Hi again

Kind of embarrassing because I've had several false starts at dieting, in fact I've been trying to lose weight on and off since 2003.

I have a lack of self control and I can't seem to be able to stick with any plans. Part of this I think is because my life is so hectic I end up falling back on to quick food which is generally unhealthy stuff, especially as I tend to crave sweet food.

I'm fed-up with not being able to buy clothes that look good on me and also I have a wedding to go to in November so feel that the time has come to just get on with trying to lose weight again but not sure how to start. I'm a veggie with a very sweet tooth and don't like cooking. I'm married with a son, and they generally eat different to me.

All in all I can't seem to get into a routine or to gain control. I managed to lose weight with slimfast years ago but I think I had better self control then. Could be wrong but I do believe that several years of stress and a hectic life style have changed my levels of self-control and now I've lost my confidence that I can do it.

Not sure what I'm asking for here, but wanted to post. Feel very alone and very tired of wanting to lose weight and getting nowhere.

I know that somewhere deep inside me I have the strength to do it, but I need to find the ability to tap into that strength, get started and stick with it. I certainly have the will to do it, but the actual doing it seems to be the problem. Any ideas on how to start would be good

thanks

EleanorR

You need to make a commitment to yourself and to your health. You need to put YOU above everything else.

What kind of plan are you following? Calorie counting is what works best for me. Try tracking your foods on a site like fitday.com or thedailyplate.com so you can really see what you're putting into your body.

Start slow. Maybe start by eating healthily for breakfast and getting at least 8 glasses of water for one week, then the next week try eating healthily for breakfast and lunch. Then, the 3rd week, eat a healthy breakfast, healthy lunch, and healthy snacks (cutting out sugary sodas and candybars and whatnot). Then the 4th week, Try making all your food choices throughout the day healthy.

You CAN do this. We're all here to support you.

You're not alone, know that. All of us here know exactly what it means to struggle with extra weight. And creating new habits (and removing old bad ones) is hard. And it is never harder than right at the beginning, which is why there are usually so many "false starts". I am a master of the false start, I know what I speak of!

You CAN do this. My advice: choose a new style of eating (of living?) that you can sustain forever. Write it down, as clearly as you can. Write out a commitment to that plan and all the reasons it is so important to you. Post several copies of the plan and your commitment to it in places you can't ignore. Know that it will get easier-- I found there is a lot of "gutting it out" right at the beginning because it is so easy to fall back into old patterns. But it will get easier over time, and the way to make that happen is to really stick with it. The more you stick to your plan, the easier it IS to stick to.

Good luck, lots of support available on this site, so take advantage of all of it!

Please don't be ashamed. We all have starts and stops. Days when we soar and days when we fall. It is how we deal with those days that don't go well that gives us the strength to pick ourselves back up and continue on our journey.

At first, you may have some white knuckle days. I have. I have had days where I sailed right through, days where I had to really fight myself, my bad habits, cravings and horrid, almost abusive inner dialog to continue. And I have days where I blow it. And I pick myself up and get back on track, the next day or the next meal.

To begin, I would suggest that you find a plan that works for you, your lifestyle, budget and food preferences. Since you are a veggie girl, I am of the opinion that calorie counting may just be the ticket, for you. Determine the right number of calories for you, then go for it. The beauty of calorie counting is that it is very flexible. You are not restricted to any one group of foods and nothing, in moderation is off limits, as long as you stay within your limit for the day.

Good luck and I hope this helps, a little.

I forced myself to carve out time to make sure I always had healthy food on hand. I menu plan for the entire week on Sunday, I go to the grocery store, I pack lunches for the entire week on Sunday. I bag up vegetables for snack, and portion anything else that needs it. I plan to have a healthy breakfast without fail - if I have to stop at the store after work to pick up more oatmeal, no matter how tired I am, I stop and get more oatmeal. If I wait and eat at work, I would be very tempted by all the pastries. I cut temptation off at the KNEES.

It's a lot of work but worth it, I never fall into the "I have nothing to eat, I'll just get McDonalds" trap.

Great advice so far -- I really agree that you have to find something that's sustainable for your lifestyle. I found that making me a priority necessitated some changes -- I DO spend more time planning menus, buying and prepping food, but I try to do things in ADVANCE so that when I need it to be quick, it is.

I believe that making a commitment to change really helps, and that you don't have to make a million changes all at once to be successful! If you're overwhelmed, take baby steps!

Pick one smal, permanent change you can make. It could be swapping full milk for skimmed, taking a walk each day, drinking diet soda instead of regular. Whatever it is, try to make sure it's something easy and something that won't be too much of a struggle to maintain permanently. Once you've done this, give it a few days and then look for the next change you can make. From small acorns do large oak trees grow.