This is kind of a last ditch effort to get my health and diet back
on track. I'm almost 30,

Greetings, Alex.

I would gently suggest that you not think of this as a last-ditch
effort. You're not even 30, for Pete's sake. I'm old enough to be your
mother, I changed my WOL six months ago, and this is far from a
last-ditch effort for me. My last-ditch effort will come one minute
before I shuffle off this mortal coil.

Maintaining a healthy way of eating and exercising is a lifetime
commitment. You will stumble sometimes. We all do. By viewing your
current plan as a last-ditch effort, you are setting yourself up to
abandon everything the first time you slip up.

Don't get in that mindset. Understand that you should aim to keep on
the healthy path, and that when you do stray, you'll immediately get
back in the right direction.

So back to the diet question... for the 'experts' out there, for
someone who wants to do more then simply loose weight, what diet route
would you guys suggest?

I'm no expert. But, I don't think that there is a one-size-fits-all
way of healthy eating. The trick is to find what works for you.

I can tell you what has worked so far for me. I am continuing to lose
weight and improve my health, which you say you want. I have gone from
being unable to walk a city block without getting short of breath and
developing severe back pain to walking more than a mile. My diabetes
is under control and I'm not constantly exhausted.

I count calories. Nothing more exotic than that. I obsessively record
my food intake on fitday.com. And I get aerobic exercise – walking
now, aerobics classes soon, I hope. I know strength training is also
recommended, but I am unable to lift weights because of wrist
injuries.

As always, YMMV.

Kasey
365/282/???