Very Low Calorie Diet (VLCD)
 

I need help and tips on my VLCD.
It would also be awesome if I had someone to talk to about my VLCD.
It's been three days and I've done great but I can't stop thinking about food.
This is extra hard with my husband eating junk food all the time and a baby.
Food is constantly in my face. :(
It's very strict and probably not for everybody
Here are like to info/rules for what it takes to do a VLCD
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What is a Very Low-Calorie Diet (VLCD)?
VLCD means restricting daily Calorie (kcal) intake to no more than 800 Calories daily, using heavily supplemented special dieting products. This makes it possible to lose 3-5 pounds per week. The rate of weight loss varies from one individual to another. A four-week VLCD diet can result in weight loss of up to 16-20 pounds. VLCDs are designed for patients with a body mass index (BMI) greater than 30.
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I was looking for more pages like the one I found and was hoping someone would tell me where I could find more similar ones.

What VLCD plan are you doing? Medifast? Optifast? Something else?

IMHO, I would not look any further into your VLCD. You will lose the weight more quickly, but you will gain it back more quickly too. You really should eat at least 1200 a day. You also need stamina to take care of a baby. On 800 calories a day, I'd be dragging myself around the house!:dizzy:

Isn't this the thing Oprah did a million years ago? And then six months later she gained it all back and then some? For some reason I thought this stuff was off the market. Didn't the FDA jump on this?

Oprah did the Optifast one, and from what I remember, Optifast has to be done with a doctor's supervision, and is sold at hospitals, etc.

Medifast, however, can be purchased online...and I think it is at the higher end of the VLCD spectrum...I *think* the supplements, plus the one "lean and green" allowed meal, ad up to around 800-1000 a day.

There are other VLCD programs as well.

Because there are so many VLCD programs, this is why I asked what the poster was following...we have some Medifast threads here at 3FC, but I am not sure what plan the OP is using.

The OP originally asked for links to pages with very low calorie foods, not Optifast and Medifast. She listed two links which I removed due to our link policy. I think she's inquiring about following a diet of just low calorie foods, not special fortified supplements designed for VLCD.

I didn't see that you had originally removed something, Suzanne. :)

I was wondering about what VLCD plan was being used, because in the definition that was posted about VLCD under the original post, it mentioned the usage of the special supplemented diet products...(usually in shake form, like the Optifast/Medifast products, etc.)

Sorry - I am not a fan of VLCD. I know they say they are for individuals with BMI's greater then 30 but personally that is too low of a threshold.

I started with a BMI of over 40 and have been quite successful following a normal calorie counting diet. Remember that you need a plan that you can stay on for the long run.

Based on my understanding of VLCD - they should be done under doctor supervision only and are typically recommended when the excess weight is worse for the patient's health then the risks of a VLCD.

Lori

I was put on my first diet at age 5. I don't know how many calories I was allowed, but I know I was so hungry during it that dirty candy on the floor of the school bus looked good to me.

It was the early 70's and VLCDs were being recommended by physicians, even for children. From age 5 to 20 all of my diets were VLC, and I really feel largely responsible far more to weight gain than weight loss. I had dieted my way to 225 lbs by 8th grade. I lost 75 lbs in high school with a VLCD, but only with the help of stimulant prescription diet pills (I pretty much only ate anything resembling an actual meal only on weekends).

I am very biased against VLCD. They may have a place for some people, but only under close monitoring (no less than once a month) from a physician.

A low carb, low fat diet is particularly dangerous, so I believe "do-it-yourself" VLCD's are a very poor idea, and really should have a dietician's imput as well as medical supervision in my opinion.

I used to be in great shape before I got pregnant I'm 5'4 I used to weight 125-127 never gaining or losing weight. Post pregnancy I was 200 right now I'm 185. I've never have had a problem maintain my weight so I choose a VLCD after I talked to my doctor. I was prescribed Phentramine, a muti-vitamin and to eat protein rich foods and veggies.
I've tried shakes before and I gained a little weight instead of losing it I did the whole slimfast program for 2 months. I love to eat I can't do the drink a shake and have a snack. I've have been doing some research on diet product such as fat-free sugar-free and they are food like chemical or additives, which means it's not real food. I saw this on the a news segment in democracynow so I tested it myself. "Whip Cream" ants and bugs don't go near the stuff which mean there is something definitely wrong and the tiny little crawlies know to stay away from it, other animals like my cat and dog will eat it then again they eat everything in sight.

I'm not starving myself either here is what my day looks like

Example
Breakfast
1/2 Oat meal (no sugar or salt)l
150 cal

Snack
Banana
100

Lunch
Turkey 4oz
240
Boiled Spinach
1/2 cup
30 cal
Brown Rice
1/2 cup
109

Dinner
Broccoli Boiled (no salt)
1 cup
54 cal
American cheese
1 slice
94 cal

I still crave a giant steak with French fries or some Latin food.
I miss Dr.Pepper so much *tear*

i'd starve on that amount of food.

my SNACK is your breakfast and snack combined....

Lori, I'm right there with you. I don't think VLCDs are a good approach at long-term weight loss, and should definitely only be done under strict medical supervision. IMHO, extreme diets are only appropriate when there is imminent danger to one's health that the diet is specifically employed to avert. Otherwise, I don't see how a VLCD can be healthy; you need calories from a wide variety of foods in order to nourish your body. You won't get all you need from such a sparse diet.

Broccoli is NOT a dinner. It's a side dish!

Sorry - but talking to a doctor is not the same thing as being under doctors supervision. Plus many family physicians themselves have little training on weightloss.

Pay attention to the obvious. How many roles models and success stories can name that were on a VLCD? Compare that to individuals that lost it by eating sensibly which includes (Jenny Craig, Calorie Counting, Weight Watchers, South Beach etc.)

The fact that it is not as easy to keep your weight in check is you have gotten older and had children is just normal. Your metabolism slows as you get older but that by itself does not mean you take drastic measures to lose the weight.

I encourage you to read the boards at 3FC and you wil find the real success stories lost the weight sensibly.

There's also growing evidence that repeated calorie restricted diets, especially the VLCDs lower metabolism. Even when you look at WLS bypass patients, considering that often a good deal of the gastro-intestinal tract is removed or bypassed, in theory (if their metabolism was not affected) it should be impossible to relapse to their original weight except by eating MUCH more than they did presurgery, but this is not the case. 60% (possibly less with the most modern techniques) do return to their presurgery rates or higher (and not by eating more than when they started).

It seems prudent to eat the maximum amount of calories that will allow you to lose no more than 1/2 to 1% of your body weight per week, unless there are special circumstances.

I don't thinking I'm burning many calories, I live a very sedentary life at the current time, I have no car, can't go to the gym and live in a small apartment. I have a running stroller and can't use it, it's burning hot out side when it's not raining. In central FL, I can't have the little one cook in the sun or get soaked in the cold rain, he is only one. Therefore I believe this will work for me until I reach a BMI under 30.

I try to make my lunch the biggest meal possible and my dinner as light as possible my nutrition teacher said it's not good to eat a heavy meal right before bed.

If you've found the inner strength and will to survive on so few calories you surely have the will to lose weight in a sensible and sustainable manner! You can rock this!

One of many the problems with so few calories is that when your goal is in sight you'll be at such a low calorie rate your metabolism may be damaged at that point and to up your calories would mean rapid weight gains. No one wants that gain! More so if they've suffered along the way.

I know how awful it feels to carry extra weight and the anxiety to get it done as soon as possible. That was my reaction when I first came to my senses and realized I'd better do something about my weight. I had to calm myself and remind myself that this will take time.

I've said before on the forums that I wouldn't want to wake up tomorrow at goal weight because I would have learned nothing from my journey to maintain. There are very important lessons in weight loss, lessons we use later on when the hard job comes, the maintenance. And the odds of maintaining are against all of us, look at the stats on regaining. Why up those odds against your favor?

It's easy to focus on the loss, and a speedy rate when you are just beginning a weight loss regime and forget that while the actual loss is important - the maintenance is critical. Maintenance on a VLCD would be next to impossible and unhealthy.

No one's rate of loss is predictable, it varies widely from person to person - but I've lost my weight in 6 months. I have some more to go, but 6 months is nothing! It's been virtually painless (with the exception of this one time on my stationary bike :) ) and hunger free, the time has passed easily.

You can find something that works for you in a healthy manner and reach your goal healthily! I look forward to 'seeing' you around on the boards.


~ETA- I wanted to add that I love reading goal stories and cannot recall even one where I've read of the victor reaching goal weight through an extreme diet.

PinkStarz, if you were doing VLCD the "right" way, you wouldn't be looking for help--because you would be under medical supervision that would include weekly check-ups. IMHO, your doctor was rather irresponsible to just set you loose with some multivitamins and a diet drug.

You can lose weight without doing such drastic things to your body! We all want the fat to disappear tomorrow, but that doesn't happen. The best way to lose weight is to find a plan that allows you to eat enough food to maintain your nutrition, while creating a deficit in calories that stimulates fat burning. Many programs are out there--other posters have named some of them.

1200 calories is as low as someone should go without being under medical supervision as I've described. Oh, it's OK to drop below that now and then, but for long term weight loss, eating under 1200 just makes your body think you're starving to death, so your metabolism slows down to try to keep you alive. It can actually make it harder to lose weight.

And that's not even talking about how hungry you could get! :eek: A good program never makes you feel like you're starving, and most have some strategies for not getting overly hungry.

Please look around at some of the established methods that aren't so potentially dangerous! :yes: We want to see you succeed, not become ill.

Edited to add: I'm in central Fla., so I hear you about exercise outdoors. Did you know that public libraries sometimes have exercise videos you can check out? Walk Away The Pounds is a good one to start with...

Jay

There is a middle ground between broccoli and a heavy meal. . . like adding a grilled chicken breast to the broccoli. I just can't believe that any sort of nutrition teacher would support this weight loss plan. Good luck to you though.

My basal metabolic rate (basically what I burn if I don't ever get out of bed) is almost 1800 calories per day. Including my day-to-day activities (without any intense exercise) my calorie needs are well over 2000. I eat about 1800 calories per day and lose about 6-10 pounds per month.

Do you think you can maintain your VLCD for months? Years? The rest of your life? Because to lose weight and keep it off, you'll have to do this long-term. When you reach your goal you'll be able to bump up your calorie intake a little bit, but by then your metabolism may be shot and you might have to stay really low-cal forever. And if that's the case, what about nutrition? Your body needs more nutrients than 900 calories can provide.

I really have a hard time understanding why people choose to restrict their calorie intake so much when they can eat a lot more and still lose weight :?:

what RD or nutritionist would advocate at 753 calorie per day diet? with the only protein coming from 4 ounces of turkey and 1 ounce of cheese? no wonder you can't stop thinking about food...you are starving!

you are setting yourself up for losing muscle, not fat. You are better off to get moving (how about indoors while the baby is asleep) and double the calories. split them throughout the day, eating every 2-3 hours. it's easier to burn the fat then starve the fat.

Pinzstarz - I think your figures are off, which means you're eating fewer calories than you think you are.

A large banana has 90 cals.
And there's NO WAY 4 oz of turkey is 240 cals. 4 oz of deli sliced turkey has *at the most* 200 cals, and that's estimating high. Even turkey thigh or drumstick meat (off the bird, not deli sliced) is only 200 cals for 3.5 ounces.
And broccoli and rice for dinner is simply not a meal.

Based on your numbers, you're only eating 777 cals a day.
Based on what I calculate, you're actually eating less than 700.

I don't care WHO recommended it, that is NOT a healthy diet for anyone unless you're under the very strict care of a doctor or a nutritionist.

What you're doing is very dangerous for your body. It's no wonder you can't stop thinking about food - you're starving yourself.

Please reconsider what you're doing.

.

Every one has made really good comments and points.

I just want to add how can this possibly "work" if you can't stick with it? How? Nevermind all the valid reasons everyone's already mentioned. You're starving? So how much longer do you think you can go on like that for, until you bust - and "break" your diet?

A major factor in losing weight, permenantly that is, is by finding something that you can indeed stick with. A diet such as this, just doesn't seem to have much of a stickability factor. And if you can't stick with it, well then........

Find foods that you love. Eat enough of them. Make sustainable changes, ones that can last a lifetime. THAT'S how it's done. :hug:

Oh, I understand it perfectly - I lived it. I always thought, if I could cut calories and lose some weight, I could cut MORE calories and lose MORE weight - FASTER.

I have been desperate enough to try diets like this and I can say - they always worked AT FIRST. But my body's will to survive always roared up and made me eat. The binges were ugly and made me feel hopeless, sick and out of control.

I could lose some weight eating very low calorie, I NEVER EVER kept ONE POUND of that weight off - and I tried this off and on for 20 years.

Like Kaplods, I managed to "diet" my way from 140 lbs to 200 lbs eating very low calorie.

It's such a personal journey, if someone had tired to tell me 20 years ago that I was doing it wrong, that dieting didn't have to be punishment I would have thought they were crazy and that I KNEW exactly what I was doing, it was WORKING.

I had to be so sick of failing that I had to really really look at my "diet history" and honestly and openly analyze why I could lose weight and never keep it off. It always came down to "stopped dieting." I eventually realized I needed a diet I would never stop.

That meant - eating foods I liked, not being hungry. Took a lot more work - because really, another attractive aspect of very low calorie diets is the food is easy. Cooking, shopping, eating in restaurants as part of a healthy lifestyle - now that's hard.

Guess what? Worked GREAT. Lost 70+ lbs, kept it off for 3+ years, I'm a happy, slender size 6 with a closet full of gorgeous clothes and I'm brimming with good health.

I don't know if Pinkstarz is ready to hear this yet, I hope so. I sure wish I could have saved myself 20 years of heartache and self hatred.

To the OP, your question is how to stay full. The only way to stay full on low calories is to fill up with vegetables.

One thing that might be of interest to you -- I was doing 800-1000 calories a day for two months. Then I upped it to 1400-1500. My weight loss did not slow at all when I upped calories. When I upped the calories, I also stopped doing a ton of cardio and started doing some strength training.

Just sharing this in hopes you might find it useful.

Now I know why bugs are thin.

American cheese?

That's not food. That's a food PRODUCT. The bugs would run from that as well.

Okay... so I'm being cynical here. But really! Does no one cook any more?

Tilapia is serious fish, high in protein, practically fat-free, at about 93 calories for four ounces. Shrimp and salmon are in the same category. Slap those babies on the grill, with a little lemon and pepper, a side of mixed vegetables dressed in olive oil (yes.... olive oil! It releases the phytochemicals in the vegetables) and there you have a meal that beats the socks off broccoli and American cheese.

Get yourself fat free yogurt and throw in wheat germ for about 185 calories per cup. Three cups of romaine lettuce with red, yellow, and green peppers and a chicken breast straight from the grill makes for a slammin' lunch free of fat and cholesterol and all that other stuff that keeps the bugs around.

Cool Whip? I didn't think they made that anymore, but if you MUST, go with sugar free pudding made with skim milk and eat all you want.

Freeze Crystal Light and make popsicles.

Brown rice is better with garbanzos on the side. No way you're going to be hungry for three days after eating rice and garbanzos.

If Latin food is what you need, get a plantain (platano), boil it, mash it, add two tablespoons of olive oil, half an avocado, and you've got mangu!

Pork tenderloin is low in fat, high in protein, and packs a punch when you season it with basil or sage or whatever you like.

It's grill season. Make use of it.

And get rid of that American Cheese. If time is the problem, just know that it doesn't take more than 20 minutes to make any of the stuff listed above, with the exception of brown rice, in which case I would make three cups, eat what I need, and freeze the rest.

If this sounds harsh, I don't mean it to be. But man oh man.... your doctor could have told you all this and kept you off the Phentramine which is nothing more than over-the-counter speed. I have no idea how old your baby is, but can you put her in a buggy and go for a good, hard walk?

I'm sorry. The more I read, the worst it gets.

I understand about the baby. Florida is a tough nut to crack in the warm weather. But I don't know how that will change when your BMI is below 30.

Your nutritionist is whacked if he really told you that you shouldn't eat a heavy meal before bed. Calories in vs. calories out, and they don't discriminate based on the time of day.

The Spaniards eat three hour dinners starting at 8 PM. See them lately?

It's not when you eat. It's what you eat. It's how you eat. It's how you move.

I just can't believe I'm really reading this.

Please reconsider!
 

Oh pinkstarz :hug:, please don't do this to yourself. I would urge you to go back and reread FBs entire post a couple of times. I only quoted the part I really wanted to comment on but she is dead on with everything she said.

Think of me as the ghost of Christmas future because you sound exactly like I did (back in the olden days :lol: ). VLCD may seem to be working initially but they are sooo not worth the long term effects. How do you think I ended up with my screen name? I know it's hard to think this far ahead right now - I know it was for me. I thought I just wanted to be thin, at any cost (and I didn't really believe anything negative could possibly happen to me anyway :o ) besides, I felt sooo IN CONTROL when I didn't eat (bet you know the feeling huh?) - but, believe it or not, one of these days you really are going to wake up and be over 50.

The part FB mentioned about damage to your metabolism? - If you starve yourself enough (and there is a really high probability that less than 1200 calories will make your body think it is starving even if you take a ton of vitamins) you're body will stop trusting you to feed it and will latch on to every shred you put in your mouth and store it as fat - even if you start hitting the gym with a vengance. (I think I used the example of getting fat on accidentally swallowed bits of toothpaste in another post). Because I had a nutritionally uneducated, unsypathetic doctor who told me I was going to stay fat because I was "at that age" and just wanted to give me a laundry list of perscriptions for all the things that were out of whack, I started "cutting back" on my own and was down to something like 500 calories a day and STILL GAINING! Granted not as fast as I did at 1500 calories but clothes were still "shrinking in the dryer" and I could NOT figure out why starving myself wasn't working any more. By the time I found a doctor who actually cared about something other than writing perscriptions, I was malnourished with internal organs that were really close to just quitting on me altogether.

Then, there's one other little side effect you don't hear too much about. I kind of think when you hit 50 you're going to want to still have your own teeth, right? Well, terrible nutrition kills them no matter how much you brush and floss and rinse becuase they don't get enough nutrients to survive (and dentists will look down their nose at you and accuse you of having "meth-mouth" even if you've never touched the stuff).


Does all that sound like something you would look forward to for your future? Do you really want to take the gamble that it might not happen to you?

One of the biggest turning points for me was finding 3FC - even having (finally) found a fantastic doctor, he couldn't give me the perspective that other women, and other people who've experienced the same struggles I go through can. And now you've found us - it can be the same for you if you let it. So, please, please take a deep breath; stop trying to think of all reasons (excuses? ;) ) why a healthy way of eating and a patient approach won't work for you and spend a little time looking at some of the different forums that discuss different diets - you can find everything from structured programs to basic calorie counting - and see what you can find that might work for you.

This post really is bringing back traumatic dieting flash-backs. My early diets were all VLCDs, because that's what nearly "everyone," including my doctor was recommending. Even in the late 80's when "moderation" was emerging as the common dieting wisdom, I kept saying to myself,

I "know" starvation dieting is probably messing with my metabolism, but "I'm not that active," or "just this once...." Even the popular plans all start with a "kickstart" (more, I think because people will not stick with something that doesn't have dramatic early results, than because it's the healthiest way to go).

The fact is, when I was younger, I didn't CARE what I was doing to myself, I just wanted to become normal as fast as I could, all the while I was becoming more of a freak. That's what rapid, starvation diets do. They dangle a carrot, but it's a trick. That carrot never becomes yours, it might as well be a hallucination.

for AnAbsoluteDiva: WHat food plan are you following? I think that I have read a few posts by you and I am super interested in learning how you eat? Have you read a book to help you change your meal planning? I love the idea of whole, nutritious meal planning and I also love to cook. My Husband is a notorious fast food eater, which is pretty disgusting, but my toddler will eat anything that I make and the baby is just starting out. Please let me know of any book reccomendations. I love to read. Your posts have been soo insightful and helpful. :)

I wonder if anyone has ever considered that the obesity and diabetes epidemics that are all over the news may have actually been caused by so many years of following crappy advice from mis-informed doctors :rofl:

P.S. to that long earlier post - The way I worded my experience with gaining left it sounding like I think 1500 calories is a huge amount of food - I gained weight on 1500 calories because it was all the wrong type of food. I am all the way back up to between 1400 and 1500 again but all good "clean" food and feel better than I ever have and the scale is still moving in the right direction for a change :-D

The doctor discussion is always one of my favorites. On another site that I belong there are several women that have easily 100lbs to lose that tell stories that their doctor specifically noted they were not concerned about their weight. Or there are the 200lb+ women that are simply told to stick to a 1200 calorie diet and no other advice.

The best thing I think a doctor can do is recommend someone to a dietician or a program like WW and insist that the patient come in say every 3months to have their numbers (cholesteral, weight, blood pressure) monitored. I think this is important because it shows that the doctor is vested in you making improvements and these type of tests can show improvement that may not be reflective on the scale.

My current doctor (I love this guy) is probably marginally overweight (by height and weight charts). He's in his early 70's I would guess, and not obviously fat, just a bit stocky. I suspect that it isn't something he's dealt with all of his life, but rather some middle aged spread that he's been struggling to get rid of for the past few years. I doubt it's more than 20 lbs, so I wouldn't exactly call him fat. Although who knows, maybe he's struggled with weight all of his life, or someone in his life has. Whatever reason, he's the perfect blend (for me) of attentive, supportive, and sympathetic.

At my first appointment with him shortly after we moved to WI, his approach to my weight was a lot different than any other doctor I've ever had (until I would later meet my neurologist and my ENT - maybe there's something about WI, or at least Wausau doctors). Anyway, unlike doctors I'd had before, he was understanding and pragmatic about the issue of weight loss.

He talked about how difficult lasting weight loss is, and he'd rather see me focus on eating better and exercising more without focusing on the scale to guage my progress. His opinion (and mine too) is that scale-focused weight loss often backfires. As soon as watching the scale stops being rewarding, the "diet" tends to be abandoned, and the weight regained.

When I come in with weight loss, he isn't excited about the number of pounds lost. At first, I was sort of disappointed with that, but then I noticed what he DOES do. He barely nods at my report of the number of lbs lost, but then he asks me about how I'm feeling and what I'm doing and he gives much stronger positive feedback about my answers. Walking further, with knees hurting alot less? (Good, good) Biking and swimming (wonderful) Eating a lot more fish (Great, but watch the fatty fish because of the mercury). Don't need the asthma medication since stopping the NSAID (that's great, you should probably avoid aspirin and OTC NSAIDS too). And when he reviews my bloodwork, he's very happy about the positive changes (Keep it up).

I really think he's the first doctor I've ever had who was not concerned with the number, but on the results/progress to my health and fitness.

I so agree that doctors often have little background in nutrition. One doctor I saw while I was in college, gave me the Mayo Clinic diet (a one page xerox of a mimeographed sheet - yes, it had been floating around that long), and not really from the Mayo Clinic, a horrible diet of eggs, bacon, grapefuit, steak, and lettuce.

If your insurance covers a visit to a dietician (even if it has to be recommended by a physician first), or if you can pay for it yourself or work out a payment plan, or call the health department to research free or inexpensive ways to see a dietician (some communities have health fairs and free screenings periodically), I can't recommend it enough.

Hey Jermsgirl, have you checked out our Whole Foods forum?

http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=209

Here's a thread that specifically lists book recommendations:

http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/showthread.php?t=91330

Hey Pinkstarzmutiny:

I am fairly new here to posting on 3fatchicks and your story resonated with me since we are about the same height and I started rehauling my lifestyle at your current weight. I was about 200 pounds after giving birth to each of my three kids.

I started on this journey 38 days ago and have lost over 10 pounds by just counting calories and eating real, whole foods.

I too used to lead a fairly sedentary lifestyle (well, my only activity was chasing after three kids under the ago of five). I started by taking leisurely walks in the morning with the stroller before it got too hot. To get myself motivated, I thought to myself, "I will do this for my kids - they will love the fresh air and scenery." I pack a little healthy snack and a sippy cup for them to eat during it. My kids love it and now look forward to their walks. I have just started incorporating running solo in the evenings as I am feeling great and "lighter".

I eat about 1200 calories a day but I give myself an allowance of 1500 calories a day on my calorie tracker so I don't feel like I've "failed" if I go over a bit and have been averaging 1258. I weigh-in every Friday and if I have lost weight, I give myself a solid 1500 calories on one weekend day. I think I gained a couple of pounds one week after starting daily exercise but within the next week I was down 3.5 so it was just water retention. I also keep track on my calories on my-calorie-counter.com but there are many other sites out there.

I know firsthand how hard it is to carry baby weight. Treat your body well and it will respond and do something that will last for the long haul. Your baby will also benefit from your found knowledge of real/whole foods. You can also incorporate your "cravings" for steak and latin foods by incorporating spices and smaller portions. You shouldn't have to give up the foods you normally love. Learning to revamp recipes will keep you satisfied and be something you can maintain for a lifetime. For example, I make taco filling from ground turkey breast, black beans, olive oil and spices (fill corn tortillas or mix filling with eggbeaters). I put a bit of the mixture to the side for my girls before I add the spices and they enjoy it to!

At every meal/snack, make sure you add some solid protein to keep you satiated longer. For example, if I ate a banana, I would also add a light string cheese. It really, really works!!!

I used to want to see quick results in the past by starving my poor body but something finally clicked. I don't know if its because I am a mother now and want to be a good example/role model for a lifetime. The added bonus, the weight is coming off much quicker than I imagined it would. My body is responding to the healthy changes!!!

Best of luck to you - treat your body well and it will respond!!!

Michelle