Hi there,
When I turned 30, I woke up "fat" and it killed me because I also had maintained an active life. Of course, when I looked back at pictures, the weight had indeed crept on slowly. In this past year, I have lost 50 pounds and gotten myself into much better shape than I was, even at 22.

For me, the key has been calories. The way I see it, calories are energy and if you eat more than you burn, you gain weight. Low fat diets definitely never worked for me. A little bit of a higher fat food makes me feel more full and satisfied than a lot of a low fat food. It also helps me feel less deprived (which can cause excessive snacking). I let myself have fries once in awile, but I eat the salad first and really pay attention to when I'm no longer hungry NOT when I'm stuffed. You can always eat more later if you feel hungry. I mostly stay away from fries, but if I have an extraoridnary craving, maybe my body needs the salt or the fat and I should pay attention to what my body needs.

Being patient is also important. At times, I went months without losing a pound, but I tried not to get too discouraged. I tried to think about how the body could be increasing its muscle, which can benefit me more in the long run (muscle burns more calories, it supports bones, it helps you to perform better).

Good Luck!!!
Leona