Targa, you're not my type, but to be within 5 lbs of your college jock weight is FANTASTIC. Me, I'll be happy to lose 100 more lbs and get to my heaviest USMC weight of 225. After all, you can't be overweight in the Corps. All of you will have finished long before me, so don't forget me.
Caroline, welcome to the group. Everyone here will tell you, slow and steady will prevail. A pound a week is success.
Oldbabe, I think 30 minutes cardio right off is pressing it a little. If you go too hard to start you might fall off the program. I started my cardio with only 10 minutes three times a week. Then I went to 12½ for a week, then 15, then 17½, then finally 20. Once I hit 20 minutes (after 5 weeks) then I went to four days a week, and the next week to 5 days a week. Now I'm using 24 - 25 minutes a day, depending on which machine I am on for the cardio. That is followed by a 30 - 45 minutes weight workout five days a week. Rowing and upper body on my Mon/Wed/Fri, Lifecycle and lower body on my Tue/Thu.
Simplegirl, 120's rock. Where are you trying to get to again?
Sarah, the key here is that the same things don't work for everybody. If the gym is your motivation, by all means, pass on the elliptical and continue going. In my case, getting the weights for home means I can get home around 1130pm insteadof 100am. And I get to listen to music I like instead of that head-banging stuff the "kids" listen to. See, I'm an average of 15 years older than any of the kids I supervise.
Diet wise, the biggest change I made was switching to six "meals" a day. This supposedly keeps the "metabolic fires" burning all day. That and some relearning portion control. Wake up around 830am, feed the dogs, let them out, and take my meds.
Breakfast (9am) - ½ cup of rolled oats, 2 Tbsp chopped nuts, 3 Tbsp raisins, 1 tsp honey and 1 c water, plus a cup of tea.
Snack (1130am - 12pm) - Somedays I'll even have serving of casserole and 1 cup of frozen veggies, if I have the time before I leave for work. If I'm running late it's a peanut butter sandwich on whole grain bread and 16 ozs milk. Drive for 1½ hours to get to work. On-duty between 130pm and 200pm. 200pm is official start time.
Snack (330 - 4pm) - 8 oz yogurt mixed with a 1/2 cup of granola.
Supper (630pm or so) - A serving of lasagna or about 8 oz of meat, and a cup of frozen veggies. Started using raw carrots last week. They microwave well if you cut them up into pennies. I'm thiking broccoli and beans might do the same.
Snack (900pm) - A CLIF Builder's bar. Best tasting and best texture of any that I have tried. Decent size is very filling, all organic, and HIGH protein, low carb. Great pre-workout snack. Off-duty at 1000pm. Head to the gym.
Post-workout (1115pm -1130pm) - Edge Agvantage protein shake. 17 grams of protein and only 1 carb. Drive 1½ hours to get home. In bed by 1am, I hope.