Hi everyone! My name is Amanda and every since I can remember I have been heavy. In middle school I was 180lbs, and in high school 230-240lbs. There was a point when I got all the way down to 190 and loved it. I promised myself I would never get back to the 200's again. Well, I let myself down. I am 220lbs right now and I know i have got to do something or I will probably be bigger than before.

I lost all of the weight before by dieting, but I am unsure if it was a healthy diet. I know I hated it! For breakfast I would eat dry cereal, lunch a salad with fat free dressing, and for dinner I would eat a can of tuna on a few crackers. I ate this every single day. And I drank nothing but water and diet soda. Well obviously I stopped doing that. Funny, it all starting going down hill one day when I got upset and ate a piece of pizza. Well, I just couldn't stop. And then I couldn't stop thinking of food!

I think of food all of the time now. I really love to eat. But I dont just eat out of boredom... I am litterly hungry all of the time unless of course I have went to a buffet and stuffed myself sick. Then give it a couple of hours and I am hungry. I just dont think I am hungry, I really am. My stomach growls and feels sick!

So since I am hungry all of the time, love food, and adore sweets I have no idea how I can find the will power to stick to a diet this time. For breakfast this morning I had a banana and some yogurt covered raisins. That was 1 hr ago. and of course I am famished! I feel like I have not even ate anything.

as far as exercise goes. I am very active. I have to active Shetland sheepdogs and we walk 2 hrs a day, and play out in the yard. I am very high energy and always on the go doing something. I am overly hyper really, I do good to sit still. So I know I could lose the weight if I just had some support, and of course find a way to control my appetite!

I am 22 yrs old, 220lbs, and 5ft 7 inches
I want to be 160lbs

My normal diet is I will eat anything I can find and I find it hard to stop eating once I start. I will sit and eat a whole bag of chips if i open them! my husband is tall and skinny be he has a big appetite too. Weekly we order pizza and me and him eat a large pizza with extra toppings and cheese sticks. So as you see, when I say I have a portion control issues I am serious. It takes that much for me to say that I am full.

i'd say that your previous diet wasn't healthy.

you need to have more fruit and veg and protein in yoru diet. and also eat enough to keep your body just ticking over (the human body needs more than 1200 kcal a day just to function).

if you fill up on veg and fruit then you will find that you dont fel quite so hungry. as far as portions go, you're at least aware that you have an issue with it and you can start to change that now. do you know what size portions you should be eating?

ruck, I so know what you mean about having an out of control appetite..on what you were doing before for a diet I think I would have to hang myself..I would say you aren't satiating yourself with the types of foods that are in your diet. I eat black olives, small bits of avacado, high quality dark chocolate, olive oil and peanut butter almost daily. I seriously find that I don't get cravings and an empty feeling when I have some of these things. I didn't just randomly choose these items. After hundreds of hours of reading and having hunger myself, I decided to add them to my diet. You will just need to lower your intake elsewhere in your diet to make room for the satiating calories. Good luck. You can do this and it is so very, VERY worth it.

no I really dont know what size portions I should be eating. But I know that its alot smaller than what I do eat.

Thanks thighs!

I used to think I could never diet because I was always hungry too. Then I managed to stay on a plan for a week, then a month, and here I am today. When you're eating what I call a "fat person's diet", then you're going to be more hungry. This is mainly because fat, sugar, and salt will make you much more hungry for more. The first week is all about willpower, and lots of little tricks- but after the first couple of days the excess fat, sugar, and salt in your system will go away and you won't be as hungry. Your body will get used to eating less, trust me (I overate for twenty years before, and now I eat normally).

Some tricks to help you get through the first couple of weeks- filling food, for sure. Lots of fiber and protein- it will save you. Oatmeal, high fiber bread (really high fiber), poultry, you know the deal.

Also, you're going to be grumpy, and it's going to be unpleasant at times, but if you stick to it, things are going to get much better. Keep yourself very busy, and if you want to work out, do it to feel good and not to lose a bunch of calories. That will come with time.

Good luck! Hope this helps.

Yup. That. It helps to know it will change. It was also a tremendous help to me to be excited about the healthy foods I WAS eating. The SuperFoods book by Pratt got me going with that excitement.