I'm wondering if anyone knows of some programs for the seriously (ok, fine...morbidly) obese? I think at this point I need some sort of counseling & behavior modification help.
I understand portion control, approx. how many calories I should be eating, know what kinds of foods are good for me, and that walking is great. However, I can seem to stop eating and start living.
Many people are able to lose large amounts of weight by diet and exercise. My own son has lost over 200 pounds, without surgery. It can be done, but maybe you need some extra help, perhaps a nutritionist or a behaviour modification counselor. Perhaps your HMO has a program of some kind. Look around ,there is help. I am sure some of the great people on these forums can offer other suggestions , as well.
Professional help is a great, great idea. I just want to add that, as overwhelming as it seems, it IS possible to lose MASSIVE amounts of weight without surgery. Surgery is a tool, like calorie counting, carb counting, and any other weightloss plan. None of them are magic pills...they all involve some kind of intense action. But it IS possible and you CAN do it. There are lots of folks on this board who have. I started out at 370 lbs on 8/13/2008 and here it is less than a year and a half later and I'm almost down in the one hundreds (I did Atkins for a year and now I'm low carb/low fat). You can totally do this!!
I'm in the exact same boat as you are, minimimi! I'm looking into all of my options regarding professional help, as well. I love reading the posts here and seeing people get publicity for losing weight without the surgery. While I feel like the surgery may be a wonderful thing for some people, I just like to look into other options for myself.
My only option is to do it myself since my insurance does not cover surgery. My mom's insurance did cover it and she had it done 2 weeks ago.
I have tired and failed before at weight loss but hopefull this time is different. I am trying a very basic, calories in vs. calories out. No fancy plan, no "celebrity" plan, no extreme plan. And I'm trying to think of things in small increments and goals, which is helping mentally. For me, as it is for a lot of people, its all mental and emotional. If I can keep myself focused I just know I can do it.
I think overweight people are the experts on obesity. Most of us know what we should eat, when, how, what we should do, exercise, not eat at 10pm at night etc. We have read the books, tried the diets, followed the regimes. What we often lack is motivation, commitment and support.
But we need them all together, in the right mix. 'Support' can be cloying and annoying when you are not truly commited. Motivation tends to come in short bursts and is difficult to maintain. Commitment waivers when you are surrounded by the cookies and cakes you buy for your children. You need to sit yourself down and talk to you. What are your strengths, weaknesses, needs.
You know you should, you just don't want to. Its an adiction like cigarette smoking. Its not easy. Everyone here knows that hardship. But it is so worthwhile when you begin seeing and feeling the changes in your body and mind.
Start by setting yourself small achievbable goals like cutting out soda and potatoes from the diet, walking to the store twice a week. Challenge yourself. Reward yourself for your small wins. Get a diet buddy. Work with a therapist. Do whatever is right for you.
I agree -- your local hospital and dietician may be able to offer you some help which may be covered by your insurance plan; and there is the private counselling route as mentioned, but you will have to pay for that. The only other group I know of is OA (Overeater's Anonymous) if there is one in your area; and they are usually free but this is more of a peer support group type of thing that you might find helpful too ...
I started off with portions; but am now focusing on calorie tracking each day and am finding that much better. I still measure/watch my portions but the journalling helps me stay OP (on plan) more. My focus is small goals, one-day-at-a-time, one-step-at-a-time. My committment is to me: to help myself get healthy again -- and that never changes based on my circumstances ...
It's my choice what I buy or bring into my house (and I've made some mistakes); but my DH eats all the healthy stuff I make and I have worked them into our lifestyle. No one food is bad or evil -- I took all our favorite dishes and modified them to make them healthier (cut the sugar, fat, and portions). I use tricks like using smaller dishes; having a lighter dinner a few times a week; switching lunch & dinner; make lots of soup; and one-pot dinners with lots of roasted veggies (so easy) ...
I had to find something that I can do for the rest of my life: and WALKING is free and available to anyone (love to walk around our stores). I do have some dvds: walking off the pounds; tai chai; light yoga; dancing; toning; plus my stretchie bands and hand-weights to use in the long winters here. I do toning exercises every morning upon waking and find that helps me lose inches and feel better ...
Non-Surgical Help ? Desperate
