My story
I peaked at 215. I was at 209 when I really started the diet outlined below. In just over 3 months I bottomed out at 163. As of this writing I am at 175, and I have been below 180 for two years. But those numbers aren't how I was really measuring myself. My goal was a 32 inch waist. I started the diet at about 37 inches. I reached that goal at about 168 pounds, and I just lost 5 more pounds while I tried to figure out how to eat again. As of this writing, at 175, my waist is still 32 inches--I've been working out some, so I'm not carrying those additional pounds around my waist. This advice comes directly from my experience in that diet.I had a liver problem that forced me to get my weight down. I started my diet in something of a panic, desperate to make a drastic change in the way that I managed my weight. I started out in an extreme fashion. I think that the extreme start was critical to fixing my mindset for long-term success, thus I recommend this same extreme start. But I implore you to talk to your doctor first, especially if you are on any medications.
I don't drink alcohol, smoke, or take any recreational pharmaceuticals. I also don't drink coffee or sodas with caffeine--I quit those many years ago, and I sleep much better and wake up much more rested now. If you do any of those things then you will need to adjust these plans somewhat to deal with that. I can't really help you with that, except to say that all of that stuff is bad for you and you ought to stop.
The diet
Set goals
* Don't just define yourself in terms of weight. Think about your measurements as well. My personal goal was to get in to my old skinny 32' pants again. Weight is easiest to measure, but think about what you really want and set a goal that works for you.
