I have a confession! I'm a yo-yo dietier! I lost 50lbs last spring and I stepped on the scale last week and weighed in at 208 ...I was 175 this summer. I swear I have an addiction to food. I really need some support...I have skinnys all round me. I've tried weight watchers to deit pills and nothing keeps this weight off. Its so depressing! I'm 30 a full and part-time worker, with a husband and 11 year old boy. Its tough to diet with them.

I did manage to walk 1.5 miles today. I plan to walk to and from my car all week which is a mile round trip. What else can I do? I have had back surgery once L4-L5 which is my core. I have trouble doing sit ups and bending.

I need a food plan too! Or more or less your support! Please help!

Hey there, welcome to 3fc! Adding in the walking is definitely a step in the right direction. If you keep up with the 1.5 miles, and have the desire to, eventually you'll build up to being able to walk more, which always makes me feel great, personally. If you're wanting to do other sorts of exercise, definitely talk to your doctor or a physical therapist to see what sorts would be okay for you to do, given your past back surgery.

As for the food, it's really a personal thing, and very much about trial and error. When I first started trying to lose weight, I just took a few things out of my diet. Soda pop, fried foods, candy bars, all gone. That helped to cut down on calories, even though I wasn't counting calories at the time, and the weight started going down. I calorie count now, and there's loads of different online calorie counters that you can use to figure out about how many calories you should be consuming. Definitely check out the forums here with the various types of diet-- calorie counting, carb counting, meal delivery, etc. You'll find something that works for you.

So glad you've joined us! I just joined a month or two ago and I've found that these folks are fantastic for support - there are enough lovely voices on 3FC to get you through even on the lowest of days.

It sounds like you're about where I was - madly searching for something that works for weight loss but that you can live with. Try this: I did 15 day "experiments." I would dedicate myself to *only* 15 days of a particular plan and only weigh once in the beginning, once in the middle, and once at the end. I probably tried 10-15 experiments (low cal, low fat, tons of cardio, etc) before I found one that really produced results - which for me happens to be low carb. The results were enough to get me to keep me going short term...

The way I've been sticking to it long term has to do with not letting myself panic over deprivation. I remind myself constantly, I WILL have baklava (sourdough, cake, pretzel m&m's, whatever) again, but I don't need sandwiches (or any of that) everyday to be happy. It's a deal with myself that I've struck. I would never not eat cake on my birthday, but with that understanding, I will never be someone who casually eats candy at work all day. Do you know what I mean? I had to take the panic out in order to commit.

I hope that as you settle into your new way of life 3FC can help you as much as it does me. Be sure to come tell us everything you are learning along the way!

Do you know if there is an option to find a buddy to email back and forth? I really need to be pushed more than anything! If I think no one is watching and no one is directly asking me than I can lie to myself and say eating that candy bar is okay.

Thanks again for your support!