I am at my desperation point. I have been seeing a nutritionist since December 2006 and I've recently fired her. I have losing and regaining the same 12 pounds since I started with her. What are you ladies doing with your eating/exercise to achieve such wonderful weight loss successes? I don't want to go on any bizarre, exotic recipe, shake and pill weight loss. Tried em, don't like em - too expensive and time consuming. I have a 1 year old and a 9 year old competing for attention. I also have a fiance that doesn't believe in exercise and his work schedule is so erratic that it's hard to work around. So whatever exercise I do I have to incorporate the kids into it.

Hi Sandee,
I think lots of people do lots of different things here, but I will post what I am doing, and why I think it is working. I woke up a few months ago, not fitting in a size 26 pants, along with swollen feet, tiredness and pain, I was tired of this. I was determined to be healthier. In May I began coming here, and being accountable for my weight, and food intake. I got a scale and accepted where I was beginning and a mirror to see the flaws. I also posted at fitday.com to see how many calories I was eating and where they were coming from. All this has helped. I try and stay under 1700 calories a day ( most days it is under 1500 calories a day), and I exercise about 60 minutes a day for 5-6 days a week. I did not start out at 60 minutes, only 3 and it has increased from there. For food I try and stay away from bad fats, lots of fruit and veggies, Protein I am working on( I don't eat red meat, nor poultry), so it is hard for me to have a day where my protein intake for the day is higher than my Carbs. I don't think starving yourself is healthy( at least for me), If I eat under 1300 calories I get myelf sick. So when I loose 2 lbs or 1 lb a week, I am happy it is better than nothing.
That is whay I am doing. It is hard at times, but I really think sticking with it is the best for me. I have lost 35 lbs and feel much better, and when I loose the 100 I know I am giving myself a new lease on life.
So I wish you good luck on this, and I really do think it is possible if you stick with it and don't give up.
cheryl

Hi Sandee. Welcome to 3FC and the 100 lb club. I remember my first post here saying I wasn't sure if I belonged because I needed to lose more then 150 lbs. That was a while ago and things have totally and completely turned around for me. I have a completely different life now having lost the weight. Losing 100 lbs is absolutely doable. There are many people here at 3FC who are doing it and those that have already done it.

I FINALLY lost the weight that I needed to by making the decision to. I know it sounds silly and simple, but that is what it boiled down to. I was sick and tired of living the way that I was. And I finally realized that "Hey, if I don't want to be fat, well then I don't have to be". I totally and completely revamped my lifestyle. I got rid of all the junk food and ADDED in healthy, nutritious and delicious foods. Getting rid of all the junk food was the best thing I could have done. It made those darn cravings for it disappear. Now it's the healthy stuff I crave amazingly so. I count calories as well, because even healthy foods add up and counting calories forces me to set limits.

I also had to face up to the fact that daily exercise and activity was vital to my weightloss and my overall health. So I added that in as well. I started off waaaay slow and steadily increased.

We all have obstacles that we must work around. And work it is at times. But it is the most worthwhile thing we can do for ourselves and so very, very rewarding. Good luck to you. I look forward to hearing more from you.

Sounds like you have a pretty busy life! I've found a lot of support and great suggestions here at 3FC -- so you've come to the right place!

RE: Eating
There are lots of different ways to do it, but what works for me is using fitday, tracking my calories and macronutrient percentages (fat, carbs & protein). I aim for between 1400 and 1700 calories and target <30% fat and about 20% protein (leaving 50% for carbs). I try to get in about 30g of fiber and 8+ glasses of water/day. Nothing fancy -- just eating less and trying to be accountable.

RE: Exercise
I'm a single mama to a 2-year-old and I work outside the home more than full time (not counting all the work I do at home!) Fitting in fitness was the hardest thing for me to do, and I'm just now (about 5 weeks into my weight loss) figuring it all out. I knew I needed to move more, but honestly, I'm trying to change long-held habits and that takes some TIME. First, I rented some exercise DVDs from Netflix to try before I buy. There are some that are family-oriented (like Leslie Sansone's Family Walk), and I just pop it in and have DS do the workout with me. Second, I try to get out for a walk with him (usually on his trike) in the evenings after work. Walking is amazingly effective -- and easy. I've seen lots of people here on 3FC who use walking as their only workout. Third, we joined the Y. While he's splashing about in the kiddie pool, I do kicks and squats. We run around the indoor track together, and there's free child care for when I want to do fitness machines (though I've been doing those on lunch hours and not using the child care).

Bottom line:
Whatever you do, you're more likely to stick to it if you commit to changing your habits for life. Start slow. Log what you are currently eating, and then set some smaller, immediate goals. Try to make each day better than the last in terms of healthy eating and exercise. Some examples of small goals are: 5% of your body weight --or-- exercise 20 minutes/day 3 days/week --or-- logging in to 3FC everyday (and reading the success stories -- incredibly motivating) --or-- no eating past a certain time at night (which was my major downfall, and a goal I'm still working on).

Wishing you all the best!

Hi Sandee!

Welcome aboard!

This place has got to be the best thing I have ever done for myself. The people here are so supportive and so smart..... It is really great!

For me the one thing I learned is DON'T EVER GIVE UP - there will be slip-ups and the days where you want to say why bother - but you just start over, get re-committed. Also - for me I didn't like the regime of a particular plan - so I took what I liked from different plans - got an outrageous amount of ideas from people here on the board - and made my own plan. It has to be about what works for you - but you have to learn to make changes, if what you want is not working for you (yep - I hated that one... LOL)

So stick around - your gonna love it here!

Welcome, Sandee! You have already been given great advice, so I don't really have much to add to it. You certainly have challenges, but I know that many women here have addressed many of the same challenges. I know that you can be successful as well.

I look forward to reading your posts!

Laurie

Hey Sandee! I'm a newbie too! So far these boards have been great. Lots of advice and support. Let me tell you what I'm doing to overcome the fatness!

Diet: I realized that no fad diet, pill, or exercise machine would make me lose weight. Me cutting calories, making better choices with food and getting off my butt is the only thing that will save my life. I don't go over 1750 calories a day. Heavy on veggies and fruit. And chicken til I think I might sprout feathers!

Exercise: I go to Curves 3 days a week. I've been sedentary for a very long time and I can get a good workout with the machines at Curves. When I build up enough strength I want to go to a gym that offers more intense regimens. Little steps. Keep trying and the strength and endurance will come. Most importantly find something you like.

MOST IMPORTANT: Use these boards! Gain strength and support from them!

Hello Sandee,
I also just started again to lose over 100 #. I have done all the "diets" and always gained it back. This time I am trying to remain dedicated and true to myself to account for all I eat. I use Fitday.com and find it very useful. Everyone at this site has been very supportive and helpful. I wish you all the power in your losing! Losers are great!

Welcome Sandee and Debi! You found a great place. Tons of great advise and loads of fun too!
Hope to see that you both post often!
-Jan

Thank you for all of your words of encouragement. You don't know how much I appreciate the support!!!

Sandee! So glad you decided to join us.

Although you'll find a variety of diets used here on the 100lb thread, there is one common denominator for the majority of them.....the concentration is on wholesome natural foods, healthy fats in moderation, lots of fruits and veggies and whole grains...plus, lots of water. Calorie tracking is also a biggie here and works very well for everyone. Personally, I follow the Southbeach plan. I may have to track calories evenutally...when the weight loss stalls...but, for now, SB works very well for me.

Regarding exercise......have you thought about using workout DVD's? I can recommend Leslie Sansone's Walk Away the Pounds DVD's. Her DVDs are easy to follow and give you a great workout.

Welcome Sandee!

As Rhonda said, workout videos are a great way to get in some structured exercise with the kids at home. When doing these with my sister, the kids (4 and 6 at the time) would join in! I wouldn't be surprised if your 9 year old were intrigued enough to join in as well. If you have a gaming console, I hear DDR is a great workout and again, the 9 year old would be all over that. Wii is coming out with several different workouts too I believe.

For food? Upping the whole foods, ditching the processed foods as much as possible, and throwing in calorie counting to keep things rolling. If I don't track calories, I will tend to eat to maintain, even if everything I eat is entirely healthy.

Hi Sandee, I'm relatively new too. I'm on Atkins, and there are some gals here wno have successfully lost more than a hundred pounds on Atkins. It's a very good one for me because I am a dedicated carnivore, and I don't feel the slightest bit deprived. In fact, I feel better than I have in years, I have absolutely no cravings for the first time in my life, and am losing fat most satisfyingly. Good luck to you, you can do it! There's proof galore on this site that it can be done, and you can find a healthy way of eating that works for you, not just for a little while, but for a lifetime.

Calorie Counting (around 1400) and exersize at least 5 days a week with an hour cardio have been working for me. GL!