[Psychego]

...nothing of value comes easy. If you want an 'A' in a course, lets say, you will not be able to watch TV, go out and talk to friends. There are limits and restrictions your are subject to if you want to succeed in a course and you will have to really want that 'A' to sacrifice a few moments of pleasure. Same with weight loss. You can't have it all (splurging, bingeing) and still be successful. You must really commit yourself, but forgive yourself for occassional failure ( You can't ace every quiz). So, all in all, one is the one who has all the control of thoughst and actions, so it is up to you when you will start getting closer to what you wanted. Once you start, the rest is easier.

[elmay]

This summer was a real turning point for me in several ways. My partner, who had been living in CA for ~2 years while my stepson finished high school, moved up to Portland with me. She brought my 2 1/2 year old grandson, Andre (see pix to left). I wanted to be able to keep up with him, and I didn't want him to grow up fat because of my unhealthy habits. I also went through a leadership development program through my job that had a profound impact on how I thought and felt about myself. I realized I do have a purpose for being on this planet and things to do -- that I really wanted to live.
Finally, my dad had (successful) triple bypass surgery at the end of August -- which made me realize that if I were serious about becoming a healthy person, I didn't necessarily have forever to do it in.

The day that I got home from visiting my dad in the hospital, I joined a local gym and signed up to work with a personal trainer 2x/week. They weighed me, measured me, and told me how many calories I needed to eat a day. I was surprised that I was supposed to eat 2400 calories/day! Before, when I tried to lose weight, I was probably eating around 1200-1500 cal/day and starving all the time. I've managed to lose 35# since the start of September.

As I've been losing weight, I've been noticing my assumptions and feelings about being thin. I associate thin with weak. I associate being large with being safe. Aerobic and strength exercise is helping me feel strong even as I get thinner, but there is more for me to work on. I am also meeting with a therapist on a monthly basis to look at this -- I really want to be successful this time, for the first time, in achieving a "normal" weight.

[shananigans]

It took me couple years of therapy and crappy relationships to realize that I am my own biggest roadblock to success. After all, if I don’t try that hard and end up not succeeding, well I can hardly be surprised. And in my mind not putting in my full effort protects me from disappointment in personal failure. It’s messed up, and I’m working on it. I am worth the effort, and even if I fail sometimes, I’m still ok and I can always try again. Sounds simple, but it’s taken me a long time to see things that way.

[ellis]

Ummm... I am going to add to this, in case anyone is wondering what the heck I'm up to here.

[ellis]

Obviously I'm not making progress here... too darned busy exercising and losing weight for once!

If anyone has any "words of wisdom" they'd like to add here, please post away!

[ellis]

Okay, I've got one for you. I don't know how inspiring it'll be for anyone else, but it sure works for me!

I'm not sure where he got it, but my trainer told me this one the other day:

"If you have to eat a frog, don't spend too much time looking at it. If you have to eat two frogs, eat the biggest one first."

I now think of my dreaded exercise workouts as frogs. I saw my trainer last night when I went for my exercise class, and said to him, "I'm here to eat my frog."
I've spent most of today avoiding my run on the treadmill. I was trying to take a nap, but all I could think of was, "Darn it, I haven't eaten my frog yet! Better get it over with."

I've done it.

[Misti in Seattle]

Oh I love that quote! Thanks for sharing it!!!! Definitely best to get those frogs down quickly!

[Misti in Seattle]

Elmay, great job on the weight loss! I can relate! In the past I went on low calorie eating plans -- but my doctor told me not to go under 1800 and I am losing weight, am eating wonderful meals and am never overly hungry.. but I AM hungry at mealtime which I really wasn't when I munched on junk all day LOL! The lower calorie intake crashes your metabolism. I am tall and built large so of course others might not have as high a count as I do... but still it is far better to get sufficient nutrition so we are not famished al the time! I want something I can live with... and wow when I stick with the plan I am on I cannot BELIEVE how well I am eating. Forget about junk LOL, give me this yummy stuff. In fact dinner is coming up in just a few minutes and I am READY!! LOL

[Goodbye Chubby]

Here is a sampling of some diet quotes I like (unfortunately, I don't know the sources for all of them):

"I'm allergic to food. Every time I eat it breaks out into fat." ~Jennifer Greene Duncan

"Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes it’s the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, I will try again tomorrow."

"Don't give up what you want most for what you want now."

"If you really want to lose, you'll find a way, and if you don't want to, you'll find an excuse. It's up to you." -I think I found this one somewhere on this site (maybe someone's signature)

"We are what we repeatedly do" -William Blake

"Don’t let yesterday’s failures keep you from reaching today’s dreams."

The quote that inspires me most is down in my signature.

[ellis]

Goodbye Chubby, those are GREAT quotes! Thank you so much for sharing!

[2frustrated]

Diets make you look good in clothes, exercising makes you look good naked. - unknown

I know I’m gonna die, so my revenge is living well! – Robbie Williams

Hello temptation, how are you today? – John P Hussman PhD

If you love the results, learn to love the process – Mel 3FC

You’ll never achieve extraordinary results by taking average measures – Skwigg

Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

Here's my few - I've just been browsing this topic after the few odd days of compulsive eating have hit and I think I might have to sort something out in my head

[Misti in Seattle]

Originally Posted by 2frustrated

If you love the results, learn to love the process – Mel 3FC

Eat rubbish, FEEL rubbish!

Those are great! Thanks for sharing

[srmb60]

I've been watching this thread too. And searching, searching for the quote I thought I meant. So maybe it's not so much a quote as an idea. Somewhere along the way, I've gleaned the knowledge ... that there is a difference between being lighter and being attractively slender ... that fitness has a far greater role in the likelihood of obtaining my goal body than I understood at first.

This is probably courtesy of MrsJim, Mel, Meg and Ilene 3FC.

[Ilene]

Susan !! You're too kind ...

[LadyVatrovia]

Ok...this one helps me a lot....

"Nothing tastes as good as thin feels"