tntgal2

One day at a time. It happens. You hit it with "planning" piece - I've tried much harder this year to plan so I don't make bad choices. I'll even pack a sandwich and apple to bring on a plane with me so I don't eat their calorie loaded (and pricey) cheese platter! If you know you might have some hectic times coming up, you…

If you think about how we evolved, having juice for most people was impossible - gathering all that fruit and then squeezing it to extract only the juice. Your body doesn't distinguish between sources of sugar in its metabolic response, and sugars can make you feel hungry sooner, and put a load onto the insulin response by…

I have loved buying new clothes I feel good in! Loft and Ann Taylor have become favorites. The AT modern fit pants work well for me and have colors that work for my professional office. Uniqlo has well-made and well-priced cardigans. JCP always has stuff on sale these days. I just discovered Banana Republic, where I hadn't…

I agree that the walking helps but diet choices are important too. I also make sure I do 2 sets of exercise a week with weights. Weight training helps build muscle strength, and muscles burn more (increase your basal metabolic rate) than fatty tissue. I had problems with my back, so a few years added the program found in…

Besides agreeing you can't "spot reduce" - you can look at www.sparkpeople.com. They have good demos of exercises to target abs (and other areas). livestrong.com is another general fitness site with lower abs workouts - http://www.livestrong.com/article/212283-exercise-to-target-lower-abs/

I started @ 1200 calories/day back in May 2012, because that's what MFP "assigned" and I hadn't read all the "fright stories" about TDEE and so on yet. I usually gained about 100 calories daily during the week through exercise and "ate those back", and on the weekends, I'd walk further and usually eat back 400 to 600 extra…

You're NOT a mess ... and any of those family members who have nothing better to do than to talk about you have their own problems. See if you can find some people to reach out to that will care about YOU ... not the size of your hips or what your hair looks like today or anything else superficial. THose family members who…

I had the same experience. In May 2012 I decided to take responsibility back for my health. I think most of my weight loss is from diet changes, but I walk 6 days a week. During the week I go before work, usually for about 35 minutes. On the weekends, I'll get in at least one longer walk - usually anywhere from 5 to 10…

Fiber One original. I top with almond milk, cinnamon,and a sprinkle of unsweetened cocoa powder (for my daily chocolate fix).

No, but like all food types, some carbs are better than others. Choose high fiber bread over highly processed white bread. Beans have carbohydrates and protein, and can be filling - white bean salad with veggies, garbanzos on salad, etc. if by "evil carbs" you mean a 3 inch slice of cake with buttercream frosting, that's…

Hi, I skimmed a bit and have suggestions. No guarantees though! I bet you're pretty busy with life, as we all are, but if you can find a way to move from the per-prepared foods, while also getting a digital food scale. I say this because in the US a recent study showed that calorie counts were off by a lot…

You mention doing a "ballpark" on your calories. I did that for years, gaining weight each year and always finding some reason to excuse myself. One thing that made a big difference once I got serious about losing weight last June was purchasing a small digital scale. I weighed all cheeses, nutsn meats, etc - anything with…

I'm at 42 lbs lost so far. My dinners are always variable but during the week I stay consistent with breakfast & lunch: Breakfast: fiber one cereal topped with almond milk, brown sugar, and a sprinkling of unsweetened cocoa (gives me my chocolate kick for the day). Sometimes I'll add a scrambled egg. Lunch: big green salad…

1) How funny it hears to hear people say "you're so LITTLE now!" 2) how exciting it is to grab a size that was formerly too tight and is now too loose! 3) How you realized the reason you sneered at clothes styles was because you couldn't wear them, and now you like them. 4) the need to find a good tailor who can take in…

The recommendations I've heard are: If symptoms are "above the neck" (sniffles, runny nose or eyes, stuffed up nose) - work out, but adjust pace and intensity. If symptoms are "below the neck" (coughing, upset stomach, diarrhea) - cancel the workout. Fever > 101 - cancel the workout.

I gave some to Goodwill. For some good quality pants, I went to a really good tailor who was able to alter them. At $17 to $25 a pair, it was still cheaper than entirely buying new ones. On the other hand, while I don't like shopping, I love the range of things I can now try on and LIKE what I see!

I'm in that last 10 lb stretch too, so maybe I need to learn some new tips! For the late day hunger, I've tried to shift to higher fiber (more bulk) in all meals and it seems to help. This weekend I plan to look for some lower calorie (and NOT high sodium) soups - a cup of soup should add substance at night to help with…

Besides the other advice, remember that as you've gotten fitter and slimmer, your body is much more efficient at handling the exercise. It adapts. So if your walks are the same each day, consider ways to vary them. Do at least one walk with intervals where you are really pushing your aerobic ability. Add a longer walk on…

Congrats! Great accomplishment - we know how hard you must have worked!

I just browsed your diary over the past few weeks and have a few suggestions. First, don't give up! I spent the last few years " resolving" to lose weight but it was this past May when I started recording everything, substituting high fiber veggies for junk, and exercising more. At 55 years old, it's been slow but steady.…

I only browsed a week of your diary, but today's breakfast of a pretzel and Nutella, last Wednesday's meals - breakfast and dinner consisting of a bag of Lay's BBQ potato chips, suggests that you're confused about how weight loss AND good health work. If you truly don't know about nutritional basics, that's OK - but either…

I am a walker also, and it takes some work to make a walking workout really work. Even with 30 to 45 minutes you can find ways to boost the benefit of the walk. Experiment with doing intervals after your warmup a few times weekly. Set goals - like doing 5 intervals of very fast walking for 30 seconds followed by 5…

I'm a fan of Foodnetwork.com. Click on the healthy eating link and drill Down to desserts. You'll find lots of favorites that have been lightened up. I bet you could also do some kind of baked apple that would be good - peel and core and put in a baking dish with apple juice halfway up. Put a tsp of brown sugar mixed with…

Soups you make yourself can be great. Look in the meat dept for packs of chicken backs or thighs. Pile them into a big pot and cover with water, simmer over low heat and skim off the foam. Then simmer for a few hours with a few carrots and some celery (look in the veggie aisle to see if they have the 'last sale date'…

What about turkey? Deli turkey slices wrapped around grilled asparagus? Lo-cal but healthy. Or high fiber bread topped with sliced turkey and a fresh Waldorf type salad (mix shredded apples and celery with a smidgen of mayo and squirt of lemon). It takes about 75 minutes to roast a 2.75 lb turkey breast and then besides…

Great suggestions by Inazaret. You can get more volume - which I find helps me feel more satisfied - with high fiber. An egg white omelet with mushrooms and asparagus, with a splash of salsa and a slice of high fiber toast can get you off to a good start. A snack that mixes fiber plus protein helps you not be hungry - take…