So I have 6 months, and wanna lose 35-40 lbs.

I haven't dieted or tried to lose weight since before my last child. She's now 3, so saying I'm outta the Diet loop is putting it mildly!

I've had a friend tell me Alli was great, I've heard South Beach is too. I was on Atkins back in the day and lost pretty good on it.

Whatever diet I go with has to be cheap (hubby's only a SPC! LOL) and can't involve anything that will overwhelm my Kidneys as they're a little weak.

I'm incorporating nightly walks around the neighborhood, and hitting the Gym 3 times a week, but I'm clueless on food choices or whether or not to use Supplements.

What do you guys recommend?

Hey, me too - same time frame and same weight loss goal!!

The weather "officially" started being gorgeous and spring-y today, so I'm going to start with walks around post, too. That will be a big step for me, I tend to go totally dormant during the winter!!

South Beach is pretty good, my parents always lose weight on it - but usually gain at least a few lbs back eventually.

For me, I'm just going to take advantage of not needing to cook a ton of homemade food (i.e., making a meal with a pound of beef or chicken and splitting it/ eating as if 1/2 lb is a serving, which it's totally not - I won't even buy that much meat since I won't need it). I have a picky 2 year old who is happiest with sandwiches, chicken fingers, and fruit, so we will definitely go through a ton of fruit between the two of us! And I'll also pretty much never go out to eat, because I HATE going out to eat by myself! I always lose weight when he's gone from home, primarily because of the eating out reason, so I'm hoping this time will be the same.

If you have weak kidneys, one thing to keep in mind is that even with diet soda, to steer clear of dark sodas. I didn't know this, and I don't know if you do, but my neighbor is diabetic and she has a really hard time with her kidneys, and she has to really put a limit on the dark sodas, so she drinks mainly Sprite Zero.

I did not know that either! I drink 2-3 Diet Sodas a day, plus Sweet Tea has become a real problem for me since I moved to the South while he's gone! LOL

I've cut the Soda and Tea, bought Diet Green Tea and bottled Water (the city water here is awful!) and stocked the kitchen with fruit and chicken and salad. Other than that I don't know what to eat or when or how much!

It's just me and a 3 year old so I don't cook much. She's picky and prefers finger foods, mac&cheese and fruit. I'm the opposite of you though, since he left I've gained about 8-10lbs, because it became easier to grab this or order that.

He could care less, but a dress I bought for this Summer already doesn't fit (it did when I bought it dangit!) so....it's time to do something about it I say.

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since he left I've gained about 8-10lbs, because it became easier to grab this or order that.

There is a REALLY awesome book called Eat This, Not That - the original is mostly restaurant stuff, then they came out with a Supermarket version and a Kids version. The original has "smart" picks for most every major place, including fast food chains. Not to stay that the stuff is good for you, but it's "better" for you - i.e. a kid's meal at BK instead of a Whopper meal, or even having a Whopper Jr but just leave off the mayo, etc. It has the worst thing on the menu at each place vs. the "best" thing on the menu. When he's gone, I try to make my goal with eating out to force myself to make it Chik-Fil-A or Subway since those are both known for having some healthier stuff (and I just make myself lay off the cheese and sauces). It doesn't always work though. My husband's actually not gone yet, he leaves in the next week or two, but when he was in AIT after I had my son, I lost about 20 lbs! Lost another 5-10 when he was in Korea (closer I got to my goal weight the harder it became, hence the smaller number). I've since gained all of it back, so I would like to at LEAST get back to what I weighed at my best while he was in Korea - and if I can lose more on top of that, then great!

It's not really so much a diet but changing the way we eat. The problem with all of these "brand name" diets is that they are difficult to maintain for the rest of your life, even in maintenance mode. The typical woman needs about 1800 Calories to maintain weight. That is not a lot of food. Eat two Whoppers and you've basically blown your daily caloric intake. That's why those foods are so bad for you. These are the foods in "Eat This, Not That" on the Not That side.

There are a couple of things that help in maintaining weight without doing the expensive diets. Eat several small meals rather than just a couple of large meals. Eat foods with lots of fiber. They tend to have more bulk and you feel full faster. The old adage about chewing each bite 20 or 50 times, whatever it was, always works because this means that meals take longer and your "full indicator" can kick in.

If you eat five 300 Calorie meals a day then you are going to start losing weight because you are creating about a 300 Calorie deficit. With five meals, you won't be getting hungry that often so there is less temptation to snack. To give you an idea of a 300 Calorie meal, two packages of instant oatmeal have between 250-310 Calories. I'm not talking about the reduced sugar ones but the tastier ones like raisins and walnuts, or maple and brown sugar. Two packages of instant butter grits, to which I add three packages of sugar because I like sugar with my breakfast grains, is only about 240 Calories. The oatmeal has more fiber and I find that it fills me up better.

Of course, there is the Subway menu with low calorie sandwiches. Go with the wheat bread, or some multigrain bread, but you have to stay away from the mayo because that jacks the calories way up.

Combine all of this with an increase in your exercise regimen and the pounds will start coming off. The bad part is that I know all of this and then don't follow through which is why I need to lose about 40 pounds.

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I know all of this and then don't follow through which is why I need to lose about 40 pounds.

Me too!!!! It's so much easier in theory ...

You need to get yourself to a dietitian first and foremost. The general rules of "eat XXXX calories a day" is not going to cut it.
I'm 5'4 and my family doc informed me that in order for me to lose weight I am to take in only 1200/day. I eat less than that right now.
It's about what you eat, when you eat it, and the amounts of protein/fat/sugars, etc....and of course exercising.

Contact your Doc and find out who the dietitian is.

You're absolutely right, BAW. I forgot to add the standard disclaimer that comes with all weight loss programs. Consult your physician before starting any weight loss program.

I lost 55lbs the last time hubby was deployed-then went to work with a bunch of men who like to cook and eat at a job thats not real active and over a couple of years gained about half of it back. Soooo-i got myself in hand and went back to the gym and weight watchers and ive lost about 20 of it again-i still need to loose about 35 more to be where i want but hes leaving agian so there is hope..

I do weight watchers-what they call filling foods-because if i eat all the points they give me i gain-that amounts to about 1800 calories a day and its too much.
Bottom line what your burning has to be greater than what you are taking in-and weight watchers is a sensible "real food" program with no pills -my doctor is totally comfortable with it and i like the accountability of having someone else weigh me every week. its not super cheap however.
couple of suggestions for the OP-things tha work-if you can keep your intake to 10 calories per day x what you want to weight-i.e. if you want to weigh 120 eat 1200 calories a day and 15 calories per pound per day to main tain-thus no more than 1800 per day to maintain 120 regardless of the diet you are following. Think about the choices you are making ( a burrito at chipolte is about 1100 calories-if your eating less than 1200-thats the day-best choice?) And like BAW said-consult your doctor-he or she will have valuable suggestions. Also if you are living on an installation-our MTF here has nutrition support groups and couseling that might be helpful.
ETA-i just noticed your avitar is the 4th patch-if you are at carson now or when you get here send me an email thru my profile-i can help be your support group and point you to that nutrution program.

Yeah, we're stationed at Carson. I'm in North Carolina for the Deployment and unfortunately am quite a ways from Bragg.

The hubby is going to Airborne school after Iraq, and is currently working on getting us outta Carson because we hated it there! (No one ever understands that either, but alas, we do)

I've done some online snooping and was thinking of doing a combo type diet. Low-Fat and Low-Carb for breakfast, lunch and a snack then doing a Weight Watchers meal for dinner. Keeping the daily total within 1500 calories a day mind you, because that's what I've decided to shoot for.

I went for a walk around my neighborhood today because it was a GORGEOUS day, but quickly remembered that I live at the top of my rather hilly subdivision!

Upside is: I'll have some killer calves for wedge sandal season! LOL

Keep PLENTY of veggies available!! They are the lowest calorie food and are great for you!! I went through and printed a table that I found with calories of veggies and fruits. You'd be amazed at how much you can eat when you eat a lot of veggies! and how full you are! Plus water water water!

I got the charts from the daily plate or something like that online. Just google it and it should pop up.

And lke everyone else said, exercise and consult your dr.

I was told the other day by mine that women are noW I had "not" sorry being told to work out 50 mins 3-5x a week with weight training included in there. So 30 minuts of cardio and then 20 minutes of weights. Ths helps build the muscle which will help burn more calories and raise your metabolism, which means burning more fat!!

In the last few weeks I have pushed in some weight traing and have already lost 3 more pounds after been STUCK for the last several months.

Good luck!!!

This message has been edited. Last edited by: MattnJenG,

I'm also doing weight watchers, and agree with most everything said here. I was shocked at the little things I was putting in my mouth. It really helps me to write down what I'm eating and keep track of my "points" (which is basically a calorie/fat/fiber intake). I've cut down on snacking, and have found a lot of new treats that I really like (wholly guacamole 100 cal. packs spread over 2 warm mission corn tortillas. YUM!) that I wouldn't have tried before when I was eating whatever was on hand.

Good Job MattnJen!! I was doing a weight class in MD and could totally feel a difference. 3 lbs is GREAT!!

Thanks. I was NOT expecting it. I am very happy wth it even though i can't actually tell. I've had random people say things but my measurements are still the same, just the weight came off. Still trying to figure out where from. lol

I too write down EVERYTHING that I eat and what I do for exercise and give myself daily and weekly goals. It's a lot, but I have to to hold myself accountable. I measure almost everyday as well. They tell you it's not mentally safe to do that because you obsess over it, me on the other hand if I don't, then I won't hold myself accountable. I don't freak out if the measurements don't change from day to day though and a lot of people would.

Find what works for you. But really the veggie idea is great because it helps you not feel as hungry while you are learning how to portion food right.

Hey mfamily, are you out there? I thought I'd check on you and see if you've made any progress in the past week or so. I'm working on getting my calories under control/resisting the urge to eat out because of the convenience, and today I went on my first walk on-post! It was only 20 minutes but considering how out of shape I know I am, it was a great start. I figured I could maybe take the next week or two and make it a goal to add like an extra 5 minutes on to that every day - if I can get it up to an hour a day, then that'd be awesome. How're things going with you?

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Originally posted by orchidj5:
Bottom line what your burning has to be greater than what you are taking in.

That's absolutely right. I've quite trying all the types of diets, the supplements, the plans, etc.....I do keep Slim Fast in my pantry, but that's just for the days when I'm running behind and have no time to cook. I usually end up only drinking one or two a week.

I even stopped buying fat free mayo, dressings, etc....b/c they made me want to eat other stuff with taste. Now I buy full fat stuff (except milk - we drink the skim b/c we drink a few glasses a day) and I just use less of it. Makes me feel like I've actually eaten something. Don't get me wrong, DH and I actually like some fat free dressings, just not all.

I'm down 15 pounds from my highest. I just keep telling myself, "Calories in versus calories out."

I try to eat healthy and exercise and have decided that that is the way I'm doing it from now on. It's the only plan I can live with forever.

I also don't believe in that saying, "Never let yourself get hungry." I eat three full meals, but maybe a snack in between. If I get hungry, I eat something. If I'm not hungry, I don't eat. That is what got me here to begin with - constantly thinking about food and it stressing me out over when to eat, what to eat, oops it's 2:45 time to eat this or that so that at 5 I can have this. Eeeehhhhhh, it's too much thinking for me. Hehehehaha.

I keep it simple. Eat healthy when I'm hungry, exercise when I can, drink plenty of water.

Saw this thread and just thought I'd throw my 2 cents in. I've lost 28 lbs in 5 months. I mainly just try and eat healthy, watch my portiions and calories. It's amazing when you start counting calories how it effects your choice in what your eating. I used spark people to track my calories, it let's you put in what you've eaten for b,l,d and snacks and adds up the calories for you.

With that I started riding the excercise bike at the gym(there's an AF base real close and since we have mil. id's from hubby being in ARNG I could use their gym, no cost). I now have my own ex. bike at home, bought it at Wal-mart, it's Gold's gym bike and I love it. Keeps track of distance,time,calories, heart rate, has a built in fan and comfortable. I ride every morning 30 mins. I started using an ex. ball to do crunches too, couple months ago, and I can see how my stomach is changing shape!! I never in a million years thought I could do all this, but deployment gave me a great reason!!

I have 6lbs to lose and I'm at my goal!!! I quit smoking too same time, been 5 months!!

To all of you that are working your butt's off, great job!!! If I can do it, you can do it. And I sure wish I would've measured myself in the beginning, I'd love to know how many inches I've lost. Especially because in the beginning, it wasn't showing on the scale, but I could tell in my clothes. I think alot of people get discouraged because of that.

Shoot go on line, find the weight calculator, you can figure out how many caloreis you can have and how many you need to burn per day, per week to meet your goal.

I agree with all. And congrats to all of us for working on losing that weight! I sort of combine Weight Watchers, South Beach, and Sonoma diets. I use the Weight Watchers online to track my food intake and get recipes. But at the same time, I have South Beach Diet and Sonoma Diet books which I get recipes out of.

What you eat is very important. There are the 10 power foods that I have learned through South Beach and Sonoma diets (which are basically mediterranean diets). The 10 power foods are olive oil, tomatoes, spinach, whole grains, blueberries, strawberries, broccoli, almonds, grapes, (including wine), and bell peppers. I incorporate these foods in my daily consumption.

I also consume a lot of fish, mostly salmon.

Exercise, exercise and exercise. When my DH was deployed, my way of relieving stress was running. I ran off so much weight it wasn't funny!

Good luck!

I'm only down 5lbs since I posted this thread...and now I have a month less time to work with cuz they're comin home early!

I now have 4 months to lose 30lbs.....still do-able!

Very doable!!!!!!!!!

Have you guys ever heard of any Beachbody programs such as Slim in 6? It's a home exercise program designed for weight loss with the woman's body in mind. It's a 6 week program and you can lose around 25 lbs in that time, just by following the program (exercise and nutrition). The program also comes with a nutritional guide giving you ideas on meals and different foods you can eat that will help you lose weight.

Beachbody also has other products that you could choose from that work very well. I just finished Round 1 of P90X (extreme workout program) and I went from 200 lbs and 29% body fat to 169 lbs and 10% body fat in my first 90 days. If you any of you have ANY questions about what Beachbody has to offer, feel free to contact me and I can give you all the information you need.