That goes for me as well. :|

Thanks Charlee and Lisann for the Web site links, and thanks Charlee for the sensible advice. I have to make some changes to improve my health. And I know it will take exercise, eating better and accountability. Three friends and I who live within a 40-mile radius made a 110-day challenge pact this week to be accountable to each other. We each set a reasonable goal for exercise and weight loss for the next 3 1/2 months (and I added a goal to increase the servings of veggies and fruit I eat each day). We are checking in with each other once a week by email. I joined Curves tonight on my way home from work, so I'm serious about making the changes. And I have found this online forum so helpful that one of my tasks for this weekend was to investigate some free online sites to help me track my eating,etc. So thanks for those links! Good luck to all of us!

I just hope that I've been able to help...and I know that I can count on you all for help to get rid of this last 10 lbs! :)

What it all boils down to is calories in/calories out. Don't ever let yourself eat below 1200 calories per day. That's what it takes to keep a 5 foot tall, COMATOSE woman alive! When you eat all of the vegies/fruit that you need to eat each day, along with the whole grains, you'll find that you're really pretty full...I had days when I had trouble making it to 1300 calories! (YEA!! That's when you get treats, IF you've eaten all the good stuff that you should have!)

It takes 3500 calories to make a pound of fat. If you have a day when you go over on your calories, give yourself a break! It's not the end of the world, and unless you ate 3500 calories MORE than what you would need to maintain your weight for that day, you're not going to gain a pound! It can be difficult to eat that many calories unless you feast on Marie Callender's pot pies and rich Sara Lee cakes and breads all day!

I'll be your biggest cheerleader!! I figure that with my spoiled rotten self (I give in to me A LOT!!), if *I* can do it, you all can!! :)

Walmart carries (as I'm sure other stores do) some exersize DVDs by Leslie Sansone called "Walk at Home". Now mind you, I'm still not convinced that these aren't a conspiracy to kill fat people, but I did use them and even got to where I can "walk" three miles with her. They cost about $10 each, and some come with exersize "equipment". It's a good burn...just check with your doctor first, and especially if you have health/heart problems!

I am so glad this thread has been posted! I, too, am jumping 'back on the wagon'. I've lost count of the times I've joined WW. But I have new motivation: daughter is getting married in May. So, I have pulled out the old ww books this week. I have tried walking every day, (one day the weather was really crappy), but I don't really have an excuse, as there is a FREE indoor walking track close to home.

Thank you Charlee for the caloriecount website. I knew that a free one must have existed somewhere, but didn't know where.

I have 2 times in the day where I feel I could eat anything I get my hands on: a) just before supper (around 4) and b) after supper (around 8)

Starting quilting has definately helped in the evenings though. I do much better with short term goals, cz long term is just too overwhelming.

Ah! Just think of the rewards!!! :D And before you say that you can't reward yourself for losing weight you shouldn't have gained in the first place, (that was MY reaction!) You DON'T have a choice!! I've had to replace my wardrobe 3 times!! I've gone from a size 28 that I had to lay on the bed to zip up, to a size 14, and those are getting loose!

Goodwill made out like a bandit this year! :lol: And so did I...I've discovered Macy's sale racks...~grin~ Oh...and I can shop Victoria's Secret now too! ;)

this onen worked for me too....my DH got sick of me eating soup all the time, if you can stand it you do lose

Hi, I have tried all the diets and no luck. I di start Weight Watchers in Sept. and as of this Thursday I have lost 26.4 lbs. I know it cost money, but being that it cost money has kept me honest and hepls me not to cheat, well not cheat as much then if I was doing it on my own. going to the meetings really helps too.

Congratulations! I too need to be accountable to someone or something. Money doesn't grow on trees around here and I try to be careful not to waste resources. Making the commitment to Curves on Friday was something I've toyed with doing for 2 years. I jumped in and signed on the dotted line, and I'll have to carry through in order to not throw the money away for the coming 12 months. DH has agreed to try to help us eat healthier at home and lose some weight also. And being accountable each week online to report progress with friends should help. I can't do it by my own willpower.

I tried Curves a few years ago with no results. I now do Leslie Sansome's Walk at Home. She has 1 through 5 mile walks, but the best one is a 2 mile walk with floor toning with her ankle fit cuff for the hips and thighs. I still do need to motivate myself everyday, like right now.

I have found if you have a large salad and use a small plate I can eat regular meals but no refils! Your plate looks full so it fools me into thinking I've eaten enough. I rarely snack except for a piece of cheese and a couple crackers.

I've tried some of the fad diets in the past, and they just never really worked for me. I've found that just counting my calories, and working out EVERY DAY is the only real way for me to lose. I made a New Year's resolution this year to lose about 15-20 pounds -- so far in the past couple of weeks, I've lost 3. It's hard work, but I figure I can manage to do it for just a couple of months.

The other thing I've discovered is that you have to cut out snacking on anything naughty completely -- I follow a very stringent schedule...breakfast, lunch, dinner, and one snack before bedtime (I do occasionally have some fruit or nuts in between meals). I remove all yummy stuff from the house. And I get one "cheat" once a week -- last week it was some ice cream, this week I'm planning on having a candy bar. Looking forward to that one cheat helps get me through the week.

I have been trying to stop the in between snacks too. So far I am doing better at it but not always. If I keep busy it really helps.

Yes, that's what I've found too -- keeping busy keeps my mind off of being hungry. The biggest "danger" I've found is sitting in front of the television -- that's when I normally do most of my snacking, and I'm much more likely to mindlessly eat while staring at the boob tube. Now...quilting, that takes my mind off of food ;)

Same here. I have not gotten back to quilting after the holidays and need to. Even tho I am sitting at the machine I can forget about the kitchen calling to me. I do need to exercise at least every other day if not every day. We are going out tonight for a delayed Christmas party/dinner and I am having prime rib, so I am really watching what I eat today.

I've always struggled with weight too, did WW online a few years ago and lost 35 pounds but gained it all back. I just joined http://www.sparkpeople.com It's free and very much like WW but you track calories and nutrients, instead of points.

There's all sorts of resources including recipes, exercise plans, message boards. As everyone else has said, it has to be a lifestyle change.

I've also been reading this book, which has been really helpful. http://www.amazon.com/Eating-Moment-...3667221&sr=8-1

Good luck to everyone on their weight loss journey!

Where do you find the Walk at Home? online?

Wal-Mart and K-Mart

i was at walmart and could not find "the walk at home" dang.
i did park at the farthest spot in the parking lot though!
i got some snacks..read the boxes..i ate special k this morning, and no sugar in my coffee..it is a start..

i just ordered this one from walmart:
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/produ...ndingMethod=rr

cheaper than overstock.com and i got to use paypal and ship it to me, for a little over $2.00.
you can choose 1 mile,2 mile..etc on the DVD.

Have you looked into www.Sparkpeople.com. It is free. IT has a food tracker, an exercise tracker, teams you can join for support and they send you information on diet and exercise. It does not have a specific diet. They support good eating within a caorie range and execise. If you decide to join, let me know your site name and I will try to help support you.

I did not see the one I just did Walk Away Your Hips and Thighs, but I have all her first ones from 1 mile up to 5 Walk Away the Pound Express. I hope you like them.

These sauces I have been making, do not completely "cover" the noodles like a tradional sauce.

A large can of cut up tomatoes
A tblspoon of Italian seasoning
garlic to taste
large chicken breast cut into chunks

I put a 1/2 cup of water in a skillet and the tomatos, juice and all, garlic and seasoning and heat to boiling, add seasoning and chicken, reduce to a simmer. Add a little more water if it gets to dry. When the chicken is done add the noodles and lightly sprinkle with parmesan cheese. I like to add a tblspoon or so of olive oil too.
The secret is to go heavy on the seasonings for flavor, light on the cheese. Olive oil is healthy and "they" are saying now it is good for people with fibro, too :wink:
You can also add a "little" tomato sauce, but if you look on the cans, almost all add sugar to the sauce. The same with canned and jars of spaghetti sauce.

I do the same thing only substitute chili powder and mexican seasonings and use it with rice, for a low cal mexican rice dish.

You can have gravy with potatoes, noodles, rice. Just use canned broth. There is only 40+ calories to a whole can...plus a few more in the cornstarch or flour. Much healthier than using drippings :wink: Try adding different spices to this also :D

I also pre packaged some of my own snacks. If I sit down with the box, bag or whatever...I will eat half or all of it in one sitting :oops: one serving is good, 6 is not LMBO

When I bring fresh fruits and veggies home, I wash and cut them up right away. For me, if I can grab them easily I am more apt to eat them.

I have one meal a week (within reason on portions) that I really like. Fried pork chop, a meal out, or what ever I am craving... that way I don't feel deprived and the other 20 meals for the week are on the diet. I also allow myself a treat here and there. If I keep goodies in the house, I WILL eat on them until they are gone :roll: So I buy single serving sized treat at a time.

An eye opener for me was when the fast food places started putting the calorie count on their menus... One meal 1200+ calories :shock: and most of the calories are fats. I may grab a burger, but I learned to forego the frys and drink. I take it home and have vegetables and a better beverage with it too. Or I have brought my own veggies with me if I am meeting friends and drink something else besides pop or shakes.

i used to put jarred salsa on my baked potato instead of butter..no fat in salsa.
if i can get my mexican friend to make me fresh salsa , i use that..
i think eating the meals,3 or 4 times a day, is the hardest for me..

I love salsa on my Baked potatoes. Fresh salsa is even better. I don't eat baked potatoes very often though.
One of my favorites is to use the fresh salsa as a salad dressing on romaine lettuce with 4 oz cooked shrimp, 2 Tbl lite 3 cheese from Trader Joes and sometimes a half of an avocado. I then take a half serving of lite tortilla chips and crush them to use as a crunchie on my salad. I love it!!!

here are some of her DVD and Videos on Half.com

http://search.half.ebay.com/Leslie-Sansone_W0QQ

ebay has a ton of them too

....most of the time I look at them with the most incredulous look on my face because the question: WHERE??? comes to mind.

Well ladies, I can tell you that I am a definite success story (BTW, I am 53 years old). I started a program over 2 years ago and lost 52 lbs in 3 months, my husband lost 34 lbs in a month, we are totally healthier than we have ever been, and have kept it all off for 2 years. It is a doctor-endorsed nutritional cleansing and fat burning program, and you can adjust the program to meet your needs and goals. All three of my children enjoy the products, ages 19, 14 and 8, as well as my 80 year old mother. This is a program not just for losing weight, but for overcoming health issues. In the case of my mom and my 14 and 8 year old children, they do not need to lose weight, they just need to take in good nutrition.

If anyone is interested in knowing more, I'd be happy to share with you. You can email me direct at: [email protected]

In good health to all of you!
Sarah in CA

In the past I successfully did Jennie Craig, twice. I don't eat much meat so when JC quit having the veggie menus I gave it up. It was quite expensive. WW a couple of years ago and lost 25, have kept most of it off. Now I excerise 4 to 7 times at the Senior Center, walk or run weather permitting. Four times a years I do Senior Boot Camp. I am the person that hates, hates, hates excerise. The excerise teacher we have at the center has all the excerises geared for Seniors. It makes so much difference. When I do Boot Camp we have a '30 meal plan'. I still don't like excerize, but I can see such a big difference in my body with out losing a lot of weight. I tell my DH it's so I can take care of him when he gets old(er). Good luck to those that have 10 or 100 to lose. It's hard no matter what the amount is.

Unless you weigh 400 lbs, 4 lbs is a bit fast to lose weight. The medically recommended loss rate would be 1% of your starting weight per week.

That being said, I lost 13 pounds the first week I was on my diet...but VERY little of that was fat! My ankles and feet looked like footballs when I started...by the end of the second week, when I lost an additional 7 pounds, I all of the sudden had ankle bones again...and I could see the bones in my feet! :D
After that, I lost between 2 and 3 pounds a week for awhile, that dropped to between 1 and 2 pounds...and for the last couple of months I've been eating at maintenance to just maintain my current weight thru the holidays. Now I need to get back with the changes I've made and lose this last 10-15 lbs! :)

Oh and I forgot to mention, I am 5'6" and I started at 167 lbs and at the end of 3 months, weighed 115 lbs. I haven't seen a doctor except for my yearly physical and the doc says I'm in perfect health, yeah!! So I can definitely say don't believe everything the medical industry tells you. If they had the answers, then 80% of Americans would not be overweight. And look what is happening to our children - so many are already obese.

Sarah in CA

[quote=Sarah CA]Oh and I forgot to mention, I am 5'6" and I started at 167 lbs and at the end of 3 months, weighed 115 lbs.

WOW!! That is awesome!! Thanks to everyone for all the advice and helpful info.

If I ate cabbage soup all the time I would be ....well you know!!! :lol:

I have been a life time member of weight watchers for 29 years. I have keep my weight off pretty much. Being a life time member when I find myself gaining I go back to weight watchers to get back on track. What I like about weight watchers is you do not have to eat special food......

Oh, Marsye. Now I have to clean up the peas I spit out off of the keyboard. Too funny.

I'm sorry.....here is a kleenex. ROTFLMAO!

LMAO That is so funny marsye. I love the f@*ting bunny. :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

amma, thanks for the tomato sauce recipe. Hm, chicken as part of tomato sauce?

throw out the cabbage soup. Last year my husband and I changed our eating habits. He lost 45 pounds and I lost 20 pounds by portion control. didn't do without anything. You just have to remember this. A portion of meat is the size of a deck of cards. Veggies should be limited to 1/2 cup. Fruit 1/2 cup. Use small plates and if you have to snack get some sugar free pudding or a handful of grapes or yogurt. Keep a watch on your calories too. If you have hamburger helper, usually a cup with your veggies. You don't have to starve however the first couple of days you may think you are until your stomach shrinks. Keep a journal. I am going back on this because I got off during the holidays and lost a little ground. If you need some inspiration and a weight control partner PM me.

Sounds like we're on the same page of the book #1piecemaker! The only difference would be that I don't limit vegies at all. I figure that if I want to feel "full" that it's better to do it with 2 cups of steamed broccoli (I love the stuff!) than it is with 2 cups of spaghetti! ;) I do limit fruits, because of the sugar content...