I'm not sure I'd call it advice, but I love Eating Well and Prevention magazines and online sites. I know I can count on their recipes that are well balanced and quite tasty. I don't feel like I am on a diet when I eat their meals.

At least when I am trying, those are my favorite sources. I too need to get on that band wagon. Really. For me, it's out of hand and it's the perfect time of year to get into a physical routine that can go with the better eating that I need to do. I need to get motivated as opposed to your staying motivated. You're one step ahead of me! Luck to you!

Here is a link that might be useful: Prevention

Are you looking for information on the basic stuff about the food pyramid and how many grams of protein etc you need a day? or are you looking for motivation, like recipes and pictures of foods?

I think that anyone who can read knows that leafy greens and fruits are good for you, as are lean meats and fatty fish about once a week, whole grains, and natural fats.
And that white cake with marshmallow frosting has nothing but calories to offer.

But if you are looking for inspiration, I think Cooking Light offers a lot.

I guess both, really. I need to relight my nutrition fire, so to speak. Also supplements. I also am curious about what people who are healthy eaters actually eat from day to day. Since I only cook for myself, I take too many shortcuts.

I am bookmarking sites as you suggest them. Rob, those are good ones, and Cooking Light.

I'll bet that you already have all the knowledge, and could probably write the book, just like LindaC said. But the motivations and willpower are an entirely different matter. I can read all sorts of 'advice' but putting it into practice is the hard part.

Could I have chocolate icing on my cake?

Funny... I thought of Cooking Light, right after I posted. I totally agree. Good place for good recipes!

I think, for me, reading the recipes makes me think, that sounds good, and then I look at the calories, fat, etc. and think, and it would be ok! I can do this. But that's just me.

Pam, I can relate! A couple of years ago I realized I was getting lazy and not eating well. I think that you and I are about the same age, I'm retired now too. My sugar was also creeping up, into the pre-diabetic range.

Rather than a strick diet, I decided to eat as much local and fresh as possible. Got to talking to friends and learned about the 100-Mile Diet. Since I love to cook and love to eat good foods, it made sense to me. I attached a link to the 100-Mile Diet guidelines. I keep the idea in the back of my mind.

I just got back from a local farm stand and bought fresh local strawberries, broccoli and new, baby potatoes. Fresh veggies are just getting under motion here. I went to a farmers market last Saturday and bought hydroponic local vine riped tomatoes.
Sunday I made a pasta salad with more tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, fresh basil, Italian dressing, onions and bell peppers. More veggies than pasta. That along with a steak made a wonderful meal.

I also freeze and can as much of the local fruits and veggies as I am able. Last year I canned 41 qts of local yellow and green beans. It has been so nice to open a jar whenever I needed a veg for dinner. I did the same with tomatoes and fruits. Local fruit jams, they may be high in sugar but the flavor intensity of the fruit means you can use less as compared to store bought.
Did I mention that I picked my own strawberries last week? Good exercise in addition to saving money. I'm on the call list to come pick as soon as raspberries and black raspberries are ready...

I've also added more whole grains into my diet. Just switching to products high in fiber will help, without any special diet. I've lost weight without counting calories, just using portion control and eating fresh.

Nancy

Here is a link that might be useful: 100-Mile Diet

Not a nutrition fanatic... don't pour over info on labels, think eating in "moderation" is important. Know that eating more fruit/veggies than anyother thing on your plate is a good thing. Know that "prepared" stuff is usually loaded wit salt/sugar and a bunch of other things you really don't want/need.

LOVE veggies, so lunch just might be steamed asparagus... with generous hunka butter melted over... and squeeze of lemon.

When I became pregnant with twins I realized that I couldn't keep eating the way I had before. I had always had a high metabolism so I didn't worry about what Cheez-Its and ice cream were doing to my body- even though I had had problems with fatigue and depression (very American attitude, I think- "as long as I'm skinny, everything's fine.") I started to eat healthier foods but still gave in to cravings often. When I started beginning my day with high protein, high fiber meals is when I really noticed a change. It filled me up and helped me to make better choices during the rest of the day. I think it's also very important to prepare your own food. This way you know your foods don't include strange ingredients that are created in science labs with the intention of getting you hooked and wanting more. You'll find a lot of so-called health foods are anything but. Things with artificial sweeteners make you hungrier than their non-diet counterparts. Nutrition labels can be tricky- take Coffee-Mate, for example. The label reads, "trans fat free." They can legally say this because the amount per serving size, a teaspoon, is negligible. But if you have a tablespoon of it (what most people would take in their coffee) you've just had an entire day's allowance worth of trans fat. I think I'm making this sound more complicated than it is, though. I really have been amazed at how I just don't crave bad foods anymore, and I don't overeat the way I used to. Everyone has to find what works for them personally, but for me, my saving grace is burritos. Every morning I have one- whether it be beans and rice, lentils and roasted vegetables, or whatever else I have in the fridge as long as it is high in protein and fiber. May seem redundant to some, but it's no different than eating cereal every day and it works for me. I'm not one for sweets in the morning anyways. I can tell how important this is to you and am excited to hear more about your journey. Do keep us posted!

I teach a Nutrition course and one of my favorite sites for up-to-date, easily understandable information for my students is Harvard. Their home page has a link on the left "What Should I Eat?"

Here is a link that might be useful: Harvard Nutrition Source

If you simply do not eat anything already prepared, you will go a long way toward healthy eating.
That means no hot dogs, no "lunch meat" no ice cream (unless you make it yourself) no pizza, unless you make it yourself from fresh tomatoes, onions, garlic and cheese ( you really don't have to make your own cheese!).
That will really make you think about what you are eating.
Now you could go overboard by making lots of whole grain cookies with dried fruit....which would be good for you but high calorie....but if you eliminate all those frozen things and fast foods, you will have made a big step in the right direction.
Linda C

I'll add an interesting side note to this discussion.

My MIL is 84 yrs old and has always been fanatical about her weight. This is a good thing, of course, but conversely she comes from a generation that knew absolutely NOTHING about nutrition.

When she came to live with us, after a few months I had to forbid her from bringing any food into the house that wasn't strictly for her, because DH (her only child) had a stroke at 50 and I'm reasonably, if not rigorously, careful about what he eats. She was very into a lot of 'snack' type foods, both American and Asian. The first is high in fat/trans-fat and the second is high in salt, both obvious no-no's.

If they're around, he'll eat them, but if they're not he doesn't miss them, like most people. A handful of raisins or unsalted raw cashews keeps him happy.

After a while, I realized MIL was getting a very minimal amount of protein daily. There's so much attention paid to Americans overeating protein, but when you add a natural decrease in the amount of food an elderly senior can eat, to an already uncertain diet, her intake was way out of whack.

She is a heavy carb loader. Due to years of ignorance and a natural preference for sweet/soft/white foods, she has serious osteoporosis and of course, bad teeth as well. Despite all our urgings, she will accept only minimal changes in her diet (which is understandable).

Anyway, I finally figured out that she was eating about 7-8 grams of protein daily. No matter what way you look at it, this is WAY UNDER what's needed. Even a minimally active woman of 130 lbs. should be eating at least 30 gr/protein daily.

Not surprising that she would come home from exercise classes at the senior center (which we insisted she go to; she hates them) and then take a nap.

Is she healthy? On the surface, yes. Her doctor sees her regularly. But I think these things are cumulative. She's eating enough to sustain herself minimally, but not optimally. Superficially it looks like a healthy diet - I usually make big salads and a simple grilled meat for dinner, and she loves fruit in any form.

But when you look at the details, her diet is nutritionally deficient in a lot of minerals as well as protein. She insists that she "can't swallow pills, she might choke" - but as we all know, multi-vitamins are helpful but not always balanced well to make up for specific dietary deficiencies.

Something for all of us to think about, as we get older.

I think that the advice to avoid poring over labels is spot on. In fact, it's generally better to avoid food with labels and ingredient lists. My usual advice is half a plate of green food, a quarter plate of protein food (3-4 oz per meal for a woman is usually enough), and a controlled amount of starchy food. Some people do well on low carb, some do great on a vegan diet, but most of us are in the middle.

Don't snack between meals -- have some other activity planned for when you get the urge. Control your portions at other times and have plans for simple meals that you can make easily when you are hungry and tired. For me that would be an omelet.

If overeating is a big problem for you, you should probably avoid this forum, the Food Channel, collecting cookbooks and other activities that are going to stimulate your desire to eat. Salt and sweeteners aren't "bad for you", but they are appetite stimulants, so work on readjusting your palate by avoiding them as much as possible. There is no particular sweetener that's "healthier" including honey, maple syrup, etc.

I can't say enough good things about weight watchers eating plan. The new focus is on intake of fat,carbohydrates, fiber and protein. It encourages healthy eating making most fruits and vegetables zero points. I'm no spring chicken, but I feel renewed. :)

Today's B.C. comic says it all, about dieting.

Woman #1 announces that she is on the third day of her
new diet.
Woman #2 asks: "What have you lost?"

Woman #1 "The will to live"

That is sooooooooo true.

I really don't feel like cooking for one, either. I focus on lots of vegetables and fresh fruits. I keep washed and ready to go salad fixings for quick meals. I also cook several chicken breasts at a time so I just have to cut it up to top a salad or with some steamed veggies. I also often poach a large piece of salmon or other fish and have it around for a few days in the refrigerator to eat. I need to expand into lean pork, I suppose, for variety. I will steam a half dozen eggs to hard cooked to have for quick snacks, too.

Canned tuna and salmon if you can find low salt versions and like the taste are another way to get easy protein. And nonfat yogurt and cottage cheese, all of which I like fine and require no cooking.

I have stopped buying cheese as it's too easy for me to munch on that and eat nothing else. Same with bread. I do buy sturdy whole grain breads but I slice it up and toss the slices in a ziplock and freeze them. It slows me down to have to thaw a slice to have it. I don't mind plain bread with nothing on it but I do sometimes mash a slice of avocado on toast as a substitute for butter.

I don't eat a lot of packaged foods and I skip the frozen aisle completely except for bags of plain frozen fruit.

E

This is funny! Thanks lbpod.

I make my students track their diet for one week, and decided to do this exercise myself using the website FitDay. Boy, was I surprised! My calorie count had crept up without my realizing it. I was also very low on Potassium and Vits. D,C, & E. (I do take a daily multivitamin + extra D.)

I do at least glance at nutrition labels. I tell my sudents that if there are more than 5 ingredients listed or any ingredients that their great-grandmother would not recognize or that they can't pronounce - don't buy that product. This is just a generalization, of course.

As ynnej said, labels can be misleading. One of my pet peeves is the labeling on national brands of peanut butter (which I do not buy - we use peanut butter with the ingredient list reading "peanuts" and that is all.) "No trans fats" is appearing on a lot of pb lately. They have replaced the partially hydrogenated fat (trans fat) with fully hydrogenated fat (saturated fat). Not much of an improvement, imho.

75% of what I eat is some kind of fruit or vegetable, usually raw but sometimes cooked. The rest is made up of nuts, seeds, legumes, some whole grains and protein powders.

I avoid meat, dairy, sugar and flour but I'm far from perfect. But I find it makes a huge difference in how I feel if I avoid those products.

Two things I've found that really help:

1. Enter everything you eat into a food calculator for a few days. It'll calculate your calories, fat, carbs, protein and even vitamins/minerals to see if you are getting the nutrition that you should be getting. It can be very informative and I successfully lost 30 pounds in 6 weeks by tracking what I ate and keeping within my calorie range every day while making sure I got the right nutritional balance. I'd adjust my meals accordingly. I use Sparkpeople.com

2. This may be a little hardcore but juice fasting (mostly green juice) for a few days can really reset cravings. I did it for a week and all I wanted at the end were salads and vegetables and really nourishing things. I didn't want any sugar or refined carbs, and normally I have a huge sweet/carb tooth. It's really tough to stick with but I haven't found anything that is a more effective "jump start" to clean eating. It takes the body a few days to lose cravings for bad foods, and every time you slip up and have a little white flour or sugar the cravings return. I have found that it can really help distinguish body cravings vs. mental cravings.

I don't know if this applies to you or not, but in the past
I would spend the money on meat or seafood but balk at paying 3 dollars for a red pepper. Finally, I decided to buy the vegetables I like regardless of the price.

A refrigerator full of carrots and summer squash doesn't do me much good if I won't eat them.
But I will always eat certain vegetables willingly and even if they are expensive; red peppers and asparagus, I always have them along with the more moderately priced veggies too and I have also found ways that I will always eat certain veggies.

For me, summer rolls, stir fries, caprese salad, chopped salads.

Also, I think it's ok to add cheese, butter, etc. if it makes the veggies appealing.

Wow, I went to do my volunteer stint at the library and returned to lots of new, good info. I love the Harvard nutrition site. Thanks for that.

I stopped at the grocery store on the way home and would probably get a "C". I suppose the occasional Mint Milano cookie won't kill me? To balance that I bought asparagus and fresh green beans and some greek yogurt.

After reading all of these suggestions, I can see where I really need to pay even closer attention to carbs and fats. I made the mistake of going to the store when I was starving. Bad me. I never feel satisfied unless I get a good dose of carbs. It's my real downfall.

Any opinions on people such as Dr. Weil or Michael Pollan?

I didn't read all the responses (I'm currently outnumbered by grandbabies :) but I did see your question about Dr. Weil. His early work is, in my opinion, much better than his newer, more "watered down" approach. Right now, he seems to be more interested in selling products than in actually teaching nutrition, but look at his _8 Weeks to Optimum Health_. It's a little extreme even for me, but the basic ideas are sound, and the lifestyle suggestions are great. His _The Healthy Kitchen_ with Rosie Daley is much more down to earth, and I haven't yet tried a recipe from there that I didn't like.

As a diabetic, I also use Julian Whittaker's _Reversing Diabetes_--the book, not the web site. Again, this is too extreme for some people, but treat it like high fashion: see what he puts on the "runway," and then tone it down a bit for real life :)

I'm more o0f a minimalist, and I need to eat better too. I remember my old doctor saying that nothing should be off limits, eat anything you want, but only eat half of it. It works relatively well if you want a treat to eat half of it and save half for later.

I think fruits and vegetables just taste better the closer they are to home and in season, becuse varieties that can be shipped long distances are usually not picked at their peak, they're handled and trucked, etc. As has been mentioned, buy good vegetables and fruits you like. I just splurged and paid $3.99 for a pineapple. A lovely fresh pineapple, and it's sweet and delicious. I picked strawberries and they were good too. For a person who doesn't really care for fruit, that's amazing, two fruits in a single day!

I'm sure you know what is good for you and what isn't, it's just a matter of actually thinking about it before you eat it and knowing where it fits into your daily intake.

Annie

You now, Annie, you are right. I once read the instead of dieting you should be mindful about what you eat. I thin that is key. Give your food a little thought. We are just entering our season for great local fruits and veggies, which I love, especially fruit. I just need to be mindful about all the other crap I eat. My biggest struggle is my carb and sweet cravings. Maybe I'll try the juice fast. Yeah, that'll last about an hour. I need to find a bottle of will power somewhere.

I find that once I start on the carbs, bread, crackers, pasta (I'm having a small love affair with couscous) I forget all about making that big salad or steaming the broccoli or 'gus that I know is a better choice and that I do truly love. So I have to begin there. I do like most vegetables simply prepared so that's a bonus.

I agree with buying the fruit and veggies you really like or they will turn to slime while you eat the things that are more appealing. I like lots of things but I'll pass on kale, collards, apples, and a few other things that might be good for me but aren't favorites. I'll eat them to be polite but would rather eat other things.

I exploring whole grains - farro, quinoa, etc. This recipe for farro sounds delicious.

Farro With Mushrooms
By MARTHA ROSE SHULMAN
Farro is chewier than Italian rice and doesn't release starch when it's cooked, so there's no need to stir it the way you'd stir a risotto. This hearty dish has a rich, earthy flavor. Although it takes about twice as long as a risotto to cook, it doesn't require tending.

1/2 ounce (1/2 cup, approximately) dried porcini mushrooms

1 quart chicken stock or vegetable stock

1 1/2 cups farro

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

1 pound cremini mushrooms or wild mushrooms (or a mixture of the two), cleaned, trimmed and sliced

Salt to taste

2 large garlic cloves, green shoots removed, minced

2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary

1/2 cup dry white wine

Freshly ground pepper to taste

1 to 2 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (1/4 to 1/2 cup)

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1. Place the farro in a bowl, and pour on enough hot water to cover by an inch. Let soak while you prepare the remaining ingredients. Drain.

2. Place the dried mushrooms in a large Pyrex measuring cup or bowl, and pour in 2 cups boiling water. Let sit 30 minutes.

3. Drain the mushrooms through a strainer set over a bowl and lined with cheesecloth or a paper towel. Squeeze the mushrooms over the strainer, then rinse in several changes of water to remove grit. Chop coarsely if the pieces are large and set aside. Add the broth from the mushrooms to the stock. You should have 6 cups (add water if necessary). Place in a saucepan, and bring to a simmer. Season with salt to taste.

4. Heat the oil over medium heat in a large, heavy nonstick skillet. Add the onion. Cook, stirring, until it begins to soften, about three minutes. Add the fresh mushrooms. Cook, stirring, until they begin to soften and sweat. Add salt to taste, the garlic and rosemary. Continue to cook, stirring often, until the mushrooms are tender, about five minutes. Add the farro and reconstituted dried mushrooms. Cook, stirring, until the grains of farro are separate and beginning to crackle, about two minutes. Stir in the wine and cook, stirring until the wine has been absorbed. Add all but about 1 cup of the stock, and bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer 50 minutes or until the farro is tender; some of the grains will be beginning to splay. Remove the lid, and stir vigorously from time to time. Taste and adjust seasoning. There should be some liquid remaining in the pot but not too much. If the farro is submerged in stock, raise the heat and cook until there is just enough to moisten the grains, like a sauce. If there is not, stir in the remaining stock. If not serving right away, cover and let stand. Just before serving, bring back to a simmer, add the Parmesan, parsley and pepper, and stir together. Remove from the heat and serve.

Yield: Serves six.

Advance preparation: You can make this several hours or even a day ahead and reheat. Add a little stock to it, and stir over medium heat to reheat.

Here is a link that might be useful: Farro With Mushrooms

Barnmom, that sounds so good! Annie mentioned being mindful of what you eat, and it reminded me of a scene from the doc "Weight of a Nation." In it they showed people on a diet- not really a fad diet, but just a healthy eating regimen- who were given plates of food. They all waited a full minute before eating. The theory is that you learn to really appreciate it- study how it smells, looks, how it makes you feel. I think that's something we tend to miss out on with fast foods and even convenience foods. I look back on the way I used to eat, and it's depressing, really. I was so impatient- my meals were often frozen dinners, and if they weren't quite cooked through I'd just eat them rather than wait another 30 seconds. Not to say that you do that, of course, just speaking for myself. Dr. Weil's diet seems pretty legitimate, although I'd like to see people stop lumping vegetables into one category. I read somewhere a long time ago that there should be a category for leafy greens, one for root vegetables, one for cruciferous, etc. Makes sense since they all play such an essential role in our health.

It sounds like you need whipping into shape !!! ;) - I follow slimming world and I've never eaten such a healthy diet in my life and it's just SO EASY to follow. Look at this website - they give you a free 7 day menu to try so you can see if it would suit you. I follow the extra easy plan and even cheating at the week-end as we love home-made pizza etc, I've still lost 1.5 kgs in 2 weeks and have lots of energy.

Here is a link that might be useful: Slimming world

I like to use

https://www.myfooddiary.com

to keep track of what I eat ; it breaks down all the elements of what you eat and let's you know if you exceed daily recommended quantities, etc
The search engine is great, and you can store your favourite or most often eaten foods to use everyday in the diary.

If I've strayed from sensible eating or ignored the daily eating journal for a while, it gets me back on track to start entering my food intake daily, I'll think twice about buying that cute cupcake at the Crave counter at the mall, lol.

DD had a pile of magazines for runners and body builders and although my level of fitness is not as high, reading them helped me understand nutrition better and food content for fat and protein.

good luck on your quest, keep us posted, we all need the motivation !!

After my adventures in heart disease in January, I decided I had to get my diet under control.

Nothing special - just lower fat/cholesterol and FEWER CALORIES. I've lost 30 pounds. Fresh food, local if possible.

I had to get my portions under control - which was hard when I was cooking for myself. I would usually make a few extra portions, but it was tempting to eat "just a bit more".

Now I eat a lot of the Healthy Choice, Lean Cuisine and Eating Right frozen meals for lunch and dinner. They provide excellent portion control, are tasty, and real food. They have saved me a lot of money too, and I don't throw away leftover food. I can buy a chicken for $5, Campbells can buy 100 chickens for $5.

I've been using the "MyFitnessPal" app for tracking my food. When you are nose to nose with what you are eating, it makes good choices more obvious.

Now that I've reached my goal, I will have to maintain my weight, just as my DD, DSIL and grandchildren are moving in. There's going to be a lot of "forbidden" food around. This is real life.

Good luck and good eating.

Annie1992, your 'eat half of it' trick doesn't work
on jelly donuts.

lbpod, yes, it does. You just can't eat half, then eat the other half 10 minutes later, and you have to be mindful of where it fits in with the rest of your day's food.

I lost 80 pounds a few years ago using the "half" method. All the vegetables I could eat, but half of anything that might not be as healthy. Cookies? Half. Cupcake? Half. Grilled cheese sandwich? Half. Broccoli? Five pounds, if I wanted it, LOL.

I also could have a Snickers bar if I wanted it badly enough, but I had to walk 1/2 mile to the store to buy it. No driving allowed, I had to walk. I seldom wanted one that bad.

So, can I have half a cake for breakfast, the other half for lunch, and half a pie for supper with the other half for a snack at night? Of course not, that would be unhealthy and ridiculously stupid. But if I really wanted that jelly donut, I could have half. I usually threw the other half away, because it would call my name at 2 am, but sometimes I kept the other half for the next day.

You just have to have a reasonable mindset. Nothing should be "off limits" because whatever I'm told I absolutely can't have, that's what I want. So, I eat half of it.

Annie

I went hardcore - no sugar or processed foods for me anymore. I didn't lose any weight (which isn't something I needed) but my I did lose a lot of fat and help balance my body as my energy level soared and my workouts became so much more intense. I also increased my protein and keep my carb on the lower side (but not omitted) and watch my food sources. It has a huge transition but I don't miss any of the foods I quit a year ago. I read a lot on nutrition now and I really like the Harvard food pyramid they put out.
For me, what I eat is strictly habit as I start to miss a food I haven't had in awhile - like sweet potato - that wouldn't have happened over a year ago, it would have been something else that I had more often, like chips or something (which I don't miss anymore).

Here is a link that might be useful: http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/pyramid/

I love that pyramid. It's nice to see nutritional science authorities finally recommending that people limit dairy.

Annie, I admire your willpower! I would never be able to only eat half of something I like. I'm an all-or-nothing type person and it's actually easier for me to say no to something than to just have a bite and then stop.

I also saw you were looking for supplements. My go-to's are fish oil, vitamin D, astaxanthin and probiotics. I have others but they are for inflammation. I would also include some green smoothies - a great one is three cups of spinach, 1/2 banana, 1 tbsp coconut oil and 1/4 cup pineapple juice with a handful of raw nuts like almonds or walnuts. Basic breakfasts like 1/2 cup cooked quinoa, 2 tbsp chopped raisins and 1/4 cup of chopped walnuts or oatmeal with 1/2 tsp of br. sugar or saute some asparagus and zuchhini with an egg. Lunch black bean, avocado salad with a lime/olive oil dressing and lots of veggies or lamb chops with a salad or rice cakes with almond butter and banana. Dinners salmon with stir fried veggies or chickpea stew with greens or chicken souvlaki with salad and hummus. Just some ideas that are sooooo good and make you appreciate food.

I counted calories for several weeks on the Calorie Count Web site. It is great, because every day at the end you get a nutrition score. It is rather time consuming but probably not too bad now that you are retired. I go to Eating Well or Cooking Light for recipe and menu ideas. Eating Well has lots of 28 day diet menu plans with various levels of calories. Most of the ideas need adaptation but are an OK place to start.

Here's the URL for the Calorie Count Web site. I also signed up for their daily newsletter. I don't read it all the time but lots of good articles.

http://caloriecount.about.com/

No way you can loose weight and not eat like a bird unless you exercise though.

I agree, L. I'm a sloth, I hate exercise simply for exercise's sake, so I work instead. I shovel calf pens and throw hay and garden. The only problem is that none of that is aerobic exercise, so it burns calories but doesn't do anything for my heart health. So I walk. I'm lousy at walking nowhere in particular for no particular reason so I don't walk as much as I should.

The same old doctor told me "move more, eat less". He was right.

Chi, I don't really have all that much willpower, I just have one of those personalities that makes me want whatever I can't have. So if I think "I just can't have it", then I want it all the more. If I think "sure I can have that" then I'm much less likely to want it. Yeah, I know, I'm strange, but I hate being told what to do, what I can have.

I'm not a joiner and refuse to participate in anything that requires me to attend meetings or interact with other people. I do not need a support group at all, I'm very much a loner in such things, I only socialize with friends and people I care about. We don't have any exercise classes available here and I wouldn't take one anyway, but I'd consider yoga if someone did that within a reasonable distance.

I've consulted with professional nutritionists on three separate occasions for different reasons, so I know what I should and shouldn't eat. Sometimes I do it and sometimes I don't. Occasionally I need a good swift kick in the rear but I have friends and family members lined up who are happy to do that for me, LOL.

My problem is that, like Eileen, I eat very healthy foods as a general rule, but I eat too much of them. Well, that and I've been crazy busy and with no one else here, I don't cook. It would be easier if I ate frozen dinners but I've never had one that I considered even close to edible, so if I don't cook I'll end up with eggs, cold cereal or a sandwich.

Annie

Here is Dr. Weil's food pyramid. Notice how healthy fats are one of the categories low on the pyramid- I like that and have found it to work for me. But the fact that he has an entire category for asian mushrooms seems a little weird to me. Is he saying that we can't eat other types of mushrooms? And I know that for me, personally, that much soy just wouldn't work. I enjoy tofu, but I don't feel well when I eat it regularly. I seem to do better with edamame, though- probably because it's less processed.

The fruits and vegetables work great for me. Love them, they love me. I can not eat beans - ever. Edamame either. I am miserable. I'll leave out the details. I also can not tolerate tea. An occasional cup of very weak green tea maybe. Tea makes me very nauseous. I can't imagine soy 2 times a day, I suppose I could eat it. But I'd be bored stiff.

The rest is very possible for me.

E

The fruits and vegetables work great for me. Love them, they love me. I can not eat beans - ever. Edamame either. I am miserable. I'll leave out the details. I also can not tolerate tea. An occasional cup of very weak green tea maybe. Tea makes me very nauseous. I can't imagine soy 2 times a day, I suppose I could eat it. But I'd be bored stiff.

The rest is very possible for me.

E

When I want to focus on better nutrition, I follow what I call my K*I*S*S Plan: Keep It Simple, Stupid! I focus on eating simple dinners with a protein, vegetable and a salad - no casseroles, no extra carbs, and very minimal, simple preparation. I bake, roast, steam, or lightly saute in the smallest amount of olive oil possible. I have my one slice of whole wheat or multi-grain bread at breakfast and snacks are plain yogurt with berries or fruit.

I try to get as much variety as possible as I get very bored eating the same foods too often. Thankfully I'm just not into sweets these days and I cut out fruit juices years ago - I eat the whole fruit, much better for me nutritionally. This summer I have weaned myself off sweet tea! Now I make my tea unsweetened and flavored with fruit or mint herb teas - very refreshing!

Next project: portion control!

Teresa

The there's the pretty-much-opposite approach to the usual pyramid: plenty of protein and fat. I know you said you're not interested in the paleo diet, but so many people tell me they feel better on it, and have much more energy. I could sure use that, but I don't think this diet would be for me, because I love carbohydrates and wouldn't be happy without them. But. My brother-in-law and sister-in-law are back east to visit, and I just heard a whole lot about how much better this works and why. She has a degree in food science and actually researches the stuff in the footnotes of all the books. I myself don't want to think that much about my food, but it is kind of impressive to listen to all the stuff she says has been studied. At dinner they were pouring cream on everything while she told me she lost 20 pounds without trying.

The Paleo way of exercise is interesting to me- the idea that our bodies our designed for hunting and gathering. They say that hunters would walk for hours a day, then sprint only to catch their prey. If they had ran for too long, they would have worn themselves out and their prey would have escaped them.

If you are looking for community and inspiration you can go to the weightwatchers.com website and click on the tab labled community. You don't have to be a WW member to use the forums, I think they call them boards. They also have a recipe swap tab.

I need motivation myself. I love food and hate exercie, bad combo. LOL

Teresa NC7, when you have to eat what you 'should eat'
and not what you 'want to eat' the portion control
takes care of itself.

I really hate the idea that I have to eat anything I dislike. Did that already: childhood.
There are enough cooking methods and choices that it usually isn't necessary if I take the effort.
I don't love vegetables per say, would rather eat carbs and meat and doughnuts! but there are a few, very few, vegetables and ways of eating them that I love.

Summer rolls are my favorite. Salad in a ricepaper wrap with some protein and a flavorful sauce.
I will gladly eat these for breakfast, lunch and dinner if I have them in the refrigerator. That's the downside, making them ahead.

Caprese salad (even w/minimal cheese), love it. Could eat it every single day.

Thanks again for all this good info. I have bookmarked all the links. I like Annie's idea of half portions. Eat less and move more. Good. However I also need to eat better.

Barnmom, thanks for the farro recipe. I think farro is high in calories, so that will be a half portion for me. Actually I hope I get in the mood to cook at all. A PBJ is just so quick and easy, but so is yogurt and fruit.

And you know, if it's whole milk yogurt, it actually fills you up. Without a lot of added gum carp.

IDK -- I buy Fage greek yogurt, sometimes 0% and sometimes 2%.

I will make that farro recipe but use a tiny bit of olive oil. Otherwise it seems not bad calorie-wise. It's carbs for sure.

I never eat whole milk yogurt. I do find that a few almonds is very filling.

Eileen

There is one big problem with diets, no matter which one
you choose. Sooner, or later, you are going to have
to go to bed. And then, all you can think about is:
'What's in the fridge', or 'what's in the pantry',
and it goes on and on and on. Therefore, you get no
sleep, and then your health goes down hill. Regardless
of how well you've tried to stick to your diet, YA GOTTA
HAVE SLEEP !!!!!!!!!!!!!!