Good Luck with your diet! It's great that you're making a change for yourself. You do look fine the way you are now!!! Of course, everyone says that to me too. LOL.

Swimming is GREAT exercise. It's a complete cardiovascular workout, it's low-impact on your joints, the water provides resistance, and it's an entire body workout the entire time you're in the pool. One summer, I started swimming four times a week (I worked at a pool) and stopped drinking pop, and I lost 30 pounds! (I went from 180 to 150, I'm 5' 6.5") Unfortunately it didn't stay off, but that was because I went back to college in the fall, stopped exercising and started back up on my beer/pop drinking, late-night nacho eating, pizza-ordering diet. At least I never got back up to 180 - I weigh 160 now and would like to get back to 150....but I can't give up my Cokes!!!

As for leg exercises, I totally agree with the Pilates idea. You can buy great videos for pilates, yoga, ballet etc. that would work. Also, swimming will help that too. Just remember to kick your legs when you stroke!! I have trouble remembering to kick sometimes, I just let my arms do all the work.

Good luck and stay positive! It's hard but it's worth it! Feel free to PM me anytime you need some encouragement.

liz