Need to lose 40 lbs~ gradually bridging the gap.

[GLC1968]

Any tips for someone who is a diehard 'no prepared food' eater?

Yes - stay that way!!! Don't start buying prepared foods to lose weight...you'll just compromise your health unnecessarily. Many of the web calorie counters allow you to build recipes and then eat only servings of them. You can 'build' them with fresh foods from their database, so it's not like you have to key them in yourself. You just pick the foods you cook with and then save the recipe for future use. I have lately been using www.MyFoodDiary.com and it's really, really good for this. (Best I've found so far but it is $9/mo.)

I think that your basic calorie calculations are pretty good, but keep in mind...if you eat those calories now to lose weight (which is likely because your BMR is higher due to your current weight), you will probably have to adjust these numbers as you get closer to your goals. As you lose weight, your body becomes more efficient at functioning on lower calories, so you'll have to lower them again to keep the weight loss going. That's one of the reasons why you don't want to drop the calories too drastically to start...

Good luck with it!

(I just put together a plan for myself...7 months to lose 30 lbs...so I'll be following your progress!)

[jayjay]

Yes - stay that way!!! Don't start buying prepared foods to lose weight...you'll just compromise your health unnecessarily. Many of the web calorie counters allow you to build recipes and then eat only servings of them. You can 'build' them with fresh foods from their database, so it's not like you have to key them in yourself. You just pick the foods you cook with and then save the recipe for future use.

That sounds like a terrific idea. See , I'm just really out of the loop. I didn't realize that i only have to 'make the recipe' once, then, if I adhere to the recipe, and carefully cut portions, I'm probably close enough. It will just take a long time to figure out a serving size of my favorite dishes (lazagna, paella, enchilladas, pizza). But, I consider the veggies 'free' except for the dressings that I may toss 'em with, I will get use to pigging out on salads and mounds of brocolli/cauliflower/zuchini again.

I think that your basic calorie calculations are pretty good, but keep in mind...if you eat those calories now to lose weight (which is likely because your BMR is higher due to your current weight), you will probably have to adjust these numbers as you get closer to your goals. As you lose weight, your body becomes more efficient at functioning on lower calories, so you'll have to lower them again to keep the weight loss going. That's one of the reasons why you don't want to drop the calories too drastically to start...

My thinking exactly. But I think that between 1700 and 2000 calories is a good safe start with least amount of metabolic freak-out.

[/UOTE]Good luck with it! (I just put together a plan for myself...7 months to lose 30 lbs...so I'll be following your progress!)[/QUOTE] Are you doing something similar? Hey, Thanks !!!