That sounds a whole lot like me up until last spring. As the poster above mentioned, making your meals ahead of time can help a lot. I like to cook a few meals on Sunday, then pack them in the fridge or freezer so later in the week all I have to do is microwave and eat. Another thing I've found and LOVE is the ziplock zip n' steam bags. I buy fresh veggies and use those to steam them in just a couple minutes (quick and no dishes).

For me the only way to get out of the restaurant habit was to quit cold turkey. I ate fast food a LOT. And I know I can't handle the "you can never have this again" approach because it seems unrealistic and unfair and I just give up. So I made it just one month. A challenge to myself to go one month without fast food. The first week was okay; the second week was hard; the third week was better; and by the fourth week I didn't want that crap in my body anymore. It really worked. I stopped craving fast food. And I've tackled all of my vices one by one (so I don't get too overwhelmed by cutting everything out at once), just using this one month self-challenge format.

You just have to find what works for you and COMMIT. The better you eat and the more you exercise, the better and more energetic you feel. Getting started is one of the hardest parts. Start making new habits today.

By the way. Come stop by the Maintainer's Forum and see real every day people who have lost the weight (& lots of it) AND kept it off - for years and years. This is all about choice. You choose to lose the weight and , you then CHOOSE to MAINTAIN that loss as well. It's all in our own hands. I would love that "Study" to come take a peek at 3FC. Study? We'll show them study. Let them study this.....

One more thing about the lottery, which is not at all related to that study. Losing the weight is definitely BETTER then hitting the lottery. Because this feeling is PRICELESS. Absolutely priceless. You can't buy this. Not for any money in the world. When they say that nothing tastes as good as being thin feels - it's the absolute truth times like a million. I feel like a million bucks. Many million in fact. ;)

And then of course there's the health benefits. The most valuable thing in the world. Unfortunately, we don't realize just how valuable it is, till we've lost it.

I honestly believe that one of the biggest things holding people back is the pervasive belief that losing weight is nigh unto impossible....

There is a HUGE buy-in to that belief-- a buy-in that I think has gotten way worse since bariatric surgery became so popular.

I myself bought into that belief for quite a while. And I had doctors, nutritionists, and yes, a bariatric surgeon telling me that I was destined to fail and quoting all kinds of statistics at me...my GP told me that "my motor just doesn't run that fast" and that I might be able to lose ten pounds but I'd probably gain that back. A nutritionist said that shooting for a weight below 200 was totally unrealistic. A bariatric surgeon told me that statistics indicated that I'd never lose weight and that I "might die of obesity" even though at that time I had no major health problems other than the weight.

I hate to be cynical here, but I am a health care provider, and the truth is that no one is making money off of calorie counters and 3FCers who basically have devised their own plans that work. There is no industry promoting it, no money to be made from it, no product to advertise.

What that means is that it's hard to get the word out....

That's why 3FC has been helping me so much. Because I can see that there are others succeeding, and so I think, "if they can do it, why not me?"

And why not you too? I believe you can do it, or you wouldn't be here. I know you are worried about your health and want to make a change.

So believe it. :carrot:

i sometimes wonder about those stats regarding keeping the weight off. seems to me that i know quite a few people who have lost significant weight and kept it off. im wondering if maybe theyre counting SOME gain as a failure. say you hit your goal of 150 and then decide to keep going to 130. 5 years later, you're 155, is that a failure? if you started at 250? i dont really get how they decide who was a "success" and who wasnt.

and to the OP, we ALL failed before we were successful (at least almost all of us) probably many many many times. it only takes one true, committed attempt to lose the weight, but for most of us it takes many failed attempts first.

Most of those statistics are gleaned from randomized controlled studies where people are recruited into studies, and put on a diet for a period of time, however long the study runs. They are compared to a control group who are not on a diet, and then they look at how much weight they were able to lose during the time of the study and how much they kept off a year later, or so...

Obviously, these kinds of studies can be helpful in that they can help to show methods that work better or worse. But there are also real limitations to their findings.

One, as you indicated is that most people who successfully lose weight are not enrolled in a study for a finite period of time. Many achieve weight loss incrementally, first changing one thing, then another, then another. Many people maintain a weight that is quite a bit lower than their highest ever weight, even if technically they are still overweight....

With or without the studies, we do know that losing weight is hard and keeping it off is harder.

But, lots of things that humans do are hard: climb mountains, run a four minute mile, etc. etc.

Maybe there aren't so many examples of people losing 100 pounds before because there weren't as many people around who needed to lose 100 pounds. Maybe the key ingredient needed is SUPPORT and 3 FC makes all the difference.

Statistics from studies only get you so far. They do not tell the whole story.

interesting. first of all, most medical studies are paid. makes you wonder how motivated the people in the group are to lose weight in the first place, much less maintain it. also, the fact that theyre put on specific diets probably plays in. in that situation, i would assume most people probably go off the diet after the study.

i would think that someone who decided to lose weight for their own reasons, worked out a plan that was good for them, and then busted their butt for months/years to get there would have more of a chance of maintaining that loss. i wouldn't be surprised if these statistics are way off base when it comes to "real" people losing weight and maintaining. i know that many people don't maintain, or at least don't stay as low as they once got, and im sure maintaining for a life time is ridiculously hard, but im wiling to bet that the stats are higher than these studies lead us to believe.

Interesting about the studies. I hadn't thought of it that way.

It's also a relief to know that many of you failed before you had your great success. It does give me some hope.

Now, if I could just get some sleep.....

for me personally... sooooooooooooooooo many failures. sooooooo many "im starting monday"s, falls off the wagon, regains, yoyoing. i doubt im the only one on this site. you just have to start from where you are now, its all we can do.

Uh uh uh, I´ve started a zillion times, and each time I start a bit higher, so this time I´m determined to make it work and do it for life!!!

I don't have any advice, but thanks for asking this question. I start to feel the same way... that I've been here awhile and having trouble moving forward, and instead have gained a few. I feel like a failure when I see women who started out bigger than me are now are at a lower weight than my own goal weight.

just keep trying.. We KNOW we can do it, sometimes it's just being scared of letting the weight go and not having it to hide behind anymore.

Beginme, you are getting some fantastic advice here from some true pros. Listen to them--they know what they are talking about. Here is my advice: once you get a bit of momentum, it builds on itself. Have one good day where you stay on your meal plan...then two.... then a week... then a month. Add some exercise--even if it is just walking around the block. Take it one day at a time and before you know it, a lot of days of healthy living have started to add up. You will feel so much better. And think of how glad your future self will be that you took action now.

You can do it. We believe in you.

J

It makes me sad that you think you're a failure .. you are not a failure. You are simply a beautiful human being who has a very large goal -- and you will reach it! Believe in yourself, because everyone else here obviously believes in you. :)

YOU CAN DO IT!!!