Collarbone? Whats that?
 

They're totally in there-- that's what keeps your shoulders from knocking you in the chin!!! And you WILL get to meet them someday if you're really good :D...

Yes, you will. And it will be a wonderful experience! I can't remember at what point I saw mine, but it was pretty exciting, and I believe I posted about it on the NSV thread. Same with hipbones. Sometimes I come across a "lump," get very nervous, and then realize, oh, yeah, that's a bone. You'll get there, too!

You know, the most amazing thing to me still is the fact that I have cheekbones and my face shape really isn't round as I thought for so long. If you commit to your weight loss, you'll make a lot of incredible discoveries about your body along the way. Frankly, it's kind of fun. :D Lots of people here have done it; you can, too. :)

Hmmm, I can feel mine in there, but it's hiding. I'll bet yours is, too. I hear that diet and exercise coaxes it out. Apparently it takes a lot of coaxing, because mine hasn't said "Hi" yet, but I'm not giving up on it!

I'm starting to doubt that I can do this.

I try everyday.

And I screw up everyday.

Of course you can do this! What is stopping you? Maybe you just need someone to help motivate you, and keep you on track.

My collarbone is there. I can feel it even if I van't see it. I actually saw a shoulder, too. But the one I'm waiting for, is when I have actual corners at the ends of my shoulders, and my arms hang straight down instad of an A-shape. THAT one will go into NSV.

Well, you may need to go a bit easy on yourself. You can lose weight without being perfect, and you can use the times you aren't perfect to learn about how to do things better in the future!!

What does "screwing up" entail for you?
Any ideas why you're "screwing up"?

You CAN do this. Losing weight is a doable thing. It does take work though. And most importantly - commitment.

You seem to be having a difficult time. What plan are you following? Maybe it's time to tweak things a bit.

As far as the collar bones goes, discovering them has been one of my biggest joys of this journey. I LOVE them. Mine were hidden for many, many years. And when they started to pop it was thrilling. Now that they're out full force, I still get a huge kick out of seeing them. It's a great NSV and a big motivator for me for staying on plan. And there't no reason whatsoever that you can't "coax" yours out of hiding. :)

I couldn't see mine until about 5lbs ago. Now I've not worn jewelry in a couple of weeks because I get such a kick out of seeing them!

You'll get there. Have patience and give yourself a little grace! We're aiming for progress, not perfection.

I love my collarbones and my wrist bones. I don't notice so much with my cheekbones - probably because you look at your face more. I really love my husband's collarbones. And his shoulders. He's lost about 90 pounds and I think I'm enjoying looking at his new body as much as I'm enjoying mine. :-)

And you CAN DO IT, lalique! Reader's Digest had a diet a while back called "Change One". I don't follow it, but I like the idea. Just change one thing and be consistent about it for a week and then change one more thing. Switch to diet pop, walk 10 minutes a day, quit eating at McDonald's every day, or something like that. Eventually just one change will get you started.

Lalique -

Every day you make even one healthy choice that you wouldn't have otherwise, you are succeeding in a small way. Did you have your water today? Eat a couple extra fruits or veggies? Victories, even if you aren't perfectly on the plan you've decided to set for yourself.

At your current weight, 1200 calories might be too few calories to sustain yourself. If you're hungry, you may need to eat a few more calories to start out. I find that the best way to stay satisfied and avoid cheating is the following:

1) Remove the junk. Get it out out out of the house. If you have kids/family, they'll adjust...take it all out of your reach and out of your home.
2) Try to increase your consumption of fiber (veggies and fruits!) and protein (lean meats, eggs, beans, etc). These help to keep you full and satisfied.
3) Drink plenty of water. I drink a lot more than the recommended amount...helps keep me sane.
4) Work in a treat. I have lost over 100 lbs. I eat dessert every night. EVERY night. Its small, and I work it in my plan. Usually this is an individual serving dessert item (like a 100 cal ice cream cup, a breyers doublechurned ice cream bar, etc) or some form of baked fruit, or a homemade frozen yogurt. I count it in my calories and it helps me succeed to know that I get a treat every night.
5) Speaking of working in things to your plan...you have to HAVE a plan. Work out your menus for the week, go grocery shopping, and stock your fridge with the healthy selections you'll need to make those meals. This helps in two ways - one, it means you're never going to have to answer the "what do I eat now" question, two, it means you never have to go to the grocery store while hungry or eat at a restaurant unless you CHOOSE to.
6) Be easy on yourself. Nothing sends me, and most of us here, into binge mode more than the thought that we've failed. Before this weight loss attempt, I was very much in that mindset..."Oh, I had a cookie/ice cream/hamburger, what a FAILURE I am" and then I'd drown myself in junk. Now I say "Well, I enjoyed that cookie. Back on plan". End of story. And if you really go back on plan immediately afterward, and this doesn't happen too often, not only will it not stall your weight loss, but you'll find yourself craving these items less, because you'll know that if you REALLY wanted a cupcake/hamburger/brownie/whatever, you could have it without the world ending...and that makes you want it less.

Come here for support. Most of us have been exactly where you are...feeling like we can't do it, feeling like we're failing, and unsure where to go from here. You can DO this and see those collarbones in no time.

Mandalinn has given you excellent advice. I really have nothing to add, but save this one little thing.

You say that you've tried so many plans in the past, but can't stick to them for more then a week. Well, it does take some adjusting to - this new lifestyle. You deserve to give it more then a week. You really need to make that commitment that no matter what you will give yourself, say 4 weeks to really, really stick with something. After that 4 week period it, probably more like 2 or 3 weeks, it really does get easier. You start to feel better, look better, your clothes get a little looser. You'll see a drop in the scale - great motivation. Your cravings will diminish and you just plain start getting used to it. It starts to become second nature. All these things will propel you to keep on going. Then people start noticing - and you start to feel so much better about yourself that you WANT to really see this through. Your confidence and self-esteem SOARS. It's a wonderful cycyle.

And as far as failing in the past - we all have done this, too many times to count. But you only need to be successful is this ONE time. The past doesn't count - at all. Don't dwell on it.

The only other thing I would like to add is that you really need to incorporate some kind of exericise routine and activity into your daily life. You can start out slowly and gradually increase. Even a 20 minute walk in the beginning can make a huge difference.

You can do this, and yes come here often and ask questions and participate. We'll help you through. We really want you to succeed.

Those collarbones of yours are just waiting to come out of hiding. And when you see them, you'll forget all about those past failures. You'll be giddy with joy. As you should be. As you deserve to be. :hug: