[jewelrymaker81]

I haven't posted since July! I've been off-track and gained a few pounds but am back on it. I've decided that instead of thinking of this as a diet and eating "diet food", I'm going to concentrate more on not eating fast food. That is my downfall, for sure. I buy pretty healthy food at the store, I just eat out instead. I have some junk food in the house right now that my roommate got me for V-day (curse her!), but normally my food stock is pretty healthy. I just need to cook more, plan meals, and make sure I take my lunch to work so I have no excuses. If I don't take my lunch to work, I either eat out or snack around and skip lunch, then stop at McDonald's when I get off at 3:00 and eat a full meal, then I'm hungry again around 7:00. So, I'm keeping water bottles everywhere, packing my lunch and trying to eat breakfast. Yogurt with granola has proven to be a great and fiilling breakfast for me. Last time around I ate a ton of salads but I bought a bag of romaine when I first started back and ate one salad out of it and was done. It just wasn't appealing this time. Lunchmeat scares me (unless it's the expensive deli stuff) so sandwiches are out of the question! I love raw broccolli so I've been eating that with a tiny bit of lite ranch just about everyday. I enjoy most diet pop so that's not a problem for me. Getting in my water is a struggle. I haven't stuck with it long enough to notice a difference, that's definately what I need to do. If I could just drink the rec. amount of water evreyday for like a week or so, surely I'd notice a change and it'd be easier to stick with from then on.

[Heather]

Welcome back!!

I think making sustainable changes is the way to go!! And it sounds like you have a plan for that -- congrats!!

I know lots of people find benefits of water, but I'm one of the people who just never worries about my water intake. I make sure to stay hydrated, but don't worry beyond that. So, if it turns out that you struggle to drink enough water and that stresses you out and makes you feel like a failure, then I would urge you not to worry about it!! I think there are plenty of other healthy issues to focus on!

I'm not saying that people shouldn't focus on it -- plenty of people find success in that route. But weight loss is not "one size fits all" and plenty of other people find success without worrying about water intake. So if focusing on water continues to be a struggle and makes you feel like a failure, then you might want to move past it and focus on the issues that help you lose weight.

Good luck!

[jewelrymaker81]

Thanks for the advice Heather! It's so hard to do this and not compare yourself to everyone else and think that we all have to do the same thing. WE are all so different. I remember a friend that I had at an old job and we always talked abotu weight. She said the biggest she ever got was 180 and a size 18. When I was in WW a long time ago I lost quite a bit (not starting out near as heavy as I am now) and got down to 192 I think it was, and was wearing a size 14! It's just crazy how we all hold weight differently and stuff. I've always weighed more than I look like I weigh, which is good I guess.

[debnboyz]

I'm so with you on the eating out!

Lately, I've been stopping there for breakfast because I don't have enough time in the mornings.

I have to, wait, MUST plan my mornings better. Get my clothes ready the night before and get up at a decent time! I know I can do it, so can U!

Also, for some reason I'm loving sweet tea----help!!!!!!!!!!!! That stuff is so awful! I'd like to cut all tea and soda from my diet!

Plan, plan, plan...that's what I have to do!