Ive been "fluffy" almost my whole life. I'm not happy anymore at all. I dont know what kinmd of weight loss plan to follow and when I try and calorie count I just give up and go over. Im so lost. I thought for a while I was a compulsive overeater but now I just think I eat because I can. Ive gained almost all the 28 lbs I lost back and I cant seem to get back on the wagon. I dunno what to do. Everyone says oh just get back on. But its like im stuck in mud and cant get back on the horse. Ive been eating out a lot and feeling the effects of it. Weight gain, heart burn, sluggishness, and lack of sleep. I cant really say I have much stress in my life at the moment and ive taken a break from college. I work 9 hrs a day with access to food at any moment. This is my oppurtune (sp?) time to do this and Im holding myself back. Not to mention everyone always tells me Id be gorgeous if I could lose weight. Im 22 and if I dont get a hold of this im going to be 300 lbs and become very ill soon. PLEASE HELP!!!!!!!

Maybe you can start by making smaller changes. You say you when calorie counting you give up and go over. Well so what? If your on an upward path, anything you can do to swing that around is better than not doing it, right? Instead of setting yourself a goal that you (by experience) can't stick to, set a goal that you can stick to, even if it won't get you there as quickly.

Maybe you're a carbohydrate addict, (or sugar specifically) and the reason you can't stop is because bio-chemically your brain is hard wired to think you cannot survive without it.

Maybe you are not weak, or any of the things you tell yourself. Maybe you are addicted to some foods...Like a chain smoker and cigarettes, or an alcoholic to booze. Maybe there are just some foods that if you eat them your brain will do anything to get it again.

Hello, my name is Lori and I am a sugar addict. As long as I keep sugar out of my life, I am good. When I try to put it back in...even in "moderation" all **** breaks loose. I can't do sugar. I try, and it gets me nothing but bad after affects.

Welcome and good luck ! If you think calorie countimg is not right for you, there are other plans that might be a good fit , Weight Watchers, South Beach, Atkins, and others , It is OK to experiment until you find what works best for you.

Lori, i think you are right on the money lol. Im addicted to soda and carbs. I may be able to calorie count but not with ANY soda and with no white bread at all. Pasta and bread are my biggies. Im italian and grew up on it. Ughh I have some major changes to make.

We all have the cravings, you just have to explore and find other alternatives that take care of the cravings. Instead of potato chips, i bought some organic dried veggie slices. it makes me feel like im satisfying a nasty pleasure but in reality i just ate 130 calories of veggies

I'm also a college student and now that i'm not in class ive gained 10 pounds...I think a lot of it is boredom for me. I catch myself eating because I have nothing else to do. I guess its a form of oral asphyxiation or something so i replaced it with sugar free hard candies, chewing on straws, gum, or i just sit and eat ice-burg lettuce plain... you just have to try different things until you find what works for you.

dont give up and if you feel this "down" about things you may want to look into depression. I also struggle with it, it makes you tired, feeling hopeless, negative, and can be a big driver in eating.

Breanna, I really feel for you. I know what it's like to want it so much but to feel completely powerless over food. I think Lori is right. I also think small changes are a good idea too. For me, it's also important to do it one day at a time. Sounds simple and maybe even a little cliche, but it works for me. How about you decide to not have any refined sugar for just one day. It will be tough but wake up in the morning and commit to it. Don't think about all the days ahead. Just one day. Drink lots of water and see how it goes. You may even have a headache as your body will want to force you into having the sugar. There will be temptations but think of how good you'll feel about making it through. Visualize waking up the next morning and knowing that you were able to do it. This will give you strength for the next day and only focus on that next day....and so on.

Regarding calorie counting...I love it and hate it. It's kind of a pain in my behind, but it has also made me have a smaller behind, so it's worth it! When you started calorie counting, how many were you aiming for? I'd suggest figuring out something that you can live with. Maybe 1200 is just not for you....I know it works for some but maybe you can start with 2200 calories a day? Or better yet, how about a range of say 1500-2200 a day? I'm just making those numbers up, but you get the picture. You just pick a range that won't make you feel like you failed. You will succeed! You will feel good and you will not feel sluggish and with heartburn. I know that feeling and it's harder than counting calories.

No matter what you pick, I think it's important to start with self love. Be kind to yourself. You are not defined by your weight. If you truly love yourself, you won't want to put all that sugar and junk into your body. If you do get that urge, how about some sugarless gum? How about taking a walk? Find things you can do to make it through those tough moments. You can do this!!!!

Thanks ladies u all have great suggestions.

A good first step that I use when I feel I cant do it is I look in the mirror and tell myself I'm beautiful and I deserve to love myself and to be healthy. Most issues starting come from within. I dont know about you but Ive struggled with a lot of self hate and it wasnt until I started loving myself that I could healthily lose weight.

Another thing I do is to NOT make weight loss a goal. Just make healthy eating a goal, then you dont get discouraged by the scale.

Hey!! I know exactly where you are right now! I just felt like I was stuck in neutral, but a really bad neutral. I knew I was unhappy, I knew going out to eat all the time and basically lying on the couch after work ALL night was making me feel gross. I felt bad doing what I was doing, but going out to eat and eating things I liked made me feel temporarily good so I kept doing it

I got back on the wagon, and if anything else it's helped with the 'stuck in the mud' feeling because I have something to focus on. And starting something new always has that 'new and exciting' feeling! bonus!
I add my food into www.fitday.com the night before when Im sitting aroudn watching tv, or in the morning. It gives me something different to do that actually makes me feel good.

I know it's hard, but it's like keeping your place clean. It sucks to clean, but it feels good to be in an environment that's clean and organized and makes you feel more productive. Doing good things like eating well for a few meals or getting a little exercise in will make you feel good and help you break that 'stuck' feel. Come over and join in the accountability thread in Calorie Counters thread and/or the Halloween Challenge in the 20-somethings thread--people post there everyday and it will keep you focused!

p.s. pasta, bread with butter or bread with cheese, are my absolute comfort foods too. i have italian on one side of my family :-)

if you think sugar and/or carbs are an issue for you, I would definitely recommend looking into some of the low carb plans and seeing if they would be a good fit.

I lost over 42 lbs calorie counting and thought that I was doing ok with it - but then I stopped being careful and put it all back. Now I'm doing the Dukan diet which is low fat, low carb (although you eat some oat bran every day), and I'm amazed at how easy it's been for me to stick with. I've been on it for just under a month which I know isn't all that long, but I have not cheated once this entire time. It's like once all that sugar and bad carbs left, my addiction was broken. And I'm someone who never even thought of myself as a sugar/carb addict!

I think BowandArcher is on to something here. I think you need to delve into the emotional side of things. Figure out why you want to lose weight- why does it matter to you? How will your life change? What will you be able to do when you're healthier? Write it down. Make an emotional connection to it. And believe that you are absolutely worth it. You deserve whatever possible life you can imagine for yourself and you can acheive it! Calorie counting isn't fun. It just isn't. But if it's what you have to do to get to your "why", if that "why" is important enough to you, you'll do it. Educate yourself about weight loss, stick around here for support and you'll be "back on the wagon" soon! Hugs

Let me tell you pasta and bread were my weaknesses. Just cut them out completely... you CAN do it. And after a couple of months you won't even want them anymore. That is what happened for me!

I have a total weakness to potatoes and Chinese food... now that I haven't eaten them for a while they dont even sound good anymore. very much a mental addiction.

if you go over, don't give up. it's not a big deal. when you calorie count, the days that you go over decrease, even if you do sometimes go over. it always helps. don't feel like you permanently blew it just because one day you felt a little hungrier than what your calorie goal allowed for.