Hi Shannon, from another Shannon! Don't we have just the prettiest name? I've always loved it.
I sure know exactly how you feel about "how did I let this happen?". I've been a member here since 2008, so you think I'd be in maintenance mode by NOW, huh! I came back to this site around the end of May (at a way higher weight than when I originally joined
), and since then I have been doing really great changing my eating habits, getting moving more, and posting here lots to get that oh-so-needed support and inspiration! Now that I am back and have my head on straight(er), I am committed to staying active on this site. Before when I'd go back to my old ways, the first thing I would stop doing was coming here. Denial is a very powerful thing. And I know if I come here on a regular basis it will be harder for me to hide the truth from myself. So I'd make that step 1 -- commit to visiting this site regularly. Seems super easy!
I am calorie counting, too, which I absolutely love. Nothing is really off limits, but I do make a great effort to severely limit empty carbs and sugary stuff. Even if I make allowances in my calorie count for a ho-ho, all that does is lead me to CRAVE another ho-ho like an insane person. Another wise poster here once said that it is easier to say no to the first (chip, cookie, etc) than the second, and boy did that hit home with me! Lots of lean meats (I am a true meat lover and it just SATISFIES me!), tons of veggies and a moderate amount of fruits, low fat/light yogurts, whole wheat pita or bread in moderation. It took a little bit of squirming at the beginning to get rid of the cravings for all the stuff I used to gorge myself on, but now I am honestly totally satisfied with the food I eat, and often after dinner I actually feel full and pass on the fruit or yogurt I had allowed for a snack. It's really pretty amazing to me that I am enjoying food/eating/cooking more now than ever -- because I was fully expecting to feel totally deprived, gripping the steering wheel the WHOLE way.
I absolutely LOVE FOOD -- shopping for it, preparing it, eating it, smelling it, everything about it! And the GREAT news is, I have not had to give up my passion for food to do this! I just need to use my imagination a bit, and embrace the beautiful, fresh, delicious whole foods available to us and quit thinking about the salty dehydrated stuff in a box. Not too hard of a trade-off once you get past that evil craving bit.
Anyway, I know I wrote a book here, but I am just really excited about this new lifestyle, and I wanted to see if I could get you thinking about it as an exciting adventure rather than an exercise in torture and deprivation.
Good luck, Shan!
New here, needing alot of support
This is the first time I've posted. I'm going to keep posting. I have thought about surgery many times. I don't want to do surgery. I want to take control of this all by myself. ( or with the help of you all here) Thanks for the warm welcome.
