Hi Dreamstar, welcome. I'm pretty new here and haven't been here in a couple of weeks. But look you have two good things going, you're here, you know you need help and you know what isn't good for you to do.
Have you tried Weight Watcher's or Tops? I think that portion control is awesome. Tell us why starving is 'the only thing that works'-- do you mean that the scale doesn't move otherwise? What else have you tried?
No, no, no starving yourself is DEFINITELY not a good idea. First of all you want something that you can live with forever and ever. There are plenty of things that "work". Just to simplify it eating less and moving more is a great way to start.
I have been calorie counting, eating mostly lean proteins, like fish, white meat chicken, soy products, egg whites and lots and lots of veggies. If I want to have something "unhealthy" and fattening from time to time I do. I just try to work it in to my day's calorie allotment. This way I never feel deprived and will "stick" to my "diet", forever. The first 2 - 3 weeks were very difficult, but I got past it and now it is almost second nature to me to eat this way. There are of course some inevitable setbacks and that is to be expected, I try not to beat myself up over it and get right back on track. You need to find what works for you, so that you will indeed stick to it for life. Experiment with what you like. There are some fantastic forums on this website, I suggest you do some reading and research and try to find something that appeals to you. And ask away, this is a great place for support, advice and encouragement. Good luck.
to the forum! There is a lot of support here. Unfortunately there is no such thing as a "silver" bullet. Everyone finds their own way, and you need to find what is right for you. Read the posts on this forum and other threads to find out what is working for people and decide if you can live with it. Most of us approach it as a life change, not a diet. You need to find something that you can do for the rest of your likfe, depending on your personality and lifestyle. Good Luck and post often so we can get to know you!
Dreamstar730, you CAN lose weight. It can be hard work, however, and you really must want it. Eating less and exercising more is the only thing that works. You don't have to starve yourself (which usually backfires on people, causing them to gain back what they've lost plus more), but you do have to choose an eating plan that you can live with for the rest of your life, and add in exercise that you enjoy. Or at least keep doing something until you learn to enjoy it.
I tried starving myself on multiple diets and it never worked. Well, maybe it worked for a little while in the short run, but in the long run it never did any good. I would always be so hungry that it was so hard not to turn to high calorie foods. If you go for something more balanced, then you can eat more and more often and not be so hungry, which helps guard against binges and burnout.
It hasn’t happened overnight, but I have found calorie counting really works for me. I still weigh a bit more than you and am losing on aprox 1900 calories a day. If you think calorie counting might work for you, you might want to try 1800 and see how it goes. Unless you have some sort of medical issue, you should be able to lose on something similar. Now – you won’t lose 5 pounds a week, but the weight should come off slowly but surely. A great resource for counting is fitday.com. If calorie counting isn’t for you, I know a lot of people have had great results on both Weight Watchers and South Beach. The important thing is to find something that feels comfortable for you and your lifestyle – something that you could imagine doing for a long time.
Welcome Dreamstar, you've gotten loads of good advice so far, all I can say is don't give up, I've said a few times in the past week, it's been so long since I've cared to try, that I've forgotten how... but, there's lots of info to be had here, and huge amounts of support. If nothing else, start a mini plan, and build up from there... that's what I'm doing... changing small habits can make a huge difference!
Welcome to the forum Dreamstar! Everyone has given you great advise so look around and try to find something that you think will work for you. Experts say that you can lose weight by simply cutting back your daily calories by 500 - so if you take a brisk walk each day (even a nice semi-brisk walk will burn up about 100 calories in 30 minutes!), skip 2 regular colas and only eat one of the candy bars instead of both you will lose weight. You might not lose it overnight, but that is liveable! It's something you can stick with for a lifetime if you really want to lose the weight. And if you want to lose a little faster just increase your exercise or cut back a few more calories. But you don't have to starve yourself!
I hope you find something that you feel will work for you looking through the threads around here. I look forward to seeing more posts from you!