Hi,
I'm 44 as of last month and I have struggled with weight most of my adult life and had some success. These past few years I have found scuccess more and more fleeting! The most I had ever weighed was 185 when I was 9 months pregnant with my second child and she was almost 10 pounds. I quickly lost all that when she was delivered and went to a respectable 140. I gained some but worked to loose it and maintained 155-165 lbs for years then quietly and stealthly it started to creep up. Last year I had major surgery and have a 7 inch scar to prove it. Now the weight is impossible to keep off! As of last Oct I work out in the gym 4 days a week on a circuit for 30 mins and then stretch out for about 5-10 mins. (my gym is closing at the end of the month)
I weighed a little over 190 and was really dissapointed when I realized I weigh more then I did when I was 9 months pregnant with my almost 10 lb baby! I have lost a few pounds since then but I wonder how a person who seems to so efficiently store energy can possibly be so hungry? Of course, the things I am hungry for are not good for any person or even justifiable on any diet in the amounts I want them in! I have a friend who says potatoe chips are like crack cocaine for her, well I think Chocolate in almost any form is the same for me! I know for a fact if I don't get this under control I will have other issues to control like blood sugar and blood pressure and cholesteral. A couple of years ago my Dr. found a lump in my breast, my worst nightmare (my Mom died of breast cancer). They did a lumpectomy and found it wasn't cancerous but my Dr. told me that the single biggest contributing factor to breast cancer is being over weight! To be honest that frightened me and I knew I must start searching for a way to forstall the weight gain I have been experiancing over the last 5-10 years. I have a friend Retiredone who told me about all you folks who help each other slim down and maintain healthy weights when they get there. I am confident that this is what I need to get to my goal of 140. I think it is 140, or maybe 135?? I can't remember I did the little weight tracker thingy the other day. Sad isn't it! Anyways thanks in advance for listening to my whining and your support!

Hi there! It's nice to meet you!

I know JUST what you're talking about concerning the chocolate, because I could have written that. I'm now determined to fight it, though. I went on a twelve-steps diet change that was developped in Germany. Every week you have to change one habit - for good and forever. The idea is that two many changes at once overpower your psyche, and that it takes the human brain one week to get used to something new. They claim that if you ask to much of your brain and your body, this will result in giving up and frustration.

I'm still in the first week which means all I have to do for now is eat only four meals and nothing in between, but from Thursday on it's NO CHOCOLATE. I talked about this with my doc and she said that chocolate contains theobromine, which works like a drug for some people. Some manage to control their intake, others don't. I guess I don't... Whenever I have a little piece, or whenever something is in the house at all, I need to have A LOT. My doc said I have to get real and stop. Having a little or substituting doesn't work for everyone. She promised the cravings will go away after a couple of weeks.

I hope you find the right method for you! Good luck, and hang in there! I'm sure you'll get tons of support here, this is a great place.

Hey Merryduck

Welcome to the forum!

I think the first thing you want to do is, take a deep breath, then decide how you want to move forward. What sort of eating plan do you want to go for?

Find others on the board that are doing the same thing... we've got Weight Watchers here, Atkins followers, South Beach Dieters, calorie counters, just to name a few.

Secondly, consider eating 6 x a day (or more if needed) small meals and snacks. My personal experience (I realise everyone is different) is that if I have protein based meals and snacks I do not get that ravenous feeling that you are talking about.

I am a Weight Watcher myself - I love the freedom of being able to choose whatever I want, whenever I want it, I just have to be accountable. Maybe you prefer a different plan though. Check out the other groups and see what might work best for you.

In any case, I wish you the best and hope to see you around the boards!

Hi and welcome to the forum! I know how you feel about chocolate... funnily enough, if I don't have it, I'm fine - but there's no such thing as 'just one piece' where chocolate is concerned! If I start on one piece, I'll eat the entire block.

And then go in search of cookies. :P

I hope you find some good ideas here. There's plenty of advice, and most importantly there's other people Just Like You who know exactly where you're coming from. We're all in this together!

Welcome to the forum!
Good for you for choosing to take control of your life. Please post anywhere you feel comfortable... you'll meet so many wonderfully supportive people here.

Oh my . . . I start to just thinking about chocolate. What is it about women and chocolate anyway . . . don't worry, that questions was totally retorical. Oh well . . . nothing wrong with a little piece now and then, but I cannot ever seem to stop until the whole 100 gram bar is eaten -- so best to leave it at the store.

Anyway, hi there MERRYDUCK . . . . . . Glad to have you joining us. It's a wonderful place for lots and lots of support and encouragement. Hopefully you will love it here as much as the rest of us do. Hope you'll be joining our Crazy Canuks Cluck Club over in the Support Groups Forum . . . http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/showthread.php?t=130196 . . . Hopefully Retiredone already mentioned that . . . and a few other great spots around here to you.

Hope to see you again really soon, Chickie . . .

Merryduck!!!! You're here! (Does a little happy dance.)
(My first convert ). Don't be shy my little ducky and post away and we'll get you back to your girlish figure.

Thanx guys or gals for all the advice and support! I am going to check out the cannucks forum now. As for my crack cocaine addiction I managed to have only one Oreo cookie today. Some evil person had them in the staff room for two days but finally they are gone and I only had one!!

Hey, but one is great! In fact, I find it a lot more difficult to eat just one piece of something than nothing at all. Congrats!