Starting tomorrow. Again. - 3 Fat Chicks on a Diet Weight Loss Community

Xan · 11-25-2006, 08:06 PM

Oh, how many times have I written, or thought, that? I'm always on a diet, or thinking about being on a diet, or hating myself for not being on a diet. I read, I think, I plan. I have a repertoire of diets now. I choose one, and then, after three days, I decide that it's absolutely wrong, and choose another. That will start the next Monday.

This is the fifth time I've started or restarted on 3FC. The last was a couple of months ago. I had good intentions, really I did, and I have something resembling an excuse -- I got sick the first week, and am just coming out of it (nothing life threatening, just nasty, with side effects from the medicines I've been taking. Haven't lost an ounce). So I'm picking up and starting one more time.

I've gained 5 pounds a year for the past 12 years, and I wasn't an elf to begin with. I have to lose the weight. It affects everything -- how I think about myself, my health, my energy, my social life. I have become "one of those obese Americans" and I cannot stand it.

I have made a solemn commitment to lose weight. One of the mistakes I always make is trying to do everything at once, correct all of the terrible habits, the laziness, the bad choices. No junk! More water! WALK AN HOUR A DAY! Get up at 7, keep a journal, 4 cups of vegetables every day, no junk, more water, walk. Cook your meals (I used to love to cook). Of course, I cannot do all of this out of the box.

This time. This time this time this time this time. This time I will not make the mistakes I've made in the past -- being overly ambitious, plan-hopping, buying interesting new foods that I accurately predict I'll hate. I'm doing Weight Watchers; it's a plan I know, and the beauty of it, if you let it work the way it wants to, is that it can retrain you how to eat.

So this is sort of a reintroduction -- I hope this is in an appropriate forum. The site has grown a lot since I first came here (30 pounds thinner, darnit, and feeling exactly the way I do now). I know this is a terrific site, with very supportive people and hope to share my journey with you.

(even though I'm saying "starting tomorrow," that's a logistical matter.

Today was on program, not a last minute binge.)

srmb60 · 11-25-2006, 08:34 PM

Have you seen that poll we've done? A large percentage of everyone has had at least a few (ahem) false starts.

I figure each time we try, we learn something useful

chick_in_the_hat · 11-25-2006, 08:40 PM

Welcome back!! Congrats on today being on plan!! Weight Watchers is a great program, you just need some faith in yourself and patience. Especially patience. You didn't gain the weight overnight, it isn't going to come off overnight either.

I have lost very little weight in the last year, but I keep on plugging away. The alternative is to gain back what I worked so hard to lose. Not gonna happen.

I think you already know what doesn't work for you, it sounds to me like you might want to try the baby steps idea. Make a commitment to do one thing on your list above at a time. Then acknowledge your success!

jtammy · 11-25-2006, 09:46 PM

Welcome back! Part of being successful is knowing what made you fail before, and you already know some things that didn't work for you earlier. Changing one or two things at a time is what I did, although I wasn't conscious of doing that at the time. It just happened that when I became comfortable with one step, I felt like I could add something else.

Checking in here helps too, so be sure and visit often.

Xan · 11-26-2006, 12:21 AM

Thank you all for the welcome, and for all the good advice. It's all right, and it's all stuff I know, but just haven't DONE it. For most people, this would be a terrible time to start, but for me it's ideal.

Has anyone else taken, or is anyone else taking, a baby steps approach? If so, how did it work for you? Did you set yourself time limits or goals for each step, or wait until each step became a habit, or how did you work it?

CousinRockingChair · 11-26-2006, 08:10 AM

It ain't the falling down, it's the getting up that matters!

An hour at a time...and know that you CAN do this.

Make an inspirational book - not hard to do, just buy a plain scrapbook, and gather some inspiring stories of people who have succeeded in their weightloss efforts - its very helpful to look at when you are feeling low!

Is there anything going on in your life which might make you prefer to think about dieting instead? because, as an intelligent woman, if it really WAS just a case of working out and eating vegetables, you'd have done it by now...anything else going on?

Xan · 11-26-2006, 08:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CousinRockingChair

Is there anything going on in your life which might make you prefer to think about dieting instead? because, as an intelligent woman, if it really WAS just a case of working out and eating vegetables, you'd have done it by now...anything else going on?

No, for me it really is a matter of changing habits. Knowing what to do and doing it are quite different (as I'm sure you know!)

Heather · 11-26-2006, 11:13 AM

Baby stepper here!!!

WELCOME BACK!!!!

I didn't move forward based on anything other than it felt right.

I started by becoming more conscious of my portions and trying to eat less (smaller plates help, as does taking a portion and walking away. You can come back if you want, but be aware of portions.

The other thing I started right away was packing a lunch and snacks to take to the office. Not letting myself get really hungry was key.

And my exercise simply started by "moving more".

As for when I added things in... I had no set plan for it. But after 4 or so weeks of "portion control" I went to the doctor, who suggested I write everything down. So, I started doing that. That gave me a lot of info and I started paying attention to calories and other nutrients. WW will kind of take care of that for you.

A couple of weeks after that, I started exercising more intentionally. At first, I just tried to get in 10-15 min on the treadmill or walking outside... and after a couple of months I started setting goals that pushed me a little further. Several months after I started exercising, I started weight lifting. It just felt like the right time.

I keep reading and learning more and trying new things... but I don't set any timetables for trying them... don't know if that helps!

Xan · 11-26-2006, 11:50 AM

Thank you, Wyllenn! That was very helpful. Our issues are a bit different. For me, it's not portion control as stopping haphazard, instant gratification eating. I don't eat a lot at one time, but I'll be hungry and instead of cooking, I'll go down to the basement and get a candy bar. Or two. I think if I can eliminate that to start, it would have a huge effect.

But it was very helpful to read your timeline. You've done so amazingly well, it's nice to read that it was at a relatively leisurely pace.

kiwichic · 11-26-2006, 04:18 PM

it would be good to see you think of this as a new way to eat and live and not dieting. A diet is something poeple go on and go off just as fast.

Chose which foods are no good for you and pick foods to replace the unhealthy foods. The more you allow yourself to eat the sugary and fatty foods the more your body wants them. It works also with apples and pineapple and others foods, so you find yourself craving an apple in the end.
As you know it takes so many weeks to break a habit and so many to start another.

Do you have your goals down on paper , are they easy to reach goals ?
Do you have one in place for the food for the day and another for exercise ?
Do you have a weekly goal and a monthly one ?

When do you plan you days and are the plans simple ?

I'm reading the body for life for women book at the moment, I think she has some great infomation about nutrition and women.
I've been trying to win the battle for years as well, but I've always done it on a diet, now I'm just changing bad habits for good ones. Can't do it over night but I've seen a big difference in the foods I eat now .

Have a brilliant day Xan

Heather · 11-26-2006, 04:44 PM

Xan -- Well, I would say that I used to do the grab and go eating a LOT! That's why I had to bring snacks to work! Fritos for lunch and snacks was not the healthiest.

PLANNING has been a big key to this. And when I don't have time or make time to plan ahead, then I eat much more poorly.

So maybe that is your first step...

Xan · 11-26-2006, 08:49 PM

Thanks kiwichic -- Body for Life is a bit beyond me for now. (Among my many charms, I'm old and was never physically active. Walking, I can do.) Yes, the kinds of things you outlined about setting goals are what I've been doing. One of the challenges is that the most basic goal -- staying on program, not eating junk, writing everything down -- is huge. But I'm working on it. Today went well. (And I do believe in the one day at a time philosopy.)

wyllenn, I think you're right -- planning (realistic planning) is the first step. Now, I'm the master of To Do lists. But this week, my lists did NOT include: find and make 3 new recipes, walk an hour a day, etc. It was more basic, realistic planning.

srmb60 · 11-26-2006, 08:53 PM

Wait a minute! What's old! I'm doing body for life!
The part that I adore most is that you can start anywhere! I started by walking. I started with cans of beans before I bought 2 lb dumbells!
If nothing else the food lists are great!
We'd love to have you join us!

kiwichic · 11-26-2006, 09:00 PM

Actually I was saying that the book is goods for information, so you don't need to do the program if you don't want to. But if you look on the site you will find people in their 80's that have done the BFL program and most of the people that do it have never done any kind of exercise at all.

Don't right your self off because of a number, give it a go and you might just suprise yourself.