009 and lost 30 lbs (the amount of lbs. that I needed to lose to get to my ideal weight). It worked for me, you might want to give it a try. It's probably a book that will help you to stay at the weight you want because he teaches you how you can eat and exercise without gaining weight.

[Well I ended up gaining weight b/c I started to eat too much of what I wanted and then I started taking a medication that makes you gain weight and now I'm trying to lose the weight again].

Also being on this website is good b/c it helps you watch how many calories you're consuming. If you stay consistent and eat the amount of calories this site suggests to you then you should lose weight.

I'm also trying meal replacement shakes. You can make your own shakes too , green and fruit smoothies. The one I'm trying right now is from the vitamin shop by Garden Life Raw Meal Organic Shake & Meal Replacement (Vanilla). It's got all healthy ingredients, no added sugars, it's dairy free, gluten free, soy free and vegan. It's low calorie and you can use it for a snack or a replacement for a meal (the meal replacement is only 240 calories which is good because women should consume about 200 calories in each meal (under 300 calories). They say you should have at least 2 shakes a day and then your regular meals that fit within your caloric intake.

Just make your weight loss journey about a life changing journey, change the way you eat (what you eat and how much of it you eating while getting the proper amount of calories everyday). Drinking water is a key to losing weight as well, make sure you're getting the right amount of water based on how much you weigh.

I understand how you feel with the yo-yo weight loss trials and errors. I usually say that I have always been overweight but the truth is that in my 20's I was a good size though not really fit - just enjoying that great metabolism of youth! At 5'2" my smallest was 130 (size 10P) and my largest was 244 (size 20/22).

Initially I gave myself 2 years to work on weight loss, I wanted to change the dysfunctional relationship that I had with food. I did join a gym and in the beginning I just started logging my food in a notebook, then a friend told me about MFP. Learning the real deal with calories and servings sizes was HARD!! In the beginning it was an eye opener and while I did cut out some foods I only cut things that I knew I could live without - rice, pasta, cheese and high fat desserts (pasta and rice because a serving is a joke!). I still had fried foods about once a week and ice cream, and chocolate. I learned how to invest in myself with my workouts and the quality of my food. No candy bars but boutique chocolates, cooking with olive oil and butter (low/no fat makes you hangry and it does not help) and I never eat low-fat or light foods. I learned how to listen to my body and eat better, understanding how what I eat fuels my body and in return makes working out more enjoyable - in fact just about everything feels better. I am no longer Pre-anything, no pre-diabetes, no high blood pressure - clean bill of health.

As far as exercise goes, I just wanted to be active. I wanted to be able to move with ease. I started slow and always took my time and I logged every workout that I did, time, distance and calorie burn if the machine included that. This was for me to compare and keep improving. I started doing 15 minutes on the elliptical and 15 on the bike, I would walk a little by getting off the bus a few stops ahead . . . now I walk 3+ miles to work and/or home (I don't even buy a monthly bus pass anymore). Way later I added strength training, I won't say I wish I had done it earlier, I did it when it was the right time for me.

My goals have changed over the years, from 175 to 150 to 144, the smallest I got to was 146 and I really didn't like it. I think I looked ill. So pick a goal that is realistic for you, mine now is to be between 152 -156 in a size 4.