 blessingcatcher 12 years ago | Hi, Evelyn! Go to your personal menu. At the right of it, it will say “change recipe and food variety”. That is where you can make the changes you are wanting. 🙂 |
 evelynmills9 12 years ago | How do I get back into the part of the menu where I choose whether I like to cook a lot or not. I am finding that I am too busy in the middle of the day to cook so would like to change from a lot of cooking to less. |
| blessingcatcher 12 years ago | At the bottom of your menu, you will find various links to all sorts of vital, basic information. One such link was to “free drinks”. Remember, to remain a free drink, you may only add (to stay with the plan) a healthy sweetner, such as stevia or monkfruit, if you need to sweeten. HEre are the free drinks listed: “Green/White/Red Tea
Black Tea
Herbal Tea
Chai
Black Coffee
Grain Coffee Substitute (Chickory)
Herbal Coffee Substitute
Non-caloric Powdered Ade
Seltzer or Soda Water
Flavored Mineral Water, Non-caloric” |
 znurdin 12 years ago | Hi Everyone, another newby here…I haven’t seen anything related to tea or coffee (or maybe I’ve missed it) Is it ok to have? Thanks,
Fatima |
 Ossie-Sharon 12 years ago | Hi, Kathd101. Eating too little (i.e. one meal every other day, with only 1000 calories every other day) can actually cause more weight gain. Changes in hormones such as what you experienced at 40 are something this program addresses, and it involves eating smarter instead of so much less – for the age-related changes in women, this means focusing on protein and good fats, with the carbohydrates being high in fiber and combined with protein. You can make this happen by selecting the lighter blue items in the main planner, and the rest is done for you with the timing (6 small meals per day) and food combinations (proteins accompanying carbohydrates). Since you have been on deprivation diets, it may take some time for your body to adjust to eating normally again, so we encourage you to give your metabolism a boost through exercise. If you already exercise, then make some changes to work new muscles or combine short bursts of intense exercise with regular cardio – you can get more guidance on this by joining the fitness forum, and an expert will get back to you. |
 Kathd101 12 years ago | I am a new member and really need some clarification before I begin. I am very familiar with the concept of weight management (calories consumed = < calories burned), but if that's true than I should of disappeared years ago! I have never had any issue with weight in my youth and if I wanted to get really thin for summer, I'd just not eat for a few days and I would get down to 110lbs./ 5'5". But around my 40th B-day, something changed and I literally am down to 1 meal every other day (and it's healthy meal like grilled chicken breast ceaser salad w/o croutons). I am still overweight and haven't dropped an ounce! So, my fear is… If one meal every other day MAINTAINS my weight, I'm going to end up being 400lbs. & NatGeo will do a whole program on called "+400lb woman who became obese on a Diet"!
I would rather my on screen debut be co-starring in a movie w/Channing Tatum as his love interest (not mother), rather than a documentary on my 225lb weight gain as a result of proper nutritional techniques!
So, if a 1000cal. Every other day (sometimes every 2 days) diet maintains my weight (no losing & not gaining), if I increase that caloric intake I'm going to gain weight???? |
| blessingcatcher 12 years ago | Evelyn, the answer is yes, in short. We can switch meals around and snacks around, if we choose to. However, try to eat your heavier things earlier in the day. But, if it means you may have more trouble because you have the munchies too badly, try it (switching the two) for a while and see how it works for you. |
| evelynmills9 12 years ago | Can I exchange the afternoon and evening snacks with each other. Evening is always my worst time of day to get the munchies. |
| Ossie-Sharon 12 years ago | Hi, lyn16francis. Of course! It is actually healthier to eat locally – your body wants the plants that protect you against what is going on in your immediate environment. |
 lyn16francis 12 years ago | Hi Everyone am new! And live in the Caribbean. One of my concerns is finding some of the ingredients we don’t grow dill and some of the other stuff and it is pretty hard to find organic foods and when you do it is pretty expensive. Am wondering if I can subsitute with our local herbs? |
 debbiejoseph 12 years ago | \just read your post Anna it is very encouraging I am 2 days in I have rheumatoid arthritis any way so problems with mobility and joints but I know any weight loss will help with that. There is a lot of thought and effort now but it is encouraging that it will become more second nature with time |
| blessingcatcher 12 years ago | And, honestly, OSsie is the best. She is always patient with us, and answers the same questions over and over and over. Ossie, we appreciate you from the bottom of our hearts! 😉 jan |
| Ossie-Sharon 12 years ago | Congratulations, Anna! 🙂 Marie, if you post in the forums, I am the dietitian who participates in them, and am happy to help. If you want something more private, that’s when you can turn to the Dietitian Online paying service. |
 bonitag 12 years ago | Well said Anna! I agree with what she said! 100% If you can be patient and give it time I think we will all be pleased!! |
 AnnaH 12 years ago | I am into my 17th week with the program, so not such a newbie and I could be posting this in the success topic but I thought this might address some of the concerns that I see about the plan. I can relate to those of you concerned about not counting calories, points etc and seeing what seems an awful lot of food coming up on your menus, but it works if you can stick with it. I came to an amazing realization this week. On the weeks when I am busy and I miss out on my snacks, not because I haven’t got time for them, but simple because I get too engrossed I don’t realise what the time is because I often don’t feel hungry when my snacks are due, I only lose about a lb in that week. On the weeks that I eat all that is on my planned menu I lose 2-3lbs, how amazing is that. Obviously I can’t guarantee that you will all have those sort of results we’re all different. I started off with more than half my body weight to lose and having lost 37lbs since I joined if I’m to get within the ideal weight for my height etc I’ve still got more than double that to go, but I’m now at a weight that I haven’t been since 2004. It’s not just the weight, my mobility was becoming increasingly impaired and I was always in pain with my joints, that started improving within weeks so before I lost so much. I can now walk 4 times the distance I could and not end up having to take pain meds when I get home. My stress levels are down now that I am eating regular and nutritionally balance meals and finally one that I find quite ironic. I used to skip breakfast and very often lunch and I didn’t buy fruit or a lot of vegetables because I thought I couldn’t afford to eat properly. Having a record of what I used to spend on food and comparing it with what I spent on food since I joined TDC my monthly food bill is actually less! The beauty of this plan is that you don’t have to faff around working out calories or points etc you just put in the foods you like and enjoy eating and you get your menu telling you how much you can eat. I can understand it being scary to start with, not many of us like new things, it has a tendency to make us anxious and I too found it overwhelming to start with but take it step by step and it does get easier and it’s worth it. Every one of you deserves not have to struggle every day with your weight, with this plan eating can become fun rather than a battle. |
