Surprise, a newbie who needs advice
 

I stumbled onto this site while doing research for a book I'm writting and I thought to myself that this is exactly what I've been looking for. A support group to cheer me on as I strive for my goal weight. I've tried many "fad" diets (none of them worked), I've changed my diet (couldn't stand the food or couldn't afford the food) and I've tried having a weight loss partner (who ended up not being as serious about weight loss as I was). I find myself stressing about the who, what, when, where and hows of weight loss and sadly, I haven't found my groove yet. I'm currently at my heaviest weight of 296 and I constantly feel disgusted and ashamed of myself. I always "plan" on doing something about myself but I never get around to it. I'm lazy and scared. How can motivate myself to make healthy changes? How can I get around these fears of mine and actually start a program? How can I stick to it? How do I deal with these insecurities that ruin every program? Any and all advice that can be offered will be greatly appreciated! Thanks :)

Hi there!

:wel3fc:

The eternal questions, right? :) We've all been there.

You've already made the first step to changing. Wanting to change.

The best way I've learned to stick with this, is to recognize that it's not a diet, because I'm changing the way I eat permanently, not just temporarily. These changes that I've made & am making, are all things I'm looking forward to doing for the rest of my life. And how I've gone about making the changes is one small thing at a time. I'm a WW member. So I decided that first & foremost I was going to get my daily points under control. I didn't worry too much about what I ate, so long as I was in my points. Then I worked on drinking more water. And eventually back to food again, eating healthier & more nutritious food items. Then onto exercise, where I took baby steps to starting to move at all, and eventually working up to 30 minutes, 7 days a week. Etc. Etc. I've been at it a year now. It's slow... but it's ongoing. :)

And just as importantly, I gave up on the idea long ago that I was going to be perfect. Because, I'm not! So, slip-ups... poor decisions... they happen to everyone. BUT, it's back to plan the moment I realize I've stepped off track. There is no quitting.

You can do this. If you're interested in following some sort of program, definitely check out the Diet Central area. Lots of plans that people are following. Maybe one will click with you. Have a look around, make sure to ask questions if you have them. You'll find a way. And, yes, we're changing our lives, but if we hate our program then we really shouldn't be continuing with it.

Best of success!!!

Thank you for the encouragement! I haven't even started trying to navigate through this site yet but Diet Central sounds like a good place to start.

Welcome, Wishes! :welcome2:

Faerie is totally right...we've all been there, and it's a slow process. I've found that my best chance at success happens when I take the smallest steps. My husband always has to remind me "the slower you lose the weight, the longer it will stay off." And I believe him.

My very first step (after deciding I needed to do something about my weight) was to drink more water. Instead of waiting till I was thirsty and then heading to the vending machine for an iced tea or a soda, I started carrying a 1 liter Nalgene bottle everywhere, and I kept it filled with water. My goal was to drink 3 liters of water a day, and I achieved that. Drinking that much water made me feel better physically, and it kept my mouth busy when I would have ordinarily been searching for a soft drink or something else to munch.

My second step (Like Faerie) was to get my points in order. The WW flex points system is great...there are lots of other plans that are great too, so look for something that fits YOU best. I do WW because it lets me plan my own meals while giving me one number to worry about throughout the day. I started writing everything down, including little bits 'n' bobs I'd snack on that I used to think didn't "count."

My third step once I'd gotten used to eating within my points range, was to reconsider WHAT I was eating. I made the personal choice to go with as much natural, organic, and unprocessed food as possible. You might choose a different goal...there are lots of ways to do this. I started looking for "trades"---things I could use to replace the less healthy things I was already eating. I found that, for me, a fat free Stonyfield yogurt cup will satisfy most of my sweet cravings...apples keep me full and happy when I want something crunchy...hi fiber cereal in the morning gives me energy that lasts longer and doesn't leave me looking for a snack at 10am. Trail mix is a great snack if you can control your portions. Make a note of the things you normally reach for when you're hungry/emotional/snacky/etc and look for healthier options.

My 4th step is adding some exercise, and this is where I am right now. I have not made much progress here, but I am trying. Everyone here has been helping me and encouraging me with good advice about exercise. :)

The best advice I think I could give---it's the advice it took me the longest to learn myself---is that SMALL steps and SLOW progress isn't a bad thing...in fact, if you establish short manageable goals for yourself (rather than drastic ones), you'll probably find that you'll make greater progress in the long run. It's easy to start strong but fizzle out when your goals are too drastic...I've done that tons of times, as many many others here have. So start small...work WITH your mind and body, not against it. You can do this!!! :hug:

hi welcome, you'll find lots of great advice here, good people 2. glad your with us!!!

i also use ww flex, i simply have zero control over what goes in my mouth, the points just help me stay in control.

great advice already!

Hello and welcome! I am a new comer as well and I am in the same boat as you. Even though I know I want to make the committment to loose the weight, I have no idea how to go about it. Everyone here has been giving me some great advice and I am in the process of checking out some different programs and whatnot to help me on my way. Good luck!

I have a question for those of you on WW. I have tried this in the past, but I didn't really stick to it. I am thinking of trying it again, but I had a couple of questions first. My main issue is figuring out what to eat. I am not a creative cook, and basically I just have no idea how to make a "healthy" meal. Is this something that WW teaches you, or do they just give you some guidlelines and the rest you have to figure out on your own?

:welcome3: