[amandaholly]

Has anyone on here completely changed themselves overnight? If so, has it worked? On June 30th 2005 I was still the old me. I watched my soap opera's every afternoon...3 hours straight on the couch 5 days a week. I NEVER ate vegetables. I ate fast food, on average once a day. I ordered out for pizza once a week. I never did intentional exercise. Every Saterday I went out to Olive Garden with my dad for dinner and ordered the chicken fettucini alfredo with extra sauce, a big salad, and 2 bredsticks with butter... yeah, I know they already have butter on them, but I ordered it on the side anyway . I did NOT exercise...at all (I have rhumatoid arthritis in all of my joints, so I used that as an excuse). I drank beer...about 10 light beers every other day...I know what you're thinking, and I agree. I would spend entire days doing absolutely nothing...except growing fatter!

Then came July 1st. I started this day by taking a phentermine...prescribed to me by my doctor of course. I was really scared about taking it, but my endocrinologist said it should really help "train me for the long-term". I was worried that it would give me a stroke, or a heart attack...but of course it didn't. Within two hours of taking it I had regained all of the energy I lost due to Hashimoto's Hypothyroidism. I felt normal for the first time in almost 6 years! Not jittery at all. I was spending the day with a friend who decided she wated Olive Garden for lunch...I was horrified, and doubted my ability to resist in the face of such a personal fave. I will never forget this lunch, because I spent a good amount of time conversing...barely even thinking about my food. I drank my diet soda, had a few bites of salad, and about 5 bites of my Alfredo. I was content!

Long story short, the phentermine gave me the jumpstart I needed. It gave me the energy to begin an exercise routine, and the willpower to eat the right foods, and avoid the wrong one's (even when they were being eaten in front of me, thanks dad). My prescription was for three months of the drug, but I quit taking it August 1st. Not that I had to, I just wanted to see if I could do it without the drug, and surprise...I can! Since it doesn't build up in your sytem I can be sure that I have been flying solo since I woke up August 1st. Phentermine is the best...it's the closest thing to a miracle pill that I have found. The only thing is that you have to change your lifestyle while your on it, in a way that you think you can keep up even when you're flying solo.

But that's not what this is about (I'm all over the place, aren't I). I am just wondering:

Have you ever changed your whole lifestyle overnight? If so, did it work in the long-term?

I changed everything...absolutely EVERYTHING overnight. No more alcohol, no more fast food, no more soap opera's, exercise practically everyday, 6 small meals a day, lots of fruit and veggies...etc. Should I have taken it slower? I feel like I can sustain this, but I'd like to know if any of you have gone from one extreme to the other? C'mon, dish it!

Amanda

[bigbadbearhugs]

What a wonderful outlook! I didn't change overnight but my lifestyle and eating habits certainly have changed in the last few months. I went from sitting on the sofa everynight to walking 2.5 miles a night!! So that is a start.
Keep your great attitude towards it and good luck.

[spillthebeans]

Congratulations, You are on your way girl! I am really impressed with your positive attitude about all your changes. I also admire that you were motivated to begin without the aid of the drug, and that you are doing great without it! Impressive. Keep up the good work!

As for me, it was a slow process. I began by walking, then started at the gym, then as I did more, I learned more, and now have changed my diet to. It's been about three years since I first made that long walk around the block, deciding that I have to get control, and I haven't looked back once..up and onward for me to!

[amandaholly]

You gals are doing great! Thanks Bearhugs, and Beans for all the kind words. I think the reason that I did everything at once is because that's just the type of personality I have. For instance, when I get a mind to clean the kitchen I don't stop until everything, and I mean everything is so clean and sanitary and organized that it looks like Martha Stewart took speed and went on a frenzy! It's full steam ahead on anything I set my mind on. The downside to this is that if I don't do everything up to those HUGE standards I set for myself I end up feeling somewhat like a failure. When I do get that mindset though, all it does is make me more determined to succeed next time. Anyone else...2 cents please!

Amanda

[Laila_girl22]

I think my change happened pretty quickly, almost over night. A lot of it had to do with the changes I was making in different aspects of my life. One year ago I had my own house, but I was two months behind on the mortgage. My bf at the time was living with me rent free, the only thing he paid for was the cable. He was also an alcoholic and it took a toll on our relationship and my self esteem. I tried losing weight while I was with him but I always failed. I was also having trouble with my bills, I never had enough money. I was very stressed out and very broken down. In Decemeber I finally put an end to the relationship. I got out of my house and I took control over my money. Over the next three months I did a lot of healing. I was regaining the faith that I once had in myself and I was becoming much happier. One day, I eventually said, "I really want to be healthy." I am a nursing assistant, so I see people that don't take care of themselves all the time. Being heavy I am at risk for too many things.... diabetes and heart problems being the scariest two for me. I decided what I needed to do and that I was going to do it. I started walking every day and I started making better food choices. It has felt like a really quick change, but I am happy and confortable with it!
Sara G.

[nconeal]

Like Sara,

I too made a very quick change. My bf of 7.5 years and I are going through a rough time. I had gained about 116 lbs since we first met. He wasn't really "happy" with my weight then (180), as he does not like big girls at all. Slowly, I had grown into this really fat (296 at highest), really insecure, real *****. I constantly said little remarks to him implying he was having an affair. It got to the point (early June) that he didn't want to be with me anymore until I started loosing the excess weight and changing my attitude.

At first, I was so hurt and upset. But after a while, I realized that he loves me and this was the only way he knew how to jump start me to lose weight. He doesn't put me down or call me names, he's actually trying to help. He cooked dinner for me on my birthday and instead of the one thing he could actually make (french toast), he decided to grill chicken. So now that he's on board, things are so much easier. We still aren't completely together, but we're both trying to make changes because we love each other.

This may have been my jump start, but it was by no means the reason I decided to change everything. I'm not happy. I can't go out ANYWHERE without feeling insecure. I can't be happy doing anything in public. I'm constantly thinking people are looking at me. I can't live like that anymore. I need to be happy with me before I can be happy with him. The only way I'll be happy is if I am a normal size. Whether he and I end up together or not, I have made changes in MY LIFE, vurtually overnight. I never intend to go back to the person I was just a few weeks ago. She's dead to me.

Hope this helps some...

Nikki