hi all!
i'm new here.. i've been trying to look around here where to start from but couldn't figure out! it's all nice and very well organized!!
i am looking forward to commit this time.. as i have a very long journey to go.. at least 30lb..
i have an elliptical equipment at home.. i will start commitment..
other than that it's hard for me to commit to one type of food -like the south beach or WW...
i gave birth to my lovely daughter who is going to be 2 in may!! and added 55lb during pregnancy.. i lost more than what i weight now but i got back most of it!!! i really need to lose all this weight b4 we TTC b/c i don't think my body can hold it..
i need your recommendations..
how much to use the elliptical and how to decide what to eat...

Palms

If it's hard to commit to a certain food plan, perhaps simple but effective calorie logging will work for you? There's a list of food plans that many of us follow under Diet Central. Have a look there, maybe something will pop out at you.

There are also support groups based on age and how much weight we need to lose. You may want to check out some of them to see if any of them call to you

If you haven't used the elliptical in awhile, you may want to start in 5-10 minute increments and work up over the next few weeks to a good half an hour or so. Start slow... commit... build up! You'll find the level that works for you.

Keep on posting & best of success!

Hey Palms,

I'm a newbie too, but I'll tell you this is a great place to get organized and supported! Congratulations on your weight loss so far - how did you do it, and can you pinpoint why you gained some of it back? Problem analysis is a great start, and you already realized for yourself that specific programs might not work that well for you. I'm the same way, and I'd second Faerie's suggestion of calorie logging. It's great to get a general idea of your intake and to gather some data of when and what foods you tend to overeat.

I don't know what kinds of food you're eating now, but for me it helped a lot to reduce the amount of processed food and find yummy, nourishing, satisfying alternatives - check out the "superfoods" threads in this forum for some ideas! You don't have to revamp your whole way of living and eating at once, if that makes you uncomfortable - some people need this total change, but others (me included) are better off with small steps.

As for the elliptical: Faerie said it all - see what works for you, and build from there. The important thing is that you stick with it, and for that you have to find out what is doable for you - challenge yourself, but don't overwhelm yourself.

Once, again, welcome and hope to see you around!

Faerie, Heffalump
thanks alot for your warm welcomes..
first of all, i liked the elliptical advice.. i'll start from today...

as for question Heffalump, i lost weight in all the means you can imagine.. you can say i tried everything from the burning soup (cabbage soup diet) it worked like magic.. but i was told it is not healthy.. i tried the liquid diet as well -and lost most of the weight with this..
i gained at least 6 kg -almost 13lbs- after i took some fertility treatments -though my dr says they don't put on this much weight!! also when i went to another dr he said i didn't need them in the first place!!! so i believe it was combination of both the stress and the medicines..

Palms, welcome to 3FC!

You might like to check out the Exercise forum. There's a thread there called "Exercise Accountability" where you can report your daily exercise. Also, on some of the support forums there are "challenge" threads, where you can post a goal for yourself, whether it be a few pounds, or staying on plan with eating and/or exercise, then you can go back to that thread and report your progress, and get great support. Right now on the Calorie Counters forum we have an Easter Challenge thread going, it's not too late to join in, and I'm sure there will be another to follow when that one is over. Hope to see you around the forums!

is it ok if i started with the cabbage soup as a booster? it's full of fibers though it is not a life style but just for a while? can i find a group to share it with me here? how about the 21-day detoxing program? or just detoxing programs in general that are basically limited on unprocessed/cooked foods? or the lemonade diet -like the one Beonce made?