[hughs dad]

Hi all,

So, here I sit. Another day where I say today will be different. I probably consumed 4,500 calories yesterday, 3 nutty bars, cassorol, huge burger, m and m's, banna bread, diet coke after diet coke, after regular coke, after coffee, etc... Just a mess. A dietary mess....

I have had control over my eating twice in my life. Once when I was in my very early 20's. Ate a salad and chicken sandwich for lunch, then dinner. And that's it. No breakfast, no snacks, just two meals per day. That's it.

I have come to the deciion that, that plan wasn't particulary healthy. So, when I was 28 I went on the Sommersize program. This is where you cut out white flour and sugar. Eat carbs alone and Protiens and fats alone. You can mix veggies with each meal. You cut out caffine and alcohol

The results of this diet where great. Lost 40 lbs, ate very well and very often. I stayed on this diet (plan of eating) for about 4 months. And little by litte starting eating my old way, fast foward 10 years and I'm 90 lbs heavier than my lowest weight.

Since then, I've tried everything. Rarely making more than a day before my addictive eating comes back. Wings, Fast food, cookies, cakes, nutty bars, lots of caffine, etc... It honestly feels like trying to quit smoking or drinking when I give up my bad foods. My body literally calls for it. So I give in, feel bad about it, then ultimately justify it somehow some way, then at some point feel bad about it again and the cycle starts over...

So, today I am starting the sommersize program (again). I highly doubt I'll stick to it but we'll see.

Has anyone else struggled like this before AND stuck to it?. Would love some encouragement. It just seems so helpless and pointless...

Thanks everyone!

[crispin]

Good luck!

Until it finally clicked for me, I struggled. A lot. I'd be good for a few days or even a few months and then go back.

Then it all started to click for me and I learned how to integrate a healthy diet into my life. It stopped seeming like a competition between a new way and an old way, but instead became "a way" that I feel best.

Different things help us all. For me, what helped was cutting back sugar and carbs, adding in more veg, brisk walks a few days a week, and realizing that little changes add up.

Do you think you'd like healthier versions of your favorite foods? Instead of typical fried wings, you could make lots of grilled chicken breasts and dip them in a buffalo style sauce. (I do this often - I even saute the cooked chicken in butter & hot sauce. Doesn't taste low cal, but it is lower than typical wings.) Little things -- saving 200 or so calories here and there from your fav fattening foods -- will add up and have you dropping pounds.

ETA: I lost over 40 pounds a few years ago and have kept it off, except for a small 8 pound regain earlier this year. I realized I should add that info cuz my profile makes it sound like I've only needed to lose 8 pounds. If only.

[Jacqui_D]

I didn't think I'd ever be able to go on a diet again. I had yo-yo dieted so many times throughout my life that when I ended up taking meds over ten years ago that caused a big jump in weight, I threw in the towel once and for all...until four years ago, lol...and four years ago I thought, okay, I'll try it one more time. When I fell off the wagon that time, I said, "That's it! I'm through! I'll just have to be obese. I cannot keep doing this. I love to eat too much!" But you know, I never felt comfortable in my own skin, because that's not my weight. I'm supposed to be thinner. I'm not supposed to be obese. Recently, I've wanted to give it another go. My daughter's wedding is next April and I thought this is a good time to try again. But what was going to keep me from failing again? For the life of me, I could not bear to count another calorie, and from lots of experience, I knew if I did get started, I'd only be able to hold out for so long before I started eating things I'd feel guilty about. Luckily, I ran across an article and blog about doing the slow carb diet (it sounds like it incorporates and avoids a lot of the same foods as on your sommersize program). Cutting down on "bad" carbs automatically made sense to me because of all the insulin issues in my family and my own battle with hypoglycemia. I thought okay, maybe if I work with my body, I'll be more successful this time, and it's worked! This time around as compared to ALL the other times is like night and day. And one of the things that is different this time is that I can cheat and not feel guilty about it! My plan has a cheat day. I don't have to fall off the wagon to eat the treats I like because I have a built-in cheat day once a week! Maybe something like that would work for you. Would you be able to get started and stay away from the foods not on your diet if you knew, on, say, Saturday, you'd be able to eat them? It works for me! I can pass up any food, no problem, because I just tell myself, "I'll have it on Saturday." For 6 days of the week, I eat on plan. On the 7th day, I eat whatever I want, but that's it. I never cheat on non-cheat days and I've lost 16 lbs since July 19th. Maybe an allowed cheat day, or at least a cheat meal, would work for you too.

[Mozzy]

Welcome and good luck on your journey!!

[3fcuser291505109]

Originally Posted by Jacqui_D

And one of the things that is different this time is that I can cheat and not feel guilty about it! My plan has a cheat day. I don't have to fall off the wagon to eat the treats I like because I have a built-in cheat day once a week! Maybe something like that would work for you. Would you be able to get started and stay away from the foods not on your diet if you knew, on, say, Saturday, you'd be able to eat them? It works for me! I can pass up any food, no problem, because I just tell myself, "I'll have it on Saturday." For 6 days of the week, I eat on plan. On the 7th day, I eat whatever I want, but that's it. I never cheat on non-cheat days and I've lost 16 lbs since July 19th. Maybe an allowed cheat day, or at least a cheat meal, would work for you too.

i do the exact same thing and i've lost over 100 lbs and maintained it. i eat whatever i want on Fridays and i mean whatever i want BUT i reign it in on Saturday thru Thursday and do NOT over eat or cheat and it's relatively low carb, and i'm able to do that because not only do i have Fridays to look forward to but i eat very healthy very nutritious food that i LOVE the rest of the week. That is the key, find low calorie nutritious food that you really like that will satisfy you and MAKE THE DECISION that this is going to be your life, not a diet. It has to be a decision, an epiphany.
For instance i have to have chocolate daily, so instead of 1/2 lb bag of M&M's i make a rich hot cocoa with almond milk, dark cocoa powder, stevia to sweeten and a dash or 2 of one of those flavored coffee creamers and it does satisfy me. For lunch i'll have a heaping bowl of unflavored Greek yogurt sweetened with stevia and piled high with fresh berries and a small handful of almonds or walnuts, all very healthy, full of protein and some good fats and it satisfies my sweet tooth. i also make eating an event. EVERY time i eat i sit down and focus and savor my food and eat slowly, soon it will become a way of life. It helps to make clean healthy eating your focus and not just low carb low calorie although that is fine for some, for me it is about trying to eat healthier.

[Munchy]

Originally Posted by crispin

Do you think you'd like healthier versions of your favorite foods? Instead of typical fried wings, you could make lots of grilled chicken breasts and dip them in a buffalo style sauce. (I do this often - I even saute the cooked chicken in butter & hot sauce. Doesn't taste low cal, but it is lower than typical wings.) Little things -- saving 200 or so calories here and there from your fav fattening foods -- will add up and have you dropping pounds.

I agree with this! I have read countless times on this forum that some people just started swapping out a burger for a salad, etc. I can't do that. If I want a burger, a salad doesn't cut it! So, I'll get lean meat, grate or pulse some non-starchy vegetables into the meat mixture, and maybe have it in a lettuce wrap instead of a bun.

The buffalo wing idea is awesome, and even pizzas can be low calorie and made on high fiber tortillas, pitas, or flatbreads.

If I wasn't eating foods that I enjoy, I couldn't keep this up for long.