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Good one!

Convenience stores will offer lower calorie options such as string cheese, crackers and granola bars. Subway and Quiznos can actually be as unhealthy as burger joints due to portion size, cheese and condiments. If you do hit standard fast food restaurants, try to share a meal or order from the kids menu. Since you're in…

I like to make a veggie stir fry with fresh carrots, broccoli and spinach and whole wheat pasta. I use a little olive oil and Trader Joe's Island Soyaki sauce. I also include pine nuts (which I know you can't eat) but you could substitute tofu for the protein. Because the veggies are fresh and not frozen, this meal reheats…

Is there a service in her area that prepares healthy meals that can be delivered? A gift card to a place like that might be good. Maybe you could give a gift card to a house keeping service too. I would also include some healthy snacks like fruit, nuts etc. She'll get hungry and having healthy options from you would be a…

I really like "Personal Training With Jackie: Xtreme Timesaver Training." It's a 30 minute total body workout. It was ranked one of the 10 best DVDs by Fitness Magazine and is reviewed really well on Amazon.

I second a light breakfast but be sure it includes protein and fiber to help you feel fuller. Maybe some snacks of veggies later in the day before the wedding will help too. Do you have time to squeeze in a quick workout in the morning? When I have days like that, I try to find some time to exercise to help give me a few…

I haven't tried it but my 94 year old grandmother swears by it for overall health. She takes a spoonful a day.

I don't know if it's a trigger for me, but we try to stay away from it. I don't typically keep it in the house and usually order iced tea when eating out. If I'm really craving a soda or need some ginger ale when I'm sick, I try to get soda from the health food store. But it's definitely something we only drink once in a…

I haven't seen your previous posts about veggies but one thing that helps me is eating fresh, in-season veggies from the local farmer's market. In season stuff tastes so much better and roasting with a little olive oil makes them way yummier than steaming.

It's not crazy at all that you gained weight after your baby was born. Sleep deprivation is a huge factor in weight gain, and new moms NEVER get enough sleep. I have a 6 year old and 4 year old and still suffer from the occasional sleepless night. Plus it's a lot harder to focus on what you're eating and finding time to…

I've definitely found that exercise during the weekend is even more important than during the week. We tend to eat out a bit more and even with small portion sizes, it's really easy to go over on calories if you don't workout.

Minced garlic, chopped onions, rosemary and basil are some I use a lot. When using sauces, be sure to check labels because a lot of them contain way too much sodium. One great option is to use a low sodium broth in place of sauce or salad dressing.

I've read lots of conflicting reports on this, some say you should exercise on an empty stomach and some say you shouldn't. I've also heard you're supposed to eat at least a little something within the first hour after you wake up or your metabolism will slow down. I usually eat something small (between 100-150 calories)…

I love the greek yogurt from Trader Joe's. We also mix in a tiny bit of regular yogurt to give it more flavor so that my kids will eat it.

I agree, slip ups are going to happen and everyone wants a cheat day once in a while. I do think it's really beneficial to enter everything on the days you overeat though. For me, it's really helpful to see how much I went over, not only on calories but on sugar and fat too. It helps you make better choices the next day,…

I agree with lots of the tips you've already received. If you can hit a farmer's market, typically the food will be cheaper because it's local and there's no middleman. As an added bonus a lot of the food will be organic. Also skip all of the processed meals at the store and make as much as you can at home. Eating whole,…

Thanks so much everyone. This is a really rare treat for me as we never go out and I haven't been to this pub in over a year. I thought 450 seemed way too low too. I'll estimate it at around 750 calories. I appreciate the input!

I've heard great things about Jillian Michel's 30 days shred. I've also heard that Jackie Warner's Xtreme Timesaver Training is really good. It was reviewed as one of the top DVD workouts by Fitness magazine a few months ago and supposedly burns 255 calories in a 30 minute workout of your whole body. I actually just…

Try doing the push-ups with your knees and shins on the floor. That makes them easier for me.

Congratulations, I think that's great. I know people mean well but I really don't think we're doing teachers any favors by bringing in SO many treats all the time. During teacher appreciation week our PTA planned a not-so-healthy breakfast every day for the staff. I think just one day would have been okay and don't see the…

I get what you mean about the ab workouts and even when I was in my best shape I always had a tummy, even though I did abs all the time. I recently read an article in Fitness Magazine about how a lot of women are doing the wrong ab workouts and crunches really don't do that much for you. The author was having trouble…

My family really likes this recipe: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/spinach-and-potato-frittata/Detail.aspx My husband is allergic to cheese, so we usually skip the cheese on top or put just a tiny bit on half.

You're welcome. Have fun. By the way, these two restaurants may not offer a lot of healthy options but two restaurants we love when visiting Vegas are Bouchon Bistro and Del Frisco's.

I would seriously consider getting a food scale. I think I got one for around $10 (years ago) but it really helps a lot, especially with cheese. Also, tupperware makes these great little mini 2 ounce cups that also have lines for 1 ounce and they are perfect for things like hummus, salad dressing and cooking oil.

Welcome! I'm new here too (just joined last week) and love this site so far. This is by far the easiest way to track diet and exercise that I've ever seen. Best of luck to you.

Praying for baby Owen.

Check out a site called Your Daily Thread. They are a green living site based in L.A. and I'm sure some of their posts include local restaurants that serve local and organic foods, which will probably be healthier options. As far as Vegas goes, I would try to limit calories and increase exercise a bit more before and after…

You could always try modifying the workout to make it shorter. My husband does it for 30 - 40 minutes a day and just skips some of the exercises.

Definitely yes! It really helps with measuring things like nuts, meat and cheese. I use mine almost daily.