MaryAnn,

I sent the whole family to

<http://www.fitday.com/>

to sign up free, for starters.

I showed the girls how to us Fitday. They simply loved Fitday, tried
all the  links, the exercise, food and journal areas. They saw how much
activity it required to burn calories in a candy bar and began to
really learn about nutrition.

I laid out a program for them that was balanced, included snacks, and
milk and yogurt for calcium, healthy meals, no second helpings and
selections from all food groups including grains . rice and potatoes.
I was able to do this easily because I had ten years of experience
working for Weight Watchers in the 1970's.

The girls have  committed to walk ten minutes a day during the first
week, do some breathing exercise and a little stretching. Next week
I'll increase this and add a few exercises. Soon their soccer season
will start.

They may weigh and measure as often as they wish but write it down once
a week. ( If they weigh daily they are to average the weight out as
Rosie suggests.)

So nothing new or exotic here, just learning good eating habits.
Currently they are big consumers of junk food, pop and calorie dense
snacks, like the great precentage of North American pre-teens.

I made other programs for my ex husband and my daughter as they have
different nutrition requirements.

And I have to follow a diet that excludes certain carbohydrates as I
have Celiac Disease and also want to stay near my goal. (I lost my
weight four years ago.)

The family programs are based first and formost on building healthy
eating habits, and second on weight loss.

MaryAnn
Here is the actual diet I suggested for my daughter who is 49. Remember
the immediate concern is more to change her eating habits then to go
very low calorie for quick weight loss.

My daughter has gone to Dr. Stanley Bernstein three times, lost on his
very low calorie diet .  She always regained more than she started with
as her focus was on weight loss, not on learning how to eat. She has
also tried Suzanne Sommers repeatedly with only minor success at the
start.

Breakfast: one or two eggs any style. Fresh juice. 1 toast or half
English Muffin. A little butter not margarine.

On Sundays add 3 strips crisp bacon if desired

Lunch:

Egg, salmon, tuna with a little mayo or . or peanut butter  or
sliced roast beef or turkey with mustard  on two
slices  thin whole wheat bread, fruit, small salad with a little
dressing, fruit or diet Jello
coffee, diet drink a couple of times a week but not all the
time. Tomato juice is good. She likes Crystal Lite and I told her it's
OK but I don't use aspartame myself.

snack; small yogurt or fruit or diet Jello or an ounce slice or cube of
cheese

Dinner; soup if desired, not thick, two vegetables small portion very
small of rice or potatoes ,  salad, roast, broiled grilled or
braised or stewed meat, fish or poultry  not in thickened gravy. Have
liver once oin a while for iron and also spiunach.Diet
Jello or small yogurt

A couple of Social Tea Biscuits for dessert. It's better not to eat
within
three hours of bed time but if you must, a piece of fruit or an ounce of
unsalted nuts ( that's quite a few)or a piece of cheese or some juice
(unsweetened)

Take a daily multi vitamin. (daughter) Walk ten minutes every day the
first week
and try doing a little stretching and deep breathing just to relax. Go
one day without reading or listening to or watching the news. Avoid
toxic people.

Weigh and measure. If weighing every day go
ahead but average all the weights at the end of the week. Measure
yourself. (bust -waist -hips)

Write down what you eat on paper or the computer. If you mess up, do
not wait until the next day to start again. get right back on the wagon
at once.