Hi Dave, Welcome to the TDC. You are doing great! Congratulations on the weight loss. I think a lot of us start out being overwhelmed by how much weight we have to lose. It is much better not to even think about how much is left to lose but to rejoice in the pounds lost every week.

I would bet your doctor was coming on strong to get you motivated to start. Once you tell him what your original starting weight was and that you are on the right track, I'm sure he'll be pleased. The key here is to make steady progress and not to worry too much about how long it will take or how much is left to lose.

One advantage we have over the lightweights is that this will truly be a way of life for us by the time we get thin, as it should be. This is not a diet that once you hit some magical goal weight that you can then just stop doing it. This is truly a life change. And the longer you do it, the easier it becomes.

This forum can be overwhelming at first, but it truly is a lifesaver! If you learn to use the search function, you can find a lot of the information you are seeking. You can also just post your questions here in the TDC and we will all try to help.

I don't do a lot of exercising. I know I need to, but I'm just not ready yet. I do try to incorporate more exercise into my daily routines by doing little things, like parking further away from the store entrances so that I have to walk a bit more. Or going up and down the stairs more at home. And even when I'm sitting here on the computer or watching TV, I'll do leg lifts or tuck my tummy in. I'm hoping all the little things will add up. But I know I need to start doing the real exercise soon. I've heard that weight lifting is really good to do, even if you start out small, like using a half gallon jug filled with water.

As far as breakfast and lunch go, try to think out of the box. You don't have to eat breakfast foods at breakfast time. I eat beef snacks, almonds and cheese a lot for breakfast. They are finger foods, so it's easy to eat while I'm working. I work from home so don't have to worry about lunch, but I do pack my daughter's lunch for her. She takes the same thing pretty much every day, roast beef & cheese on lc bread, cheese sticks and sf jello/fruit cup. Can you pack your lunch to eat while you are on the road?

I hope this helps some. I'm sure you'll get lots of info from the rest of the crew here. These folks are wonderful and very supportive.