I am a 30 year old female, 5'5" tall. My ideal weight is less than 150 according to BMI, but I find that unrealistic. 8 years ago I was running up to 5 miles a day and weighed 170. I looked thin and didn't have much extra body fat. Honestly, I think that was a good weight for me, so that is why it is my goal weight. If I hit 170 and the doctor still thinks I should lose more, then I will reset my final goal weight. I have 2 kids. Corinne is 2 1/2 years old and Blake is 10 months. I set a goal of getting back to the weight I was when I got pregnant with Blake by the time he was 9 months old and I hit that goal. I still need to lose 23 more to get to the weight I was when I got pregnant with Corinne. I am laid off from work permanently and seeking a teaching job. In the meantime, I go to the Y a few days a week and mostly do cardio. I really need to get into weights, but I usually only have about an hour at the gym. I really enjoy jogging, but with all the extra weight, my knees get to hurting if I jog more than 2 days in a row. I am in a 'slow and steady' mindset, and as long as I'm losing a pound or two per month, I am happy with that. I slid backwards a little the last couple of weeks and gained a couple pounds (hoping its water weight), but yesterday (May 24, 2010) I recommited to the weight loss. The plan is to track my calories and make sure I get at least 4 days of exercise in per week, in addition to playing with the kids outside as much as possible to keep me moving.