Seeking Moms Advice About Losing Weight Without Paying So Much Money

Hi L.,

We mother's really have it hard don't we? LOL However, I began utilizing Leslie Sansone's Walk-Away the pounds DVD's. They come 1,2,3,4 and now a 5 mile walk. Just pop in the DVD and go for it! It is really getting up and moving about. I stopped drinking soda and juices, except for a 2oz glass of orange juice in the morning, very limited sweets....:-( eating habits have to change, that is a must!! Rarely eat fried foods, that was hard but I am doing quite well. When the weather is not too bad outside I will walk at least 3 miles, no less than 3 and I began incorporating some strength training. May not sound like the best but it worked for me.

Wish you the best!

I've been doing the Discovery Health Channel National Body Challenge for 2 weeks now and so far I've lost 6 pounds. It's completely free, all you need is cable that gets that channel and the internet. You get free recipes, workout tips, healthy eating advice, and all kinds of other stuff. At 7 and 7:30am on the Discovery Health Channel they have teamed up with a fitness guy named Gilad who has great workouts that are aerobic and strength training. All you need are a pair or two of hand weights. I got fed up with having to pay for programs that didn't work or they pushed all their "extra" food on me. Everytime I went in for a weigh-in, I felt like I was dealing more with a pushy used car salesman than a deitician. I also bought the Biggest Loser books and they have some great tips and recipes in there. Good luck! I'm fighting the baby weight as well and I'm determined to get my body (what's left of it) back!

Hello, L.,

I have felt overweight for many years, but now I am thinner than I have been since high school. I have tried to completely eliminate high fructose corn syrup and hydrogenated oils from my diet. I feel so much better and have lost 30 pounds. You can eat as many fresh fruits and vegetables as you want. Nancy Appleton's books have helped me, too. Kick the Sugar Habit is one that she wrote. I learned a lot from Juice Plus seminars. They sell a product that is 17 fruits and vegetables dehydrated and in capsule form (no sugar, water, or sodium). The seminars are educational even if you can't afford the product. Good luck!

S.

L.,

I just had a baby 3 months ago, and I'm trying to lose weight too. I have lost 6 pounds since January 3rd... and here's how I'm doing it.

Counting calories is hard... it takes time and effort, and I won't do it. Instead, I changed what we eat. Switch from regular pastas, breads, etc... to whole wheat ones. I have actually found that the new "Ronzoni" pasta has more fiber in it than regular whole wheat... so we eat that instead. Switch from fried to baked or grilled. Make sure that 1/2 of your plate is vegetables. Only 1/4 should be meat, and 1/4 starch. Remember that not all veggies are created equal either: Peas and corn don't really count as veggies, they are very high in starch. Drink lots and lots of water, and try to keep it light on the diet sodas (you do drink diet, right?) Studies have found that diet sodas, although they don't contain sugar, they "trick" your body into treating them like sugar anyway. (Not sure how all that works, it's just what I heard). Drink 3 glasses of milk a day. I also have tried to reduce the red meat in our diet. I try to make at least one fish dinner a week, and at least one meatless meal. I'm not a tofu person, but I have discovered some ways to serve it that are actually good... if you want recipes, email me back and I'll be happy to send you some. When eating veggies, don't use butter or oil on them. Get "I can't believe it's not butter" spray. It has no calories or fat, and tastes great. Buy natural peanut butter instead of regular stuff, it has more healthy fats in it. Buy smucker's low sugar jelly instead of the regular kind... it has no added sugar, but it also has no artificial sweetners. Be careful of your breakfast foods: most cereals, even the "healthy ones" like rasin bran or granola, are loaded with sugar. I like post shredded wheat with bran, lots of fiber, and I mix it with a tablespoon of honey to sweeten it. Special K is also good, with fruit, especially. Protein bars are not a good idea except in moderation, as most of them have lots of sugar and fat. On your other fats, like mayo, sour cream, etc... switch to low fat or fat free. Some things are not good fat free... some are. My basic rule of thumb, if you are eating it mixed in something.. go for fat-free because you won't notice it anyway. If you are eating it the way it is, go for low-fat. I have found that Kraft Free salad dressings are good enough that I can use them even if they don't have any fat. Snack on fruits and veggies... they are awesome. Rice cakes and popcorn are pretty good too. (Of course, watch the fat in the popcorn.)
Need something sweet? Try these: suck a hard candy; make sugar-free pudding with skim milk; sugar-free jello cup; light yogurt. But, if you really are craving a dessert... go ahead - just keep it small. It's better to satisfy the craving than to binge because you can't get what you want.

Most importantly... move! Even if you don't have time for much, just increase your activity as much as you can. Park far away from the store... go for a walk with the kids... go walk the mall... dance around the house while you clean or make dinner.

Losing weight is simple really, move more, eat less and better... voila!
Good luck!

I've found over the years, that it's not so much that people don't know what to do to lose weight, but it's more of an issue of IMPLEMENTING those healthier habits, and sticking to them.

We all know what foods are good and what foods aren't. Fresh fruits and veggies, lean meats, fish, whole grains get 2 thumbs up. Limit your refined carbs, such as white breads, cookies, cakes, etc. Decrease your soda supply, even if it's diet. Get more water in you (even Crystal Light, Wyler's Light, decaff tea <with sweetener, no sugar>, all count towards your water intake).

Move more...even if just walking. You can get some really great Walk Away the Pounds videos on ebay for cheap, and you don't even have to leave your home to do your walking in these colder/wet Ohio months.

But see, most of these things you alreay know, I'm sure. It's having the determination, willpower, and drive to actually DO them.

Don't think I'm coming down hard on ya, I'm not. I'm speaking, unfortunately, from 7 years of experience of fighting the same thing. I KNOW what to do, but it's easier to be lazy and just eat what I want.

I've found that eating healthier doesn't have to necessarily be expensive either. I buy the canned (no sodium only) and frozen veggies...and same with fruits (light syrup & rinse well). It cuts costs dramatically, instead of buying the fresh, and you still DO get the nutrients.

Try googling "quick healthy meals" or "cheap healthy meals", and you'll get a ton of ideas that way, for new recipes. Chicken is a GREAT lean protein...and there's TONS of ways to fix it so that you don't get bored. (Stirfry, baked, grilled, in casseroles, etc.)

Keep in mind, too, that even buying more fruits and veggies, even if fresh, that if you stop buying the crappy foods (chips, cakes/cookies, ice creams, pizza, etc.), you're actually going to come closer to breaking even, or spending slightly more or less depending on your family's tastes, likes/dislikes.

Another tip...shop at places like Aldi's or Save A Lot. I do the majority of my shopping at Save A Lot and for a family of 4, I can spend, on average, about $35-50 per week on healthy meals there. I'm a huge fan of crock pot meals...throw it all together and let it cook all day.

Weight loss doesn't have to be expensive...I think we convince ourselves that it is, so that it gives us an "out" so we don't have to attempt it. I'm guilty of that a lot!!! This month I have really resolved to get fit, though.

I'm in the Stark County area, and was a patient of Aultman Hospital's physical therapy department. Once you've been a patient there for PT, you can become a member of their gym for only $30 a month. There's no contracts, no yearly commitment, you can go month to month, and that price includes your spouse! My husband spent a lot of time traveling the past year and packed on 20 lbs. So we've decided to go to the gym together, an hour each time, 2 days a week, then I'll go a 3rd day, by myself. I have more to lose than him, lol.

Another thing is if you want to count your calories and such, www.fitday.com is an awesome, FREE website. It has thousands of foods already in storage, with the nutritional information already stored. You just enter what you've eaten for the day, and it calculates everything for you. You can even track your exercise on there, and it has a journal area, for you to write your thoughts, experiences down.

I hope this has helped and I'm sure you'll get tons of replies on this. Having an accountability partner can help too. Someone to check in with you and say, "hey what'd you eat today", or "did you walk?". Good luck with your weight loss journey!

I am 38 years old. I recently lost 30 lbs. on weight watchers. I have also been doing Tae-bo every other day and running on my treadmill 2.5 miles on the opposite days. To top that off I quit smoking in August. I haven't gained any weight in fact I am still losing. It is all about setting aside time to do a 30 minute workout and strong will power. Make it a priority in your life and you'll just fall into a routine. Good Luck

L., I'd say the biggest factor is wanting to do it for you, not for someone else, and it sounds as though you have reached that point.

I am a huge fan of weight watchers, it helped me lose the pounds after both of my kids. The basic premise is that you can eat anything, but everything has to be in moderation, in the right proportions. Some things, like vegetables, you can eat as much of as you want. Other things, like icecream, need to be an occassional treat.

I understand not having the money for weight loss programs, so here are a couple of things you can do. First of all, keep a journal. Write down everything you eat -- and I mean everything, every little bite you take and the amount of it you are eating -- every day. You might be surprised at how much those little nibbles add up.

Check packages for portion size and stick to a single portion.

Switch to skim milk. Watch what you add to coffee and tea -- that extra cream can really add up. Personally, I try to get as few calories from my beverages as possible -- I'd rather be able to eat :) So, I stick to water, unsweetened tea, diet soda and occassionally a small glass of juice.

If you have time, go for a walk every day. And, personally, right now I am finding no time for exercise, so I know how hard that can be. So, I will sometimes standup and jog in place for a few minutes. Or, I'll do some crunches or leg lifts or something while I'm watching tv. Anything you can do to move a little bit.

Just so you know, I'm not some skinny little person who finds this stuff easy. I'm 5'7" and 150 pounds. I love to eat. I'd love to lose another 10 and maybe after sending this email I'll find the motivation to do it.

So, stick with it -- you can do it!!!! Oh, and as you start losing those pounds, reward yourself with something you like to do and not with food. So, go to a movie, buy a new shirt, take a bubble bath, read a book, whatever you like to do.

Good luck!!!

If you have the willpower to stick with it, there is a great website to help you count calories and monitor and track your weight loss. It also allows you to journal and have access to forums where others are in the same boat!! I love it!!!

Oh yeah, and its FREE!!!!!!!!!!!!

www.caloriecount.about.com

Good Luck!
B.

The key to weight loss and keeping it off is consistency. Start with adding more fruits and vegetables and less carbs and meats. The fruits and vegs have less calories, but will help you feel full. Also, remember the portion size for most meats is the size of a deck of cards. It also helps to eat on a smaller plate, it makes it look like you have more food. "Tricking your brain". Another thing, don't skip meals, snacks to lose weight, it does not work it just slows your metabolism. Just cut your portion sizes. And finally, you have to add some sort of physical activity. Even if it is just walking around the neighborhood. Start out with 15 minutes and continue to increase your time and your pace and before you know it the pounds will start coming off. You may not see drastic results, but you will change your lifestyle, and it will last a lifetime. It will be good for your children also.

Hi L.! Check out MomsMark at www.momsmark.com! It has a lot to offer in terms of your quest to get fit and healthy, including a free monthly newsletter with great recipes and fitness tips. They are dedicated to helping moms take better care of themselves and there are no high gym fees! Check it out... I think you'll love it!

L. -

I think we can all relate to your plight and would love to be able to drop those pounds as quickly as we put them on! I work at home doing medical transcription for an internal medicine doctor who sees patients every day that need to lose weight - literally a matter of life and death when they have out-of-control diabetes, hypertension, etc. The best thing you can do is not "diet" but change your lifestyle. The fastest way to lose it is to avoid carbs, lower your meat portion and load up on fruits and veggies. But your lifestyle change should involve REDUCING PORTION SIZES overall (most important), eat small healthy snacks in between meals and exercise 30-40 minutes 5 days a week (doesn't have to be at a health club - do jumping jacks, walk, etc.) If every woman (and man) stuck with this plan consistently, we would all see a difference!! Give yourself a few months to get used to this and start to see a change, but I can guarantee that over time you will lose that weight and feel healthier too!

E.

Hi L., after having my second child last year, I have lost 45 pounds in 11 months. I have taken it off slowly which is good because it has given me time to get accustomed to a new lifestyle, therefore lessening the chances of gaining it back. I don't deprive myself, if I want something sweet, I eat it but just a couple bites or instead of three scoops of ice cream, one scoop. I have changed almost all of my breads, pastas, etc to 100% whole grain and have lessened the amount I eat of carbs probably to about half of what I use to (I LOVE bread). I found that whole grain spaghetti and bread are really pretty good and don't taste much different and now I actually prefer them over the white. I eat a lot of meat, baked or grilled. My favorite chicken recipe is very simple, it sounds stupid but is very good and moist, put unthawed chicken breast in a glass dish, put water in the dish up to about halfway up the chicken, cut up green onion and put it in to your liking, sprinkle in some onion flakes or cut up fresh onion, then put in a little bit of soy sauce (I'm not a fan of soy sauce usually but it does give the chicken good flavor), then cover the dish with plastic wrap and microwave for about 8 minutes. It is the best tasting chicken, we usually have some rice with it. And best of all it's not fried in butter or grease and it is really juicy.
We also have bought a lot more things that are "low fat" we didn't go fat free because we knew they wouldn't taste real good and we would just be setting ourselves up for failure and would go back to eating like we use to. "low fat" usually tastes more like the real deal, for example, we switched to low fat cottage cheese, low fat deli meats, low fat miracle whip, etc.
My Husband and I also purchased an Elliptical which we absolutely love! We burn 600-700 calories in just a half an hour on it. It is rough to start at first and I can remember starting out and only being able to do 4-6 minutes and thinking damn! That was a workout! ha ha! But as you do it more, it becomes a little easier and a little more tolerable.
A website that I love is Sparkpeople.com. It's totally free to join and they have groups and boards for motivation which is great. You can track the food you are eating which sums up your calories, fat intake, carb intake etc. and shows you what you should be having in order to meet your goals. I highly recommend this site for starting out.

If you have any more questions or would like to chat more, my email is ____@____.com! Good Luck on your weight loss!

L.,

The SIMPLIFIED Jorge Cruise diet (8 minutes in the morning) worked for me. On other diets, I found myself cheating because I just couldn't cut out the foods I loved. On the simplified diet, it's all about exercises and portion control.

Like the Dr Phil diet, he says that you should split your plate into 4 sections. Each section should have protein, carb, fruit, and vegetable. If you want to eat more, eat an extra portion of vegetable. Obey the serving sizes on the food. If Cheerios is 1 cup per serving, then only eat 1 cup. You can have two snacks (between each meal) and, best of all, a small dessert for dinner. But, after dinner, you stop eating.

He has basic weight exercises for his 8 minutes of exercises - such as pushing down on a table to strengthen the arm muscles. (He says you can use soup cans for the exercises, but I found that I had to buy hand weights.)

I also walked 30-45 minutes every day for the aerobic exercise.

Like others have said, it's a lifestyle change - not really diet that ultimately makes a difference.

Good luck!

Hi L.,
I feel you. I was 50lb overweight at one point and couldn't afford a gym either. I have lost about half of it so far and am working on the other half. Here are the things that I have found help me most.

Get moving! I exercise twice a day. Two small sessions works better for me since I don't have time for one long one. I also read that you burn more fat if you break up your workouts into 2 30-min sessions with at least a 20 min break in between. I do 30 min cardio (either walking, biking, aerobics on dvd), and 30 min of weight trainging with light handheld weights. I do this all at home. I have found that the weight training is key to my weight loss. It also keeps me motivated since I can see muscle definition rather quickly. Keep in mind that one pound of fat is 3500 calories. Use both exercise and diet modification, and you will see results. It would take forever to burn 3500 calories just by diet alone.

Eat 3 small meals and 2 snacks everyday, spaced 2-3 hours apart. This idea I got from Body for Life for Women. It really helps maintain your blood sugar, so you don't have that crash that causes you to snack on sugary foods. What I do is figure out how many calories I want to eat in one day and then I divide them out among the meals and snacks. I pay attention to the calories in the foods I eat and watch portion sizes. I don't strictly adhere to my calorie limit, but it keeps me keenly aware of what I'm consuming.

A great place to find recipes is Cooking Light. If you are an AOL member, you can access their website for free. They have all their recipes in a searchable database. You can search by ingredient and they have user reviews which are REALLY helpful. My sister and I trade recipes from the site all the time. Some meals are more difficult to prepare, but some are so simple and easy.

Weigh yourself once a week to track your progress. Seeing those numbers on the scale go down is SO motivating. But don't just go by the scale since the number will fluctuate with your hormones. Use a tape measure and measure your body parts (neck, upper arm, bust, waist, stomach, hips, thign, and calf). Make sure you write the numbers down because as you work out, you will see changes in them that let you know you're making progress, even if the scale isn't showing much.

This is just what works for me. I lost 22lb in 3 months doing it and I'm still going strong. I wish you the best of luck with whatever you try. I know how hard it is to lose weight, but if I can do it, ANYONE can.

Best of luck!
A.

L.....develop some kind of walking routine. And stick with it. Try to somehow to walk an hour a day, just walking. you will be amazed at how by just eliminting most of the junk food from your diet and increasing your wakking time ....will allow you to start dropping those pounds. I walk around my neighborhood streets in laps for an hour as often as I can. You will see the difference by May. Just stick with it. I don't usually walk in the rain but i try to walk even when it is cold. I just layer up and get out.Beats watching hours of worthless TV at night.If your kids can be left an hour or so alone just do laps around your new neighborhood. Or on your days off go to the park, walk 45 minutes in the opposite direction of your car and then walk back. It won't take but maybe an hour and half. 2 of my neighbors lost over 50 pounds each by just walking and watching what they ate. It was incredible. I would like to lose 20 pounds. I lost 10 last year by just walking and now I am starting up again. Good luck

Hi L.,
A few years back, I lost my baby weight and I'm currently doing some trimming up again. I'm listed under the local businesses with Advocare, which is a co. that sells nutritional products and I've counseled many people on weight loss and getting healthy. There are alot of factors to consider when losing weight. Quick tips. Drink 8-12 glasses of water each day. Try to get enough sleep. Eat plenty of fruits and veggies, whole grains, and non-processed foods. The cooking light cookbook and magazines are some of my favorites. Eat 5-6 small meals of 200-300 calories per day to keep your metabolism up. Excercise!! 3--5 times per week is ideal, but some women can have an all or nothing mentality. If you only get around to it once this week, that's better than nothing at all! Please call me if you'd like more coaching and encouragement. That's what I love to do and am passionate about! I promise not to try to sell you any products unless you ask!
M. S
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I'm currently using weight watchers... but like you I can't afford to do the actual program. So I looked all over the internet and found the formula to calculate the points I would use and also the formula to calculate the points in the foods. The first week was really hard, but it definitely got easier the 2nd week. I'm in week 5 now and have lost 16 lbs!
http://www.peertrainer.com/LoungeCommunityThread.aspx?For...
I used this website to calculate my daily points (and you get 35 weekly points!)
And as for the food it's a little math. you take the calories divided by 50. and add the fat divided by 12. Then subtract the fiber divided by 5. Hope that makes sense!
And last but not least, this website: http://www.dwlz.com/WWinfoTOC.html is great for telling you how many points in different items. And at the top of the page you can click on restaurants and she's gone through a bunch of restaurants and already calculated the points for each item!
Hope this helps!!

I have been counting my calories for awhile and it has been going good. I am eating no more than 1200 calories a day. I write down what i eat and what the count is. You can google counting calories and it will give you websites that have how much most of the stuff we eat. My husband has a good one on his lap top but not home right now. i can find out the one he has and get back with you. I would also like to try the Discovery One the other lady responded to you. Also drink lots of water. Walk alot of steps in your house if you have any. Good luck and if you come up with anything else please let me know also. Thanks

T.

Check into Weight Watchers. Sometimes your insurance will reimburse you for the cost. It really is a great program that reteaches you what and how much to eat. If you can not afford that, get your hands on the points calculatr and you can do the program on your own without joining.

Hi! I have a 5 month old and I'm trying to lose the baby weight too... (I was 168 lbs. when I delivered). The most important thing I think is to start excersizing. If you have Time Warner cable (with the box)there is a channel called Exercise on demand, it's free and you can access all kinds of work outs, whatever you want to try. To start out, I recommend the Walking workouts with Leslie Sansone.You can walk a mile in 18 minutes by just moving in your living room!

You might try joining a support group. I'm a member of TOPS Westerville. The membership for the year is $20 and our group's weekly fee is $1. We don't have a set diet plan, but we have lots of support and incentive programs and well as educational programs and a library of resources.

We meet every Monday night with a confidential weigh in between 6:30 and 7:15. and a meeting from 7:15 to 8:00.

Let me know if You're interested.

Try www.mypyramidtracker.gov It's a site that lets you enter what you have eaten and keep up with the calories. Also, www.cookinglight.com has quite a few recipes for free.

I have finally lost 33 lbs and have about 20-25 more to go. I have found that this works for me. I eat ONLY when I am hungry, I mean when my stomach growls, because then i am hungry. If I think I am hungry byt have just eaten then I will drink a glass of water. I try to cut my portions in 1/2 and drink more water. I will eat Wheat Thins or a pece of fruit for a snack and drink some water. I try to drink about 5 glasses of water a day. I have also been exercising for the past 6 weeks, and I feel better over all. I have been carrying my babyfat for 6 yrs.
Good Luck
Jenn.......

the best advice I can give you is STAY AWAY from potatoes, white bread, sugar, white rice. Anything that says "enriched" is a clue to stay away from that product. Eat wheat bread, sugar substitute, brown rice and lots of salads and you WILL see results. You dont need diet pills (they dont work anyways) and you dont need expensive diet plans. Just eat smart and the weight will fall off of you. (no junk food either) If you like to bake, use Splenda instead of sugar and wheat flour (not enriched) It does work, i have lost weight doing this.

You can use Weight watchers website recipe swap for free without becoming a member. I also check out their cookbooks from my local library and keep them for three weeks and try out new things! Sometimes, you can make dishes you love with substitutions to make them healthier! Good luck!!!!

Another great online resource is http://www.sparkpeople.com. They have communities set up for all different kinds of interests, geographical locales, etc. There are recipes, calorie counters, food logs and articles to help you along the way. No fad diets, no extreme anything. It just teaches you how to eat a balanced diet - counting fat, calories, proteins, fiber, etc - and also gives you an exercise plan based on the things you enjoy doing. It can set things up for you, or you can customize your own plan based on the guidelines there.

Oh, and it's completely free.

I am on a diet that a friend used primarily to get his cholesterol down. No diet is fun! I bought the book (online really cheap) and read it first. In reading the book I learned sooo much that I am excited and committed to the diet. The book is "Breaking the Food Seduction" by Neal Barnard, M.D. It is a strict diet and basically vegetarian for the first month. I'm buying some strange items and eating things I never thought I would. The pay off...stick with it and you loose the yearning for the junk snack food and sweets. I highly recommend it. No big money, but your commitment is necessary!

I understand. I was 220 and couldn't stand it anymore I did join Weight Watchers and it is wonderful. I have lost 50lbs. I want to lose more but I seem to have hit a stumbling block. I love their magazine it has good tips and receipes. I also make sure I have a water jug and a apple with me at all times. Apples really are a great healthy snack and the crunching is so much fun. Try and get a friend to eat right with you and your children.. Then start moving everyday. At least 20 minutes and you will start seeing the pounds melt away. No food after 7pm then get at least 8 hours of sleep. Just like your mom always said. Hope this helps let me know how you are doing.

I had the same trouble. I have three children and another on the way. I've tried just about every diet under the sun and like to exercise. I bought the Fat Flush Diet and the pounds just melted off. Once I got used to the diet, I found it wasn't very expensive to start and stop. I love how the author recommends healing your body, getting your kidneys and liver to work better as part of the weight loss regime. My children also have food allergies and this diet recommends a very pure, healthy diet free of allergens. The first week I ran out and bought everything. That seemed expensive but now I have stock of the vitamins. . .I just joined the Twinsburg Fitness Center. I hope that will help me keep the pregnancy weight manageable this time. I also realized that I don't have to work out like crazy to lose weight, but just moving, walking, and doing light exercise helped me lose weight.

I, too, have just begun a weight loss journey. I am on a very limited budget as well. I found some great lowfat cookbooks at the library and just wrote down the recipes that I thought sounded good. Also, if you are in Lexington, you can go to Calvary Baptist Church downtown. They have a fitness area plus a walking area all for $10 a month. They do have some aerobic classes a few times a week as well. There is no contract to sign and if there is a month where you can't go then you don't pay.

i've been trying for years also. no advice, just love yourself for you.Focus on your strength and inner beauty.

First of all, remember that it takes 9 monhts to put the weight on X 3 babies = 27 months, plus it's been there for 13 years. It's not going to come off by summer.

The best way to lose weight is no more than 2 lb/wk. Otherwise it stresses your heart and can cause permanent damage. And remember - you're a woman. You WONT lose weight as fast as a man. It's physically impossible.

My biggest advice: eat several small meals during the day. It's best to eat six small meals about 2 hours apart each to enhance your energy. And plan them. Count calories, fat, protein, etc. PLAN your meals that way you won't wig out and binge. I typically eat a fruit smoothie in the morning, followed by 1/3 cup of oatmeal about 10 am, then a pita pocket with tuna salad and a piece fo fruit about one, some afternoon snack of energy bar or something, and a sensible dinner such as 4 oz broiled salmon, two veggies, and a whole wheat grain. Try to stay away from starches and learn to substitute for recipes - lessen or completely lose the salt. Use sugar substitutes. Use olive oil instead of butter or other various oils. Eat lots of salads.

The best way to change your weight is gradulally and means a lifestyle change - you have to change the way you look a the world, yourself, but especially food. it is a fuel source meant to serve your body well, not a friend.

Good luck!

I have found a GREAT website called sparkpeople.com it gives exercises and recipes along with message boards so you can chat with other members. they even have groups like high blood pressure hometown groups baby weight ect. good luck i know its hard but i have lost 9 pounds in 3 weeks just from walking not eating out but maybe once a week and drinking tons of water

Look into adopting a vegan lifestyle. The human liver produces all of the cholesteral our bodies need, therefore any outside source is extra. Check out physcians committee for responsible medicine pcrm.org

Hello L.! I am in a smilier situation. I want/need to lose weight, but cannot afford the programs that are currently out there. Here is what I do! I count calories. I have a spread sheet in Excel that I keep track of every day. I break it up by breakfast, lunch and dinner. I have a calorie goal intake and I do my best to stay w/in that goal. And I've been doing this now for a little over two weeks, and I've lost 7 lbs w/o excersise. I also have two websites that I visit quite often that help. www.sparkpeople.com is a free website that you can join and get a lot of help from other dieters and best of all IT'S FREE. I also have a website that I use to help me count calories and that's www.calorie-count.com and that is very helpful. I also have changed alot of my eating habits. I don't drink pop anymore (well sometimes I have a coke zero) and drink a lot of water (and if you don't like water, get the little packs to flavor it) and I give myself free weekends! That way I don't get burned out and give up. I've been going strong. I know heathly food is expensive, but I think it's well worth it, and I don't know if you have an Aldi close to you, but they have A LOT of healthy foods there for a little less than compared to Walmart. Good luck! If you need any help using these two websites, please feel free to email me.
Good Luck!
V.

I have been through a terrific program called

WeighDown Workshop
by Gwen Shamblin

It is amazing - it is Christian based and allows you to eat ANYthing you want!

If you care to know more, just ask me to edit this response and I can tell you all about it. I didn't want to type all that without knowing you wanted to know.

I use sparkpeople.com. They have a whole website that is free and is geared toward a healthy lifestyle.

Lisa's advice was great...

I totally identify with your situation. I am so ready to lose weight and would love to go with Jenny Craig or Nutrisystem, but I'm a stay-at-home mom and don't have the funds.

I recently joined sparkpeople.com. It's a wonderful web site that provides support, encouragement, recipes and other helpful information. When it comes down to it you're supposed to eat right and exercise, and the members on this site keep you motivated and focused. I've already lost 5 pounds! :)

Best of luck to you.

L.,

It's not easy any way you look at it. I weigh 170lbs. Last year I was up to 190. I lost 30 lbs last year but have gained ten of it back. This is my life story, a constant battle. What makes it hard for me is not just changing the meals or squeezing in a walk, but changing habits and forming new habits.
Here's some things I've done. There are tons of recipes on the internet under Food Network and the Local News Stations that are listed under low fat recipes etc. You can switch your bread to 100% wheat (wheat should be the first ingredient on the label), all noodles to wheat (Kroger Brand is our favorite spaghetti and is only 89cents per box). Try to find someone to walk, join a gym etc. with you. It makes the time go by so much faster and you can motivate each other! A good multi-vitamin will give you some extra energy and nutrients you may be missing from your diet(I would suggest from a natural food store).
I know you said you can't afford any programs right now, I just have to tell you about some awesome products I've been using from an International Wellness Company. They are Toxic/Chemical Free products. One of the product lines they have is a weight loss program. It is interactive with a website you can get information from and log your progress. I have started my own business working with this wellness company with the goal to work from home. If you're interested in these environmentally friendly products or the income potential go to www.workathomeunited.com/AnitaM, click on "more information" and I will get back to you right away.

Hi Layota, I recommend the book by Jorge Cruise called the 3-hour diet. The book is reasonably priced and its easy to follow. Plus the menus are easy and simple to put together. He's helped me to lose 10 lbs in the three weeks I've been following it.

Drink lots of water, eat as many veggies as you can (no added calories ie butter or dressing), and don't drink your calories. If you need further help, I would look into whether a nutritionalist would be covered on your insurance. They would likely help you start on the Diabetic Exchange System diet. I would be more than happy to but I would be typing on this for a very long time.

The main idea to any weight loss is maintanance. It does no good to go on some crazy diet and loose lots of weight only to go back to the old ways and regain it. You need to change the way you eat forever. Something a lot of people were not ever taught to do right. A salad is not always the best choice if doused in ranch dressing, bacon bits, egg, steak..... In that case you are better off with a big mac. Just a bite of this and a bite of that add up. Just because a serving has 50 calories does not mean you can eat all 10 servings in the bag. I say these things not because I assume you do not know, but rather because in my years of teaching nutrition and helping friends, I found most people do not.

Good luck