[seashell]

Hi There!

Not much to add. You've gotten some great advise. All I can add it that you need to remember, you are in control here! You are responsible for everything you put in your mouth! I tell myself that everytime I think about eating something I know that I shouldn't. Birthday cake being passed around? Excuse yourself to the bathroom for 5 minutes and think about what really matters to you. That cake? Or losing weight and feeling good about yourself? Which one is sweeter? Take a long look in the mirror, see yourself as you are and as you want to be. Still want that cake?

You can do this! If I can, you can! I admire you starting so young. I waited till I was 32, depressed and in pain to start. 10 months later I am 91 pounds lighter (GOD BLESS DR. ATKINS!!!). You can do it! Exercise if free and so is maintaining control. Take a walk everyday! Dance around the living room! Put on some great music and use your stairs as a step trainer. YOU CAN DO THIS! Start small, and grow bigger. As you do, you'll start big and grow smaller!

Good luck!

[dragonwoman64]

Originally Posted by Amberoo

I often feel silly, ya know? Like I should be able to just SLAP myself and SNAP out of this, out of depression, out of fatness, out of this miserable cycle I've been stuck in. I should be able to turn my life around and DO what I want, stop thinking about it all the time and actually move my short chubby legs towards my goals. I'm not helpless (though I certainly feel like it). I am a capable person. I physically CAN lose weight!

I think it can get very easy to get caught up on the numbers. I think equally important for me was to change lots of bad habits (including thought patterns). All that for me took lots of small steps. I don't know, maybe it's like there's a bunch of lessons to be learned and you just can't rush it. I think it's completely true that you can turn your life around and that you're physically and mentally capable of losing the weight, but I feel like there's lots more happening than losing the weight. Hope that makes some sense to you.

[Sea]

Amber, I was quite concerned when I read the post revealing so much grief aimed at yourself. It was like a mirror of my own struggles. It helps to focus more on where we are going instead of where we are coming from. Focusing so much anger/depression at ourselves can lead to binges. I used to get offended that others assumed, because of my weight, that I binged. I finally reallized that those days when I was so down on myself that I simply gave in and snacked little bits throughout the day, often for 2 or 3 days, were just slow binges and that I couldn't afford to continue hurting myself that way. You can't run a race looking behind you. We have to look forward to reach the goal. We can do it !

[Sea]

Easy Veggie Chilli
1 64 oz Can V8
1 lge onion, chopped
3 16 oz cans kidney beans
cayenne and or crushed chilli pepper

This is as simple as it gets, yet tastes great. Sometimes I'll add bell pepper or jalapenos. It makes a big pot and it freezes well, making it great for carrying to work for lunches. It's filling, and as you can see, very low fat.
The V8 or vegetable juice is what makes this. Don't sub plain tomato juice.

[Jackay]

This has been a great thread for me to read. I too, am "free dieting", just watching the calories and fat, plus logging in everything I put into my mouth. Little by little I hope it works. Much success to you all.