Weight has been a lifelong challenge for me. I'm fairly happy with where I'm at, though I could stand to lose 20 pounds. A few things I've learned:

- Avoiding carbs is an all or nothing deal for me. I can't half-*** it and just have "a half a plate of pasta" or "one candy bar", and then expect the cravings not to lay into me with a vengeance the next day or week. The carb cravings can be pretty brutal, but if you avoid all of the refined carbs that you can, the cravings eventually fall away. If it helps, think of it like med side effects that diminish if you're steady with your medication.

- 60 grams of protein a day, all the zero or very low calorie fluid you can drink, all the fruit and vegetables you can stand, and a multivitamin seems to be a good diet for energy and weight loss.

- Protein bars and shakes may not be the world's most delicious treats, but they're really helpful. Avoid anything that replaces sugar with sugar alcohols if you don't want to spend 24/7 on the toilet.

- Don't count the calories that you expend during exercise toward anything, ever. The idea that exercise is going to directly lead to anything other than very minor weight is flat out wrong, unless you're an Olympian or a frequent marathon runner or something like that. Exercise because when you exercise, (to a point - find a balance and don't kill yourself with it), more physical, mental, and emotional energy will become available to you. Mix aerobic and anaerobic exercise. Moderate weight lifting will not make women, (and most men), musclebound or 'beefed up" in any way. I work out four days a week - 30 minutes on the elliptical and 3 sets of 10 reps on 4 weight machines each time I work out.

- Don't weigh yourself daily.

- Sugar free gum helps.

- Find new hobbies, or spend a lot of time with the ones that you already enjoy. Lots of downtime is not good when trying not to focus on food.

- Don't think of any action that you're planning to take as a "diet". That word is loaded with decades upon decades of social, (and possibly personal), baggage. It's worse than useless.

Good luck!