a few tips from my dr., mother, and friends....they've helped me a bit... 1st my dr. told me to make sure i eat. that happens to be my problem, i don't eat OFTEN enough. to lose weight, you have to eat 4-5 times a day. 1 big meal (either breakfast, or lunch), snack 1-2 times (fruit, healthy snack bars, whatever you prefer), then a smaller healthier dinner. my mother did oatmeal for breakfast and a sandwich for lunch and 2 snacks inbetween (she got sliced apples and just picked on them whenever she felt hungry), then a small dinner...she lost 10 lbs in 1 month. my friend suggested the lemonade diet http://www.geocities.co.jp/Beautycare-Venus/2032/english/...
and lost 16 lbs in 3 weeks. but she also walked her son just about every day. i tried the oatmeal thing and lost a few lbs, but haven't tried the lemonade diet yet. so far, the thing that has worked for me is just eating throughout the day. i have a slow metabolism, so eating more often (everything i normally eat during a day, just broken up into 4-5 meals) and that's what works for me, but those other 2 ways have worked for others. i wish you luck in surprising your husband!