Hi and good luck! I'm also trying to lose weight. I've hit on a meal program that works for me, if I add exercize and stay honest with myself about what I'm eating and how much I'm walking, biking, spinning, etc., then I lose about 2 pounds a week. I started out by taking notes on what I was actually eating, then whittled down from there. I can allow myself to "cheat" (like at Christmas) and pretty much stay at whatever weight I've got to, then work down again from there when I'm "rested" and ready to go again.

Also, I've become a more careful shopper. I read the ingredients lists! One thing to note about this country: Virtually EVERYTHING contains high glucose corn syrup. Why? My guess is that it's cheap and adds a dose of addictive sweetness. One of my daughter's friends from Argentina had put on so much weight here that his fiancee sent him a detailed diet list, including calory counts for each item. He went out to shop and found that the same foods had almost twice the calories here. But by reading carefully, I've found some staple items that aren't marked "light" but do have fewer calories and none of that corn syrup.

And one last tip -- drink lots of water! I've discovered that often when I feel like I'm hungry, I'm actually thirsty. Now I drink big pint glasses of water and keep count so I know I'm getting at least a half gallon a day. That too has helped.

Good luck! And have fun with this!