In the past I have tried the atkins diet, a little south beach but no matter what I never could not stick to it. It was never the diet it was ME. I had little motivation and I LOVE all the foods that are not good for you. I have not had the $$ to invest into WW food or Nutri System type programs. After doing some research I came up with a plan that I am excited about.

I ordered Jillian Michaels - 30 Day Shred, I have herd some great reviews about this work out. I love kick boxing workouts but after watching a preview for this video I was hooked. I only have a limited time to workout, so I wanted to get as much out of the time I have as possible.

For eating better I already began taking some of the advise that Paul McKenna gives on the 4 golden rules of eating. One of the rules is rather than give up what I like to eat I am controlling how I eat. Moderation, SLOW down and enjoy the food. So far it I love it, the hard part is remembering the slow down part while eating In one week I lost 2lbs, not much but a start!

So thats it, I am not jumping head first into a diet plan, or else I know I will bomb. I think over all this plan may be a winner for me.

Your thoughts and suggestions are appreciated

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I did a similar 'plan' last year and lost 30kg (66lbs). The problem with a vague plan is that you may not realise exactly how much you are eating. I found that the amount I was eating gradually increased.

DVDs are awesome, especially for busy mums. I was very disciplined and made sure I did mine every night after my daughter went to bed. It means you can still look after the kids, and still exercise in all weather. I love tae bo and the dancing videos.

There are many things that I did to make myself stick to it, but the most significant ones were:
- Keep a food and exercise diary. 5minutes a day and you can see your progress, where you can improve, your emotions. I put mine on the internet because other people reading it kept me motivated to do well.
- Planning meals. This meant I always had the right food in the house, but if I stuffed up a bit then I at least was good most of the time. I planned meals based around what I had in the house, instead of exotic foods I'd have to travel to find.
- Focussing on what I COULD eat, rather than what I couldn't have. This is much more gratifying. I would cook delicious healthy meals and enjoy good food - grilled salmon with perfectly cooked veges and salad is better than a chocolate biscuit anyday!

Sorry, I've rambled on about me...
congratulations on taking the first step! Hope to see you around here.

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Congratulations on deciding to change your life. I too have Jillian's videos, and let me tell you, she is a toughie. She really works you in the 30 min of the video. TaeBo is also a wonderful tool..Billy is tough, but he actually lets you catch your breath on a somewhat regualr basis, whereas Jillian yells at you to "GET YOUR LEGS UP!!!" well, she yells at the people working out with her, anyway.
In any case, from my experience, those diet plans work well for awhile, but can you hold up to them long-term? I too love the SBD foods, and will pick some up every once in awhile, but I don't plan on eating that stuff forever. i have instead bought two cookbooks with healthy foods that I am cooking from. It is easier (and cheaper) to plan meals every week that are healthy than to buy that commercialized stuff.
Good luck!

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You gotta give some to get some!!!

good work on taking the first step! i tried paul mckenna last year and i found that it was really good for me as i eat really fast! i hope all goes to plan for you
ttfn
kotki x

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19yr, 5ft 1in, HW 20st CW 19st 1lbs GW2 19st GW3 18st 7lb GW4 18st GW5 17st 7lb U.G.W 8st U.G to fit into a size 8 (uk) lost so far 13lbs my diary!

I second this. At least when you are starting out I think its best to keep track of what you are eating.

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Inches Lost: 16.5
My Blog ~ http://beautifulinthelord.blogspot.com/

I agree with "Don't focus on what you can not have, but focus on what you can have to be something I will definitly have to constantly remind myself of. Thanks for the great feed back and support

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