so i went to the school dietician today - who basically told me what I knew already - but was like, you have to do it this way - blah blah blah - what really helped me the past three days is I had to write down what I ate and bring it in before we assessed diet plan - and she went by the food pyramid. joy joy. but then at the end of the meeting she basically tells me that she can have one more meeting with me in a month but that there is no regular meeting thing. this really let my hopes down as I thought I had finally found an outlet of a group meeting that was one on one and good for me (this was supposed to be a bigger class - but because the other girl cancelled became one on one. alas. so i got a bit sad at that idea - and i think she saw. maybe I should have said I was a true binge eater - cause in a sense I am - but I don't think I am as bad as that - but then perhaps I woudl have gotten more help - or been put in a support group or something like that - cause I am a food addict - u know what I mean? and htis group is great and everything, but it isn't like I am goign to show one person face to face what I eat and htat person is going to help me get thru it - and give me one on one support...arg. eat more veggies is basically teh advice I got. as well as brushing teeth and strong mints after eating. hrm - think we all knew that one - didn't really tell me how to get over eating. I guess this is all really an internal struggle - I guess I just wish there was more of an eternal way of helping me.

Bida: you can do this! don't give up. Just those couple of suggestions will be a great start. Maybe see how many veggiees you an incorporate in all your meals. You can't get fat eating veggies, but you can get full, and this will help you not fill your stomach with other not so good things.

It may sound like they didn't give you the code to being thin, but they did give you some things that can get you that way eventually.

I remember a long while back asking my doctor for some diet pills. I thought that was going to be the answer for me. She caught me off guard when she told me I should cut back my portions, and watch what I'm really eating..like she even said, "for example, why are you adding extra sour cream to everything?" I was sooooooooo offeneded, but It got me thinking...maybe I can live without that EXTRA sour cream. This was a small step, but eventually has led me to the realization that I have to control what is going in my mouth

Have you considered Jenny Craig or Weight Watchers? They have weekly meetings that you can meet and talk with someone.

I once went to a dietician and none of the things she said seemed to really help. It all seemed so simple on paper and on the charts she went over with me. Then my doctor told me that she didn't want to prescribe me any diet pills. Everyone just said to cut back on what I eat and all this stuff that just didn't seem to help me. It really took me getting to my lowest point before I really went to work on myself.

But I agree, everyone needs some kind of help with the losing weight process. My mom who has maintained her weight loss is my biggest supporter. She went from 160 to 115 on WW and with exercise.
Even with her it took her a while to really get to that point where her initiative got stronger.

I think most people have set backs before they really become successful or content with their efforts in losing weight. It's just as difficult to gain weight as it is to lose weight. The mental part of it of course.

I think joining WW is a great idea because of their group meetings. I'm on the WW program, but i've never attended a single meeting (my mom just showed me what she learned).

However, the program itself works and the group support might be just what you need.

Good luck.

I keep hoping that there is a support group type thing that I'll find at my university, but so far no luck. I understand how you feel with wanting to have someone to really talk to. I've considered in the past going to the dietician here but I feel like I already KNOW the right foods to eat and the importance of portion sizes, etc. What I don`t KNOW is how to actually implement those things consistently in my daily life.

Right! And at least at my school, it's the school itself preventing me from implementing those things! The offerings at the on-campus cafes certainly don't help me make good choices....or, it's more like they're actively trying to sabotage everyone's health. Here it's a sea of muffins and crossaints and pizza and cookies (and I follow South Beach, so you can just imagine my delight). Over the summer they did try a "make your own salad" where you'd ask for cherry tomatoes or cucumber or whatever and they'd give you, say, 2. If I just wanted to eat a bowl of lettuce, I'd just buy a bag at the supermarket! Even at the vending machines, water costs more than coke. Really. It's crazy, and I can only imagine how unhealthy the dining halls for the undergrads must be.

I took a year off between college and my program now, and it was AMAZING how much easier it was to eat right when I was really in control of my choices and had a consistent work schedule that I could plan around. Yeah, there were vending machines and great restaurants and people bringing food into the office, but it was a BREEZE compared to trying to eat well while in school.

Yeah, I know a lot of people who put on weight in college and then took it off afterwards. College is tough, because so many people don't have choices in the cafeterias, but for money or logistical reasons, they can't cook.

As for support groups... have any of you tried the mental health clinics? Sometimes you can find support groups there that you might not find just by searching for extracurricular groups.

WW is great for support.

A lot of dieticians give intellectual advice that we already know. ("Eat less, eat more fruits and veggies"; um, yeah, we all know that.) What helps is if your dietician can give you a specific goal. Mine said a certain number of fruits and veggies per day. That goal really helped to change my eating habits, because then I had something to strive for. Maybe your dietician can give you goals, rather than only telling you what you already know.

What helps me the most in going to a dietician is the accountability factor. She looks over food records I've kept and shows me how I'm doing. And most importantly, she can logically see that I can lose weight. It's easy for me to tell myself that I can't, but it's hard to dismiss the claims of a dietician that I can do this. So she supports me, basically, in staying on track.

I'm sorry you didn't have the same kind of good experience, but then again I go to a private off-campus dietician who I pay a significant amount of money to see, so she better be good at what she does (and she IS!) Keep looking and I'm sure you'll find the best support system for your needs, whether it's WW or a dietician or a support group or something else.

yeah - I guess the good thing is I am starting to re-evaluate my eating habits (agian...?) but hopefully this time for the better. I just didn't want to resort to the paying yet as I have too many other things to pay for. I tried WW once before and didn't have any luck with it (of course that was back in HS) and looked into jenny craig, but I didn't like the program enough - and very expensive. So for now I guess I will have to be the real person that I show what I eat to, and hope that is enough. The journey begins!