Hi there! My name is Sherry and I found your site when I was reading the weekly from Ovid/Elsie and thought it was a very exciting article and would give me more motivation to get going. I have been walking almost two miles five days a week and when I got on the scale it said that I gained weight, and I am to the point of getting very frustrated about it.

Hello Walky-Talkers. It is hard to believe that six months have passed and we are half way through the New Year. Yes it has been six months since resolving to be healthier. When you first embarked on the journey towards a healthier lifestyle, you probably worked hard to achieve your goals, whether it was to lose 10 pounds in six months, or to engage in physical activity regularly, you went at it bursting with vigor and excitement.

Q: Is fasting safe? A friend of mine fasts for days at a time and swears her whole body is clean and detoxified. It seems obviously dangerous to me.

Q: Are there any long-term health risks associated with drinking a couple of cups of coffee a day?

Q: I'm a vegetarian and I worry about getting enough protein and minerals. I know I can supplement my diet with peanuts and tofu, but that gets boring, and is it really enough?

Q: Under the USDA Dietary Guidelines, what is the daily recommended amount of calcium we should get? How would I go about adding more calcium into my diet? What are foods that are high in calcium? I've heard it is recommended to take Vitamin D with Calcium. Is this necessary?

Q: What about diet soda? I drink Diet Coke in the evening to prevent after-dinner snacking. I know watching sodium is important, but is NutraSweet going to make things worse? I hear both sides of this issue all the time...thanks!

Q: My husband is a real "meat and potatoes" guy. I have been serving more lean meats and white meats, but am having trouble with potato options. He's getting tired of baked and boiled potatoes. Do you have any suggestions for a "healthy" potato option?

Even though the holiday season only comes once a year, it can potentially wreck all of your weight loss efforts and accomplishments. The majority of us will be busy organizing family functions and celebratory gatherings. Undeniably, there will be loads of tempting foods available and the desire to overindulge yourself will be high. As if the pressure of holiday shopping and health experts telling us to lose weight isnt enough!

Q: Hello- I was doing great! And then -- life stress! I cannot get back on the wagon. I am a stress eater and I know I NEED to get back to it, but I just can't make myself...help!

Thank you for all of the great submissions I've been receiving. Continue sending in those questions and I'll write again soon. Q: I'm trying to find foods that are low fat, low cholesterol and low sodium. Any tips on where to start, especially in finding good, healthy recipes? I make a lot of grilled chicken and stir-frys. My snacks are usually fruit and items that are whole grain and high in fiber.

Q: If you are trying to lose weight, and you are exercising and counting calories, what is the appropriate number of calories a person should shoot for? Obviously, it should be below what it takes to maintain my current weight at my current activity level. But, if I keep my activity level the same, should I reduce my caloric intake down to the number of calories it would take to maintain the goal weight, or start off higher than that?

So, you’ve decided it’s time to lose those extra pounds, for good. Losing weight and keeping it off means developing a plan that is easy to follow, enjoyable and adaptable to your lifestyle; but more importantly, it involves a lifestyle change. Without addressing typical aspects of your lifestyle, being ready and willing to make necessary changes, the best weight-loss efforts or plan will not be successful.