Well, I certainly haven't been losing weight at any record pace, but I have been losing it consistently for the last few months. I haven't taken any diet supplements or used any other miracle tricks. I have done it with diet and exercise alone.
To start things off, here are a few links to helpful charts and calculators. It's helpful to know the healthy weight range for a given height and about how many calories you burn without exercise (BMR). I am 5 feet 6 1/2 inches, so 126 - 158 is my healthy weight range. My BMR is about 1580 calories. (Remember, as you lose wight, your BMR changes. It has dropped by 70 calories in the last few months.) Now you need to exercise to raise the amount of calories you can consume, or eat less than that. I exercise 4-6 times a week and usually eat a few hundred calories more than that.
Now that you have figured that out, what to do now? Let's start with diet. When I say diet, I don't mean starving myself or boycotting certain foods. What I do mean is calculating about how many calories I burn and consuming less. Even if I want to eat some deep-fat fried thing loaded with sugar on occasion, it can be done, but for the most part I don't waste my calories. The most important thing is to KEEP TRACK. I use gyminee to do it free online. I just type in what I ate and it keeps track of the grams of protein, carbs and fat along with the total calories. It lets me have fractions of servings and I can even create my own foods. This makes it easy to see what I'm eating and how the calories are distributed.
Be very careful about eating out. Check out the calories before you go so that you can make a good choice. Every once in a while you may opt to have a free day, but be sure to make that very rare. I end up having only about one or two per month and I try to have really good cardio workouts on the day before, of and after if possible.
To start things off, here are a few links to helpful charts and calculators. It's helpful to know the healthy weight range for a given height and about how many calories you burn without exercise (BMR). I am 5 feet 6 1/2 inches, so 126 - 158 is my healthy weight range. My BMR is about 1580 calories. (Remember, as you lose wight, your BMR changes. It has dropped by 70 calories in the last few months.) Now you need to exercise to raise the amount of calories you can consume, or eat less than that. I exercise 4-6 times a week and usually eat a few hundred calories more than that.
Now that you have figured that out, what to do now? Let's start with diet. When I say diet, I don't mean starving myself or boycotting certain foods. What I do mean is calculating about how many calories I burn and consuming less. Even if I want to eat some deep-fat fried thing loaded with sugar on occasion, it can be done, but for the most part I don't waste my calories. The most important thing is to KEEP TRACK. I use gyminee to do it free online. I just type in what I ate and it keeps track of the grams of protein, carbs and fat along with the total calories. It lets me have fractions of servings and I can even create my own foods. This makes it easy to see what I'm eating and how the calories are distributed.
Be very careful about eating out. Check out the calories before you go so that you can make a good choice. Every once in a while you may opt to have a free day, but be sure to make that very rare. I end up having only about one or two per month and I try to have really good cardio workouts on the day before, of and after if possible.
Let me just share some recommendations on foods I eat often. These help fill me up, without maxing out on calories. Some healthy foods I like are lowfat cottage cheese, oatmeal, egg whites, 
Green Giant Steamers, South Beach Protein Bars, Great Value BeneFit Fiber Bars or Fiber One(Oats 'n Chocolate is good), South Beach Fiber Chocolate bars (taste divinely good, but aren't quite as filling), Western Family Non-Fat Yogurt, Progresso Light Soups, and Special K. I also like fresh, steamed or boiled veggies and fresh fruits, especially apples. If I get the muchies or a craving for something sweet, I chew sugar-free gum like Stride or Orbit. This is by no means a comprehensive list, nor are these foods ideal for everyone. These are just some of the low-calorie foods I enjoy. 
If you eat wisely, there is no need to feel hungry. The important thing is to read food labels and keep track of what you eat.
Another tip I discovered. Make sure eat enough in the morning. At first I tried to save my calories for later in the day, but I discovered that if I only ate a little for breakfast and lunch, then I'd be fine until dinner and then be hungry all evening. Most of you probably know this already, but if you skip meals, your body slows its metabolism. It's actually better to eat 5 or 6 small meals rather than three larger ones. This wasn't a problem for me, but I know people who think skipping is good. It's not. Also, be sure to drink a lot of water. Keep track of that too.
The next step is up your exercise. Find something active that you enjoy if possible. That will motivate you to do it. If you can find a friend to go with you, even better. Trying to mix it up is helpful. I often go running, but I change my strategies. Sometimes I time myself to see how fast I run a mile, sometimes I jog 4-5 miles. Still other times I do one minute intervals sprinting/brisk walking. By mixing it up, I make my exercise more effective and more interesting. I own a few workout videos, but I am definitely more motivated to exercise when I try something new. Online you can watch a bunch of free workout videos. I make sure to get cardio and strength training. I don't have a gym membership, but I have a few dumbells and an exercise ball. There are plenty of ways to work your muscles doing push-ups, crunches, sitting against the wall, etc. without going to the gym. Again, the important thing is to KEEP TRACK. You can also keep track of exercise on gyminee.
I am not a medical professional, so take it for what it is. I've just been asked how I am losing the weight without using any drugs or supplements. These are just some of the things that have been working for me.
Good luck getting healthy!
Green Giant Steamers, South Beach Protein Bars, Great Value BeneFit Fiber Bars or Fiber One(Oats 'n Chocolate is good), South Beach Fiber Chocolate bars (taste divinely good, but aren't quite as filling), Western Family Non-Fat Yogurt, Progresso Light Soups, and Special K. I also like fresh, steamed or boiled veggies and fresh fruits, especially apples. If I get the muchies or a craving for something sweet, I chew sugar-free gum like Stride or Orbit. This is by no means a comprehensive list, nor are these foods ideal for everyone. These are just some of the low-calorie foods I enjoy. 
If you eat wisely, there is no need to feel hungry. The important thing is to read food labels and keep track of what you eat. Another tip I discovered. Make sure eat enough in the morning. At first I tried to save my calories for later in the day, but I discovered that if I only ate a little for breakfast and lunch, then I'd be fine until dinner and then be hungry all evening. Most of you probably know this already, but if you skip meals, your body slows its metabolism. It's actually better to eat 5 or 6 small meals rather than three larger ones. This wasn't a problem for me, but I know people who think skipping is good. It's not. Also, be sure to drink a lot of water. Keep track of that too.
The next step is up your exercise. Find something active that you enjoy if possible. That will motivate you to do it. If you can find a friend to go with you, even better. Trying to mix it up is helpful. I often go running, but I change my strategies. Sometimes I time myself to see how fast I run a mile, sometimes I jog 4-5 miles. Still other times I do one minute intervals sprinting/brisk walking. By mixing it up, I make my exercise more effective and more interesting. I own a few workout videos, but I am definitely more motivated to exercise when I try something new. Online you can watch a bunch of free workout videos. I make sure to get cardio and strength training. I don't have a gym membership, but I have a few dumbells and an exercise ball. There are plenty of ways to work your muscles doing push-ups, crunches, sitting against the wall, etc. without going to the gym. Again, the important thing is to KEEP TRACK. You can also keep track of exercise on gyminee.
I am not a medical professional, so take it for what it is. I've just been asked how I am losing the weight without using any drugs or supplements. These are just some of the things that have been working for me.
Good luck getting healthy!
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