Me???? I thought Id just read everyone elses JOKE

Youth court today they all need a good slap Im sensitive and caring witness support volunteer.

You're not the only one Veggie, I am the same as I was in January

Why can't I do this??? It must be that I don't want it enough, but then I am so unhappy as I am. What made you all finally "click" and decide to stay OP?

Help needed!!!

Who is OP? I had a cheese pasty for dinner!

We need help auntie Sarah!

Oh ok they are OP!

What a question..... lots of answers.... the main ones are:

LAST TIME.... it was when I was told I had high blood pressure and that I would have to take pills for the rest of my life unless I radically changed my weight and lifestyle. I also had a torn abdominal muscle that wasn't mending because even just standing up at that weight was putting too much stress on it. That was last March and I did diet right round until November and then somehow I got bored and sort of drifted away from it. (I didn't do any real exercise though and stopped keeping a diary).

THIS TIME.... it was when I realised that I had manage to gain 10lbs 'by accident' after I had stopped dieting in November. I really hated that 'out of control' feeling but somehow I just couldn't seem to stop myself from eating, eating, eating - especially over Christmas... Just after Christmas I realised I was back to always wear those old comfy clothes I had been wearing at my heaviest last March and it dawned on me that I was right on track to having that very high blood pressure again.

I was already posting here with Delaney, Veggie and Ali - which made me aware of food and I knew that although I was eating relatively healthily I was still eating far, far too much - so I set a date (2nd January) and spent the week beforehand planning it - AND THEN JUST DID IT! No slowly changing in to good habits and the odd bit of exercise .... I just completely changed my entire lifestyle all in one day and have stuck to it ever since except for two slip ups.

It was really hard to do it at first, but you do get used to it quicker if you stick at it and don't cheat. Eventually you even get to enjoy the exercise although somedays it is harder getting my tail end into gear than it is others. I doubt my way of doing it would suit everyone, but it really has worked for me.

Well I have been slim before and managed to keep it at bay for many years then all **** was let loose, i got married became a mother etc etc. I was going to be slim for the millenium then before I was forty then i needed major surgery I lost some then gained some back after surgery, then i found this site!!Ihave bad days (had one yesterday) but i just get on with it the next day, i have to....... i want to be slim fit and healthy. I don't starve and I eat everything but only up to 1500 calories per day, if i go over it is tough but I have to get over it,I don't try to starve the next day to compensate, I have learnt that I cannot do it, it makes me fail.
I don't find it easy but through reading everyone 's journals on the web and all the posts on this site I can accept that no one can help me except...ME and no one is making me eat except Me so it is up to me, the road to recovery is a long 'un but I am going to stay on it, no doubt there will be detours along the way but we aill all get there if we want to, now who is coming wityh me??

Thanks for the quick replies Sarah and TQ. I just don't know what is wrong with me, I MUST know how to lose weight as I used to be 18 and a half stone in October 1998 and now I am around 14 and a half to 14 stone 10. Its like I have this mental block and can't remember how I lost weight before. I know how to count calories and to walk regularly, I just seem to do so much comfort eating (and drinking at the moment). The depressing thing is that just over a year ago I was down to 11 stone something, close to my target weight. I really admire you, and Ali and Flumper and the others on here who are doing it, losing weight and sticking at even though it can be tough.

Sorry for rambling!

You posted while I was doing my last one.... Veggie - what sort of help do you need? I'm not an expert, but I'll do my best.

TQ is right though (and she's got a GREAT attitude!) - the only person that can do this for you is YOU! You have to decide that you want to do this even though sometimes you might feel hungry and tired and soooooo bored and if it does go wrong some days then you just have to start afresh immediately.

There is another option - you know, there is nothing wrong with being big as long as you are healthy - being healthy is the most important thing. If you don't feel you want to diet right now, why don't you increase the amount of exercise that you do and perhaps eat the same amount but just make healthy choices??

(Not cheese pasties.....)

This thread is moving so fast....

Phoebe {{{{ hugs }}}} - have you tried keeping a food diary (even when you aren't dieting) - try writing down what you eat AND HOW YOU FELT WHEN YOU ATE IT! You need to ask yourself why you are comfort eating and try and deal with the problem rather than add to it with the extra food - and drinking for comfort is definitely not a good idea, alcohol is a depressant and will just make things worse.

Try keeping the diary for a week to pinpoint the problem times and then sit down and develop some strategies for coping with the problems in a different way. I find taking the dog for a fast walk helps me deal with stress, but perhaps something else would be more suitable for you.

WHAT???? I posted and now everyone is criticising me Im doing my blooming best

The other thing I do is I keep a food and exercise diary and every day I scan it and send a copy of it to my diet buddy in America - and she does the same back - the deal is that we are completely and totally honest with each other and we never criticise each other - just that knowledge that someone else is going to see what we have eaten and how much or little we have exercised is enough to keep us on the straight and narrow....

This thread is moving fast!! Thanks for all the advice.

No one is criticising you Veggie! You keep us all entertained.

I'm not criticising you! You asked for help.... I am trying to help! What was criticism?? About the cheese pasty? I didn't intend that to be nasty - just saying that it wasn't the healthiest of choices.

im not even commenting on the cheese pasty im just sooooo jealous why didnt i think to have one of those yesterday on my day off i had all sorts of other cheese dishes too like macaroni, chees and toast .i love cheese and its something i miss a lot so i have cheese instead of chips ....ohh the sacrifices

got this in email thought it might make youse all smile , because i did