Starting Over Yet Again!
 

This seems to be the story of my life.I am all hepped up on a new plan. Ready to make a life change for good.But,alas it only lasts for a few days. My latest was w/Phenterimine.I knew it would not last forever. BUt I did think it would be longer than a week.I gained not only what I lost ,but 2 lbs more.I know I have to have some will power.But after this I think I am ready to give up.But I won't.I will keep trying. But I am very discouraged right now.:(

I'm sorry you're feeling discouraged. Have you tried calorie counting? I found it to be very effective. Nothing in banned from my diet. Its important to know you CAN do this. You just have to find a plan that works for you. Most of us have been on plans that DON'T work for us, and gain weight back. So, that is the first step, finding what does work. Also, it must be said, the more active I am on this forum, the more successful I am. Being able to read everyone's posts and stories is very uplifting and encouraging, and most of all, inspiring.

Best of luck to you. I hope to see more of your posts.

Hang in there, Tracy - I'm sorry you're having a hard time and I completely relate. I keep wanting an instant solution to all of my weight problems and it doesn't seem to work that way. Posters elsewhere have suggested starting with gradual changes with correspondingly gradual results instead of switching to a very drastic plan that it hard to stick with - not sure if that would be a helpful approach for you. Wishing you the best!

You may want to consider keeping it as simple as possible at the beginning. Then when you start seeing progress and start getting more motivated and have more energy, you can modify your plan and add or subtract things as necessary. Maybe for now, just look at the actual foods you eat and see where you can improve. For example, instead of toast in the morning, oatmeal. Instead of full-calorie butter, light butter (and less of it). Stuff like that. Less packaged food, more simple foods.

And don't get into the mindset that it has to be done quickly or all at once. It will take time, but you might be surprised how easy the time flies. :) Good luck!

Originally Posted by :
1st Mini Goal is to fit in size 20 BY LABOR DAY!

To succeed, you can just never give up....ever. I hope you realize that this is a forever thing...so diet pills and fad diets will never be your salvation.

Oh...and I would recommend losing the "BY LABOR DAY" part of your mini goal...who care how long it takes to get to a size 20? Really, why not make your mini goal (however long it takes) just to reach a size 20...if it takes til Christmas, that's great! It's better than what you got going now. :hug:

I have to agree with BTF. My "new diet plan" consists of healthy food and portion control. No forbidden foods, just forbidden quantities and going into
the gym instead of committing drive bys!

Staying active on 3FC is also a great help. Every success and failure I have had in the past year is linked to my activity level here.

Good luck!!!

what about starting by counting calories. Count everything you eat for a week... then knock 500 calories off that. At your weight you could lose weight easily by eating 1800 a day. That's a LOT of food! Okay it's not whole bags of chips, or multiple chocolate bars... but it's lot of good healthful YUMMY food!

I eat 1700 a day (and you can see how well that's working for me)
today I've eating
1 cup Ginger zinger "granola" , 1/2 cup skim milk, small banana
cloverleaf tuna steak, LARGE salad with oz of cheese and 2 T vinagrette and chock full of veggies

I'm also in line to have a protein shake, orange, rice cakes, Laughing cow cheese, applesauce, reduced fat chicken dogs, whole wheat buns, tons of raw veggies.

Give calorie counting a try. Track it at fitday or livestrong or daily plate or where ever. Come here for support. Come visit us at the 100 lb club too!

You CAN do this. You can.

I agree with Lori Bell - lose the time frame on your goal. Time bound goals are recipes for disaster.

You can control what you do - you cannot control how your body will respond.

Thanks everyone! I am going to try to make small changes. It is hard for me to do that,because I am an all or nothing kind of person. But I think that is how I am going to have to start,since my weight is so out of control.I am going to start counting calories. I also took the advice of not having a time frame.I will just try to lose,whatever I can,No dead lines.I am also going to try to weigh myself once a week only,because I get hung up on the scale.
Thanks Again!:)

You know, Weight Watchers is also a good solution. It has guidelines and easy-to-follow rules, and the planning with respect to calories/nutritional info is pretty much done for you with their points system. The costs are minimal, and there are no forbidden foods, so you get the flexibility that you need when you need it. The costs are minimal, and the plan really has worked for me. I found that, left to my own devices, I just couldn't do it. But with a structured plan, I've been successful.

Just a thought...

Kira

Originally Posted by Tracy:
Thanks everyone! I am going to try to make small changes. It is hard for me to do that,because I am an all or nothing kind of person. But I think that is how I am going to have to start,since my weight is so out of control.I am going to start counting calories. I also took the advice of not having a time frame.I will just try to lose,whatever I can,No dead lines.I am also going to try to weigh myself once a week only,because I get hung up on the scale.
Thanks Again!:)

I too am an all or nothing person. I used this to my advantage during my weight loss efforts and now that I'm in maintenance. Meaning, I got really, really "into" it and excited, instead of dreading, the changes that I needed to make in order to get healthy. Upon really, really deciding, once and for all, no joke, no 1/2 A$$ efforts - to lose the weight, this personality trait of mine - well I was going to make the most of it. It made me ultra determined. I looked upon losing weight and getting healthy as a mission and as a full time job. By giving it SUCH a high priority, making it SUCH a focus, that's when all the pieces fell into place.

I count calories as well, making sure to make them very worth my while and get the biggest bang for my buck out of them. Healthy, nutritious, tasty, satisfying, voluminous foods. I also eliminated foods that I have a history of overeating, wanting to take no chances on derailing my efforts by including foods that I could/would go overboard on.

Losing weight is without a doubt a doable thing. It's not some crazy, far-fetched scheme. It's doable. It's proven, time and time again. And you can absolutely do it as well. :)

I second WW. I love this plan!! I have joined 3 times actually- The first two I did really well lost more than 10% - around 30 lbs or so each time then I got a bit cocky and thought I could handle it on my own... for me not so much. I need the weekly accountability(to someone other than myself) and I like the supportive group environment plus the meetings are like a weight loss class each week. I really look forward to it... I feel confident when I am on plan with WW.

Whatever you chose DON'T give you. You don't fail until you stop trying! :hug: Weight loss is hard, but you can do it!!

Hi sweet Tracy -- you know, I just have a feeling about you that you are definitely going to succeed. You just need to find your own way. You posted a few times on the "positive" thread and we miss you over there.

The ladies on this board have way more experience than me on giving advice on food and they have helped me tremendously whether they know it or not. I have only been at this since March 10, so am a newbie myself.

But I am good at spotting a winner. And I think you're a winner. Or, more appropriately in this case, a loser! However you put it, I know you will succeed. CJ

Originally Posted by rockinrobin:
I too am an all or nothing person. I used this to my advantage during my weight loss efforts and now that I'm in maintenance. Meaning, I got really, really "into" it and excited, instead of dreading, the changes that I needed to make in order to get healthy. Upon really, really deciding, once and for all, no joke, no 1/2 A$$ efforts - to lose the weight, this personality trait of mine - well I was going to make the most of it. It made me ultra determined. I looked upon losing weight and getting healthy as a mission and as a full time job. By giving it SUCH a high priority, making it SUCH a focus, that's when all the pieces fell into place.

Amen! I'm the same way! I won't go so far to say I'm obsessive, but pretty close. :) You need to just put your "all" into it and just do it. I got rid of some other distractions in my life recently, just so I could focus on this. And it's working!

Good luck to Tracy! :hug:

How ya doing today Tracy? Having a good day? Hope things are going smoothly for you. Give us an update!

I woke up of the right side of the bed. Things seem brighter today.I feel like I could do this.I am counting calories as of today. So far so good for today. I even went on my elliptical for 10 min. I haven't been on it for at least a year.
Thanks everyone!:hug:

I would suggest you start your weightloss program by forming healty habits. Why not start by drinking8-10 glasses of water everyday. You will realize how good/hydrated you feel. Do this for 2 weeks. Don't expect any weightloss. Don't get on the scale.

Then start the next habit. Walking for 20 mins, twice a week. Again do this for 2 weeks.

Slowly you will start realizing how good it feels to be in control. Then you can start addressing your diet.

It worked for me. Hope this helps you.

Originally Posted by Tracy:
I woke up of the right side of the bed. Things seem brighter today.I feel like I could do this.I am counting calories as of today. So far so good for today. I even went on my elliptical for 10 min. I haven't been on it for at least a year.
Thanks everyone!:hug:

You CAN do this!!

My focus at the moment is how to maintain healthy. Working at night is so hard.

I think the title of your thread is very telling. If you keep feeling like you are starting over, starting a new diet, starting a new attempt, then I don't think you are likely to have the success you are looking for.

First I would strongly suggest you not consider any of the fad diets, plans, pills, etc. Make some basic small changes and the key is........make sure they are changes you can live with FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE. If you are not looking at it that way, you might be able to lose some weight but you'll never be able to keep it off. Also, as others have mentioned, don't tie yourself to reaching goals in a certain time period. Just make the goal and eventually you will reach it. Time-specific goals will only set you up for disappointment.

I've been overweight my whole life. I've started and stopped dieting so many times I've lost count. Back in 2000 I was at my highest weight and then started an extreme diet and exercise plan that lost me 60 pounds in 8 months. I slowly put nearly all the weight back on. Several times I did try to start losing again but always got frustrated with depriving myself of food and not seeing the changes on the scale I was looking for. Finally in 2006 I was within 10 pounds of that highest weight again and I made the decision to finally make the changes in my life that would be permanent. I knew I was serious because I made this decision about 2 weeks before we left for summer vacation and in the past I would have said, "Oh just wait until we get back so I can splurge on vacation" but this time I committed right then and there.

The first change was I was going to try to just eat less for the rest of the summer. It was a small change and something I could easily live with. I didn't count calories but just tried to eat smaller portions or make better choices at restaurants (e.g. small cheeseburger and fries at McDonalds instead of QPC value meal). By the end of the summer I had lost about 5-7 pounds. Then I started exercising in the fall and calorie counting and continued to lose. By May of 2007 I had lost about 25 pounds. The weight loss was slow but I felt as though I had a better chance of keeping it off since I didn't feel like I was dieting or doing anything I couldn't live with permanently. From the summer of 2007 to the end of 2008 I maintained my weight at around 195 pounds. This was a huge accomplishment as I don't think I've ever gone 18 months at a weight under 200 lbs and maintained that weight. Finally at the beginning of this year I decided I was ready to start losing again and made a few more small changes to get back into losing mode. I've since lost another 25 pounds, again a slow loss at about a pound a week. But I am now down to 167 which is the lowest weight I have been in my adult life since college (about 20 years ago).

I know that many people get frustrated with the slow rate of losing weight at about a pound a week, but I truly feel it is the best method to permanent weight loss. Also, don't discount the importance of maintaining your weight during your weight loss journey. You may lose a few pounds and then not lose any for a while. But as long as you don't gain back any weight, that is an accomplishment and is the path to permanent weight loss. Good luck!

Originally Posted by danemom:
going to the gym instead of committing drive bys!

A little sidestepping here BUT I soooo love this!!!! It actually made me chuckle! This is the way I'm going to look at a Drive-Thru from here on out. ;)