support group

Definitely drink water! And vitamins are good too. I have started back to taking a vitamin every day. Staying active is good on two counts. It burns calories and it helps keep you busy and therefore avoid snacking. Having a support system is great. I applaud you both for looking out for each other. The thing I'm most trying to remember myself is that you can't beat yourself up if you happen to slip, and you have to remember that it's a long process and really a whole lifestyle shift to eat better and exercise more. Good luck to us all!

I highly recommend that you and your friend sign up at sparkpeople.com. It is a free diet and fitness website that had a lot of excellent features. Once you put in your information-- like how much you weigh and how much youw ant to lose-- the site will help you create custom-designed workout plans and meal plans, and will help you keep track of when you plan to do what. Plus, there are lots of support message boards where you can talk to other people who are struggling with the same issues that you have. They even have a huge bank of articles, so you can read lots of great advice from expert nutritionists and fitness workers. I've lost over fifteen pounds using the advice at sparkpeople, so I know that it works. I hope that you and your friend get some good information there.

That sounds good and I think you're in the right track. Good luck to you both.

I joined a group called TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly). We actually started a local group at our church. It's not a diet program, but a support group. You go to get weighed in each week and then they have a short program that deals with losing weight. You can check out their main site at www.tops.org to see if there's a location near you. The only thing that works with me for losing weight is exercise. I'm not a big eater at all, but if I don't exercise, I can't lose weight, no matter how many calories I eat a day. Water is definitely important too.

All I can say is don't go for fad diets!!! When you come off a fad diet you'll just gain the weight right back. I'm trying to work on portion control and exercise myself. I think that's the key to losing weight. Good luck! I need some good luck too. hehe

in addition to all the other healthy habits discussed, take up a hobby that keeps your hands busy! i'm a boredom eater, so i learned to crochet in front of the tv instead of shoveling chips down my gullet. it's REALLY easy - way more so than knitting. not only have i lost weight, but i have a really pretty afghan and several of my friends loved their handmade scarves. :o)