jujubeee, I hope you get your book soon. I really like mine. Let me know if you get the nutribase and how you like it.

ok everyone would you believe we got 13 inches of snow. I will probably be stuck in the house for days.

bev

Hi, All. I'm just checkin' in. Jujubee, congrats on losing that pound, and please don't be discouraged. Remember that the scale is going down, not up. Also, you're getting healthier and that's the most important thing. My sister told me that she read somewhere that people could decrease their chances of getting adult onset diabetes by losing just 10% of their weight! When you think of it in those terms, every pound lost makes you healthier.

I'll have to check out that TOPS website. It seems like it might have some useful information.

Weightylady, you bring up an excellent question about having food consume your thoughts when you're on a diet. I also hate this aspect of dieting. I hated it so much that for a short time, I tried to do an Intuitive Eating plan where you learn to listen to your body and eat only when hungry. I found, however, that I began to gain weight because I needed more structure, so I'm back on the food pyramid plan. I think that we're so programmed by society to be obsessed with diets that it's almost impossible to break free from that food obsession; we want what we can't have. The only solace I can give is that you become a little less consumed with food as you establish long-term, healthy patterns of eating, actually begin enjoying eating those healthy foods, and allow yourself regular, moderate portions of fattier foods. For example, if I was in a rush and couldn't journal my food or count my calories for a few days, I could probably still manage to stay within my calories allotment and food pyramid portions because I'm so used to eating those type of foods now. In a sense, it becomes second nature to now choose those types of foods. Thus, I don't think about it as much as I did in the early days of my plan.

Here is a link to the same exact computer software that TOPS has on there site. I am not sure how I like it. I was hoping to find a computer software what was more geared towards food exchanges. I alread have dietpower on my computer so I don't need one that does counting calories. If anyone downloads this let me know what your opinion is.

They also told me I was less calories than I figured out with Dieting with dummies. The computer software told me 1468 and the book told me 1600

here is the link:
http://www.nbez.info/homepage.shtml

bev

Yes the book does list fruit and veggies and dairy too.... its really good....

Hi, All. Its-My-Life, I noticed a discrepancy among some of the calorie counters myself. I decided to go with the formula in Dieting for Dummies because it seemed to take a lot of things into account (age, activity level). I actually didn't believe I could lose weight on 1500 calories a day because in the past when I'd counted calories, I'd always done 1200 or fewer. Well, 30+ pounds later, I can say that the Dieting for Dummies calculation worked! I'm glad that I gave it a chance since 1200 calories is just not enough food for me!

Hey everybody, I'm still here. I've just been working a ton of overtime and haven't had time for much. I haven't even been eating right. Don't seem to have time to plan and shop so I've been eating out way too much. I'm scared to step on the scale. Hopefully today is the last day and I can get back on track.
I received my "dieting for dummies" book but have not opened it yet.

Hi everyone, Well I also feel off the wagon so today is a fresh start for me. How is everyone else doing?

bev

Hi everyone. I just set up a exchange diet email list if anyone is interested in keeping in contact:

http://health.*************.com/group/EXCHANGE-DIET/

That's great!!!! I just joined it.

I've been "off the wagon" for a good two weeks now. A couple of days I did ok but for the most part, I've blown it
I'm supposed to go to my meetings on Thursdays and I get weighed there as well. I had been scheduled to work last Thursday so I knew I wouldn't be able to go. Somehow that gave me permission to go off plan. My biggest downfall was the Pepsi.
But I'm back now and even more committed. I think I may have gained a pound so I'm really going to work on getting rid of that.
Are any of you taking any kind of diet pills?

jujubeee , Did you purchase the software at the TOPS website? I found someone who had it but didn't use it so they let me have it.

bev

No I haven't. I've really been struggling to get back on the plan. I've had to work a ton of overtime and can't quite get the hang of planning my meals far enough in advance to have things on hand that I can grab. I'm eating out WAYYYY to much and making very poor choices while I'm there. I've also given in to the Pepsi cravings.
So how is the TOPS software? Do you think it would be worth the money for me?

Hello, All. Happy Friday! I think it’s a trend . . . I, too, have gone over my losing calories for the past two weeks or so. I had major PMS hunger last week and have been so tired this week that I just ate more than I should. However, when I discovered last week that I was hungrier than usual, I gave myself permission to eat maintenance calories until I was past my time of the month. That’s what I’ve been doing, and I’ve managed to stick to that every day except one (I went to our neighbor’s house for dinner on Wednesday and let myself get too hungry before going there and ended up eating way too much). Anyway, I’m really trying to fight against that “all or nothing” dieting mentality that’s been my downfall in the past. That’s why I gave myself permission to eat maintenance calories rather than losing calories. I know that if I step on the scale next week that I probably will not have lost any weight, but I don’t think I will have gained any either. Consistency in my weight loss is more important to me than speed.

Jujubee, I’ll chime in on your diet pills question --- No, I’ve never taken them. I’ve always resisted such crutches. I’ve known people who have lost lots of weight using diet pills, but they gained it right back after a while. Eating healthy has got to be a mindset change, and that change won’t come from a pill. Besides that, years ago on 20/20 or some other news program (can’t quite remember), they ran a segment about how dangerous diet pills can be. One woman had taken diet pills for the first time in her life and ended up with some kind of major kidney problem that put her in a wheelchair for the rest of her life. That solidified my resolve never to use diet pills.

I hope everyone has a great, on-program day!

about the TOPs software, I really don't know if I would buy it or not. It counts your calories but it does show your food exchanges. I would love to find one that just counts your food exchanges.

bev

Could someone post the formula for figuring the number of calories needed per day. Thanks.
Donna

Oh No!!!! Where did we all go? Now I admit I've been on a bit of a bender lately (a food one.....) but starting today I'm back on track.
I had bought some of those Yoplait Nouriche bottled smoothies. They are no fat and only 170 cals. I'm really struggling to find things I like to eat and go sick of the same old thing over and over again. So I thought that would be good for an easy lunch. I had my first one today. It was ok, not as filling as I would have liked though. I got on line to try to figure out how many exchanges that was and went to their website (I love these companies that list this information, I just wish it had been listed on the package iteself). Boy was I shocked. It is 1 Low fat milk & 3 1/2 starches!!!! That really made me overdue it. Now I can't have any starches with my dinner. What a waste!!!!
I did walk for about 20 minutes today and drank quite a bit of water.