5% for success--2nd attempt!
 

:carrot: Hello again everyone! Well, I am back again. gained back every pound I lost in 2012 for my daughters wedding :(. I am going to recalculate and work on it again the way that worked for me last time.

I lost 40 lbs by taking it down to 5% increments for each goal and not putting a time limit (within reason) on it. That is 5% of the total weight you want to lose, not your total weight.

I followed a relatively strict 1800 calorie modified Atkins type diet with an emphasis on low-fat, high-protein foods (with fruits and vegetables) and lots of water(Crystal light and iced tea also).

I also went out of my way for 30 minutes a day of "deliberate movement" (calling it exercise was too intimidating). This could be done over the course of the day 5-10 minutes at a time as long as it totaled out to 30 minutes.

My weight goal was 175 last time but I only made it from 270 to 230 before I called it good. it took me nearly two years to gain it back. :( This time I upped my goal to 150 lbs which means 110 lbs left to lose. If I apply my 5% rule to that it comes out to 5.5 lbs being my first weight loss goal. This seems less intimidating than saying I have 110 lbs to lose. I made my goal a little higher this time so that I work a little harder (hopefully I wont give up after 40 lbs, but its different this time because there isn't a wedding date as the "end of the diet copout.)

Wish me luck! any imput is appreciated. The closer I get to 50 the harder it is for me to motivate myself to "try, try again."

This time my motivation is that I just want to be able to get through a shift at work (I am an RN) without being in excruciating joint pain. I push my luck every day I sit at this weight (family history of diabetes and heart disease). So far other than the arthritis I am relatively healthy for my age and size. I just don't want to be sorry and end up pushing my luck one day to far! Thanks for listening, again. ;)

Welcome Back Eightiesbabe84! You are starting and that is the most wonderful thing that you are doing for yourself! I will cheer you on - on your journey as I bet you just fly past that 40 lb off bump... it will just be a blip! Hooray for you!

Thank you! today was the first "real day" and I have done okay so far. my exercise was shopping at Wal-Mart with my granddaughter, niece and her two little ones. it was exhausting LOL! Tomorrow its going to be cleaning up the whole house before I go back to work on Friday :O.

Congrats on your decision! I also recently started Atkins for the second time. I lost 25 lbs the first time around. I gained it all back during pregnancy. I want to lose a total of 30 lbs this time around.

Thank you! I have come to the conclusion that sugar is not my friend! once I start....I just don't want to stop. I just go all compulsive eater around sweets. I was thin when I was younger, back in the day when we only had sweets like cake and ice cream etc. when it was someone's birthday or a holiday. now days its readily available and cheap. I need to start thinking like I used to and restrict sweets to special occasions again.

welcome!

Thisis true, isn't it? Sweets were not a regular thing when I was a kid either - we looked forward to birthdays and holidays to have them.

I'm trying to get my husband on board w that approach with our little ones - quite an uphill battle, actually...

For me I find it's so much easier to just do without than to have a little bit, except a small amount of very dark chocolate...

I don't like dark chocolate at all. :) if all chocolate was dark chocolate I would be good. My husband always wants sweets and crap around the house. He works out of Alaska so he is gone for two weeks then home two weeks. I do better "diet wise" when he is gone. He doesn't understand why its so hard to stay out of the sweets when he is home. He doesn't have a significant weight problem like I do though. Its hard for people to understand.

Welcome and best wishes in your journey one lb and day at a time.

Thanks a lot! hopefully the next few days will be easier to get through because I will be working. one pound at a time!!!

Are there sweets and treats your husband likes that you don't? That's how I feed my family, they get snacks and treats that I can resist. Stuff I can't resist, like ice cream, never enters the house, if they want that they have to go out. They live with it.

Some people convince their husbands to get supportive, some convince them to put their junk food in another part of the house, like a workroom or den... In my house it's still in the kitchen, it's just not stuff I care much about. I also make sure I have plenty of my low carb favorites around, bacon and avocado in particular.

You know, having things like dark chocolate around might be good for you though - the whole idea is to have treats that are okay but not DELICIOUS to you, to help break the cycle of desire ... you might try to play around with that idea. I started on that years ago and that's how I've been able to bake and cook stuff for my family. I make them pasta, but never lasagne, for example (my lasagne is too good!), boring pasta I can live without.

Finally, in your home life it might be hard to find people who understand, but there are a lot of us, pretty much all of us, on here! Vent away!

I agree with Sarah... just get treats that your hubby likes (for the 2 weeks) and then toss them or have him take them with him when he leaves for those other 2 weeks. You will figure it out. SUPPORT is a needed thing and sometimes those in the family just don't understand... Please know that WE UNDERSTAND.. oh lord do we ever! I have been saved numerous times by these lovely people! There is not enough gratitude in this world that I can heep on everyone here!

Just take 1 day at a time too... Some days are just overwhelming.. dust yourself off and get started right back. Always look forward. I love the messages on the Possitive thread Love them! YOU ARE STRONG and can do what you want to make yourself healthier! You are and can! :)

Thanks you guys. I have been trying to do things like buy almonds (he loves them, I am allergic), dark chocolate (he loves it), and ice cream bars instead of cartons (that way if I do indulge its just one bar not two bowls). These little tricks do help. He isn't very supportive or nice if the subject of weight loss comes up. He gave up on me years ago. I am doing great, no major setbacks so far!

I don't discuss my weight loss with my husband much at all.

I get my support here :-)

People here understand and this board is available 24 hours a day...

Eightiesbabe84 - Keep up the good work!! Please know it gets better!!! I didn't talk about my Atkins plan in the beginning and my husband was ok with the first 25 pounds off but then complained about the next 30 coming off...he didn't like everything shrinking...(he has seen every pound gained and lost for the past 30 years) I was not prepared for that mindset....this board is very supportive!! A co-worker commented that my husband must be psyched since I lost weight ...which wasn't the case at all. Now 18 months in everything has settled down...because I am still the same person I have always been there just is less of me. I do think weight loss threatens many relationships because there is a significant change in your way of life and it makes people wonder what else you are going to change!!

Like Sarah I keep all food in a common pantry - but all the food I eat is fresh so all of it comes out of the fridge - I cook a whole meal and only eat low carb choices - I leave the bread, rice, potatoes to the rest of my family...I constantly remind myself that I am "allergic" to those foods....they make me fat!! HA!

I haven't made much progress lately. I also suffer from cyclothymia and I have been in the midst of a pretty serious bout of it. I am still hopeful though. haven't really gained. just wanting to sleep and feel sorry for myself. I appreciate everyones support.