Q&A: eating healthier while keep your child's weight up

Vickie writes:

"This is something I've been thinking about for a while but have delayed asking you about since it seems like a ridiculous question to me!  I should be able to figure it out myself but can't.

My husband and I are on the wrong side of 30, so we really should be watching what we eat.  He's had to monitor his cholesterol in the last year.  My cholesterol is on the normal side though my NP suggested going lower-fat to improve the numbers.

How do I cook so that my husband and I eat better but not jeopardize our son's appetite & growth?--He's always been low on the charts for weight; currently he's about 23 lbs and is 33.5 in, in height.  I worry that he'll stop growing if I use fat substitutes and skim milk when called for in recipes.  I can't imagine making pancakes for him using butter after using spray when I cook for my husband and me! Plus he likes french toast, which my husband uses whole or 2% to cook, and of course that's also what he makes ours out of.

I've never really liked tracking calories or food anyway (which probably explains why, 17 mos post partum, I'm still 30 lbs overweight.  I just got my Ttapp videos this week and am excited to start, though I still can't follow the instructions very well).

We don't have generally good eating habits overall; we still like to snack (though I'm trying to give up chips, and my husband's snacking on nuts) and eat more than 3 meals.  We do tend to eat more fruits and veggies now that we have a kid because he likes and needs them.  We walk a fair amount each week but otherwise are too cheap to engage in more organized health plans.

Thanks for your input!"

This is the kind of question that's perfect for Ask Moxie because the readers are going to have a million ideas for Vickie.

I think you should focus on cooking the way you want to for your health, and then add in higher-calorie "supplements" for your son. For instance, make the pancakes the way you're going to make them, but then add on butter or peanut butter (my brother's favorite) or full-fat yogurt as a topping for your son. And make sure you're giving your son enough fat in his snacks. Avocado pieces are so healthy for children, and he can also eat full-fat cheese, yogurt, and milk as part of his snacks, and nut butters if he's old enough and isn't allergic to them.

As long as he's getting plenty of supplementary fat and calories, it's going to be great for him to be eating meals that are mostly vegetables and other healthy foods. And think what wonderful habits you'll be creating in him by training him to reach for vegetables first.

I do want to caustion you and your husband not to get tunnel vision by focusing on the fat issue too exclusively. Carbs also play a big role in fat loss/gain. My bet is that you could clean up your diets a whole lot by cutting out things with high fructose corn syrup and/or artificial sweeteners (which mess with your seratonin receptors to make you feel hungrier) and snacks with empty calories, and making sure you eat 5 servings of vegetables a day minumum.

Everybody else, what do you have for Vickie and her family? Also, if any of you do T-Tapp, how long did it take you to feel like you could do the moves decently? (For me, I learned the 15-minute routine in a week or so, but it really took me a good 3 weeks to feel like I had any competence with the longer workout.)

Comments

[christie]

We are snackers too, and it can be really detrimental to the weight-maintenance plan. As for chips, we just don't buy them very often. Some snacks that we like around here:

Craisins. For the kiddo, spread some peanut butter on a graham cracker (as he gets just a LITTLE older, he'll be able to do this himself with a spoon or child-safe knife if you can tolerate the mess) and let him decorate the cracker with Craisins or raisins. For you, just eat the Craisins. Throw in a few sunflower seeds if you want crunch and/or saltiness.

Pretzel sticks. Nice with yogurt, hummus, or ranch dressing for your child or for you!

Always, always, fruit in a bowl on the table where we can see it. Pear slices or grapes with string cheese are great. (This is a good one for me because I don't like string cheese.)

The challenge of higher-calorie or higher-fat supplements for a child who needs them is that Mom & Dad tend to nibble on them too -- so if you're going to provide snacks, at least make sure those calories are really, really useful. We're on a mission right now to eat more Actual Food (as opposed to processed stuff), and that is actually helping. The Actual Food sticks with us longer.

One other little tidbit that bears repeating: do your grocery shopping with a detailed list, based on meals and snacks you actually intend to eat. Do not shop (or make the list!) while hungry or thirsty, and do not deviate from the list.

I'm interested to read what others have to say here!

[Dani]

Regarding T-Tapp, it took me three weeks to get comfortable with Instructional #1, but I was only 6 weeks postpartum when I started. I have to admit the couple of times I've tried Instructional #2, I've just sort of given up. March is my month for accompishing the Total Workout. At least, that's the plan.

I don't have much to add about the food, but we have found my daughter's appetite to be largest in the morning, when neither of us is interested in much besides coffee and a few bites of something. She takes in a huge amount of calories with her breakfast bowl of whole grain porridge with raisins, almonds, ground flax seed, a cup of plain yogurt, and a heaping spoon of blackstrap molasses. I never feel tempted to share with her, because I just don't want to eat so much in the morning.

[dot]

You said you were trying to eat healthier, rather than lose weight, but one of the things i did post partum was to try the South Beach Diet. Reading the 'rules' for Stage 2/3, it's basically a recipe for healthy eating, that would be perfectly acceptable for a child. Eat whole grains rather than white flour (healthy carbs). Choose healthy meats (lower in fat). Eat lots of veggies.

Right now our typical diet includes all those things, and honestly i don't worry that much about butter and stuff. Everything in moderation, ya know? So make the french toast with 100% whole wheat bread. The other night the toddler and I both had brown rice, broccoli, & pork tenderloin (which he doesnt like, so i gave him some frozen meatballs.)

[Kate]

I don't really have advice on the eating--my habits are really awful right now because I feel like I never have a chance to really sit down and eat properly unless my kids (2.5 yo and 10 months) are sleeping. This pushes lunch to 3pm and dinner to 9pm, which leaves a lot of empty space filled by almonds, chocolate chips, and fruit.

But I did want to say that on the wrong side of 30, exercise is really helpful. (Toddlers are notorious for always, always being in motion--and burning the calories they take in!) Even if it is just walking outside for an hour (weather permitting)--sling your son and you've got a 23 lb weight as a bonus. If you do it as a family it will be fun--and can also help with your husband's cholesterol. Solely through exercise(3-4x a week) and (less so) watching what I ate, I was able to drop my cholesterol by 70 points in about 15 months--I was ttc and could not be on any meds.

I know, trust me!, that it can be extremely difficult to carve out the time to go out and do stuff (walk, swim, bike, etc). But you can also think of it as less time near the snacks.

[laura]

I empathize!!! I have lost 65 lbs over the past 21 months by followinf Weight Watchers online. That program has really worked for me and one reason is because I can very easily modify recipes so that they fall right in the middle-- moderately low fat, low*er* sugar (not always sugar free and rarely artificically sweetened) and higher fiber. Sometimes all I had to do to fix a recipe was to switch from white flour to whole wheat (or ground oats) and substitute egg whites for half the eggs called for (that example, specifically was my pancakes.)
My DD4 is not a great eater and she has always been small (80% for height, 20% for weight) and at some times the Drs have been concerned about her weight. I try to think in terms of providing *qaulity* calories for her because that usually translates into foods I can eat, too.

A VERY typical breakfast at my house:
pumpkin waffles (used a recipe I found online and changed the eggs for egg whites, used ww flour but LEFT in the sugar [I just used natural brown sugar] and the butter and I added some pecans for even more fiber and the healthier fats because its so much easier to portion control nuts when you add a measured amount to a recipe I find)
chicken breakfast sausages, cooked on the grill pan which was sprayed with PAM
apple butter and spray butter on mine
a mixture half and half of apple butter and syrup on DD's and DH's.

The apple butter is almost homemade (from the farmer's market) and does have sugar, but proportionally much less than syrup! And it still has some of the nutritional value from apples plus a little fiber (very little) and a LOT of flavor.

So-- the table had a lot of food for DD4 to choose from, and everyone's plate looked almost exactly the same.

A typical dinner might be whole wheat pasta, homemade marinara, with DD4's having turkey pepperoni, black olives, and part skim mozzarella added in, while DH had the turkey pepperoni and olives only and I just went straight for the part skim cheese (in a controlled portion.) Everyone had a side of broccoli, but mine was not drizzled with olive oil and lemon and parmesan-- DH and DD had all of that, I just had lemon and a little touch of parmesan. That dinner offered a lot of flavor, multiple sources of protein, etc.

Another dinner we like is red beans and rice made with turkey andouille and brown rice.

And-- I pretty much double the amount of vegetables in every recipe. More bulk, fewer calories, more nutrition.

Finally, my DD always has either full fat or reduced fat dairy (never fat free.) Examples would be 2% milk cheese, full fat yogurt, part skim ricotta, etc. I have the fat free varieties in the house, and I use them.

good luck!

[Allison]

I've definitely got comments on T-Tapp, considering I'm now about 5-6 weeks "in" (thanks to you, Moxie)!

I started with the book, and I was frustrated as all get-out trying to figure out what to do...seriously, PBS would take me 15 minutes with going back and forth to the book! I ended up spending my time working on holding the stance and the basic moves that came w/the book -- then took a clinic. If you can get to a clinic, do it. Having people right there to help you figure out what you're doing (and getting to work out in a room filled w/mirrors) was fantastic.

Because of the clinic, I got through the Instructionals pretty quickly. Having the book is very helpful, because you can fill in the cracks re: form with what's there.

On the child thing...I have a 2-1/2 year old daughter who weighs the same as your 17mo son, so I know about skinny kids. First and foremost, don't worry about his weight. Give him normal food (supplementing as Moxie suggested is great), and make sure that he's getting plenty of fruits and veggies for the nutrients. When it's necessary, make him some mac-n-cheese while the rest of you eat salad. But offer him salad too.

Most of all, I'd suggest *not* emphasizing food issues in front of him, but rather just making sure he has healthful options available, then letting him eat at will. By the time he's in the twos, if you've pushed food on him, he *will* turn that into a control issue.

Good luck! If it's any encouragement, I'm finding that without even trying, I'm changing my eating patterns back to the healthful ones...just because I feel so stinkin' good doing T-Tapp.

[Charisse]

I totally struggle with balancing all the family's diet-related needs! Mr. C is on South Beach phase 2-3, but he really likes to stay in the low-carb end of it, IE no pasta, rice, or fruit. (The diet is kind of individual in the later phases--you do what works for you.) I'm a carb-loving pitta and Mouse is, well, almost 3 and a decent eater but not that great on chewing all kinds of grilled meats. And her green veg tolerance is basically avocados, asparagus, peas, and broccoli which is kind of boring for us.

I just bought a slow-cooker this week, because some stew-type dishes have seemed to work really well for us (Mouse and I add on some crusty local bread or some rice..or I make chicken & dumplings but Mr. C skips the dumplings) but they take too long to cook when I get home on a weeknight. Hoping the slow cooker helps us. :)

But some meals, we just have different versions of the same thing...when we have bagels with salmon & stuff Mr. C substitutes rye crackers and nonfat cream cheese while Mouse and I have the regular. On weekends I make veggie frittatas cooked with olive oil that we all like, and we all have some wholegrain toast. When we have picnicky lunches Mr. C and Mouse eat a lot of hummus but he has it with celery and she has pita bread. If we're grilling something that will be kind of tough, I throw on a bockwurst sausage for Mouse or give her some ham alongside. Mouse has small cookies for dessert, we all sometimes have ice cream, and I keep a bit of candy around for myself.

I'm sort of hoping it gets easier when she gets to 4 or 5.

[Maria]

How do you people maintain an exercise program with a young child around? My exercise has been limited to walks with dd in tow, and it's not exactly an aerobic experience, for the most part. I'm getting very disgusted with my body and fitness level, almost 3 1/2 years post partum, and I'm dying for a workable solution.

[Allison]

Maria, I'm a bit of a cheat, because I'm a WAHM, but my DD goes to "school" (daycare, really) 4 days per week, starting 5 days this month. As soon as my husband is out the door to drop her off, I get in my workout before doing anything else.

When she is here, I squeeze it in during nap time -- because otherwise, she's trying to climb me (or using me as a tunnel during lunges). Another option for us is walks with her in a frame backpack -- but mine is only 2-1/2 and she's quite light. Once she starts "hiking" (read: slowing me down), I'm not sure how I'll fix that.

[Allison]

(Duh...)

I forgot to also say, plugging T-Tapp, that the "Basic Workout Plus" is a 15 minute workout -- so, while I'm doing the long "Total" one, this one's a great option for a time crunch. Can you get up before your dd? Or perhaps find a few minutes after she's gone to bed? It's definitely better than nothing, and as my pics show (click the t-tapp tab on my site), this is good stuff.

/pusher mode

[Kate]

Re: T-Tapp, I found it incredibly tricky. I did it four times total at the beginning of February (Instructional #1 and Instructional #2) and then kind of gave up. I couldn't do any of the moves requiring balance without getting searing pain in my feet, which I'm sure is because I was trying to keep my balance with my feet rather than my core. I think that a workshop would be great. I guess I should check and see if there are any coming up in NYC. Re: squeezing exercise in, T-Tapp is a good option since you can do it at home so there's no need for a babysitter and it's low impact so you don't annoy the downstairs neighbors.

[Tabetha]

I think his weight is fine. I really don't think you can trust the charts because the weights are based on all children - and supposedly, America has many overweight kids. Of course, as young as he is, he still needs plenty of healthy fat. Just don't allow yourself to give him a lot of junk food because he needs "fattened up." It was tempting for me to do that, but it most definitely is not worth it!! My daughter is in the 5% percentile for her age, but she is growing consistently, and that is what matters most!! The doctor is not a bit concerned. After all, 5% percent of babies are her size. Some are even smaller. (of course bone structure and density plays a large part of weight, too).

About your diet, I have discovered that the best way to lose weight is to eat only until you are not hungry anymore - not until you are full. If you get hungry again later, have a healthy snack. Take small bites and chew your food very well. And drink plenty of water. Eat very little at a time, even if you eat 6 times in a day. I did this and have lost about 25 pounds since September! (and my husband lost fifty within the past year!) I am smaller than I was before I had children now! Also, the smalls meals more times per day are good for kids, too. Many kids aren't interested in sitting still long enough to eat a lot of food at once anyway! You might even consider having a fruit or vegetable tray available for him at all times. That way he can have healthy food throughout the day.

I know you will come to a good solution. Good for you for eating healthy!!

[Caroline]

I've also had success following Weight Watchers while feeding a toddler. I personally need the structure in order to lose weight. Just deciding to eat healthier doesn't cut it for me.

We do pretty normal, healthy meals with lots of vegetables and whole grains, but my portions are a bit smaller than they once were. I'm comfortable making a lower fat, lower calorie meal for all of us, then putting 2% milk in her sippy.

Also, my daughter gets so many of her calories from high calorie snacks (avocado, full fat yogurt, cheese, etc), which I refrain from sharing. It seems to work fine for us.

[Moxie]

Kate, there's a workshop up in Hartsdale (on MetroNorth) on March 20.

[Erin]

I like butter - a lot. So I've always found it easier to add activity than to subtract fat. Can you replace some of your car trips with biking (with a trailer for the kid or panniers for the groceries and so on)? I've biked as my main form of transportation forever, and am happy to provide ideas for how to dress, do your hair, etc. so as to arrive at one's destination looking adult, professional, or simply not sweaty. (Of course, my babe is so little that I haven't taken her on the bike yet, but I will be strapping her into the trailer soon!)

[Heather AKA Epiphany Alone]

Regarding the T-Tapp, Moxie, you ARE the pusher. I also started T-Tapp about 6 weeks ago. I feel fantastic - the energy increase and the inch-loss is amazing.

I'm 9-months postpartum with my second child, and about 50 lbs overweight. Instructional 1 wasn't too bad to get through. I did that for a month before attempting Instructional 2.

I find the Total Workout really difficult, particularly the on-one-foot balancing really bothers my ankles. I'm only up to a count of 5-6 with those before I have to stop. I imagine as my core gets stronger, this will get better. That workout makes me break a sweat pretty quickly.

How much do the clinics cost? I can't do March 20 in Hartsdale, but I'd love to do one if they come to Jersey...

[Joanne]

I've always been a healthy eater but my vice and utter downfall is chips. Can polish off a large bag without blinking. I simply don't buy them because of this. Anyway, try switching over to whole grain. We eat alot of brown rice, quinoa, millet and wild rice. As for bread I choose Pita Break Pitas (Canadian?) which are made with whole grain and contain some natural protein. We also have rye bread which doesn't convert to glucose as quickl. Try combining your good carbs (whole grains) with a source of protein. This will help slow down glucose conversion and the protein will keep you full. Combos I like are pita with tuna, whole grain bagel with natural peanut butter, apple with peanut butter, brown rice and chicken, quinoa and salmon. We also love kale, swiss chard and other leafy greens. So easy to prepare too. Wash, blanch, splash of olive oil, salt pepper to taste. Or sautee in olive oil with garlic...yummy!
My daughter is only 10 months so I basically set aside her own food which consists of organic whole milk yogurt, rice milk, organic fruits, buckwheat brown rice rice cakes, cottage cheese, pablum, avocado, ground rice and veggies with free range egg yolk etc. Phew!
I nibble quite a bit on her food, but then again I nibble off my husband's plate too. I second what moxie says about supplementing your son's food with full fats. I add dollops of organic virgin coconut oil to all our food. Virgin Coconut oil contains insane amounts of lauric acid the same as breastmilk, which babies convert to monolaurin.
As for T-Tapp, my props go out to Moxie for turning me onto this. I've been working out since the 20 minute workout aerobic craze and I've never felt anything as amazing as T-Tapp. It truly invigorates me. It took about four tries of instructional one to get it. I don't have time to try all of #2 since my daughter only naps 40 mins at most. Anyway, I hope this helps you. Best of luck in your healthy eating venture!

[pnuts mama]

we have a tiny kid, too, and i will join the chorus of not getting too worked up about the weight issue- as long as your ped is happy with his weight gain at check-ups (pnut stays on her own trajectory- at about 20% for weight, dipped once during some bad teething but we got her back up pretty soon) then all of you can eat the same healthy things together and not worry too much about the caloric value for your son- just supplement with some dairy (mentioned above) when he needs a snack. i also keep a sippy filled with whole milk by her side all day long and occasionally remind her to 'have some milk, please' to help add those fat-calories. we also add some creamy sauces to her veggies or meat or pasta when we think of it or if she seems uninterested in what we're having. a little cheese melted on top is also a big hit.

i would totally agree with the whole 'don't push the food issue' advice, too. once a toddler knows they have control in that power struggle, it's over. we only offer healthy options (90% of the time, nobody's perfect) and have really re-evaluated our own eating habits as well. i wasn't about to cook two or three meals every night, and we are hovering around 30 as well- no time like the present to start improving what we eat. we have gone nearly all organic with our dairy, fruits and vegetables (you can buy frozen when they are out of season) and have gone nearly all whole-grain when it comes to carbs (it should have the american heart association check logo on the package).

we are also trying to cut back on take-out (soooo hard!) as well as pre-made/ processed foods which are often a horde for calories and chemicals that our bodies don't need to deal with. i have found that the more i cook from scratch, the more i don't mind adding a few extra calories when i know where they are coming from. little things like changing the types of snacks helped, too. baked chips, organic pretzels, those terra veggie chips, lower fat popcorn, nuts that are not fried, and we pretty much eliminated soda and juice from our diet (even diet soda, those are just empty calories and chemicals your body doesn't need). i'll add some juice to a glass or bottle of water to give it some flavor without the calories. that is not to say that we don't cheat, but we try hard to stay on track.

also- as i drink this delicious dark beer while i type this- i am reminded of how many calories are in alcohol! i feel like i am gaining the freshman 15 all over again as the new-mommy 20. yeesh. i guess what all these ramblings are trying to really say is- i hear ya, girl- it is tough and you have plenty of support here. best of luck to you!

[isabel]

For my DH, what worked was cutting out soda and fruit juice (we now try to have wine on hand and fruit), using the slow cooker to make tasty bean soups or chicken so there is always a quick meal on hand, and getting very healthy snack options.

I made a menu each week that we had to stick to: not on the menu, not an option. He had 3 snacks per day, his choice from a list of allowed snacks. These were: whole wheat bread with spread (hummus, skordalia, apples and mustard), chips with black bean and corn + salsa, or fruit or fruit smoothie and yoghurt.

Now that we've moved to Japan this is all out the window: he still exercises regularly but it's very difficult for us to shop the same way as before. We're slowing learning how to cook with the set up and shops that we have. Wish us luck!

[vickie]

Thanks everyone for your suggestions and reassurances! Your tips re food and fitness are great.

I neglected to mention that the Boy isn't keen on whole milk OR yogurt. He will eat a whole block of string cheese, though, and is still breastfed (though I think my supply's starting to go down). He is otherwise a good eater.

I'm hoping to have some success with TTapp--just following the instructionals has had a bit of an impact already, even if I couldn't do the full 15 minutes until today. (Does anyone else use the CRT brush? Does it work?--I ordered one per Moxie's link's advice and have used it every day for 3 days. I feel good after using it but I don't know if it's psychological!)

I had a lot of success with Atkins 7 years ago but I feel I can't do the hardcore diet with a young child. We are considering giving up the Splenda--I've found I need 3 teaspoons now just to sweeten the coffee!!

[Allison]

Vickie, I'm not sure if the brushing is actually DOING anything for me or not, but I know it feels addictively good. I do it in the shower, still with soap until my skin can handle it better.

Heather, if you're falling over, you're doing it right. Better to do five or six (or even two or three) reps with your butt tucked than eight the wrong way. The balance will come. In the meantime, I bought a pair of Skecher Energy shoes, and mannnnn. They help a great deal -- they have a nice wide base, so you can do a little more rolling with the foot before losing it. The model number to look for is 2250 -- some others are also labeled "Energy" but don't seem to work as well, IMO. Or, at least the $15 ones I found didn't! :-D

[Michelle]

i was thinking the same thing tonight. i let DH cook and realized what he fixed was too fattening for me. we are both overweight and over 30. the last time i checked my cc it was high and that was prebaby and the 15 lbs pp but i really need to lose at least 35 lbs.

So i was thinking i needed to fix two meals to keep everone happy and i don't have the energy to do it. i don't like cooking and i would be content to eat the same meal every day. i keep thinking if i can get 10 meals to rotate i'd have it made but DH is a picky eater and not big of the veggies. I can't make anything with peppers, onions, or cauliflower. almost every receipe i have calls for at least one of these. And i am alergic to most fruit and finally swore off the peanuts that i'm suposable allergic too (it was hard to give up my daily snack).

Before i met Dh i cooked vegan and drank ff milk. now i eat his crappy diet but i do have us eating whole grains and say no to boxed packaged foods. but we eat frozen stuff and canned soup and get take out more that i think we should.

DS is 18 months and all over me when i cook. so i use the slow cooker while he naps in order to fix meals. the slow cooker is the one of the greatest inventions.

also for DS extra calories i feed him a scrampled egg a few times a week, sliced cheese (i rotate the type each time i buy), veggie burger (minus bun)and canned fruit.

so now i wish i could have one ultimate cookbook to cook from that we all would love.

[Heather AKA Epiphany Alone]

Allison - Thanks for the encouragement! I'm going to see about the Sketchers. I bought New Balance Cross-trainers, but I think the arch support might be too high.

Michelle - Check out Leanne Ely's Saving Dinner. She has three or four iterations depending on the diet you follow. Having weekly menus and shopping lists has meant less time in the kitchen AND the grocery store.

[Shandra]

These are all great. :) I've been struggling a bit with my own tendency to snack on sweet stuff when I'm tired due to sleep deprivation (either that or nursing; never in my life have I ever, ever craved cookies and stuff like I have since Noah was born!) and this discussion is motivating. I pitched all the high fat crap a few weeks ago, so. If it's in the house, I'll generally eat it, so out it goes.

I do make mini muffins for my son that are laden with stuff - grated veggies, and I double the milk in them by adding powdered skim milk to the milk I use in baking. For some reason my own baking doesn't appeal to me in the same way. As long as it doesn't involve chocolate. :)

For the family meals thing, how I handle it is that for breakfast I have a smoothie and whole-grain bread (we make our own) and make my son something more caloric, like oatmeal made with whole milk (he can have smoothie and bread too though). Or I'll make oatmeal with regular milk but give him almond butter on toast with it, that kind of thing. He eats microscopic portions of everything though.

Lunch is similar in that I'll add something caloric onto his plate that isn't on mine - avocado, sometimes a meatball or a scrambled egg, or cheese.

And then we just eat healthy dinners as a family. We eat a lot of stuff from the crockpot for reasons people have said; my other thing is stir fries made with a ratio of about 3:1 veggies:meat (I am not ashamed to use frozen pre-cut veggies either). Depending on my son's mood I can either separate out the meat and veggies on his plate or gleefully chop it all together with rice and spoon it in so he scarcely notices what's there. Or both in the same evening.

He basically only eats fruit or crackers or the odd mini-muffin for snacks. Sometimes some cheese. He views anything that requires a spoon as the work of the devil if it comes to snack time.

[Jessica]

I also have had a lot of success following weight watchers while still feeding my family meals that are healthy for them, basically by doing the supplementing that Moxie describes and also just changing the menu slightly for me. For example, if we are having roasted chicken, mashed potatoes, salad and broccoli for dinner, I eat a normal portion of chicken, lots of steamed broccoli and salad and just a little bit of mashed potatoes. I think the key with weight watchers is portion control, substituting healthy snacks for bad ones and drinking lots of water. Even if I am not following WW that strictly, I can still lose weight by snacking on veggies and eliminating all drinks except for water and unsweetened decaf iced tea with lemon. One thing I think WW does very well is help educate you about how many points things that may seem healthy really are--for example pretzels. They seem like a healthy alternative to chips, and they are better. But you don't have to eat too many to get into a pretty high points range.

As for T-Tapp, I have really just started with Summer's lent challenge. I have been doing instructional one plus the hoe downs and other moves that came with the book DVD back-to-back for the past week. Today I tried basic plus rather than the instructional, and I think I did ok, but I felt like my form suffered a little bit because it was faster. I am going to go back to the instructional this week and then try instructional two next week. My goal will be to be able to do the basic plus well next week and maybe in some way combine it with instructional two, depending on how I do.

[T]

Have you all seen results with T-Tapp? I was wondering if the great claims are typical results.