I am a newbie with over 50 lbs to lose. I currently weigh around 170 lbs (haven't checked in over a month but have gained a couple since I did!) and for my height, I should only be 130 lbs MAX. My ideal weight - for an optimal BMI - is only 120 lbs.
I have a history of yo-yo dieting. I had a baby about 6 months ago and have lost only about 4 lbs of my pregnancy weight! I also have a history of depression, and low self-esteem, so this weight gain isn't doing me any good. I am an ovo-lacto vegetarian for the most part. I am thinking of going on the South Beach diet and incorporating an hour of walking every day in order to jump-start my weight loss program. My rather ambitious target is to be at or near my ideal weight by my son's first birthday!
I have some questions and some concerns, though:
1. If you are on any kind of restricted diet (such as the South Beach) and are also responsible for cooking for your family, then how do you manage to stay on this diet whilst cooking 'regular' meals for your spouse / kids?
2. If you are quite busy during the day, then how do manage to incorporate exercise into it? I am a housewife with a pre-Ker daughter and an infant son. I spend the mornings cooking and cleaning and the afternoons driving my kids around as I ferry my daughter to after-school and enrichment activities. By the time we get back home, I am bone tired and exercise is the LAST thing on my mind.
3. How do you set realistic goals and how do you keep disappointment / frustration at bay when you do not lose weight in a given week despite doing your best?
4. Does having a weight loss buddy help? If so, then would anyone care to be mine? I really feel that I could do this if only I was held accountable to someone else. I did ask my hubby but he is no good and I really need someone to kick my butt if I don't keep up to my committed goals.
Hey Gayatri, Welcome to 3FC!! This is an excellent place for you to get motivated towards your goals.
I live with my boyfriend and cook meals for him and I. He's got 100 lbs on me and is incredibly fit so he eats a TON. I try cooking healthier foods for him, but he cooks for us a lot also and his meals are not at all healthy. To compensate, I simply make a conscious effort to eat less of it. Less than him, and sadly, less than I'd like to. You just have to be in control. "Nothing tastes as good as being thin feels"
As far as exercise goes, I know how you feel. I don't have kids but I'm a full time student with a part time job and it's hard to find the time. I walk as much as I can and as simple as it is, it really helps. You have to take it one step at a time. Set small goals because when you reach them, you'll be even more motivated to set another one and keep going. Remember, if you need help, everyone here is stuggling with the same thing you are! It might help to just tell us!
I see that you've lost quite a bit of weight yourself! That is very inspiring! Could you share how long it took you to get this successful? And anything else that helped you lose weight - aside from eating in moderation and incorporating walking whenever you can?
My weight loss goal is 2 lbs a week - MAX. This is just so that I don't get frustrated and throw in the towel immediately (which I have done in the past)!
I thought i would answer some of your questions:
1. I cook for my boyfriend and Everyday. I just cut out over have the fat of everything i cook, no butter, half the oil and what not. If he cooks, or whatever i make ends up being heavy on the fat/carbs, i just eat a little. I like to use small salad size plates when i want to do portion control on fatty foods.
2. I have a hard time fitting in exercise as well. I like to just do small things when ever i can, run up and down the stairs a few times, i do arm workouts while i am reading on the computer, i NEVER sit down at work.
3. I get really disappointed sometimes when i gain weight, but then i sit down and think about it. "I did something wrong to gain....oh, like pig out and eat a burger the day before!!!" it's usually pretty clear cut as to why you gained weight, and you make a pack to not do that again.
I've done a lot of dieting over the years but SBD has been the easiest one to incorporate into family meals at my house. Lean meats and veggies will make up the bulk of your meals and those are things you want to be serving your family anyway, right? When my kids were still at home I'd sometimes bake white potatoes for them to go along with a couple of meals a week, or I'd fix a rice or pasta side dish every now and then, but most of the time I just fixed one meal that would satisfy them while keeping me on plan. My DH is easy, he'll eat whatever I put in front of him. lol After the first 2 weeks there really aren't a lot of things that you can't have, it's more about planning what you're going to eat and controlling your portion sizes. We were already eating whole grain breads and pastas so though I am eating less of those things than I did in the past, we're still eating familiar foods and I've been able to 'tweak' most of our family favorites to be SBD friendly. There are lots of great recipes in the SBD section here.
I've been losing an average of 2 lbs/week on SBD since October. I like to walk - outdoors or on my treadmill - but I don't always get as much exercise as I'd like. When my kids were little we lived in Louisiana and I was a stay at home mom. I did a lot of walking then. It was great - the kids got outside every day and not only did my legs, abs and butt get a workout but my arms looked great from pushing a double stroller for a couple of miles every day. We'd usually walk to a playground or park and I always had juice and a snack for the kids so that they didn't get fussy while I was walking.
The SBD section here is very active, with daily chat threads and an "on plan thread" every week. I can't tell you how much the support of my friends here has helped me. There's lots of great support here whatever plan you choose to go with though, so I'm sure if you stick around you'll find lots of buddies to help you stay motivated.
Good luck to you!
Edited To Add: Duh! Forget what I said about lean meats. I just remembered your OP says you're vegetarian. Do check out the SBD recipe section though, there are plenty of meat free recipes there. At least one of the regular SBD posters is a vegetarian, if you check out the on plan threads look for Cyndi's menus. She got to her goal weight on SBD.
2 lbs a week can be a challenge.. it's a lot to do, but that's what I'm currently working on myself! It took me about 15 months to lose what I've lost. The first 15 pounds were just walking and trying to eat better. But last Christmas I got a Nuwave Oven and George Foreman Grill...from my boyfriend - just what I wanted!! Lol.... but the point is, they both cook a TON of fat off of the foods that I cooked and that helped me lose another 10 lbs pretty quickly. After that, it's just about commitment for me. I kind of go through phases where I'm really into the diet/exercise thing and do really well and other phases where I just say that I'm on a diet, and don't really do anything... but I think everyone does this haha. I've just come to realize that I want to be thin and look good in anything I wear far more than I want to eat whatever it is that sounds so good. I'm rambling, sorry.
I do have one tip for you, one that I've followed throughout my entire weightloss journey. When you are really craving something in particular to eat, whatever it is, just eat it. If you don't, your not going to be satisfied and will keep eating other things until you finally just eat it anyway. Just eat what you want, and make up for it another way, whether it be exercise, or a healthier meal later.
I don't do SBD, but if you need help, just let me know!
Need help with motivation
lol After the first 2 weeks there really aren't a lot of things that you can't have, it's more about planning what you're going to eat and controlling your portion sizes. We were already eating whole grain breads and pastas so though I am eating less of those things than I did in the past, we're still eating familiar foods and I've been able to 'tweak' most of our family favorites to be SBD friendly. There are lots of great recipes in the SBD section 
Lol.... but the point is, they both cook a TON of fat off of the foods that I cooked and that helped me lose another 10 lbs pretty quickly. After that, it's just about commitment for me. I kind of go through phases where I'm really into the diet/exercise thing and do really well and other phases where I just say that I'm on a diet, and don't really do anything... but I think everyone does this haha. I've just come to realize that I want to be thin and look good in anything I wear far more than I want to eat whatever it is that sounds so good. I'm rambling, sorry.