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Ed - one pound down is great! It will take more than a week to reach your goal, but you took a step in the right direction. You should feel good about your start. Keep it up!

Dominic
the zen kitchen

Ed - not trying to be a shill here, but I've lost 27 lbs. so far (since late october) on Weight Watchers - it works. With a little planning, you could have had the pizza and part of a calzone with no guilt.

Come join us - 7:00 tuesday nights right at the Ansonia - it's right in the neighborhood!

Headsmack--meant to say that one other tip that might be useful is to get a pedometer! I've lost about 35 lbs. in the last year without trying too hard. I'm eating in moderation (every 3-4 hours to keep the blood sugar level) and have increased my physical activity. When I started wearing a pedometer this summer, I realized that by checking my number of steps throughout the day, I was doing even more walking/taking of stairs. It's worth the small investment of $20-40, imo! And I love your idea of getting off one stop before the office, btw. Now you're thinking...
:-)

"I regard Week 1 of my diet as a success, but it wasn't easy."

It's never easy to quit that rich holiday eating. Why is it that at the end of December, we dive head first into plates of food we wouldn't consider eating in February?

As for dieting, etc., I have put my foot down and my BF and I are no longer eating regularly in restaurants. For crying out loud, we're both great cooks and there is no need to subject ourselves to that kind of temptation! Not to mention, restaurants become "less special" if you eat there all the time.

So good on you for a great effort! Keep fighting the good fight!

3 things Ed, and you probably already know this....

1: Are you drinking lots of water? The more hydrated you are, the better your metabolism will work.

2: Are you tracking how much fiber you eat? Those snack packs don't have any, I am guessing, or protein either. You might want to consider making your snacks something like veggies & hummus or small servings of nuts.

3: Are you eating close to the hour you go to bed?

Dont want to sound like a know it all, but these methods all worked for me when I lost 50 pounds....good luck!

Oh! Almost forgot - STAY AWAY FROM CHIPOTLE, that place is a major danger zone and you can really pack on the lbs there even if you just have a salad!

Good start! Just watch your saturated fats and increase your fiber intake -- you'll feel full longer.

You can do it!

Woot, go, Ed, go! A pound in a week is awesome, so you should be proud. I've been on the get healthy/lose weight track for just over a year. It's a tough road, but I've always managed to get back on track when I've stumbled off and have managed to lose 50 pounds in a year. Forty more, and I'll be in the healthy BMI range.

My humble advice: Add weight training, even if its tossing around some free weights at home, to add muscle--it comes in handy when burning calories during your cardio! Add flexibility exercise, too, like yoga--strengthen your joints, especially if you're activity is up a lot; you don't want to injure yourself! And 2,000 calories is plent, maybe even a lot, especially if you're eating healthy--2,000 calories in veggies and fruits is a LOT! I'm a big eater, so I rely on high-fiber, savory dishes like healthy chilis and stews with legumes to fill me up and satisfy my tummy. Cook and pack as many of your own meals as you can--avoid temptation and know what you're eating!

Good luck! I'm looking forward to seeing how you'll progress. Everyone's cheering for you, and you're inspiring us in turn!

I dont want to be mean, but one pound in one week is too small a sample size to tell. My weight fluctuates by as much as 5 pounds from week to week, and one or two pounds from day to day. Your weight will vary like this based on your hydration.

To accurately track your weight, you need to weigh yourself on a regular basis and write it down with the date and time. Also, it is best to weigh yourself in the morning, on an empty stomach and before ingesting anything, even water, and also preferably after a good #2.

Your weight is not significant in and of itself either, as it does not reflect body composition. Get yourself a Tanita scale that measures body fat percentage with electrical impedance. Write down your body fat percentage along with the overall weight and the date / time info.

To lose weight you need to drink lots of water, cut out caffeine and alcohol, and also seriously restrict your intake of sugars. Sugars include:

- grains such as rice (including brown rice), wheat (including whole wheat), potatoes (except for yams because they are very good for you in other ways), all corn products

- certain vegetables that become very starchy and sugary if overcooked, like broccoli, brussel sprouts, onions, beets, cauliflower

- fruits like melon and banana

Eat tons of leafy greens like spinach, kale, and chard.

Eat tons of cruciferous veggies as close to raw as possible, broccoli and co. are fine when quickly sautéed in very hot oil or gently steamed, but they must remain bright green and crunchy. Once they loose their color and go soft, they are overdone and are big starch bombs.

Eat tons of protein, leanness is not that important if you dont eat them with starches, as fats and sugars are immediately stored by the body as fat.

Eat fruit in the morning on an empty stomach, preferably not too acidic, like apples.

Eat lots of yogurt, goat cheeses, and whole eggs, preferably poached. DONT THROW AWAY THE YOLKS!!! The yolks have just as much protein as the whites per weight, and contain all the good fats (omega 3) and tons of other nutrients that the whites dont have.

If you absolutely must have something sweet, eat dark chocolate with at least 70% cocoa butter.

It's tough, I myself am struggling to get with the program, I need to lose 20 pounds. But I have faith in you Ed, and you are my inspiration. If a Serious Eater such as yourself can do it, then there is no reason why I shouldnt.

Thank you, stay strong, and keep us informed on how it goes!

harrison, I think we're in the same meeting and I totally agree that Ed should join us! Ed, you're doing a great job. Make sure you're drinking enough water!

Do you have a calorie limit per day and are you counting EVERY calorie? This (and excercise) is the only way.

Good start, though!

I think you did very well for your first week with the controlling and monitoring of your intake, and I'm glad that you were able to "taste, not devour" temptations like the bars!

great going! just be careful that you don't make yourself feel TOO deprived or you'll bust out big time {ask me how i know}.

try to stay out of restaurants when you're not eating for work. make it a habit to pack your own {unprocessed} food. you have total control of what goes in it, and it's so much cheaper and healthier.

keep up the exercise. that's really key. and you might want to consider taking up the suggestion of going to weight watchers. they teach valuable skills like how to measure portions and how to keep track of what you're eating. one of my friends dropped 40 pounds using the WW points system and is keeping it off just by weighing and measuring her food and being vigilant about keeping track of what she's eaten. i've lost 50 pounds, i have 30 more to go, and have been thinking about doing it myself.