I have just found this site, but I have been Wii-ing for Health since Sept. 6th, 2009. During that time, I have lost 25 lbs so far. I keep my caloric intake between 1500 and 1800 cals. Since this is about diet, I will post what I do:

Breakfast: I have a bowl of cereal, Honey Bunches of Oats, I read the panel, so I get 3/4 cup of cereal with a half cup of ff milk.

Lunch: I have a Michaelina's lean lunch, usually 300 cals or less, and a salad with 2 tbsp italian dressing (which is one serving) @ 90 cals.

Dinner: I eat what the family eats, but I make sure that I use portion control, and stay away from bread as much as possible (I do have weak moments!).

If I snack, I stick to popcorn (eating one portion only), or just fill up on green tea (no sweetner).

The best way to diet is to watch calories. Now, this is what works best for me. Some others do well on Slim-Fast type diets. But, there will come a day, when I have lost all this weight, and I will still have to eat. I am trying to train myself to recognize portions, and make smarter choices. So, rather than calling it a diet, I use the term getting healthy. Making healthier choices now, is training me to make healthier choices later.

Are there things I miss? You betcha! I love Mayo! I don't eat it anymore. I don't drink soda often, maybe once every two months as a treat, but what a waste of 150 cals!

Turns out that there are wonderful treats to be had if you just read the lable, and stick to portion control. Mint chocolate chip ice cream has 120 cals per 1/2 cup.

So, if you are making plans to get healthier, you need to cruise your kitchen. If you can't resist it, get rid of it. Learn to read the lables. I can't push that enough. Also, don't be shy about asking for a Nutrition Guide when you go out to fast food restaurants or any larger chain (ie: Applebee's, Red Lobster, Olive Garden, Denny's, etc), not only ask for them, but read them! Choose what you will eat off of them. If you want a special treat, have it, but stay in control of your calories. Use the gadget on your cell phone, it's called a calculator. If you want onion rings, and there are 800 cals, divide by the onion ring count, say 8, that means each onion ring has 100 cals. So have 1 or 2, but then stop. Order a to-go box with your meal, put half the meal in that box, and get it off your plate. Don't let that big oversized plate make you feel like you were cheated. Eat what you have then ask the server to remove it.

You have to choose to get healthy. This is coming from someone who started a more than 300 lbs. The 25 lbs. I have lost are just a drop in the bucket, but I didn't get fat overnight, I am certainly not going to get skinny overnight either .

Good luck and happy Wii-ing

Congrats on the weight loss! I need to keep all your tips in mind as I travel this awful road of adjusting my food intake! I love food...it's that simple! I just starting using my Wii Fit today and am quite excited about the exercise aspect of "getting healthy."

Please post an update! It has been 2 months and I'd love to know how much more weight you've lost! Please be my inspiration!

: )

Megan

All I can say, Rusty, good for you!

The important thing to remember is NOT to deprive yourself of anything. If you want that candybar, have a taste of it. You don't have to eat the whole thing at once.

Most people "fail" at diets because they deprive themselves of their cravings. I once gained a lot of weight at one point but lost it all again because I did what you did, cut my portions down, but didn't say "I will never be able to have chocolate again." I told myself, "A little bit of chocolate goes a lot longer than none." And at that time, I had lost about 30 pounds. I've never gained it back, although my weight does (normally) fluctuate 5 lbs up / down.

I'm really nervous about the wii body check, though, because I got obsessed with weighing myelf at one point in my life. I don't think it's healthy to weigh yourself more than once a day. I use my clothing as a guide, and refuse to buy new ones if the ones I have are tight. This is a much better guide for me. Because weight is just a number, feeling good in your clothes is what's important.

My granny always says, if you want to lose weight, eat everything, just the half of what you do now. I follow(ed) her advice and it worked.

Oh... By the way, my granny is 95 and going strong.... And weighs (with wet hair) about 100 pounds. She must have done something right!

Your Granny ROCKS!!!

I have found the saving grace when it comes to chocolate. The Hershey's mini candy bars are great. They are about 50 cals each, a serving is 3 of those little bars. But, like you said, you don't want to say "never again" to sweets, so those make a nice treat.

The same applies to other treats like cake, which isn't too bad on it's own. That is just cake (no frosting, which is crazy high in calories), though, and a serving is 1/12th. It is during cake time that Granny is so awesome, just have 1/2 a serving, which I believe is one bite, LOL.

Thanks for the encouragement.

Rusty

You are doing very well Rusty!!

I don't actually count calories often, but I have cut down a lot on my intake of them - crisps, (chips in USA!) and choc bars are safer in my house now as I often think, "If I eat that, that is about 20 mins on the wii fit right there!" so I don't. I always have a treat daily of 2 x 2 finger Kit Kat bars, 107 calories each and a packet of Quavers, a corn snack, which are about 97 calories I think. I look forward to these daily and that is all I have of the treats. I used to have loads of packs of crisps and several large choc bars daily without a thot for how bad they were - putting on so much weight...

I eat smaller portions at meal times - "everything in moderation" is a good saying. I still eat what I want, but do now tend to avoid fries - maybe only have them once or twice every two weeks, instead of daily - I have boiled rice instead with a lot of meals.

My wii fitness routine is on this site too, and it works for me - 30 mins daily on wii fit plus with 16 mins on EA Sports active. It is working for me.

I started off weighing 252 pounds and with 46 days on wii have lost 8 - a slow but steady drop. In a year I am aiming for 42 lost minimum - we count in stones here in U.K. - 14 pounds equals 1 stone - I started at 18 exactly and have lost just over a half stone - 8 pounds.

I am a guy with a very regular routine - always lived by routines - maybe a bit sad but it's how I am! With my job I do a week of early shift and then a week of late shift, (bus driver). I never miss a wii routine - even did it at 4.30 am last week before going to airport to pick my brother up - who flew in from Memphis. On the late shift I do my routine about 10am and on the early shift, around 4pm. I weigh on wii fit only on a Sunday - my regular day off work.

That is a rough idea of my plan and regular routine.

Best wishes to you and everyone for a great and happy 2010!

congrats to you all on the weight loss and good luck with what you are trying to loose beyond that. i do have a question though you talk about calorie intake, i am new to all of this, i was always one to eat whatever i wanted tending to overeat all of the time and not paying too much attention to exercise. these days i am i guess more self concious (sp) about it and don't want it to get way outa control. how do i figure out how many calories i need to be taking in, in the first place? i am trying to do better about not over eating and watching what i eat, i just need pointed in the right direction really, thanks to all who responds

Counting calories is as easy as reading the lable. You are smart to want to pay attention to what you are taking in.

All packaged food is required to present serving size and calories per serving, along with all other nutrients. It is very easy to read.

To find out how many calories you need to maintain your weight is also pretty easy. Go online and find a BMI calculator (body mass index). It will tell you by entering your height and weight what your BMI is. You may have to search around to find one that will tell you your caloric intake required, but google "caloric intake" and it should pop up.

I've changed my tactics, and have added not eating until I am physically hungry (growling stomach). I am a true blue emotional eater, happy or sad, I eat! I am trying to get that under control.

And remember, the best advice is to watch your portions. You can eat what you want (within reason) as long as you don't over do it.

Good luck Brandy!

i did find a couple a websites that led me to my answers here they are incase anyone needs them
www.weight-loss-center.net/daily_calorie_calculator.html and

www.freedieting.com/tools/bmi_calculator.htm

thanks for the reply rusty, i here ya on the emotional eating, i think my biggest one is when i am bored and on the over eating sitiation when i was a kid i had to make sure my plate was clean so these days i obviously live by own rules but habits are hard to break, key instance i make a plate wind up getting to much but in my mind i have to finish it so i don't waste it. but i am trying to get better about it, start working out regularly and keep focused and pray i keep with it "if you are going to complain about it then try to fix it"- sitting around eatting bon bons and then coplaining you/i are fat.