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Whole wheat pasta (higher protein and fiber to keep them all full longer) Canned diced tomatoes Ground beef Garlic powder Italian herbs Parmesan cheese Make a good old fashioned meat sauce and put it over the pasta. Easy, quick, filling, and pretty cheap for the amount of calories it provides. Add some bread toasted and…

We all have these days, and you can take comfort in the fact that we all have to struggle through them. But just because you've had a couple of bad days doesn't mean you've ruined your diet. You only ruin it if you give up just because you've had a couple of bad days. When I have these days, I do two things: 1) Think about…

Cut the chipotle sauce in half, don't get the mayo, choose the whole wheat bread, and then eat half a portion and save the rest for later. Sounds healthy enough to me...

I usually eat carbs about an hour before I run, and a mix of carbs and protein about a half hour after. That gives me the energy to push through each workout.

To battle cravings, don't deprive yourself of foods you like, just eat less of them and eat homemade versions where you know what the ingredients are, rather than the fast food versions that are crammed with crap. That's where counting your calories and measuring your portions comes in--and that's numbers you can track,…

Congrats on taking the first step! It's the hardest one. There are so many ways to exercise out there--find some you enjoy and don't settle for less! I started by just walking on my lunch break every day. Now I run between 30-40 minutes three times a week, walk other days, and do strength or circuit training three times a…

Some types of yoga provide moderate strength training, which gives your body the ability to burn more calories in the OTHER things you do. Yoga itself helps tone muscle, keeps your muscles stretched and limber from your other activities (making you less prone to injury during your other workouts), and helps improve mental…

I find that making sure I get enough calcium and magnesium helps with the sugar cravings. When I crave sugar, I try to eat a yogurt or drink a glass of milk instead. But think about it--your body is working really hard through this part of your reproductive cycle. It needs protein, iron, and a lot of water and fiber will…

If you're serious about having completely changed the way you live, how much you eat, and how much you work out, your body is probably in shock. At first, it might try to hang on to the fat, reacting to the fact that you're eating too little to support your new exercise routine. Give it time and that will relax, but make…

I repeat the same about increasing your calories rather than decreasing. When you exercise more, you need more calories, or your body could freak out and try to hold on to fat to keep you from starvation. It's a natural reaction. Also, don't count on the scale alone. With all that extra exercise, you could be losing fat…

I found that SlimFast not only didn't help me lose weight, but made me feel more hungry than I would have if I had eaten the same number of calories of real food. The sugar is ridiculous, and leaves you with a fantastic afternoon crash. Try instead to learn how to eat balanced, portion-controlled meals four to six times…

I agree with others that you may need more than 1200 calories, and that you should eat back your exercise calories--at least some of them, anyway! Also make sure you're getting plenty of protein and fiber to help you feel more full. Healthy fats do the same thing, too--peanut butter, nuts, dark chocolate, seeds, and pesto…

Like most of the things here, you shouldn't have to deprive yourself. Can you fit a small bit of chocolate into your daily goals without making your craving worse? I kept trying to avoid chocolate for the same reason, but then I kept craving it more and more. When I read that the fats in dark chocolate are actually good…

Ah, yes--I almost forgot! Calcium inhibits iron absorption and vice versa! So if you're supplementing, be sure to take your calcium at one time of day and your iron at a different time. I take my multi-vitamin in the morning and my calcium in the afternoon, if I supplement calcium.

The most easily absorbed iron is from red meat. However, if you limit your red meat, you can still get it--just take vitamin C to help absorb it. Green spinach has a lot of iron. Otherwise, dried fruits, legumes, other meats, and some fish have iron in them. You can also get iron fortified foods, like breads and cereals,…

A turkey and salami sandwich with mustard, lettuce, and tomato on spelt bread.

Ditto--I've finished C25K and B210K and am prepping myself to train for a half-marathon. But I'm willing to be a good support for any new runner as I continue becoming a better one. Not to mention willing to listen to others' experiences who may be farther along than I! Have fun!

Same here. Sometimes I try to distract myself with hobbies or other activities so I forget about my craving. Other days I give into it and make up for it over the next few days.

Take it slow. You don't have to stretch the whole distance when you first start. In fact, if you stretch farther than your body tells you you should, you could injure yourself. When I first started, I could barely bend forward, my back was so tight. But over time, the stretches get deeper. Don't push yourself to where it…

Here's some information that might help: http://www.babycenter.com/0_plus-size-and-pregnant-how-to-manage-your-weight-during-preg_1313887.bc

If you're already overweight, why would you have to gain weight with the baby? I mean, you need to make sure you get the right nutrients, but most doctors anymore do not recommend gaining tons of extra weight just for a baby. You might be able to talk to your ob/gyn about healthy ways to take care of the baby and still…

I'm not a doctor by any means, but a good high calorie source of protein that I've read can be helpful for diabetics is nuts. Can you have nuts? There's a chart that shows the number of calories in one ounce of nuts on this page: http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/carbcounts/a/Carbs-Fats-And-Calories-In-Nuts-And-Seeds.htm…

Get one of the trainers to show you the weight machines, and maybe to help you put together a good circuit routine. That can help remove the intimidation factor. It can be overwhelming, but just remember the good it will do you, and how it will help change up your routine for more effective fitness training. :) You'll be…

Adding carbs into your diet did not make you gain a whole pound. What it probably did is make you gain water weight. When you change your diet, that's how your body will often respond. Introduce change slowly, and be patient with your body as it adjusts. It can take up to two weeks to normalize, but it will. Just keep…

I have a subscription to Cooking Light Magazine, so I'm always getting new recipe ideas. If you can't afford the subscription, go to their website and sign up for some of their email recipe ideas. I follow them on Facebook, too. That and the FB page for Shape magazine often have good quick meal suggestions.

Change up your exercise routine. Doing the same thing over and over, your body gets lazy. So to keep the weight moving, bike instead of running, or add/intensify your strength training, start doing intervals on your cardio, or try some circuit training routines. And make sure you're eating enough for the exercise you do.…

I did better than I thought I would, and most of the people I know who did it say the same thing. Remember that most of what keeps you from being able to run is mental, not physical. Remember that you don't have to run fast, and every time your brain says you can't do it any more, don't believe it. Tell it "Yes, I can."…

I agree that you're probably building muscle and losing fat. And as someone else said, muscle takes up less space than fat, so you're looking thinner while you're not losing weight. The scale is not the best measure of fitness and health. Try taking your measurements regularly, instead of weighing in regularly. Notice how…

Good for you! Strenuous exercise releases endorphins, which are your body's natural pain killers and can help stop the pain of cramping. It's hard to get up the desire to do it, but ultimately it can help if you push through and work out hard!

Your body is adjusting to what you're doing. Be patient and let it do what it needs to do. Things you might want to consider: 1) How intense is your exercise, and how long are you exercising? You might want to increase the intensity or the frequency. When I first started losing weight, I was only walking--but it was fast…