[Spare2009]

Hi! Everyone I weighed in this morning at 160.4. I am 24 mother of 2 young children. I was on Mirena (IUD) and got it removed in May of 2009 weighing about 145lbs. Since then with no change to diet or exercise I am up to 160. I do not eat most vegetables and I love to eat so I have a problem dieting. I need some ideas that are easy to keep up with. I tried calorie counting and it did not work for me. I do not have a lot of time to devote to weightloss. I do not have the funds to join a gym. I purchased a few home dvd's and I rarely use them. I do not like to exercise alone. I find it motivating when I have someone with me to talk to. Please let me know what works for you as far as diet and exercise.

[stargzr]

I figure since you asked, I will answer... I go to the gym twice a week to run intervals on the treadmill (it's easier with their treadmill buttons) and run once or twice a week outside at home (hilly area). I do the elliptical every morning for 15-20 mins depending on whether I'm planning a run that day. I count calories. I've found it's the easiest thing for me.
I do realize you've put the kibosh on all of what I listed above... perhaps start trying your home work-out dvds. I prefer to do shorter videos because I get bored so maybe since you prefer to work out with someone else, keep them short so it doesn't take too much out of your day. As for eating, cut out stuff like candy, sweets, etc. They're high calorie for no nutrition.

[tkm256]

When I got serious about my health I bought a treadmill to walk/jog in the mornings. It was a big initial cost, around $600 including warranties and taxes. But over the past two and a half years of using it almost daily, I've saved over $200 compared to what I would have paid for membership at the local YMCA. I've lost almost 20 pounds and can comfortably walk three miles without breaking a sweat.

As for food, I do count calories, but only because I got into the habit and can't break it. I wish I could eat intuitively instead, but I'm so dependent on those numbers now. Have you tried meal planning? If you sit down on Sunday and lay out exactly what you're going to make and how much at each meal for the week, you don't have to spend a lot of time thinking about healthy dishes to make, plus you'll have a very set grocery list and won't buy a lot that would go to waste.

[Latchkey Princess]

At the moment I'm on the Beachbody meal plan that came with my Turbo Jam dvds, which includes most meals made from scratch, lots of veggies and lean protein and is about 1500 calories a day. And I work out 3-5 times a week for 30-45 minutes (no gym membership). At least.

I just wanted to say in response to your statement that you don't have much time to put into weight loss, that you will only get out of this journey what you put into it. You HAVE to work at it, make time for it. I know it's hard, but if you don't make time for it you will never see the results you want. You have to check your eating and learn to like at least a few veggies since they are an important part of a healthy diet. Set aside an hour a day to go for a walk around the neighborhood with a friend or do a home workout dvd (that includes 10 minutes to shower afterwords btw!). Journal your food so you can see exactly what and when you eat and adjust accordingly. You have to work at it, there is no easy way out when it comes to long term sustainable weight loss.