[JessieCat]

Hey
I have been on 3FC for a few years now and mostly post in the 20's forum. I am 5'7'' and weigh 138ish. In college almost 10 years ago (eek!) I did get to my lowest weight of 121 lbs. I did it slowly and steadily. I felt great. All my clothes fit amazing and I looked thin but not anorexic. But I didn't have a clue how to maintain and gained everything I lost and then some. Every time I got hungry I would stuff my face because I associated that feeling with dieting. Since then, I have gotten down to a similar weight 2 or 3 times (usually healthy not starving) but always wanted to lose a few more lbs but would end up binging instead and regaining everything.

I can't tell you how many times I have said to myself.. "I am not doing this again... I am sick of gaining and losing the same 15 lbs or so." 10 friggin years of yo-yo dieting is killing me!

I do great with the exercising but not with the diet. I start out with good intentions but am sooo sick of "dieting" that I have no patience.

Help!! Any suggestions or tips would be so incredibly helpful.

[krampus]

Don't think of it as "dieting," that mindset might be holding you back. Eat what you want and don't let yourself feel deprived. You're not at risk of health problems from your weight - you can lose slowly but steadily and it may be easier for you to keep it off.

Write down an honest "typical" day's worth of food, figure out the calories, and then see what changes you could make that aren't going to send you into a deprived binge.

[oneoftwelve]

I am a maintainer now, so I can say this--don't diet. Especially since 143 pounds (my starting weight too, by the way, and I'm also around 5'7" or 5'8"), you are technically in a "healthy" weight category.
But by "don't diet" I DO NOT mean "eat whatever, whenever, however." Determine to be a healthy person for the rest of your life, and then set about the hard work of becoming a healthy person (in all areas--dieting, exercise, sleeping enough, mental health, etc.). If the pounds come off (and they probably will), awesome. If not, then you can be assured that your body is where it is supposed to be because you are making healthy choices all the time.
My biggest thing was learning to make treats be "treats." It's okay to have treats; it's not a treat if you have it every day or even every week. I ate ice cream every day last semester. This semester, I still eat ice cream--I ate it at banquet and I will eat it with pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving, and if my girlfriends and I decided to run out for some, I'd do it. But I'd get a child's size and SAVOR that thing, knowing I wouldn't have it again for a long time. And trust me, saying "no" is a muscle-like thing. The more you do it, the stronger that ability gets. Eventually, it is an automatic response that you only override on certain occasions.
The other thing I did was learn to pick my favorites. I love the hot apples inside an apple pie, but I'm not a huge fan of crust. So I don't eat it. I love hamburgers, but I've lost my taste for white bread. So I pull the bun off. Just because everyone else tends to eat certain foods together doesn't mean you have to. I discovered if I put tomatoes and other "wet" items on a salad, I don't need salad dressing. I realized I can live without mayonnaise and I love spicy brown mustard. I love peanut butter, so I do that to get my healthy fats in each day; I don't really like oil, so I don't use it.
Eat what you want--responsibly. Enjoy treats--occasionally. Exercise in a way that works for you--often.
And then go live your life, confident that you look your very best because you are doing what you should be in the health department.

[JessieCat]

krampus and oneoftwelve- thank you so very much for taking the time to post.

I think that is where my downfall is- dieting! Though I have tried in the past to stop this diet mentality and just make healthy choices most of the time, enjoy splurges some of the time, I became impatient because the weight was taking tooo long to come off. But that is ok! Because if I had just had that mentality from the get-go, I would prob have avoided all this yo-yo dieting that isn't working anyway! But you live and learn!

oneoftwelve- i like how you say that just because food is paired together doesn't mean I have to eat it that way! I can still enjoy a "fattening" part of my meal but balance it with something healthier.

I am already excited to start my "new"way of thinking. I want to enjoy the holiday season but in a healthy way, not like in the past- trying to eat every cookie/cake possible because I knew I couldn't once my "diet" started again and in the process, gain at least 5 lbs!

Thank you so much and I am going to try to live by those words!