WOW! This is a great thread! Thanks so much for presenting the question Liz!

I have been at the 50% mark for about a year and a half. However, I stopped exercising altogether....no excuse for that!
The good news is that I've committed myself to the treadmill 4-5 times a week as of the New Year. However, it never occured to me that I should begin weight training now. I always thought that as I got closer to my goal weight, say within 20 lbs, I would start lifting.
Reading through this thread has convinced me that the 50% mark is the time to start and for me that's right now!
Thanks to everyone and their most intelligent comments.
Kathy

Oops! forgot to ask about this. I can't afford to join a gym and the only equip I have is a treadmill.
Last year I purchased the Windsor Pilates DVD. Does Pilates count as 'strength' or 'weight' training?

thanks
k

I feel as though "everyone" knows my views on this question, but I realize that isn't true! I've seen so many people in the TDC slow way down after a significant inital loss. I am one of them, even though I exercise regularly. A few people manage to figure out a way to sustain faster losses. Some are hanging in there with ongoing slow loss. Others seem to have accepted the situation, perhaps reluctantly. I think there must be a metabolic issue that underlies so many of us having the same experience. I am currently following the Curves metabolic tune up (described in Gary Heavin's book--he's the founder of Curves). I'm been maintaining my weight for about 2 months while eating in a pattern of lower and higher calories. Eventually I should be able to eat at the higher range (up to 2000/day) without gaining. At that point, according to the plan, if I go back to regular LC I should be able to lose a pound a week. Time will tell. So far the maintenance part is going well.

My weight loss has slowed to a crawl, at this point it seems every lb is a battle. I find that changing things up (either have a few very carefully planned cheat days or changing my excercise routine by doing new tapes or switching between running and walking) gets things "moving" again. I frequently go 6 weeks without any loss then suddenly lose 7 lbs in a week. I went on vacation in Nov for 5 days, did no excercise and while I didn't go crazy with food I certainly did not eat LC. I lost 7 lbs in the week after I got home. It was probably coincidence since I had not had a loss in quite a while but maybe I confused my body just enough for it to let the extra water weight go. I also suspect that my workout routine (3 days running or walking at least 3 miles each day, weight lifting, yoga or pilates the other 3 days and one rest day) is causing my body to simply switch fat weight into muscle weight.