Terry,
Most of weight comes off from diet change. Alot of the South Beach (at Walmart btw) type of food is great. It is written by a heart doctor. Small portions, use brown rice, couscous, no pasta, no potatoes. Nothing fried, only sauteed in tablespoon or two of canola oil. Use olive oil-on salads-its good for your heart-good fat which helps arteries. SB takes preparation though to be interesting. Eggbeaters with veggies like green pepper and onion,mushrooms in the morning-little mozzarella cheese. Low carb bread always-check them out, some taste like cardboard, some are really good. No sugar- jam. V8, not much or seldom juice, little fruit, bananas are high in potassium, but are real sweet so highly caloric. Lean meat, chicken breast-broiled, baked, sauteed. Lean beef-like sirloin-4 oz., no hamburger, no fried fish but eat deep sea fish halibut, roughy, swordfish, salmon, can't remember them all... Limit salt, don't know what your doc says about coffee, that would be the worst for me to give up. But now I drink two mugs in the morning and use Splenda-sugar substitute, non-fat creamer and decaf instant coffee. Limit milk-lactose is a sugar, change it for mozzarella or non-fat, low fat cheese. Vegetables morning, noon and night, think of everything else as fringe condiments.
Don't follow South Beach book, the first two weeks though, right now. Too hard on the body. Its low carb but the carbs are coming from vegetables and not simple sugars and its explained in the book but it starts the process where the body takes the fat out of cells and its more difficult at first to adjust. Made me have a spinny feeling, not dizzy but not my energy level either. But I managed to work out, barely. Google South Beach Diet and read all about it.
My husband went on it as well, and lost more than me, 40 to his 50 lbs. But you need to talk to your doctor first about it and it helps to have a food preparer as it is some work to prepare salads. Now they say its all about calories but vegetables have the lowest calories--bread, pasta, sugar the most. So I think it is the same. Everything I like.
Walk, walk walk. Actually walking every day for 30 minutes to start or whatever your doctor says. My husband just walked an hour a day. Slow and steady burns more fat easily for that hour. Cardio does not-unless you do it for the same time-much harder! Get a treadmill or find a health club with a treadmill or cross trainer. My husband found a syndicated health club open 24-7 at @25 a month. I have found TKD maintains me but I dont lose and I was going 8+ times a week at red belt and still didn't lose.
You need a complete lifestyle change--and it starts and continues one day at a time, just remember that, keep a log and keep on track. Your life and your family depends on it. If I can answer any questions you may have, I will certainly try or look for the answers. TW
