I am curious..how much did you gain and how much have you taken off with your new eating plan? Almost 50 and I don't see my age as a deterrent to getting what I want. I have no problems in the fitness area...I really (truly) enjoy working out. I just undo the good by not eating a lower calorie diet.

I also almost never eat fruit. I see the small apples in your diet. Good source of fiber that I need to do.

My husband is at the gym by 6am and post-workout has oatmeal with protein powder, some of my friends do oatmeal with egg whites (I see the egg whites in your diet). I may give that a try-they told me it keeps them full. I've been doing protein bars/fiber bars in the morning.

Sounds like we're trying to do the exact same thing here. I'm 47 years old and I just began working out about 2 months ago. I go to the gym at least 3-4 times a week. I spoke with a personal trainer and he has advised me to do some of the things you speak of. In doing so I have lost 20+ pounds so far. I just learned last night during one of my workouts that one of the things NOT to do while losing weight is to do abdominal situps because until you lose the fat you will just build muscle on top of the fat. You can achieve all that you set out to do just take it at your own pace and no one elses and don't push yourself too hard but continue to be ebcourage and happy about doing it for you. I'm excited about my weight loss but I still have along road ahead of me my goal is to get to 170 lbs before my birthday next year. I was weighing in at 287 lbs. I'm now at 260. I'm very proud of me and I will reach my goals and so shall you. Keep up the good work. I will begin using a protein drink next week after talking with the trainer about it. My whole problem was that I didn't eat breakfast and in doing that it just allowed my body to store fat for the rest of the day until my next meal so now I'm incorporating breakfast in my diet. I eat a lot of salads and chicken breast, fish perferably talapia, and orange roughy, the egg whites, and lots of veggies and very little pasta and breads. I've turned to multi grain breads and drink lots of water along with my Crystal lite and lite fruit if not fresh. So we're in this together you can do it.

Honeybee...20 lbs off is great!

I have never heard that about not doing ab (CORE) work while trying to lose weight though. At what point will your trainer have you add it in?

Sounds like you have a very healthy eating plan in place and it's obviously working.

Zumbadeb I gained 32lbs and just started this new way. I joined a fitness center last year and tried to change my eating habits. I got discouraged after a few months, and now am getting some encouragement from this girl who is a fitness trainer.

Honeybee

Its nice to have a new friend trying to acomplish the same thing. 20+lbs - thats great. You give me hope. I have not gone to the gym yet. I thought I would try to get the diet down first for a couple of weeks. Last year I gave up after expecting too much too soon and overdoing it in both areas. I am going to try slow and steady this time although I believe if I keep this eating plan simple I can stick to it from the get go.

Me

I am not a personal trainer, a nutritionist, or a physician - just a person who stay reasonably fit and maintains a reasonable weight.

I don't think it is ever too late to get more fit and to eat healthier. Certainly, if we did this when we were in our 20's and kept it up for life, we'd be better off than starting at 50. But you'll be 60 in 10 years no matter what. Might as well try and be the healthiest 60 you can be.

Your diet sounds good, but it would drive me crazy. I need more variety in my diet than that. I think the trick is to find a plan that will work for you long term. I have a good friend who has eaten the same Mon-Fri breakfast and lunch for 20 years. She says it makes it easier not to think about it. It would drive me nuts - and I'd probably end up eating a box of cookies for lunch one day in frustration. So ask yourself if this is a program you can stay on long term. If yes, keep with it. If no, then you may want to make some modifications.

As for not doing abs, I think that is wrong. Your muscles are where they are. Your body does not produce new muscles when you exercise, it just tones the ones you've got. You can't build muscle over fat or any other place except where they were when you started. What the trainer may have meant is that you won't get flat looking belly area unless you lose the fat. Many people build strong abs under the layers of fat and they are disappointed as they don't have flat abs and they are working so hard. Ask the trainer for clarification on this.

On the original post, you added "patience" as a tag. That's a good one. Patience is key when you're trying to change a bad habit and make a lifestyle change. Be kind and patient to yourself.

I am not 50 but I have been fighting the same battle for 20 years. I am currently doing the same things you are. Changed my eating habits to every 2-3 hours but good portions and healthy foods. I am using a system called Trim Advantage you can find on this website.

www.hwoodsjunior.qhealthzone.com it has changed my life and I am never hungry or craving the carbs. I also stopped drinking coffee for 20 days and I believe that is a great contribution to stopping the cravings. I think all the coffee I was drinking was making my body crash off and on during the day, causing me that pick me up all the time.