Hey there
Before i get started on my rambling, im 22 and on a "Made up by me Diet" Nothing else seemed to work so i sorta started my own diet, this consists of eating only skinless chicken, fruit, veges, and pretty much anything that is a low fat snack, ohh and a few WW meals broght from the supermarket, so no bread, rice, pasta, potatoes, and so on. This started off really good in the begining, the weight just started falling off, i am walking around an hour each night, and doing the normal duties of a SAHM. After a month or so of this i lost a decent amount of weight, and started getting a few comments on my progress. Now anyone would think, you get a good comment from someone, and you think "wow this is really working im definatly gonna stay motivatied now", BUT me im like "ohh okay just got a good comment i'm gonna go over and get chinesse for dinner". Okay, perfect example i got up off the couch and my brother said geez you really have lost alot of weight Monique, first thing i did was say "thanks john" as i reach up into the cupboard for a packet of chips, gosh im so bad. So this is pretty much my problem, i have eaten so much junk food and takeaways over the last couple of weeks, that i feel like i need it now, i know its silly, but today feels like were i was 7 weeks ago, back at 1. And also it doesnt help when you have a bf who is constantly telling you that "i love you just the way you are" So today i am really trying to get my butt into gear and get back on the wagon. Has anyone else been through this, gosh some advise would be really good right now
Thanks for letting me ramble on

Monique

first of all *hugs* You've come so far already, don't give up!!!

Second, you need to EAT REAL FOOD!!! You're bingeing because your body is craving the things that you're denying it! Eat all kinds of whole foods but certain kinds in moderation. Grains are GOOD FOR YOU!!! don't deprive yourself. You have to pick a lifestyle you can stick with for your whole life or the weight loss won't stick.

Good luck to you!

Monique - just a tip.

I think it could be that you are limiting yourself too much. You are REALLY restricting what you eat so then you "binge" and eat a bunch of 'bad stuff' because you told yourself you couldn't have it.

Have you tried calorie counting? Work everything into you day. It helps me to plan the night before. If I want that hamburger or chips, I simply have it - I work it into my calories for the day. Eat a little lighter are lunch and I can have whatever it is that I wanted. I don't feel like I am on a diet, I don't feel like I am missing out on anything. I am losing weight and eating what I want to. Given that maybe I am not losing as fast as someone eating on lettuce all day - but I am losing and eating how I see myself eating for the rest of my life.

That is key, you have to eat how you will eat for the rest of your life or you will simply gain all the weight back. Don't tell yourself you can't something, just have it in moderation and work it into your day. I think you should given calorie counting a try!

And you know you are not alone - Saturday I compared my before and current pics and WOW what a HUGE difference so what I did I do? Saturday night I had an blizzard from Dairy Queen. Bad habbits die hard!

Good luck!

EDIT - ValRock manged to say what I wanted in much less space, haha.

This happens to me all the time- you fall off the wagon, then you get back on it. Remember, failure is not falling down, failure is staying down.

Keep at it. I find junk food, cookies, etc are addictive, so I am not buying them. Although, I still gorge on tostitos, cheese and salsa about once a month. Plan your treats. As I said, tostitos is one of mine. Another one is our local $10 pizza special; it's on every Wednesday, but I get it once every two months.

It's funny. When our kids are growing up, we have junk snack foods in the house, then they and we spend years trying to break the snack food habit.

Monique -- Welcome!!! You've made your own plan, which is fine, but these plans need tweaking, you know!! I agree with the posters who've said you are probably being too restrictive. It takes a while to figure out what works and what doesn't. Hmmm, in fact, what works changes a bit from time to time... anyway, why not check out a bunch of other plans and what others are doing and make a lifestyle YOU can stick with for life! You're welcome to join us in the Calorie counters forum if you're so inclined, but there are lots of ways to do this in a healthy way that you can stick with. (and we all fall off plan from time to time!)

Okay, I think everyone said it in less space than me!

Hey,
Thanks everyone for you advise, i do feel i am limiting myself a little too much, another point to why i think i binge on all the bad stuff, im getting bored with what i am eating now. I think i will try the calorie counting, i've noticed alot of people mentioning they do it. Another one of my problems is that i think im trying too hard, it's abit like saying to yourself "well i've eaten healthy and exersised for a week, shouldnt i have woken up this morning skinny" I just think i'm expecting too much of myself....GOSH this weight loss thing is hard lol
Thanks again for your support

Monique

Don't give up! You've already made good progress. I have always had the same problem - as soon as I lose a few pounds I want to 'reward' myself with junk food! It doesn't make sense, but I think a lot of people are this way.

It's just something you have to recognize and, if you do 'fall off the wagon' try to just have a little of the food you are craving and not let it get into an all out binge. The short pleasure we get from a big binge isn't worth the hours of guilt and anguish afterwards.

I find that keeping a food diary (like Fitday or Nutridiary) helps a lot because I can keep track of my calories as I go along and if I really go off track I can eat less for the next meal to balance things out. For instance, I ended up eating more than I had planned for lunch so I'll just have a couple of ounces of chicken and some cottage cheese & fruit for dinner.

It's ok to have some "good" carbs like whole grain bread, brown rice, whole wheat pasta, etc. now and then - the key is moderation. Be sure that you are getting enough protein. I was having a terrible time with bingeing and craving junk food till I realized I wasn't eating enough protein. I now make sure I get 30% of my daily calories from protein and I hardly ever get hungry. Oh, and don't forget to eat enough healthy fats (olive oil, nuts, avocados). You mentioned you have low fat snacks - sometimes a snack with healthy fat in it will satisfy your hunger a lot longer.

Hang in there - you CAN do it!

A couple of suggestions: If you want to reward yourself with Chinese food, that's fine! Just choose your Chinese food carefully. Don't have a meal of fried things. Instead, have an entree that includes plenty of the veggies along with the protein (beef, chicken, pork, shrimp, tofu). If you must have a fried or doughy appetizer, split it with someone and just have one or two pieces. And make it a treat, not a daily event.

I eat stirfries regularly as part of my diet. I find I can chow down the veggies if I like the sauce, and Asian sauces don't have to be horrendously fattening.

An alternative to calorie counting is like Weight Watchers, where you allow yourself so many servings of meat, dairy, vegetables, grains/starches and fats per day. The government recommends 5-9 servings of fruits/vegetables per day and 3 of dairy (low fat). I think only 3 ounces of meat? Anyway, you could research it or decide for yourself, but at least you'd work in a variety of foods.

Also, when someone compliments you, try to reward yourself with something other than food. Maybe buy yourself something nice or spend time pampering yourself. Or put some money into a piggy bank every time you get a compliment, and when you're down a size, buy a nice article of clothing with the savings.

Hi and !

You have come to the right place as these are great Ladies here!
I am a fast food and junk food addict, so I know that I need to act like an alcoholic does with alcohol and not be around it period.

These wonderful ladies are great and have wonderful ideas! Also congrats the weight loss already! You can do it!

Monique -- I totally get the "I'm trying so hard, why aren't I skinny" feeling! I've lost 90 pounds and I am STILL obese. Sometimes it is frankly depressing. On those days, I have to work to maintain my positive attitude. I think attitude is so important, but like most people (I think!) mine bobs up and down.

I know exactly what you mean. When you've been so good you just think that you should be seeing faster progress. It is so depressing that we can put weight on so much more quickly than we can lose it, and 1-2lb per week just seems like nothing. But then we have to remember, that each pound is one pound closer to our goal. If you haven't already, set yourself some mini-goals so that you can really define your progress. When you reach them, give yourself a treat, but not junk food!

I'm like sassy-chick, if I have even one packet of chips, i can't stop myself from going to the store and buying 10 bags and sitting and eating them all. I also find that when I drink diet cola I get more cravings, I don't know if that is the case with you.

I also suspect that you are similar to me in other ways. I sabotage myself by making sure that I fail in everything I want to succeed in. This is something I am working on and I have to change. I deserve to succeed and I deserve to be healthy and happy, and so do you.

Keep trying, you can do it

I know exactly where you are coming from Monique. I just started the "change of lifestyle" yesterday. In the past I always ate what I characterized as diet food - veggies, chicken (broiled), okra with tomato sauce - you get the picture. Trying to stay under 1000 calories. I have ALWAYS gained it back, in fact, now I am at my all time high.
I am trying agian, just like these girls said - keeping myself in the 1500 - 1700 calorie range and adding exercise. Keeping track of my food intake on http://www.fitday.com. This time I have announced to these boards and to my friends that I am going to lose it. I will be embarassed if I don't. I just have to! I want to be that girl I always wanted to be. Keep at it. Don't quit, I need you for inspiration!

I soooo agree with sotypical. Abosolutely any food can fit into a diet/life change, in moderation. I NEVER tell myself, "I can't eat that anymore". The depression and frustration that would come with it, will kill my diet.

And actually, I think a "junk food treat" is fine. As long as you can "get it in your head" that it IS a treat for just today, and not license to go over board. As you've read, some can, some can't. It depends on the individual. When I "treat" myself, I have whatever I want (chinese, burger, fries, brownie, whatever), and get right back on the band-wagon the next day, it has never hindered my weight loss. Treat yourself without guilt, when you deserve it!
Like the others said, you can expand your food selections, by tweeking what you're all ready doing. Good luck!
A fellow-calorie-counter!

I've wondered about this, too. As soon as I start getting compliments, as soon as I start noticing the loss, it's almost like I think "problem solved!" and I can 'go back' to where I was 50 pounds ago and pick up the old eating habits.

I've been yo-yoing for about a month now. On the whole I'm losing, but it's at a slower rate than what I was losing before.