Uff-Da!

When I spoke of the Mediterranean diet, I was speaking in general of the diets in that area, high in olive oil and vegetables, low in saturated fat, etc., not to a specific book. I know there is a book by that title available, but I've never read it. If you do a Google search on Mediterranean diet, you'll find information on the general components of the diets around that area. This diet, and the suggestions in The Omega Diet which follow it, are designed as a way of eating for life, not just specifically as a weight loss diet. The book Omega Diet has one chapter on weight loss, but what it boils down to is just eat less of the regular diet. No gimmicks, which often fail anyway, because as soon as a person goes off them, they are apt to gain weight again, just like you did before. By starting your children off on a diet like this now, you may help them establish good eating habits, so they'll be less likely to have a problem as adults.

Oh, I know what you mean about not wanting to exercise! That is my downfall. I think I could probably get my blood pressure and cholesterol down to where I might not need to take any meds for them at all if I could just get myself to exercise more regularly. With diet and the little exercise I do, I've been able to get both down to where I have to take only a minimum dose of each med, but I'm still working on trying to get exercise to become a habit, like brushing one's teeth.

Because I hate exercise so, I don't want to take the time to go to a gym or a class somewhere to do it. So I've elected to just buy a few fast dance CDs and do aerobic dance around the house as my exercise. Maybe you could also find something which would work for you to do at home, if you find going to a gym distasteful. If your neighborhood is safe, just walking or jogging in the neighborhood burns calories and gets the blood pumping. If you have the space, you could get an exercise bike or treadmill.

As you can see, I'm no expert on the exercise part! You might want to check out the exercise and fitness board. Maybe some of the people there have had experiences in overcoming some of the problems.

The blood lipid profile is just the blood tests for cholesterol: total cholesterol, HDL, LDL, and triglycerides. If you haven't had one recently, it might be interesting to have one done before you start your new program, so you can measure heart-health progress on that basis.