[butterfly_dreams]

Yeah I can see about all the great support I can get. I mean, I didn't expect to get this many on this thread! You guys are really great!

By what i've read it sounds like the best choice is to eat foods that God created like fruits, vegetables, and meats and not all that man made stuff.

[willmakeit]

for counting calories...a good site that I know of is :
www.calorieking.com

they have most restaurants and most brands of foods (eg. Subway sandwich, Denny's pancakes etc.) with their entire calorie and nutrition info (so you can jot down your calories with what you ate at the end of the day) It really helped me because sometimes the foods we expect to be healthy may not be.

They have a lil pocket-book on sale which has many handy tips for calorie counting and calories needed per weight and age etc...

get a pedometer (7-8 dollar value) and try to do 10,000 steps a dayof walking or running!

[mudbugs]

Christina...........Where ARE you? Come back! I know life "interferes" with posting on this board, but I realllllly hope you come back! I've been thinking about you!!

[mom2cole]

Another thing to try is Weight Watchers. It took me years to get motivated to do something about my weight and I was begining to convince myself that something was wrong with my body because I couldn't lose any weight. Well as a last ditch effort I decided to join Weight watchers. Each food has a point value and you keep track of your points. I thought counting calories was a little too much for me. I have been on weight watchers for 8 weeks and have lost 12.5lbs. I don't feel deprived because I am making better food choices to make my points strech a little longer in the day. But the main sticking point for me was having to go somewhere other than my house to weigh in and attend the meeting. I look forward to going to the meetings and seeing the scale go down. It only went up once in the 8 weeks I have been attending. It is not that expensive either, $12 per week for the meetings and $25 to join. Well worth it for me.
Erika

[apollo chick]

don't get down on yourself...diets are hard especially b/c we're constantly thinking about what we are eating and when we're gonna eat
i've said a few times that i did the suzanne somers diet and thought it was REALLY great. counting calories never worked for me. i would eat 1200 calories and work out for like 2 hrs a day and nothing. i had my thyroid checked and nothing. it's frustrating.
i'm starting to watch my portions now b/c i need to lose weight but i have CFS and can't really exercise w/o putting myself back in bed for days and days and hurting myself so i walk some...we'll see if it works

good luck

[Jtjoray]

Calorie Counting rocks! I started counting January of this year and have lost 62 pounds.

[lilybelle]

I keep track of my calories and carbs both. Usually 1400 calories and 25 carbs daily. I have lost 86 lb's in 11 months. I, too have PCOS and my physician told me to do a low-carb diet. I know it is difficult to be this strict with carbs but it has worked for me and is something I can live with. A lot of people couldn't, it would be too restrictive. Any time I go over on carbs for the day it is due to extra fruit and my calorie level is still OK. So, I don't see a weight gain for doing this. I also don't eat near as much fat as a lot of low-carbers do. I just base my eating plan on what takes the weight off me at a steady pace. Good luck to you and I hope you find what works best for you.

[mudbugs]

I'm kinda just bumping this up...would it be inappropriate if I sent her a PM to try to get her attention? I really feel for her...

[haapigirl]

Getting started is SO HARD! I would do great for the first few days, and then weigh myself - if the weight loss did'nt equal the effort that I put into it- I was doomed. And even if it did, it was only a matter of time before I started cheating- and that is one slippery slope! I finally went to my doctor- I am only 43, but had a heart attack when I was 39- so with a BMI of 34, she agreed to put me on a medication that would help. Guess what? It has been less than a month, and I am down almost 15lbs. The medication helps me to stick to my plan- a well rounded, nutritionally balanced plan that includes 1/2 hour of exercise (I walk) 3 times a day. And- I have one meal per week where I can eat what I want- but I must finish the meal within one hour- so I am not munching all day. I also stay off the scale- I did step on it yesterday- but it really makes a difference and helps me to stay motivated. I too have tried everything- South Beach worked for a while- Weight Watchers worked for a while- but I needed help BAD! It helps me to see myself as a "work in progress"- like a painting or a sculpture- I'm not finished yet, but the clay is taking shape! Good luck- you will find what works for you!