Thank you

Hello and welcome to MFP, the best website ever!!! You will love this site if you don't already. I love this site. It is so motivational, supportive, helpful, easy to use, and everyone is so nice and friendly. I just wanted to wish you a lot of success on your weight loss journey. You can do this!!!!!!!!!!! :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou:

Welcome to the site. Make sure you drink your water!

My husband and I are new to this site, he was diagnosed on Oct 1 with type 2 diabetes. So here we are, I myself need to lose a lot of weight that i have put on over the years from all the different medications I was on after I injured my back and was laid up for a year. My back is now fine thanks to surgery but I cannot lose the weight. With this sites help and my wii fit I think both my husband and I can achieve our goals.
Blessed be.

Hi Rand! Your first step was admitting you want to lose weight :flowerforyou: I went from 189 pounds to 172.8 (I weigh myself every 15th of the month read more below). I have lost 16.2 pounds, and I have NEVER been healthier in my life!). Here are MY tips for you:

Drink 64 oz of water daily. I suggest you eat 1,250 calories at the beginning, take your vitamins/supplements, talk to your doctor before exercising/dieting, use extra virgin olive oil, eat wheat products: bread, spaghetti, cereal, etc., eat fruits and veggies, snack on "any" type of nut (walnuts, almonds, and sunflower seeds are best), drink skim/soy milk, eat yogurt, eat fish/chicken/turkey/lean meats, have salads WITHOUT dressing (use extra virgin olive oil), stay away from POPS/SODAS (drink diet sodas/pops once a day if not, once a week), don't eat "fried foods" (french fries, potato chips, etc), eat Baked Lays, air popped popcorn, go to www.pilsbury.com and buy a pizza stone ($29.99) you can create your own delicious home made pizzas with Boboli wheat pizza crust (already made); veggies to your hearts content, one can of refried beans (protein), one can of whole kernel corn (drained), and lite mozzarella cheese...yum! You can eat the Oreda crinkle cut fries that you bake in the oven, stay away from the salt shaker, stay AWAY from processed foods, foods made with hydrogenated oils (cookies, cakes, pies, etc). For dessert you can eat a skinny cow chocolate w/peanut butter ice cream sandwich....yummy!

Stop eating 2-3 hours BEFORE you go to sleep. I learned from Oprah's Boot Camp you have to STOP eating 2-3 hours BEFORE you go to sleep because your metabolism shuts down (as everything does when you're in a REM (Rapid Eye Movement).

Go to www.prevention.com. They have yummy recipes and is another souce of website for motivation. Did you know that if you pay for your subscription to Prevention they give you a free pedometer? One should walk/step 10,000 steps daily. Check them out! They have a free website w/the magazine there in front of you in case you can't suscribe just yet.

Don't drink COFFEE. Drink Chai black/green tea instead. Chew gum all day. It keeps your mouth "busy". I've also heard/learned that before you eat a meal eat your soup first since it helps fill you up before the main course.

Weigh yourself "monthly". I swear (Eva crossing her finger and doing a "cross" by her ) you WILL lose 3-4 pounds every month. If you do the "math" that's THE average of 1 pound a week. This helps you from NOT getting discouraged IF, if, you weigh yourself daily/weekly as alot of women in this site tend to do (weigh themselves daily/weekly and then get discouraged and give up on dieting/exercising).

Thirty minutes before you work out eat one of the following: one apple, OR one small box of raisins with a handful of walnuts, OR soup, OR yogurt. Why? "They are packed with high-quality carbohydrates, which provide a quick source of fuel for your muscles, but they have just enough protein and fat to help you maintain a steady, elevated energy level" (source: Prevention Magazine April 2007).

AFTER your work out, drink a protein shake (Slimfast, Special K, EAS Myoplex, etc). Why? "After a workout, your muscles need protein to repair microscopic muslce tears, plus another shot of carbs to help restock energy stores. Cyclists who drank it after a tough racing session had improved endurance and recovered fast than those who drank an ordinary sports drink (which supplies carbs and electrolytes, but no protein)" (Source: Prevention Magazine April 2007).

Stay away from alcoholic drinks (includes wine).

Set small goals for right now. Start with the FIRST 10 pounds. Later, the weight will be HARDER to lose. Remember, it's soooo easy to gain the weight, but hard to lose it. "No pain, no gain!" No worries if the weight is harder to lose since it means that it is time to "up" your exercise regimen (1 hour 3-4 days a week). When you've lost the weight, then you can go "up" to 1,500 calories (maybe for the last stubborn 10 pounds). If you closely watch "THE BIGGEST LOSER" they have to lose more than 50 pounds; their calorie intake is 1,000-1,100. Wow! Bless their for doing that!!! If you've watched the Diet Detective, he gets rid of all the "fat" foods in your fridge and pantry (cakes, cookies, pies, etc). He fills those places with veggies, fruits, wheat products, dairy products, low fat cheeses, olive oil, etc. I LOVED that show, but you can still check out his website: www.dietdetective.com/lose-weight.aspx

If you want more "tips" let me know as you know how to reach me. Blessings and good luck!

Eva

Thanks for the great tips littleeva. I keep track of everything now on here and on the Wii Fit. Now we can keep track of everything and figure out what helps my husbands diabetes (type 2). I thank God everyday for stumbling on to this site.
Blessed be.

2#'s already??? AWESOME, way to go girl! I have said prayers that it is nothing serious with your daughter and a birthday wish goes out to your son!!! May your husband be blessed with traveling mercies too!! Best wishes to you both on MFP !
Verda

Thanks for the great tips littleeva. I keep track of everything now on here and on the Wii Fit. Now we can keep track of everything and figure out what helps my husbands diabetes (type 2). I thank God everyday for stumbling on to this site.
Blessed be.

YW :flowerforyou: Remember, what you cook to eat (and go out to eat) is what you and your hubby eat together at home/restaurant. So you wan to start eating healthier now. You CAN go to:

SUBWAY: Ask for the 6" chicken sub, on toated wheat bread, "dry" (meaning no dressing), ask for all the fixings (including jalapenos , grab a bag of Baked Lays, Diet Coke/water, and ask for one raisin cookie. Don't CRINGE, but I suggest you drink an unsweetened tea (sugar is bad for you and hubby).

MICKEY D'S/BURGER KING/WENDY'S, etc: Ask for the Hamburger Happy/Kid's meal, NO CHEESE (since that's a cheeseburger , sub the French fries for apple dippers, and have your Diet Coke/water.

CHINESE FOOD RESTAURANT: Get egg drop soup and ask for a hot cup of water. Dilute the soup since it will be salty. Start w/soup since it fills you up before the "main course", go for the chicken broccolli, cup of STEAMED white rice, NO EGG roll since it's fried, and ask for "extra" side of veggies (carrots, onions, string beans, etc), Diet Coke/water, eat your fortune cookie

ALL YOU CAN EAT SALAD BAR: Go for the soup of the day and ask for your hot cup of water, add leafy greens like spinach salad (it's more healthier than a garden/chef salad), grab melba toast or wheat crackers, go for veggies that are green, yellow, and red, again a DRY salad, most restaurants have Extra Virgin Olive Oil so ask for it DON'T eat the enchiladas, pizza, etc., if they have fish (no fried) go for it! If they have baked chicken (not fried) go for it! I know they have a dessert island. Don't eat the pudding, ice cream, etc. Go for the fresh fruit, jello, and if they have frozen yogurt, go ahead and have small bowl (WITH NO toppings!)

BREAKFAST: a frozen banana smoothie. Buy by the bulk large very green bananas. Keep them in room temp and set aside 3 ripe bananas. Slice each banana and place in ziploc storage bags. Freeze. Use the norm also for ripe bananas, but when the bananas are frozen, I swear the smoothie will be thick and yummy just as if you were driking a vanilla shake:

8 oz skim milk
1 bag frozen banana slices
2-3 tablespoons of plain vanilla low fat yogurt (with live cultures)

Place in blender. Blend until smooth and thick. Pour in large glass, use straw, and garnish w/strawberry. Yummy!! Vioila! That's breakfast. If you're hungry later, you can have a mid-morning snack (I gave you examples above).

BREAKFAST #2: Have a bowl of bran cereal (Raisin Bran, Fiber One, etc) with skim milk. For another mid-morning snack have a large ripe banana with peanut butter. Use a knife as a spoonful is more than recommended, eat a bit, use a tad of peanut butter add on the banana, and do this for every bite. Peanut butter is a GOOD source of protein for you.

I gave you recipes and website for Prevention (pizza stone).

Blessings!