I desparately need some help

  • I would quickly summarize my story :-

    I have mostly been normal weight all through my life. I am around 5'2" tall and 27 years old. Right now I am in my highest weight that is 130 pounds. I reached this weight somewhere in Feb this year, started diet and exercise with 110 pounds weight as my goal. I hit the plateau at 120 pounds and stayed there for two months. Therein I got frustrated and have given in on 'regular' healthy eating and exercise and now I am back again at 130 pounds!!

    So I started my weight loss journey again 2 weeks back. I generally eat healthy and exercise often, but then I am always thinking about food. I have fallen off the wagon multiple times in last 2 weeks and start binge eating. When I start binging I just go to extremes. This Monday I had around 15 peanut butter cookies!! Today also I have had several chocolates (I don't remember that count too) and cookies. I am now worried if I am facing some eating disorder or something. I really need to figure out why I have started binging since last 2 months. I was never like this before. Loosing 10 pounds now seems to be huge goal to me.

    Please help (sorry for all this rant).
  • Breathe. Breathe. Breathe. There. Good.

    According to the BMI charts you are well within the "healthy" range of weight. So don't get too upset, you're most likely not doing any damage to your health. So, please take comfort from that.

    I am a little confused though. You say you've mostly been a normal weight. So when did you get to be 130 lbs? OVer how long a period of time? How had you eating habits changed at that time? Okay. Then you started eating healthy, lost 10 lbs and stayed that way for 2 months, got "frustrated" and stopped eating healthy and exercising. So, why don't you go BACK to eating healthy and exercising? Were you following a formal program? WW? Calorie Counting?

    As far as the binges go, well what have you been eating these last 2 weeks? How many calories? What TYPES of foods? Perhaps you're not eating enough calories or filling enough foods or frequently enough, so that sends you into a binge..... Do you plan your food ahead of time? Do you have healthy foods on hand? How about getting rid of the chocolate and cookies? You can't eat it if it's not there.

    We do have a forum here for those who need to lose that last few pounds or so. It's the featherweight forum. Maybe you'd like to check that out:

    http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/featherweights-197/

    That aside, perhaps give us some more info, shed a little more light on the situation and maybe we'd be better equipped to help you out.
  • Don't be sorry. Everyone at some time or another needs help.

    I would say get rid of any temptations in your house. That is the best way to avoid them if you get out of control with them, like I do.

    I would also suggest keeping a food journal. Maybe try fitday.com or sparkpeople.com . I use sparkpeople. It is free and it will help you figure out how many calories you need to lose weight, etc. Then each day you just log in and record all the foods you are eating that day. You can also log your exercise there too. It has really helped me to hold myself accountable for everything I eat and drink.

    Maybe you could try to do something else when your mind gets stuck on food. Work a puzzle. Read a book. Give yourself a manicure. Take a relaxing bath. Go for a walk. Come here and read threads.


    Good luck with your goals and always remember that when it's all said and done, only you are in control if you succeed or fail. You can do this
  • Thanks rockinrobin and onderchic!!
    I too convince myself by saying that I m in healthy BMI range, but I have a small figure and trust me 130 pounds does look too much on me. I am in no way trying to show off .
    I am trying to follow calorie counting and try to be in 1200 - 1300 calorie range. Also I try to eat atleast 25-30 gm of fiber and 60 gm of protein everyday. I do plan ahead, I make my whole week menu every friday night and do grocery shopping accordingly on Saturday and Sunday. I do not keep any chocolate and cookies at home, and bring plenty of food to work. I try to eat 6 times a day with 200 cal for breakfast, 100 for snack at around 11 a.m. then 300 cal for lunch, 100- 100 cal 2 snacks in afternoon and evening and then finally 400 calorie dinner.
    Everyday I bring a bag full of healthy food to office but the biggest problem is the snacks that we have in office. Our office pantry is full of free 'junk' food including chocolates, chips, cookies, pop tarts and many more. Worst part is I have huge weakness for sweets and this 'junk' food room is just opposite to ladies rest room. I try to not look in that direction, but once I fall off the wagon. I just go downhill from there . And also since last few weeks we are having cakes or cookies every Monday in our office.
    I seriously need to learn some moderation, I need to say no to sweets.
    You girls are huge inspiration to people with poor will-power (like me). I would surely need your support.
  • I understand about your weight. I'm even shorter then you, so there's no need to explain about the added pounds.

    The one thing I keep hearing over and over and over again in your post is TRY. With many things, weight loss included it's either we do it or we don't. TRY is unfortunately not going to cut it. That doesn't mean that we shouldn't TRY, we just have to try harder.

    Quote:
    I seriously need to learn some moderation, I need to say no to sweets.
    Listen to yourself here and take your own advice. Say no to sweets.

    Those snacks at work, I believe you're best off making them COMPLETELY OFF LIMITS to you. COMPLETELY. Don't leave the door open for a little nibble here and a little nibble there. You said you go downhill from there. So - don't START in the first place. No need to stop, if you've never started. It's not restrictive, it's actually freeing! Once you make them off limits, that's it - they stop calling your name. You no longer have to think about them.

    And no, it's not about will power - it's about WILLINGNESS. What are you WILLING to do in order to get to your goals? How hard are you willing to work? What are you willing to forgo? What are you willing to give up - in order to get what you really want the MOST? You've got to decide what it is you are WILLING to do - and then make a vow, a pact, a promise, a - COMMITMENT - to do what is necessary, to do what is required - to do what it takes to make it happen.

    You want it? Well go out there and get it. MAKE it happen. Tweak your plan as need be and don't stop till you find the right formula for yourself.
  • Thanks Rockingrobin again!!
    --
    The one thing I keep hearing over and over and over again in your post is TRY. With many things, weight loss included it's either we do it or we don't. TRY is unfortunately not going to cut it. That doesn't mean that we shouldn't TRY, we just have to try harder.
    --
    So true, I went through my post again and realized whatever you said is so right!! I am really feeling disgusted by myself, how can I eat so much that I feel sick and that is not happening once or twice, it has started happening often.
    Thanks for your advice and support. I need to get up and start again, like last time with strong commitment and I would need your help and advice from time to time. If possible, can you also provide me some insight into exercising. Right now I just walk and run (5-6 days a week for half an hour to an hour). What else should I do and how frequently?
  • what works for me is to write everything down. and add the calories. when I saw how much i had just ate after dinner one night, I was floored. I thought i had done good, but seeing what it really was put things in perspective!

    and also get rid of the temptations. If you know you can't handle them around you, then get rid of them.

    im JUST like you. If I see something I want, but knows it's bad for me, I somehow convince myself it's okay to eat one, then once turns into 15! seriously.

    and is there another ladies room, maybe on another floor, somewhere else? If you don't walk past that room, then maybe you wont feel the urge to snack.

    and another thing I do is I write my highest weight on my hand. when I eat I see that number, and I know i don't want to get that big again, and I know if Im eating something bad, or if I want something unhealthy then that will only get me back to where I started.

    I hope all this has helped you in some way.
  • I'm also 5'2" and remember being devastated when I hit 130 lbs many years ago (I'm a good bit older than you) Now at 169lbs I would be dancing in the street if I got back to 130, which is actually my goal. Looking back at pics of myself weighing 126-130 I realize now it was actually a good weight for me. That being said, learning to eat healthy now and sticking to it will help you to avoid becoming seriously overweight and the health issues that go with it. Don't stress! Keep working on it, try changing just 1 thing at a time instead of everything all at once. Maybe consult a dietician or nutritionist for some guidance.
  • I hear a lot of people say take baby steps and change one thing at a time. For me, that never worked. If I cut out sodas, I still wouldn't exercise or eat healthy, that is just an example. I guess what I am saying is for me and maybe some others the all or nothing approach is what it takes. If I hadn't jumped in full force ahead when I did, I seriously believe I was headed to an early grave. Granted, the OP is not morbidly obese and this is just me babbling off topic so forgive me and just move along...nothing to see here.
  • As far as exercise, sounds like you could benefit from some strength training.

    Check out this forum, including the STICKY'S at the top for some great information:

    http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/weig...e-training-80/
  • Hi, healthyliving,

    This is just for information. When I ran your statistics through the freedieting.com calorie calculator, it told me you could lose weight on around 1500 calories a day. That's right, 1500. That's not a fast rate of loss--but it's more than half a pound a week.

    So you might find it's easier to stay on your program if you raise your calories a little bit in a controlled way, and raise your protein. It doesn't matter if your goal is 1200-1300 calories if you can't sustain it for longer than a few days without getting too hungry, munchie, whatever.

    Don't be impatient... keep exercising, stay with it, and recalculate...

    Jay
  • Hon, you might also try the Chicks in Control forum here, too. Lots of people in that area struggle with the type of eating that you are struggling with now.



    Kira
  • You girls are awesome!! I am feeling bit better about myself
    Mickeypnd, going to other ladies room idea is great, I wonder why haven't i thought about it earlier. From tomorrow I will go to ladies room in 1st floor (my office is in 4th floor). All that climbing stair will also help a bit .
    Tomorrow is a new day, a new start!!
    Thanks again to everyone (hugs)