I agree with doing daily accountability. There is a thread started here for that. I also use My Fitness Pal and log before I eat. Then if I see it would put me over, I would modify my serving or change what I am going to eat so I won't be over. (That being said, I have had a couple of "over days" but was okay with it, because they are very few.)

I exercise every single day. Even if it is only walking for 20 minutes (which happens once or twice every two weeks.) Usually I do 30 minutes or more of walking with a few minutes of running mixed in.

I have started and quit trying to lose weight so many times. I would just get the "why bothers" which depressed me and led me to emotional eating, which of course led to more weight gain.

This year is different. I have never been so dedicated, so commited, and so **** bent on getting healthy. My best friend died suddenly last year of heart failure. In a way, getting healthy is my way of honoring her memory. I don't want to leave my children motherless as her child now is.

You CAN do this! Come here daily and read posts, answer what you feel like answering. Log everything in an app like My Fitness Pal. Measure everything. Drink 16 ounces of water about 20 minutes before you eat. Only drink water or no calorie drinks. These are all things I have been doing and really help. (I was a serious Mountain Dew addict for years, by the way! At one point I was drinking a liter daily by myself! Ugh!) I gave up the sodas cold turkey.

I have to say about 2 weeks in I had an emotional break down. I hated that I gave up so many things I loved, hurt from exercising, and was feeling deprived and depressed. Nothing, no one, had prepared me for that. It almost did me in! But I pushed through those intense cravings and now I can not even drink a soda!

Eat some form of protein with every meal. High fiber foods will keep you from being hungry longer.

Welcome back, keep at it, and when you feel like giving up, GET up and walk instead. :) You can friend me on My Fitness Pal (RavenWolf1977) if you sign up.

I've made it a week!!
 

I had my weight in today and I'm down 7.4lbs!! Very encouraging.

I'm counting my calories VERY closely and am actually finding it difficult to eat enough some days. It sounds crazy but I haven't eaten over 1800 all week, and my original goal was 2000. I even stopped at Mcdonalds last night and got a fruit smoothie (300 calories) just to put me to 1200 calories. I still have urges to binge, but so far I've fought them with the help of the support here.

What I'm going to do now is instead of setting a certain goal daily of how many calories to eat, I'm going to just keep it between 1200-1600 and try to juggle that around a little (something like calorie cycling).

Congrats on the loss--that's so encouraging to start out that way!

People have good success with calorie cycling--and having a range seems like a good approach.

You might consider picking a forum thread or two and becoming a participant there--I've found it really helps me be accountable to have committed myself to posting daily on the Beck forum and on the "Decade" forum in the 100lb Club.

This is where I am at too! I had the SAME experience with the clothes tightening... ugh... Hang in there buddy! We can do this!

Yes we can!!!!

I feel you - I got down to my lowest weight (but not goal) last August, then fell off the wagon. After returning from Christmas in Europe I found I was at my highest weight ever :( So here I am to make a go of it again. I am determined to try and make it a life change this time!

Even though I am calorie counting/planning, I am trying not to obsess over it this time and just eat when I'm hungry. I am reading lots about whole foods and trying to base my lifestyle around that now! So far it's slow changing and I keep slipping up but I'll get there.

7.4lbs in a week is excellent, great work!

I've been yo-yo-ing so much that I can't even keep track of how many times I've fallen off track. Last May, I was pretty much at my goal weight but then life happened. We moved, my daily migraines got worse and lots of stress came down hard on me so now I don't even know how much I weigh. I just try to take it one day at a time. What helps me is if I have a schedule. I need to have a time when I'm going to workout. Even if it's a super light workout, that helps me with my eating and staying on track. I keep track of calories on LoseIt. I try not to go over 1520 but some days I do and other days I eat closer to 1200 or 1300, so it just varies. I'm trying not to binge so rather than binge, I'd rather have 1800 or even 2000 calories just to keep things under control. I'm a food addict and I might always be a food addict but I'm trying to find a solution and there's nothing to be ashamed about. :hug:

another weigh in
 

I lost 3.8lbs this week!

I haven't kept my promise to log on everyday and I fell off the wagon for two days this week. I still lost 3.6 lbs! The only thing that saved me was contracting a stomach virus and not being able to hold anything down all day yesterday. It ended my binge and got me back on track.

Hi and welcome back. All I have to add is just don't quite. Keep coming on here and talking about anything and everything. Start a blog, a smash book, and think about your weight loss. I know that seems obsessive, but for me it helps keep my head in the game and keep my eye on the prize..lol.. I know corny right? :) Seriously though you can do this. We all can!! Challenges are a great way to get going. For me challenges and keeping up with my progress in my smashbook has helped tremendously.

Good luck. HOpefully we'll see ya around more!!

Congrats on starting and losing, I always tell myself it's only a failure if I dont start again. If I have a bad day I say "F" it, learn from it, forgive myself and move on. Logging and planning help me alot that way I can allow some cheats. I went to the Golden Corral the other day I had extra calories so my splurge only wound up 300 over my weekly allotment. You can do it just get back on the horse and don't push to hard. Your not perfect no one is.

Thanks gals!
 

Thanks gals, this website does help tremendously, as does logging what I eat. Just logging on here and seeing my ticker numbers go down is a real encouragement!