I'm a mom of 9! Care to catch up? (Just kidding.) Size means more than pounds. If you're exercising, be it walking, working out, swimming -- whatever -- you are toning muscles and your body shape changes. Muscle weighs more than fat, so you may loose 4 inches but gain 2 to 5 pounds. Trust your body!

I played the diet-go-round for years. Face it. Child birth can mess....you....up!!!

I finally broke down, did the research and Nov. 13 of last year had the lapband put on. One year later I am down 52 pounds, lots of inches and feel wonderful. I have to remember to chew my food more, but the surgery was done on a Friday, and by Tuesday I was grocery shopping and cooking for everyone else.

I don't recommend it for everyone -- DO YOUR RESEARCH! But I wouldn't change a thing. I was worried it was an admonition of defeat but you know what, the technology is there, my health and life was the most important thing and I did what I had to do.

Trust yourself. Size DOES matter!

Size is actually more than just weight. Body fat is important as well. Some people who have a lot of muscle, weigh more. So, if your clothes are fitting well and your weight is higher than you think, it is time to get your body fat checked! The new gold standard method for checking body fat is the DEXA scan used for bone density. Otherwise, you can have the pinch test done, or there are some scales that can give you an estimate.

What do you think about the article in Ladies Home Journal this month that fat in steak is not all bad for you, simple carbs and processed foods are making America fat. And on the news last week: Bacon has a nitrate that has proven to open arteries.

I lost 27 pounds relatively painlessly on Atkins Revolution. I eat berries, watermelon, tons of veggies and plenty of meat and eggs and get my dairy from hard cheese. I feel HUNG OVER if I have any processed food or white flour.

The lowfat low calorie way made me feel starved, crazy and deprived. Now, my cholestrol levels are great, my weight is normal and I'm not sleepy in mid afternoon and I sleep through the nights.

What do you think?

I feel like I "weigh" both equally (har har har, sorry couldn't resist). Sometimes I don't have to step on the scale to know I've gained weight... but when I find out exactly how much over I am, it really motivates me to watch what I eat.

Hey there, mom of 9! Nice to hear the success you have had...however i have already lost 40 pounds and it just another 10 pounds for me and maintaining my loss which drives me crazy......

I use the scale as a gage for how I am doing in the weight control department. I weigh myself every Wednesday morning after I pee, but before I do anything else. This is a way for me to keep track of me. I don't pay attention to any arbitrary number set out on some chart by some physician or government agency. What I am looking for is how I am doing compared to last week or the week before. I used to just judge by the fit of my clothes, but I find that I can put on too many pounds before that changes. I need to gain about 7 or 8 pounds before I can really feel and see it in my clothes. That's a lot to lose. I prefer to start paying closer attention when the number is 3 or 4. I try to keep in mind that weight fluctuates by a couple of pounds normally, so I don't freak out if the difference is just a few and if it doesn't stay that way for a couple of weeks. For those of you who are still menstruating, you also need to consider the phase of your cycle. That always made a difference for me and I would not get on the scale the week I was getting my period - no point. Alas, that is no longer one of my concerns.