A point in the right direction for diet please?

[piglet too]

I decided last night to go on a diet. Not so much to lose weight as to get back my energy. I guess I am looking for a life-style change in eating healthier. My DH needs to lose about 50-60 pounds, so I am looking for something we can do together. He has done Atkins before, with some success. He lost 30 lbs, but went off of it when we ran into severe financial problems and has since gained it all back.

Any suggestions on what we can do together? I am afraid that Atkins may not be the right choice for me, since I do not need to lose much weight. My personal "ideal" is 10 lbs less than where I am, but I am sure I could do that just through exercise, if I had the energy to do any. I have three kids, and it (the weight) is all in my "baby pouch."

Any ideas are greatly appreciated!

 

[ZerasPride]

Since your husband is already familiar with Atkins and the concept of watching carbs, why not try South Beach. My teen son eats pretty much what my DH and I eat but I can guarantee you he hasn't lost a pound! There are so many dishes you can make with a low carb lifestyle and you don't have to make many adjustments at all if you chose to have a side dish that your DH can't eat. Plus there are lots of tried and true sides now that are very good like Dreamfields pasta - it honestly tastes like the real thing and my son just asked me to make some homemade mac and cheese it it yesterday.

I'm sure you'll get other suggestions too. My family loves the South Beach way of eating and I find it's very flexible. I take dishes to gatherings all the time and am always amazed that my SBD dishes are the first to go!

Regarding the weight around the midsection - that is where DH and I both lost first. I get a kick out of hearing how flat my tummy is now! I do a lot of ab work but I know a lot of it is that the SBD program targets that area first.

 

[kfeuer]

My suggestion wouldn't be to go on a "diet" (diet always implies a temporary way of eating that you're either on or off). Instead, why not start making some small healthy changes in the way you're eating? Replace white bread with whole grain, cut out fried foods, increase fruit and veggie consumption, etc. Then start doing some form of exercise you enjoy and gradually increase the duration and intensity. If you focus on making permanent lifestyle changes, the weight is much more likely to come off slowly and stay off for good.