I Want Ti Diet but How to Go About It....?

I've lost 61# so far on one I ordered off tv. You have to stick to it though and it is pretty strict. It has exercise suggestions, but you still lose if you only stick to the diet. It's called the 6 weeks body makeover. You can look it up online or wait for the infomercial. Sorry, it's been a while since I started so I don't have the original number anymore. If you really are interested, email me and I will forward you the link to their website.

Weight Watchers! It costs money but it is AWESOME! It is support because eating is an addiction. Weight Watchers teaches you healthy habits not dieting so you don't feel deprived. You are worth the money it costs each month. We don't have extra cash sitting around but we make it work so I can go. Good luck!

A friend just told me about a website...sparkpeople.com...and it seems to have some good ideas for weight loss and exercise, plus it is free! I too am trying to lose some weight, I am going to Weight Watchers and it is a good program, maybe you could find out how many points to allot for the day then you wouldn't have to pay to go to the meetings, but support is helpful. Good luck!

A green smoothie every morning is a great way to boost energy and naturally loose weight. Google "green smoothie" and you'll find loads of recipes and testimonials from people who swear by them. Your 2 year old might love them too, mine does!
Also, lots and lots of water. Keep a water bottle with you all day, and you'll end up eating less. Loosing weight is all about calories in and calories out.
Good luck!

C.,
I joined Weight Watchers when my daughter was 4 months old. She is 2 now. Anyway, it was July 2007 and it took a long time, but I lost 55 pounds total. WW taught me that there will be ups and downs, but going to meetings, and paying attention to getting around and what goes into your mouth is not only good for your body, mind, and spirit, but for your family. My daughter eats better because I do. My husband is...sometimes better :). I maintained my weightloss of 6 weeks and became a lifetime member, which means, I go to meetings and don't pay if I stay within 2 pounds of my goal weight. This helps me A LOT!! Because I know I always need to monitor myself. They have a great website that has endless possibilities. I think weightloss is you try something and it works, then you stick with it. For WW it is a lifestyle change. Good luck and remember that you can do it!

Dear C. -- Please, find Overeaters Anonymous, attend as often & consistently as possible, and get a sponsor. OA has the same potential to help you as AA does to help an alcoholic, which is to say a higher recovery rate than other programs. There are no dues or fees -- Just put what you can in the basket when it's passed. OA works because it not only helps us lose weight and keep it off, it shows us how to enjoy life while eating moderately, and it helps us understand and deal with whatever was making us eat inappropriately in the first place. It really works - if you work it!

Godspeed -- L.

Would you believe that Susanne Summers eating is a great way to start? Eating carbs and protein in either separate meals or with a certain amount of time between them. This works! Eat smaller portions 4 to 5 meals a day, none 3 hours before bedtime (!!)
Use lemon essential oil in your water, grapefruit oil is the best for loosing weight - but the oils dont do it for you!! Use it in conjunction with.

Good Luck!! Half the battle is committing to it and staying with it!! Ask your son to help you keep on track as well as your hubbie! :)

Hi C. -

I'm in the same boat. Recently I found out about a great free website, www.livestrong.com. It has a lot of features, most of which I haven't explored yet, but if you go to the Daily Plate tab, you can log what you eat and what exercises you do. It keeps track and lets you know how many more calories you can eat in a day, etc.

The thing that's been the most helpful so far is that I've discovered that some of the things I've been eating are WAY higher in calories than I thought (bagel + low fat cream cheese = 350 calories!). Also, you get more calories to eat if you exercise.

There are also online support features, etc which I haven't used yet, but which you may like.

The thing that I like best about this is that you don't have to buy anything special.

Good luck!

C. - I work with a company that manufactures health and nutrition products. We carry a line of food replacement shakes and bars that are low glycemic. Eating a low glycemic carbohydrates are important to your health as they don't spike your blood sugar. This really is a "diet" as much as a lifestyle of eating. Check out these websites for more information: www.glycemicindex.com or www.releasingfat.com

Good luck - let me know if you want to talk further.

D.

I have friends who have tried this: www.FatLoss4Idiots.com
He has lost 42 pounds so far, and she has lost 30. They don't have tons of money to throw around. They have a crazy schedule and travel tons, too, creating a bunch of stress. I love that you're drinking more water! That will help you soooo much. Checking out the program my friends used might be worthwhile! Good luck!

Last year my doctor told me to write everything I eat down and check the carbs on them. I am suppose to eat 5 meals a day with no more then 300 calories a meal and no more then 1/3 of that being carb calories. Eat protien each morning and make sure to include vegetables for lunch and dinner. I did this and lost 10 pounds the first month and was doing pretty good until Christmas time with all the yummy christmas goodies. I haven't done so well since but need to get going back on it. I noticed that when I was doing as she said I lost the craving for sweets and I was never hungry and didn't have the desire to snack since it seemed I was eating so often. I would have things like Jello with cool whip or strawberries with cool whip for my mid afternoon meal (more like a snack) and that always seemed to satisfy me. I also bought those 100 calorie pack snack items for when I really wanted something sweet. One pack was enough and it saved more calories incase I wanted spaghetti for supper which is hard to stay under 300 calories with. She never restricted me from any foods so the feeling of being denied something wasn't there.
Good luck.

Hi C.. It sounds like this has been a lifelong challenge. Many of us can relate. Good News, you can make changes. Bad news, diets don't work. You really do need to change your lifestyle. I have had a lot of training and done a lot of research around health and nutrition. If you want to chat, send me a message and I can give you a call or email.

i'd say limit carbs ala the south beach diet......
fast from them, then slowly add good ones back in....
works for me every time......
and... dance with your two year old.... that is fun exercise.

C., you have received a LOT of great advice. I hope you can go thru the replies and start putting them into action. First off, you do need to go about it thinking of it as a 'lifestyle change' as someone pointed out. The word 'diet' brings up images of restriction and temporariness (is that a word? lol) and you need to change your habits.

The bottom line is that you will lose if you are burning more energy (calories) than you are consuming. AND the calories should be nutritious, not empty.

I have an online fitness business and if you want more information, email me and I will send you some documents that can help with this process of change.

Good luck!

6 small "meals" a day.

Breakfast - Cereal/Fruit
Snack - Yogurt
Lunch - Salad w/ chicken
Snack - Pretzels and cheese
Dinner- Protein, starch, veggie
Snack - Low fat frozen yogurt OR fresh fruit w/fat free cool whip

Portion Control is KEY to any weight loss program

Write down everything you eat

Eat your "meals" at the same time every day

No calories from beverages...no diet drinks...only water.

No alcohol

If you're REALLY craving something one day (candy, whatever), just eat 3 bites and get it over with.

Hi C.,
I can relate and it can be really hard to find the time and energy to exercise when you have a little one! You've gotten some good advice already. I think the change of attitude is the biggest thing. Once you decide you want to lost weight for YOU, for your health, for all of YOUR personal reasons, it will happen. Until then, nothing can motivate you to keep with it.

You can start with just walking with your son in a stroller and work your way up. Try sparkpeople.com, that's a great website for food suggestions, exercises, and a community of supportive people going through the same thing. And it's free! Also couch to 5K websites are really helpful to get you from couch potato to doing a 5K. I found as I'm more active, I can walk farther and do more activity. It really boosts your self esteem. Good luck!!!

The biggest issue is to control portions. Drinking water is great and it doesn't have to be expesive to do that.

I also am trying yo loose alot of weight I have 2 1/2 year old.... I have found a site that is sparkpeople.com it has alot of good ideas. Now that it will getting nice I can start to do a nightly walk and I have also jioned anytime fitness so I can go any time I can fit it in. I also found that if I reward my self when I have gone for 2 weeks without missing a day also works get my nails done or feet(love it). If you need any moral suport please feel free to e-mail me. I would love to help in anyway. Smoothies are also great...

I also used a smaller plate or bowl when I would eat anything and limited myself to just that plate of food. It will be hard at first not to go for seconds, but just by cutting back on my food intake helped. I had been a 3X and now I'm down to a 1X in some clothes and down to a large in others (depends on the cut and style that I wear). It took me three years to get down there and I didn't do it on purpose either. It's hard but you can do it. I also found that if you cook just what you need for that meal will also help and if you do have extra, put it into freezer containers and put it in the freezer even if it is for lunch tomorrow. It won't take long to use the microwave to thaw it out and heat it up when needed. Only buy healthy snacks to keep in the house or make your own.
You'll get a lot of advice today. Use want you can and stick to it for a while and if it doesn't work, then reread what's been given and see it there's something else that may help (you may need to print off what's been written or copy it to something like Microsoft word so you can re-read it later).

FatLoss4Idiots.com Definitely recommend this one. You tell it what you want to eat, it tells you how to eat it! Happy shrinking!

I have been doing something called calorie king since late january and have lost about 15 lbs. There is a cost, but it is not near what WW is. Basically it is a calorie counting program, but it has lots of info and support and i am finding it very helpful. I have 2 boys, 3 and 4 yrs old. I am not as active as i would like to be, but i am making an effort. I am not sure of your badget, but it would be worth looking into. It is a web based thing, so you can do it anytime anywhere. The site is calorieking.com if you are interested. Good Luck!

find a weight loss group.
there are some TOPS groups - try searching for a CHIP group too - they are fantastic, but might be a lot to jump into at first.

one thing that is for sure is that the more fruits and veggies you eat the less hungry you are actually going to feel, and you will eat less.
whole grains are important. white breads will make you more hungry. i dont exactly know why, but im sure it has something to do with the amount of fiber in whole wheat - theres none in white breads.

to avoid snacks, DONT buy them. they are money eaters anyway. you pay WAY more than they are worth. anything in a crinkly bag, just dont buy it - if its not in your huose, you arent going to reach for it when you are hungry.

another tip - drink water. measure out 8 ounces of water. 8 ounces - from what i can remember there are 16 ounces in a cup - so 8 ounces is only a half a cup of water! :D thats the good news. so technically, drinking 8 8 ounce glasses of water is drinking 4 16 ounce glasses... 4 cups of water.
the reason for the water is that thirst can feel like hunger sometimes. i can drink a full cup of water and feel not so hungry. or less hungry, and eat a fruit or something
good luck! :D

A diet is just that, a diet, I have read alot of your advice given, and the message seems to be the same, yet no one said it outright. You should be thinking about a lifestyle change, not a diet to help your issue. It will not only help you to loose the weight you desire, but also make you and your family healthy in the process-or a long term affect.
Being active shouldnt be thought of as a chore,as it seems to be for you. Maybe a way to help you change that way of thinking is in order for the weight to come off, I have to move. It dosen't need to be bootcamp workouts, or any workouts for that matter, just get moving. Play chase or tag with your son.(it can be done in the house)If you have stairs, make it a point to walk them a minimum times per day for a few minutes each time. Carrying laundry aroundthe house is something that has to be done, and whether we think about it or not, it is exercise. So is vaccuming, it may or may not need to be done, but if you have the time in the busy schedule of the day/week, plan it in to vaccum your house, or at least a few rooms twice a week.(Thats a double reward one-a cleaner house, and exercise) You will find that once you start to get moving a little more each day that you will have increased energy. Which in turn will make you feel better and want to do more. Just take it one day at a time. The hardest part it those first steps. Just remember, if you move your body, the weight will move too.

I think different diets work for different people. Everyones body is different. I done know if you are a pop or coffee drinker but cutting out those items and any sugary drinks will help a lot alone. Drink lots of water. If you need flavor have gatorade once in a while and milk. Eat healthy snacks like yogurt and veggies during the day and watch your portions. I feel you can still eat your favorite foods just eat smaller portions and add veggies with your meals. Fish is good to eat to. We also go walking as often as possible. We usually go right after dinner. It is hard at times and when your tired at the end of the day it takes a lot to get motivated to go but once your on the walk it is great and you feel so much better when you get back. Dont eat before bed either. You dont have to do extreme exercising. Walks everyday are a great way to help loose weight and your son will love it to. Last summer we had to get our dog to loose weight so i walked him a mile about 5 nites a week. I lost the rest of my pregnancy weight from my now 19 month old son and our dog lost 22lbs. Dont expect things to happen over nite and just stick to the walks and stick to healthier snacks and meals. There are a lot of healthy recipes you can find online. I dont know if this is much help but strick dieting doesnt work for everyone. Take things slow and dont expect results overnite but i guarentee you will see results within a couple months if you stick to it and are motivated. Exercise is a very important part of any diet though. It may be hard at first but once your in a routine of it you will see how much better you feel from it. Good luck.