where to start

[bud4]

I am 42 years old and about 75 pounds overweight. I have just joined a curves exercise group which I am loving but I need to get started on some form of diet. It seems like every morning when I get up my intentions are good but the more I think about watching what I eat the more hungry I get then I just snack all day long. I have a wedding to go to in 4 months and would like to try to lose as much as I can before then..

[dquenzer]

I hate to say this, but it has been my experience that dieting by severely limiting calorie intake does not work in the long run.

The problem with dieting is that it messes up metabolism.  Almost everyone I have known that goes on a strict diet ends up gaining the weight back and more.

My wife works at curves and I am familiar with the program.  It is a great program.  However my wife also says that it isn't enough.  She realized this when she started running a couple miles a day.  She found out that she is in much better aerobic condition than just doing curves.  

I would continue at curves because that will build muscle and increase metabolism, but you need to increase the volume of exercise.  30 minutes 3 times a day is a minimum. To start loosing weight you probably need to exercise an hour a day at least 5 days a week.  This doesn't have to be hard, but continuous like fast walking.  For example on the days you do curves, then end by walking fast for another 30 minutes.

With respect to diet if you simply ate normally you would be better off.  It may mean just cutting out a can of pop a day.  In otherwords it may mean just limiting a few hundred calories a day.  But if you increase the volume of exercise you will lose weight.

I'm a track coach.  I typically will have guys and girls come up to me and say they lost 15 pounds during track.  Yet they didn't diet at all.  In fact they probably ate more.  But as long as the food intake is less calories than what you are burning you will lose weight.

Good luck.

[shadowknos]

losing as much weight as you can in 4 months is not the answer.  what you want to do is lost weight gradually and safely. no more that 2 lbs per week normally.
lose fat not muscle or water.
  forget diet. diet is a misnomer. think lifestyle or a lifetime of better eating habits.  
  any activity which involves movement- i.e. housecleaning , walking , lifting weight, swimming, etc will do the same thing.
  keep moving. try the basic getting you heart beating at 70-80%.  start at 15-30' and add more time each week .
  every day while desiable is not practical .  three days a week works and cutting back sugars and unhealthy fats.  
do the exercise you enjoy or its very difficult to continue on any long term basis.( your whole life,) do cross training . walking , lifting , running, cleaning house, raking leaves, sit ups . make it fun or join a exercise class.
anyone can lose alot of weight in a hurry. keeping it off is something very few manage to do.
  best wishes

[Mother Margaret]

Overweight?  It may not be your fault

Do you have FATIGUE that rest doesn't help?
AIHA Fatigue clues:

chills, rapid heart rate, pale color, dark urine, shortness of breath, yellow skin color, enlarged spleen?

Are red blood cells small sized?  Is there blood in urine?
Central Nervous System  Effects:  
Difficulty Concentrating  
Short Term Memory Loss
Difficulty Sleeping
Constantly Irritable
Depression
Suicidal Tendencies

If you have the pattern of the harm of 2-butoxyethanol, then overweight, diabetes ... lots of things ... may not be your fault

I wrote this web page to communicate more on this topic:
http://www.valdezlink.com/pages/notyourfault.htm#which