[BrodeyAmos]

hey everybody, my name is jen, im 22 from new york. i am what i like to call a "life dieter". i always seem to be on one and it always feels like i get nowhere. i wanted to see if i was alone in one aspect of my "life dieting". when im not on a diet I totally forget what moderation is. I eat whatever i want, whenever. I totally forget that I ever had a gym membership. And getting a parking spot as close to the mall entrace as possible is my short term goal. but then about a month into this denial i have a revelation. "hey! i should go on a diet" The next morning i wake up and eat the perfect breakfast. I get to the gym at the crack of dawn, hop on the tredmill with my health magazine.I dont even look at unhealthy foods, I am above them. I pretend like i never have even tasted a brownie. "yuck") I feel high on life, I feel better and guess what, i actually lose about 15 lbs. And then it happens, as it does every time. its about a a month and a half into my obsession when i eat something terrible, like i dunno maybe one onion ring, i know i cant bare to think about it either. its so horrible. (rolls eyes). and then the cycle starts again. it is all or nothing. i know i am not alone in this? right? well, right now i have made a change, or at least im trying. I am not on a diet, this is my life and i need to enjoy it all the time. I cant be a ravenous vulture for 2 months and then a **** health guru for the next 2. It cant and wont work that way. For anybody else in the same boat, you need a wake up call. If you truely want to be happy, the call will come eventually, and you'll know what to do. Eat a healthy meal, not a diet meal. which means dont deprive yourself. eat the right foods AND some of the bad foods gruadually. YES! the 2 can be mixed together. and thats what keeps you going. Dont and i repeat DONT workout every day, create a plan where you work out a few and can be lazy a few. WE ARE HUMAN IN A CRAZY FAST PACED WORLD, WE NEED A DAY (OR A FEW) OF REST. do not beat yourself up about not going to the gym that day. and it is ok to have a cookie, as long as you dont consume the whole bag. keep yourself balanced because you know you cant be the perfect person. soon enough this will become a normal life, you can def. stick to. i know because i am still working on it today. Living an all or nothing life is an up and down rollercoaster and let me tell you it gets you nowhere but back to the beginning.


i have gone back and forth from 195lbs-172lbs a million times. But for the last 2 months i have gone from 172 to 161 the right way, the slow way, the balnced way. and last night i had a few (small) onion rings before dinner. who cares!!!!!! ahh that feels good to say. i didnt even sabotage myself with dessert just because of the onion rings. and that is a triumph for me. i have 21 more lbs to go, i am not in a rush (well a little rush, shhhhh) GOODBYE ALL OR NOTHING!

[Peppahmint]

Awesome! That is great progress.. not eating the dessert just because you ate the onion rings. Believe me I've been there. hehe.

All or nothing for sure. Health **** one minute, eating big macs the next. But you know what I completely feel like I'm in the right mindframe now too. I feel like if you eat healthy long enough, you start to wonder what was such an attraction about the fast food. Anyone else feel that way? Its harder to go back.. especially when you're losing and feeling so good. You don't want to sabatoge yourself..

I've also gone between the 190's and 170's a million times and am finally down to 160's for the first time in years..

Sounds like we have alot in common.

Will be rooting for you!!
-M

[happymomlady]

That is so wonderful. Congratulations! I have struggled with the very same problems in my yo-yo dieting career. I have recently read Jillian Michaels book Winning By Losing and it has really helped me with these issues. Jillian says it's important that we don't deprive ourselves and to "build a lifestyle on a healthy middle ground". She says to incorporate unhealty foods into a healthy lifestyle by using common sense, moderation, and working those foods into your "daily calorie allowance". She says if you don't then it will ultimately lead to a viscious cycle of binging and beating yourself up.

In other words, I completely agree with you.

[andreaphilip3]

hi jen....
where in ny. im on long island ny. i also share youre pain.....been there but im happy to say im starting to break the cycle! i take 1 1/4 days each week where i allow myself anything i want but i do the best i can w portion control

[BrodeyAmos]

pepphamint: Me and you really do have a lot in common. we should keep in touch, it is good to have someone in the same boat as you. and yeah i havent been in the 160's in years too. it feels wonderful....but the 150 would feel even better.

andreaphilip3: im in rockland county ny, like 20 min up palisades pkway. my family lives in oyster bay, L.I. keep up the good work!

thanx for reading my long babbling story....i needed to get it off my chest.

[happydaisy]

Jen - I could have written your post. I gained this weight when I was about 20 and I lost it about 3 years ago by being extreme. I ate 1000-1100 cals a day, worked out at least twice, and in about 8 months got it all off. Then one night I was starving and went to Wendy's. That was the end of it. I gained it all back, and here I am struggling again. Like you, I'll start the week great, journaling, going to the gym and full of motivation. One mistake and I'm back at the starting line again. You're right though, we just need to "get over" this way of thinking because it is most definitely self sabotage. Thanks for the post, it really has me thinking!