I would like to know if anyone would like to join me with some sort of group or thread and post our exchange plan and share how we are spending our exchanges. This would be helpful for ideas and accountability. We could include our weigh ins too. Anyone interested?

I'm game. I've been really lax about following my exchange plan, even though I have found some great tools to do so. I've decided that I'm going to revamp my plan a bit, and recommit to using it EVERY DAY.

http://healthy.hillbillyhousewife.co...gonabudget.htm

The hillbilly housewife website (link above) has some great exchange information/resources and plans for three carbohydrate levels and four calorie levels (so 12 different combinations of exchanges).

I use the 1500 calorie high protein plan, and then add 6 optional "flex" exchanges (that's about 500 calories) that I can "spend" as I wish on starch, fruit, dairy, or protein exchanges. So following my plan, my daily calorie counts and carb counts will vary somewhat from day to day (1500 to 2000 calories).

I also aim to choose whole foods for my exchanges whenever possible, and avoid processed foods. However, I wouldn't, for example, consider a piece of white bread as being "off plan." I would count it as one starch exchange. Although I know from experience that white flour and sugar often increase cravings and hunger (and as a result the chances of my going off plan), so I still have to carefully consider what I choose for my exchanges.

Exercise is also something I plan on incorporating in my plan, in a more structured way.

I would also love to join you guys. I had originally lost all my weight when weight watchers did the exchange plan. I also exercise and lift weights for an all around plan.

I am very interested in this but not sure how it works

This will be great. Willow, the exchange plan is basically calorie counting by food exchange. For instance, if you had cereal and milk for breakfast, you would measure appropriate portions and count them as 1 MILK and 1 BREAD.
I will add some info. Did you look at the hillybilly website? Check it out and you can decide which calorie level you would like to follow. There are options for higher carb plans vs. lower carb plans. Also, plans from 1200 calories a day and up. The following shows how many calories each exchange should count as.
The Following information may be helpful in creating your own customized food plan.

Bread Group: 80 calories, 15g carbohydrate and 3g protein


Vegetable Group: 25 calories, 5g carbohydrate and 2g protein

Fruit Group: 60 calories and 15g carbohydrate.

Protein: 55 calories, 7g protein and 3g fat.

Milk: 90 calories, 12g carbohydrate, 8g protein and less than 3g fat.

Fat: 45 calories and 5g fat

Free: Less than 20 calories and less than 5g carbohydrate

Other Carbohydrate: 80 calories, 15g carbohydrate and 3g protein. This category is used to replace a bread exchange.

Hope this helps. This is actually a very common and old way of losing weight. I believe the doctor would give you something like this if you had diabetes. This also is very similar to Richard Simmons Deal a Meal from years ago. Also, the old Weight Watchers.

How about we start a thread on Monday (or New Years Day) and share how we are spending our exchanges? What do you all think?

Sounds good, Monday works for me. Though I may not post until Tuesday, and Monday is our travel day home (five hours in the car, if weather is good, though on the way down here, it took us almost seven hours to get down because of bad weather and traffic jams because of bad weather).

Well I checked out the hillbilly site, the tops.org site and I pulled out my old weight watchers exchanage information so I am ready to go. I believe I have the old ww information on my computer if anyone wants a copy. Just pm me your email information and I will send it.

Bev

I'm really interested in this method... :: off to read the website you posted ::

Bev, the links do not work for me. I also sent you a PM with my email addy. Thanks.

Hello All

I would love to be a part of this also. I'm trying hard to find some exchanges cards I printed awhile ago and never used. They will be perfect. I glued them to playing cards(perfect fit). They really put me in mind of the Deal a Meal plan, I had that years ago also. Well I'm pretty excited, can't wait to hear more and read more posts.

So glad we have our own little group here. I have been doing some reading a calculating. I've decided that I will do a lower carb plan. This is what I came up with......

1300-1400 calories per day....

CARBS - 4
(fruits and breads)
PROTEIN - 14
VEG - 5
MILK - 1
FAT - 3
FREE - 3

This comes up to approx 1400-1500 calories, 120 grams protein and 112 carbs based on...


Bread Group: 80 calories, 15g carbohydrate and 3g protein


Vegetable Group: 25 calories, 5g carbohydrate and 2g protein

Fruit Group: 60 calories and 15g carbohydrate.

Protein: 55 calories, 7g protein and 3g fat.

Milk: 90 calories, 12g carbohydrate, 8g protein and less than 3g fat.

Fat: 45 calories and 5g fat

Free: Less than 20 calories and less than 5g carbohydrate

Other Carbohydrate: 80 calories, 15g carbohydrate and 3g protein. This category is used to replace a bread exchange.

Go to tops.org under tools they have something like this.

bev

I think I will do the High Carb plan (since I'm vegetarian and lean towards the carbs) at 1200 calories:

5 Bread Exchanges
4 Protein Exchanges
3 Veggie Exchanges
3 Fruit Exchanges
2 Milk Exchanges
3 Fat Exchanges
2 or 3 Free Exchanges

Thanks Bev I think that's where I got them from originaly. I was just trying to find the ones I glued to cards and all. If I can't find them(they maybe @ work) I will reprint.