# Who is on a diet?



## gone-a-milkin (Mar 4, 2007)

A fiber diet or any other kind.

Ever since I quit smoking (7 months on the 3rd of Dec!) 
I have been having to pay more attention. 
The shrinking pants, etc. You maybe know what I mean?

Anyhow, I know it might seem off topic, but diet and nutrition are vital to health.
So is fiber art. See?

What tips do you have about staying fit and strong as you age or face illness or just in general?

For me it has been about not mindlessly snacking and staying active.
Both of which I am not perfect about. :angel:
I would eat potato chips non-stop if I could afford them and if they weren't so crazily non-nutritious.
the ones with the orange powder especially. 
However! I do not do this. I don't even buy them. And I only go to town twice a month. 
But I want to. Ooh, I love the crunchy salty things. :sigh:

Now that my kids are all out and gone, I find I need to be more proactive about exercise.
Honestly, it was never a problem before. '
I ran circles all day and lived on smoke and caffeine. 
But not any more. :sob:
Now I have to sort of schedule myself a daily hike to the river along with the normal laundry and water buckets lumping.

I trained myself to drink tea unsweetened. I love it now, and that took work. 
I go on mini strolls when I get stressed, just short walks kind of like playing tag.
And I still do my same cow milking job and firewood carrying. That hasn't changed ever.
I am a pretty regimented person in my personal habits, and my yoga poses are still strong.

But I am looking for more tricks. What works for you when you need to take care of yourself?
It cannot cost money or require driving (which costs money). 

Any recipes or philosophies or patterns, maybe? :teehee:

Is sugar the enemy? Or is it fat? Or laziness? I just don't know any more.
Please share. :angel:


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## frazzlehead (Aug 23, 2005)

For me, apparently, stress is the enemy.

I actually have to eat MORE right now - so it's probably not much of a help to you. However, I have found that drinking 2% milk (instead of the 1% we normally get - Sasha's not in milk right now, but I bet you can get WHOLE milk!) helps me a lot. Especially if I have it at night, or if I am a little hungry - milk being food in a glass, sorta. Protein and sugar and liquid all at once, but good for you. And the richer milk 'works better' than the skim or 1%, for me, anyway.

It seems counterintuitive, but that's been my sense of it all. Milk and cheese when you need a snack. And a bit of grass fed beef sausage.

Hmm I'm hungry, I should go get some of the aforementioned healthy snacks.


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## Wind in Her Hair (Jul 18, 2002)

I am NOT the poster child for health and fitness (as you know! :teehee but I try- oh, how I try. I am ALWAYS on a diet- and so far, thats really not working for me. 

When I walked 5-10 miles a day, it didn't matter what I ate. Now that I DON'T walk 5 miles a day, it doesn't matter what I DON'T eat. For me, for my metabolism, EXERCISE (not mere activity) is the answer. FINDING TIME for that is my problem. 

12 hours from home to work is my enemy- and stress- and the comfort I take in food. :sob:

I have LOUSY genetics when it comes to arterial issues- so you'd think that would motivate me to become a long distance runner or personal fitness trainer :hysterical: 
or some such thing- but, meh. Not so much. 

So we try to drink more water, spend at least 40 minutes a day x 4 days a week on the dreadmill or walking, stay as active as possible outside, and remember to get up and move inside- even at work. When I really don't feel like I can make myself walk on the dreadmill, I do one of two things- I buy a spinning DVD I have really been wanting, and then I save it for watching while dreadmilling OR I have my husband drop me off on our way home about 2 miles from home and then I have NO CHOICE but to walk home. 

I am married to a Norwegian and apparently the Norske believe that cream soups and sausages and crusty breads and potatoes are the staff of life. No one told him that these are all lethal to Texans. :cowboy: And so we continue our cultural food wars. :viking: I NEED fresh fruit and fresh vegetables and juice and lean meats and TAMALES! :hysterical:

I have a sweet tooth of enormous proportions- oh yea-and I simply MUST have something sweet to finish the day. So instead of baking a whole anything, we do buy bag of those "minis" and have ONE- not two- just ONE to end the day. And we keep the bag in the basement so no sneaking one when no one is looking and at least you had to climb the stairs twice if you did! 

I would LOVE to explore yoga- but all the classes in our area are all during the day when I am working. Is there anything good I can learn off of youtube or from books?


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## homstdr74 (Jul 4, 2011)

In order to lose weight and maintain the weight I want to be at, I keep track of everything I eat. I eat healthy foods, but keeping track of the calories is the key to losing weight. There are food diaries online that you can print off. I know it sounds like a hassle, but it really isn't, especially when you realize the benefits of counting calories.


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

The past few months I've been walking my dogs. I know, "you mean you didn't walk them before?". Nope, I loved in the country and they ran free with me. So now that I live in the city I need to walk them, especially my pit bull, he has a high energy level. He doesn't just stroll when we walk he is all business and he can walk fast on his short legs. We do what I call power-walks. We have a few routes we take and discovering more as time goes by. Our typical walk is about 2-3 miles and we walk it in about 20 minutes. I've lost 10-15 lbs. in the past few months.

As for nutrition, I'm known as a health nut, not fanatical but I've always been fascinated by nutrition and health. So I tend toward eating and snacking on nuts! cheese and crackers! veggies and lots of fruit. I have my occasional weakness and lean toward saltier things than sweets. My typical food for the day, on a work day looks like this. I get up way too early to eat, my stomach can't handle food that early in the morning. I'll have a cup of green tea, with nothing in it. Once I get to work I'll eat a handful of nuts (almonds, walnuts), sometimes I'll have raisins mixed in with them. I'll have a cup of coffee with half and half or tea (black) with honey and milk. Lunch which is at about 8am is almost always a bowl of raisin bran cereal, whole milk, and a banana. Then I'll have a break later in the morning and have an apple, maybe some more nuts and or graham crackers. Then when I get home at 12:30 I'll have some lunch, usually fairly big meal. I'll have another cup of tea and then go for my walk with the dogs. I'll have a really small supper usually.


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## hercsmama (Jan 15, 2004)

Yea, well.
As I sit here drinking my morning coffee,(third cup), and smoking a cigarette, after just having finished my breakfast of 4 ginger snap cookies, you ask this? :shocked:

I WAS doing really well on the whole Gluten free thing, I really was, lost 12 pounds, and felt great! But then Dad moved in, and I just got all out of control again. I'd love to stop smoking, drop 40 pounds or so, and start really exercising, but we all know that old expression about the road to you know where. I just have the worst willpower, and need for instant gratification ever.
I always start out really gung ho, then in a few short weeks, I'm back to the same old, same old.
I am getting ready to buy one of those Elliptical things, have no idea where in this little house we will put it. But, I absolutely have to do something. When you start getting out of breath just feeding the animals, there is a serious problem.:shocked:
So, I'm going to give it one more go, and really try not to quit this time.

It seems the only habit I'm good at sticking to is giving up on doing the things I should be.......


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## Pigeon Lady (Apr 4, 2004)

A couple of years ago when I was real sick I went down to 96lbs! Now since they put me on thyroid meds I'm having a terrible time trying to keep at a steady weight. I swear just the act of moving my jaw puts on 5lbs! I've never had this problem before, always been between 105 and 110.So I'm right there with you. I've cut out bread. Never did drink much soda but I do like tea with milk and sugar. I'm trying to replace a couple of the tea breaks with water. Breakfast is usually a couple of pieces of cheese or sliced ham ( need protein in the am or I get that feeling that Scotty is beaming me up!) I try to just have an apple and another couple of pieces of cheese for lunch. But I tend to eat too much at supper time so I've got to work on that.

As for exercise, try to jog through the chores. When I joined the army at age 32 I hadn't done any running since high school. Couldn't imagine how I was ever going to be able to run the 2 1/2 miles for the PT test. Well, the army rule was as soon as you left a building you HAD to be jogging. During PT they started us just running short distances then walking, then running. But in no time at all we were running a mile with no difficulty and suddenly 2 1/2/ - 3 miles. I remember thinking "Wow, I just ran 3 miles and I'm not dead". So while I don't go out jogging down the road, I jog up to the barn and feed the horses, then jog back down to the house, then jog to the chicken house. Jog down the drive to put mail in the box and jog back. You'll really notice a difference in how much stamina you have if you follow the "no walking" rule.


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## gone-a-milkin (Mar 4, 2007)

I have tried to type several replies here and they all come out sounding whiney. LOL

I think it is coming down to my dread of the holidays which is causing me to panic about dietary stuff.
I didn't do any turkey day feasting at all this year and it felt honestly wonderful.
No food based guilt at all. 

But the December holidays are not to be gotten around and I really struggle to get through them.

Just typing it helps put it in perspective for me though. So that counts.

I also read this little blurb about self control and found a little wisdom there too.
http://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/2013/11/27/the-psychology-of-self-control/


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## Miz Mary (Feb 15, 2003)

Over the last 3 years I have lost around 45 lbs, and am in the best shape of my life ......I am NO expert or know it all...... But Yoga was the answer for me .... A DVD from Bob Harper ...Weight Loss Yoga, for about $9 at Walmart.......helped me mentally and physically.....waaaaay more energy too ! I could do the poses when I started , so I just did my best and stuck with the 30 min/day .......

Drinking water flushes out the yuckies ,and keeps ya hydrated .....

I, too, eat chocolate daily.....but I switched to dark for the health benefits ...

Smaller portions
All the fruits/ veggies ya want
NO processed foods !!!!!! Anything that comes in a can or box is usually loaded with 
Artificial crud !!

I am normal too..... Just gained 3 lbs the last month, so I know watch better ....... Every moment is a choice , make better choices and the results will be better !!!!!

Good luck, and remember its not really a " diet", but a way of life being healthy !


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## betty modin (May 15, 2002)

I know what you mean. I was always very thin-then I hit menopause. My current 'ideal weight' is what I weighed 9 months pregnant with my first child!
I try to eat healthy, work as much activity in to my day as I can, and stay aware of how my clothes fit me.
Weight Watchers helped me lose about 10 pounds a couple of years ago, and I keep my eating patterns pretty true to what I learned there. I feel better when I eat better, and reminding myself of that when I want to indulge myself helps me resist the temptation. It also helps that no one brings food into the house but me-and it's a loooong way to the store from here...

betty


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## Pigeon Lady (Apr 4, 2004)

Oh, and this subject has a LOT to do with fiber. I'm used to buying enough yarn for the "small" size in sweaters. Now I have to think in terms of "medium" and buy extra yarn! I'm not happy about that at all.

So, does weight watchers work Betty? I never thought in a million years I'd be considering going there.


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## KyMama (Jun 15, 2011)

GAM - If you don't mind me asking, how did you quit smoking? I've been trying but my DH is still smoking and it makes it tough when he gets home from work. I think I'm allergic to the patches, which help when they aren't causing severe pain. If there are any tips or tricks that you wouldn't mind passing on I'd really appreciate it. 

I haven't been dieting as much as trying to be healthier. I found my favorite workout on YouTube (link at bottom of post), the DVD is somewhere in this house. It's a pilates and yoga blend. I love how I feel after using it, but man is it tough! My husband has decided to quit drinking Mt Dew and he started buying V8 fruit juices. I don't know how healthy they are, but they are definitely better than Mt Dew. It's inspired me to cut back on the sweet tea and drink the juices and more water. I've been thinking about walking my dogs too. Mine have a large area to run in, but I'm thinking of asking my neighbor if she wants to join me on some evening walks. We both have two dogs so I was thinking we could take turns, walk the neighborhood with hers and then mine. It's starting to get a little cool here though so we might have to wait until spring. Do I get credit for planning ahead? 

I couldn't figure out how to just link to the video without embedding it in the post. Sorry it's taking up so much room. 
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqp9iWsvbeQ[/ame]


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## gone-a-milkin (Mar 4, 2007)

Callie, 
I don't have any easy tips for quitting smoking.
I viciously gnawed through gummy candies and struggled with anxiety attacks for about a month.
for me, I did not want to use the e-cigs or anything, but on the 2nd day cold turkey I was in tears and described my mood as" a head full of angry bees".
My DH went out and got me the patches. He said I was acting scary. :teehee:
I found those things to be way too strong and could only wear a half of one at a time. They say not to cut them in half, but I did it anyways.
Even so, I took it off to sleep because I had nightmares otherwise.
I just played with my own dosing until I got it where I could function.

The whole thing was a lot like what you see of junkies writhing on the bathroom floor, almost. (kidding, mostly).
I certainly couldn't articulate or make any decisions for about the first week. 
Actually, even though I still miss tobacco every day, 
I wont ever smoke again because I do not ever want to have to QUIT again.
It was very challenging.

Now I am still working on finding healthier ways to cope with anxiety.
The candy chomping method was okay for a little while, but had lasting consequences too.

My mom quit after a lifetime of smoking by using the lozenges. 
3 years later she still uses those lozenges sometimes. 
Another couple friends of mine have swapped their cigs for the vapor.
I don't see them trying to quit vaporizing anytime soon. 

Everyone is different I guess.


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## hercsmama (Jan 15, 2004)

I have two friends who quit using Chantix (?) , and one who had the worst time with it, she went ahead and got a 'script for Welbutrin. The two who did the Chantix both said they had crazy weird dreams, and there SO's said they got kind of scary towards the end:shocked:. The one who used Welbutrin did alot better. She said she still had the cravings, but not the pshyco behavior, or anxiety.
My personality is alot like hers, so that might be a good option for me, I've tried the vapor, doesn't do anything for me, the patches made me sick, the lozenges and gum, yeah well, I still smoked with them.
The only time I was ever able to quit was when I was pregnant, and that isn't going to happen again any time soon:run:!
Although dh has offered to try.


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## KyMama (Jun 15, 2011)

Thanks y'all. I might try cutting the patches in half. I have to wear them on my thighs where there is more "meat" and that helps, but I still have shooting pains down through my knee. I have some e-cigs, but it just seems like I would be replacing one habit with another. And I'm kinda afraid to try Chantix because of the dreams. I made the mistake of leaving the patch on the first night and those dreams were more like memories than dreams. Not terrifying, just very vivid. You know you live in a house full of boys when your nightmares are about Transformers. 

I know it sounds horrible, but I'm glad that I'm not the only one that struggles with quitting. It's encouraging to know that it was hard for you and you still managed to quit. 

And to keep this fiber related - the first day without a cigarette I knitted a slouchy hat for Christmas. I've made sure that I don't smoke while I'm knitting and I'm trying to keep something on the needles for when I get a craving. I technically learned how to knit last year, but these last couple of months I've really been cranking out the knitting. 

Sorry that I hijacked your thread.


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## lambs.are.cute (Aug 15, 2010)

For thanksgiving I gave myself a smaller plate. I had invited my cousin and his 6! kids and with the 5 of us and the 8 of them I ran out of "adult" plates. So I got a kid plate. By the end of supper I wasn't over full and I had gone back for seconds of a couple of things. It was pretty amazing and I did have to laugh at the others and they just flopped into chairs and rested the rest of the day. I got to play with the kids (3 mo - 12 years) and enjoy my day. 

For the rest of my holiday feasting I'm going to try that again. I really didn't feel cheated - in fact it felt like I was getting more than everyone else because I had seconds. Oh and I hate store bought cookies so that helps at work. 

To keep active I clean house (I know boring) but I make it a challenge and say something like "I have 30 minutes to get ready for company, GO!". Then I run around cleaning house and trying to finish in the time limit. Makes it a lot more interesting and get cleaning and exercise off my list!


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## betty modin (May 15, 2002)

I found that weight watchers helped alot. The combination of peer support and nutrition/recipe information once a week worked to keep me responsible and gave me lots of new ideas for healthy eating. (and weekly weigh-ins kept me honest too..) My insurance covered the weekly fees. Those of you with a group plan might find that a plus. Another plus with WW is that once you reach your goal weight, you can go back free if you should gain a bit now and then and need the boost to lose it.

betty


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## Kasota (Nov 25, 2013)

When I was sleuthing the net for information on spinning I kept getting links for a new fitness craze called spinning. Not what I was looking for but perhaps fate is trying to tell me something. I could sure stand to lose a few pounds!


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## Ana Bluebird (Dec 8, 2002)

Lambs are cute:


> For thanksgiving I gave myself a smaller plate.


Portion size is the key for me. Plus not getting bored. Running is fun, but only in good weather, then it's treadmill. 
Love to read what the rest of you do. Thanks for sharing.


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## Taylor R. (Apr 3, 2013)

My mom has lost a lot of weight through her women's weight loss group at church. They kind of do like Weight Watchers, meeting once a week and weighing in, but it's all Bible related.

At my house, we just try to stay away from processed food and stick to mostly whole food. There's not much in the pantry or fridge that could get anyone in trouble that way. I also make it a habit to get in some actual exercise while I'm going about my regular household tasks every day. I will do squats or leg lifts while brushing my teeth, side bends while doing the dishes, etc. Whatever muscle-toning exercise I can work in without spending a bunch of extra time on it. I try to walk a few times a week, though time constraints make that pretty difficult sometimes.


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## Wind in Her Hair (Jul 18, 2002)

Kasota said:


> When I was sleuthing the net for information on spinning I kept getting links for a new fitness craze called spinning. Not what I was looking for but perhaps fate is trying to tell me something. I could sure stand to lose a few pounds!


yea, when I told my daughter (an MD) that I was getting into "spinning", she was pretty excited. :hrm:


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## MoTightwad (Sep 6, 2011)

What worked for me is a good scare. I had a heart attack and was forced to see how the food affects one. I have diabetes also so the food thing was a big item in my life. I started out 210 lbs and after the classes in food nutrition at the hospital I now weigh 155. That was in Oct of '12. I use the small plate and the portion control and fresh or home canned/frozen food as much as I can. It takes a lot of will power as well as lots of ideas from others, like on here. Thanks people!!! Good luck to all that are trying to lose weight and to quit smoking. I married a smoker and one month after we married he got sick and stopped smoking. Nothing since, 60 years in Jan. Son had smoked for many years and then he got sick with the flu and then he quit. So no advice from me other then getting sick to quit. 
God Bless all of you that are trying.


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## Miz Mary (Feb 15, 2003)

I quit smoking cold turkey about 8 years ago ... Wow was that tough ! I agree, I will never start up again because I don't want to have to quit again !!! I used hard candies to keep my mouth busy and knitting to keep my hands busy ...... When I had a bad craving ( usually when I was mad) I would go for a walk then make a cup of tea ..... The tea making became a habit to this day , more of a ritualistic thing now ... 

I mentally had to change more than anything...... Pretended to be a non smoker labeled myself as one .... I had to go through all the negatives of smoking each time I wanted to smoke ...even wrote a list out ...no stinking, no cigarette controlling my moods ...those were the BEST things for me !!!!

Isn't it like 3 days and your body physically is detoxed ? I could be way off here ,but I remember telling myself I ALREADY succeeded ! I QUIT ,I DID IT !! Sooner or later I believed it ..........

Keep putting in the effort guys, you will reach success !!!


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## SvenskaFlicka (Nov 2, 2011)

Someone posted this on Facebook, and I thought of this thread:


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## hotzcatz (Oct 16, 2007)

Years ago, a friend of mine bummed a cigarette from me and I was amazed because as far as I knew, he wasn't a smoker. He said he only smoked if he wanted one and he usually didn't. That opened my eyes to looking at things in shade of gray instead of the smoker/non-smoker black and white concept. Somehow, I was then able to quit smoking and now I can hardly remember what it was like and have zero desire for one. So, even the craving for cigarettes will die off after a bit. The sense of taste and smell recover, too, so that's a huge plus.

As for losing weight, a friend of mine suggested diotamacious earth several months ago. She was recommending it to get rid of internal pests since she says folks who live in tropical climates can have worms. Apparently, there are two types, one is okay to eat and the other is to filter swimming pools or something. But anyway, a spoonful of DE in juice or water in the mornings - to get rid of possible intestinal worms, of course - seems to have helped me lose 16 pounds. That's been since mid-October, the weight loss seems to have slowed way down now, though. She also recommended myfitnesspal.com as a useful web site for weight loss.


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

This may be far deeper than most want to dig into their psyche but..... A lot of the whole addiction and quitting this has to do with your genetic make up and how susceptible you are to addiction. I know in my family there is a long line of addictive personalities, I see it in my kids . Growing up I was a ware of the addiction and I remain aware of it anytime I find myself getting into a "rut". Or too comfortable with things. I quite smoking in 1980 and I still crave a cig every so often, I've even though about the vaporizers and e-cigs  But I cannot stand the smell of smoke, I work with a lot of people who smoke and I hate going home and having that stale smoke smell on my coat :yuck: or when we have a passenger come though an,d the or their belongings reek to the point of making me feel sick to my stomach. All the same, I have still thought about smoking again. It can be a daily struggle and if I didn't hate it so much I might give in. But addictions never really go away though. You just trade the a round. So say you are addicted smoking and you quit that but you then become a fitness fanatic. Well you have trained you addiction to nicotine for an addiction to endorphins. Or lot of former alcoholics become addicted to sugar or carbohydrates. 

Choose a healthy addiction (that's a twisted bag). Increase your fiber addiction


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## rabbitgeek (Mar 22, 2008)

I have really started watching my diet now that the doctor is telling me (again) that I am pre-diabetic and I need to change my eating habits. I've also tried to increase my physical activity levels. 

I find that I walk more now that I keep forgetting what I went to the other side of the warehouse for and come back and then remember it later.

Have a good day!


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## JanetJ (Aug 19, 2002)

DH and I quit smoking back in 2000. It was difficult. One of our secrets was living too far from the store to be convenient to drive in for some smokes, then keeping American Spirit herbal cigs on hand for when that irrepressible urge struck. They taste terrible and have no nicotine. It helps to break the habit and quench the urge.

Last year, over the holidays, even, we went on a diet and each lost about 30 lbs. In the year since then, we have each re-gained about 5 lbs. I find that acceptable. I want to go back on the diet for a while, but DH is resisting. 

Our diet was the cabbage soup diet. For the first week or 2, have a nice, big, healthy breakfast - eggs, sausage, whatever you want, but NO BREAD. Wheat is out of your life forever. Lunch and dinner, have all the cabbage soup you want. All that you can eat. THIS cabbage soup is cabbage, carrots, celery, onions if you want 'em, and that's it. After the first 2 weeks, a good big breakfast, and decent, but not too large lunch, and watery soup for dinner - cabbage soup or onion soup. (no bread or cheese with the onion soup,) At this point, you can make the cabbage soup a bit more interesting. I add whole corn, lima beans and polish sausage. Again, you can have all the soup you want. When you are losing weight at a good enough clip, you can reward yourself a bit with 1/4 to 1/2 cup of home made trail mix - almonds, raisins, dark chocolate chips, candied pineapple.

It worked OK for us, but DH doesn't like the cabbage soup as much as I do. 

You're never really 'off' your diet anymore. You have to make a real lifestyle change. The biggest piece of that for us is never have a big meal in the evening. Breakfast is the big meal of the day. NO WHEAT. We DID come up with a decent recipe for crepes, though, and we make crepes once a week and use them all week as wraps. We make the crepes with sorghum flour, garbanzo bean flour, tapioca flour, and flax seed meal.

Oh. Also, it dropped my blood sugar from 103 to 78.


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## Miz Mary (Feb 15, 2003)

KYmama, that video is awesome ! Checking to see if she has DVDs !


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## bergere (May 11, 2002)

Miss the days I could eat what ever I wanted and never gained weight!

I need to re-loose the weight I gained back. sigh ~~ 
Kind'a fell off the wagon during Thanksgiving. 

I have horses, sheep, goats, chickens, turkeys and cats to care for, along with keeping up with this place. So I get exercise. 

Just need to stop snacking, and stay with my meals no bigger than my closed fist. 

Glad you started this thread, I don't feel alone any more!


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