First realise that permenant weight loss is achieved by a lifestyle change not a diet. Diets usually don't work because it is a temporary change. Lifestyle changes are permanent.

You need to identify unhealthy lifestyle habits and then work to replaced them with new healthy ones.

For example, if you and your kids eat sweets try replacing them with fruit. Preferrably fresh.

Exercise is important to weight loss. Try incorperating exercise into your daily routine.

Hope this helped. Good luck.

Try to find things high in protien and low in calories. The diet I am on now requires me to eat every 2-3 hours all the way up to bedtime. I am taking in 1,000 calories per day but get to eat every few hours. Raw Green veggies are free and do not count, except for peas (sugar). If you are interested drop me a line and maybe I can help you out!

You know. Some people balk under the notion of "lifestyle change". I know I did. I was all like... I can't change my life. It is what it is. So, really I just don't like the terminology. There's just something about it that sends the wrong signal to my brain or something. lol

I prefer to think of it as making choices that are healthier and that I can sustain for the long term. I know, I know. Lifestyle choices, right. lol But if your asking how to start, don't think that you have to change your whole life.

Here's a few ideas that worked for me.

Cut out sugary soda. This one was HUGE for me. If you already don't drink soda (Awesome!) then try cutting processed sugar out of other areas of your life, and watch for hidden sugar in the packaged and pre-prepared food you eat.

You said you have 4 kids! That's cool. Start teaching them how to be healthy now. Go to the park with them and play ball with them. Walk with them in the evenings or ride bikes together. Not only will you be teaching them that exercise is important but they will see you exercising too, and that will reinforce the lesson. (Not to mention you'll be exercising, which will help you in your efforts.)

Add more fruits veggies! Just one more fruit or veggie at every meal and you should easily reach the recommended number of fruits and veggies in a day. Add a banana to breakfast. Add a salad to that lunch time sandwich. A corn on the cob compliments almost any dinner. :)

And its that sort of stuff. Just make those sort of healthy decisions. That's all you have to do. It's like veganmind said, remember Diets don't work. Living healthier is the way to go! :)

Hope I didn't seem preachy or anything. That wasn't my goal, and I hope that something I said will help you out somehow! :)

Peace and Love,
Deni :)

Don't do diets, just make healthier food choices. Cut out sodas, cut out anything with refined sugar if you can. Eat fruits and vegetables BEFORE you eat the rest of your meal. Eat no food that is breaded and/or fried.

Also, substitute: use light margarine rather than butter. Use light mayo instead of regular.

Become a label reader. If 'sugar' is one of the first three ingredients in an item, don't eat it. That means that sugar is a primary ingredient in the item you're about to consume. Check fat content. Don't eat anything with more than 9 grams of fat in it per serving.

Watch serving sizes! A cup is a normal serving of rice, for example. A piece of meat should be no larger than a deck of cards. Salad dressing should be 2 tbsp per serving.

Alot of it is just common sense and paying attention :)

I'm here if you want to talk!

Eat smaller portions and take real good vitamins. I just did a "colon cleanse" product and it helped boost my metablism, its more important to get healthy than lose weight...thats my focus...how much do you want to lose?

thank you all so much for your advice its really something for me to take on board and think about i'd like to loose about 4 stone so i know it will be a long slog but i'm determined to do it so thank you all so much again you've really helped me

melx