Looking for a Good Diet Plan

I started keeping a food diary on thedailyplate.com. Because I am aware of how much I'm putting into my body, I find I am less likely to eat more than my body needs, if that makes sense. I have a calorie goal that I try to stick close to, based on my activity level, weight, and desired weight loss. I also started running using the couch to 5K program on coolrunning.com. Running is great because it gets me out of the house for a little while and it is something I can do from practically anywhere. I lost over 30 lbs pretty quickly, and I had kept that weight on for almost two years after my last pregnancy. I have about 5 lbs to go to reach pre-pregnancy weight, but my goal is a bit lower than that.
Good luck with the weight loss and congrats on the baby!

First Place 4 Health is a good plan -- it addresses not only physical (weight loss), but spiritual, emotional and mental.

I just follow an antioxidant rich diet. I look for foods high in antioxidants and eat them for 70% of my day. The other 30% is beans, lean meats like fish or chicken. I lost alot of weight doing this and feel good knowing that I'm fighting free radical damage to my body. Stay away from sugar, white flour, and anything refined. Good luck.

Try Spark People- this is a free service that helps you with your own personal weight loss plan, creating your own personal website and helping you to track your nutrition and fitness and they provide on-line support, recipes, articles, etc. There are some amazing success stories, people that have lost 100+ pounds and people working at losing 5-20, etc., and people just wanting to maintain.

Most sites like this charge on a monthly or yearly basis and spark is FREE.

Check it out at http://www.sparkpeople.com/

Hi!

Do you by chance have a treadmill you can walk on (carefully) for a half hour a day?

I have "fired up" my 10 year old, gently used one, and this has helped me a lot.

Check with your doctor to make sure it is okay though!

Good Luck!

Your Friend,
R.

Exercise is always great. Not just too loose weight but for our immune system, destress, and bone density too.

I have a weight management plan that is simple, tasty and what is different about it is that it focuses more on lean muscle mass than just loosing pounds. Loosing inches is actually better as muscle mass speeds up the metabolism naturally.

If you want to check it out, go to www.cinchplan.com/mamabear. I am available at ###-###-####, if you have any questions.

Enjoy your day!

M.

If you love chocolate, look into TRU Chocolate, which tastes great and has xylitol instead of sugar! Go to
www.squidoo.com/truchocolatemagic ... you have to take it before meals with water and it'll suppress your appetite. The magic part is when you drink cold water after you have the chocolate melting in your mouth... the water tastes like chocolate milk, or sweet water!
All the best,
L.

sparkpeople.com is great if you don't have any food allergies. Just being active around the house, like scrubbing the floors on your hand and knees. Washing windows for an arm exercise. In the summer brisk walks. I also found it fun to do squats while holding my baby. If your child can hold their head up then you can so sit ups too while holding the baby up on in your arms, then you get both ab and arm work out. Good luck with it, and good for you for starting early! My youngest is 1 1/2 and I am finding it very difficult to lose the weight now!

Weight Watchers!!!!!!!

I gained 60 lbs with two of my pregnancies and lost it all.

No sweets, and tons of fruits & veggies. If you prepare containers of cut veggies before hand then you'll be more likely to grab that for a snack than junk. Plus, you can buy the frozen fruit & make smoothies! We mix frozen fruit, crushed ice, yogurt, banana, and some orange juice in a blender. It's so yummy! You can get real creative with them.

When the weather is nice, taking walks with your young one is great for exercise. But, when the weather isn't so great you can just do things like parking farther away from the entrances so you have to walk, taking stairs rather than an elevator. Basically, get your heart rate up & you'll burn calories. Even ten minutes is better than nothing, and you can increase it each day as you get used to your routine.

It takes time, but stick with it and you'll get there. Don't weigh yourself more than once a week either. You'll just get discouraged. Once a week I kept track of my weight, and measurements and saw it slide right off. Good luck!

Hi M.---Good luck with developing your plan. I really hate the work 'diet' because I believe we should think in terms of eating for health, which will automatically get you to where you want to be, weight wise. When you eat for health, you will be eating mostly fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes, while minimizing all animal products. Those first 4 food groups offer lots of fiber, and when you eat foods that have lots of nutrients, fiber and water, you can't possibly overeat. Animal protein just adds too much fat and contributes to degenerative disease (read The China Study by T Colin Campbell).

I will be a Wellness Educator soon, certified through the Wellness Forum, run by Pam Popper who is a Naturopathic Dr. and has her PhD in nutrition. I would be happy to share what I am learning and we can see how that would fit into your health plans. My 'consultation' services are free of charge so you have nothing to lose. I really just like to help others.

Feel free to contact me at any time. My phone number is ###-###-#### or you can reach me at ____@____.com. I look forward to it. In health, D.

pilates,and kickboxing like tae bo worked for me, plus i drink only water. i also like the slimfast drinks for lunch when i am busy at work amd don't get a real lunch break. with my second i lost teh weight faster becasue i had a 4 year old and we always went for walks, but it was also summer. breastfeeding helps a lot!

Hi M.,

Pick up Body for LIFE and / or Eating for LIFE. It's not a diet, it's a lifestyle - eating better foods in smaller portions more frequently; exercising regularly... I've lost 17-1/2 pounds & 15-1/2 inches (five from my hips alone!) in less than 12 weeks so far, so I know it works. I just feel better all around, too! : )

You can also check out the website www.transformation.com. Awesome, awesome, awesome place to go!!!

Best of luck to you!

Lots of water, small meals throughout the day. Veggies with lofat dip, almonds, string cheese, whole grain crackers, oatmeal, eggs, chicken, fish, salads, fresh fruit, yogurt. Don't skip meals and don't eat after 7pm.

Hey just wanted to let you know that the Miracle Mile workouts with Leslie Sansone is a wonderful way to walk back into your pre-pregnancy clothes. She has a 1 mile 3 mile and 5 mile video that I know of so if you have only 10 mins or if you have half hour or forty five minutes. Either way this is the workout I used to steer me out of Post Partum Depression after my second son was born. I by the way have two sons ages 2 and 1 at the moment. Between the working out being a stay at home mom running around after them and keeping up with chores oh yeah and breast feeding (which is number one for bringing your belly back down quickly) I am back down to my pre-pregnancy weight before my first son...:) I have always eaten whatever I wanted though. I have a history with anorexia so I can't diet anymore but I do make healthy choices and although I may eat cookies ice cream or some other type of desert everyday I eat proper proportions. Everything in a delicate balance. I also drink lots and lots of water and I rarely drink pop or coffee. Moderation is key. Go for having fast food and eating a greasy double cheeseburger but don't do it once a week more like once a month. Go for regular pop and pizza but like once or twice a month. Do you get what I am saying. Eat your ice cream but only have one or two small scoops not a huge bowl full. Go for cookies but instead of eating 8 chips ahoy cookies eat 4. Drink your regular o.j. but only have one small glass not a couple large glasses. I have always eaten what I know my body needs and I am not skinny but I am in shape and healthy. I do eat very healthy most of the time my dinner dishes consist of white rice and some type of stir-fry. I make sure that I get my fruits and vegetables along with my bad food. Also one MAJOR thing I learned is eat your dinner meal 4 hours before you go to bed, as to allow your body time to digest. Also MAKE SURE TO EAT BREAKFAST. Your metabolism doesn't start until you eat something so even if it is just a banana eat something it is better to eat a full meal you know kind of like a car drives better on a full tank same type of situation with the human body and breakfast. But I usually only eat a bowl of frosted mini wheats. I am one of those that eats like 6 times a day. Small portions several times a day keeps your stomach small and your body healthy. Anyhow that is my health course..LOL..Good luck and hope that things work out for you. Hope I didn't come on too strong and let me know if you have any other questions...How is the new mom thing going? Congratulations on your baby girl...:)

You are going to hear many, many different diet plans from your question. I work with a science-based, proven program that has helped me to loose and keep of 25 pounds while controling my blood sugar. I have never felt better in my life. If you are serious, I am happy to share how I did it.

S.
____@____.com

Everyone here has great responses, so I wanted to chime in with weight watchers! When I talked to a trainers at the gym, most agree, that exercise has so many benefits, but exercise alone will not get you to the weight you're looking for. Think of exercise as the icing on the cake. :)

I just got back on weight watchers on Tuesday and I've already lost 4 lbs (as of Sun morning). If you count EVERY "point" you put in your mouth, and add in enough exercise to raise your heart rate a few times a week you WILL see IMMEDIATE results!! GOOD LUCK! :)

I suggest Weight Watchers because it works. Make a life change through the program. You have to be determined when you start and in one week you will see results if you stick to it. If you are not someone that works out, I suggest walking to get going. Weight Watchers and walking is a great and easy way to begin. Obviously, check with your doctor to make sure that whatever you choose is right for you. Good Luck!

I have two kids (and work full time) and still haven't figured out how to make time to work out, but I have found that weight watchers works for me. You just have to committ to it and stick to it. Remember if you are nursing your daugthter you do have to allow extra calories for that. WW has that worked into there points system. Good luck.

Weight watchers is excellent because balance is key and i hear it is an easy system to use (I've never done it but relatives and friends have with success). I personally watched what I ate (actually measured out portions), worked out and decreased my calorie intake slowly for weight loss. I lost over 35 lbs in 5 mths...then I got pregnant again :p

good luck and I commend you for wanting to be healthier!

I've followed the Weight Watchers philosophy for the last 8 years (whenever I'm not pregnant). If you don't have the time/money to attend official meetings, I suggest simply focusing on getting your 5 servings of fruits/veggies per day. And when you eat carbs, try to eat fiber-rich ones. Many foods will say "whole grain" on the package but they have barely any fiber in them (so check the nutrition labels). If you like sandwiches, Aunt Millie's has a line of fiber rich breads - each slice has approx 30-40 calories and 2-3 grams of fiber (which is very good). Also focus on lean meats like chicken, fish, and lean red meat. My best "trick" is to avoid buying any snack foods for at home (like chips and cookies). If they're not in the house, I don't eat them. And it helps so that my daughter isn't that into those foods either. The other component is to just get yourself moving. If you're not able to make it to a gym, you can buy yourself an exercise ball and a set of hand weights - then look online to find some small workouts that you can do either during your baby's naps or after he or she goes to bed. Even little bouts of exercise can make a big difference! And like another poster said: take the stairs instead of elevators and park further away from entrances to get just a little bit more exercise in.

I am a part of Weight Watchers through my HAP insurance. It costs me $25 for 12 weeks and I can do that 4 x. They give you extra points (calories) if you are pregnant or nursing. I think it is the most wonderful, sensible program.

check out sparkpeople.com. it's got TONS of very good information and resources that really get you on track.....i've been a member (another bonus - it's FREE!!) for about 6 months and i love it!
best wishes!

I did Weight Watchers with my first. It worked great. With my second, I work out 4-5 times a week and really watch what I eat. No white rice, breads or pastas. Limited carbs. Lots of fruit and veggies.

don't feel bad, my daughter is almost 2 and i still haven't lost much weight...a few weeks ago i joined weight watchers and i lost 5 pounds the first 2 weeks...they have a meeting every wednesday night at 4:30pm at lake michigan college in south haven...