i am still having trouble posting so i'll be brief and see if that works......my name is julia, age 54. married 35 yrs, disabled/retired, currently on the Diet Center diet........my starting wt as of this morning is 166lbs arggggggggg...........

[Nerak]

Hi I am Karen - my hubby and I started our programs about 3 weeks ago and I have lost 12 lbs - woohoo me

My goal is to lose about 65lbs so I have 53 to go.

i calculated my BMI last night and i'm still under the "worry" score but for my height, i'm overweight. i want to lose 20 lbs..am completely changing the way i eat at work...that's my main place where i need change....and also am going not to eat anything after 6 p.m...........pat

karen...that is awesome!!!!!!!!.....tell us what you are doing to lose!

I'm so embarrassed about this. I used to weigh 165. HAHAHAHA... I need to loose 90 FREAKIN POUNDS!!!!! I could make excuses till the end of time but it wouldn't matter. Let's hit the gym.

Ry

ryan..thanks so much for being so open with us.....and try not to look at the big figure........set short term goals......you can do this and i'll help you all i can!

i'm so excited about the eating changes you are making! they are all very positive!.as we all know..losing weight is a lifestyle change.......we can do this!

just a reminder before i sign off for the morning......water.water and more water!....drink as much as you can!..and if you start your morning with a warm glass of water with some lemon juice added( and a low cal sweetener to make it more tolerable)......it will help get rid of some water wt!

[Nerak]

Hubby and I are doing the LA Weight Loss program. So far so good. Lots of water - I stopped drinking soda about a year and 1/2 ago and lost 50 lbs with eating better and exercise. Put on about 20. Back on track though.

Exercise tips - findng it hard to get moving. While watching TV - stand up and walk in place.

Drink that WATER!!!!!!!

Have great day everyone

[(JD)]

THIS IS SO GOOD TO HAVE YOU ALL HERE FOR SUPPORT--for all of us!<font color="purple">

PLEASE remember that the words you use to define who you are and what you are doing are very important. "Your Body Believes Every Word You Say" For this reason I don't like the term DIET, nor even a goal of WEIGHT LOSS. What we are doing is positive and both those terms have negative connotations for us in general.

Healthy eating is good for everyone! A goal to lose UNNEEDED FAT is a good thing. Or to TONE UP or TRIM UP are good thoughts too, as not everyone will "lose weight" because if they also add exercise to the plan, they might even gain... muscles weigh more.. but remember muscles also burn more calories so you can then eat more, weigh the same and be quite healthy!
<font color="black">
Got my points?

Also, a very recent study is showing that rather than WEIGH and go by poundage/stones... it's best for those who store excess fat around their middle to GO BY MEASUREMENT OF THE WAIST ONLY! It proved to be a better guide of how healthy the person really is. I, personally do not have a scale and will NOT have one again. I can weigh at the physical therapist's office is you wish. What guides me is clothing, and how healthy I know I am eating -or not. I tend to have heavy bones and more muscle mass than what is deemed "normal" for a female (maybe all those steroids as a child???) So weight doesn't play a big part in how I look or feel... or how healthy I am.

I said all that so that YOU don't fall into a trap yourself. After reading all this, if you go by what the scale says, then you will be constantly checking (not psychologically wise) and making excuses... (oh maybe I have heavy bones, oh, must've been that... I ate... ah... water gain) See?
<font color="purple">
BTW you MUST drink plenty of water. AND NO it doesn't make you retain water... it actually helps you drop excess water. Plus, it flushes out the toxins that cause you to retain excess weight. Most ppl don't know how much water they drink...or don't. I suggest you either work from a filled gallon or liter jug(s) and drink... OR from empty that each time you drink WATER, you also add that amount to the pitcher, etc for measurement. ONLY WATER counts. (And if you have a home water softener, check to see if it adds salt to your drinking water...)

This post is long, I know... mainly I want everyone to THINK.
Also, I hope the thread STAYS POSITIVE... at first I didn't comment at all about what someone else posted... only my food intact... and then I might comment good job. You might think about this too, rather than getting into the chit chat of "oh yeah, I did that once AND&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;" it makes us lose focus.

<font color="blue"> I have decided to being (yesterday) rather than to wait for the dental work and dietician. (But I'll gladly share what shes says in the future.) I have been invited to a recognition dinner May 7th...

TWO (2) pounds a week (if you are weighing) is a GREAT goal! Often by adding food that is nutritious - and not even dropping all your fattening foods - will cause this loss. (It's because nutritious food allows your body the nutrients it needs to work, and can dump the non-quality matter you engorge.)

SO, for THIS WEEK I give up soda and rolls.

How about you?

[(JD)]

.Corections to above [blush]

not I have decided to being but I have decided to BEGIN

..not food intact : food INTAKE

Well Julia, the good thing is that My work in the last 2 years has been extremely physical so I've built my chest and arms up pretty well. My le3gs have always been large from years of martial arts. Overall, I'm not as bad as I make it sound. 165 was almost scrawny. I should probably set a more realistic goal. I'm 5'8, very broad in the chest and shoulders. Anyone got a good goal I should shoot for? 180? 175? I could do 165 again I suppose. Oh hell, there's the negativity. I'm getting on my cross trainer. I'll post a pic of where I am now and if I can find it a pic of what I looked like before.

Ry

hey, before and after pics. we could just do our bodies, if we're too embarrassed to show our faces.....perhaps we could have an gallery for all us achievers???? pat

[(JD)]

I'm 5'8" and as a teen looked terrific at 135 but, to make my weight point again, anytime I get even close to 170 lbs my doctors remark how I'm too skinny...

I'm a size 14. I feel and look best at size 9. (I'm female btw) Ryan, do you have clothes still that you recall feeling great in? If you do, then I would shoot for that size... if it's recent and realistic, ya know?

nerak....thanks for your input! we don't have the LA weight loss program anywhere near us or i'd probably try it!

wow ozzie....your're quick! thatnks!

sky..........your post was great.....i agree with you about the word "diet".......healthy eating is a much better way to express it........thanks for this most informative post

ryan....for your height and build i would suggest something closer to 180........and i can't wait to see your pictures........not sure i'm brave enough to do that yet myself! lol.......and being that you seem to get alot of physical activity i would be interested in what a typical days food intake is.....

great idea but not sure i'm brave enough yet! but sure conjured up a funny image in my mind of all those headless bodies!!! lol

[(JD)]

OZ that's the LEAST we should get when we are ill!

Yes butter... I also like the term of Lifestyle change or changing the way we eat for life... Look at the changes for the long haul, not just a peak and ebb "diet."

I gave up a long time ago, the carbonation was getting to me... but I found the sugar boost/energy useful of late. But the surge and drop are bad. (Plus they wear HAZMAT (hazardous material) suits to put that stuff in!)

[SpazKatt]

I'm 5'2" and 170 I want to be 130

i was laughing so hard at myself when i posted that.....

[jetblackaura]

I'm not sure how tall i am i think i'm about 5'8 and i don't know how much i weight and how much i want to lose, i'm just going to go by measurements and how my clothes feel i think..

whatever works for you is great!.i hope you'll continue to read the posts.......hopefully you'll find some info you can use

I'm thinking that 180 would be good. Julia, I eat when I'm hungry. Sometimes it's a lot, others it's a little. I'm hitting the grocery store tomorrow for healthy stuffs. Today I ate a handful of chips before I realized that I'm not supposed to do that. Needless to say the rest of the bag went in the garbage. I've eaten an apple, a sandwich (turkey, lite mayo, tomato, lettuce), and a salad with fat free ranch. I HATE it when compared to the real thing but what ever. I also worked out for 30 minutes today. The goal over the next month is getting back to weight lifting for an hour and then cardio for an hour. That's where I was before. It's gonna take some pushing but I'll get there. Thanks for the responses.

Ry