[jesiku]

I recently joined a gym and i am trying to do my best with the eating. what gets me is when i am sad, stressed, depressed, etc i turn to food. i have tried to drink water like people say any trick to curb the urge i was defeated in my quest. to add to the issue i do have a severe clubbed foot and after nine surgeries and the most recent was fusing my ankle. this just makes any type of movement that much difficult IT DOESN'T MOVE i cannot even do jumping jacks. so i guess what i am asking if anyone knows of any good exercises to aid the weight loss. as well as if there any help out there for the average food addict.

[Daimere]

Can you walk with a clubbed foot? I lost 60+ pounds just walking. Just start logging your food. I'd place notes on food that said, "Do you really want to waste that many WW points/calories/whatever?" Those notes would stop me. Or if I had to eat, I'd choose something healthy

[Buffinlovin]

I'm sorry to hear about your ankle I imagine that's going to hold you back a little from some of the more vigorous exercising (running, etc), but I hope you are still able to incorporate walking, and definitely some arm exercises!! You don't need to spend hours in the gym to help you lose weight, losing weight is more about diet, and exercise helps tone and build muscle, which in turn burns more calories.

I find most enjoyment from walking right now. Fall is one of my favorite seasons, with the hint of cooler weather, the leaves starting to turn color, etc. Right now I'm addicted to finding walking paths and downloading walking music. If you can incorporate walking, see if you can walk around the block (or if you don't care to walk around the neighborhood, see if there is a paved walking path anywhere. One of my favorites is at a local township office, where they have a 3500ft paved path with gentle slopes up and down).

As far as dieting goes, what methods are you using? I do calorie counting, and it works for me because I don't like to give up certain things (I love carbs, proteins, fats, sugars, etc). As long as it falls within my calorie limit for the day, I can eat it. Weight Watcher's is similar, and uses a point-based system that uses things like fiber, fat, etc., to calculate it. The good thing about both of these methods is that you can really tailor it to your own needs (like if you need to go low carb, or low fat, you can still use the guidelines of the calories/points and choose foods that fit your dietary needs).

If you feel it's too overwhelming to look at numbers right away, just start by writing a food journal. Just write down everything that you eat (and if you want, also write how you feel afterwards...this can help pinpoint trigger foods for you later down the road). There are apps/websites that you can use, like MyFitnessPal, LoseIt, etc (which are free) through smartphones, Ipods, tablets, etc., or you can just use the standard notepad app to keep track. I find that a food journal is one of the most important tools in weight loss, because it keeps you accountable.

Lastly, don't beat yourself up if you slip up here and there. Give yourself some wiggle room from time to time, and this will let you focus more clearly on the diet. I recently learned this past weekend that it's okay to give yourself free reign occasionally, and loosen the grip on the diet. You don't want the diet to get repetitive and monotonous, otherwise you'll not want to do it for long. Spice it up however works for you (I was able to have an off-plan day and pick right back up with the diet the next day, some people may only do a single meal, etc).

Sorry for the late night rambling Trying to distract myself from my fiance's bag of kettle corn lol! Hope this helps!

[jesiku]

Thank you for the help i really appreciate it I will have to try some of those tricks that you have mentioned. I enjoyed what was said about the walking i do try to go through nature center paths they are the best. I will have to try to walk more like you said especially on the days i don't go to the gym. again thank you very much.

[Palestrina]

Sorry to hear about your foot, it's definitely an inconvenience but nothing you can't get aorund with a little good spirit and motivation. Focus on what you CAN do. Last week I was watching Extreme Makeover: Weightloss and the obese person they were featuring was over 400lbs and had torn meniscus in both of his knees! Considering the amount of exercise these participants are required to do I didn't think there was a chance for this guy. But he found ways around his injuries and lost the weight. Inspirational!

You most certainly do not need to do jumping jacks for exercise. That's so old school lol. Only you know what your food can and cannot do. Can you use the eliptical machine? Can you swim? Can you walk? What about the rowing machine? Yoga? Squats? Find all the cardio moves you can do and do those.

The food issue is the trickiest, that's the hardest of all and there are a lot of "right ways" to do it. The basic principle is to eat less and move more. If I were just starting out for the very first time to diet I would want someone to advise me to keep a food journal. Write down everything you eat for a week making sure that you write out portions (ounces, tbsp, cups, grams, etc) and try to tally up the calories. Look at where you can cut back and what you can do without. Sometimes it's shocking when you see it all written down because we tend to forget what we eat. Becoming aware of what you eat and what your weaknesses are will be valuable information towards changing your eating pattern.

[Trail Runner]

Can you bike? I'm not sure what your limitations are, but biking is excellent cardio and most of your power is coming from your glutes and your quads. Something to try, at least!

[gardenerjoy]

I'm a librarian, so I have books to recommend to the average food addict.

The End of Overeating by David Kessler and Salt Sugar Fat by Michael Moss address the addictive nature of processed foods directly. Eye-opening. And so helpful to know that some foods are likely to be counter-productive on the weight loss journey.

The books by Judith Beck (The Beck Diet Solution and The Complete Beck Diet for Life) apply Cognitive Behavioral Therapy techniques to dieting. One or both of those books can really make the difference in setting up structures and strategies to succeed at weight loss.

One of the most useful strategies is to find a home group here on 3 Fat Chicks where you can report every day. There are groups by age, groups by type of dieting, and challenge groups. If you do read and like one of the Beck books, there's a group for that, too.