Hi, I am going to lose weight in 2013.

[Anonymous]

Good luck, OP!

You might want to take a look at this site. It's called Paleo Mom, and she talks about the paleo way of eating, which incorporates much of the guidelines you're trying to set for yourself.

http://www.thepaleomom.com/

[Anonymous]

I go to Weight Watchers (I post on DCUM sometimes, I've lost 40 lbs with about 10-20 to go, we'll see what my body wants to do), and my leader once said this:

"Only track on the days you want to lose weight."

So true. I didn't track much through the holidays and I've definitely regressed. Tracking -- and measuring -- is everything to me. I bought like 4 sets of cups and 5 sets of spoons at the dollar store, so I never run out.

[Anonymous]

Hi Olivia! I'm resolving to lose weight this year too. One website I used in the past that really worked for me is http://www.sparkpeople.com (don't know if anyone mentioned that here or not). Anyway, good luck

[OliviaDCUM]

I am trying to track the food I eat - i find it to be terribly tedious and not a feasible long term strategy, but know it is good for establishing better eating habits. I am tracking calories, fat and protein. Here is what I have had so far today:

Cottage cheese 90
1/3 tbsp margarine 20
1 piece whole wheat toast 50

fruit snacks 80

vegetarian corndog 140
Pudding 120

3/4 pint strawberries 80

Total calories - 580, 12 g fat and 26 g protein

For the record, we have been out of town so the food I had up to the strawberries was leftover junk from 2012. I got groceries this evening and picked up healthier food to eat going forward. Like the bowl of strawberries I just had

Planning on trying for around 1500 calories a day. Going to eat a biggish dinner soon. This tends to be my normal pattern, but I cut down on the daytime snacking. Also need to cut down on night time snacking

[Anonymous]

OliviaDCUM wrote:I am trying to track the food I eat - i find it to be terribly tedious and not a feasible long term strategy, but know it is good for establishing better eating habits. I am tracking calories, fat and protein. Here is what I have had so far today:

Cottage cheese 90
1/3 tbsp margarine 20
1 piece whole wheat toast 50

fruit snacks 80

vegetarian corndog 140
Pudding 120

3/4 pint strawberries 80

Total calories - 580, 12 g fat and 26 g protein

For the record, we have been out of town so the food I had up to the strawberries was leftover junk from 2012. I got groceries this evening and picked up healthier food to eat going forward. Like the bowl of strawberries I just had

Planning on trying for around 1500 calories a day. Going to eat a biggish dinner soon. This tends to be my normal pattern, but I cut down on the daytime snacking. Also need to cut down on night time snacking

Hi PP here who lost 73 lbs in 2010.

1500 calories is a very reasonable goal

I would suggest eating several small meals through out the day, instead of eliminating the snacks and eating "bigggish" dinners. I typically eat 6 meals that are approx. 250 calories each.
It sounds like you need more fruits and vegetables in your diet. Could you have substituted a piece of real fruit for the fruit snacks? It would have been about the same amount of calories.

One thing I heard once that helps me get in all my fruits and vegetables is to "Eat a rainbow every day". If you think of fruits and veggies in their color group, and try to get at least one of every color, every day. For example, eat a red bell pepper (red group), some carrots (orange/yellow group), broccoli (green group), some blackberries (from the blue/purple group) and a banana (white group) and you'll have had your "rainbow" of veggies/fruits.

[Anonymous]

Good luck! I strongly, strongly suggest you join Weight Watchers. It is one of the only diets that teaches you how to eat and the relative impact of every choice you make. You don't have to deny yourself things you love to eat, you just have to be thoughtful and plan your meals. It has worked for both me and DH, and many of our friends and family. So worth it if you follow the plan, track every day and attend the meetings.

[Anonymous]

myfitnesspal.com is great!

As for tracking calories, less processed foods, and more simple singular foods making tracking easier. ie chicken breast, serving of peas, walnuts, cheese, etc..

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hi Olivia!

About 3 years ago, I went from 193.5 lbs to 120. It took me about 7 months (I started in Mid April, hit my goal towards the end of January--I had a slight lapse over the holidays that year)

That was January 2010 that I hit my goal of 120. I've *mostly* kept it off...I gained a little bit over this past holiday season, but can still fit in my clothes and am confident i'll be taking it off within the next 2 months!

The #1 piece of advice I can give you is to MEASURE everything you eat--use measuring cups, measuring spoons, kitchen scale, etc. I just ate a salad for dinner. I measured how much dressing, I weighed 1 oz. of goat cheese to put in it. I weighed 3.5 ounces of chicken breast, etc. Then RECORD it. I see PPs have recommended myfitnesspal--I use Sparkpeople.com--but check out both sites (and others!) and see what works best for you.

I find that I don't need to deny myself treats if I have been careful the rest of the day, and measuring and recording allows me to see if I've been "careful enough."
It's tough (ok, it SUCKS) to do this for everything, but it WORKS!

Exercise is important, but its the eating habits that will make or break you. FWIW, during the holidays this year, I kept my fitness routine up impeccably, but over-indulged in the eating, and that's why my weight went up.

You can do this!!!!

I am not the OP, but thanks for this! I just started doing this using Loseit.com and so far it is working. I started last week and am down about 2 lbs. as of this morning. I am giving myself one splurge day a week (Saturday) where I don't officially track my food, but other day I am recording everything. I started at 180 and hope to lose 20 lbs. which is still on the high side, but would be great for me. Maybe after that, I will just keep going!

[Anonymous]

I use the old tap n track counter: it lets you set levels to match. Keep your carbs under 100 and you will lose weight easier---and more of it will be fat.

I disagree with the advice to eat frequent little meals. You will be hungrier in the beginning if you eat three meals, but you will burn more fat and train your body to use fat for energy. There is nothing wrong with hunger. Honestly. Everyone is afraid to actually be hungry, and they start stuffing food in like mad. Hunger, especially if you are already overweight, is your body's way of telling you that it's used all your readily available energy stores----but if you are like me, there is a good chunk of blubber that it can just get busy and use. You'll be hungry and may feel panicky and shaky the first few times, but it is normal. Absent glucose altering medications, your body will use gluconeogenesis and produce energy out of your fat.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I use the old tap n track counter: it lets you set levels to match. Keep your carbs under 100 and you will lose weight easier---and more of it will be fat.

I disagree with the advice to eat frequent little meals. You will be hungrier in the beginning if you eat three meals, but you will burn more fat and train your body to use fat for energy. There is nothing wrong with hunger. Honestly. Everyone is afraid to actually be hungry, and they start stuffing food in like mad. Hunger, especially if you are already overweight, is your body's way of telling you that it's used all your readily available energy stores----but if you are like me, there is a good chunk of blubber that it can just get busy and use. You'll be hungry and may feel panicky and shaky the first few times, but it is normal. Absent glucose altering medications, your body will use gluconeogenesis and produce energy out of your fat.

This is really dangerous and factually incorrect advice--coming from a person who admits they have a "good chunk of blubber."

[Anonymous]

I lost about 40 pounds a few years ago - put 20 back pn (or rather have not lost baby weight and my youngest "baby" is now 2)

A few recommendations for eating at home.
1. Eat only at dining table. No snacking on the couch, desk, kitchen.
2. Everything that you eat goes in a bowl / on a plate. No eating out of the box / container / bag.
3. No eating after 9PM

When I lost 40 pounds, my goal was to lose 2 pounds a month. When you lose 2 pounds a month, you need to take action to get there - but are not starving yourself.

If you end the year 24 pounds lighter than you started would you be happy? Also - at 2 pounds a month, it allows you to have a piece of cake for a celebration without feeling guilty.

Good luck!

[Anonymous]

OliviaDCUM wrote:I am trying to track the food I eat - i find it to be terribly tedious and not a feasible long term strategy, but know it is good for establishing better eating habits. I am tracking calories, fat and protein. Here is what I have had so far today:

Cottage cheese 90
1/3 tbsp margarine 20
1 piece whole wheat toast 50

fruit snacks 80

vegetarian corndog 140
Pudding 120

3/4 pint strawberries 80

Total calories - 580, 12 g fat and 26 g protein

For the record, we have been out of town so the food I had up to the strawberries was leftover junk from 2012. I got groceries this evening and picked up healthier food to eat going forward. Like the bowl of strawberries I just had

Planning on trying for around 1500 calories a day. Going to eat a biggish dinner soon. This tends to be my normal pattern, but I cut down on the daytime snacking. Also need to cut down on night time snacking

Don't fall into the trap of needing to finish off the leftovers, or eat the last of the fruit snacks and pudding. If no one else in your family will eat them then toss them.

I'd also reconsider your balance of food. You should aim for pretty equal calorie counts for each meal (or thirds of the day, if that's easier). If you eat a bigger breakfast you will be less tempted by empty calorie fruit snacks mid morning. And you don't want to be taking in 900-1000 calories for dinner. You may also need to up the protein a bit to feel more satisfied.

Swap the margarine for some almond butter - higher calorie, but more filling and better for you.
Swap the fruit snacks for some fruit
Swap the pudding for some vegetables (maybe a sweet potato?)
Swap the corndog for some lean chicken (you can buy pre cooked chicken breasts at Trader Joe's if you want to convenience), maybe with some salsa or something on top.
Make sure your wheat bread is really whole grain

[Anonymous]

WW is the way to go.
Tracking becomes second nature and the great thing about it is that IF YOU DO IT, you will lose weight.
I am not a "meetings" kind of person, but when I finally got fed up with my weight and how I looked/felt, I went to a WW meeting and got started.
My beginning weight was 194 pounds on a 5;7" frame. I lost 53 pounds and have kept it off for 4 years. My weight range now is 135-140 and I feel great.
WW makes it fairly easy to learn new ways of eating and thinking about food that can last a lifetime.

[Anonymous]

Try this OP. Drink 20 ounces of water first anytime you get up to eat anything. It will slow your eating down and be good for your digestion.

[Anonymous]

A good chunk of blubber: I'm 127 lbs, have 5 to lose. Down from 170 last year using this method. Not dangerous at all, check out paleo or primal. It's easy and it works.