since jan. i have been on about 4 different plans, that i have been on before. now that just says, it is not the plan that doesnt work, it is me. i just feel like giving up. the summer is almost here, and now i am panicking and looking for the fast way out. i am very dissapointed in myself, if i would have just stuck to one plan i would be half way to goal by now. am i letting another year slip by? , without feeling good about myself on the beach. i am so upset right now and dont know what to do. how did you know what plan would work for you for life???
i would appreciate any and all stories about what worked for you , i guess what was your "light bulb" moment. thanks.
You are not alone!!! We sound very similar. Like you, I have been on several diet plans over the past year - Atkins, Weight Watchers, Slim Fast, calorie counting.......actually, I can't say that I've even stayed on any one of these plans for more than a day!!!
It's always the same with me...I start out on a plan and then later that day, it's almost like I look for any excuse to BREAK it so that I can eat whatever I want that day. For example, suppose I decide to lose weight by counting calories, I rationalize breaking my eating plan by questioning, "Am I on the right plan? You know, I'm hungry...I should be on a low carb diet; maybe I will burn fat faster that way......okay, I'll start a low carb diet tomorrow.....now let's see, since I'll be starting a new diet tomorrow, what can I feast on today?" I'm getting married on June 29th. I've been meaning to lose 60 pounds over the past year. How much have I actually lost? None. In fact, I've gained about 10 pounds, putting me at an all-time high of 236 lbs.
Like you said, if I had just stayed on a regular calorie counting plan, I could have lost those 60 pounds by now. I can't even fit into my wedding gown right now.
You can't imagine the amount of shame, guilt, and regret for time wasted that I've been feeling.
I realize that time is running out. Tomorrow, I am going cold turkey calorie counting. I am going to limit them to 1,000 calories a day and walk for 50 minutes daily. Drastic? Perhaps, but I'm desperate.
Let me know how you're doing!! Maybe we can help each other through this.
hi jennym, i couldnt believe what i was reading, i say the exact same things!!!!! well, this isnt working for me, so i will eat all i can today(again) and start something else tomorrow. those are my words exactily. i even have said, i dont care how i feel on high protien, they work fast and i need to do something. i was irrietable light headed but i thought i could do it, nope didnt last 3 days on it.
i wanted to reach my goal by june 25th, i had lost 13 on ww pts, but got tired of doing that, i was obessing over pts, how many do i have left, do i really want to spent my points on this, do i save all my points and then i can eat at mcdonald, i was driving myself crazy. sorry you are going through this, and you even have added pressure, about your wedding, oh congrats by the way.
luckily i got married at 27 and i didnt have a wait problem then. i wasnt rail thin, i think i thought i was about 10 lbs over weight, anyway, maybe we can help each other. i am really tired of starting over and failing and starting over again. i have tonight to think about it and tomorrow to give it another shot.
i know the heathly way is the way to go, but it is really hard, i have to stop looking for the miracle way out of this.
oh and by the way, i know you want to lose fast, but i really wouldnt go under 1200. everyone has said that your body will think it is starving itself and will hold on to every pound. i hope you reconsider on that. and you might be setting yourself up for being really hungry and end up binging. i will check in with ya often. lets get a good night sleep and begin a new tomorrow, hopefully for the last time.
I just wanted to say, I had been where you all are just a month ago. Have either of you read Susan Powter's Stop the Insanity. I mean not to discourage you Jenny, but if you eat just 1,000 calories, your body will, hold the fat, and burn off some of your muscle mass. I can relate so well to you all. I am going to send both of you PMs, check them ok. I really would like to help you, You can also come to my thread Low fat eating is the way.. please do ..
I think all of us women can relate to you. I've been on a ton of diets too. But Finally I went to a "no diet" idea. Not anything in particular. My reason was, we are inperfect individuals so you can't expect to go "by the book" on any diet. I tried atkins and lost 20 lbs within a month and a half but I tired of the menu then I tried carb addict diet which I didn't like so quit after about three days and then I yo-yo'd for a few months. But finally I decided to try low cal. I had never been on a low cal diet. So to get me started I bought lots of lean cuisine and Healthy choice meals so that I could easily count calories and get an idea of what a protion was. Then I weaned myself to cooking low cal. I loved it. Ilost about 15 more lbs. Now I'm in a rut but I restarting low cal. I had the bright idea of going on a "diet" diet. One that is in a book. Never works. I ended up binging and gaining these past few days. So I'm going back to what works. I can eat anything I want as long as it stays within my 1000-1200 calorie a day limit. I lost all my weight while staying at 1000 or under. My body never held the fat. But I may be the exception. You do what works for you. Are you the type of person that loves meat? Then maybe you can try low carb. Are you a pasta person? Then try a pasta diet. Are you a fruit person? A vegetarian? Then try Fit For Life. But if you like it all (like myself) then you may just want to portion control and cut calories. It's not as hard as it seems. But low cal margerine or butter and low cal breads and light yogurt and such and before you know it you'll have healthy food on hand while still enjoying delicous foods.
I hope I was some help. Good luck to all of you!!
I think you are an exception girl!! Most people do lose muscle, it is not really noticeable at first but if you have alot of wieight it is!! I know.. Well the diet thing is not a good way to go. The word diet can be discouraging, for sure. I call it, a change of eating rather, and a permanant one. I can honestly say that I cannot, and most people cannot eat 1,000 calories or so for the rest of their lives, and be healthy, That is my main point. FAT intake makes fat buildup, that's the bottom line. Keep it in mind, SPryng you do have some good ideas though. Take care,
You are not alone in this state of mind. I think many posters on this forum are struggling through their umpteenth diet/fitness plan. I know I am one of them.
It can be very frustrating and very upsetting but don't give up. With so many different weightloss plans out there (some more dangerous then others) it is no wonder we all are having such a hard time sticking to one religiously.
I have learned the BEST and safest way to go about losing weight is to simply eat right and exercise, but we all know that is much easier said then done. My problem is that I have very little will power. I have been working on it and it has slowly been improving, but I am still easily swayed into eating junk food and skipping the gym (I haven't exercised in months).
So for me, if I don't pop a pill that supresses appetite, I eat anything and everything in sight. Now if only there was a pill that makes me wanna exercise....hmmm.
No really, I know pills are NOT the answer and I also know that many of these weightloss pills contain dangerous ingredients. I am working towards teaching myself restraint and I am trying to make a habit of eating healthy.
I have reached my all time high weight so I feel more motivated than ever to lose this weight and get my life in shape.
I don't know how much my story has helped you, but if my personal experience can even give you one good piece of advice then I have done a decent job.
Don't give up, and know that there are so many people in your shoes. You are not alone in this.
Hi. From my own experience, and I have lost over 120lbs, in the last 2 and half years and I am keeping it off, there is really only 'one' approach that I think that will work. The reason I put 'one' in quotes is that it is not something strict but rather an approach to having healthy habits that will result in weight loss.
In fact, I started losing weight this way by a little intuition and a lot of common sense and then I found out what I was doing was backed by the most reliable weight loss 'experts', like Bob Greene and Andrew Weil.
You have to a combination of things that if you approach slowly are very, very doable, but it is important to try and build changes in your life so you are doing most or all of them at some point in the future, and you can do them.
Ok here are the main ones:
1)Drink a lot of water. This is very important for overall health and for trying to lose weight. Caffine is a negative here so try and limit
that.
2)Eat a balanced diet. Yep you heard right. Atkins or any of those other plans are NOT the way to go. Sorry folks but tonnes of research confirms that. Of course it should be low fat, but it doesn't have to be ultra low fat. Just get a variety of stuff, not too much meat, not too much sugary foods, not too many fried foods. Have a good number of veggies and whole grains, but this still leaves infinite variety.
3)Exercise. This is very important. It allows your body to process food better and helps your metabolism. Eventually shoot for a combination of cardio exercise and weight training. Muscle cells burn more calories then any other type of cell that is why weight training is important. It helps you have a higher base metabolism.
4)Eat slower. This one was very important to me. Why? Because I enjoyed my food more AND it helped me eat much less. I was used to outracing my body's signals I was full.
5)Limit trips to fast food restaurants. It is possible to eat somewhat healthy but not usually. For instance I go to Wendy's and get a baked potato and a side salad and this is ok. Or I go to subways and get a veggie sub. But in general fast food is a bad habit. If you must go, be sure to never have mayonise on a burger.
6)Watch what you drink. Many people do not realize how many calories drinking can add to your daily total. I use to be a skim milk milkaholic. No fat right? Yep. But a LOT of calories over the course of a day. Become a water drinker
7) Small goals and patience. It took me awhile but doing all these things will have you losing weight no and if or buts. You do these things and you will be burning more calories then you take in AND keep your metabolism up. What you have to work toward is a bunch of small changes but eventually doing most or all of what I listed. If you only do some, you will not lose weight and it will be frustrating, but you can do them. Just don't try and do all of them at once and try different things that work for you. One of the most important for me was finding good snacks. I found I could eat the 94% fat free popcorn by putting tabasco sauce on it. EWWWW right? Not for me I love it and the tabasco is no calories and I am really enjoying the 'diet' popcorn. There are tonnes of these small changes that will add up. And I defy anyone to argue with me that the major steps I listed (that I found from many sources on the internet and from my own experience, I do not claim they are 'my ideas' only steps that will work) is not the way to go for weight loss. Take this post to any decent doctor and I know they will agree or anyone who has truly been successful at losing weight on these boards will agree as well. Or look around the internet and you will see what I said repeated over and over.
Try incorporting these changes over the next few months and add some patience and you will be on the road to your weight loss.
I have never been able to find that plan that was just right for me. I'm not very disciplined and couldn't stick to a strict plan if my life depended on it. I just need to change my habits little by little and I'm sure I'll eventually get there. I don't want to do something temporary, which is what most of those plans are. Losing weight and getting in shape is a lifestyle change and I'm glad you laid it out for us.
hi everyone, there are so many great posts and sensible advice, i cant address them individually, but want you all to know how much i really apprecitat reading all of them, thanks for sharing.
the posts have given me motivation and incentive to do the things that have always made sense, but for me patience will be the toughest.
is susan powter still around?? i tried that when she first came out too. i was just eating everything in sight that was lowfat or fat free, i didnt have much to lose, but i thought the plan was just giving me free rain to eat as much as i wanted as long as it was fatfree or low fat. i do love her step tapes though.
ok, my first new day of trying to put all of the healthy things together, to try to change my life for good. thanks again.
Willbethin - you remember me from the BFL thread...
I'm not going to push any particular nutrition or exercise plan. Everyone here who knows me, knows my views by now.
I think what you might want to do before jumping on yet another 'diet' is working on where your head is at. (oh, and BTW, Susan Powter is now pushing an overpriced ma huang-based diet pill on the Internet, for those of you wondering what she's been doing lately).
ATTITUDE...the most important thing in success in ANYTHING is your ATTITUDE.
If you don't get your head into a positive mindset and focus on LONG-TERM, as well as short-term, goals, then you will not succeed.
Just today, a cyberbud of mine wrote this - I think it fits here...read it VERY CAREFULLY...
Quote:
The mind is in charge, in this and in any endeavor.
The body is just a dumb beast who follows along.
Program yourself for failure, and you will fail.
Think, walk, talk, act, live and breathe like the person you want to become, and you will over time become that person. Eat and work out like an athlete, and you will become an athlete.
Nobody had more "reasons to fail" at this than me---56 years old....35 of those years eating, drinking, behaving badly....barely able to last 10 minutes on the treadmill....living on Chee-Tos and vodka.
And a little voice DID say to me, "Ahhhh, it'll never work."
But I said to myself, "Who are you kidding, Steve? Here's a well-thought-out program that has worked for thousands of people. What makes YOU so special that it won't work for you?"
So I made a simple decision that I could do ANYTHING for 12 weeks....and that if I gave it just 12 weeks of flat-out intensity and concentration.......I would succeed beyond my wildest dreams...... in the face of skeptics all around me.
Decision made, conclusion foregone.
After that, it was a no-brainer.
Now, get your butt to the gym. And be EXCITED about it.....because from here on out, your mind is not going to take any sh#t from your body, or from anyone else!
No one can do this for you...you need to do it for yourself. We can all help with advice and cheer you on...but you need to throw your heart, your soul, your mind into this endeavor. Losing bodyfat is tough. You WILL have to make sacrifices and work HARD. The decision as to whether or not the effort and sacrifice is worth the result is YOURS to make, not anyone else's.
Sorry to sound harsh but just my two cents Take care!
THINK BIG!
Which goals are easier to reach -- ones that are small or those which are grand? Well, if you're like most people, you'll guess the former, but I am thoroughly convinced the correct answer is the latter. You see, little goals don't have the "magic" to create intense desire -- they don't have the power to stir your soul, which is why they're so often not realized. However, big plans and grand dreams create excitement and bring a burning desire that give you the power to change! Make "grand plans", and shoot for the stars!!
HONESTLY "SEE" YOURSELF!
Since we all "see" ourselves every day, we often don't notice if we're "slipping". If we're not careful, before long, the image we have of ourselves in our minds will not be in sync with reality! What you must do is have someone take a photo of you, standing relatively relaxed with your arms at your sides, in a pair of shorts or a swimsuit. (Seriously... you must do this!)
When you get the photo developed, take a good look at what you see. Then, decide what you want to change: do you want less fat and more muscle definition? If so, make that your goal, set out to achieve it, and let nothing stand in your way!
Then take another photo every four weeks and put them side by side on you refrigerator door, in your home gym or someplace where you'll see them frequently. This will help you honestly evaluate what kind of shape you're reallyin and how you're progressing.
GET FOCUSED!
I've discovered that people who succeed in dramatically transforming their physiques -- those who build a strong, healthy, muscular body -- become so empowered they can change many other things in their lives. By building a better body, you'll have greater self-esteem, more confidence and a substantially better attitude. People will be drawn to you. You might end up getting a better job and making more money; you might find your relationships are improved and that you become a more powerful person. The link between a powerful body and mind has been recognized for ages. The ancient Greeks were convinced that only when a harmonious balance between intellect and physical development was reached could a person unlock his or her true potential. This philosophy is reflected in a phrase admiring Romans used to describe the Greeks: "Mens sana in corpore sano", which means, "A sound mind in a sound body".
So if you want to improve in any areas of your life, start by focusing on building a better body, and let that flow into other areas of your life.
ATTACK FEAR!
Most people are afraid of change. They're afraid to get out of their comfort zone. Some are afraid of failing, and others, believe it or not, are afraid of succeeding! What's amazing is most people don't realize they've become paralyzed by their fears. Millions of people with great potential have been ruined (their entire lives are being wasted) because, quite frankly, they don't attack their fears head on.
You'll recognize people who are hiding out in their comfort zones by their lack of action. They may a lot of excuses and rationalization. They often say things like, "See that guy over there? I'd look as good as he does if I worked out hard..." (Well then, why don't you do it instead of just talking about it?!) Rationalization and excuses have become the only form of "daily exercise" most people get!
DECIDE EXACTLY WHAT YOU WANT!
It has been estimated that 97% of people who say they're going to get in shape never follow through. One reason for this is because they don't specifically define their fitness goals and write them down. (Please, don't make this mistake!)
Decide exactly how much muscle you and to gain and exactly how much fat you want to lose! For example, you might decide over the next 12 weeks you want to gain 12 lbs of muscle and lose 16 lbs of fat. Imagine what you physique would look like after such a monumental transformation. Granted, this is a lofty goal, but it certainly isn't impossible!! (Remember Tip #3: When you think big, you light a fire that is ignited by significant aspirations!)
REPROGRAM YOUR "OPERATING SYSTEM"!
After you've committed yourself to achieving a specific goal, determine which habits or "patterns of action" stand in you way and which ones will help you.
It might have taken you years, if not decades, to develop the patterns of action that brought you to this point. Fortunately, it's not going to take you anywhere near that long to "debug" your operating system. In fact, it takes only four weeks of conscious effort and repetition before these new patterns of action become automatic. By then, it will feel more natural to do them than not to do them.
For example,if you've determined you need to adopt the pattern of action of working out first thing in the morning, you need to stick with it for four weeks, and the next thing you know, you won't have to think about it anymore! You'll just do it, and it will feel right!!
DON'T RELY ON TRIAL AND ERROR!
If you want dramatic results, fast, relying on trial and error is one of the biggest mistakes you could ever make! You see, trial and error is a slow learning process. And, it's an unnecessary one. You should adopt plans and programs that have already been proven to work!
Think of it this way -- let's say you wanted to bake a cake (or whatever). You cold either follow a proven plan -- a recipe -- or you could rely on trial and error. Which do you think would produce a successful outcome the quickest? The answer is, of course, following the recipe! In fact, if you rely on trial and error, you might never get the result you're looking for. (Sound familiar?)
The lesson here is... don't try to reinvent the wheel! Simply find someone who's achieved the results you would like to experience and do what he or she did. If you follow a proven plan, you may very well achieve spectacular results as well!
TAKE ACTION!
Please, don't be ordinary! Don't do what "average people" do, which is talk about getting in great shape but never do anything about it. Success is created by action! People who get results keep moving. They don't quit! Sure, there are always some forms of inconvenience and stress in your life that seem like they might be obstacles that would keep you from taking action. Your challenge is to succeed in spite of all this!
Don't wait until "you're ready". Don't fool yourself into believing now if "just too soon". If you wait until everything is "perfect" in you life before you take action, you'll be waiting forever!
You can decide right here and now what the next 12 weeks have in store for you. Will the next three months be a breakthrough for you in terms of your personal achievements? Or just another 12 weeks in which you "almost got it together"? You don't need a crystal ball to answer that question: YOU hold the answer. You can be successful at building a better body and a better life, but only if you take action right now!
oh boy , do i remember you. i even cringed when i saw your name in reply. i knew you would just tell me like it is, and i know that is a good thing. i agree with everything you said and i loved reading that post, thank you so much, i am glad you watch over all of us. i am getting my head on straight, i do realize that is the most important part. i have to change my way of dealing with food and just tell myself i can do it and i will. thanks again. i am gonna do it. i am doing great today. and plan on continuing to do so.
I have to agree with everyone in here today, All the information you have crossed willbethin, I hope does help, and I think it will
It does have to come from you as mentioned earlier, I am really into what Mrs. Jim, and Larry said,Very to the point and just great!! I just wanted to say that, and I really hope we all have helped you, and anyone else who may come accross this thread!! Take care, stay motivated, and stay focused!! I do not agree with those pills by Susan Powter though, but to each his own, I like her recipe book, the most.
i am afraid i will never find the plan for me
Jennifer
There is only 'one' plan
Hello
