Hi everyone, i've decided to give this a try for the much needed support and advice I need!
How did you know which plan would work for you? I'm not sure which to try "this time" i've done them all but this is my last chance so i'm trying to make sure it's the right plan. I like all sorts of foods so I have a really hard time with success on plans that completely eliminate some foods. I'm just trying to figure out which plan is right for me. any ideas or suggestions?
My dr. suggested that I do low carb because I have PCOS and a liver problem that doesn't allow me to properly digest carbs. I'm very thankful that he knew what was best for me and it worked. So, I'm thrilled. Prior to starting the LC plan, I was on a 1400 calorie Diabetic Diet and wasn't losing weight.(I'll add that it wasn't just that plan, I did cheat on it and always felt like I wasn't getting enough to eat). The higher protein in the low carb plan seems to keep me satisfied longer and I stick to plan better. I know this plan restricts certain foods and definitely isn't for everyone, but it is for me. Hope you find what will work best for you.
Hi, while I can totally relate to the idea of "this time", I have to wonder why you feel this is your "last chance". One of the things we learn here is to just keep trying and the only failure is to stop trying.
When I started this time, I have to admit I was scared to death because I had always heard of all the negative things that can happen to our bodies when we ride the roller coaster up and down, and believe me, i've had some pretty dramatic swings over the years.
I started this time because I was in so much pain all the time that I couldn't stand it and anything would be better than that. The plan i'm on developed over a period of time and was not an "out of the box plan". One of the things that I learned along the way all the other times is I am not like anyone else and my body has a chemistry all it's own. I literally became a living lab trying to find those things that worked for me. I knew that a diet would never work and that this would have to be for the rest of my life, so whatever I was going to do would have to be something I could live with, one little step at a time. That has been my bottom line when trying to decide what I would do. Can I do this, however imperfectly, forever. If I can't, I don't do it.
The first thing I realized was that I drank way to much soda and cutting it out was much easier for me than trying to regulate it. Then I increased my water. I did nothing else for about 2 weeks. Just a small thing, and the rest progressed from there. I gathered experience and confidence in myself. Today, I don't struggle and am at peace with what i'm doing. In the beginning I was losing very rapidly and now not so much, which is to be expected. I look at the long haul.
I'm sure you will get a lot of suggestions as everyone is very helpful here. Just remember you and your body are unique and don't be afraid of experimenting. Nothing is written in stone. All the best!
I'm hoping you said it's "your last chance" because you've decided no matter what you're going to get that weight off and that you're more determined then ever to do so.
I also really have a hard time eliminating any kinds of food. For me that would be a recipe for failure, not success. I needed to find a plan where I could incorportate all types of foods, eliminating nothing. And I view this as a lifestyle change, something that I could do forever and ever. So therefore I chose to count calories. Now I most certainly do make those calories healthy ones, but occasionaly I add in a treat in moderation of course. My calories are made up of mostly low fat proteins such as white meat chicken, non fat yogurt, soy products, and fish, low carbs and tons and tons of veggies. I eat every 2 - 3 hours so that I'm never hungry. I have found this to be very successful so far.
Any more questions? Feel free to ask. This is a great place for information and advice. Good luck!!!
For me, my dietary habits have basically been a constantly tweaking process. I've tried diet plans and know I don't do well following a specific plan so I came up with my own based on what I know. I have been heavily influenced by somethings such as Body for Life and Superfoods RX but I do my own thing basically.
I cut down my portions quite a bit.
I strive to eat whole/unprocessed foods.
I shy away from fatty foods.
I try to eat lots of veggies and moderate portions of fruits
My latest thing is I'm cutting down on my carbs I eat in the evening. So I'll eat brown rice, oatmeal, fruit, etc during the day but at night I'll stick to veggies and lean meats for the most part.
I'm right where you are, I did find a nutritionist who gave me a list to select all the foods I do like to eat, and she planed a diet around me and my schedule. I am so not a calorie counter, I get obsessed with that type of stuff. I think you need to think of it not as a diet, but as how you can better your routines and your life, avoid your downfalls and fill that time with something beneficial, even if it's just reading a magazine or going for a walk. And you have to remember, we all slip up, it's how we deal with it that makes it work. Even if you try a week on one plan and it doesn't seem to work well for you, grab another one, or make up your own. You know your strengths and weakness and we all need to adjust our lifestyles to play on our stronger points. You will probably develop your own diet, one that works just for you!! I think everyone has to "tweek" whatever they chose, to make it work for them. Good luck -- there are thousands of people on here routing for you!!!
The mental game is the most important part of the weight loss journey. If you think you're certain to fail, you likely will. If you think of this as your "last chance," then the first time you slip a little, you'll probably just throw in the towel. If you think of it as a diet, it's likely something you'll do until you reach your goal, but then revert back to old habits and regain some (or all or more) of the weight. You need to wrap your brain around the idea that this is for the rest of your life, and (like cantforgetthis mentioned) the only real failure is to stop trying. You CAN do this. Others who've had MUCH longer journeys than you have seen success. Others who've had more obstacles (health issues, lifestyle issues, etc.) than you have found success. Others who've had more dietary and/or physical restreictions than you have seen success. And you can, too!
As for me, I follow my own plan. I figured no one writing a book or making a website could possibly know more about MY body and MY needs than ME, so I pulled together all the knowledge in my mind about health and dieting and nutritiona and combined it with what I know about ME, and I came up with the following living guidelines:
max of 2000 calories a day
average of 1800 calories per day for the week
exercise at least 30 minutes, 6 days per week
avoid trans fats and HFCS whenever possible
minimum 100g protein each day
keep an eye on amount of sodium intake
plan my food each morning and update each evening as necessary
eat every 3ish hours and eat at least 5 times a day
Now, I don't meet all of my guidelines every day, and that's okay. No one is perfect. When I slip up, I just brush off and try again tomorrow. Sometimes I am super-hungry and eat every 2 hours instead of 3...no big deal. Some days, I don't feel like eating and end up only eating 3 times a day...again, no big deal. Some days, I skip my exercise, so I might do 60 minutes the next day to make up for it.
My guidelines are ever-changing. As my health and fitness levels improve, the same rules won't always bring me as much success. For example, my current rule to exercise at least 6 days a week started out as only 4 days a week. When I first started out, I didn't worry about HFCS or trans fats--that got added in later as I grew more accustomed to making healthier food choices. Pretty soon, I think I'll be adding a guideline about incorporating strength training into my exercise (since right now, I just do walking and Walk Away the Pounds DVDs).
Planning ahead is VERY important for me. If I don't plan my day in advance, then I'll end up wandering through the kitchen wondering what to make for dinner, and I'll either choose something not-so-healthy or will choose laziness and end up ordering pizza or something By planning ahead, I can do things like take out any frozen meat to defrost the night/morning before, put meat in a bag to marinate while I'm at work all day, put food in the crock pot first thing in the morning to simmer during the day, etc. In fact, yesterday, I made a crock pot of chicken with salsa, corn, black beans, onion, and spices and split it into 7 small plastic containers and topped with a little shredded cheddar cheese to take for lunches at work for the upcoming week. That way, no excuses for not packing a lunch during the week since it's already made.
I don't think anyone made it from start to finish through this journey without a few slips, and you just need to make sure those slips don't turn into anyhting more than just that, just a tiny hesitation on your way to success. If you're a compulsive eater (like me), then you'll have days where you pretty much eat a whole week's worth of calories in one day, but as long as the "good" days far outnumber the "bad," then you're on a healthier track than if you were to just keep having nothing but "bad" days every day, right?
I too am a newbie here and Karen is EXACTLY right, you have to find what works for you and something you can live with for the rest of your life.
I am a newbie here also, today is day 14. I doing little things. First I cut out the soda and increased the water, tried to eat healthier, e.g. cut up an apple instead of eating the candy bar or bag of chips, cut down on portion size. Week 2, I added in 30 min of exercise. I like robin eat every 2-3 hours and for me a higher protien meal/snack works best for me. I am not sure what I am going to add or change next week, maybe add in yoga or pilates, maybe some free weights, maybe increase exercise time or increase the intensity. I am a chocolate fiend and don't think I could ever give it up completely, but now I buy Hershey's Dark chocolate and break it up, then break each square in half. I usually have 1-2 half squares a day. some people write down/journal everything they eat in a day, some people plan their meals in advance . . . I couldn't plan in advance, what if I didn't feel like oatmeal in the morning. I try to have a variety of different breakfast, lunch and snack ideas available so I get the variety I like and need. I haven't weighed myself since Dec 31 so I don't even know if it's working . . . maybe tomorrow I think. So I may not be the one to ask . . .
Since this is your last chance, that means you are not going to be quitting . . . ever!!!! The people here are awsome, supportive, helpful, motivating and full of ideas. They are here when you hit that bump in the road and help you up and back on track, offer ideas, thoughts and support.
So my suggestion is make changes you can live with FOREVER, quick fixes won't work, be healthy, happy and know that you can do it!!!
Trial and error. I had tried many things..although never anything too faddish over the years. I did southbeach between kids and found that I FELT really good. I also struggled with insulin resistance and found that southbeach was very close to a diabetic diet. However I wasnt losing much weight because I have an enormous appetite. It was better on sb, but not great, and sbd doesnt focus on portion control enough for me. Also I dont believe in artificial sweeteners except for occasional use and I dont believe in BANNING anything
I caught my insulin resistance early enough that it is largely resolved, but I cant ignore how much better I FEEL when I eat ala SB.
I now calorie count which I swore I would never do, but I do everything in my power to make it as simple, quick and painless as possible. I eat SB style 85% of the time, eat a small amount of dark chocolate every day, and the other 15% of the time I just try to have small portions of whatever it is. One slice of real gooey new york style pizza. One cookie. Or last night eating out, I had half of my divine dinner (which would have been SB approved, but had a pretty hefty amount of olive oil too so not low cal) and split a dessert with dh.
You guys are GREAT! :-) What I meant by "last chance" was i've tried sooooo many times and just let it go...even when I was losing the weight...so this is it!!! i'm doing it this time NO MATTER WHAT! I do drink way too much soda...so cutting that out and replacing it with water will be my first step...I know I can't think of this as a "diet" but as a healthy lifestyle from this day forward.
Thank you all so much....and I do truly appreciate ALL your input!
I've tried all sorts of things. Had success with calorie counting, but then for some reason just quit doing it. My SIL called and asked me to join Weight Watchers with her. I read a lot about the program, and liked that it's been around for so long. So I joined and it's been the best thing for me. I love the structure of it, and the support of the meetings. The accountability of having to weigh in each week helps me stay on track. I also like that no foods are off limits. I could never eliminate some foods. I know it's not for everyone, but it works for me. I also love coming to 3FC. Lots of support and information. Look around, do some research, and find a plan that sounds like something you could live with for the rest of your life. Think of it as a lifestyle change rather than a diet! Good luck!!
How did you decide which plan??
By planning ahead, I can do things like take out any frozen meat to defrost the night/morning before, put meat in a bag to marinate while I'm at work all day, put food in the crock pot first thing in the morning to simmer during the day, etc. In fact, yesterday, I made a crock pot of chicken with salsa, corn, black beans, onion, and spices and split it into 7 small plastic containers and topped with a little shredded cheddar cheese to take for lunches at work for the upcoming week. That way, no excuses for not packing a lunch during the week since it's already made.
