Well, as you can see... I'm new.
I stumbled across this website when I Googled ~ I'm feeling lucky, "Weight Loss Message boards" and this site popped up.
I have struggled like many of you here and many not here as well with my weight for most of my life. I have been overweight since I was 6-7-8 years old. Granted I was just a little bit overweight when I was that young and probably still considered in the normal range of weight for a child that age. I gained a little more weight and could've been considered mildly overweight when I was 9-10-11 years old. And then at the age of 12 and all through my teen years I was definitely over-over weight, probably in the moderate range as a young teen and severe range as an older teen. By the time I got into my twenties I had already gotten up to 200 lbs and I'm now 30 and I weigh at least 250-265 lbs, I'm not sure the exact number as I havent weighed yet. I had a child at the age of 23 and my weight increased greatly from there. I stayed at about 220 for a pretty good while and then over the last 3 years I gained the last of the weight that put me where I am today.
I am so sick and tired of being sick and tired. I don't know where else to turn. I am so out of control I don't know how I can stop. I always said I would never let myself get "that big". Well, my version of "that big" has been pushed to a higher and higher number as I continue to grow larger and larger. 265 lbs (that is how much I think I weigh) is a lot of weight to be on a 5 ft tall, small to medium framed, 30 year old woman. Heck! It's a lot of weight to be on anyone! I watch football with my husband and see linebackers that weigh less than I do. It's pathetic!
I have Graves Disease and it has been suggested by my Doctor that a low carb diet might help me manage my disease better. How easy is that? The very diet that is recommended is a diet that has helped lots of people lose weight. I was also tested for Diabetes several years ago and the Doctor told me I was Insulin Resistant so that is another reason for the low carb diet.
My main problem is not that I don't eat healthy meals, It is the fact that I eat horrible things between meals. Like I'll go by the fast food place and get something or I'll eat a whole bag of chips and dip or a half gallon of ice cream. I tend to be a binge eater. I don't purge or anything I just want to eat all the junk I can muster. I also don't eat 3 meals a day during the right times during the day. Sometimes I don't eat anything until I'm about to starve to death and then I rummage to find something to eat then to find something that is bad for me like a bag of chips or a can of chef boyardee.
The only LC diet I have tried so far has been Atkins, except for my own modified version of Atkins. The only thing I really don't like about Atkins is the lack of being allowed to have fruit, bread and pasta, corn and potatoes in the first stages of the diet. I don't necessarily want it to be white bread and pasta, well maybe I do deep down inside but I know white stuff is bad for you. I don't mind eating whole grain breads crackers and pasta. And they don't make me feel ravenous like the white stuff does. I'm not going to be tempted to overeat on it. I understand eliminating starches from my diet for the first 2 weeks to cleanse my body and get my insulin under control.
I really need some guidance on a good Low Carb diet. I don't want something where I can eat anything I want for 1 day a week and then the rest of the days I have to eat strict and by the book. I don't want to have to drink special shakes to stay on the diet. I don't want to eat fruit one day, veggies the next and meat the third. I guess what I am trying to say is, I want to have a balanced, normal, healthy, low carb diet.
I want to be able to go out to eat with my family and not have to eat just salad with grilled chicken because it is the safe thing to eat. I don't have to have bread at every meal or fruit everyday, or pasta 3 times a week. I would just like the freedom to have a sandwich if that is what I want for lunch.
Ultimately, I would like it to be something that my whole family can do. I am in the predicament to where I have to fix me something special if I'm on a diet but if my family can eat what I am eating then that is great. When we have hamburgers on the rare occasion I want everyone to eat the same thing. There is no reason why I should have to eat a disgusting, spongy "bun" that I made out of egg whites and cream cheese in order to stay on my diet. They can eat a whole grain bun as well.
Do you think these things I have described are feasible? or am I just not thinking realistically?
Please tell me, I'm a big girl and I can handle the truth. Also any help on a good LC diet would be very helpful.
A Big "Howdy Y'all" From North Carolina!
I don't have much advice to give but I thought I would welcome you anyways
