Hello everyone!

I am back here after a loonnnng hiatus. I am a chronic yoyo dieter, trying many diets such as weight watchers, Atkins, South Beach, even went for a consult at Dr. Berstein!

I went from wanting to lose lots of weight to 'I don't care if I am fat' attitude and now back to wanting to shed this weight for good. I had a few health scares over the past 2 months, was hospitalized with heart issues and discovered I am diabetic and heading down the road of developing heart disease if I don't lose weight.

I think I have finally discovered the balance I need to be successful at losing weight. I did lots of research on eating with diabetes and calorie counting and have settled on a specific diet that pairs complex carbs with proteins every 2-3 hours but maintaining around 1500-1800 calories a day. I no longer have the highs and lows between meals, I feel satisfied when I eat and I am losing some weight. I have been on this for 2 weeks now, beginning my third week. I have also joined a gym and this will be my third week going 4 days per week. I start a regular program with a trainer this Wednesday and will see her 3 times per week for the next year. I know it is a huge committment but I feel that I need to make myself accountable. My husband will be training with us as well, he needs to lose 50lbs.

Please ignore my ticker, I have not updated it yet since coming back today and I cannot weight myself until Wednesday with my trainer. I was weighed 2 weeks ago when I started the gym.

I am open to any and all suggestions, recipes, exercise tips etc my focus is my midsection as that's where I carry most of my weight, and is also the unhealthiest place to carry weight :/

Hi Dragonfly33,

Sounds like you're off to a great start and it's a huge part of the battle just to learn what works for you - soooooo - congrats on getting that part behind you!

Keep us posted and I'll see you around!

Thank you Beth!!

Welcome and good luck! It sounds like you have a good plan in place.

Hi Dragonfly33!

Your plan sounds super healthy and effective. Good for you!

Some things that i would suggest would be:
make sure that you're getting all your nutritional needs in your new diet. So perhaps check how much protein that you need for your weight and look up what foods supply vitamins and minerals that your body relies on. Protein is more calorific usually than veg so it's one thing that a lot of people on low cal diets don't eat enough of but it's vital for building new muscle, maintaining muscle and hair and lots of other good stuff.

The other thing that I would suggest is to have a plan, or a few plans for when you break your diet. I don't know anyone who sticks to the perfect plan for years without breaking it sometimes so what will you do when you do? If you have an action plan for when you "fail" it will help you through. Remember if you do your best and get back on your diet you will do fine and lose weight, even if you're fall off your diet regularly. More on than off and the weight will go.

Personally I've been in the healthy weight range for sixteen years now and am always either on my diet or breaking it. The only difference I see with people who stay healthy is when they go off track they don't do it for long.

When I go off track I don't beat myself up. It's okay to fall off plan. Everyone does it. So what. I make a plan. I give myself a couple of no judgement eat what I want days and I sit down and plan my meals again for the next week and shop for it. I don't buy any dodgy foods so I can't but cook when I'm in the house. I figure out why I'm off the diet and see if I can solve it another way. eg if I'm working loads and too tired to cook I stock up on M and S low calorie ready made stuff. Very expensive but better than telling myself I'll cook tomorrow and then being too tired and getting a take away.

Also what has been the reasons that you've found diets tough and what ways can we help to solve this?