Need help losing weight

[CosmicRay]

DH and I are overweight, I will say that I am over 200 pounds and DH is over 300 pounds. We both desire to lose weight, but don't know where to begin to help DH. I did Weight Watchers six years ago and lost over 40 pounds till I got sick and had to have my gall bladder removed, shortly after that, I had 2 kids 13 months apart. I am going to get back on Weight Watchers, and that helps DH. But I know that his dream is to run in the marathon at WDW someday.

I've thought about personal trainers, getting a gym membership... something to motivate him. I think at personal trainer would be really good for him, but I just wondered if anyone else had suggestions. Maybe someone who had lost a significant amount of weight, that could give me some tips. DH and I are very open and willing to accept any advice.

[cather74]

There is a couch to 5 k app that you can use.then pick a 5 k and do it together. Your first race will be incredibly motivating and addicting. A change in lifestyle is a big commitment so reward yourself for ur first. 5 lbs 10 lbs. Etc. Find a dress or pair of jeans you like and make that a goal. Plan a vacation for the future and promise to lose a certain amount by that date. It's all about the goals. You can do it!:mickey:

[Jillirose]

I just joined WW again (online) and have been losing a few pounds a week. I like using the mobile app, but realized that sparkpeople.com has all the same info for free. I like the social networking on sparkpeople, it is inspiring and supportive.

Best of luck :thumbsup:

Check out this inspirational story (http://articles.petoskeynews.com/2012-06-25/contributions_32413013) from my hometown.

[Christine]

Your story is so easily my story! Please see my post from this previous topic here on Intercot:

http://www.intercot.com/discussion/showthread.php?p=2240013#post2240013

Don't give up! There are no secrets. No quick fixes. It's a lifestyle change. But Want proof it can happen?
Here's me in 1998 over 200 pounds
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-padMKf8a5t8/T-ptwOoR5XI/AAAAAAAACNo/3XxE4OTC9aY/s1600/72506C0B-288A-468A-8FAB-73D68B0E5CE1-783980.jpeg


Here's me last month at the Expedition Everest challenge 100 pounds lighter-now remember I said it ain't easy! I wiped out on the obstacle course! But I've never been so happy and proud doing it!
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PCkal0wmf7s/T-ptwihN5hI/AAAAAAAACN0/pZsm0Me--mc/s1600/8DE7248D-54F7-4100-9B2D-DEDAA9DAFDE2-786443.png


http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kndshZR4fK0/T-ptvn7C2dI/AAAAAAAACNc/M-PMIrpZbr0/s1600/9D44108C-504F-4D03-A393-6EDDC733C5D5-782213.png

Work hard and enjoy the rewards! Your health is your biggest asset! Take care & good luck!

[goofyfan4466]

i find this very helpful. thank you

[Cinderelley]

find a gym that you are comfortable with and make it a "date" night for the two of you guys each week. It will be nice to get away from the kids for a while.

[PopPhan]

I've been in the process of trying to drop some tonnage myself....I have dropped 30 since Thanksgiving (went from 300 down to 267) by simply following my doctor's "suggestion" -- Eat Breakfast like a King; Lunch like a Prince; Dinner like a Pauper. Very little, if any, increase in exercise - mainly the normal springtime yardwork and, since the beginning of April, walking 9 holes of golf per week.

I go to work in the morning and get a 3 egg omelet w/cheese & meat for breakfast; Get a medium sized salad w/some kind of protein (ham, chicken, etc.) for lunch; Eat a light 'snacky' dinner in the evening - at least 3 hours prior to going to bed. ALSO, snacks are limited and I try to make them healthy - nuts, fruits, etc.

As you can probably see in the listing above, there is very little bread in the diet. High carb foods have been significantly cut back on.

Whatever you do, just keep at it and you'll do great!! Good luck!

[MississippiDisneyFreak]

I'm struggling right now trying to lose weight too. I am very overweight and have told my insulin level is high and I don't have diabetes yet but will if I don't do something about.

I do suggest Weight Watchers I've done it in the past and been successful I just wish I would have stuck with it. Right now I am using the same basic principles but am really limiting my sugar and carb intake.

I would suggest reading labels because you would be suprised what has a lot of carbs. I bought light salad dressing and was shocked to find it had tons more carbs than the regular. I guess they add sugar to make it taste better. So low fat may not mean low calorie or low carb. Its been far better to put my dressing on the side and lightly dip my salads into them.

I would also suggest taking exercise slowly until you build up your endurance. If you start out with an hour workout and can't move for three days you aren't doing yourself any favors. You end up sore and with a negative feeling about exercise. Its much better to start 10-15 minutes a day and work up.

So far, I have lost 23 pounds since the end of April. I have fallen off the wagon once or twice but I just pick myself up and get back on.

Good luck.:thumbsup:

[BrerGnat]

I agree with the advice to eat your heaviest meal in the morning, then slowly decrease the size of them as the day goes on. This is how humans should be eating, but our society has made it the opposite.

If you fill up in the morning on healthy proteins and fat, you will not be so hungry the rest of the day. Eggs are phenomenal food, but eat the WHOLE egg...the yolks have lechitin in them which is a fat burner, so don't do the "egg white" thing.

If you are very overweight and do not exercise regularly now, don't start with anything more than simply walking. Change the diet first....get on board with a new way of eating. You will see the pounds melt off if you simply reduce your calorie intake drastically. If you try to do too much in the way of exercise at this point, you may injure yourself and/or risk burnout too soon. Plus, the exercise will make you hungrier, so it will be very challenging to deal with the food changes. I suggest starting with 20 min of walking every day. Every week, add 5 minutes, until you can comfortably walk an hour at a brisk pace. Keep that up for a couple more weeks. At that point, you should have lost some weight, and you can begin a more rigorous exercise routine.

You have to WANT to change. So does your DH. That's the biggest motivator there is. If you truly want to be healthier, more active, and are very committed, you can do anything!

[BayLaker25]

First thing you need to do is set a realistic goal to reach, example of one out of reach losing 25-50lbs in a month try for 10-15lbs. You are realistically supposed to only lose 2-3lbs a week to keep it off.

There is really no quick fix you just have to work at it and work hard. If you are going to start going to the gym set it up for a time where you can't make excuses not to go. I recently just started a new job and I have to take an hour lunch, there is a gym right around the corner which I have been going to at lunch 5 days a week for about 2 months. Going at lunch makes it so I never have an excuse not to go. Don't expect results right away and have someone go with you like your DH so you can motivate eachother and push eachother to work harder.

Here's a couple of tips I got from menshealth to help control eating....

http://www.menshealth.com/mhlists/7_strategies_to_satisfy_hunger_and_lose_weight/index.php?cm_mmc=ABSNL-_-911444-_-05142012-_-LoseGut-body

Set a total about of lbs as a goal with no timetable and when you and your DH reach it take a trip to WDW :mickey:

Good luck and don't give up!

[TheVBs]

I've lost 40-45lbs over the last few years. I agree that it's a lifestyle change and that can be a huge, overwhelming thing to embrace. I would make sure you don't go with any sort of fad diet. Talk to your doctor or a nutritionist to find out what the best eating plan is for you. For myself, I really had to sneak up on it. I started by picking one small thing to change. I asked myself, what was my worst eating habit and worked to change that. I started out getting a free treadmill off Freecycle and just did 15 minutes, three times a week to start. Don't let anyone tell you that any move in the right direction isn't enough!! Don't let people discourage you! If you make one positive change, it will lead to more. Best of luck to you and your DH! :mickey: You guys can do this! His Disney marathon goal is a great motivator!

[wdw_bound]

I have struggled with my weight for most of my adult life, but especially since having kids. Weight Watchers, South Beach, you name it, I have tried it.

Then about a year ago, I just decided one morning that enough was enough. But the funny thing was, it wasn't as much about the weight as it was about the food. I'd been doing a great deal of research on the effects of processed foods and additives on behavior (one of my kids has special needs and seemed to have meltdowns triggered by red food dye - we eliminated it and the behavior disappeared). I started getting rid of processed foods, starting with High Fructose Corn Syrup (in EVERYTHING) and food coloring.

Around that time, our local farmers market opened for the season, so I started shopping there every week. Before I knew it, my diet was about 90% non-processed. It had gotten to the point that fast food simply tasted bad, and so did processed (canned, frozen) heat and eat food.

Since then, I have lost 50 pounds and haven't felt this great in years! I have started to exercise (want to do a 5k in the fall), and it feels great to run around with my kids.

I am wearing clothes 4 sizes smaller. I flew for the first time in a while this spring, and what a great feeling not to have to have the seatbelt let out as far as it would go. I still have another 40 pounds to get where I want to be, but the important thing is I am healthier now and only getting better.

My best advice is not to look at this as a diet. Look for fresh, delicious foods you can enjoy because they are fresh and delicious. If you look for substitute foods (low fat versions of a favorite), you will feel like you are denying yourself and will either overindulge in those, or fall off the wagon completely. You'll be amazed at how good real food tastes, and how much less it takes to leave you feeling satisfied.

Good Luck!

[Wolf]

I feel you on this, I got to a weight I didn't love at all and kept there for a solid 3 years, well this past New Years I went through a breakup that jumpstarted my want to fix things I didn't like, I couldn't really afford a gym (Althought I'd love to join one) so what I started doing was yoga and then added pilates that (I'm not kidding) my Grandmother taught me. I used Youtube to learn beginners yoga moves and just gradually have built up to longer poses and trying more advanced moves and such. I want to lose weight but I've currently been toning up more than anything,and I have lost some inches. My ankles hurt when I run so cardio hasn't been my strong point, I plan to really get on that once I build up some stamina. Also I've dropped sodas as much as I can (I get caffeine headaches and have to give in sometimes) and I've scaled back any type of carbs, the biggest thing I've tried to do is not aggonize on it, if I give in and snack on something bad I don't beat myself up, I just try to be aware of picking less fattening things. I wish you all the best!!!

[BriarRose0708]

I lost about 40 pounds 4 years ago using the ABS Diet book by David Zinzenko (sorry I butchered that spelling!). He writes for Men's Health and also does the Eat This, Not That series. Despite the title, it is NOT a fad or crash diet! It's similar to WW in that you learn the healthy foods to eat (which is a lot) and which ones to avoid combined with exercise. Each chapter explains in very simple language how the science of a healthy diet works with your body and what happens when you consistently ingest foods that are over-processed and have ingredients like high-fructose corn syrup.

The long title of the book is ABS POWER DIET, all in caps because it's actually an acronym for all the different foods and food groups included in the plan. The book comes with a lot of recipes (that are actually really good!) and there are additional cook books and restaurant guides you can get to help figure out what choices to make when you're not cooking.

Like others have said, changing eating habits is the first step but I actually really liked the book's recommendations for exercise plans. You don't have to spend hours in the gym or kill yourself like on Biggest Loser. It's very simple - building muscle means more muscle tone and muscle burns more fat, even at rest. There are lots of different toning exercises in the book that I did in my living room for three months (had a fear of the gym!) on my own with 5 and 8 pound dumbbells three times a week. As an option, on the other 2 days a week you can do moderate cardio like brisk walking, jogging, etc. I had a couple dance-type work out DVDs that I did because that's the kind of cardio I like, but you can do whatever you want.

It took me about 5 to 6 months but I went from 175 to 130 and it was hard but in the end you wind up with more energy, confidence, good habits, and a new wardrobe!!!!

Good luck, and stop by the Healthy Living thread for more inspiration and support!

[Dulcee]

I joined the free website myfitnesspal.com

It made me so much more aware of what I was eating and how exercise had to play a role. Essentially its a straightforward website that you log your food diary and exercise on.

You put in what you weight now, how much you want to lose and it sets up a caloric intake broken down by carbs fats and proteins that you should be eating. Best part is you can earn more calories by exercise.

Say your given 1800 calories a day, by running for 15 minutes each day I gain another 200 calories for the day. I've actually found myself going for a walk after dinner to "earn" the cookie I've been craving.

Its helped me. Might be a good place to start for you too.

[SBETigg]

My sister-in-law is on a juice diet. She's in the medical field, so it surprised me that she checked it out and found it healthy enough for her, but she tried everything else and this is working for her. The site is reboot your life or something that effect. The Williams-Sonoma juicer section has thirty juice recipes. I'm intrigued but haven't jumped in yet (they do have plans that are not all juice but include some eating and the focus is on redesigning your lifestyle more than just on juice).

My mother and sister, in a similar place, went to a hypnotist. That one really shocked me. My sister's SIL did it and lost 90 pounds, so they signed up. My sister has lost 50 pounds since Thanksgiving and my mom is down 30 pounds. It's not as wonky as it sounds. It was three big group sessions in which the "hypnotist" is really just lecturing on how to rethink nutrition and food choices. But the sessions stuck with them and they make good eating choices now for losing weight and keeping it off.

I did attempt the couch-to-5k thing and I could not stick with the running. My knees couldn't handle it. It's a good program, but not everyone's a runner. I do walk regularly and that is a good choice for me. For now. I might work up to the running again eventually. I've also belonged to gyms and it helps to become part of a community and get into a routine. I still think Weight Watchers is about the best diet program for losing and keeping it off, but you have to be ready to stick with it. Sounds like you are! Best wishes.

[Wolf]

I joined the free website myfitnesspal.com

It made me so much more aware of what I was eating and how exercise had to play a role. Essentially its a straightforward website that you log your food diary and exercise on.

You put in what you weight now, how much you want to lose and it sets up a caloric intake broken down by carbs fats and proteins that you should be eating. Best part is you can earn more calories by exercise.

Say your given 1800 calories a day, by running for 15 minutes each day I gain another 200 calories for the day. I've actually found myself going for a walk after dinner to "earn" the cookie I've been craving.

Its helped me. Might be a good place to start for you too.

Thank you for reminding me about that site! I have the app on my phone I need to get back to using!!

[NewDVCowner]

I joined Weight Watchers last week. Just the process of writing down everything I eat is helpful in keeping a handle on what I'm eating. I've also increased the number of fruits and vegetables that I'm eating. One thing that I'm noticing is keeping an eye on portion size. It doesn't matter how closely you look at the calories on a lable if you're eating three or four times more than the portion size.

I live alone, and while I love to cook, it's difficult to cook when it's just for me. Last weekend my sister (who joined WW with me) and I had a mass cooking day. We have a week worth of WW food in our freezer now. It's so much easier to skip the run through the fast food restaurant knowing I have food at home that I just need to pop in the microwave and toss a salad together.

I know that it's just the initial 'jump start' of the diet but I lost eight pounds the first week. My blood preasure is down, too.

[CosmicRay]

Thank you for all your help and advice. DH and I both are not a fan of fad diets and know that the best way to make a difference is to make life changes. We have a weekend without kids (yay!) so I think we will discuss options, gyms, I can schedule a time to get over to WW and get our plan in action!

Thank you all again!

[Imalismom]

Another vote for www.myfitnesspal.com
and/or
www.sparkpeople.com


both are free sites.

[Pop Centurion]

I use myfitnesspal as well & it's been a huge help. I'm just mad that after doing so well last year, I went back to bad eating habits & not working out for 9 months after coming home from WDW last year. But I've been back on track for the last month & intend to stick with it for good. I'm really not that overweight but definitely need to loose 15-20lbs as well as lower my BP. When I used to app last year along with running 5k 3x a week I went from 186lbs to 168lbs in 2 months and lowered my BP significantly.

So I definitely recommend myfitnesspal along with some sort of workout plan. As long as you stay motivated you'll have big results.

[slottedpig]

It can seem overwhelmingly hard. What helped me a lot was to break the problem into small, manageable steps. To lose a pound you need roughly to either consume 3500 calories less or burn 3500 calories more than your baseline. So to lose a pound a week you have to improve by 500 calories a day. I split this into eating 250 calories less and burning 250 calories more. Burning 250 extra calories a day is a 2.5 mile walk or run above your normal level. That seems doable. After dinner take an hour walk when you would have watched TV. As your fitness improves make it a slow jog. Eating 250 calories less doesn't sound like all that much either. Switch from whole to skim milk, diet coke from regular, cut out bread at dinner stop at 2 beers when you would normally have a third. Skip appetizers when you eat out. Nothing crazy or drastic -- look for garbage calories that you don't really need. As you start to lose weight you'll get motivated to find more easy ones. Good luck and know you have lots of company and lots of people rooting for you.

[TheVBs]

I have to agree that MyFitnessPal is a great tool too! We often have no idea how much we're consuming. Everyone has different things that work for them. One thing that was huge for me was reducing my portions. I used to use dinner plates, now I use the dessert/salad plates (whatever those smaller ones are called :blush:). I do have snacks in between meals, like a yogurt, veggies or fruit. I don't like to have large meals because that seems to stretch my stomach out and make it difficult to feel full. With smaller meals, I'm satisfied sooner. When you're eating a meal, pause every once in awhile and assess how full you feel. We often keep eating after we're full simply because the food is still in front of us. I STILL make this mistake sometimes! :blush: Also, what's your worst eating habit? For me, I was having a large dessert almost every evening. It was far more habit than any real craving. When I identified that I either passed altogether or had a reasonable portion, like 1 cup of ice cream with no toppings instead of a big bowl full with chocolate syrup. It took me awhile to educate myself on appropriate portions and healthy choices. It can be discouraging to think you're making a healthy choice and then discover you're not. But it happens to all of us! Just make a positive change and move forward. Before you know it all of your positive changes will add up to a new lifestyle. :thumbsup:

[PlutoToo]

I don't want to hijack the thread, but thank you to whomever recommended the couch to 5k program. I just finished my first week.

[lovewalt]

I have lost 50 (well 49.5) lbs using myfitnesspal.I have also changed the way I eat.I try to shop mostly food from the perimeter of the grocery store.More whole foods and less processed stuff.My whole family have benefitted from this! I've cut out cream in my coffee too and working night shift,I drink a LOT of coffee so I save lots of fat and calories right there!
Good Luck!

[gratuspater]

The most successfull weight loss I have seen relies mostly on consistent monitoring of calorie intake. Consistency being the key, The formula I have heard most often is to multiply your desired weight by 10 to give your average daily calorie intake, ex. desired weight 150lb x 10 = 1500 calorie a day diet. On days that you do moderate level exercise, you can add 100 calories for every hr exercised.
I have seen lots of people exercise, exercise, exercise, but not change their diet, and the results are usually short lived. And I've seen these same people really watch their diet consistantly, with much more success. You can still enjoy the foods you love, just in smaller amounts:thumbsup:. And their will be days that you fall off the wagon, you just have to get back on. Maintaining weight loss usually requires a life style change. Mostly just being aware of what and how much you are eating. With a real emphasis on quality calories. I think a healthy diet is the key to weight loss, with aerobic exercise being added calories burned, and good for your heart. If you have any inclination towards weght training, the silver lining there is that muscle is always burning calories, so if you put on some muscle, your daily caloric use will be higher. An easy way to start is with what you drink, you can quickly drink in hundreds of calories at one meal, and if this is done every meal, it really adds up! I quite drinking soda years ago, and now I can hardly finish 1 can, when it does sound good, it's just to sweet now. I pretty much just drink water now, crystal light is good if you want some flavor, or sugar free kool aid, be leary of sprots drinks, advertised as healthy but still lots of calories, but they do have appropriate uses, if you are really exercising and sweating alot. Good luck to all, you can do it. :thumbsup:

[brownie]

You have to find what works for you, and what works for one of you may not work for the other. I have biked and worked out for years, and started running almost 3 years ago. I wasn't able to drop any weight until I found and started using Lose It! Once I began tracking the calories I ate and what I used up in activity, I was able to adjust so I ate fewer calories than I used. I've dropped about 30 pounds since the middle of November 2011 and have gone from wearing a 38 waist to a 34.

The Couch to 5K program is a great program. I was never able to run because it hurt my knees too much. I did the Couch to 5K on a treadmill and have been running ever since. I've done some 5K runs and I'll be running my first 10K later this month. I only use the treadmill if it's raining hard or other severe weather. If I can, I run outside.

My bride has tried getting on the Couch to 5K program and using Lose It!, but they're not really her thing. It would be great if the two of you could find something to do together, but I'd focus on finding what works for each of you.

[Hull-onian]

No BREAD, No PASTA, No RICE, No POTATOES and NO FLOUR products. These are like poison to your body, and hard to digest. Cut all those out of your diet, and you will lose weight. Also, if you like eggs and I hope you do, eat three scrambled or omlet style, cooked in Safflower oil. It helps you have regular bowel movements. Eat oatmeal about every other day and you can have raisins and some brown sugar in it. For dinner: FISH, FISH, and more FISH, salmon is ur best bet. You can have steak and chicken with NO SKIN. For a veggie, get veggies in steamer bags, you can have all you want. Salads r good too. Try to have a fruit too. I like pineapple and blueberries. Drink plenty of water and NO SODA of any kind. I know, I have been there and done it. Try and walk at least thirty minutes, you will save your life. Good thoughts are being sent your way.

[comicguy]

I started w/ MyFitnessPro last week and I have already seen some minor results. 2lbs gone in 6 days. I started at 279 and want to get down to a minimum of 199.

MyFitnessPro allows me to have 1600 calories a day. I thought I would be starving but I simply eat less food more often. I will have a yogurt or a hand full of carots.

By logging your food, it really makes you think about what you eat. I use to have at least 2 20oz sodas a day as well as a hershey bar on top of what ever else I would eat!!! I went grocery shopping this past weekend and out of habit picked up the hershey bar and looked at the label and said to my self there is no way that I want to log that into the program!!!

I have to tell you moving away from the "junk foods" has made me feel metally better. Next step is move away from processed foods, although it is hard with the cupboards full of stuff right now!

You can still eat your favorite foods but in smaller portions. I have found over the last week I have quickly adjusted to smaller portions. It also helps to have a glass or water before a meal. I still have Lays Potato Chips, just in the 1oz size bag and I find that is enough to satisfy my cravings for "junk"

I have also found the more I walk, the more I want to walk. Also drink lots of water!!!

I wish you the best of luck, keep us posted!!!

[Dulcee]

For any of your myfitnesspal users, if you'd like a new friend on there feel free to add me :)
My username on there is trawas01

[Arielfan98]

I lost 50 pounds on WW, myself. I recommend working with your husband side by side and attending the WW meeting each week (except when you go to WDW of course) and it really helps you. The group will support you and both you and your DH will be inspired. U both can help each other by restraining yourself from eating unhealthy and possibly walk around the block once a night. Trust me, working with a partner helps. I would know because I helped lose weight with my mom and I've kept the weight off for 2 years. Good luck!!

[TheVBs]

I fully agree with the person who said that the same thing doesn't work for everybody. You need to do this in a way that makes you feel motivated to continue, whatever that way is. Some people get extreme and can change several things drastically (although that's extremely tough for most people!). Others take one small step at a time to get there. And there's all kinds of in between of course. Don't overwhelm yourself with too many or too extreme changes if you think it will make you want to quit! This is definitely an ongoing, lifetime process. :)

[LandFan]

This info is all very interesting! It is time for DH and I to get back on the track ourselves:blush:

[Hull-onian]

For Cosmic Ray, we would love to hear about your progress and any changes in your diet you may have made......Keep up the good work.....

[DizHawk]

I'm CosmicRay's DH.

It figures that once I start some kind of fitness plan, something comes along to gum up the works. I was playing basketball with some friends at our church. Well, playing is a generous term. I was moving quite slowly in a very hot gym while letting most people go around me. Anyway, I apparently took a wrong step and felt something pop in my knee. There was no immediate pain so I chalked it up to my body loosening up after so long with no activity.

I believe I might be wrong about this.

That was Thursday night and as of tonight I still can't walk on it very well. It's very tender and stiff. My knee is swollen some, though not as bad as it was on Friday. I tore my ACL in my right knee in high school (16 years ago) and this is in the left knee.

All that to say that my fitness plan is changing to more of a diet plan for now. I've lost about 10 pounds in the last couple of weeks, which I know is high and will slow down.

[TiggeRia]

I've been yoyo-ing with 20 lbs over the last several years. I have not been able to find something that sticks with me. I just started using My Fitness Pal (Mishlop is my name) and even though it's only been one week, I'm finding it easy to use and track everything. I do think it overestimates on calories burned for exercise, but other than that I really like it! I also like the couch to 5k. I have done that several times and it really is a good program. Maybe it's time to add that back into the mix, too. :)

[minnie04]

I know people don’t like to say they do "fad" diets, but what has worked for you? I was wondering just how many people have had success with them. I have done a few in my life time. They worked, but you do gain some weight back. :mickey:

PS. I joined the "myfitnesspal" this morning and let’s just say I have blown it for today with what I ate for breakfast!! Oh well I will start fresh tomorrow..

[j2k]

I have used myfitnesspal.com before and really like how easy and helpful it is.

I decided to start using it recently as I would like to lose a few pounds before our upcoming WDW trip. I find it very helpful, if for nothing else, just tracking what I eat helps me to make better choices. Not always healthy, but instead of eating a whole pack of skittles I'll just eat a few or instead of having sweet tea (which I love) I'll have unsweet. It's the small changes that make a bigger difference.

[TheVBs]

DizHawk sorry about your injury! It's great that you have not let it derail your plans. Switching your focus to calories is a great idea. You could look into exercises that won't stress you knee too. Even some stretches would be good to do. Keep up the great work! :mickey:

[Jodi]

Aside from changing my diet and lifestyle to a much more healthy one, I also have found a health product that works wonders!!! I attended a nutritional seminar for Advocare products, all organic, no artificial ingredients, promotes good health habits all around. I have lost 35+ pounds within 6 months. I am feeling GREAT, I am more confident and not embarrassed to look in a mirror! I do exercise every day! Rarely eat sweets or high fat content foods. I am 47 years old and now weigh 135lbs. It does take will power and commitment but, it is also very rewarding!! Stick with a plan and you will make great strides.
Heading to Disney in 16 days and NOT embarrassed to wear a swimsuit this year!

[Tink#64]

Another vote for www.myfitnesspal.com
and/or
www.sparkpeople.com


both are free sites.

And yet another! I take turns using both! The accountability is great, the awareness is awesome & they are both free! :thumbsup:

[CosmicRay]

Thank you all for your great help and advice! I've been taking notes and looking into the sites. You're all so great!

[Caroleh]

I started using myfitnesspal.com on July 5th and as of this morning lost a total of 12 pounds. I've tried different diet plans before, but this one is really working. You think of it as a lifestyle change. I know if I want that ice cream, I'll need to exercise more to burn off those calories. My biggest fear is my upcoming trip to WDW and all the eating I'll be doing!!