I have been trying to lose some weight to. I found that if I limit my calorie intake to 300 cal. per meal, and have a healthy snack in between meals (apple, yogurt, almonds, etc.) that I can make it through the day just fine. My last meal is usually a large green salad with lots of fresh veggies and a very small piece of protein. I have lost 11 pounds, which is not much, but it is a start. I also exercise a little every day ( you can also do some dancing to your favorite music kind of like Richard Simmons used to do) and go to a gym twice a week to use the bicycle and the treadmill. I have learned that you have to change your style of eating and don't call it a diet. It is a food lifestyle change. Also, on the food channel there is a program called "Hungry Girl" and she has some great tips for preparing food with a lot less calories. I signed up for her daily newsletter to. Good luck in your efforts, it is not an easy journey.

Sorry for the double post but response was slow so I clicked again. Should not have.

I am not obese but the weight has been creeping up over the last few years (20 lbs.) . I eat very healthy, very little meat, don't drink milk, no sodas, no fast food, lots of whole grains, fruits, vegs, and I exercise, it's still creeping up. What else do I have to do. Very discouraging.
Oh, and I don't even eat dinner. Last meal is tea and toast at 4pm.
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Skip the toast and have a nice, big salad. Use rich dressing, but have it on the side and dunk your fork in it and THEN gather up the veggies in the salad. That way you can still taste the dressing and not have many extra calories. I make a Blu Cheese dressing a local restaurant her has specialized in for a long time. The recipe was given to me over 45 years ago by the chef!! Everyone in the family loves it so the kids ate salads at home most of the time, especially in summer. I thin it a little more with buttermilk and put the salad in a huge plastic Tupperware container with lid and shake it all up. Gets a thin layer of dressing on every part of the salad.

I'm going to watch this thread. Now that I've stopped smoking for a year, it's time to move on to my diet and lack of exercise :D

Well,don't know what this diet is.But 3 1/2 yrs ago,my hubby who is 84 now,had a psycotic episode where he ended up in a nursing home for over a month.To make a long story short,we started eating TV dinners with a salad after he got out.I've lost 90 lbs and went from 250 to 160 lbs now.Both of our blood work for 3 1/2 yrs have been spot on,where before we had to eat rocks practically for sodium,colorestrol,you name it.Now mine is perfect,and his is so low,they cut the pill in half.So,I think it's portion control,and NO left overs!But obviously very nutritional.Plus it's CHEAP!!!!We split one hungry man dinner and get a bag of salad out and there's dinner.That's $2.00 a plate.Breakfast the same.Walmart breakfasts ,with a bag (3) of pancakes and coffe.Low calories and filling,costs $2.00 for breakfasts.So we eat on $4.00 a day each for groceries!.That's $8.00 a day total.About $240.00 a month.I can't heat the stove or cook it for that.Let alone buy groceries,man their high!.Takes less than 10 min in the microwave.So does leave more time for scooter riding,and quilting!My grandma always said our stomach is the size of your fist or 2 cups maybe.And to "listen" to your body.It tells you when your sleepy,go to bed!It tells you when your full or have had enough to eat,"after the 1st big breath after about 3 to 4 bites or what ever it is for you.Mine is a lot less than it was,but I was taught to clean my plate up.Not no more,I "listen" to my body now,and quit eating when I reach that spot.The rest goes (if there is any) in the trash.If you do get hungry,eat a bowl of salad,or a cup of cup a soup with some crackers.Just keep the total Daily calories to under 1000.Easy on these dinners,with room to spare for salad,or cup o soup's.But no more than a 1000. pr day.An I eat no bread.My hubby tho,does.And I use PAM {walmats brand}butter flavored pam for toast and pancakes and everything.No butter!Good luck.It's worked for me,and I haven't starved which is the beauty part.Oh,and 1 more thing.I do buy snack puddings,as they are filling too.Just limit to no more than 4 a day.And if you like ice cream,put the puddings in a cone with some cool whip on top.And pretend it's ice cream,freeze them {pudding pops}!Maybe in between meals.I've lost 90 lbs doing this.Good luck

You have to remember to exercise also. I do the Leslie Sansone one mile walk in the house twice a day - and then I walk outside with the dog - one or two miles a day. Weather permitting, of course - it snowed here last night!!!!! And it is only +29* out!

I eat good, no bread, no butter (well, not much), no desserts (well, maybe on a special occasion) and I have lost 30 lbs since January 1. I have dropped from a size 18 to a size 12 and my underpants are falling off!!!!!!!!!!! I got some new Bermudas, some new slacks and some new pedal pushers, now to head to Target and get me some undies!!!!! And I am 72-1/2!

You all can do it. It's fun, actually! It is ten times more fun when someone you haven't seen for a long time says "Hey, you look great." It's all worth it!

And please do the Weight Loss Challenge right here on the Quilting Board. It was a total lifesaver for me. And that was more fun and more encouraging and more rewarding than anything I could have ever dreamed of.

Make it a good day. Edie

Watch for hidden sugar in food. If the label says diet/low calories I don't eat it. Artif sugars are diet busters. I had to become a label reader. Go to you local bookstore and look for the book BELLY FAT CURE by jorge cruise. Common sense food plan. Notice I did NOT say diet. PM me if you want.

Yes, although eating unprocessed foods wasn't the means as much as the ends. I do the South Beach diet which for me means I have to make everything myself. I eat a lot of salads (all different kinds), egg dishes, and grilled meats. I snack on pickles, olives, cheeses (real cheese not "processed cheese food"), and various nuts. I know SB wants me to eat low fat cheese but I draw the line there - I like cheese too much to make sacrifices with it :)

When I go into Phase II of SB I add fruit only.

I'm on SB now in fact and 10 lbs in 2 weeks. I start Phase II Monday. I'll do Phase II for a 2-3 weeks then depending on how much more weight I want to lose, I may go back to Phase I, or if I'm happy with my weight I'll slooooly add the starches back to my diet.

Great recipe BTW and one of the few low fat cheeses I will eat (well ... one of the cheeses is low fat). Mix 2 parts Neufchatel cheese with 1 part Bule. Add finely chopped cilantro. Cream it all together. Spread onto celery stick and dash with a few drops of Tabasco.

I also make homemade cinamon crusted almonds. Mix egg whites with Splenda, toss in cinnamon. Toss raw almonds in the mix coating them well. Bake at 400 for ... I think about 20 minutes to toast. Tastes *almost* as good as the cinnamon almonds you get at the fair. Please don't ask me quantities - I cook by look/feel/taste - I rarely measure stuff.

I started Take Shape for Life with Medifast the 2nd week of January of this year. I am now down 40 pounds and feel absolutely great. No processed food, no dairy, I eat their soy foods 5 times daily and then I make one meal a day myself. I have 45 more to go, but this is the easier thing I've ever done. No points, I only weigh once per week. My husband started after me and has lost almost 30. When I am down to my goal weight, i know that i shall not being goin back to any processed foods. it is too hard on the digestive system, and simple is better and healthier. Good luck on the program you choose to lose weight on.

If you are taking medicine like synthroid for thyroid problems you have to be careful about eating soy products.
I cannot eat any soy,but I don't have a thyroid anymore.Check with your doctor