[carols2]

Hello All, I am new hear. And hopeing that this site helps me. I am the worst dieter in the world. Can't lose weight consistently with out taking pills. I have no real drive. No dicipline, no will power. I need help. I even worked at LA Weight Loss Center and could not lose weight. I am pathetic.

I do not know how to get control of anything in my life. I take medications for several health issues. I experience cronic pain in my legs. I take pain pills.

I am 46 year old female about 5'5 and weight about 220. I can't stop eating. I am out of control.

[Kokomo]

Well this is your lucky day because you have choosen to come here. You obviously want to keep trying to lose weight and that is great. You can't be the worst dieter because I thought I was lol. You may have had a hard time trying to lose weight but just keep on trying and one day it will click for you. Some nights I come on here and read all the motivational posts I can find. They help me keep on track. This is a great place

[carols2]

I think that I will have to read from this site daily. I am going to need all the support possible. Thanks for the response, and your support.

[srmb60]

Yup, read daily. Lots of us come here more often than that! Helps, it really does.

[OnePerDecade]

Carol, around here, being a loser is a good thing! You'll be losing weight, losing your health issues, losing your self-esteem problems....so come be a loser with us!!!!

I know it's so hard looking at your weight & thinking "I'll never be able to lose all of this". So don't. Try losing 3 lbs to start. Then do 3 more. That worked for me whenever I thought "I'll always be over 200". Good luck!!!!

[CaydensMama]

Carol, you can do it!

[carols2]

Hello all,

What is the first step to success? I have not had breakfast yet and it is 12:03pm. I guess I will go eat some salad greens, tuna, and yogurt. Oh yeah, I need to drink some water. I probley should go find a food diary so I can write down what I eat. I guess I should get on the scale, but I am scared. I know that I have gained weight since the last time i was on a scale.

[WindyCityChick]

Hi Carol, welcome to 3FC! I was just like you a few months ago, and my best advice for when you are starting out on this journey is to start recording everything you eat on a daily basis. Fitday is a great tool to use (there is a free version on their website www.fitday.com, or you can download a pc version for $20). Just the act of having to write down everything I ate made me start to reconsider a lot of the food choices I was making. I will include a warning that you should be careful about the recommendations for daily calories that fitday makes based on your lifestyle - they seem too high, so I've just used it to track the calories I consume, and not to guide me on what my daily intake should be.

Too late for today, but another suggestion is that you should really eat breakfast every day. I have never been a big breakfast eater, but I make sure that I at least have some yogurt or a bowl of cereal every day now. It jump-starts your metabolism so you'll burn more calories through the day. Most diets will recommend a number of small meals spaced through the day as a way to avoid cravings which lead to binging.

I was also afraid of what the scale would show - so much so, that I had banished it to the back of a closet. But, the reality is that the weight is there whether you put a number to it or not. And once you start losing, it's great to see the progress you are making. These days, I can't wait to get on the scale to see what it says. And you may want to consider measuring your loss through inches lost rather than (or in addition to) pounds. Sometimes, the scale doesn't move but there are still positive changes to your body. Of course, the ultimate test is in how your clothes fit!

Those are just a few humble suggestions, but there is lots of information out there on this board, so look around. And as Kokomo said, come here any time you need a little inspiration.

[carolr3639]

If you're really sick of diets you might want to try intuitive eating.

[Heather]

Carol, welcome. Don't worry about feeling like the worst dieter in the world. I think we have all felt that. I felt it at 295 pounds, for sure.

My advice is to take a deep breath. Then let it out!
You sound overwhelmed. Maybe your first steps can be baby steps. It was too much for me to think of how to do everything I needed to to lose weight.

So, start with something. I started with portion control and what I brought to work. I brought a healthy lunch and snacks to work rather than raiding the vending machine.

And I just watched portions. Use a smaller plate. If you have a snack, put a small portion in a bowl and put the rest away.

That's all I did, food wise, for the first month or so.

I think the other thing I did, whether I realized it or not, was make a COMMITMENT to do something about my weight. I avoided a lot of temptation early on by asking myself whether that food really was something I wanted. Was it really going to help me get to my goal of a healthier me?? I usually said (and say) no.

And keep coming here! You need to figure out what is going to work for YOU and this is a great place to learn, ask questions and get ideas!

[Calejo]

Congrats for joining the forums and we're here for you so don't beat yourself up... You'll do great! I still get discouraged from time-to-time and feel like a quitter! But you can do it! Just don't give up, give yourself some credit for making a start and keep on going, don't look back.

[mandalinn82]

I read MULTIPLE times a day. This is not an immediate process. Its slow and happens when you make lots of small changes.

You made a great first step in coming here. Need motivation? Look at the photo albums. Need advice? Ask in any of the forums. Need support? Just ask for it. 3FC, like many other things is a tool - work that tool as best you can.

You've gotten some great advice - now relax, take a deep breath, and dive into the boards. You can do this!