On Jun 9, 8:46 am, "Merchantprince" wrote:
I am desperate to get on a low-calorie diet, but have no means to consult
with a doctor or afford some diet program like Nutrisystem.

A doctor is not the best person to 'consult' for diet info - one look
at the many overweight doctors in practice is enough said. They just
know how to sell pills instead of health.
NutriSystem, altho with much prepackaged stuff etc, doesnt TEACH you
how or what to eat, it just limits your portions (which as Rachel
said, you could easily do yourself, even if you want to tell her to
FOAD, its the bottom line truth which is sometimes harsh to hear).
So what else can you do? Think about it, you are sitting in front of
computer and Goodle is your friend for looking up ANYTHING you want to
learn about! And you DO want to learn dont you? Expanding your
knowledge of foods will give you freedom to choose wisely and actually
learn about what you are putting in your mouth instead of having
someone give you a 1500 calorie 'diet' to follow blindly without
KNOWING the why should I or not eat this or that. People who dont
learn about longterm solutions to their being fat are doomed to 'diet'
over and over and never keeping it off for good. I dont know how you
came upon the magic 1500 calories as the amount you think you need to
consume to lose weight, but try googling 'diet 1500 calories' and
there are TONS of places to give you a heads up as to where to start
and what to eat.
You should try using an online food log like FitDay as it may be an
eye opener to become more aware of what you eat right now. You can
track your foods for say a week and see where/why/how different foods
give you different results. You are your own best guinea pig to
experiment on without someone handing you a 'diet' to follow. What
'works' for others may not necessarily 'work' for you. Have a look at
http://www.fitday.com (its free) Try cutting out say those fries for
a baked potato and some fresh fruit for juice etc and easing back on
portion sizes and before you know it your waistline will be getting
smaller. Doing small adjustments (baby steps)for REAL change instead
of radical 1500 max calories gungho eat the same thing everyday nazi
dieting will give you the results you are 'desperate' for.

Is there any way to consult with a doctor free of charge?

In most cases no. Some areas have free clinics, but we already
mentioned how doctors in general suck at diet info. Better yet, some
hospitals/clinics offer free classes on learning to eat better
(diabetic classes/nutritional classes etc) so check around locally or
thru your local YMCA even.

You mentioned that you have enough 'willpower' to stick to whatever
you have to do to lean out. Just knowing you need to change is the
first step. Its not about willpower, its about increasing your
learning curve about nutrition and exercise. Start making changes in
what you eat daily. Making good choices. Add in exercise (in some for
or another) daily. Think longterm and the more info you have the less
'desperate' you will be.



joanne