I didn't reach my goal of 25 pounds but I did find that by setting a goal I lost far more than I ever have with weight loss plans. Blogging has definitely helped and thank you to everyone who has encouraged me and offered advice.
Exercise: Although you can lose weight by cutting down calories, exercise definitely boosts calorie loss and if your goal is not only to lose weight but achieve a healthier body then exercise is a must. I am much more active than I was in May. Now the weather is cooling a little, I'll get out and walk more, but I have a few exercise DVDs and will also use those. The mornings are not a good time for me to exercise, but I try and exercise as soon as I get home from work and before I can think of too many excuses not to. Pedometers help too and often I can rack up quite a few steps just by using the stairs during the day instead of the elevator, and walking at the mall at lunch time.
Food: I've found that working out maximum calories per meal helps me. For instance, I don't eat more than 200 calories for breakfast and 250 for lunch. I add in two 100 calorie snacks during the day - you get the picture. I do change this occasionally but it helps me if I eat out to know approximately how many to have for each meal. It also insures that I have enough calories for the evening meal. 1,200 calories seems to be the maximum I can eat without gaining weight. This obviously will fluctuate depending on the amount of exercise. I'm making healthier choices and not eating as much processed food.
Snacking: I'm trying to eat more fruit as a snack, rather than processed food, but I do keep some fiber plus bars or granola bars handy when I don't have fresh fruit at hand.
Results (Memorial Day to Labor Day):
Total Loss: 20 pounds
Total Inches Lost: 15.5
BMI: From 34.94 to 32.84 (needs to be lower than 25)
Waist to Hip Ratio: From .84 to .85 (this actually went up, but still remains under .88)
This is by no means the end of the journey and I plan to continue with the 30 Day Shred and then concentrate on at least maintaining until the end of the year before setting another goal.
