Hi everyone,

I'm a newbie, and like most of you that I've read about, I too, have struggled with weight and self esteem issues for most of my life. Quite frankly, I'm tired of being fat! I've had enough! I don't like how my clothes fit, but I HATE shopping when I have no choice but to just buy what fits me instead of what I actually like. I've decided that this is the time for change. I am committing to 6 FULL months of vigorous self-improvement (I finally got the braces on my teeth I've been wanting since childhood , and I have 2 holidays planned for this winter, one of which I'm hoping will include an enormous shopping frenzy at outlet malls.
I am currently searching for the best eating plan for me. I used to be a CRAZY calorie counter, and could drop a lot of weight very quickly. Now, I can't seem to make it to noon before I "cheat" and eat something I shouldn't. So, I'm here, on this site, hoping that the support I find here will keep me on track. I have learned that I am someone who needs QUICK and visible results to stay motivated. I am okay with exercising REALLY hard if it means that I can wear my skinny jeans again soon. But I've learned that I can exercise a TON and still not lose weight if I don't have my eating under control.
I would LOVE to hear from anyone who can give me advice on what works best for fast results. I know that this needs to be lifelong, but I need to see some change right away, then I will stick with the longer term modifications to my diet to keep me on track. Any opinions on low-carb diets?
I am currently the heaviest I have EVER been, weighing 200 lbs. which would be just great if I was 6'8". But I'm 5'9", and my butt's getting bigger this very minute....
I'm tired of making excuses. I can have results, or I can have excuses- but not both.

Welcome! This is a very supportive place. Good luck choosing a plan that works for you.

One way you might want to look at this is that quick probably hasn't been working for you so don't focus on it. If your goal is to break the yo-yo effect how your approach motivation and focus might need to be reconsidered.

I am a calorie counter and that is very effective for me. I am also learning a lot about my eating habits and their impacts so that this sticks once I have hit my goal weight.

hi, i am on a low carb and appreciate it a lot; my experience suggests that whenever I lost weight quickly, i gained it back more quickly.
I wish you to find the solution that better works for you in the long term, and that allows you to lose weight quick ENOUGH to not lose motivation.
Welcome to the site!

Hello again

I posted this to another new user, but thought it might be helpful to you too.
Hope it's ok if I just copy and paste...

Have you tried Richard Simmons' diet? It's super easy, and really teaches you how to eat, on your own. Real food in a reasonable, balanced manner. No cutting down on carbs, or any crazy fads. It's the best diet I've ever done. Cheap too, you get the whole kit on his site for like $20-$30, and it's all the tools/info you'll ever need. Whenever you need to get back on track, it's right there

I've been overweight my whole life. this is probably the skinniest I've ever been (at age 25) And I feel like I owe a lot of that to him.

Obviously I'm not trying to promote him specifically, and I don't secretly work there lol, just my personal experience with his diet.

Also, this is the first time I've tried to approach this with more of an overall healthy approach. I'm trying to focus more on working out, and eating healthy than I am on the scale. Numbers can frustrate you. Sometimes they won't budge, but your overall appearance can still be changing. Keeping that in mind helps me

Welcome to 3FC. I calorie count, but nothing is off limits. If I want it, for the most part, I eat it--but in moderation. It has to fit into my calorie allowance. Exercising also allows you to eat back some of those calories if you choose. Have you tried a website or app to help you keep track? I use MyFitnessPal and love it. Or maybe low-carb is the way to go for you--there are many eating plans out there. Good luck finding your best fit!!

Very good advice, I'm also a fan of calorie counting!

I just want to caution you that this is what almost everyone believes - and it's perhaps the biggest reason that up to 95% of weight loss attempts FAIL.

We think we need to see quick and dramatic results in the beginning to have any success at all. And we convince ourselves that we'll be ok with slower weight loss at some point in the future (but not yet).

The problem is that point in the future never comes - we judge all loss by our best loss, and we want to recapture the "high" of that weight loss again. When weight loss slows, we try more drastic (sometimes even risky) means to keep the weight loss coming off at a rate we can accept. And it never does (or doesn't for very long) and we eventually give up because we feel as though we're failing and we decide that we would have succeeded if the weight loss had been just a little quicker.


For almost 35 years, I thought I needed that "high" and I always said "when the weight loss slows, I'll be ok with it..."

And I never was. Slow weight loss felt as much like failure as gaining weight did - and if I was going to fail anyway I might as well at least get to eat what I want.


You don't NEED rapid weight loss, you WANT rapid weight loss. And it is ok to want it, but be careful when indulging yourself in this desire. It can backfire tremendously when the weight loss slows - because it ALWAYS slows before you're ready for it to. So you have to be ready for it to, from the very beginning.


Losing rapidly is like an addictive drug - you can never recapture the peak high - and you'll do nuttier and nuttier things to recapture that experience (but the reality never quite matches up to the expectation).


Many people find that with each new diet, it takes far more work and yet still yields smaller results than past attempts. If you're not ready for slow weight loss now, it's unlikely that you'll be ready for it when you see it. You can believe that you'll learn to adapt to slow weight loss when you have to, but odds are you won't - because that's when most people give up - not when the weight loss is coming off rapidly, but when the weight loss slows, and isn't exciting anymore.

I thought I needed rapid weight loss all of my life - and yet the only plan that I've been able to stick with in the long run is one in which I decided from the start I was going to make changes and commit to them even if the changes resulted in no weight loss at all.



The danger in believing that you need rapid weight loss, is that the belief tends to become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Hi!

Im new too, and your story reads very much similar to mine lol.

Wish i could give you the magic diet plan, but i cant. There are two things that have worked for me and that is calorie counting and weight watchers.

The only thing i would say to you is that you need to be careful with loosing weight fast to begin with. I always thought i need that too, but really the only way is too really really commit to this weight loss journey and to not worry so much about the length of time (yeah i know that sucks).

The best thing you can possibly do is find a diet/eating plan that is going to work for you for the long term. Just my humble opinion.

Good luck!! xx

OMG, thanks everyone. I never thought of weight loss as a "high", but you're totally right. That's EXACTLY what I want. I need to get out of that mind set so I can have success this time. It is harder every time I try to do this, and I have to do more every time to get the same results. I don't want to have to do this again. This is the LAST time, so I need to commit to something I can stick to. I am eating sensibly, and it seems to be okay. I'm weighing in on Saturday, and really trying to convince myself to be happy with ANY loss, even if it's tiny.
Thanks for the words of wisdom.