Ok. So I am the perfect example of the person who does a diet for a week (or two...TOPS) and gets off of it because it is too hard or cause I'm too hungry or just because life gets in the way of it. Until now. I have officially lasted the longest I EVER have on a diet. It's pitiful really. I started my new Lo-cal lifestyle 12/9/09...so Friday will be one full month of my new lifestyle.

I won't lie. It was HARD in the beginning. But somehow I stuck through it for once and now...it is like I have a new life. I feel amazing. My pants are loser. I can do 50 minutes on the elliptical at the gym without even bringing my HR over 140. My stomach "issues" are gone. My engagement ring even fits better. The hunger pains are gone. I got through a plateau and now the weight is flying off (for now). All this and I have only lost 16.6 lbs. Imagine how I will feel after 50...100...150!!! These thoughts are keeping me going...even though I have no urge to eat in excess.

When I want something, I have it. Like ice cream...I am an ice cream addict (I use that word loosely) I would literally have several scoops of ice cream daily...sometimes twice a day. Now, I get a craving and I fix it. I go to the fridge and scoop one spoonful, and eat it right off the spoon. So now I am having 1/4 of a serving instead of 4 servings. I stay within my calories and I am eating WAY more whole foods. For example, today I have had 5 strawberries, 2 cups of raw spinach in a salad, 1/2 a cup of cherry tomatoes, I have a banana sitting on my desk for an afternoon snack. I am actually eating my recommended fruits and veggies!!! Amazing. That's coming from the girl who had BK, orange chicken, and a bowl of ice cream...in the same day.

So for all of you who have just started your diets...my advice is to stick it out. It is going to be tough until you get through it. But once you get through it...you will be soooooo happy you did. Oh yeah, and it's not a diet...you have to turn that old lifestyle upside down and shake out all that bad stuff. Don't feel bad if you only get rid of one thig at a time. About 2 months ago, I started slowly eliminating diet soda (I read it literally slows down your metabolism, and study participants lost 5 lbs a month when only diet soda was eliminated) Fake sugar doesn't affect your body the same way normal foods do. I still have one seldomly...but I have almost completely cut them out. That was my first step, and it made me want to do more.

Sorry for the length...I can't shut up

Well said..and DITTO a thousand times over on your comments on the diet soda--that goes for all artificial sweetners actually...stick to milk in moderation and water, water, water

Congratulations! I can tell how thrilled you are! 16 pounds is fantastic! I wish you the very best as you continue your journey!

Hey...on the ice cream thing---do yourself a favor and buy the Skinny Cow ice cream sandwiches...WOW

Great progress! But this means it's time to go faster & harder in a shorter time period

That is exactly what I said to my fiance last night when we were leaving the gym!

Thank you for the inspiring post! I too suffer from the 'total and complete lifestyle change... for one week only!' mentality, haha.


For a reeeeally amazing ice cream fix, try the skinny cow ice cream sandwiches. They are SO GOOD and only 140 calories... tastes like 500 :P
http://i271.photobucket.com/albums/j...scdesserts.jpg

I actually get the Smart Ones desserts. Strawberry Shortcake, cookie dough ice cream with the cookie at the bottom...yum...several other kinds too. Those are 170 for each cup...but they don't last too long. We usually get home from the grocery store and have one each right away!!! I just have had the same ice cream carton since before I started watching, and I am slowly getting rid of it. One spoonful at a time. LMAO...one carton has lasted me over a month...whereas it would have lasted maybe a week before.

Good job! It is a great feeling to really get in the groove.

I will respectfully disagree with Sasha, however, on the harder, faster thing. If the weight is coming off at a satisfactory speed, and you are moving your body and working up a sweat...which it sounds like you are...I do not believe that we always have to push to the limit. Moderation works well in weight loss, including in exercise. It is getting the exercise that is important. Yes, increasing you work out level over time is a good idea as you get into better shape, but it is not necessary to test the boundaries every time you get on the elliptical...that kind of striving for "perfection"...can make working out unpleasant. Exercise should be hard work, but it should not be unpleasant.

However, if you are ready for harder, faster...which from your later post it sounds like you are...go for it!

Great job, your enthusiasm really shows and it is lovely to hear! I'm glad you feel so fabulous! Keep up that GREAT work!

What great progress! 16 lbs in a month is fantastic (and what Im really hopin for). Your post is very inspiratonal since I just got started (though im not yet discouraged at all)

Thanks for posting this! I really needed some inspiration.

Congrats on your success! With your good attitude I know you'll reach your goal.

I really needed to read this today! I am "that person," too, who starts a diet and quits after a week or two because I am too busy or too tired or too lazy to continue. It has been hard for me to think of this in terms of "long term," but that's what I'm going to have to do. They say it takes you doing something for six weeks to become a habit, so that's what I'm aiming for this time around... just to make it to the six week mark so it becomes part of my daily lifestyle rather than something I am going out of my way to do (like it feels right now!)

You're enthusiasm is so encouraging, so I'm so glad you posted! Congratulations on figuring out what works for YOU. And thanks for the reminder about Diet Coke - it's been sneaking back in and I'm not happy about it.

Well said! It always sooo soo hard to stick with it for more than a couple of weeks but when you do WOW ! .

I think this site is what really made me stick to it for more than a few weeks this time and after those few weeks and i saw the change in my body thats when i realized what ive been doing wrong in the past. Giving up.