Don't forget about the exercise component, it's very important. =) *snugs* And best of luck on your new adventure, for the last month I've been eating a LOT healthier and working out 4-5 times a week and I feel AMAZING. =)

I'll bet you're looking pretty good too. Woof.

Hehehe, you should come over one of these days and have a look, tell me whatcha think. ;)

Maybe you should just avoid foods that have sugars that are bad for you. You're not familiar with the ones that are commonly found in almost all processed foods, but that's because you aren't familiar with hidden sugars due to the fact that you don't know their more unrecognized names.

Almost everything processed or natural has some type of sugar to it, you cant avoid it totally. It is wise to cut down on sweets and the processed stuff, but you need sugar, your brain runs of glucose, which most all foods can be broken down to. The best course of action is to eat less, drink more water, and gradually increase exercise. ( yeah easier said than done, or i wouldn't be as out of shape as I am. ) Since one of your goals is to get back into your Tai-chi robe take up Tai-chi again when time permits. And though it may or may not help much take before and after pictures. ( mostly because i am a pervy chub chaser and also have been curious to see what you look like for years )

The fact is, your body will happily break down just about any sugar or starch into glucose, so you have to limit your starches, too. Avoiding corn syrup means you're avoiding stuff that tends to have a *lot* of sugar that's availible very fast, but you can get your blood sugar cranked up just as high eating french fries, or grapes, or saltines.

Absolutely right! An ounce of baked potato will actually raise ones blood sugar about 50% more than an ounce of pure table sugar (sucrose). There are good starches: \"resistant starches\". Some of them are so digestion resistant that 80% of the calories in them go out your tailhole undigested, though 60% resistant is more common. All resistant starches have low blood sugar elevation and low calories compared to regular starches.

Good luck with it; I know you can do it. You will be able to find foods and recipees that are sugar free in the net. Here's some I found.

http://allrecipes.com/Recipes/Healt.....Free/Main.aspx

http://www.lifeclinic.com/whatsnew/.....escookbook.asp

http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/brow.....sults.asp?c4=7

Aside from being the a$$hole that I sometimes am; I hope you can beat this; the world would suck major @$$ without you around.

Okay, enough @$$kissing for one night, I gotta go brush my teeth.

Good luck with it; I know you can do it. You will be able to find foods and recipees that are sugar free in the net. Here's some I found.

http://allrecipes.com/Recipes/Healt.....Free/Main.aspx

http://www.lifeclinic.com/whatsnew/.....escookbook.asp

http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/brow.....sults.asp?c4=7

Aside from being the a$$hole that I sometimes am; I hope you can beat this; the world would suck major @$$ without you around.

Okay, enough @$$kissing for one night, I gotta go brush my teeth.

Good luck with it; I know you can do it. You will be able to find foods and recipees that are sugar free in the net. Here's some I found.

http://allrecipes.com/Recipes/Healt.....Free/Main.aspx

http://www.lifeclinic.com/whatsnew/.....escookbook.asp

http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/brow.....sults.asp?c4=7

Aside from being the a$$hole that I sometimes am; I hope you can beat this; the world would suck major @$$ without you around.

Okay, enough @$$kissing for one night, I gotta go brush my teeth.

Geez, I heard ya the first time! LOL Don't you hate it when it does that? It happens to me all the time. :P

Anyway, thanks for the links!

*Hugs*

Everything these people just told you and everything that everyone is going to tell you is worthless, trying to adhere to all these contradicting ever-changing rules will drive you insane. Everyone thinks they know the secret evil food and the secret holy food, and the steps to the rain dance in its ever increasing complexity you must dance to make it all work, people act like superstitious natives performing a cargo-cult ritual when it comes to weight-loss. You might as well ask what makes the volcano god cranky. Asking a thin man why he is thin is about as productive as asking a fish how to swim. You can only figure out how to lose weight by trial and error, and what you figure out is guaranteed not to work for anyone else on the planet.

Ignore any statement that begins with "your body," next time someone uses the word "toxin" really grill him on just what the Hell a toxin is, ask anyone just what the fuck "processed food" is, and good luck.

LOL Sounds like "Angry Dieting Complex"! But yes, in a way you are right...too much advice is probably as helpful as none at all...but I DID sort of invite it. I only have myself to blame. But you never know--I might just find that one bit of advice or that one suggestion that will make all the difference.

But I'll try not to get too overwhelmed by it all! I need to keep it as simple as I can...cause, hey--I'm a simple guy.

Ahundred is right. Diet is a "four letter word". The one thing that really helped me out was changing the way that I ate, and refined sugars is the biggest pain there is. See...I'm a Diabetic now. So I really have to watch what I eat. Does this mean I can't have candy? Not really...but I can't overdo it. Two things that helped me when this came on. Reducing the amount of carbohydrates that I take in, and "reversing" how I eat, which is to say, I eat a big breakfast, a medeocre lunch, and a minimal dinner, and rarely a snack, but no later than 8pm. You figure that you're not going to burn that many calories in the evening, so there's no real need to "pack them on" by eating a huge dinner. Right now, Americans grab a dinky breakfast, a crappy lunch, and a massive dinner....then they go to bed 2-3 hours later, and all the calories are stored since they're not moving around.
Figuring out how to loose weight by "trial and error" isn't the way to do it. Keep a food log of all you eat for a couple weeks, including how you feel, and if you have to, make an appointment with a Registered Dietician, so they can help you with making the right food choices.
When my diabetes came on, I was pushing 280 and working out. Since then, I'm back down to 230 in less than a year, and feeling great.

Hi Brom! HUGS!!!!

Good for you! I wish I was 230 again! Sounds like a good goal to me. Yeah, right now I'm starting as simple as I can--dropping the snack and junk foods that I KNOW are the worst for me. If it's all sugar and carbs and little or no nutritional value, it's gotta go! I'll start excercising and stuff as I start feeling better--I'm still having pain issues, so it's difficult for me to be too active ATM.

But, yes, I'm trying to cut out eating at night too.

Cool! I know that this sounds redundant...but you need to work with your Doctor with your workout program....don't want to start working out and have a heart attack or stroke! *snuggles* Best wishes on your start to a new, healthy life!

One day at a time hon. **smiles** Set your gals to be reachable and suddenly you've surpass them by miles. Weight loss for instance: Set your goals to be relatively close. For Example: if you weigh 220, set your goal to break and get below 200. Once there, set your next goal at 190, then 180, and so forth... Pretty soon you'll find yourself down to where you want to be and every goal reached will be a celebration to spur you forward to conquer the next one.

The same goes for addictions (and yes, sugar is one addiction). Each day set your goal to go without for the day... Soon you'll have conquered a week, then another week, soon a month, two months, a season, half a year, a year... All it takes is small steps, just one day at a time. **hugs**

Always strive to be better than yourself, for then you perpetuate a cycle of self improvement, and in turn, live for your own happiness.

That was supposed to be "Set your goals to be reachable and suddenly you've surpassed them by miles"...

As much as I hate the cliche...it really is a day-by-day situation. In fact, it's a decision-by-decision situation. Each time I go to buy something to eat, I'm telling myself--you have a choice here, just don't buy those twinkies...or those white chocolate KitKats... So far I've managed to win out each time. But I lierally have to constantly remind myself.

I wish you luck. It is harder than you think it will be. I know. I'm diabetic. Here's a tip from someone who isn't supposed to eat sweets (but does on occasion). Look up a diabetic diet. It's basically a low carb diet. It will teach you how to keep your carbs in check since carbs turn into sugar in your body. Sugar isn't the real enemy. It's carbs. That's what I was taught when I was diagnosed diabetic. I've lost 70 pounds since!

Good for you! I hope I can manage to lose a bunch of weight before I do become diabetic...I'm genetically prone to it. Anyway, thanks for the encouragment--and congratulations to yourself!

Just as a tip the weight watchers rule of thumb is
"If sugar is in the first three items of the ingrediant, its a sweet"
That also includes glucose syrup and all those kinds of things.
It really is difficult to avoid sugar in processed foods, just like salt, mainly you need to try and minimise it.

yay ^^ I am doing a No Buying Any thing Made in China. I am doing good. I axadently sliped on a present... it was only 15 bucks. Sigh. you can do it keep it up ^^ or i will help ya.

try to stop eating E621

Congradulations, hope ya start feeling better soon! :3