My best success in dieting came simply from controlling what I ate and exercise. No program, no restrictions, just counting calories to a certain number and adding valued added movement to my life.

Before I started my “diet”, I felt dumpy, to sum it up. I needed to lose 35 lbs to feel healthy again.

I began, in March of 2008, keeping a food diary and calculating calories burned by activity. In May, I was buying clothes to fit the new me…By June, other people were starting to notice the changes too!

I’ve lost 32 lbs, and while the number of pounds lost is outstanding, I FEEL so much better now. I have such an optimistic look on life, because now I know it can be done.

I’ll keep using the same method since it works so well. It’s more of a lifestyle change than a diet - as I said before, there are no “no’s”, just numbers to track and to stay within.

Yes, the exercise DVD’s are a HUGE help. There’s enough of a variety to keep you motivated, you’ll never get bored!!

-Sue

The best method I have found for me, personally, is a combination of diet pills/supplements and the tried and true standard of diet and exercise. I have tried a variety of different diet pills, with varying degrees of success. At first, I bought into the hype of Xendarine, but found it made me too jittery. I tried the kind that supposedly target belly fat, but those, in fact, only made me more puffy and bloated. I have finally settled on a diet pill called NanoSlim. It is a small purple pill that gets taken once a day, and plenty of water must be drunk throughout the day in order for it to be effective.

I also exercise a minimum of 4 times a week for 1-2 hours each time. Every time I work out, I do a half hour of solid cardio work on the elliptical machine, and follow it with abdominal exercises. Every other workout, I also do light weight training to tone my arms and legs. In addition to the exercise regimen and supplements, I also restrict myself from eating certain foods and try to keep my calorie count down for each day. I deliberately limit myself to 2000 calories a day, and make healthier food choices: whole grains whenever possible, sugar substitutes, “low-calorie” substitutes in recipes when I bake and cook, etc.

Before I started, I felt anxious about not being able to achieve the results I wanted. I delayed starting a diet and exercise program for awhile, even though I was more unhappy with how i looked with each day that passed, because I knew that it would take alot of motivation and a huge time investment. I wasn’t sure I could handle a total lifestyle change.

Initially, I felt frustrated, as many people do when starting a diet program, because results aren’t immediate. However, I did lose 4 pounds the first month, which, although not monumental, encouraged me to keep going. I figured, if I could lose at least 4 pounds each and every month, it still meant I could lose about 50 pounds within the year, which to me would be fantastic!

I started out at 214 post-baby (I just had a baby in January of 2008). After 3 months of my current weight loss program, I am down to 200 pounds, and still losing. More important than the numbers on the scale, I am dropping clothing sizes like crazy. Even on weeks when the scale hasn’t changed much, I notice that I still look better - slimmer, more toned. I am very happy with how things are shaping up for me - pun intended!

I am sticking with what works.

-Jill Alicea