I must be the biggest disaster you have had on here. I am 59, based in the UK and have had a weight problem all my life. I’ve tried every diet and had a lot of successes followed by failure. I lost 5 stones on the Cambridge but couldn’t afford to keep on with it, when I came off, no matter how sensibly I ate, I put weight on and ended up as I am today 6 stones heavier.
I went to see my doctor, I was in tears. She told me that I had completely messed up my metabolism with all these diets and my body was conserving fat for the next time of famine.
I have pain in both knees and ankles caused by the huge weight I am now. 18 stones(252lbs) exactly.
I have been referred to the practice dietician and she has me on a sensible, 3 meals a day, low in fat diet. We are looking to lose 2-3lbs a week. Apparently, this is the best ( if longest) way to do it and keep the weight off. Exercise is a bit of a problem but I am walking a mile every day, joints permitting. When I get a good 2 stones off I will be able to do more energentic exercies. My doctor suggested I find a good forum for support. So here I am. My first weigh in is next Monday morning. I hope I can get some support from you all, although I don't deserve it

You are not the biggest disaster here girl, I'm sure many of us can tell you that we have done all you have done, starved ourselves, binged, purged, tried every fad diet out there, and so on.

It's wonderful you are seeing a dietician, I am sure this time around you will learn how to eat right and exercise and keep at it for the rest of your life.

Welcome!

Oh and to add- you DO deserve it- don't be so hard on yourself!

Welcome! Trust me, you are not a failure!!! Most of us are here for the same reasons. This is an awesome place to chat and get motivation.

You are not a failure. The fact that you have recommited means you have already won in a way. Some people go forever never wanting to change but you obviously do want to make POSITIVE changes in your life.

Best of luck in your journey.

Pick me! PICK ME! pIcK mE!

I am the biggest disaster! Seriously...I am 5 foot and weigh over 250 lbs. I am a big girl! I have tried many many many things and for today I am on the cookie diet...crazy as it may seem...I have done research, checked into the surgery...and for today I am trying this. My goal is to eat healthy foods in moderation.

No Dinky you are not the biggest disaster! You may feel like you are a disaster. I don't want to diminish your pain. The good news is YOU ARE NOT ALONE. Wecome!!

Cathy

You are already doing well, getting professional aid when previous times on your own have not been successful in the long term. Sensible eating and regular exercise are, as ever, the best way.

As for your metabolism I am a firm believe that if it actually is "damaged", it will repair itself as you get used to a new healthy eating plan with exercise. The body is quite remarkable in how it can adapt, and it will adapt to a healthy lifestyle just as well as to an unhealthy one. It just takes time, sometimes longer than we would like, but it gets there.

As for your pain in knees and ankles, there's nothing like exercise to strengthen them and lessen the pain. Even at my highest weight (255) I was still fairly active, as I relied on public transit at the time and had a few other activities of mild intensity. I did not have pain in any of my joints, and only got sore feet/muscles after walking/exercising/standing more than usual (as in multiple hours in one day). Over the course of several months of regular walking exercise you will likely start gaining relief from the pain, whether or not your weight changes during that time.

And don't worry over the rate of loss! 2-3 pounds/week is quite rapid, even at a higher starting weight, and slow continuous loss is so much easier to maintain than a rapid one, because by the time you've lost a significant amount of weight with that new helthy lifestyle, its not a diet anymore, it's "how things are".

You'll do great!

One of my favorite quotes.. "You're not a failure, until you fail to try." Very true. Stick with it, you'll get where you want to be.

I agree and I want to add that I really hate the word failure.

Gee:

I've always felt like a failure also, and self-sabotage myself in so many different ways to try to prove it to myself. Crazy, mixed-up, I know, but true! So I think if we all feel like a failure, then really, none of us is a failure...just a work in progress.

I appreciate the honesty I find on this forum...makes me feel less alone in my negativity. Today I will commit to healthy eating and exercise for 1 hour. I will concentrate only on today, as each day is a new chapter.

Thanks all for the honesty in your sharing and the strength I get from your stories!

Aha! A who's-the-biggest-failure contest. I declare myself a candidate - it took me to age 69 to keep the weight off instead of regaining almost immediately. Can anyone top that?

Seriously, if you care enough about yourself to endure the misery of dieting, then you deserve nothing but good things, including all the support this site can muster. And that's a lot!

Hi Dinky, you are doing the right things. Just be patient with yourself...this is not going to be a quick trip. Take it just one day a time. I found it too overwhelming if I look at the big picture. You CAN do this!

I will be 59 years old in March 2010. I joined 3 Fat Chicks Forum in early August of this year. I have a long way to go too. My starting weight was 291 pounds. I also have knee problems and started out just walking for 5 minutes a day. Now I am doing over 30 minutes a day. I have read that for each pound you lose it's like 4 pounds less pressure on your knees. I find it very helpful to log all of my food and exercise. I use FitDay software on my computer but there are lots of places online that you can log your food for free.

We can do this!!! You found a GREAT place to come for support!!!


Faith

Obviously many of us have failed before--just read a few of the goal stories on the Maintainer's forum. They are inspirations to all of us here.

And Lincoln's Sparrow--please don't think of it as enduring the misery. Tell yourself that it is a healthy lifestyle you are embracing and it will make you feel wonderful. In time you may come to believe that.

Welcome and good luck, many of us, me included, have lost and regained. it is frustrating but you CAN change that. I think you have good advice from your dietician.

Dinky,
Forget that word "failure"! You are where many of us were when starting. Take all those other experiences and learn from them so that this can be your final weight loss journey.

It sounds like you have a very good beginning with lots of help. I was bigger than you when I started. I have come a long way but still have a long way to go. My loss has be slow compared to some others, about 1-2 pounds a week, but it sure beats gaining weight! Don't worry how long it will take to get the weight off. Just start!

Welcome and I look forward to your posts!

Oh dear, your post made me sad! You will get a lot farther in this if you are kind to yourself than if you are hard on yourself! I've never met a person with a weight problem who hasn't failed at taking it off at one time or another (or many, many times in my case). The only failure is if you don't pick yourself up, dust yourself off and try again. You are worth it!