======== THE DIET DISK ======== Congratulations, you have chosen to do something about your weight and this disk full of programs can help you. As you have already found out, NOTHING can help you until you make your mind up that you are the one who must make the decision to lose weight, and then be prepared to make all the other decisions to follow about what you eat and how you eat. In this program you will find the phrase discussed that goes like this: "IF IT IS TO BE, IT IS UP TO ME." Those 10 2-letter words must become your motto. You must decide to do that and stop using the "IF" word to weaken your control. For example, "I could lose weight IF I didn't have to cook in the kitchen" or "I could lose weight IF I didn't have to eat out so often" and a thousand more phrases that contain "IF" where you are trying to get out of the driver's seat of responsibility for what you eat. If you eat sensibly and reasonably and stay around 1200 to 1400 calories a day. . .YOU WILL LOSE WEIGHT. But you must know the calorie values of foods...you must keep a food log (log everything you eat, the amounts and the calories and total it up each day) and you must eat a lot of vegetables (not a lot of butter and fats on them) and fruits. Any good guide for balanced meals will do just fine. The programs on this disk will work together to give you the tools and added support you need. I would strongly suggest you join a diet group where you can accurately weigh in once a week and find some support from others trying to do the same thing you are trying to do... lose weight. Another thing to remember is that no one is perfect. I am not and you are not. I still don't eat right all the time and I still gain pounds when I do not want to. Then, when I make my mind up (a long time before I get where I once was), I go back on the program I worked out for myself, keep the food logs, go to weekly meetings and get back where I want to be. I am getting better and holding a constant weight level and make the best choices more often...but I am not perfect. So, if you really "blow" it some day, or several days, don't run yourself down as a failure....you just blew one meal or one day...that's all. Go right back on the program, remembering you are in this thing for life. That's right, you will have a problem for the rest of you life, even if it gets much better. Also, if you don't stick with dieting now, how much progress will you have made in a month, or a year from now? That's right, NONE. You start now, if you haven't already started and you do it for yourself. For the way you are going to feel. You are going to have more energy as you lose weight and you are going to feel a lot better. You will feel a lot better about yourself as well and that increased self-confidence is going to make you feel even better. But YOU are the one who has to make up YOUR mind to stay with the program....no matter what. No matter if you don't lose as fast as you think you should. No matter if you have a day where you "blow it" and eat too much. No matter if you don't have the support of friends and loved ones who should be helping you. No matter if you have to "go it alone", you will have to many times. No matter if you think it may take a year or years to get off the weight and be where you want to be. No matter if you are tempted beyond what any mortal is expected to resist. No matter if someone threatens to stop loving you if you "get skinny and a wrinkled skin". (They are playing with your mind...and skin is very elastic) In other words, you have to make your mind up to succeed . . . N O M A T T E R W H A T ! Now, run all the programs...read the documentation about each one before you run it to understand what it is supposed to do. I suggest the first one you use is the DIETTEST to give yourself an evaluation (and learn some correct dieting principles at the same time). Print out a copy of the questionnaire and keep it handy. Use the DIETSHOP program to make up a list of foods to shop for and keep stocked in your house for dieting. You can print out a complete list of every food on the shopping list if you desire and review it for meal planning. Plan to spend more for food of these special types than you have been. You are worth it and oddly enough, foods that have not been prepared, like fresh vegetables, can cost more than the cheap kinds...but raw fresh veggies will really fill you up and satisfy the "munchies" at the same time. Always have that shopping list with you when you go to the store and never go when you are hungry. Go right after a satisfying meal so you won't be tempted to buy things you shouldn't. Many of these principles are in the programs in various places. The CALCALC program will let you calculate calories for the amounts of foods that you have actually eaten, or you can try it out with what you plan to eat to see how many calories it will contain. If you need it, you can print out the complete list of foods and their calories contents to use as a guide with meal planning. One final thought. It is not going to be EASY. If there were an easy way, you would not have a weight problem. It is complex and it is hard. But if you have made you mind up to do something about it....you will. These programs are aids...they will help you get where to want to be. Use them often, review the printouts that you make and really devote yourself to this project. What more worthwhile cause can you think of to devote your time and energies to than making yourself thin and full of energy. Then you can help others in many ways. Do it NOW ! HOW TO ADD OR DELETE FOODS FROM THE CALCALC OR THE DIETSHOP PROGRAMS: It was intentional NOT to allow adding and deleting of foods under program control. In earlier test versions, users more often corrupted the file of foods by keystrokes that were in the wrong places. So modification of the files must be done with a text editor or word processor with NON-Document capability (ASCII). If you want to edit the calorie calculator program (File name is CALCALC.DTA), simply go into the editor and move down the alphabet until you reach the position you wish, then insert a line with the name of the food in UPPER CASE, followed by a COMMA, then the calories per unit (example: 90 CALS/oz.), and a COMMA and finally the unit calorie amount (example: 90) (just the number only). Try to keep the name and calories per unit SHORT. It will flow out of some of the menus if you don't. On the DIETSHOP program (File name is FOOD.DTA), just simply put in the food name (Upper and Lower Case) and if you want to, the calorie amount. Try to keep the overall line to no more than 28 characters including spaces. If you want to edit the foods list and have a problem, you can call the daytime number for assistance. NOTES ON HOW TO RUN THE PROGRAM To run the program disk, from the A> prompt, just type MENU and it. You will get a menu of all the programs to run and/or read. You can select the option to take you to the documentation menu. From that screen, you can read the documentation on any one or more of the programs and files. Another hint, if you get something on the screen, like a saying or poem that you like and want to keep, just use the SHIFT-Prtscn function of your computer to print the screen on your printer. That is a handy way to capture these "jewels". Some parts of the program provide you with an option to print the entire section on your printer, like the DIETTEST program will let you print the entire test on your printer, complete with your responses and scores. If you have a problem with this Licensed copy running correctly, you are free to write or call me during business hours which are 9 AM to 5 PM (Central Time) Monday through Friday. (205) 533-3131 M.D. Smith c/o WAAY-TV 1000 Monte Sano Blvd. Huntsville, AL 35801