Being somewhat of a diet failure, I find myself fatter than ever and wondering what to do to remedy the situation. It seems that I have tried it all, and they all contridict each other as far as following a specific diet plan goes. So I sit here pondering; which way to go next?

Any advice on how to get started would be greatly appreciated as Im a mess in a dress right now over this! If you were me, what would be the first things you would do to get your self back to a healthy weight?

My advice would be to focus less on following a diet and more on making a life change. Eat healthy and balanced. Cut out sodas, sugary juices and sweet teas first. Drink tons of water. Cut out white breads and pastas and trade them for whole grain. Substitute ground turkey where you would use ground beef. Eat lots of fruits and veggies and experiment with new ones. Track your calories online, a lot of sites will also help you figure out how many calories you should have per day based on what you want to lose. Eat out less and be aware of what you are ordering when you do eat out (I check nutrition info for the restaurants before I go so I know what to order). Watch your portions. If you don't already, add in exercise, cardio and strength training. It might seem difficult at first, but after awhile you won't want fast food or fries or sodas or any really unhealthy foods and working out will become second nature.

Stock your kitchen with healthy foods that you can make good meals out of. Lots of veggies, meat, beans, yogurt, fruit etc. Try to focus on only good carbs and not white carbs. Check out low cal recipes that you'll enjoy. What plan are you leaning toward? Most people around here calorie count, personally I prefer carb counting, but it's all up to the individual. In the past what did you feel most comfortable eating?

Thanks yall. I lost 50 pounds of atkins a few years ago but gained it back in a fit of carb rebellion, i have a hubby and two kids who were making things difficult for me *pitching huge fits over dinner, and one day i just snapped and threw in the towel.

I was on ww last year and lost form 229 to 212, then completely quit in late december after a fight with an old friend. That sent me into a compulsive eating freanzy that lasted for almost a month and here I am today having gained all that back.

I am an emotional eater and suffer from an anxiety disorder, so food is absolutely my "go to guy" when it comes to dealing with my emotions.

At this point i dont know what i lean towards, everything ive tried has worked, its just a matter of me not sticking to anything. Its strange because i have the want, just not the drive?!

The one thing i have NEVER done is worked out. This time i plan to incorporate that into my life.

Im also being treated for severe sleep apnea now, *2 weeks so far on cpap machine* so Im hoping that will make a difference in my weight. I had no idea I had apnea! Im 29, female and my neck size is less than 16 inches. I dont fit the criteria at all! Im so thankful they found it

I don't want to pry too much, but have you tried counseling for your eating? If the eating is tied to anxiety than working on that might actually help more than just a diet?

Ashley, not prying at all! I have been in counseling, I stopped about 6-7 months ago when my therapist retired, but before that I was in therapy for about 18 months. Sad thing is, we never really got to my eating, we were focusing on my childhood trauma for most of that time.

I'd say start with a calorie limit. Say maybe 1800 max a day. I'm just picking a good round number that most won't think is too high or too low. Get a piece of paper and every time you start to eat something look up the calorie content (on one of the many on-line calorie counters or on the packaging) and write it down. When you find you are to 1800 calories stop eating for the day. It would be a good idea to try and split them up throughout the day.

After a while you'll start finding out it's better to add more "good stuff" like vegetables and fruit because you get more food for less calories...and lots of other little tricks that help. All these things you will learn with time and practice...and of course 3FC chickies like to help too.

After about a month of learning to track your calories start throwing in some walking or other exercise like jump rope, or sit ups or scrubbing your house from top to bottom. You can add water if you want...I didn't and it didn't stop me from reaching my goal, but some people swear by it.

I also suffer with anxiety disorder. The only thing that keeps me sane is excercise and sun... Also, as weird as this sounds, the higher my anxiety level, the more weight I lost that week...(If it didn't feed it!!!) I still hate it though!

Whatever you decide to do, the most important thing is to not give up. Just stick to it every single day. If you mess up, get RIGHT BACK into the game. Don't wallow in it.

I've got severe sleep apnea too! Been using a cpap for over two years. You will find that, in addition to feeling less tired and having more energy, a lot of other things get better as well once you have your apnea under control. There are other SA people on this board as well.

The best plan for you is one that you can stick with! Start with small changes and see what you can do without feeling totally deprived. These have to be changes that you can stick with for a long time so try to keep your changes reasonable. We all have different motivation for making changes--like better health, cuter body, more energy, less painful joints, possibly lower cpap pressure ... you get the idea ... so try to figure out yours!

I used to emotionally eat too. And went to counseling for childhood/mom trauma and we never really got to food. Also, I have a very health conscious husband, so I used to sneak foods and hide things I know he would disapprove of.

First, I got over my childhood/mom trauma. Second, I told my husband that I couldn't eat exactly as he did and sometimes I needed junk and having it out in the open is healthier for me and it makes me less likely to eat the who package/box. He got it and stopped harassing me.

I don't know if I have sleep apnea, but I wasn't sleeping well either, (5 years I can explain it, the rest, I cannot). But, now I am (after starting to take BP medicine).

Over the years, my need to emotionally eat disappeared.. I think about the time the internet and groups like this abounded - and being able to reconnect with friends on FB. I felt less lonely (we moved around a lot and I didn't have much local support). Now I talk things out - not feed the problems.

And we've always eaten healthy foods. I just ate too much, but EXERCISE is the key. Whenever I exercise, I lose weight - period. it is just so important to MOVE the body. Plus, being thin and unfit isn't healthy either! We ALLLL need to move.

I don't even consider myself on a diet. I'm watching my carbs because my blood sugars are becoming an issue, I'm writing down everything I eat so I can keep track -and it keeps me honest (some great Iphone apps to do it right there on the spot too), I eat for hunger, and I exercise. I'm in no race to lose the weight - there is no time limit. It might take 1 year to lose the first 50 and another year to lose the last 25... or longer, or shorter, who knows and who cares. It's all headed in the right direction and that's what counts. I'm forever changing my lifestyle, not dieting.

And it works. I lost 20 pounds over 5 years that way and kept it off, and now with more deliberation and adding in exercise, I've lost 7 in the last month. I'm not starving, actually, I feel GREAT! And so can you!

I chose something small that I knew I could stick with for a week. For me, I just made the commitment to not eat any fast food or junk the first week.

I have tried and failed in the past, and I was so shy and scared to get back into this that I wanted to be sure to pick something manageable.

After one week of no junk, I re-evaluated. I decided, yes, I can do this. So why not calorie count again? Just try it for a week.

And so on... This has been a really good strategy for me this time. I can do anything for a week.

You guys are so great! Thank you all so much for taking the time to talk with me. I feel stronger already with yall on my side I am taking all these suggestions to heart. Writing them down actually, I really appreciate the support.

Nonster- Two years ago I weighed 224lbs. I ate anything and everything I wanted, didnt workout AT ALL, had absolutely no energy and was MISERABLE. One day I woke up and decided that enough was enough. A friend (who had recently lost about 75lbs.) gave me a book called "The Eat Clean Diet" by Tosca Reno and told me this book would re-teach me how to eat. It wasnt a "diet", it was a complete lifestyle change. I read the book that weekend and on the following Monday I went home, COMPLETELY emptied my cupboards and fridge of unclean foods and went shopping (the book gives you a "clean" shopping list). I had to teach myself how to cook healthy, how to control my portions and to eat 5 smaller meals a day to boost my metabolism. I lost 15lbs in one month JUST eating "clean". Soon after that, I started incorporating exercise into my life...I started out slowly by walking around my neighborhood for about 30min a day which helped me lose an additional 10lbs quick.

Dont follow any diets at first...dont even count calories. Start slow. For the first couple weeks, cut out fried foods and soda. Try to eat smaller portions. Dont reach for seconds. Drink LOTS of water. Try to incorporate fruits and veggies into your diet as snacks instead of chips, bread products, etc. A snack I LOVE is baby carrots and hummus. Or string cheese. Or an apple with a tablespoon of natural peanut butter. When this gets easier, cut out more bad stuff- reduce your sugar intake, only eat "good" carbs, start trying to eat 5 smaller meals rather than three big ones (BELIEVE ME, IT WORKS...AND KEEPS YOU SATISFIED!)

After a couple weeks, start walking...walk walk walk. That will get you going.

And honestly, if you can, buy The Eat Clean Diet book...it REALLY changed my life.

Good luck!