3 Fat Chicks on a Diet Weight Loss Community

Good Morning to All, and thank you Ruth for your warm welcome in your thread for newbies.

I would love to be a chick, and thin....but alas, am able to achieve only one, and 1 out of 2 aint bad.

I've been visiting for about 2 weeks, and this site is awesome. It's like having shopped in a Country Store for all one's needs, then going into Mall of America.

A brief bio, I'm 58, former nurse, now on retirement disability, divorced and share my home with a Scottish Terrier named Zoie. She would love to rule the roost, but she is aware that she who pays the mortgage rules. I am a tall woman at 5.10" and have watched my weight since I was 20, however, the last 10 years, due to illness, depression, medication...I am twice the woman I used to be (in size that is).

In March 2001, joined Weight Watchers and shed 102# in 9 months. Clocked in at 320# and reduced to 218#: amazingly relatively easily. However for 4 months, couldn't do anything. Lose 2, gain 3, lose 1 gain 1, etc. My inner self told me I was eating too many carbs (pasta,rice, potatoes,breads, etc)
and spoke to my Lecturer about it.. bottom line was she said for me to stick with what I had been doing to shed the 102#. My goal was 170#. Given my height and age, and tops weight of #320, felt this would be a good weight to maintain.

Gave up journaling and went for the foods I craved. Normally, do not care for fried foods, but found I couldn't seem to get enough of them. That combined with a 3 week trip to California and eating every meal out my weight started coming back on. Of course I wasn 't happy and couldn't wear the clothes I bought and needed to go into bigger sizes... but whatever it takes to go on a food plan to shed weight, just wasn't in me to do. Then, told myself, eat, drink and be merry through the holidays and after the first of the year... back on sensible indulgences.

I saw a TV documentary about Weight Gain and Loss, and Dr. Agatston was on and a large segment went into discussion of his plan. This sang to me, I truly believed I could be successful on it.... long term, ordered the book
and have taken my first step to achieving my goal.

I held my breath when I stepped on the scale for the first time in 7 months.
Had a feeling I had regained all my lost weight and would be at 320# plus, but
I was 294. I maintained a 26# loss through those 7 months of eating frenzy insanity.

Have always had a huge appetite and do believe it takes my brain 2 hours to know when my stomach is full, not the usual 20 minutes. I prefer 1 huge meal a smaller one, and grazing. From experience, whatever the food, know for me to lose/maintain must eat 5 mini-meals, or 3 small meals and 2 snacks, just what South Beach Diet proposes.

I do like Weight Watchers.... but I need to eliminate refined carbos from my food plan... I am incorporating the Weight Watchers Point System (for me to keep my portions normal or reasonable), and following the South Beach Diet Plan.

Believe part of the reason I was successful on Weight Watchers was accountability. Knowing someone else would know my weight each week, helped keep me on point.

Will use this forum, for accountability to others on the South Beach Diet.

Start Date: January 7, 294.2. January 14, 289.6.... a loss of 4.6 for the week.

Darby
(real and journal name: Darlene)