Got the exercise part. Can't get the eat less part.

[IFjane]

I agree, Grog - REAL peanut butter, like Crazy Richard's. Ingredients: peanuts. Yes, it's a pain to stir when you first open the jar, and no, there is no salt so the taste is different, but it is so much better. I eat it rarely, though, so I can't blame peanut butter for my extra pounds...

I also agree with drinking lots of water (I add a slice of lemon to mine), eating oatmeal with no sugar (I add things like raisins, dried cranberries, fresh blueberries, sliced almonds or walnuts.) I buy only fresh ingredients and make most everything from scratch. When I eat meat it is usually chicken breast, salmon or ground turkey. Red meat 1x month - though I could probably eat a nice slab of steak once a week if I would let myself. I use low-fat yogurt, vanilla flavor because I just can't eat plain. Fat free salad dressings. All the right stuff - and I still can't get that extra 15 lb. off!

One downfall I have is that dinner is almost always late in the evening - say, 8 p.m. By the time my SO and I get home from work & work out & shower, it's after 7, then time to fix dinner. If only I could work 4 hours/day instead of 8 - oh, and get paid the same, if not more then maybe I could get dinner on the table earlier!

It is comforting to see that I am not the only one carrying extra pounds & wrestling with the same issues! I love this forum & having this "sisterhood"!

[paigette]

I agree, Grog - REAL peanut butter, like Crazy Richard's. Ingredients: peanuts. Yes, it's a pain to stir when you first open the jar, and no, there is no salt so the taste is different, but it is so much better.

I've always been told to store the jar upside down that way there is less stiring.

[Pedal Wench]

I pour off the oil to create my own reduced-fat peanut butter

I'm also working on a new trick - I'll report back if it continues to work. Whenever I get the urge to snack, or have seconds of something, I'll fix a cup of tea, with the understanding that if I still want the snack after my tea, I'll eat it. So far, after the cup of tea, I've forgotten about the snack, proving to myself that I'm not really always eating out of hunger. It might be emotional eating, or I'm just thirsty. I'll let you know if it works in a few weeks.

[IFjane]

Ok.....call me slow...but I never thought of storing the jar upside down! I have thought about pouring out some of the oil but have not actually done it....

[Grog]

Whenever I get the urge to snack, or have seconds of something, I'll fix a cup of tea, with the understanding that if I still want the snack after my tea, I'll eat it. So far, after the cup of tea, I've forgotten about the snack, proving to myself that I'm not really always eating out of hunger.

I think tea and coffee actually reduce appetite... I'm not sure it's only psychological! I do that all the time when I'm getting super hungry at 10:30am. It saves me until 11:45, at which time it's okay to ask co-workers to go for lunch!!

[Bikingmomof3]

Coffee (which I love) makes me hungry. Could be I associate coffee with biscotti.

Tea, for me, will usually curb the desire for something sweet.

[Bluetree]

For me, the easiest way to lose weight was to phase out the concept of the big evening meal.

I know it sounds like heresy, esp when dinner time is the prime time for families/loved ones to get together, communicate and get rewarded for the labors of the day.
But when I started living and working on my own, my whole concept of day-planning changed. Instead of three solid meals a day, I found myself eating a huge meal in the morning after my workouts (and I mean HUGE), and slowly tapering off throughout the day with a series of smaller and smaller meals/snacks. When dinner time came around, I found that I wasn't really hungry... so I just stopped having dinner. Hence, no 600-800 calories piled on right before bedtime. My body gradually became accustomed to it and any excess weight I was carrying just fell off.

Even now, when I get invited out for dinner by the BF, friends or family, everyone remarks at how little I eat. It's unconventional, but I now view dinner as more of a social convention than a dietary requirement.

[sulis]

I just had to pipe in on the peanut butter discussion - because I am a pb addict.

My local organic store has a peanut butter and almond butter machine. It does taste different, but I so love it. And none of the extreme oily mess from the organic jars. Its so fun to flip the machine on and watch the nuts get mushed into a paste right in front of me. Almond butter is my new guilty pleasure. If you can find a health food store with their own nut butter press...its definitely worth the try.

[Pedal Wench]

The Whole Foods near me have the peanut butter presses - four of them. One with regular peanuts, one with almonds, one with honey-roasted peanuts, and the last one - get this --- peanuts and chocolate chips!

[DeniseGoldberg]

The Whole Foods near me have the peanut butter presses - four of them. One with regular peanuts, one with almonds, one with honey-roasted peanuts, and the last one - get this --- peanuts and chocolate chips!

I think I'm addicted to the grind-your-own honey-roasted peanut butter. I've never seen the peanuts and chocolate chips though - guess I'll have to keep my eyes peeled for that treat!

--- Denise