I really feel broken, I mean I always start with good intentions but usually give up because I cant take the cravings. Now I am 39 and dieting has gotten me to my heaviest. 222. The thing is I like to binge, it has gotten a lot less lately, but my now thing is soda. I drink to much. Any suggestions on what to do to get myself on track? I also have pcos and not really into lc.

You have to be ready. Are you ready? And if not, why? Are you sabotaging yourself for reasons as of now hidden? Because you have to figure out what it is that holds you back so you can work on it. Because this whole process as you know is not easy (thank you Captain Obvious!). And until you are mentally equipped to do it, and really really believe in yourself, and love yourself (as hard as that is), you will likely fail. So take a long hard look at you, and honestly decide if now is the time. And I hope it is. Because nobody deserves to be stuck in a body that is a prison. And you deserve a healthy, physically fit you to live many wonderful years full of all of the awesome things life has to offer. Hugs and inspiration to you! You can do it! You are not broken.

You could start with switching to diet soda, that'd take care of a lot of calories right there. Calorie counting is such a great way to stay flexible in what you eat, which ensuring you are in a calorie deficit. There are tons of great websites that make it easy to track calories, most have apps you can use on your smart phone (I personally just have a regular phone so I just use the websites). There's myfitnesspal (that's what I use), sparkpeople, dailyplate, and I'm sure others.

And this! You have to be ready and willing. And I agree, you are not broken. We all have our struggles!

I don't know what lc means.

I found that water with lemon worked wonders when I gave up Diet Coke. I always thought it was the citric acid that helped. It also took sheer willpower, and the determination to not drink Diet Coke anymore.

There's mind over matter. Just don't. That's tough though, but sometimes that's the only way to do it. Remind yourself you don't need it. Fight it. Just don't.

Another thing people do is decide that they'll have some later. They won't deny themselves what they crave, they just won't have it "now". Often they either never get around to it, or the craving passes and they just don't want it anymore. I really need to revisit this method.

A third option is to replace your craving with something healthy. Sweets can be replaced with fruit. Salty can be replaced with salted fruit (like apples or watermelon) or with nuts, or seasoned nori, salted soy beans, or rice cakes. I know, when you want a cookie, an apple just isn't going to cut it, but over time it should get easier.

Keep the junk out of the house, and bring the healthy stuff in. It's easier to fight a craving if it's not there. If I have to go to the store to get it, either I won't because it's a big pain, and i don't feel like it, or by the time I get to the store, I realize how stupid it is and I've talked myself out of it.

Over time the cravings get easier to manage. Especially if you know and understand the source.

I use a supplement called 5HTP which is the precursor for serotonin, the feel good hormone. People on an antidepressant shouldn't take it, and I think it's certainly worth serious research or talking to a doctor before adding any supplement. I find it to be quite helpful, though. I had some mean cravings this past weekend, and I think it either has to do with TOM or with the fact that I ran out of 5HTP over a week ago.

I think lc is low carb.

As for the rest, it's a mind set.

I look at myself every morning in the mirror, sans clothes after my shower and tell myself, "I AM WORTH IT!" "I DESERVE TO MAKE GOOD CHOICES" "I DESERVE TO WORKOUT" I DESERVE TO TREAT ME GOOD AND TAKE CARE OF ME!

Don't get me wrong, there are days when I'd rather throw my hands in the air and go to McDonalds, but, I've spent a lot of time and effort, figuring out my body and my mind, and I'm on a good track, and I don't want to give that up.

Do you dive right in and then give up when it's too much at once? Maybe you need to try small changes over the course of time.

It might take you years to achieve your goals, but those years will still pass if you do nothing.

I started making small changes almost 8 years ago. Those small changes made it much easier for me to lose the weight.

Start out very small! Replace your soda with diet soda or club soda. When that is a habit, do something else (perhaps add exercise or choosing healthier foods) until that becomes a habit. Keep going until your habits are healthy

Remember, you should be trying to change your life—not just lose some weight.

Like the others have said, it's a mind-set.

Don't wait till you're 50, like me, to decide to start a healthier lifestyle. I'd give anything to be 39 again with the weight loss/healthy lifestyle attitude I have right now.

Good luck!

I try and get my exercise in earlier in the day. That way if I have a tempting moment later on, it's easier for me to say "I'm not going to give in and waste all that exercise that I did earlier." It helps keep me on track.

Hey Kathy--I'm Kathy too. :-)
Something I did last summer, that worked for me, was to try to follow the new food pyramid, The Food Plate, or whatever they call it. Basically, just try to make 50% of your plate fruit and vegetables. No dieting, no restrictions--just add in fruit and veggies. So if I was going to have a tuna sandwich, I added lettuce and tomato. And then a Waldorf Salad, to put more fruit on my plate. I lost about 10 pounds, and then leveled off, but I kept the weight off, and it made me feel good.

I liked to binge, too. I still like to overeat, and eat junk.

But you can make little changes over time. Less binges and less junk, working towards a very small percentage of junk and NO binges. It takes awhile but can be done.

I loved sodas too. However many a day you are drinking now, cut back by ONE per day until you are down to nothing. If you like diet sodas, switch to those. I eventually went to iced tea with Splenda and now like plain iced tea instead. Just cut back as much as you can tolerate. And have a big glass of water BEFORE any soda, too. You can do this! You are NOT broken!

Maybe you are broken. However, sometimes it takes completely dismantling yourself to put things back together in a better order. Take a wrecking ball to your old habits, old attitudes, and old body. Build yourself back up to be stronger and better than ever before! Many of us had to hit rock bottom before we could seriously commit to changes. You just have to decide if you've hit yours yet. You can and will succeed when you are ready! Good luck.

- as said by LockItUp somewhere in the top.

Switching to diet coke is so far from the best solution that it's almost hilarious. There's so much bad stuff in diet ANYTHING that it would be advisable to stick to full-fat, full-sugar foods (as long as they're natural and not processed and filled with transfat - but I suppose you get the drift) and recent research has actually proven diet coke (the sweetener aspartame is the bad guy here and something called phenylalanin, which is derived from aspartame when consumed) to heighten your risks of getting certain cancers with considerable amounts, alongside a long list of diseases - the stats are gruelling (just google it) - additionally, other research has stated that drinking diet soda actually tricks you into craving carbs. (I won't elaborate, since I can't remember everything I read in that article, but it's frightening.)

- on a final note.. I am a recovering diet sodaholic, so I feel your pain - but it's possible to get to the other side of it. As someone said up there, try switching to water with lemon - and perhaps the kind with added carbonic acid 'cause it's gooood on a hot day. - cheers!

//Quinn

Weight loss is not easy, I wish I could tell you differently, but what I can say is that it's worth it in my opinion. Do you think the end result and getting to a healthy weight is worth all the effort and the struggle? Because if the answer is "no", then you're fighting a lost battle.

You need to be determined and motivated to make it work. Resisting temptation can be hard, I'm craving a pasta dish right now like crazy, but I'm not giving in. You want to know how I do it? I'm motivated to look and feel great. You have to do it for yourself, not to please others and you have to be committed, otherwise you're just stressing yourself for nothing.

I have PCOS, and although it can manifest differently in women, low-ER carb, not always low-carb, worked for me. High protein, low carb and soy to help regulate hormones. I no longer need to take Metformin. :-)