Well, I am a cliche'. Back in 2006 I went on a diet and had the most success I ever had. I lost 48 lbs and got down to 166 over 2 years. From 214.

However, I have a long history of getting stuck and I got stuck at 166 for months. I mean almost a year. Then I broke my toe and couldn't stand to cook or buy groceries. I did ok, but went back to 180, but over time - next two years- got back to 197. That also involved the death of my dad and my mom. Most of the gain was during that time.

Over the two years that I was eating off plan, I am actually proud to say that I didn't gain weight like I normally do. I can literally inhale 30 lbs. In 1996 I went on weight watchers and got to 178. Moved to another part of the US and gained at least 30 in a matter of two months. Over the last two years I have gained 20 lbs. I write that off to two things... first during the first go round I broke a lot of bad habits and now my brain has been trained against binging and being more in tune with my body. Secondly, starting in 2009 I started taking supplemental vitamin d. My blood levels went form 20 ng per lt... to 50 +. Also my blood pressure dropped like a stone. From no lower than 130/80 to no higher than 110/70.

I recently read a study that reported vitamin d can make a difference in weight, the doctor who did the study noted that she got on the idea due to the fact that vitamin D acts on a key thing (no clue what it is called) that both controls blood pressure and weight gain. I will also note that my body temp grew from no higher than 97.9 to no lower than 98.4. Although I admit I can't tell if that is vitamin d or just that I am eating more.

So this time I am hopeful things will be different. Not only because I haven't gained it all back (so hopefully I can drop the same amount and be lower than ever) and hopefully vitamin d and calcium will have just that much of an effect on my metabolism that instead of losing at my normal rate of 1 lb per week, I will lose 1.5 or so.

I can't decide about exercise. It is very hard for me to exercise for two reasons, total lack of time, and also - I am extremely clutzy. I generally hurt myself. I think I am going to focus on getting the eating under control and then after about a few weeks, join the gym. If I do the gym route I am going to hire an errand service. I work all day and find myself skimping on the gym because I have errands to do, so I have decided that it is worth buying 2 hours or so a week for someone to do some of the mid week chores so I can focus only on the work out.

I also have a bike in my apartment in case I can't go. I am thinking of going to the gym daily. Often people say, you need to rest, and that could be true, but I feel like I am the type that if you give me one day off, I will want two and then three and then four ... well you know.

I am going to do this, my goal is 170 by June.

Welcome back. It sounds like you have a plan. It's okay to go to the gym every day if you alternate exercises - strength one day, cardio the next, etc. That way your muscles have time to recover before you work them again and you are less likely to injure yourself.

Looking forward to seeing your posts and progress!

Welcome back!

Hugs to you Ann. I'm not saying it's okay to eat yourself back tobeing a fat chick, but don't beat yourself to death over it. It sounds like you are ready to get back on a plan. Even if you are taking it incrementally, it's a start and you can't finish without starting. Even if it takes lots of starts. Just consider the other times all as good practice.

An idea you might want to consider...or not...you don't have to go to the gym if you don't want to or if you feel like a klutz. Add exercise slowly...maybe in the form of walking a little and then a little more. I tell the story all the time about how I couldn't even make it around the block when I first started. Today, I walked 2-ish miles, uphill, in the SNOW and the COLD and the WIND and it wasn't even difficult. In fact it is a short walk day becuase of the weather. Tomorrow we'll do closer to 5 miles. I just feel like anyone can do something. Start small and work your way up.

As far as the klutzy part...every stinkin' time I go for a hike...I fall down. It has become such a joke because I ALWAYS fall down that the other day when I slipped up on a hiking trail in the Rocky Mountain National Park..also in the SNOW my son-in-law pointed, laughed, and said that "NOW it's a hike". I don't mind being ridiculous or clumsy, because I am just so dang happy and excited I can make enough of an effort to get moving that a tumble (or two) is a part of the experience. If I had never gotten to hiking, I would never fall down.

You go girl!

Barb

Hi:
Yes last time I lost weight I did the walking thing. And although I think it helped, not enough. See, my big big fear, because it happens every time, is that I get to this *stuck point* where I just can't lose anymore. So I feel like maybe I need to work out hard now that my body is raring to go and loose as much as I can as fast as I can.

I am also starting to wonder about *how* exercise works to have us lose weight. I think perhaps it is the heat affect that might provide the extra boost with strenuous exercise. Walking, even fast, can raise my body temp a little and once I stop the Body Temp drops fast. But strenuous exercise I think raises the body temp a lot and then, takes a while to drop.

So walking lost 200 in cals + 50 in extra body temp boost per day.
But say strenuous exercise - 250 +120 in extra body temp boost per day.

But there is the fact that literally, I can't do one week of strenuous exercise without hurting something, I stretch, I walk carefully, I am careful and something ends up hurting.

I am still undecided. I think I might be in pretty good shape. This summer and fall I rehabbed my mom's house, went home ever day hurting. Then, we had a big snow storm last weekend and I shoveled and nothing hurt. That is unusual. So maybe that rehab built some muscle.