How to get in shape, but not lose weight

For the past 3 months I have been hitting the gym 3 times a week with a trainer who's kicking my butt with exercises meant to kill. Were I 21 I would have lost like 20 lbs by now, but noooo, I'm 34 and have lost a mere 8 lbs. Granted Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years all fell within these months and I was not about to miss out on all that food! I mean, it was just sitting there. What was I suppose to do, not eat it??? It was pecan pie for heaven sake. A girl can only have so much will power when it comes to homemade pecan pie.

So, here's the numbers and a chance for me to be completely honest with my adoring fans - all 3 of you! On November 20 I weighed in with my trainer; I was 264 lbs with a BMI of 43.1%. According to pieces of paper with lots of offical looking numbers on them, I'm a heart attack waiting to happen. None of those numbers take into account that I have below normal levels of cholesterol, good blood pressure and overall great health. But that's today. Who's to say in a couple of years that the wear and tear of my lifestyle wouldn't start taking it's toll and I start to develop sicknesses such as diabetes, high blood pressure, bad cholesterol, etc. But even if I didn't, carrying around over 100 lbs of excess weight would eventually wear my heart out.

Now for the current numbers. As of Feb 14 (Singles Awareness Day) I weighed 256 lbs with a BMI of 39.6%. I've lost 8 lbs and 3.5% body fat. It doesn't sound like a lot but I'm beginning to see the effects. Mostly in places where I wasn't really concerned about losing weight - like my arms and lower legs. I think my boobs have shrunk, too. Hallelujah!! Maybe once the fat is gone from those areas my body with start to work on the fat around my stomach and butt. Fingers crossed!

Yes, both the pics are of me - kind of a before and after shot. The one on the left was taken back in '93 or '94 while I was still in the Navy. Stupid me thought I was fat even then! The one on the right is not the best shot and doesn't show all of me, but it's the most current pic I have. You may not be able to tell I've lost weight since then, but you can see how much my hair has grown!! :-)

The goal is to swap the pics in the before and after scenario and be back to my Navy weight.