Ahhhh, but the beauty of smoothies - as long as they're greens, fruits and berries (real food), you can pretty much have as much as you want. Some people drink a couple of quarts per day. Portion control is usually necessary for the empty calorie food. Even then, when one deprives their body, they just crave more because the nutrient requirements haven't been met....thus the 'always hungry' feeling on most "diets". Portion control and points, etc., are futile if one is eating the wrong foods. I limit myself some when it comes to nuts and sweeter foods, but nuts have beneficial fats and nutrients, too.
Then there is the emotional aspect of eating, and just plain old habit
:shock:

Thanks for the info, Jan! My problem with the Magic Bullet is that if I make a smoothie in one of the cups, I want to eat (drink?) the whole thing 'cause they are so good! I need to divide even that amount into smaller servings. It's all about portion control for me.

[quote="martyrayl"....... I know one of you talked about freezing fruit, is there something special you have to do with it first ??MC[/quote]

Martha, it's unnecessary to do anything special. I core, seed and quarter apples (leave skin on if organic), peel and section oranges, peel and break apart bananas, etc. I put the pieces on a cookie sheet to freeze first, then put in ziplock bags; the same with berries. I even freeze any greens that are starting to wilt, as they work fine in smoothies after they've been frozen. No waste - I like that.

Margo, I have a Magic Bullet, they're pretty slick! I find them great for small volume things such as salad dressings. Many people use them for travel. My long time go-to favorite is my Vita Mix that I've used daily for 15 years. They're spendy, but well worth it. I think they have a 7 year warranty. If you plan on mixing up frozen fruit smoothies or even with the greens, the VitaMix breaks food down like magic. You can make soups in them, as the ingredients heat up as you blend for longer periods of time. The temperature limit is around 118 degrees, as far as keeping nutrients intact. Some people like the BlendTec blender, which is about the same price.
Jan

If anyone is interested in a plan where you order special food, you might want to check out:
http://www.medifast1.com/

I've not investigated this program, but have heard good things about it.

Karen...will it be easier to toss out a couple of bucks worth of temptation, or calculate how many extra calories you would have to burn if you ate it all???? Add up all the calories if you ate those bags/cans of goodies. According to Ask.com, you have to briskly walk for 30 minutes (at 3.3 MPH) to burn off 100 calories. :shock: Will you burn off those extra calories before you start 2010 or just add it?

Sandi, I'm glad your husband is joining you! I'm sure it will make your journey much easier!

I've had several pedometers over the years that really havn't worked. Can't even find one of those right now. I guess I hid them too well. Anyone have a good recommendation? My husband is going to work with me on this healthier lifestyle also. That will be a big help. Sandi in FL

I'm trying to get geared up for this!!! As for pedometers, mine is a Sportline clip on one. I must say...when I bend over etc, it tends to pop off! Maybe from the rolls around the waist??? My friend has one (Omron) that she puts in her pocket with a lot more features. However, a lot of exercise clothes do not have pockets. So, I guess you just have to decide which one fits into your budget etc. My biggest downfall is salty, crunchy things...like potato chips, pretzels and peanuts. I have to get rid of all the salty snacks in the house....this will be like pulling teeth

Speaking of mixers....several years ago my sister (re: Kale soup!) got me a Magic Bullet Mixer which is basically a single serving gizmo with cups and screw lids so things can be made up and stored in the fridge. It also comes with some healthy diet tips. Check it out:

[url]forum/index[/url]

Wow sounds like everyone is already trying to geared up to start this new year off right!!!.....I have some goodies to get rid of from Christmas, then since I do the shopping more will not make it back into the house......... I know one of you talked about freezing fruit, is there something special you have to do with it first ??...I have never tried this but since I am suppose to be on a low sodium diet fresh fruits and vegetables are suppose to be my main meals....I
have never been much of a cook so don't know alot about freezing, or whatever you can do to preserve food....... any books or sites that I could read to learn more???? I haven't tried smoothies yet, guess I forgot to ask Santa for a new mixer!!!!... maybe that will be my new year present I had been doing a food journal for my LS diet & it really did help, I let it slide & I can tell the difference, back to that & more walking.......this is really going to be helpful to talk with others going in the same direction....... thanks ladies
MC

Lots of good intentions! Sounds great! We have a few more days to get in the right frame of mind and prepare to really get serious about this and I think that next Friday (January 1, 2010) we can plan to re-state our goals and how we plan to achieve them. The following friday (the 8th) we can report how the first week went.

Thanks everyone for all the support on this journey.

I renewed my Weight Watcher's online membership, which I had let slide, and ordered a wii fit plus. The Weight Watcher's Online has a great food journal that does all the counting for you and even keeps track of activity points.

This should help me in this endeavor. David, my youngest son, has decided he'll also try to lose 30 pounds (shhh..he needs to lose 40) this year, so that will help a lot. He's a writer and doesn't get enough exercise, so he'll benefit from the wii fit too, I think.

We'll see how I do with it...I'm pretty out of shape, have creeky knees, and am badly in need of losing weight. I have my doubts about the wii fit, but since David can use it too, I decided to go ahead and have a try with it. The wii fit plus lets your design your own workout, so I can go with the more gentle items for starters.

Walking here is not always an option--often bad weather or after dark when I get home from work and I just can't do it in the morning and still get to work on time. So I hope this helps.

I know, I know. I tried another smoothie today with the banana, blueberries, strawberries, spinach and a smaller portion of parsley. It actually was quite tasty. Margo, I only tried one of each thing. You would have been proud of me. But then I found the York Peppermint Patties........ once these things are out of my life, I will be much happier. If I don't buy them, then I won't eat them. And once my DD goes back home, I won't be making food like I am doing now. My DH and I eat a lot of fish, chicken and homemade soups as he can't have processed food because of the sodium. Judy in AZ

Judy, those sweet gifts were given with love, but that doesn't mean that you have to eat all of if! I give you written permission to taste, but not clean your plate!! If you can resist the temptation, you will be on your way to a healthier body!

Here are some success stories to help motivate us!

http://gblsharing.app.aol.com/pop-up/

Judy, sugar was a HUGE addiction for me I knew it was impacting my health negatively (especially Canidia - ongoing since childhood when I was on antibiotics for a year!). Once you begin to put the "good stuff" (live food) into your body, the sugar attraction does decline, and doesn't taste good. I made up my mind to overcome it, because I desired to feel better and be the healthiest I can be. I first used Stevia (herb)as a replacement. They've come a long way with that herb, you can now buy non-bitter Stevia powder. I put a TINY bit in my tea or smoothie and am satisfied with that. I don't deprive myself of sweets, I just use "better" sweeteners: Stevia, yakon syrup (very low glycemic impact), maple syrup, agave syrup or dates. And I simply don't crave sweets like I used to. There are tons of recipes out there for treats using these sweeteners. None of the sweeteners are perfect, but certainly better than refined white sugar, high fructose corn syrup, aspartame, Splenda, etc. If I can kick the sugar habit, anyone can.