"Diets" do not work. Sorry.

A change in lifestyle works.

Which means you have to build muscle to burn the fat.

Reduce your carbs. Don't eliminate them.

Exercise.

Learn to graze, rather than eat three full meals.

Drink lots of water.

Give up soda. Even the diet ones.

ok this is proof that no one here knows what theyre talkin about, one of the most important parts of loseing weight is to drink water. Go get some real help www.bodybuilding.com

dont mix your weight training days with your cardio days if your interested in gaining muscle mass

I am just interested in losing FAT! I will worry about muscle tone after I lose my fat.

:winkwink:

Do Anna Nicole's diet...

If you are someone who does not know much about nutrition the Weight Watcher's program can be really good. It basically incorporates all of the good advice you have gotten in this thread. Some people enjoy meeting with other people that are going through the same thing as them and also like the accountability of having someone else weigh them each week.
I went to the meetings a little while this spring to get myself jumpstarted again and motivated. Now I'm doing great. Watching what I eat and enjoying healthy food and hitting the gym 3-5 days a week. I feel so much better!
I also follow Hal's philosophy and make sure my fridge and cabinets are full of healthy foods that I like.

if your not interested in gaining muscle mass then dont bother doing weight training, just do more cardio make sure your cardio workout is effective though

i got into amazing shape last summer by making some basic changes to my life.

- stopped drinking anything with sugar in it
- started drinking lots of water
- cut out most of the fat in my diet
- hiked Whistler mountain *every* day

worked like a charm.

When you get the munchies if you don't already have something low-cal/fat handy, you are going to grab the first thing that is handy. For some people (me) not eating in the evening is misery.

Cook a whole cabbage, or a whole bunch of broccolli or a whole head of caulliflower or a whole bag of carrots or a large pot of greens (no drippings:) or squash, zucchini etc. Add onions, garlic, mushrooms, celery, peppers, any low/non-caloric seasonings that you like in other foods. When you have to eat, go nuts. Eat the whole pot if you want with no consequences (except maybe a bit of gas:1orglaugh). By using your favorite seasonings you can head off cravings and the inconsequential calories let you eat until stuffed if you want.

Other great snack ideas are whole dills and pickled okra. Those tend to satisfy my cravings for salty/crunchy.

If you just want to be thinner all you need to do is eat less and excercise. You cant put on weight if you're not taking anything into your body.

But to be healthy and thinner, I'd suggest you make the lifestyle change other have recommended in the thread.

Note: the things you eat are going to take getting used to and it's not going to be easy and it's ever going to be the same not being able to binge on pastries coated with creamy sugar. But you have to give a little to gain a little. Just set limits. You can still eat out once in awhile and you can still enjoy brownies and cake. But it's all in different portions and not nearly as often as now.

100% right !!! :thumbsup