Got motivation....got time... but what diet...? - 3 Fat Chicks on a Diet Weight Loss Community

Xanadu · 08-14-2010, 11:11 PM

I found myself on here reading posts and thought I'd put my situation out there and see what advice people might have for me.

In February I started counting calories and working out. I spent a great deal of time fretting over my loss, because I lost a lot in the first couple weeks (water I'm sure) but then I would go weeks with no loss, then lose a couple, then back to nothing. So I stuck it out and worked my butt off and made it to mid-July with a 40 pound loss.

At that point I went on vacation and, of course, fell way off the wagon and was having a really hard time getting back on it ....as I knew I would. I've been "good" one day and "bad" the next ever since I got back home.

So, my current issue is this.... the other day my niece asked me to be the Maid of Honor at her wedding which will be NEXT fall. I was surprised and totally thrilled and obviously said yes. She made it very clear that she loves me as I am and has left my dress style up to me, based on what I feel comfortable in. As wonderful as that is, I now have some great motivation to get some weight off, as well as plenty time to do it.

I am now torn on what route to take. In the past I have done the Six Week Body Makeover and lost a lot of weight, but it was restrictive and I experienced some serious hair loss which kind of freaked me out. My thought was maybe I could do it for six weeks, knock off some good poundage and then move over to calorie counting.

OR I could stick with the calorie counting and just try to tweak it a bit to get my body where it will lose a bit more consistantly. The down side to this one is that I know I ultimately could spend weeks of zero loss in figuring it all out.

Thought or suggestions....?

Losing It 2010 · 08-15-2010, 07:46 AM

If her wedding is the Fall of 2011 then you have plenty of time to work with. If you exercise and eat healthy then in an ideal setting you could lose 1lb a week which if her wedding is 52 weeks from now then that is about another 50lbs. Now that is counting the chickens before they hatch but it should be enough to motivate you on a healthier eating plan. Good luck and keep up the great work!

srmb60 · 08-15-2010, 09:09 AM

How lovely of your neice!

Tell us the difference between a "good" day and a "bad" one. Maybe we can blend them together, tweak them a bit and come up with some ideas to keep you going for more days in a row.

gardenerjoy · 08-15-2010, 10:21 AM

I recommend the books by Judith Beck. They use Cognitive Behavioral Techniques to help you stick to your plan. Because there doesn't have to be an "of course" about falling off the wagon on vacation and there doesn't have to be bad days interspersed with the good. Her books really helped me with consistency in all situations.

The Beck Diet Solution (the pink book) doesn't have a diet in it. It offers a task a day for six weeks to get you to stick to whatever healthy plan you choose.

The Complete Beck Diet for Life (the green book) has a healthy diet in it (kind of an exchange plan augmented by calorie counting; not really low carb, but lower carb than anything I'd tried before) and is on a weekly format instead of daily.

If you like one or both of the Beck books there's an active support group on 3FC. Join us!

SCraver · 08-16-2010, 11:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Xanadu

I am now torn on what route to take. In the past I have done the Six Week Body Makeover and lost a lot of weight, but it was restrictive and I experienced some serious hair loss which kind of freaked me out. My thought was maybe I could do it for six weeks, knock off some good poundage and then move over to calorie counting.

OR I could stick with the calorie counting and just try to tweak it a bit to get my body where it will lose a bit more consistantly. The down side to this one is that I know I ultimately could spend weeks of zero loss in figuring it all out.

Thought or suggestions....?

If you did Six Week Body Makeover before and it did not lead to permanent weight loss - then I say don't bother with it now. Especially if doing it last time made your hair fall out. You want to come up with a plan you can stick with. Calorie counting sounds like something that was working for you - you just need to get back to it! Also - make sure the amount of calories you are going for is high enough. If you aren't getting enough, that might be why you are over-eating the next day.

You also don't need to start today with the lowest possible calorie count. (like 1200) You can start with say - 2000 calories a day. Then do that for a couple weeks and then tweak your plan down to 1900 or 1800. And work your way down to what ever amount you are shooting for. I am a BIG believer in little steps.

sacha · 08-16-2010, 12:19 PM

I would recommend calorie counting. There is nothing to buy, no program to follow, just listen to your own body and select what fits your plan. I find the vast majority of people who maintain are calorie counters - because it is a plan that fits your life, for the rest of your life! And best of all - it is free.

Kriket84 · 08-16-2010, 08:44 PM

I also like calorie counting. I recently have been using the sparkpeople menu with a little tweaking, and really like it.

Xanadu · 08-16-2010, 09:31 PM

Thank you everyone!! I think sticking with calorie counting is the thing for me. That decision made, I just will have to get going and figure out what calorie level works best for me. Before vacation, I was doing 1900 (which is my bmr) but I only did it for one week before vacation.

Sounds like it's time to give it another whirl!

Oh and I'll definitely check out the Beck books.

Thanks again!!