I admire your commitment, Paul. I'd be inclined to eat it sparingly until it was used up. I need to take a lesson from you.

This is excellent news, Charlie....4 months-did you start this after the St. Louis meet-up?

It's my routine lunch though. At least the bread is healthy-maybe that factor can help "balance off" the oily thing.

Thanks, and yes I did, Paul. I had my annual physical in July, and I committed then that I would do something about my weight and physical condition. My doc has been providing advice and encouragement. He also recommended the app I'm using to log my food and exercise. The app, used along with my digital food scale, has been an eye opener for me. I see my doc later this month for a follow-up appointment.

Thanks Charlie...when I get the peanut-butter brand I have in mind, I'll tell you which it is.

Oh, a technical piece of advice, eh?

Thanks Paul. I would appreciate that. I will eventually incorporate peanut butter back into my diet, but I know I'll have to be careful with it.

It's good for protein, but otherwise, check those inGREEDYents.

It's funny you should say that, Paul. I thought these kind of apps were silly...until I started using this one. Managing my food intake, exercise, and weight has sort of become like balancing a checkbook. It has actually taken some of the mystery out of managing my health. Left to my own desires and judgment, I'll overeat every time. I can see myself keeping some sort of log like this for the rest of my life if I truly want to remain healthy.

Will do. I currently eat an avocado and 1 or 2 hard boiled eggs daily for protein. I'm not a big egg fan, but I love avocados. I also eat small portions of lean meat. I find the protein to be quite satisfying.

We are switching from ground beef to ground turkey, and we gave up the pre-packaged cold cuts in favor of deli meats. We now plan to transition to organically raised meats. These aren't perfect changes, but hopefully they are steps in the right direction.

and don't forget de CHICKPEAS on your salads and flaxseeds on your sugar-free dark chocolate "puddins". )

Still working my way through this cold....I feel a little better today than before, but I don't like how my lower chest area hurts as I cough. I need to be at or near 100% healthy("at" is much preferred here)by Thanksgiving when I visit my sister(and husband and his cousin).

I am a little late to this thread, but what a great idea @wristwatchb. I had some severe back problems a few years ago that led to back surgery in late 2014. I had my one year follow up and told the doctor I was still experiencing some issues, he basically told me that I needed to Los weight if I expected to have a healthier back. He went so far as to tell me that if I wasn't going to take better care of myself not to bother coming to see him again. A few months after that, and my 4 child was born, so my wife was looking to lose some weight. I am 5'10"ish and weighed over 205 at the time. We both started watching what we ate much better. In reality, I maintaines proper portion control, drastically cut the added sugars, and watched what types of carbs I ate. I didn't cut carbs, although I did reduce them, but I switches to wheat bread instead of white, brown rice, sweet potatoes, etc. I also started exercising, at first riding a spin bike 3-4 days a week and weight training. I lost 45 lbs over the next year, which put me at about 170. I have managed to keep up the weight training, really adding some weight back, that I like to think is muscle, and still watch the types of foods I eat. I am a little more liberal on the portions than I used to be, but over a week, I still average out about right. On days I don't do weights, I go on a 3.5 mile walk around the neighborhood as I got too bored riding my spin bike. Unfortunately, running is out for me, as my back just can't handle the pounding anymore. The good news is that with strengthening my core, my back feels better at 43 than it did at 33, and probably even 23 (my problems started in my late teens). I definitely have more energy, and all my blood work looks terrific. Some mornings are easier than others to get up to exercise, but I manage to keep myself doing it. I am looking forward to participating in this thread as I can always use extra motivation.

i plug away doing small changes and i am loosing a little slowly. did the quick weight drop a few years ago only to gain it back after a few years. this time i don t want it back. ..steps and hills made a difference..

Congratulations on super results to date and what sounds like an excellent plan for both further gradual reduction and long term maintenance afterwards.

Excellent results! A maintenance regime to keep weight off once it's lost is even more important than losing it in the first place, and it sounds like you have incorporated lifestyle changes to do that. Glad to see you posting here!

Quickly off, then back on again seems to be a common result of "dieting". Small permanent lifestyle changes do seem more effective in the long term.

Thank you, John. I appreciate the encouragement.

thank you all for your encouragement.. while i can t give you a daily, i have lost a little,and will continue to make some progress..

I saw a registered nurse in CVS today(their "Minute Clinic") about my cold. Glad I did-I was headed towards bronchitis/pneumonia territory. She put me on Mucinex, and threw in NeilMed Nasal Mist. Said to call my primary care doc Friday if things weren't improving. Everything else checked out (heart, lungs).

Update-I had her title wrong-she is a Nurse Practishoner(I know I spelled that wrong).