Reader Diet and Weight Loss Tips Collection Part III

Readers Write In More Tips  

• I like regular food -- no diet foods for me. We usually end up eating more of it because it wasn't satisfying in the first place. And feel so deprived. The cost isn't cheap either. If you can keep your quantity down, try eating EVERYTHING IN MODERATION.  But ALSO one thing, eat the BEST ice cream bar, the BEST choc. candy, the BEST cookie..... (singular--hard to do, huh???? when in the store, buy a single one only) Remember the old adage--don't go into the grocery store, hungry, though. Also I like FIT FOR LIFE regarding fruit-only-for-breakfast. But then I'm not a breakfast person, yet its so easy to do. Then I have a nice lunch and light dinner. I know, "easy for me to say" LOL. From: Gaye M. <@hevanet.com>
• Eat Shredded Wheat for breakfast it seems to be the only cereal which fills you up until lunch. I found that I didn't get hungry until a much later time. From: Pam Collins <@sbphrd.com>
• Here's a tip that the doctor told me: When ever you get cravings for something that you have no business with while you are on a diet...eat it, because if you don't, you're probably eat up the whole refrigerator From: Joyce Eggleston <@erols.com>
• My husband was 20 pounds overweight and went to an Acupuncture doctor. She told him to eat 1/2 cup of white or brown rice and a Dill pickle for each meal (nothing else) and drink plenty of water for two weeks to cleanse his system. He followed her suggestion and lost 20 pounds and has kept it off. He weighs every morning and if he is a pound or two overweight he eats rice for a meal and his weight goes back to normal. If he eats a big meal or two (Holidays) he just eats rice for a meal or two afterwards and maintains his weight. From: Dorothy B <@flash.net>
• When I am dieting it helps to keep a diary. I write down what I'm feeling when I want to binge and I praise myself for my little successes. It keeps me motivated. I also read back over it every so often and I realize how far I've come. From: Ray T. <@powerup.com.au>
• * When I am hungry, I pop a Jolly Rancher in my mouth. I carry them with me wherever I go. They are fat-free and they curb your appetite. I know, I know - yes, there is sugar in them but they just seem to do the trick better than veggies or fruit sometimes.
• * The evening is REALLY hard for me so I just try my darndest not to be a couch potato. I found that when I get on the computer that I can stay on it for hours and I totally lose track of time and the hunger I had previously been feeling. Or I will grab a book and turn everything off in the house (noisewise) and just read away. If you can get your mind off of it, that is the key! From: Zeny <@aol.com>
• The only problem with weight charts as I see it is that they are sometimes unrealistic. I am a male, 48 years of age. My frame is large. I am 6 feet even and weigh 220. All charts that I have ever seen indicate that I am terribly obese.
• However, I work out frequently, both strength and aerobic training. I am a former athlete who played college football. This past week, I had a fat analysis. Results: Fat listed as 17.6%. Lean muscle mass listed as 180 pounds. Granted there might be an error factor with the machine -- but it couldn't be off that much. From: Loren <@hooked.net>
• If you plan to go on a diet, tell a friend!! if a friend is planning to go on a diet, start together! The key is ACCOUNTABILITY...when we're alone and reach for the fridge for that last slice of cheesecake, no one else knows but you...and it's easier to cheat. It's important to have a support system so that someone can keep you accountable AND SUPPORT and ENCOURAGE you...trust me...it helps a bunch! Affirmations are as important as gentle chidings... From: Edward K. <@wcis.com>
• I have lost almost 70 pounds in 1.5 years and the changes are unbelievable. I went from size 20 to size 10, and I want to lost about 20 lbs. more. The most important change i made was deleting beef, pork, and poultry from my diet. My health improved and the pounds melted away. I drink at least 8 cups of water per day and have fish once a day. Other proteins include beans. If someone told me that I would wear a size 10 in 1996, I would have bet against myself. I can move around much easier and wear clothes I never thought was possible. Please, do yourselves a huge kindness and lose the weight. Best of luck From: Malath (@nomvs.lsumc.edu)
• My best advice is to find low fat foods that taste good, and never deprive yourself. I lost 70 lbs. last year, and never felt hungry. I now wear a size 6. Ideas are: Special K Eggo waffles with thawed pre-sweetened strawberries and lite cool whip for breakfast (my personal fast favorite) A piece of fruit at 10:30 am to keep the metabolism up, forget fries at lunch. I ate between 20 & 30 grams of fat a day, but made them count! salads for lunch with fat free (now don't make a face) wish bone honey mustard dressing- excellent! Especially with a lot of veggies on top and a can of swanson chicken breast meat, add a baked potato with molly and about 1/2 tblsp. butter- chow down all you want. You can always have a bowl of cereal with 1% milk anytime. I saved my fat grams for dinner most of the time when i am with my family, but still we eat alot of grilled chicken breasts and baked fish. I found that dessert was okay to have- hot fudge sundaes, root beer floats- just do a small one. When you think about it, what you really crave is the taste of it, but once you get a taste, the rest doesn't taste more and more better. So have a little one with regular or low fat ice cream and go on with things that make you stronger mentally or physically. You can do Joyce Vedrall's definition work out while you watch your favorite tv show. You just have to know in your heart that you are worth being who you want to be, and go for it. Also, I never put anything in my mouth without knowing how many fat grams it has. Never. From: Loretta B. <@airmail.net>
• Losing Weight - YOU have to be ready to do it...no one can do it for you! I've been on a program to learn new eating habits, select foods with less fat grams, drink 8-10 glasses of water a day, and since starting this on January 17/96 I've lost 46 lbs. I have many lbs to go but, for some reason which I can't explain, am positive my goal will be achieved. Feel wonderful, much more energy, have gone down 4 dress sizes, and am enjoying each and every day. Many many diets are in my past and I'm sure that in the past 26 years the lbs that have been lost, and then regained (+10 extra each time) must surely add up to 100 lbs. What finally got me on this final program? Well, my son took my picture a year ago this July and I couldn't face how truly obese I had become. First I thought - this can't be how I look and then, when it struck home, my second thought was - how can I do this to myself? So, after many sleepless nights I found the program that is proving right for me. It is possible to turn yourself around and head down the right track - it isn't easy, but the rewards are overwhelming. Drinking 10 glasses of water a day, eating properly, and the encouragement from my husband and the rest of our family, and friends, is helping each and every day. From: "Support" <@idirect.com>
• I always used to find myself eating in front of the tv. Now whenever I sit down in front of the tv, I also sit down with one of my crafts. Usually cross stitch. Try any craft that will keep your hands busy and allow you to see the boob tube. From: Patty <@sympatico.ca>
• Years ago I had a roommate who would brush her teeth every time she felt she was going to eat something she shouldn't, or sometimes she would abruptly stop munching on a bag of chips and go brush those pearly whites. At the time I thought it was peculiar, but now it doesn't sound like such a bad idea - especially since I'm now overweight and she stayed very slender through the years! It certainly couldn't hurt! From: Grace <@BRIGHT.NET>
• 1. Serve your main meal on a "side plate" instead of a dinner plate. Your quantity will naturally be less. 2. Remove all your clothes, sit on the floor in front of a mirror and eat your meal. If you are grossly overweight, you will really be put off overeating !! From: Linda F. <@igubu.saix.net>
• I used to starve all day eat at night and go to bed (the typical American diet). Then I started getting what I would call food hangovers and decided it was time for a change. I would go ride my bike around a small lake in my neighborhood until I had gone 15 miles. If I had an early dinner this would take until 9:00 or 10:00 at night, the prime snake time). After a while of this, I pushed my "big meal" to earlier in the day and I now go to the gym almost every day. I have gained weight but it isn't fat. I try to keep food on me, apples, carrots, or something like that. By doing that, I can avoid fast food. The other day I couldn't believe that I was actually craving something that wasn't disgustingly fatty. You can crave good food, and you can live life without suffering another food hangover!!! I could go on and on but I'll make a long story not any longer....From: Karen K.
• This maybe for a teenager, rather than an adult,---- if you don't have a terrific pic of yourself--- At the age of 13, I took the ones I admired MOST (closest to what i COULD TRULY imagine myself to be from magazines, and put them in a scrapbook. Which I glanced at quite frequently, like a most private wish book. Well, I am that image I dreamed of. And by the way I had a passport photo of my mother which I had admired at that age too. She was at the age of 27 and NOW I look like that same photo--at age 47.of all things. I believe in visualization. Reality comes from all imagination. Gaye M. <@hevanet.com>
• 1) Try eating with your non-dominant hand, or chopsticks (if you're not good with them). This will cause you to slow down when eating and think about what you put into your mouth. 2) CROSSTRAIN! This forces different muscles to be worked, toning your overall body better than just sticking with one machine. From: Marlissa H. <@MKG.COM>
• I lost 80 pounds nine years ago and have kept it off. First I want people who are stuggling to lose weight to know that it can be done. Also wanted to add a few tips that I've found have worked for me; these reflect lots of what I've done over the years and what I've read and then incorporated: Write down everything that you eat--I do it everyday and it keeps me on track following the low fat, high carb/fiber mostly vegetarian diet and don't starve yourself. Legalize food: stop saying food is good, bad, legal, illegal. If you really want it and you're HUNGRY, then eat it and enjoy it. If it's not in your eating plan, adjust for the extra fat or calories; don't berate yourself. This is a lifetime eating plan and you have to live in the real world and we're going to want to eat chocolate or French fries sometimes. As your eating changes, you won't want this kind of food as often. Move almost every day. Try to get in 30 mins of activity everyday, even if it's 2, 15 mins. walks--MOVE. Hope this helps from This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
• Take the kids to a fun place and walk a long time.
• Here's a partial quote I say to myself when I want to cheat: "Even though I overeat in private, my excess poundage is there for all the world to see how foolish I have been." Those words help me not to cheat and help me stick to my goal of weight loss. From: Donna E. <@ainop.com>
• My mother gave me a great tip. When eating food, think of it as live food or dead food. Live food is your fruits and vegetables, and other healthy food. Dead food is stuff like potato chips, and cookies. Eat the live food and and feel lively. Eat the dead food and be a deadbeat! From: Rick <@buttercup.cybernex.net>
• I made up a personal 'mantra', I keep this little phrase handy when faced with a temptation or a lazy day:
• "I want - I can - I will"
• (e.g. I WANT to get slim, I CAN get slim, I WILL get slim - or keep to the exercise and eating regime, work to get great abs etc). And visualise! From: Jaana M. <@vuw.ac.nz>
• In my personal experience I have noticed that I will eat when I am not hungry when other things in my life aren't going quite right. If my husband and I are short on money, if the number of pounds I expected to come off didn't, etc. The depression that can come from these circumstances can then lead to eating. If I can pinpoint the fact that I am not really hungry, then I can choose to either deal with the emotions or feed them. It's up to me. If I choose to feed them, then I have to acknowledge that the cycle of depression and eating can spiral. From: Crystal C. <@caskey.borger.tx.com >
• Donn, here are a few things I learned at college in health and weight training classes. Strength training is important. I know some women who say "I think muscles on a woman are not lady like" or "I dont want to look like a man" but more muscle is good for several reasons. First, muscle tissue takes more energy to maintain than fat tissue so the more muscle you have the more calories you will burn making it easier to loose fat. Second, as we get older our muscles deteriorate making it harder to move around, so the more muscle we start into retirement with the easier it will be to get around when we get to the 80+ years provided we keep the muscle flexible. Third, if you want to look and feel like a beautiful person (physically) you must do what they do. Most of them do strength increasing exercises either while at a physically demanding job or in the gym. You don't have to shoot for "Terminator" size but a little extra muscle makes the rocky road of weight loss a little smoother. From: Stephen J. <@ntr.net>
• I eat because I think it can solve my problems. When I have chocolate, it cures headaches and mental blocks. When I am depressed, I have ice cream, when I am angry, eating helps me calm down. After all that eating I get upset... going to gain weight, then I eat more!! From: Sally M. <@ariel.ucs.unimelb.edu.au>
• Have a solid group of friends and family act as encouraging supporters and they will keep you accountable to your weight loss (so far, I have lost 78 pounds thanks to my encouragers!). From: Jimmy M. <@beacon.regent.edu>
• I try to cook all of my own food at home. I buy low/non-fat luncheon meat, fat free mayo, low calorie bread, pastas and fat free sauces that I use to make for my lunch at my desk. That way I know that I am eating healthy. I make my own chicken salad and add curry to it. Try to eat 5-6 mini meals. 1 carbo portion and 1 protein (5x a day) which means 1 slice of bread and 3 oz. low/non-fat luncheon meat (this means 1/2 sandwich). I prefer pasta for lunch 1 cup of pasta and 1/2 cup sauce. In the evening have 2 portions of protein and a small salad. Watch fat grams and EXERCISE. I have to lose at least 25 pounds. I gained this mostly through marriage and while in my 20's very unhealthy diet techniques. I try to read everything on dieting and losing weight as much as I can. Get back to basics and weigh everything you eat if you are serious. I also try to work out every day (1/2 hr-45 min cardio and weight train) I even have a trainer who kicks my butt. > From: Molly F. <@mindspring.com>
• When dining out and the portions are too large, try over salting the extra before you start eating. I find that it's easier to say no before I have even taken a bite and no one else at the table has to know my willpower is weak! Even though I've ruined the food, I'm always glad I did. (Well almost always.) From: ksmith <@midusa.net>
• I read recently that if you do something for three days in a row it becomes a habit! Four months ago, I decided to make walking a habit for me. (And to stop using my children as an excuse not to get exercise.) Now I am 30 pounds lighter and enjoy walking everyday! All tips are great! I am bookmarking your page and will be back often. It is comforting to know that I am not in this alone. The tip on diabetic diets is very worth while. Dieters today tend to look only at the fat content and NOT the sugar content. Sugar can add weight too! Thanks for all of the helpful info! Debby Scott <@icomnet.com>
• I recently read about the art of "visualizing" .Take a few moments, a few times a day, close your eyes and visualize a healthier you. Make a detailed picture of yourself doing whatever you enjoy and feeling healthier and thinner. It also helps me to visualize when my willpower is slipping. I have a class reunion next year and I picture myself wearing a much smaller size and feeling very proud of my weight loss. I also have a detailed picture in my mind of what my digital scale will read when I reach my goal. This has helped me a good bit. - From: Sandy <@ix.netcom.com
• Look at fit for life, talks about proper food combining and eating high water content food. If you want flesh food, eat it only with vegetables and salad. If you want a potatoe do the same. Never combine meats, or eat acid foods as your body needs alkalinity to function well. Eat fruit in the morning only, Think of all food in its purest form. Fish are not deep fried swimming in rivers. Eat only unprocessed fresh Live foods. The book is by Harvey and Marilyn Diamond. From: Zlatko B.<@icom.ca>
• Go to the beach and take a stoll.
• I enjoyed reading the tips. I have myself a problem I solved with a good trick: I'm always staring when I leave work around 6.30 pm and ready to it up everything what's in the fridge. I bought some low fat low sodium instant soups (about 6 to ten cals each) and drink it half an hour before leaving work. I come home and I'm in state of preparing a healthy dinner without starving! From: Cecile D. <@alitcb.desk.hp.com>
• A year ago my friend and i decided we were sick of being fat and being the butt of every ones jokes. We came across a course at college called callanetics, this was something we had never heard of so we thought why not give it a go. I have to admit the first few months were quite a strain-all the other girls there were Kate Mosses or Claudia Schiffers and we were like the whole cast of the Roly Polys but we persevered. This suited us down to the ground as basically all one has to do is relax and breathe deeply and stretch the muscles. After a year of callenetics my friend and I are now both slim and have never been happier- nobody would dare laugh at us now ,instead men look at us as we go by and wolf whistle!!!!!!We are not afraid of doing things now and have since both enrolled in new courses-my friend in a hand gliding course and myself i am now leading a group of intrepid explorers on a trip to the serengeti!!!!!!!!! Dieting need not be stressful it can be fun!! From: Monica G. <@public.uni-hamburg.de>
• Nothing tastes as good as being thin feels! - anon <@ttuhsc.edu>
• ...First point was you wrote "Always warm up with stretching etc. This will make your body actually burn more fat when you actually start exercising".  I am afraid I do not agree with that statement about fat burning whatsoever. The cardiovascular system has to work for around 20 minutes before fat is being burnt at its most efficient. The heart rate should be at 65% of maximum which is 220 - age x 65%.When you warm up, usually 5 to 10 minutes your fat burning system has not even begun to work, and while you are stretching out the heart rate will also come back down, and seeing as a stretch session should last about 5 minutes in most cases the heart may even come back down to where it started.
• Go back to that nice park. Or find a new one.
• Eating less food will make you lose weight but it will not help you totally with your overall fitness. To ensure a good health status you also need to work out as well. Aerobics is a good way to improve on fitness and lose weight. How about running with a partner or a club, Aqua aerobics is aerobics in the water, these classes are easy to follow and you only work as hard as you need to. Joining a gym could be a good idea; gyms nowadays are not full of big muscular people who grunt at you when you talk to them. Most gyms have membership ages ranging from 16 up to 80,and the staff are there to help you with any problems. Phone your local gym and see if they give a free go to try it out. If they don`t then try somewhere else. Remember that if you work out you need to replenish your energy resources with some carbohydrates ie pasta, potatoes, bananas etc so don't go home and think well if I eat I will put it all back on because you wont ,your metabolism is going like the crackers after a workout so now's a good time to eat. The same goes for before a workout, you need the energy to do the exercise in the first place, look to be eating some carbohydrates two hours before any exercise. I am a fitness instructor and would be glad to give advice to anybody who wants it call me. From :Andy P. This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .
• I read alot about health, nutrition, and proper vitamins and minerals etc., however, I often found myself thinking that I had to eat for the vitamins and minerals. I ate incredibly healthy, lots of fruit and vegetables, breads, and legumes. However, I was still gaining weight and getting very frustrated because, if I ate only good things then why was this happening. Finally I realized that I was not considering that the serving size in the food guides was only 1/2 cup which was a lot smaller that what the average person eats. So instead of eating 2 servings of something, I may very well have been eating 4 or 5. So I was eating VERY healthy, just a little too much, when I cut it down, I lost weight. From: Robyn <@mwg.com>
• Two expressions I use to help me control my eating :1) When someone offers food that I really should not eat, I say "No thank you, (chocolate, ice cream, or whatever it is) doesn't look good on me." 2) And when I feel bad about throwing away left-overs, I say "I'd rather waste it than wear it". From: Kenneth G. <@ix10.ix.netcom.com>
• Sometimes I eat something just to get rid of it. I like things to be neat and tidy and I don't want to put a small amount of something back in the refrigerator, cabinet, etc., so I just eat it. Stupid! From: "Timothy R. <@pdx.oneworld.com>
• Contrary to popular belief fat calories aren't the same as calories from say... carbohydrates. Numerous studies have indicated that fat calories take longer to metabolize than other calories. This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it (Human Kinetics major at U.S.C) From: Fonda P. <@direct.ca>
• 1. Do not buy any elastic-type clothing for the waistline. When your clothes get tight, you instantly know you've got to "cool it" or you won't have any clothing to wear. So you might only really keep your very, very favorite ones (at your own risk). And when you do slim down some more, have them altered or go gleefully shopping (esp. when you reach your target inches.
  2. Muscle vs. fat weight is still heavier. Therefore when I'm more tight due to muscle tone, I still weigh the same. To me inches do count. So I don't need to even weight myself; only at the Doctor's office when I even need to see him.
  3. While I'm driving, I put on my very favorite radio station, and at each stop light, I tighten up my buttocks to the great rhythmic beat of the oldies. And I've been doing this since 1973; and I've had many a compliments since.
  4. And don't forget, sit/stand up straight, hold you chin up high, pull you stomach in. I learned it FEELS AND LOOKS TERRIFIC. From: Gaye M.J.<@vcommunity.com>
• Whenever you have an urge to completely blow out your diet, look down at the surgical scars from your bypass. Then think of your wife, children, and grandchildren. That exercise will motivate the hell out of you. From: Gerald M. T. <@flanet.com>
• CEREAL! And not "Captain Crunch", Good, wholesome, vitamin & mineral fortified whole grain cereal! Morning, noon, and/or night. Add to your regular diet and watch the results! You'll "accidently" eat less junk, get the fiber you need (to keep you moooving), feel full AND satisfied, (especially that crunch urge), and get lots of those vitamins and minerals that your paying $10 per bottle for! I went from 196 lbs. to 142 lbs in 6 months (that's less than 10 per month, safe and reasonable) It sure seemed fast though! Did I say that was 11 YEARS ago!? :) Some good cereals I found where, TOTAL, COMMON SENSE OAT BRAN, QUAKER OAT BRAN, and CHEX MULTI-GRAIN. Watch the label for fat and sugar! Strange HINT* Add the cereal TO the milk instead of adding milk to the cereal, and just sprinkle about 1/4 of what you think you'll eat, then add more. WHY? First because its always crunchy then, and second, you'll eat MORE cereal and less milk. You won't have that bowl of milk left to waste or drink. You already got the milk you need and who needs the extra fat???? I can't seem to drink less than 2% myself. Good luck! From: lts <@wctc.net> Write it all down -- it's amazing how much it is possible to eat without "noticing". My journal helps, and I am brutally honest with it. A bad day is not irredeemable -- just continue on. Finally -- if you're going to splurge, do it on something wonderful. There's no sense wasting time and calories on the mediocre! From: Barbara W.<@primenet.com>
• Throughout all of the tips I only noticed one pertaining to weight lifting. The more lean muscle mass a person has, the more kcalories burned during rest, and throughout the day. Most women think of having huge thighs, or beating their boyfriends/husbands in arm wrestling if they lifted weights. But that isn't the case, by far. A simple circuit training routine, three times a week will help boost your metabolic rate at rest. Iron weights aren't even needed! Resistance training with large bands are useful as well as house hold appliances, like a milk gallon filled up partially. Weight training is part of a well rounded regime and will speed up your fat loss. From: Washington State University Writing Lab <@wsu.edu>
• Exercise is the best way to loose weight, however, I once read this...you should skip a workout now and then just to show your body whose in charge!! From: lynn s. <@gladstone.uoregon.edu>
• Keep variety in your diet. Make sure that at each meal you have a variety of temperatures, textures, and flavors. This satisfies all cravings and yo will find that you eat less at each meal and are not hungry for snacks. From: Mary M. <@hw1.cahwnet.gov>
• I never look at exercise as an option or a luxury. It is not an option for me. It is part of my schedule. If I view it this way, I don't miss very often. I will reward myself sometimes for x number of days in a row of exercise by taking a day off. It works! I have lost 90 lbs.!!! From: Way, Jo Lisa <@msmail.ees.pulaski.k12.ky.com>
• When eating out in restaurants, ask your waiter to give you only half of your order and have the other half to go. This will prevent you from eating all of it. You can have the rest for next day's lunch.
• Also, a cup of warm water with a teaspoon of tea and a tablespoon of cider vinegar after every meal helps keep your weight down. It will also make you sleep well and take away any tiredness. My friends and I have tried it and it works! From: Stu6 <@TRAINUS.com>
• I have lost over 163 pounds by eating only two meals per day, increasing exercise, and drinking plenty of water. It just takes time and a firm resolve to stick to your weight loss program! YOU CAN DO IT!!! From: cheleg <@netins.net>you won't.
• Remember that little bits add up. It is estimated that one extra cookie per day will add up to 5-10 lbs over the course of a year. It stands to reason that 10 minutes exercise more per day will add up to weight lost over the year, conversely 10 minutes less will make you gain. From Jean who has been at high school weight since my divorce! From: cheleg <@netins.net>
• I find that most people follow the 80/20 rule; they eat what they want 80% of the time and watch what they eat 20% of the time. If they reversed those figures, they would have better success in keeping their figure.
  Grazing is a way I keep myself from getting too hungry, and I find that breakfast cereal (without too much added sugar) is a great snack food. I like rice and corn chex (the wheat is too fattening for some reason)
  I was a diet soda caffeine freak and when I went off the caffeine I gained a few pounds because I was no longer on a diuretic. Also watch out for the salt in diet soda (even caffeine free) because that makes you retain water. I have been trying to drink more water to counteract that, and have been somewhat successful. From: neatkid <@enter.net>
• I have struggled with obesity since early childhood. For the first time in my life, I have maintained a significant weight loss. From 245 pounds, to 165 pounds. While I have not yet reached a fitness level that I'm satisfied with, I have a few tips to offer that have tremendously helped me.
  1. Refined carbohydrates (bread, white rice, sugar, bagels, pretzels, pasta, cookies...) are easily converted to fat in your body. Don't eat them. Three nights a week at dinner eat only protein (non-animal sources are optimal) with vegetables and fruit. The other four nights, eat whole wheat pasta, brown rice, beans, whole wheat pita bread. Eliminating refined carbohydrates from your diet is crucial to your long term success.
  2. If you feel the need to binge or eat compulsively, choose "safe" foods. Cucumbers, celery, apples and cantaloupe are all great choices. These foods are mostly water and will not set you back at all. I have on occasion eaten ten cucumbers and felt no guilt!
  3. You must exercise 6 to 7 days a week. Walking for 30 min. or longer is perfect! Also it is crucial to adopt a resistance training program, 3 or 4 times a week. Good luck! Anyone can make these changes and will look and feel great! From: 104230.<@compuserve.com>
• Listen to your body. It will tell you what you need and when you need it. Satisfy that need with moderation and keep moving forward, no matter what speed bumps you hit! From: Lori S. <@ix.netcom.com>
• The first 20 minutes of your workout is essentially a warm up and doesn't burn fat. If you work out for 40 minutes, you will have burned fat for 20 minutes. Keep this in mind and exercise for 10 more minutes than usual. You will find weight loss will come faster and easier - I did. From: Brian K. <@icis.on.ca>
• Get off your fanny.........don't sit in front of this blasted computer for hours on end.......! From: Brad H. <@execpc.com>
• Would you try to drive 100 miles on 50 miles worth of gas? If your car won't do it, your body won't either. YOU CAN'T NOT EAT LESS AND EXERCISE MORE TO EFFECTIVELY LOSE WEIGHT!!!!! You will lose weigth, but it will be muscle and anythignelse your body feels it needs to survive. High protein diets are garbage too! Your body needs carbohydrates to function. You brain needs carbs to function, and more importantly, you CAN NOT BURN FAT WITHOUT CARBS!!!!!!!! From: Al P. <@onmedia.com>
• Here's an idea that's not only good for your body (your temple?) but good for the environment...go vegan. By cutting out the dairy and meat, you save literally hundreds of animal lives, and perhaps your own! From: Xenocide <@aug.com>
• A lot of people scoff when their aerobics instructors/trainers say that they should be able to talk to someone while working out; they figure, if you can talk, you're not working hard enough.
  If your heart rate is above 29 beats per ten seconds, you're working anaerobically, which means your burning sugars and protein and not fat. I'm acquainted with many people who have dropped pounds quickly when they've learned to monitor their heart rate during exercise. From: lisa d. <@adm1.byu.edu>
• I have found that if I get a horrible craving for something, that I can go to the store and by the new "snack" size cookies, Snack Wells has a great selection, and then I have two cookies and they're gone instead of buying 12 cookies and eating them all just because the package is open and you "can't let cookies get stale!" K.L. From: Jesse L.<@trib.com>
• I lost 55 lbs over 6 months. I changed my habits. The only fast food dining I now do is at Subway. No more FAT factories for me. I never skip breakfast, eating a cup of either puff wheat, puff rice or shredded wheat (one biscuit) and fruit generally a bananna. I shoot for no more then 250 calories for breakfast and target for about 350 or less for lunch and the remainder for dinner and evening snack. I am now holding my own.
  I am also very fond of pasta, it is very filling and satisfying. My wife, makes a large batch every week using 1/3 portion of lean ground beef and 2/3 portion ground turkey. The taste is great and I enjoy several servings on a weekly basis. I also use a pocket calendar to log the meals and respective caloric count and daily weight. My Mrs. also lost 50 lbs. We call it our live-it...not just a diet. My niece is surely an inspiration also having lost 113 lbs in the same time frame using weight watchers program. From: WLORENC<@aol.com>
• Tuna is virtually fat free and is good for any meal (even breakfast). I've found that tuna can be mixed with any fat free salad dressing or plain non-fat yogurt and it tastes better than mayo! Experiment with tuna, add relish, tomato, basil, fat free swiss cheese... Crystal From: Crystal H. <@cc.atinc.com>
• This is my first time here and I am impressed with all the tips that I am reading. My weakness is sweets!!!! My husband and kids really like dessert after their Sunday dinner and I always found myself joining them. I have found, now, that instead of joining them in the chosen fattening dessert for that evening, I always had a Weight Watchers frozen dessert handy. They got their favorite Sunday dessert and I didn't feel guilty about eating the Weight Watchers lower calorie fare and didn't feel deprived that I didn't get the fattening dessert! I really works to curb both the craving for a fattening dessert and the emotional feeling of deprivation! Good luck to everyone on their crusade for healthier, leaner, more active living! I am still working on it! From: Sarah k.<@direct.ca>
• EAT MINDFULLY- use all your senses and then some. Smell, observe, feel, savor every bite as if it's your last one. If this doesn't help, then eat slower and slower or like a turtle. From: MARK S.<@msn.com>
• I heard some on mention this and It really hit home with me! I eat when I am procrastinating. Instead of starting to clean the kitchen , I decide to have another snack. Instead of doing anything . . . the cleaning, laundry, paying bills . . . If I tell myself I am hungry . . . better have a snack first, I can put these things off forever! Once I started thinking of this . . . I have been much better! From: Barb H. <@msd.measurex.com>
• I didn't have much to lose (10 lbs), but I am a closet eater. If someone didn't see me eat it, it didn't have calories. Writing down everything I eat makes all the food real. I actually see how many calories I am consuming. I started writing down everything two weeks ago and have lost five pounds. Yes, there were two days I just ate anything I wanted, including a huge bag of candy corn, but I wrote it down and the next day was right back to healthy eating. Just five more pounds to go and I'll be at my 1976 high school weight. From: CatCruz<@aol.com>
• Scales are the worst a thing someone attempting to change their body composition can do! It fosters a dependence/obsession with "weight" loss and not the task at hand. The best instrument to use in the battle of the bulge is a mirror and a tape measure. If your clothes fit better, then the rest is obvious! From: Paul M.<@onmedia.com>
• Try to establish a set time each day to exercise. I make exercise part of my daily routine. I know it is something I must do each day just as I must wake up or go to sleep, and therefore; I grow to accept exercise as a way of life and not as a chore. Anything that is a chore will eventually be dropped and forgotten. Erika From: lexie<@sprynet.com>
• This is a great page! I have lost 23lbs, 3 inches in hips & stomach, over a 3 month period.
  My tips: 1. CHANGE FOR LIFE. If you don't, the problem will always be in control a.) Change your desires concerning food. Focus on better foods, study nutrition, so you'll know what is good for you, and will help you lose weight permanently. read " The World's Oldest Health Plan". God created us and the world we live in. His dietary rules in the Old Testament certainly have some validity. This book makes it plain an simple.
  alk at least 3x a week 3 miles each time within an hour. I found a walking partner, we walk every week at a local mall.
  e take a powdered vitamin with O.J. every morning, instead of coffee etc..
  e determined. Focus on the good, not the bad. This helps your attitude, which is directly related, for some, to what you eat. From: Chuck T.<@ncwest.com>
• Set daily attainable goals each morning. Like: I will walk 1 mile today in 30 min. or I will drink 2 glasses of water today, or I will have a low-fat salad for lunch. Write them down and cross them off if needed. Work at it day by day. Don't hash over yesterday or worry about tomorrow. But do evaluate your progress on a monthly basis. CT From: Chuck T. <@ncwest.com>
• I have found it effective if you make lunch your main meal of the day unlike dinner. I usually skip breakfast then at lunch eat a salad with raisins and pretzel sticks and sometimes fat free dressing sometimes plan, then just some yogurt and peaches for dinner. It works for me!Charles( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it ) From: Wesley L. <@surfsouth.com>
• Hi, I've experienced that if you eat a small dinner before 6:00pm, and don't eat after 6:00pm, you'll feel a little hungry by the time you go to bed, and you'll look a little thinner in the morning. After that, eat a small breakfast, medium lunch, small dinner (finish before 6:00pm) and start it over again. Oh yeah, if you do excercise, weight loss will go faster. From: DaysF<@aol.com>
• Skip the butter on toast, use a low-calorie fruit spread. If you need to "moisten" your toast, use low-fat peanut butter. Butter has no nutritional value therefore is stored as fat only. Peanut butter on the other hand can be used as an energy source. From: Longo N.M. <@uwindsor.ca>
• Taking my two dogs outside for walks four times a day keeps them happy and me slim (or getting there!) We walk at least half a mile each time. I live in Alaska and when it's cold it's really easy to say "I'll stay inside today, but when "kids" gotta go, so do I! Love your page, Deb From: Deborah M. <@ptialaska.net>
• Put a raisin in your mouth..swirl it around...taste it..chew it thoroughly, slowly...enjoy all of its flavor and goodness..take your time..now take that approach to every bite you eat at meal time and put your fork down in between bites to THINK about what you're doing..it works!!! GUY in San Antonio From: JAZZER<@aol.com>
• It looks better on your plate than it does on you. From: Michael T. <@geocities.com>
• Drink a glass of juice 1/2 hour before you eat. Your stomach is busy breaking down the juice so you don't have the starved feeling just as you are about to sit down to eat. From: Jeff J.<@officepros.com>
• Just because a desert is fat free doesn't mean you can eat the whole box. Those deserts contain loads of SUGAR. Sugar is the last thing you want to eat if you want to lose weight. Sugar keeps you from burning fat and it causes fat to be stored more easily in the body. So steer clear from sugar. From: Melissa L. <@bayou.com> Fill up on water.....even though they say"eat as much as you want in lowfat foods...it's not true because all those calories add up From: David W. <@earthlink.net>
• Eat a variety of foods. If you eat the same thing all the time your body becomes very efficient at metabolising them and you don't lose weight. You should eat from all the food groups. The Food Pyramid is a great tool to help you understand how much to eat from each food group. From: YVONNPCHE<@aol.com>
• It sometimes help to include a salad with your meals so that your fresh vegetable intake is up, and you will fill up on fibrous foods rather than fattening ones.just watch what you put in (and on) your salad. From: kcarew<@u.washington.>
• I found out that You (anyone on a diet) should limit the caffeine to two servings a day. Because caffeine triggers your hunger, and it causes more harm than good. I feel that it is true because I drink a lot of diet Coke and I thought it was o.k , but after a while I get so hungry I binge for more caffeine like foods for instance chocolate. We all know that is bad, and the more chocolate I eat the more chocolate I want. I found this information at a Diet Center in Oregon. I never realized that caffeine was bad until the lady at the Diet Center told me that consuming too much caffeine was one of my biggest problems. Well, I hope this information is helpful. Take care From: chrissie<@gorge.net>
• I have found that if you have a tendency to snack a lot and have a sweet tooth, keep some hard candy around instead of cookies and chocolate. It will give you a small pep and hold you over till dinner. Also if you need those jeans to fit by the weekend, cut down on your bread and pasta intake a few days before you need to wear them. From: Kykatfish<@aol.com>
• Exercise regularly, and if possible, just before meals. Exercise produces natural appetite suppressants. From: Jessica P.<@nz.dialogic.com>
• Diets often fail because they're based on fighting the natural hunger drive. Fill your stomach with vegetables, whole grains, and fruits (in that order) and you will lose weight and never be hungry. From: Jessica P.<@nz.dialogic.com>
• I bought a Health Rider in Oct. Combined with a low fat foods I have lost 40lbs. I cannot do jumping, running, so the Health Rider helped me.(it is low impact). Some friends I have recruited into eating low fat too, I have recopies I would like to share to help anyone else. You will loose if you do some movement, and eat low fat. From: TOMYAUCH<@aol.com>
• My tip for weight loss is to keep your hands busy. Since I've taken up needlepoint, I don't feel the need to snack like I used to. Besides, I don't want to get any food on my work. Even when watching television, I keep my needlepoint nearby just in case I get the urge to snack. It really works! Thank you. Joanne From: Computer Solutions <@vianet.on.ca>
• Create good eating habits. Cook/Bake your own food, Take the time the night before to prepare your food. Be creative , choose different foods everyday, rather it be pasta,noodles,chicken,rice,etc. Pay attention to the Nutrition Facts. Try to stay away from frying your food.  You'll learn how to cook different foods and save money as well. Rather than taking a trip to the nearby fast food restaurant and not know exactly what your eating. and of course don't forget about exercising. From: Sergio O.<@MCI.Com>
• I enjoyed your page. I have been teaching martial arts for nearly 32 years. I have found the following two "tricks" to be helpful to my students.
• Alternate days: On the first day eat normally. Don't stuff yourself and don't eat garbage. Simply eat until you are full. The next day cut your calories to half. Eat healthily, but only half the calories you have determined you need to maintain your current weight. This confuses your metabolism and the result is weight loss. Continue to alternate until you reach your ideal weight.
  Garbage day: With this, you choose a weight loss plan that works for you. Do it for six days, then on the seventh (whatever day you choose) eat how you want: Have the chips, the cake, the milkshake, whatever. This makes the six days tolerable and gives you something to look forward to. From: Loren C.<@aracnet.com>
• My drive to lose weight is a piece of nice but smaller size cloth. It works exceptionally well for female who is concerned about her outlook. By the time I started my diet program, I purchase a small size T-shirt and put it at the top of my drawer. Whenever I open my drawer, the first thing I see is the very small size T-shirt. After 2 months diet, I finally can fit into that T-shirt. And I see that T-shirt as some sort of compliment to my hard-work. From: HO MEI LING <@netvigator.com>
• Recently I read a quote on a calendar. "Most people drive into the future with their eyes on the rearview mirror" So true. If you're starting a weight-loss/fitness program, FORGET about the times it hasn't worked. If you cheat or slip up, forgive yourself and move on. Don't ditch the whole idea just because you messed up once on twice. You're only human. From: weird3<@ix.netcom.com>
• When eating out, order salad dressing to be served separately, or use lemon juice as a dressing. This saves many calories. From: Igmar G. <@smartnet.co.za>
• Generally, if I find myself craving ice cream, I know it means I've got a low-grade thirst. If I drink water instead, the craving for ice cream usually dissolves, and I don't indulge. Water makes all the difference when I'm dieting. It chases the "I'm not hungry, I'll just pick" syndrome away and flushs the system. It's also great for the skin. Eight glasses a day really works. From: JF.<@aol.com> Its not a diet but a change of lifestyle that works best. From: CODOGG<@aol.com>
• The following three tips have helped me keep to a healthy diet and a regular exercise regimen:
  Firstly, visualise yourself slim, attractive and with a great midsection (my focus) - cut out pictures, draw them, whatever, and keep the picture _in your mind_. As your weight loss progresses your picture may change a little, but always have this picture of a 'stunning you' in mind. So, when eating, think of yourself as this person and how they would eat, not gorging mindlessly on fatty food, but really being able to enjoy your food, knowing you are being good to your body. (Don't dwell on how much fat you still have to lose, but what you will look like and how healthy you will be when you carry on eating healthily and keep exercising regularly).
  Secondly, try to adopt an eating and exercise regime that the 'gorgeous you' can follow _for life_. It may take a bit longer (it took me a year to lose the excess 50lbs) but you just might end up making it a lifestyle, not just something temporary that you quit when you are e.g. faced with a binge. I personally choose to eat only very low fat, unprocessed foods, but high volume. Exercise at least every other day (preferably three days on-one day off-three days on, etc). Imagine what that exercise and high volume healthy food does to your metabolism, thus helping transform you to the person you want to be: slim, healthy, gorgeous, active... and with great abs... From: Jaana M. <@vuw.ac.nz>
• I have heard that drinking diet coke isn't at all better for you than regular coke. It slows down your metabolism and doesn't benefit you at all From: Flufrnuttr<@aol.com>
• This may sound silly, but it works for me. I like to go back for second helpings, but we know that's not a good idea. I divide my portions in half. I eat my meal, then go back for the other half. This way I can have my seconds without over indulging! From: Regina <@n-jcenter.com>
• Here is a tip that is helping me shed weight- Go through a web site on Diet and losing weight. It helps me control my diet when I read how different people in different parts of the world are working hard towards a common goal. It gives me more self control and determination. Thanks and Good bye. From: amit<@dectra.com>Amit
• Quiet a bit of my wardrobe consist of warm-ups or sweat pants. It is very easy to put on a few pounds and not notice in these types of pants. You just don't feel the waist getting any tighter. So I went out and bought an expensive pair of jeans - one size too small. I am 5"1 so any little bit I gain shows. That was 5 months ago and a size 11 jean. Today, I am proud to say, I am a size 3 sometimes a 1 depending on the jeans. It was a lot of determination not to have to get back into that size larger. So as I dropped down a size, I gladly passed the larger size on to a friend. That way I had nothing to wear but those ugly old sweats again. Tannia From: amit<@dectra.com>
• I found your webpage to be very entertaining. I am an avid sports enthusiast and am also trying to mend my rather frayed diet. I am writing to suggest some tips that you might like to add to your page. Top fitness experts, and many studies suggest that any form of aerobic exercise combined with a minute or two of anaerobic exercise two to three times in a 30 minute period is actually better for you and more substantial than just aerobic exercise. Also, aerobic exercise combined with light weights increases your out put three times more than just aerobic exercise. I hope you will look these facts up on your own and inform your readers also. Keep up the good work. From: John R.<@norwich.net>
• To add to your suggestions for preventing eating when you are not hungry: Sometimes when I crave a food when I'm not truly hungry, I begin obsessing over that food and become panicky. I read about calming yourself down by taking some deep breaths and it works! It calms you down and allows the craving to pass. From: Jennifer L. <@walrus.com>
• One tip I learned is to set an obtainable goal, say 5 lbs. When you reach it give yourself an ata person. Then set another goal that is reachable. Never set a goal that is beyond obatainalble reach. Never try to look at the whole picture as it can become non-obtainable. When My son was in high school I told him "don't worry about the whole picture. Treat every thing as a pile of rocks and just move them one at a time and pretty soon the whole pile is moved and you will find that it was easier than you thought." He taught me the same lesson while I was in college, and you know something "IT REALLY WORKS". From: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it >
• I recently saw on the NBC Today Show, that exercise cuts your risk of cancer by 50%. CAN YOU BELIEVE IT? 50%! I think that's good enough reason to work out right there!! From: Carol J. A. <@rmci.net>