Hi Stacey, from another Staccie

This site is great for offering support and a way to be accountable, especially if you stick with it everyday.

I agree about the diet thing. I don't do diets. I want to find a way to eat healthy that is about life long efforts, but just a quick fix. Cutting calories and eating according to the food guide is my goal. It takes cutting 3700 calories a week to lose a pound of fat. I've also tried a number of 'diets' in the past and failed every one of them. I lost 70 pounds a few years ago on my own - and unfortuantely I have gained some back but it's only because I stopped eating healthy and working out. Now I am trying to stay on this for life.

Join in a few threads and maybe start your own blog - what you write and feel will always help others and will help you feel accountable too.

I took some pictures of myself about a month ago and I was devasted. I thought, there was no way I was that big...and although I haven't been as dedicated as I like, usually when I remind myself to look at those, it helps me get back on the wagon again. It might be a good motivational tool.

Good luck!

Welcome Cee Cee. I am glad you have found us. Like you I haven't had a set "diet" either. I am a calorie counter with a focus on whole foods. I guess the most beautiful thing I have discovered is that food can be so completely TASTY and be healthful at the same time--it's just a matter of figuring out how to make your favorite foods possible and in moderation. There is a ton of support here--good advice too. Please let us know how we can help. There is not a one of us here that cannot identify with every emotion you must be having.

I'm of the non-diet school of thought as well. I kinda "tricked" myself into starting the weight loss thing...
One day instead of eating a whole sandwich I put 1/2 in the fridge. Same thing @ dinnertime. I got excited about the challenge to eat 1/2 my normal portions. If I was still hungry I'd finish the sandwich or whatever. Chewing gum helped curb my sweet tooth.
My DH set up our dusty treadmill 2 weeks later. I made up an exercise chart... seeing my progress felt good and pushed me to keep going.
After a month I got on the scale (not expecting much). I had lost 6 pounds! This boosted my mojo... after that I weighed myself every week.
The thought of starting a conventional diet freaks me out. It's so depressing to have a big list of rules. Good for you for knowing yourself well enough to find your own way.
Finding this forum has put less stress on my hubby to be my main support. It's so great to know you're not alone in your quest for health & weight loss. We're all in this together!!!

Welcome! I know how you feel when I hit 235 I was like omg I have to do something about this- I can't live life this way.

I started on the Fat Smash but soon as I started eating meat again the loss stopped (that was at 8 pounds down). So I started counting calories and slowly substituting things in my diet. I stopped eating out and started cooking more. I also don't try to be "perfect" cuz then I'd give up and go back to my old habits.

Go with slow changes, like when all the junk food in the house is gone, don't buy more. Replace it with healthier snacks such as fruits and veggies and yogurts and so on. Then start cooking healthier meals. If dinner is normally meatloaf with mashed potatoes and bread rolls, switch to making the food with ground turkey instead and a side of grilled veggies (you can cut up some potato with the peel and put it in the mix as well) and whole wheat rolls. Stay away from butter sub with olive oil, and so on.

I found that I was eating well over 2200 calories a day and now I'm averaging 1600 calories a day. I track using sparkpeople.com it's wonderful!

Good luck you can do it!