Hello everyone!

This is my first post and I hope I can get some real feedback. I have been battling my weight for at least 12 years. During this time I have experienced some great tragedies and just can't seem to get my enthusiasm back. I fell into eating out of depression and frustration. That has to change!

For the past six months I have ran on my treadmill continuously but did not lose a single ounce or inch. When you are only 5'1", 162 lbs. is a lot of weight to carry around. I recently was warned that I am entering pre-diabetes and my cholesterol is advancing. So, this is where I am. I will admit that after not losing anything previously, I only ate more. But I have to kick this and I am hoping this forum can help. I have tried other forums, but I never got any responses.

Sometimes we have to ask for help -- I truly feel I will find it here.





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Knowing that this time is going to be different is a big step. Depression is a huge part of over eating. You may consider going to see a dr and see what options are out there to deal with that and then the weight loss will just start happening, Your focus will turn from always thinking about food to actually enjoying life. I have been precribed Prozac because I have a binge eating disorder. You can't believe how much it has changed my life. There are also many natural forms of medicine out there. Go on to the Akins website and look up depression or any drug that is used to treat depression and they will offer some natural solutions. Losing weight can be fun. I found that buying videos that I can do at home works the best for me. I pick the most outrageous, it is also a great stress release. Good luck in the future! Oh and remember that muscle weighs more than fat, so if the inches are coming off don't worry about the weight.

Hi Annie M.

Thanks for the encouragement. I have tried a lot of anti-depressants, but have found that none of them work (something about the chemical imbalance I have). Anyway, I have decided to focus on eating very small meals daily that total 1500 calories. I calculated that this is the amount of calories I will need to get to my goal. I think if I break my meals into 300 calorie mini-meals, I can do this. Also, I am planning to incorporate weights into my running plan. Actually, I printed out Oprah's Boot Camp Program and think I may give it a try.

I really appreciate your response and will definitely keep posting as I move forward.

Have a wonderful day!

I totally understand the depression and life stressors that cause you to overeat. And I'm short, too. At 163, I was so unhappy, extremely tired, and even the slightest exercise took my breath away. I was unable to take deep breaths and struggled to find clothes that fit a petite woman with a big belly. I have an unusual shape: tiny up at the shoulders, average chest, average back and middle waist, but my lower stomach area right at my bottom of my waist line, just above my hips and butt, is huge...everything has to be big enough to fit over that! It's depressing! I look 6 months pregnant no matter what I do!
However, I set in my head that I was getting back to my younger, more appropriate size/weight by Christmas! I got excited about doing it permanently...I read EVERYTHING I could about diet and exercise and maintaining! I loved Dr. Phil's Ultimate Weight Solution--he pointed out psychological factors that I've never considered. And so, I lost 10 lbs so far, and haven't weighed in this week, so it may be more!
I strongly recommend gettin all the motivation you can by surrounding yourself with people who love the idea of you getting back to healthy weight, stay away from FAST and FRIED foods, and drink plenty of water...no sodas or sugary juice drinks...in one week you'll drop up to 8 lbs of bloated water weight. This is the initial, "I can do this!" weight. After the first 2 weeks, it starts to get harder. You have to make more changes and start exercising to keep up your metabolism!
I KNOW YOU CAN DO THIS! It's possible! Read the inspiring stories in some of the forums on this website! YOU GO GIRL!

I've been overweight for the majority of my life. I've tried dieting off and on for the past 15 years. I decided last Monday that this time was going to be different...and you know what? So far, it really truly has been. I'm also doing the small-portions-ever-3-hours thing and it's working wonderfully for me. I lost 5lbs this past week! I know most of that is probably water weight (I've been drinking about 1,000 times more water than I used to!) but I'll take it! lol Anyway, good luck, best wishes, and if you ever need to talk, just PM me. I can't promise I'll get back to you within seconds, but if it's during the week, I probably will most of the time. LOL I'm not on the computer as much at home, so I'm not going to be around as much on nights and weekends, but I'll still check in periodically.

Thanks! I know how it is trying to get on the computer when there is so much going on. I think I have tried every diet imaginable - couldn't stick with them very long. Eating every three hours seems to make sense, so I am giving it a try. I'm almost through day one and I'm not starving and haven't eaten any junk food.

I will definitely check in with you at the end of the week - thanks again!

Hi Tisha,

Sorry I didn't reply sooner, had to work. I agree about the eating every three hours -- I too, haven't been hungry and I find I am able to control my cravings. One thing that did was look up on the internet sites that have lists of meals with 200, 250 and 300 calories (type "200 calorie snacks" in your web browser). There are a lot of sites with lists. I simply printed out the lists and shopped for foods on the lists. When it's time to eat, I just pick something from one of the lists - I don't have to count calories because I already know what list it came from. I am trying to eat 1500 calories a day; 1200 leaves me tired and then I can't workout. So all I have to do is decide how many meals a day I want to eat and this will determine which lists I use (200, 250 or 300 calories).

Give it a try -- the less I have to figure out what to eat and how much, the better. I also feel more in control. Hey, there are even goodies on the list that will cure anybody's cravings. Let me know what you think.

I appreciate your replying to my post and hope we can keep in touch.

Good luck!

Tisha,

I truly understand. I have worked at jobs where I got paid once a month - it took a whole lot of juggling to stay ahead. Funny how getting the same amount of money twice a month or weekly seems to go farther.

Have a great day!

jyda, welcome to the forum. I know you will find a lot of support here. Wishing you the best of success. I also like the smaller meals idea, if I am hungry, I eat something. On previous "dieting" attempts, I thought I was failing if my 3 meals a day didn't keep me full. Now, I realize that sometimes it takes more frequent meals to stay full and keep motivated. Being hungry has always been my weakness and I would eventually cave in and eat too much.

Hi Lillybelle,

I want to say congrats on your amazing results. You are an inspiration. As soon as I found this site, I came down with a very bad case of the flu (got it from my dh). Anyway, I am finally starting to feel better, so I will begin my journey on Sunday. Eating every three hours is definitely working - I feel more in control.

Hey, have any suggestions or tips from your success you would like to share?

Again, congratulations!