Ciao-Ciao, WELCOME! We're so glad you've joined us. I've always wondered if the rebound would be a good exerciser. I might try that in addition to my walking each day. I've bumped up the time to 45 minutes instead of 30. It was time.

Orchid, you asked about my diet. I am following a Weight Watchers program of counting points, although I am not a WW member. I just count the points that food has in it, watch the calories and fat content, and I TOTALLY do NOT

a) eat out at fast food places
b) drink any sodas (That's what you all call them, I call them cokes)
c) eat real sugar
d) eat white bread of ANY kind
e) eat chips
f) eat chocolate unless it is within my points and then only a small amount...and dark
g) eat regular mayo (only Hellmans lite)
h) eat after a certain time in the evening
i) snack late at night...at all!
j) use salt (I use sea-salt sparingly)

and many more things. This isn't a diet. It is a lifestyle change. I intend to do this from now on. I fix all of my meals and being prepared ahead of time makes the difference. It keeps one from grabbing what is handy, or readily available...like snack foods, chips, processed foods, etc.

I eat very little meat and if I do, it's chicken (baked) or fish (which I don't really care for)...so I have eaten enough chicken to lay eggs. But I eat like a horse and have great meals.

Yesterday for instance, I had cooked cauliflower with cheese, baked chicken, slaw w/Hellman's mayo & tomatoes/onions. It was 7 points. Then supper was a turkey sandwich on wheat bread with dijon mustard, sweet pickles, lettuce/onion, chips (special kind) with red peach salsa, water. Yum! Yum! 4 points.

For dessert I have either chocolate pudding (fat-free), watermelon, or some fruit, or a banana popsicle, or maybe a fruit tart. They vary from one point to two.
It's working! Everyone has to do what works for them. I was eating fried foods, greasy foods, and eating late at night. The handwriting was on the wall.

I knew diabetes was in my future if I didn't start taking care of myself. So...I committed to a lifestyle change.

I also set myself up with a small, reachable goal of 30 pounds to start with...which I reached a week ago. Then, I put a new goal in place. Another 30. After that, the goals will get smaller, but obtaining them will still remain HIGH priority for me. By Christmas I may be where I want to be, healthwise.

I LOVE fruits, veggies, and cooking, so it was relatively easy for me to do this, but when on vacation this past week, I did indulge in some pizza (3 whole pieces) and I had some brews while laying around the pool. I had to...I'm pretty sure it is a law somewhere.

Now...it's back to my commitment to myself.

Someone mentioned the smoking thing. My daddy told me once that when I was ready to quit, I would. I would simply lay them down. I protested...I said, "But you don't know how hard, bla...bla...bla." He just held up his hand and repeated, "when you are READY, you will lay them down." He was right. I quit six years ago (maybe longer?) and when I was READY, realllllllly ready and wasn't making excuses, I laid them down. PERIOD. End of smoking. I've never smoked another one.

Forgive my long post. They don't call me the Mouth of the South for nothing.

Thanks for the warm welcome...

I have been using my mini trampoline for about 5 or 6 years.

I paid 39 dollars for it at a local Sporting Goods store.

I don't have one those fancy fandangled ones that has the bar and that you can fold up.

Mine works just fine for me...

All you have to do is put on a mp3 player or the stereo and get on the trampoline and have a good ole time exercising...

There are some really nifty medical and health benefits that come from rebounding.

Here are a couple of website that will give some more info:

http://sn.im/rebound3
http://sn.im/rebound2

Well, I'm a horrible dieter. I'm doing everything that JawJaw is not! Yet, I've cut back on intake and only eat 2 meals a day with a snack or two and I've incorporated more veggies and fruit, and water. I've forced myself to eat breakfast and eat a later lunch, then for dinner I'll have one of my snacks: either fruit, yogurt, fat free pudding, 100 calorie popcorn bags pretzels, etc. I find that eating breakfast allows me to eat a later lunch and I'm more productive and not running to the snack machine as often. I began the 2009 year at 164 lbs, now 157.5 and I'm 5'9".

JJ you are my hero! I can't wait to see your new svelt self...We won't recognize each other I bet.

So Mustang what is your weight goal?
Excellent Jawjaw.
Chatty, have you been cycling?

I started to eat abit more for breakfast over 3 years ago simply because I was starting my work commute at 5:15 am, so early that I knew I would not have enough energy. Of course breakfast usually is only 1 c. of microwaved oatmeal with a bit of skim milk and fruit on side. Sometimes a cup of tea also with abit of skim milk.

Here are my general eating habits:

1) Eating meat (usually seafood or chicken breast no skin) once or twice per wk. Occasionally I'll have a gourmet sausage or bison for supper. Amount per meal= 1 fistful

2) No pop/carbonated drinks. (I just have never liked the stuff, even as a child. I still have an unopened can from an event 4 months ago, in our fridge.)

3) Deep fried foods- is rare. Maybe once a month or less. If it is a doughnut but that's if it's freely given at a workplace. Or a properly delicately spring roll..there are certain Asian styles are nice. Others are gross. I don't enjoy deep fried fish...I think it covers up the delicate texture/taste of fish.

4) have lots of fruits. Local as well as exotic tropical fruits, ie. mangoes, lichees, etc. Same with veggies.

5) at least 40% of my home cooking is Asian style.

6) Our bread is fatfree, eggfree and sugar free from a bakery. We buy it from a quality bakery. It's good enough that I don't put any spread on it..95% of the time. We don't have jam, mayonnaise, ketchup at home. But we love mustard. Alot of mustard is sugar-free.

The type of bread includes: sourdough, sundried tomato, olive, pumpkin seed, etc. I try to, but not always successfully to eat it earlier in the day.

7) Last time we bought whole eggs..was a yr. ago. We buy egg whites or egg substitute.

8) Have cut back over 70% of my intake on rice and heavier pastas. I have light Asian pasta...some of this stuff you buy dried or freshly made.

9) We have butter at home, only once a year. Usually for baking a special dessert. Otherwise I oaccsionally have it at restaurant on a roll. I have never buttered a muffin anywhere. I find the practice abit strange. Why would one do it when the muffin already has fat inside it?

My biggest fault is biscotti, muffin, or light dessert with a coffee combo. I also drink lots of tea (and coffee at a workplace) with milk but no sugar.

Past 1/2 yr. I've been eating supper earlier, am done eating by 7:00 pm or so.

One thing I've learned is that your portion size should be no bigger than a fist.

I've heard you should eat like a King in the morning (or Queen), a Prince at lunch time, and a pauper at night.

Skipping meals is a big no-no since your body will pull from other areas (such as muscle) to make up for the loss of food intake.

Mustang, I don't consider your night time meal as a skip...It looks like you are simply eating lite. Good for you.

I also use Stevia in the place of ANY sweetener I might want. I carry some with me too in case I'm ever out and need some. You can get 100-box count of them now at Purtain Pride 3 for 1. I usually try and get in on this sale.

Orchid, your eating regime consists of mainly no fat, sugars, or high calorie foods. Same as mine, except we eat different things. I love the breads you mention. Every one of them. They are so high in cost around here though. Wonder why? Small town, maybe?

I document meals so I can have a history, see which weeks I lost more; or less, and keep track of the points I eat each day.

Right now I'm at a plateau ... so I'll add more fat back into my diet for a day or so, then go back to my regular/NEW way of eating.

Interesting quiz on your perception of food portion, real calories and how much exercise to burn off large portions of food. Kind of shocking actually.
http://hp2010.nhlbihin.net/portion/ You have to click on parts I & II. It's fun nevertheless.

From U.S. federal Dept. of Health and National Institute of Health. Your government....who does provide fantastic info. for all Americans and worldwide. (PubHealth, PubMed. is a freely available medical database used worldwide, courtesy of your government. Has existed over last few decades. For those who think govn't is useless in our lives. )
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Jawjaw, I have a lousy habit of having a coffee and little sweet thing, usually a biscotti or muffin or..danish. I have way more sugar in my diet compared to 30 years ago. However, I have noticed that I am less tempted for larger sweeter desserts at supper since my body seems to go into a sugar crash where I feel abit unwell. Have noticed it also when I drink wine for the occasional dinner.

Anyhooo..I continue to cycle 42 kms. (or 25+ miles) daily and abit longer on weekends. Usually I do it first thing in the morning shortly after breakfast, so it's done. It's a great way to kickstart my day/energy.

When do you usually go walking?

Life got better for me when I discovered I could order senior citizen portions at restaurants even though I'm not that old.
I am totally grossed out on the portion sizes that I am seeing at restaurants these days.

I agree on the portion size at restaurants. I never noticed it so much before, but now that I've changed things, I find them way over the top. And fast foods...forget it. The exception has been the yogurt you can get at McDonalds. I do like that.

Orchid, I walk around 6 or 6:30 in the morning. We have three kinds of weather down here in the South. Humidity, humidity, and humidity. So the earlier the better. I also have a set of radio headphones so I have it set to an oldie station and I walk to the beat.

I LOVE biscotti...I stay as far as way from it as I can get. I have no control where they are concerned.

Jawjaw and Mustang, congrats on the weight loss and continued success!

I weigh myself every morning before breakfast, in my underwear, so there's no variation. My weight has been pretty stable for 5 years (gained a little before that) so I'm happy. I'm probably ~15 lbs. overweight but not too concerned about dieting as I eat pretty healthy and go to the gym. Never counted calories and don't intend to start.