I need to lose 40 pounds before October 13th.

I have a hard time sticking to "diets" so I did this:

- at each meal, eat just a little less than you normally would. You'll still be full and cut some calories.

- make sure one meal each day is heavily plant-based, like a salad or stir fry

- snack any time you're hungry, but make those snacks only fruit, veggie, or nuts (you'll be surprise how often you ate before when you weren't actually hungry)

- work out for 30 minutes at least 5-6 days a week, and make 2 of those weight bearing (yoga or pilates counts, but if you're willing to do squats and things like that, I feel like it really helped me)

- try to walk everywhere. Take the stairs, park in the back of parking lots, take the mail to a further post box, etc.

The small things add up really fast! And if you really want to keep yourself accountable, keep a journal or use an app. I found when I felt like I was doing a good job, I was more inclined to keep making good choices.

21 day fix ETA: you need to stick with the eating plan after the 21 days are over

I am doing Weight Watchers and 21 day fix. So for i am enjoying Weight Watchers. I like the fact that it is not restrictive. You can still enjoy the foods you love but you make better choices. Like on Fridays we usually eat out, because I do not want to use up all my point, so I will have a kids burger and a salad. I would usually have a regular burger and fries

21 day fix is supposed to be 7 days of workouts for three weeks. I can't do 7 days so I have been doing 3-4 workouts a week and just taking longer to complete the program

My best advice? If this is mostly appearance related vs health, find a dress that you love at the size you are now. I wanted to be 15 pounds smaller than I am now for my wedding day because that's the size I was when I met FH. I'm not. Oh well. (Though I did lose 11 of the 25-30lbs I originally wanted to lose and am quite proud of that). I still have a dress that makes me feel great and I've got the rest of my life to continue to build in healthy eating and exercising habits.

Weight Watchers and water have been helpful to me. But mindset and motivation is everything!!

My sister does Weight Watchers and I'm thinking of joining myself. Not just for weight loss for my dress but to transition to healthier eating I can maintain longer term. The points system they have works well because the points account for a number of factors including protein, carbs, etc and not just calories. Defiantly ramp up the exercising though. I do total body conditioning 3 -4 times a week and cycle on the weekends.

I don't have a problem with weight watchers vs MFP.

Some people really need/want that financially accountability.

It doesn't honestly matter which one you chose- BOTH (or fatsecret or spark people) will help teach you what your food is "worth" regardless of if it's arbitrarily assigned points OR the actual calories. It still helps teach you the value of your food.

I would never pay for weight watches- MFP works for free and I can keep myself accountable- but that doesn't mean it's not valuable for someone else. I know a lot of people who would NEVER pay to go to a gym- they can work out for free- or significantly less. But I won't ever work out consistently at home- ever. So guess what- I pay for a gym membership.

Nothing wrong with it. Merely options to utilize.

I have to lose weight to fit in my dress bc there doesn't seem to be a way to alter it to my body so I'm losing wright by drinking only water, no carbs, no bread, no pasta, no sugars. Tons of meat and veggies. I'm down 10lbs so it's a start

@Leah I agree with counting calories, but for someone starting off I do not think Weight Watchers is a bad idea. I think it will get you in the habit of checking labels/making better choices and you will be able to move on to counting calories. WW is much more sustainable then Atkins or any of the fad diets being suggested.

I do not agree with the advice about not exercising. You need to move to be healthy. Weight loss is great and all but your primary goal should be improving your overall health.

I'm with LeahH. You need a diet not to be on a diet. If you want to lose 40 lbs you need to eat better and move. I don't like to be a B word but it's the truth. Weight watcher and 21 day fix work but you'll have to adhere to that for the rest of your life. Always look at food and exercise as a gift to your body not as a punishment. Cutting food groups and over exercising isn't going to be something you can stick to.

The best advice I saw here was: monitor your sugar and carb intake. I say reduce because cutting it out will set you up to fail. Think of those things as choices rather than treats. If you're going out with FH for dinner and you guys share a dessert then that's a choice. Don't beat yourself up for it, just know that you can't make that choice all day every day.

Your goal is realistic if you actually are motivated to put in the work and change for life. Your body is a gift. Use these things to cherish it.

Keisha- those two things are not the same.

Yes- movement is good- and improving overall health is good- but exercise is NOT necessary for weight loss.

One of the reasons it's important to differentiate is because people work out- and then "reward" themselves and eat for working out. Workout because it's good for you.

Watch what you eat to maintain your body composition.

do not confuse those two- it's very dangerous to do so.

Everything Grace G said. Lots of water, I drink water with a splash of lemon juice. Being well hydrated improves health in SO many ways, including weight loss.

We bought a treadmill. It's been cheaper than 2 gym memberships and with our crazy schedules it's a great benefit. We use it and have other workouts we do. It is right in our living room which is a great motivator. It was expensive but we have already benefitted from it more than the gym because of our schedules

Smaller portions and lots of fruits and veggies.

I also have a fit bit which is such a useful tool.

It's not fun, but you have to start tracking what you're eating. MyFitnessPal will be a HUGE eye opener to how much you are overeating. Figure out how many calories you need a day to lose weight. Eat as many grams of protein as you want to weigh (in pounds, obviously), and add the rest of your calories in as fats and carbs. You know what they say, abs are made in the kitchen.

Low carb has helped me with a number of things, but everyone truly IS different.

At the end of the day, though, the science comes down to calories in vs. calories out. If you aren't getting any exercise and keep eating more than what you can burn, you will never lose weight.

JoRocka- I remember when I started off on my journey, fitness pal was a little intimidating. After I got used to it, it is was OK. I joined WW for a change of pace and personally I am enjoying the process. I actually wish I did weight watchers before I used fitness pal.

I do not workout/exercise to lose weight, I do it because it helps me maintain my health. Weight loss is just an awesome side benefit. If you are only eating healthy and moving because you want to fit into a dress then what happens after the wedding. Make it a lifestyle. I just call exercise a workout and vice versa, but I can see where you see the need to differentiate the two

Exercise at least 30 mins a day. Walk more. Eat real food (if it didn't come from the ground or have a mom then it's not real food) and pay attention to portions.

21 day fix is a great program if you need more guidance!

@JoRocka totally agree! Others had already mentioned the healthy eating, counting calories, macros, etc. I just wanted to offer what has been working for me in addition to that.

I live a pretty healthy lifestyle generally. I don't drink soda or eat sweets and rarely eat processed foods. But I like my beer and my wine and I love eating out. I have always been pretty active but the past couple of winters, my soccer team stopped playing indoors. So I got into Pilates and am now forcing myself to do cardio.

I also downloaded the MyFitnessPal app and am entering every beer, glass of wine and gin & soda that I drink in addition to my meals. It has seriously helped me realize how I gained the extra bit of weight in the first place. It used to be typical for me to have a bottle of wine on a Friday night, sometimes more. And I drank about two glasses of wine every night. Now that I see how many calories a pint of beer and a glass of wine are, I have cut that. Good for my health too.

I also reduced the amount of carbs and starches I've been eating in the past 2 months and that's when I noticed the most difference. Since I didn't cut them completely, I don't crave them either.

@JoRocka one thing that really helped me too was when you posted the link to the girl's story who lifts... Showing the difference between 140 lbs unfit versus fit. That totally changed my perspective and even though I step on the scale, I'm more focused on the pictures and the measurements. Do you still have that link? Maybe it would help others if you posted it again?

I wish I knew how to lift like you do. Whenever I'm running at the gym I always admire the girls that know how to use the machines or the weights. I should really get a trainer but at this point, the dress is already starting to be altered so I'll have to start that after the wedding!!

Don't shy away from carbs. This is a huge misconception!! Carbs give you energy for workouts. Also, don't be afraid to lift weights. Combined with cardio, you'll still lose weight!

Does anyone track their calories in their Fitbit app? I kinda did for awhile and liked it but I want to know if its similar to MFP