I've fallen and can't get up.
 

I'm in a deep, sugar-filled hole right now. I eat nothing but crap all day long and just can't seem to stop. I need a plan but am paralyzed by the choices. I signed up with Weight Watchers online, but neither Core nor Flex satisfies me. I can't enjoy life doing lowfat or fat-free.

I'm drawn to lowcarb, but am scared by the initial withdrawal symptoms. I work full-time so can't be saddled with brain fog or lethargy for a week or more. I actually "feel" OK with high amounts of carbs, so lowcarb is not the only option. I did lose some weight on Jenny Craig many years ago, but got tired of the food. Variety is important to me.

So, I need some advice. If there are any recovering sugar addicts out there, which type of plan worked for you? I'm open to most any plan, but the more idiot-proof, the better. :^:

Many thanks!

Unfortunatly I have no answer for you as I am in the same spot. DH and I are TTC and I realize now more than ever that I have to get rid of the extra 50lbs I'm carrying around. I'ts not that I don't have motivation and I do like working out, I just feel over whelemed by all of the choice. I am committing to South Beach again this week and I do have to say that it is the one diet that will break your sugar cravings. It worked for me initially I just didn't stick to it. I didn't even find the first week hard. The first two days were a challenge but as long as you have the right foods on hand its really easy to follow.

Hey wurdnerd and LisaCB, :wel3fc:

It seems that the only way to break a carbohydrate addiction is to lower the amount of carbs you eat. Sad but evidently true!

From what you've said, wurdnerd, it sounds like it's not the choices that are paralyzing you, but maybe your unwillingness to make a commitment...? in that you've named several options, all of which work! Any one of them would result in weight loss (and reduction of sugar addiction) if you decided to follow it. :yes:

Sugar Busters is another good program, BTW.

There is no reason to eliminate carbohydrates or fats entirely--in fact, that doesn't work well. We need those foods. But overweight and obese people really do seem to eat more than necessary of those two groups, barring medical conditions. The good news is that once you start with a plan, you do get used to eating less of those foods, and you really do feel more satisfied. There is of course a transition period--but no one said it would be easy. Simple, yes; easy, no. :no:

I like what you said, LisaCB, about South Beach--maybe start that again?

My suggestion, wurdnerd, would be that you choose one of the lower carb plans and give it a try for a month, or at minimum two weeks. You can't tell what a plan will be like for you until you do it, and for more than a few days. Don't be put off by your fears and objections!

Good luck with getting off sugar and losing those excess pounds!
:cb: :cb: :cb:

Jay

YEP ~ What JAY said! That gal is smart! :yes:

Hi!

How about calorie counting? If you commit to keeping your daily calories on target, you'll find that you reduce junk carbs and junk fats because they're simply not worth it. And food variety isn't restricted at all, as long as you're willing to accept the consequences (for later meals) of what you eat.

When push comes to shove, weight loss is a function of calories out > calories in. Reducing calories is the simplest and most effective "plan" around, even if no one makes money off of you when you follow it.

I should have added: I'm a calorie counter. And what kaw says is true--if you're counting, you really see what carbs do to your cals! :yikes:

Jay

For me, I had to devise my own plan, since I'm the one that has to follow it - for life, I figured I had best come up with things that I can indeed follow forever since that's how long I'd like to remain at a healthy weight for.

The most idiot-proof thing for me to follow is calorie counting. It's my version of portion control. And of course I make those calories highly nutritious ones, eating mostly low fat proteins, veggies, and some fruit. Whole grains are also an option.

I too ate tons of sugar. I found the best way to curb that craving was to just go cold turkey. It was rough the first couple of weeks and then oddly enough, the cravings diminished greatly. And I can happily say that sugar is no longer a major issue for me.

I also find planning ahead to be ESSENTIAL. I keep junk out of my home and keep it stocked with healthy foods. I plan out my meals so that when meal time comes around there are no surprises and no bad choices to make.

The bottom line of course is, one needs to really, really, REALLY make the decision and the commitment to a better and healthier lifestyle. One needs to make the decision to no longer eat junk all day long. To decide once and for all that that junk is just not worth it. Is it easy at first? - nope. But you do get used to it and you will come to love what eating healthy foods in healthy sized portions does for you. It's a great feeling. The benefits are marvelous, simply marvelous. Eventually you will wonder why you didn't make the switch earlier.

Good luck to you. :)

The flexibility of calorie counting is appealing, but feel like I need some extra help in controlling my carb/sugar addiction. I tried Atkins and loved the way it totally killed my cravings, but freaked out when my BF scale was only registering water loss the first week or so. I thought I was going to get dehydrated. Guess that was a bit premature, but if I'm completely honest, I don't think I could handle the Atkins for Life route. Life without pasta is not worth living.

South Beach does sound like the most livable of the lower carb options. It has that initial "bootcamp" phase, but allows good stuff to be added pretty quickly. And no counting, which is a plus.

I need to just buck up and commit. Sugar has been a part of my life as long as I can remember. I think it's just as addictive as some drugs, but much harder to avoid on a daily basis. We're surrounded by it... it's tasty... it's cheap... so there you have it.

Hopefully, I'll find some willpower somewhere.

I know the more i eat sugar/crap, the more I crave it. If you can commit to eating well for even 1 day, do it. Take it a day at a time. Don't worry about what you ate yesterday or that you might blow it tomorrow. Just focus on today. I've been in a 'poor eating' slump for a few months now. I find that I'm reaching for the junk w/out even thinking about it again. Not good. Sometimes I think 'ooo, I just have to have it' but if I were to really listen to my body it's really saying 'you're eating from habit, Jo, habit' and nothing more. I know myself that the first few days to a week or so can be hard but I also know that the cravings stop once you get going and the junk doesn't really taste as good as it does when you eat it all the time (hope that made sense -- it did in my head! :)). Good luck!

Jo

The more I try to help other people w/this advice, the more I'm hoping I start listening to it myself!! :rolleyes:

I agree totally with Rockinrobin. I too kinda made my OWN plan one that I can live with day to day forever. Portion Control is key for me too. I just had to make myself be aware of things that I eat and also consistant with exercise. Once I got used to my routine it became so easy and I CAN live with it daily.

Good Luck to you!!!! And you CAN do this. :carrot::carrot:

Ahhhh, Jo "is that really me" nailed it. Habit is totally killing me. I constantly reach for the easiest thing, which is always a carb... maybe some dairy if it sounds good. Protein, veggies and whole grains are typically the last things on my list since they require some kind of prep. Gotta find some healthy go-to foods to take the place of the crapola. Work is my biggest challenge. If I don't manage to pack a lunch, I'm at the mercy of the vending machines. Not good.

It's weird, because I'm a pretty good cook. I just hate cleaning up afterward. ;)

You talk about habits killing you. The wonderful thing about all this, is that is IS possible to CHANGE your habits. You get rid of the "bad" stuff and add in the "good" and eventually it's the good stuff that you will be reaching for. That will be your new habit and your new way of life.

Yup, protein, veggies and whole grains do require some prep and some pre-planning. It's definitely a commitment. But isn't it worth it? You put in a little time and yes, work, but the payback is overwhelming. The rewards far, far, FAR outweigh the input.

You also mention that you're a pretty good cook. Well then get cooking! It's the best way to have variety and to control the amount of calories that's in your food. Make a big batch of a few different things and you'll have it for the week ahead. YEah, the clean-up part is lousy. But again - it's worth it. YOU'RE worth it.

As far as being at the mercy of the vending machines - yes that's exactly it - you need to plan ahead. Pack a lunch.

All these changes will become second nature to you and it doesn't take very long for that to happen.

I agree with the others.

Planning is really helpful. We will make a bunch of stuff on Sunday and make up individual servings to use as lunches, etc. throughout the week and put in the freezer for whenever.

Sugar is tough. I will say that I also went cold turkey on the sugar. The more I have...the more I want. I can say no to it now. I also find myself craving the foods that are part of my eating plan (I count calories). YES! I am admitting that I look forward to my snack of celery with some garlic hummus or my sliced apple with a mozzerella stick. They taste good! :D I would *not* have thought that I would have felt this way a few short months ago.

Bottom line...this is for life. I need to do something that I can stick with and am satisfied with. I have what I want and just track it all.

When I started, I took a day at a time. Commit to today. Don't worry about yesterday or tommorrow. You CAN do it.

Good Luck.

Wurdnerd, I know what you mean. It is very scary to start any new program. It is hard also, so that doesnt make you want to "jump in" and get going. I have days and even sometimes weeks where I can not seem to stop eating "crap". It doesnt seem to matter what I think, I just eat. It is a hard cycle to break.

Try making SMALL changes before going into a major plan. Skip the second helpings at meals, use less butter/salt/oil in cooking. If you drink whole milk try 2%, if you are already on 2% try 1% or skim (I have found that 1% is easiest for me) Get low fat salad dressings and eat big salads before your meals. Try eating your food in a different order, like:
salad/vegi's/meat/then your startch or fats. I did that and found by the time I finished my salad/vegis that I only had room for a "normal" serving of the meat and nothing else. I try to not have a roll/bread with meals. Believe it or not even little changes (granted it takes a longer time to see results) make a difference. Not only that but when you change little things, over time they tend to become healthier habits and easier to stick with.

GOOD LUCK and we are all here for support!

Wurdnurd,

In all your comments, you haven't mentioned why you want to lose weight. What is motivating you? If you are just doing it because you should.... you will have a hard time committing, it is just easier continuing status quo. Find a reason that will help you find cause for committment. If nothing else, develop some type of reward system. (non food!!!!) It doesn't have to be something that is costly either, just something that is out of the ordinary or special that you wouldn't normally allow yourself.

Good point, Belly Buster. I want to lose mainly because I shouldn't weigh this much at this short height. I work in a technical field and I feel like I'm often judged on my appearance rather than my mind. You know the usual prejudices... fat people must be lazy and dumb if they can't control their eating. *I* know that's not true, but I also know the general population can be very petty and cruel.

Most of my family is overweight. My husband's family is overweight. So, there's not much of a stigma amongst those close to me. Yes, it is far easier to just settle back into the routine, and I usually do. Of course, fear of disease is always nagging at me. I don't want diabetes, or some other long term problem. Guess I need to play on those fears more.

Why can't it be easier? *pout*

wurdnerd, I have had a similar problem with sugars and still have this problem. When I'm eating high carb, I can't seem to get enough. I did Atkins to reach my goal, then after 6 months of maintenance, I switched to calorie counting. This has worked fairly well for me until the last couple of months. I felt my cravings were increasing and I was having regains of 4-5 lbs. that I was constantly trying to take off again. I've now learned that to take off a regain, I have to go back to what worked to begin with to take the wt. off. Which was limiting my carbs. (Not really back to the Atkins level but lower than what I was used to). I've now lowered my carbs for several days again and my body is finally feeling thinner again and the cravings are gone.

I guess what I'm getting at, is I use Atkins as a tool, not as my complete plan. I still eat plenty of fruit. I still use only lean meats. I eat plenty of veggies. I keep track of my cal's on Fitday as well as my carbs. I use LF salad dressing, LF mayo., LF sour cream, LF cream cheese and LF cheese. I'm keeping my carbs at 50 grams a day or less and my calories at 1300-1400.

Like you, I found that I can't live my whole life without pasta, but I can limit my portion and eat a bunch of veggies and salad with it to keep me satisfied.

Like others have mentioned you have to find the plan that works best for you. This often entails modifying a plan to what will work for YOU.

*sigh* Everyone has made such good points.

I know I'm nothing but a spoiled brat when it comes to food. I realize I won't die if I don't get my favorite treats, yet that inner brat can be really obnoxious when it doesn't get what it wants.

I'm going to use South Beach as a template and see where that takes me. My biggest challenge will be planning ahead... having legal foods handy and no bad choices available. There is no food group that I truly dislike, so I think I'll do fine once I discipline myself. I was in the military for goodness sake. I should be able to make myself do this!

I do want to thank everyone for the great comments. I've been to another board where the "regulars" dish out far more snark than helpful advice. (I'm sure some of you WW members know exactly which board I'm talking about.)

Cheers!

Hi Tamara,

I would add (if someone hasn't already said it) that there's nothing wrong with going slow. Make one substitution or change at a time. I've read that it takes 28 days to "learn" a new habit (or unlearn an old habit). Trying to make many changes all at once can sabotage the best efforts and make a person feel like a failure, which can snowball. Any healthy change I've made has been better than what I had BEEN doing. Heck, even NOT gaining is evidence of success in its own way.

Good luck and check back often for the GREAT support here.

Mary

You made me laugh. But I most certainly know what you mean. Oh how I wish there were some way to eat what I want, when I want it AND be at a healthy weight. But that's just not the case :(. I finally, finally, FINALLY realized that I simply can not have it both ways. At 42 years of age, I finally opted for the healthy weight - and the heck with all that other stuff. Yup, it's a struggle sometimes, takes lots of planning (which I've come to love and rely on) but like I said before - so very worth it. I wouldn't go back to my old life and my old eating habits for any money in the world. Being, fit, trim and healthy, full of energy, looking good and feeling good (and having a phenomenal wardrobe) feels better then any of that food ever tasted.

As a sugar/starchaholic, I can vouch for Southbeach. The first two weeks, phase 1, are to help you break the sugar addiction. And, it really works. Then, you are in phase 2 which is the way you will eat for the duration of your weight loss. In phase 2, you are eating all lean proteins, lots of veggies, fresh fruit and whole grains with a limited amount of healthy fats...and no added sugars or high fructose corn syrup. I never thought I could break the addiction, but it does work. Now, if I can just break the desire to eat when I'm feeling down! I wonder if that feeling ever goes away.

Well, for breaking the sugar addiction, I think Atkins and South Beach work really well. I lost my first 20 lbs a year and a half ago on South Beach Phase I, but fell off the wagon trying to "eat healthy" (high carb/low fat) for a year after that. I started Atkins in late June--and I haven't been perfect (I tend toward binging on junk when I'm stressed...and I've been VERY stressed), but I've lost 12 pounds so far on Atkins. Best part is I'm NEVER hungry.

I'm going to stick with Atkins until I'm at goal and VERY slowly transition to a higher carb count. I'll probably schedule in a "cheat" day once a month where I can have whatever I want to keep myself on track once I'm maintaining. :) I think South Beach or Atkins are great options--though having done both, I've got to say I like Atkins better.

Wurd -

If you're afraid of the withdrawl you don't have to do those induction type weeks... the point of them it to make it easier on yourself because the cravings go away autmatically but they aren't required.

I'm not a big low-carb advocate, but I'm a big fan of getting rid of the bad carbs because like the others mentioned above without them I'm able to control myself better. I'm not all that hungry, and I really don't desire them that much... which is HUGE for me I have such a sweet tooth!

Without induction it will take a few weeks for the kinks to work out of your system, but if you're patient you can get there without the horible first days. The key to beging able to get through the first few weeks like Robin said is cold-turkey. if you have issues with something take it OUT of the house.

It doesnt mean you can't have carbs either it's just a matter of choosing te right ones 90 percent of the time! I still have coffees with real syrup and vitamuffins and so on. Nothing is technically off limmits, but I choose not to keep certain things in my house because I know that bowl of lucky charms is going to lead to me eatting the whole box.

Wurdnerd -
Sent you a PM.
:hug:

Dear Sugar addict
 

I know what you mean, I have found the 12 step program Food Addicts in Recovery the only solution that has worked for me. www.foodaddicts.org has information on local meetings in your area or phone numbers. Many people utilize this program from places where no other members live. I have been going up and down the scale since I was 13 yrs old and struggling with my weight for all that time. I have been through several diets, regimes, etc. including only eating raw food, you name it. I am 5'7 1/2" and 51 now. I came in to FA when I was 47 and weighted 160 lbs. I now weight 120 lbs (perfect for my frame) and have not eaten any sugar or flour for over 4 1/2 years. I am grateful each day for freedom from food addiction and have healthy plentiful meals. I never ever thought this would be possible.





Here are a few meetings in Colorado: Colorado:



Monday
Denver 7pm, Trinity United Methodist Church, 1820 Broadway, Mary 720-535-8228

Thursday
Denver 7pm, First Avenue Presbyterian Church, 120 W. 1st Ave, Mary 415-269-0851

Saturday
Denver 9:30am, University Park United Methodist Church, 2180 So. University Blvd, Mary 415-269-0851

Wurd, I am one of those "modifiers". I lost 25lbs doing south beach over a year ago, tough, but I liked how the weight just sort of fell off. But then, I sort of gave up on it and myself and gained some of it back. The one thing that didn't work for me was the percieved lack of structure that it gave me. I gave myself permission to eat all the cheese and nuts that I wanted. I know you aren't suppose to have an unlimited supply, but I did. So this time I am following some of the rules of south beach (healthy carbs, etc) and the structure of counting points with WW, and using the food pyramid concept so I keep my diet balanced. It has only been a week, but so far I feel in control, I have been able to have a treat or two, and I feel healthy and satisfied.

Give yourself permission to take care of yourself and do something good for you. I agree with some of the others in that it is ok to start slow and easy. Give up something that would be somewhat easy, but could make you feel successful, (ie, if you drink a lot of pop, cut your intake in half for a week), then you just build on that until you feel like you can really take the plunge.

You can do this!! Stay positive and don't let that spoiled inner voice be louder than the healthy voice is! :hug: