30 lbs in 30 weeks

I also need to do a pound a week as had lost 2lbs of xmas weight as of yesterday so want to be back at "goal" by my wedding anniversary so I can go out wearing a dress!! So that is 5lbs in 5 weeks. Then I am gonna see if I can lose a bit more before summer so I can afford to eat lots of yummies in the hols!!

Plan plan plan... and then stick to it. The latter part is the toughest when first starting, and then it is almost reassuring once you get it down

You can do it, 1lb a week is a very reasonable goal. My birthday is in 23 weeks and I want to lose like 15 but I doubt its going to happen. Its harder to lose now that I'm close.

That is my goal! 30 lbs in 30 weeks...we will do it. My kids and husband are helping me; an 11 year old boy makes for a great work out partner!

Yes keep your food diary everyday and plan your meals ahead so you know how many snacks you can have. In other words do the complete opposite to what i do!!

This! Be obsessive about logging your food and before you eat it when at all possible.Then find a way to get exercise in. If you are short on time, try Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred. It will not only bump your calories nicely but it will pop your metabolism up for the rest of the day (do it as early in the day as possible).

Also, drink your water and get your sleep. I have 4 children so I know how hard this is for a mom to do consistently but you have to help your body lose the weight and the sleep is essential to that. Whatever you are fixing for them can be modified to fit your diet. Look for solutions, not excuses and you will find them. Make up a large batch of high fiber low calorie soup and have it on hand for emergencies if you are running out of calories or are hungry. I can make a veggie beef that has about 100 calories per cup and it is so filling.

Oh, and protein. Try to get some at every meal if you can. And if you do something like 30DS or any kind of weight training, do get yourself a protein powder to use after to feed your muscles.

Supplements - at least a good multi (I don't use a multi because I take Juiceplus capsules), and an Omega 3 of some kind. This can be flaxseed or fish oil. I found some Omega 3 chews at Walmart that has no aftertaste.

I think those are the essentials of what I have done to consistently lose about 2 lbs a week since November. I did, of course, have more weight to lose, about 80 lbs at the start. That makes a difference as well. I have my goal set to 1.5 lbs a week and sedentary so I log all exercise but I don't always eat back all my exercise calories. I do if I am hungry and I leave what I can if I am not.

On the exercise, there are two basic strategies - either do lots and lots of cardio or do some cardio with some weight training. The lots of cardio is probably most effective at moving the scale but can leave you "skinny fat" which is skinny but soft and no muscle definition. Or you can do some cardio with some weight resistance (the 30DS combines the two). Depending on how much weight you are using, you may gain muscle which weighs more but takes up less space. So the scale may not be as compliant but your clothes fit better. I would recommend the second to someone like you IF you can handle seeing inches gone instead of lbs some of your weeks. It will do more to actually change your body so that you look good AND you are actually healthier and that is what most of us mommies want, right?!