I'm a Susan Powter fan too. Stop The Insanity helped me drop 30 lbs a few years ago and I've kept it off.
My one diet tip would be.......don't eat anything that contains more than 30% fat. I've gotten to the point where if I eat something loaded with fat I feel BLCCCHHHHH afterwards......my body just isn't used to it.
To figure out the % of fat in food.....look at the label. Take the # of fat grams per serving (and be sure to check out the size of a serving!!!) and multiply it by 9 (because one gram of fat has 9 calories.....doesn't sound like much does it!!) Then take that # and divide it by the # of calories per serving. (Yea I know this is starting to sound complicated but after a while you can just look at the # of fat grams per serving and you'll know the % of fat without even thinking about it. I used to walk thru the grocery store with a calculator in my hand!!) Anyway that final # is the percentage of fat per serving.
Example -- Skippy Creamy Peanut Butter, 17 grams of fat per serving (two tablespoons),190 calories
17 X 9 = 153
153 divided by 190 = 0.80
meaning the peanut butter is 80% fat

ok, peanut butter is not the greatest example because peanut butter has a lot of protein and new studies are supposedly showing that's it not all that bad for you......as long as you keep the portions down and don't eat it all the time. but anyway that's how the formula works and you can use it on anything that has a label.

I know this sounds like a lot of work but it's not. It works for me, and after a while you learn what is ok to eat and what isn't. I eat a lot of fresh fruit, salads, fish (salmon, tuna) lean meat, nothing fried.

I found it interesting to discover that the Heart Association makes the same recommendations as Susan Powter.

I'm not into counting carbs or calories, but for some reason this fat % thing works for me!!

And OH YEA I definitely agree about the exercise thing........the only way you'll lose weight is to make it a priority.....but you'll feel better and thank yourself later!!

[ January 04, 2006, 10:47 AM: Message edited by: CrosstitchQueen ]