Seeking Diet That Works

I want to second the 30 day Shred by Jillian Michaels. I've been doing it for the last 13 days, I'm already down 4 lbs. I've also been watching my diet, no pop, and more water. It's a short workout, 25 minutes total.

Hello D.,

Keep in mind there is no diet that works for one person. Diets should be based on bio-individuality. I health coach Moms to be on the top of their game to have more energy, better health and sense of well being. I do free health histories to see if one is interested in having a health coach and improving their over all health and lose those extra pounds AND keep them off. I can email you a Health History and have a free phone consultation.
All the best,
D.

I went to the Nutrition Clinic in Arlington Heights. They give you a meal plan for a certain number of calories and it is very easy to follow. They will also give you medication if you would like. I went and got a 1200 calorie meal plan and medication and I have lost 13 pounds. There is one in Arlington Heights or Rockford.

Sparkpeople.com is a free website that can track your nutritional intake, exercise and provides support. I think the keys to weightloss are portion control, eating healthy foods, water and exercise.

When the weather is nice, throw the kids in the stroller and walk to the park. If you have a jogging stroller, you can jog with them. When my kids were little, we'd go to the Riverwalk in Naperville. They'd get a lovely view of ducks and geese, and I'd get in a great work out while walking with them in the stroller. There's also a really nice playground on the other side of Centennial Beach. My kids still like to go there and play.

You can also go to your local library and rent work out DVDs. You can do these when the kids are napping.

I was in the same boat as you this past fall and lost 28 pounds in about 4 1/2 months doing the following. I still have a tummy to tighten up but I'm now 5 pounds from my wedding weight!
1) Workout; 3-4 times a week
At least 30 minutes cardio where you are sweating by the end of it. Then do weights. If you don't have access to weights then subsitute these things you can do at home - push-ups, tricep dips, crunches (on a ball preferably) squats, lunges and calf raises.
2) I tracked my food everyday on www.fitday.com. It's a free site. It adds up everything for you as well as breaks out how many carbs/proteins/fats you've had. It's really helpful. Try to get more or equal protein to carbs each day.
3) Here are the foods I stuck to as much as possible. I am 5'6" and tried to keep my calorie intake to 1,400 - 1,500 each day. I ate breakfast, a snack, lunch, a snack and dinner.

Breakfast options –
Egg beaters and turkey breakfast sausage (1 link)
Oatmeal
Plain yogurt and add your own fruit, otherwise the fruit on the bottom stuff but it has a lot of sugar.

Snack options –
Yogurt
Fruit (apples, banana, berries, prunes, oranges, melon, grapes)
Veggies (baby carrots, cucumber, pea pods, tomatoes, broccoli, cauliflower)
Cottage cheese
Reduced fat string cheese
Almonds/Walnuts/Sunflower Seeds
Hummus with cucumbers or wheat pita

Meals –
Tuna Salad
Grilled Chicken Breast
Turkey (fat free dressing with tomato and cucumber)
Roast beef
Ground sirloin or extra lean red meat
Pork tenderloin
Ham
Fish
Seafood

Sides –
Sweet potato
Potato
Brown rice
Corn
Whole wheat pasta
Lentils
Chickpeas
Black beans
Pinto beans
Whole grain breads

AVOID!!
Carbohydrates
Processed foods

I hope this helpful for you!

I'm 5' 3" and weighed 164 lbs in January. For various reasons including a gene that is linked to heart disease found after two miscarriages I decided to get serious about taking proper care of myself.

My MIL found a bunch of books on dieting, eating and lifestyle changes at the thrift store...often they hadn't even been cracked open. I started to research and glean what would work for me. I started an email group that includes a nutritionist, two nurses, several teachers, a body builder friend and others.

I'm now down to 138 lbs. I've lost three or four inches as well. I started walking a 22 minute mile on my treadmill that my hubby bought me for my birthday at Walmart. I can now do a 15 minute mile.

I also went on realage.com I took the tests and signed up for their email newsletters. I also did the same at nationalbodychallenge.com

The books I found to be most helpful were

The Portion Plan ...How to eat the foods you love and still lose weight

Prevention Magazines ...The Perfect Weight

And I get lots of good info from Reader's Digest each month.

Finally, here is a simple outline of the things that has helped me the most:

I keep an eating log in which I write down everything I eat...if I bite it, I write it. It was time consuming at first, but it only took about three weeks to memorize most everything I eat. Be honest about serving sizes and don't forget to add the oils that you cook in.

I plate my meals differently now...half my plate are veggies with little or no sauce. Then I add a piece of meat no bigger than a deck of cards and about 1/2 cup of a starch.

I make sure I eat 5 to 10 servings of fruits and veggies..the fresher the better.

The fresher the better and very little from boxes or packages.

There are tons of sites for healthy recipes...foodnetwork has a healthy recipe section, eatingwell.com, the Diabetic Association has good recipes, and I just recieved a book from a friend called Cooking Yourself Thin.

I weight myself daily to keep myself focused.

I email my group about once or twice a week to stay accountable.

I look at my kids and think about them whenever I try to quit. This is for life and this is for them. I'm 41 years old and they are little...I need to be healthy.

I would like to have one more child, but I have to start out healthier than the last time...it was rough because of my weight.

I know you said you can't pay a sitter everytime....but some gyms do free childcare. The vaughn athetic center in aurora, charges $2 per kid per hour. So if you wanted to take the kids with you, they can play and it would cost you $4 for an hour...and if you don't have a membership but are a resident of the Fox Valley Park District, it would cost you $8 to work out and $4 for childcare for 1 hour.

I have lost about 38 pounds since January doing nothing but portion control and exercise. I think the portion control is the biggest reason. You will be hungry the first couple if weeks but eventually your body will adjust. We bought an ellipitical last summer and I used it off and on when we got it but I did not adjustmy eating habits until January. I was 192 pounds around Christmas, most of that was pregnancy weight. My son is 3.5 so it took me a long time to get to pre-pregnancy weight. I am now 8 pounds lighter than I was when we conceived. I also started using the free iPhone app lose it to help me keep track of what I am eating. Good luck.

Look at Mannatech-Osolean. The best, healtiest, all natural, good for your health in many ways. I have been looking for best natural way for long time. Mannatech company is after my search better for your health than Melaleuca, Shacklee, store brands. Definitely worth checking out. Osolean you just drink 20 min. before meal twice a day. Look at www.mannatech.com All best for you. M.

hello Darleen. i lost my baby weight with the Flexitarian Diet by Dawn Jackson Blatner. You can find the book on Amazon. It is a primarily vegetarian diet, but has meat options too. I lost about 35#s in 3 months. I would HIGHLY recommend this to any one. Dawn is also a dietian here in Chicago.

J.

Weight Watchers worked for me after my second. I was so skeptical but went with my sister and was pleasantly surprised - a wonderfully supportive environment and the education I needed about food.

I never had a weight issue before so I was lost - I thought a bagel and cream cheese was a great healthy low fat breakfast. WRONG! Just make sure you shop around for the right meeting and instructor, It makes all the difference.

I would also encourage you to not try it online. That weekly weigh in is an amazing motivator.

I lost 10lbs in a little over two weeks because I drank an 8oz glass of water and waited about 10-15 minutes before I ate a meal. I don't know about anyone else but, a glass of water actually curbs my appetite. Also, my normal food intake, I cut in half. You don't actually fill full until about 15 minutes later. It worked for me, it just might work for you. Good luck and God bless!

My advice is low carb. I lost 70 lbs in 5 months by eating low carb basically eggs, sald, vegtables and some meat. I made soups and stuff I kinda just tried to make it low carb but healthy as well. I also kept it low fat. After a week i got used to it. I also joined the y they have free babysitting my older kids love it. My 22 month old wont go to the nursery though so that makes it hard but its worth a try ... We love the y. Good Luck!

Check out our "Fit Mom Challenge" going on right now with Big Belly Fitness (www.bigbellyfitness.net). We have all types of fitness and nutrition programs for moms and moms-to-be. Tonight we actually have a free "support group" meeting to help moms with the nutrition aspect of health and fitness. We have moms who have lost 60-70 pounds plus participating in our FUN programs.

Losing weight is not all about losing weight what I saying just change your eating habit and take supplement all natural of course! and start off with a good colon cleanser.

Hi D.,
Your right there is no such thing as quick weightloss, this is a lifestyle and I've been living it for 5 yrs. I also am married with 3 children and would love to help and team up. Many blessings,T.
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Try the Biggest Loser workout videos - they really work - I have tried the Power Sculpt and Cardio Max and it really worked in about 6-8 weeks.

D., there are some interesting web sites out there but the one the is really helping me is "SparkPeople.com" They have a fitness program with excercises that you can do at home, a nutrition program with meal suggestions, and a great support group. There is one component that allows you to track the nutrional value of ALL the food you eat, making it easier to track your calories, carb, fats and proteins. Tracking my food helps me really think more carefully about what I eat.It's been a slow process, about 3 months, but I am losing the weight and feeling good! Good luck!

You may want to try this book: Low Glycemic Meals in minutes. I found a link for you to read about the importance of low glycemic meals when trying to lose/maintain weight.

Here's the link:http://www.lowgimeals.com/Pages/home.html

Good luck!

PS--Be sure to drink lots of water and at least 30 min. of walking/day.

With my pregnancies, I have to be on a low carb diet due to gestational diabetes. I have been able to maintain good weight after two pregnancies Try eating less carbs per day (sweets and from bread group). So when you eat a meal, eat no more than 60 carbs per meal. If you have snacks in between, eat no more than 30 carbs per snack. In order to keep fuller longer, make sure you have a good source of protein at every meal. Drink plenty of water. You should see a difference with just that and it's not very difficult. You can actually have a grilled chicken salad and something sweet and be well within 60 carbs. Good luck!

I strongly reco the South Beach Diet. Check out all the books you can at the library and make copies of the recipes that sound good to you. You can also find some online. I lost 16 lbs in 2 months with working out at least twice a week. It was hard but when I kept seeing the weight loss each week, then I stayed motivated. Best wishes!!!

I have always done Weight Watchers, it is the most effective weight losss program there is. It's not a diet, it's lifestyle change. I also have just recently started the 30 day Shred, a 20 minute workout by Jillian Michaels (the trainer from the Biggest Loser) that combines cardio, strength training & abs. I love it! It's really intense and you have to really want to do it and stay focused...I'm on day 11 and sometimes I want to quit although I love that I am seeing results already. It says on the cover -- 'Lose up to 20 lbs in 30 days.' I think it's possible, I don't think I'll lose 20, because I only have 20-25 to lose, it's the people who have more than that to lose that lose big #'s like that generally. I guarantee that this video is going to make me stronger and I am going to lose inches -- the scale doesn't really mean a whole lot to me because I want to fit in my clothes better and that's already happening. What I really like about it, is that you only have to commit to 20 minutes a day! I am a singe mother to an almost 2 1/2 year old and I work full-time, so he is in daycare for 8 hours everyday and I can't bear the thought of taking him to the gym for another hour out of the day to be babysat while I work out. I don't feel good about it. I bought my dvd online, but I have seen ____@____.com you start to do it, let me know -- I have several facebook friends who I have encouraged to start doing it as well and maybe we can add you to our email list and help encourage you along the way.

If you have Comcast, the on-demand section has 100's of free workout segments. Likewise, pick up a copy (or rent from the library) Jillian Michael's Thirty Days to Shred video. Or... e-mail me. I am an aerobics instructor and was back teaching at 6 weeks postpartum with both of my kids.

Hi D.,

If you're looking for strictly making dietary changes, check into the Paleo diet. You'll eliminate grains, sugars and processed foods from your diet, and I promise you'll never feel better. I've gone from a size 12 to a size 4 by combining the paleo diet with CrossFit. My husband and I own a gym in Lakemoor where we hold CrossFit classes 6 days a week. We have a lot of members who bring their kids, and let them play in the waiting room. (I'm not sure how old your kids are)

Anyways, CrossFit is fun and motivating. Google search CrossFit Fire if you're interested. If you check out the website, you'll also find my before & after pictures on there under the "coaches" page.

Take care and good luck!

J. Y.

Read "Fat is a Feminist Issue" this is the sanest of diet books.....We can give up many things, but we must develop healthy attitudes towards food and ourselves.

Body By God, by Ben Lerner. Not a diet. Change your eatibng habits...for life. Not a low - or no carb diet. Eatig food made by God, not man. Also, type of food your eating and the time of day. High carb in the a.m.....high protein in p.m. IT WORKS!!!!! I'm a mom of 3 and a fitness instructor. I've never lost weight more quickly and healthier after having a baby as when I've combined exercise with this way of eating. I've also seen it work for many other people. It's not only about weight. It will make you healthier...and you'll feel it!

I lost 14 lbs 17 inches and 4.5% body fat.
www.get-rid-of-belly-fat.com
After I lost the 14, my daughter decided to drop some weight and lost 28lbs. Both of us have kept it off! The Maintenance part of the program is easy. The way I look at it, I will never be heavy again. This program worked.

Exercise is part of the program. The cost was great. I have to admit, I saved money. The cost per meal was far less than what I was buying. The hard part was to remember, you aren't buying what you were buying AND this, you buy this and stop buying the other stuff. IF you eat on a daily basis, the money is there, just took a little while for me to figure that out.

Good luck hope it works!

Honestly - I have 2 children and did not have time for exercise. Weight Watchers is the ONLY program that has ever worked for me. I have lost 30 lbs each time I've done it - and my hubby does it as well. I can't stress enough how easy it is to do and that you will see results! Good luck...

Join womans work out world they have free day care and some great classes all included in you membership. Eating it the evening is the worst for weight loss. Stop that and you'll see lbs come off. walks are good but to see a loss there you must pick up the pace and get your heart pumping.

If you are near Naperville, you can see Dr. Wasson. I've been seeing him since July. My husband has lost 30 pounds and kept it off. I've lost 25, cheated (got off his plan), gained 10 and am now back on and lost the 10 again.

His whole idea is to change your metabolism, so it's not short term at all. It's rather a long term plan, but if you stick with it, you can reset your metabolism. It's hard work (sticking to his plan), and it's very, very little workout. I believe month 2 (or what I call phase 2) is when he requires you to do 5 minutes of working out per day. He'll tell you exactly which exercises to do. You basically do 5 different ones at 1 minute each.

His website is: http://www.naturalalternativemedicineofchicago.com/id15.html

If you can't open that, google "chad wasson, Naperville". He's a naturopath - therefore he doesn't believe in medicine.

Most doctors don't believe in naturopathy because they get kickbacks from the drug companies when they prescribe certain medicines, but I've since learned that natruropathy doctors not only have go thru the same schooling as a "regular" doctor, but to specialize in natruopathy, they require even more education than the typical doctor.

I did weight watchers both before my first child and after my second. It really works. It teaches you the right portion size and better food options. You can eat what you want but if you choose more unhealthy options, you won't get to eat as much as you would choosing a healthier option. You also lose the weight at a healthy rate. I had less than 10 lbs to lose after my second and ended up losing more than 20 lbs in 4 months and over a year later I've still kept the weight off. It did take about a month before I really noticed losing any weight and I was very strict with myself for the first 4 months. After I lost the weight I wasn't as strict and am still able to keep the weight off.

I had great success with weight watchers. I did the online points program. What I liked about it is, because you are keeping track of what you eat, it really made you so much more conscious of what you were eating on a daily basis. I lost 22lbs in 12 weeks on that plan. I did not attend meetings, but I have had friends who have done it that way and were successful as well. Best of luck!

The best thing I have done is start a food journal. When I wrote down everything I ate I was amazed to see how much food I could do with out. Try it for a week and you will be surprised too !

Also increase your water intake, it helps your stomach to think it is full. I drink about 100 oz. of water everyday.

Good luck to you.

Dieting is not the answer. First, start with the book, Fit For Life. Read and see what can work for you. Processed foods are a no no. In moderation is fine. We need to make sure we are purchasing more FRESH fruits and veggies. Watching our portions is also important. If you have stairs at home. Use them and go up and down 50 - 100 times a day. Sit ups, push ups, these are all things we can do at home. I have the wii fit and it has some great exercises to participate in. The boxing, yoga, and hula hoops are great! Jogging, Swimming, bike riding, these are great! We just have to STOP and do it. All the work we do for our home, it will still be there. JUST DO IT!

Hi D.,
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Please view my website at www.ardysslife.com/lljbcreativesolution

You will see the list of products along with information on how they work. In addition to the first step which is internal, we have a body garment that actually repositions your body and helps you regain better posture and muscle control called BODY MAGIC. Please take a look before saying NO. These products literally "Change your Life". I am a distributor because I am a believer and use the products myself.

A little about me:
Health challenges including diet rendered me bed-ridden for months. Learned about the Ardyss products and literally changed my life.

Weightwatchers online is a great tool to help track what you eat, your exercise, weight etc. Like the others have said, it is with real food you would buy at the store. If you cannot go to a gym or something similar, you can get an exercise band or handweights to use at home and take your girls for walks when possible. Also, if you have stairs in your home, use them. Self.com (the magazine) is a great resource for exercises you can do at home.

You need to cut out as much sugar as possible and junk food, watch your portions and fat intake and exercise, exercise, exercise (outdoors). Walk to the park or anywhere. Do you have a double stroller/jogging stroller? I lost a lot of weight running with the kids. I lost the 10-15 pounds after the birth of my second child by running. I'm still working it off after my 4th. So far only 2 dress sizes. You can also eat healthier by replacing snacks with fruits and veggies and feel fuller by adding whole grain, increasing your water intake. If you keep a journal of all you normal eat, it will help you see how much (many calories) you consume in one day. Good luck.

I just scrolled through the responses quickly, and didn't see anyone else mentioning the Cinch program by Shaklee. I've been using it since the end of January and have lost 16 pounds. My favorite part about it is it comes with a computer program that has helped me learn to eat healthy. It tracks all my calories and exercise.
If you'd like to know more, feel free to send me a message or check out the website.
www.cinchplan.com/rkklemm

D., I know how you feel! Both myself and my husband needed to drop some pounds after our daughter was born. We found a great program called Core 4. It is four products that work together and in just two months I lost 6 pounds and my husband lost 14 pounds! The best part is that we did not change what we ate! You can visit www.c4weightloss.com and click on the orange tab to order. There is a money back guarantee so you have nothing to lose. We have also kept the weight off and still eat want we want, but not too much! lol

Good luck!

B.

Our local YMCA has a workout circuit similiar to Curves and has free child care. Their workout circuit is called Strive and consists of 13 different machine stations and you spend about 2 minutes at each one. I have seen good results and I can do it even if I only have 30 minutes to spare. Check out your local YMCA and see what they have.

I actually work out infront of my kids. I think it sets a good example that they see me doing something good for myself and it gives me an opportunity to talk to them about how to stay healthy and how good it makes me feel. My daughter (who is 3 1/2) will exercise with me for a few minutes then go play, then come back and exercise. I use my DVR to record programs from FIT TV or use TaeBo videos. Also, I watch what I eat. Good luck - I'm also working on that last 10 lbs from my son who is 8 mo old.

Definitely Weith Watchers!!! It works!

You can do Weight watchers. They have an online program. This is real food, not thiers. I have lost with this program in the past. It is not a quick weight loss, but rather a steady one. I had great luck last time, I lost the weight and kept it off for a few years. Now I am back on trying to lose the weight that I gained from my son and quitiing smoking. Good luck

The best diet that I have seen work for many people is basically a diabetic diet. Low-to-no sugar, cut out the starches (white bread, white pasta and such), drink mainly water. My friend did this when she had gestational diabetes and she lost weight and my father-in-law was about to be put on pills for diabetes and lost 50 pounds in just a few months. My husband and I have done this and lost weight as well. You can eat a normal amount of food, but now you are eating mainly vegetables and protein. Whole, healthy foods are the key. Good luck!

Weight Watchers!! I had my two little ones back to back so really packed on the pounds (although I've always had weight issues). I tried Weight Watchers online and it really works!

Also, being that I have a 1 and 2 year old I don't have a lot of time to workout but I heard about the 30 Day Shred by Jillian Michaels (Biggest Loser trainer) and it's AMAZING! It's really hard core but it's only like 25 minutes so it's easily doable.

Between Weight Watchers, the workout video, and taking the girls for walks (weather permitting) I have lost 50 lbs in about 9-10 months. Throughout my life I have been on every diet known to man kind, worked out in gyms, took classes, and have never seen results like this.

Hope this helps and good luck!!!