# Severe difficulties losing weight...advice?



## coffeeaddict

Eating bad food isn't always bad. If you can control your portion sizes then theoretically you should be able to eat whatever you want. What are your portions like?

Do you have a dog? They make it easy to get out and exercise. Walking the dog once a day for an hour will burn some calories and get you into a routine. I do this and I just tell myself it's because the dog needs to go out. It's not for me, it's for him, so I do it. 

There are usually a bunch of ways you can get more active without actually working out. Example, I have access to a golf cart to go catch Cookie, but instead I walk out to get her and walk back up the gigantic hill to bring her in.

Little things like that will add up. Just some suggestions, I know how hard it can be to stay motivated to workout and stay on a diet. I've given up on dieting simply because all I ever want to do when I'm on one is CHEAT.


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## Hidalgo13

Well, if you eat really good gourmet food ( it's usually on the healthier side), you won't want to go back to the junk. When I was small I would anything. From junk to gourmet. Loved the junk, but with the years, really junky food made me nauseous because it's so full of chemicals and crap. Now I can only eat a little.

I think you should try and make the transition slow. No way you are going to change over night. 
Keep eating burgers and fries, BUT, don't order out from MacDonald. Make your own. Buy lean ground meat, put some cut onions, some bread crumbs, salt, pepper, etc. Mix it and barbecue it. Try using real cheddar instead of kraft,  put all the toppings you want. Ketchup, mustard, tomatoes, lettuce, bacon...

Instead of buying fries, take some extra time to cut a sweet potato or potato, (cut them thinly) sprinkle some salt, pepper and herbs, dump it in the oven. Still yummy, but less fattening.
Eat chips, but eat the ones that are more natural and just have salt. Not the ones with fake cheese etc...

Try starting out like that. Eat the same foods but not the store bought processed one with chemicals. That should help. Chemicals are really what make us gain. Our kidneys cannot handle all the purifying so they send some of the crap to our liver. SO instead of breaking fat, our liver has to get rid of chemicals. AND SNACKING AT NIGHT! That's my weakness. I can starve all day, but at night, for some odd reason I NEED TO EAT! :/ But really, just not eating after 7 (even if you eat junk all day) will help you loose weight. 

Eventually move on to more healthy foods. (If you eat yummy gourmet food, those veggies won't look so boring. 

Also, when eating vegetables, if you eat them with yummy, spicy dips, or put lots of butter and salt on your cooked vegetables, they aren't so boring. Too much butter isn't good for you either, but I think you need to start it out slow. Slowly but surely.

BUt I have a question. I hope it's not too personal. You don't need to answer, but often people eat because they are depressed about something and find comfort in food. Is that your case? If so, then well I guess the obvious answer is to try and fix that issue. If you just love food like I do, don't worry, willpower grows. Just work on it.  Give yourself goals! Try small things, like I will replace that bag of chips with a bag of peanuts, or almonds. 

Ouf, sorry this is a lot of blabbing and I am writting this in an awkard position over my mom who is on the phone, but I really do hope things get better! Don't worry, you'll overcome this if you really want it. Takes time sometimes. You have to find what works for you, what motivates you enough. 

*Hugs*!... I also find chewing gum helps me not snack.


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## MacabreMikolaj

I think a huge part of my problem is not being able to control my portion sizes. I can take a smaller portion, but I convince myself I'm still hungry afterwards. I don't have a "full switch", I will eat myself sick if it's something I like. I am also notorious for eating very fast, I am always done eating first.

At work is not bad, I usually have my cereal in the morning like cheerios with skim milk. I take a yogurt, a low calorie treat like rice crisipe square, and I have a sandwich and soup for lunch or else a Smart Ones frozen entree. And then when I get home, I usually eat something terrible for dinner.

Unfortunately, I don't have a great metabolism. I DON'T have the ability to eat "bad foods" and lose weight. I've lost weight before only if I stick to a strict diet of veggies, fruits, meats and grains with no greasy foods or snacks. I went to boot camp for a month, 3x a week and barely lost a pound. I think this is a huge part of my problem, where if I want to lose weight I have got to be STRICT with myself and I just can't do it, I absolutely SNAP after two weeks and get SO fed up eating only "healthy" food that I go crazy.

I don't own a dog, but Shay-la does and I could definitely start walking her after work but I'd probably ride my bike. I'm in good enough shape that I can handle more then walking, and I enjoy working up a sweat. It's just ridiculously difficult to convince myself to go out when I get home and I'm SO tired.

But thanks, I am going to try that, if a human being won't go bike riding with me it's a good excuse to take Tika!


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## livestoride

What if you used food as a reward for yourself? Example: if you bike ride for x amount of time you can eat a handful of cookies once you get back. If you eat a smaller portion at lunch and dinner you can have chips as a snack at night. That way you have smaller goals with a great reward at the end. 

Also, like cofeeaddict said, watch your portions. Read that bag of chips. If it says 20 chips in a serving keep it to 20 chips. A portion of meat is the size of a deck of cards. You could also look into therapy to help you talk about your need for bad food. There are group sessions for just about everything and finding people with a similar problem might help. You could find someone to bike ride with as well.


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## RicochetBdragon81

Hey there, it is a tough thing to lose weight. I've been working on it myself. I started on April 10th and have lost 22 pounds. I eat better and I go to the gym..it's amazing what a little exercise can do! I've had a lot of support from others and that drives me! I watch my portions of food and I eat less...I do snack but I eat things that are healthier, instead of a 200 calorie Hershey bar, I eat the new Skinny Cow dreamy clusters which are 120 calories. I also don't drink soda as much...if I do..I drink diet 7up or diet sprite or there is a great product called Sweet Leaf tea. It is organic tea, that tastes wonderful! Oh yeah and drink lots of water!  I understand your concerns about weight. You need a support system, as silly as that sounds, but it's true. It is much harder to lose weight on your own, I've been there, done that! I have a small support system...but it works. I don't think I would have lost the weight I have without them. They don't push me, or make me do things I can't do, I do things when I can. April 10th I joined Planet Fitness, I love it! I was always not into the whole gym thing..I hated gym class...but at PF I can go at my own pace, no one bothers me and I have my sister walking on the treadmill next to me telling me that I can burn those 200 calories. I'm 30 years old now and I just woke up one day telling myself that if I don't lose this weight I am going to be facing a lot of dangerous health problems. I hope this helps. Good luck on your journey!


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## Hidalgo13

Drink water in that case. Drink a lot 10 min before and a bit more after a meal. That should help a little. Don't drink during because it expands the stomach, though I do it anyways. :/


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## MacabreMikolaj

Hidalgo13 said:


> BUt I have a question. I hope it's not too personal. You don't need to answer, but often people eat because they are depressed about something and find comfort in food. Is that your case? If so, then well I guess the obvious answer is to try and fix that issue. If you just love food like I do, don't worry, willpower grows. Just work on it.  Give yourself goals! Try small things, like I will replace that bag of chips with a bag of peanuts, or almonds.


Thank you! Yes, I eat the worst when I'm bored and/or depressed. Hence why I don't eat on weekends, it's ridiculous - I have a TERRIBLE habit of going to the barn after drinking a cup of coffee and not eating until nighttime. But when I'm having fun, I am so involved with horses, I don't have time for food.

I swear I feel autistic sometimes. :?

I haven't eaten McDonalds in over a month, I am beyond proud of myself. I am still occasionally bad with Taco Time which I have to STOP. And yes I agree, the chemicals have got to stop, I have to stop eating frozen things. Another big problem is being so tired when I get home from work, I have zero interest in cooking a meal and I just want to eat something up quick.

Thankfully, I haven't budged from 206 pounds in well over a month. So I'm not gaining which is good. I just don't know why it's SO difficult to convince myself how much happier I will be when I give these things up. I gave up soda, and now I think Coke is DISGUSTING. I can't drink it anymore, it's just nasty. I drink Diet Sprite when I'm drinking vodka and that's it. Why can't I convince myself to do the same with a Big Mac? :?


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## Hidalgo13

> I haven't eaten McDonalds in over a month, I am beyond proud of myself.


:clap:
I hate coke too. I actually never liked it. I never liked any soft drinks. I hate the bubbles. I can support them now for a few sips, and it's ok and somewhat nice to have mineral water mixed with juice, but after half a cup my tongue get's irritated by the bubbles. :evil: Like very irritated.


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## MacabreMikolaj

I think the support group is REALLY difficult. My best friend is 5'10" and 135 pounds and she LIVES on pure garbage - chocolate, fast food, etc. She can eat as much as I can, and never seems to gain a pound. It's really difficult and she tries to be supportive, but it's just really hard.

My sister is the same size as me, and going through the identical set of circumstances - used to do drugs, used to smoke, has been quit since around the same time I have and has gained about 70 pounds (she was skinnier then me). We're the same weight now, I think she may actually be a few pounds heavier. She has even less motivation - she was going to a gym called CrossFit for SIX MONTHS and didn't lose a single pound. She's never been so depressed or dejected in her life. She's completely given up since then. She never gets exercise and lives on chocolate. Her husband is still a gym nut who goes to CrossFit 3x a week and it's already straining their marriage (they've only been married since October).

I think it's difficult for us to accept how much harder it is for us then the average person after completely destroying our bodies with drugs. :-(


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## Hidalgo13

This is very ironic because I am reading your post and there are constantly advertisements for weight loss popping up on the website. Exercises for toning, gastric bypasses and what not. :/ 

We can be your motivators! Not as good as someone actually being there, but we can try to help! Make a journal on here. Whenever you want to eat, write on your thread. We will try to answer as often as we can to support you and convince you that the bag of chips you want so desperately to open isn't worth your while.  
You can also post your updates. It's an idea.


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## RicochetBdragon81

I hate how struggling it can be to lose weight. I wish I lived closer...I would be a great support system. I have a few older friends who are 55 and 72 and they come to the gym with me and I always tell them do what you can, don't push yourself. When they do a great job, I say hey awesome, way to go!  Hmm...how about Wii Fit? That's what I started with. If you don't have a Wii...they go for like 140.00 bucks at Walmart...and the game is around 70 dollars with the pad at Walmart...I found my game so much cheaper on Ebay...I can monitor my weight on the game and I can exercise at home, they have little games and stuff. It's just a suggestion.


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## VelvetsAB

Hidalgo13 said:


> Also, when eating vegetables, if you eat them with yummy, spicy dips, or put lots of butter and salt on your cooked vegetables, they aren't so boring. Too much butter isn't good for you either, but I think you need to start it out slow. Slowly but surely.


_Loading up food with butter is actually not helpful. Butter is a fat. You contradict yourself even within the first two sentances._

_Spices however ARE a good idea, although salt should be moderated._



MacabreMikolaj said:


> Hence why I don't eat on weekends, it's ridiculous - I have a TERRIBLE habit of going to the barn after drinking a cup of coffee and not eating until nighttime. But when I'm having fun, I am so involved with horses, I don't have time for food.


_You realize that your body goes into starvation mode when you don't eat, right? So then when you actually do eat, it stores the fat. You have to MAKE time for food, otherwise your body wins the battle._


_People, like horses, are grazers, but for whatever reason, we eat 3 meals a day, and normally more then we should. Why do you think people who are really fit normally eat 5 or 6 times a day, and really small portions? _

_Luckily you already do not like pop, as that is chock full of sugar. You would be surprised how much sugar is in ketchup as well..._


_Find fruits and veggies you like, and eat them. Try peanut butter with apples, or even honey. Kraft Canada has lots of really simple, easy to make recipes that are good for you._


_I adore bad food as well, but don't like feeling fat. But then I eat bad food because I am like, well it isn't going to hurt now! You can eat bad food, you just have to eat it in moderation._


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## Hidalgo13

> _Loading up food with butter is actually not helpful. Butter is a fat. You contradict yourself even within the first two sentances._
> ​


Butter is fat but it has calcium and is healthy (okay in moderate portions). It's healthier for women then margarine. Not saying to put 5 tbs in one small portion. Sorry I shouldn't have said lot's of butter. More like, put some butter. :/


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## VelvetsAB

_The package of butter in my fridge says 0% calcium..._


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## MacabreMikolaj

Thanks guys. I think I need to make a SERIOUS effort that anytime I don't go to the barn during the week, I HAVE to ride my bike for half an hour with the dog. Just make sure I MAKE myself get some form of exercise every single day. I enjoy exercising, it always makes me feel good, I just can't seem to convince myself of that when I'm SO tired.

I know exactly how bad it is for me not to eat on weekends. I have started making sandwiches to take with me. My sister and her husband are very big on the Paleo idea of eating, that fat is good for you and grains/sugar are the problem. They keep only fresh cheese in the house, butter, etc. We also keep quite a bit of fresh grass fed bison meat in the house. 

Thanks for the support. I know I have to deal with my emotions first and foremost which seems to be my biggest issue. I can get gung ho eating properly, and I get 2 weeks in and always freak out and just blow it all to hell. I'm also bad for letting one failure stop me and not getting right back on the horse so to speak.

Weight Watchers screwed me up a lot, being weighed weekly shot my nerves all to hell especially when I was in boot camp and didn't lose a pound. I had a nervous breakdown at a meeting because of it, it was horrible. 

I am going to try keeping a journal.


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## Hidalgo13

> _The package of butter in my fridge says 0% calcium..._


Don't know what butter you have, but per 1 oz butter, there is 1% of the calcium. Not your most ideal source considering cheese has almost 20 times more, but I never saw butter that said it had no calcium. Yes it's mostly made from fat, but it's still made from MILK.


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## Hidalgo13

> I enjoy exercising, it always makes me feel good, I just can't seem to convince myself of that when I'm SO tired.


My mom has the same problem. She was always too tired to exercise, but she has back problems now so doing her stretches and going on the bike for exercise is the only thing that allows her to feel better.
Drinking lots of water will also help with fatigue. I don't remember why, but there was an article that explained how people are usually tired for X reasons, but the most common one (if you consider you had a decent nights sleep), is because you aren't drinking enough water. Whenever I get sleepy I drink a big glass of water and sometimes go on a short walk and feel more awake to study after.


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## MacabreMikolaj

I usually drink a pretty good amount of water, I have one cup of coffee in the morning and I have a big refillable contained I keep at my desk that I refill every morning and probably equals about 3 cups of water. We also have a Whirpool thing in the fridge, so I'm always drinking water at home.

I also have IBS, so it's all the more reason to get serious. Not only does bad food make me fat, it causes horribly embarrassing things to happen to me! Not to mention horribly PAINFUL. Plus, I have to have surgery to correct a gastro intestinal issue that causes me to have unrelenting heartburn and a risk of the surgery is making my IBS a lot worse.

I think that's what is most frustrating, I have serious health problems because of the way I eat and it's still not enough to smarten me up.

I'm having some rice and peas for dinner, with water.


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## MacabreMikolaj

If anybody has some relatively simple and healthy recipes they like, I'd love to hear them.

I bought a Weight Watchers cookbook and it's just a deterrent because every recipe requires like 36 ingredients. I know a lot of it is spices and I can flavor to taste, but I'm not a good enough cook to know what to leave out and what to keep. I just have difficulty following them and get discouraged.

However, I am so SICK of chicken. I cannot eat another chicken breast whether it's baked, BBQ's, broiled or fried. I love chicken dishes, things with chicken IN them, I'm just sick of plain meat like pork chops and chicken breasts regardless of how they're prepared. I need more healthy casserole type dishes and new things to try. I'm also very monotonous and stick to the things I know and rarely try new things.


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## VelvetsAB

Hidalgo13 said:


> Don't know what butter you have, but per 1 oz butter, there is 1% of the calcium. Not your most ideal source considering cheese has almost 20 times more, but I never saw butter that said it had no calcium. Yes it's mostly made from fat, but it's still made from MILK.


 
_1% really still isn't that much. Especially for per one ounce. If it had even 10% you m ight convince me it is a decent source of calcium, but I still stick with that there are better things to flavour your food with._


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## Dusty1228

Just a quick tip, or question, if you will.

Do you take a daily vitamin or any type of vitamin supplement?

I am just asking because I did not KNOW this, but I put on a few pounds(It was only about 5-7) because I had a vitamin deficiency. One regular, over the counter daily multi plus iron (On doc recommendation ONLY.) kicked those extra pounds in the butt. It helped that the deficiency was causing me to retain water, so a lot of it was just that.

Plus, I am a non day time eater. I can't help it. Gimme coffee, let's get goin'. But, the vitamins I can take with juice or milk in the morning and the will absorb much as they would if I had taken them with food.

OR You can try whole food vitamins, which are expensive, but you don't have to eat when you take them and you will get all the nutrients of a meal in the morning. These are good for non day eaters, because they kick start your metabolism like breakfast would. I also feel a lot more energized with the whole food vitamins.

Also, when I was dieting, I would go every other day on it. That way I wouldn't binge like crazy, but just say, well, you eat this today and tomorrow we can make a pizza. It wasn't the best plan, but I freaking LOVE food, for psychological reasons as well, and I have no desire to give it up. I put my foot down when someone tries to come between me and my cheese flavored puff corn.

Good Luck! I hope you can find something that works for you or a happy medium somewhere. <3


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## JustDressageIt

Here are a few suggestions... I've dealt with eating problems before, but unfortunately on the other end of the spectrum. 

- Get a wall calendar and a red pen, and hang both somewhere highly visible to you. Mark down any physical activity you do on the calendar with said red pen ... it gets addicting to see more and more red on the calendar, and it's REALLY exciting to see progress over a few months when you read what you're able to do.
- Keep a bottle of water with you everywhere you go. If you're like me and hate plain water, flavor it with something such as lemon, lime, or even half a packet of those Tetley Tea Infusions. A lot of times, dehydration will manifest itself as hunger - so your body says "eat something" but really it means "I'm so thirsty!" 
- Drink a cup (250mL) of water before you eat. This will partially fill the stomach. 
- Chew 20 times before swallowing. I have a HUGE problem with eating too fast, and I almost make myself sick with the amount of air I swallow, and realize 3 minutes too late that I'm stuffed. Chewing and being conscious of chewing each bite will allow your stomach to register what it's eating, and you will have a better chance of registering what "full" feels like before you get sick.
- Eat 5-6 small meals throughout the day, and allow yourself only a couple of snacks. Do not gorge yourself on one meal a day - this is one of the worst things you can do to your body. 
- Breakfast is essential. It kick-starts your metabolism... if you don't eat breakfast, you're starving your body and it stores more energy as fat to prevent itself from starving should you forget lunch, too. It doesn't know that we're not still in prehistoric times when fat was a necessity. 
- Keep a log of what you eat each day. I'm a visual person, personally, and SEEING what I eat is a huge motivator. 
- It's really hard to kick the junk food habit... junk food is addictive - but if you start forcing yourself to eat healthier, your body will start disliking the feel of that high-fat food in your body. Really, honestly... but it DOES take a while for this to happen. 

...will add more as I remember them.


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## MacabreMikolaj

I just recently started taking a "One a Day" women's vitamin. I've never taken any sort of vitamin, and I thought it's worth a try to see if I can balance my moods out on it. No noticeable difference yet, but it's only been about a week!

I usually use a reduced fat salad dressing as dip for my veggies. I try to pay attention best I can to how many calories my dip is and ensure I'm not tricking myself into gorging a crapload of calories on the guise of health vegetables.


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## MacabreMikolaj

Thanks JDI.

I think I need to start taking fish oil because my memory is a HUGE problem. For example, Dusty just asked if I took vitamins and I went "Goddangit, I haven't taken my vitamins all weekend."

I downloaded an Expense Manager to my phone, and I keep screwing it up because I forget to ask for receipts and I forget to add the expense immediately and completely lose track.

I use to track my food with Weight Watchers and gave up, because without fail as soon as the weekend came, I'd forget to track my food and screw the entire points tracking up because of it.

It's a good thing I don't have a boyfriend right now, because I go days forgetting to take my birth control!!!

I am HORRIBLE for remembering things. I will try the calendar idea, because if it's in my face when I wake up every morning, that should help. I will do my best to write down what I eat and make a concentrated effort to not be so forgetful, which is a HUGE part of my battle as well.


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## EternalSun

First of all, congrats on your efforts, even if you feel like they aren't good enough just yet. And the following post is based on you being a normal, healthy person - have you been checked for diabetes / PCOS / insulin resistance or any other medical issues that could prevent you from losing weight? If not, I'd go get that checked out first. 

Weight loss is all about calories in vs. calories out. That's it. It doesn't matter what type of food you eat, when you eat it, or how much protein vs. fat you eat. As long as you burn more calories than you consume, you lose weight. You could eat 1200 calories worth of milk duds a day, and if that was all you ate, you'd be thin. That also means that as long as you eat under the amount of calories you need to lose, then you'll never have to set foot in a gym. Now, that being said, to break it all down it become's a lot more technical. 

People are supposed to eat frequently throughout the day because that helps keep your blood sugar stable. If your blood sugar is low, your body CRAVES glucose because that's what your brain needs to work. Therefore, it's **** near impossible to go all day without eating and then have a salad and be satisfied. It just doesn't work. You'd go nuts and binge on carbs because that's what your body needs to survive. 

I would start by first figuring out how much calories you can eat a day to lose weight. There are a ton of calculators online that can tell you, just google it. For myself I always put my activity level as "sedentary", which gives me the least amount of calories I need. That seems to keep me in check. Then, when you eat, try to eat small portions of protein and carbs. Protein fills you up and carbs keep your blood sugar levels even. And people hear "carbs" and get nervous, but really most foods are carbohydrates - vegetables, fruits, whole grains, are all carbs. Limit fat intake because they're the most caloric. Nuts (which are very fattening) are full of vitamins and protein, but a small handful of almonds is upwards of 200 calories. For the same calories you could eat two large pears and the fiber would be much more filling. Tracking what you eat is also essential. I use the Livestrong Daily Plate app on my Iphone, and I count every little thing I eat. If I eat 8 peanuts, I write it down. It's too easy to forget or miscalculate when you're trying to keep track in your head and those forgotten calories add up.

Also, the part about exercise that's so beneficial for weight loss is the fact that it help build lean muscle, so your body is burning just fat and not muscle, and it also keeps you toned. A 120 lb person with no muscle is gonna look more flabby than a 140 lb toned, athletic person. But if you hate working out, then you don't need to just yet. You can just keep within your calorie limits and you wont have to. I for one bust my butt at the gym (and believe me - I HATEEEEEEE IT) because if my calorie limit for the day without exercise is 1500, and then I run off 600, then I get to eat 2100 but my net calories is still at 1500 and I still lose weight. That's worth it for me, because dammit I love food. 

Whew, this was a long winded post. I feel like I kinda threw a bunch of stuff at you, but this is a topic that I am so familiar with. I'm currently overweight ( though I've lost 21 lbs since April when I restarted my diet) and I also have had juvenile diabetes since I was 8, so I know all about how the ups and downs of blood sugar can wreak havoc on your eating habits. I've been trying to learn everything I can about being healthy, and working with my nutritionist following the guidelines above has been working. As far as the emotional part, try not to feel overwhelmed and just start small. Everytime I tried to diet in the past, I'd get discouraged because I felt like I wasn't doing enough - if I wasn't running 10 miles a day, then it wasn't worth it, and I'd just give up after a week. So start by just limiting your calories and focusing on eating a balanced, mostly non processed diet first and go from there. Once you get the hang of things, then work in exercise. And the cravings for bad stuff DO go away, it's just hard for the first few weeks until you can really kick the habit. Whatever you do, just don't give up!!! Keep at it, because the only people who fail at weight loss are the ones who quit trying.


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## JustDressageIt

ES, I do have to disagree with your statement about "it doesn't matter what you eat or when you eat it" - if you starve your body and only eat one meal a day, your body will store a lot more fat to "weather you through the storms." If you constantly starve yourself (even if you don't feel like you're "starving") it's a vicious cycle. Calories in and calories out IS a biiiiig piece of the puzzle though.


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## EternalSun

That's true in a sense, JDI. Presenting information to people in written form is not one of my strong suits, so sometimes I write things that I wonder if they make sense to others. 

What I meant was, all the stuff about "not eating after 8 pm or before 5 am" or any other common diets myths are just that - myths. For people who say work overnights, they probably consume most of their food after 8 pm. Are they all obese? No, of course not. People are designed to eat every few hours because your body can only store enough glucose to last itself 4 hours. After that, it starts eating itself (which isn't all good - it does break down fat, but it also breaks down muscles and cells). That causes sugar cravings and the "need" to eat high calorie or high fat foods. 

No, starving yourself is never a good answer, but I also have to take into account what your definition of starving is. Someone who eats within their allotted calorie goals based on their body type (say 1300, for example), even if they're eating 1300 calories worth of cake, is not "starving". Nutritionally deficient, yes, unhealthy, yes, but starving, no. They would also lose weight doing this, but for a short time. The biggest factor is that normal people couldn't emotionally handle that kind of diet for much longer than a day or two because 1300 calories worth of cake is a small amount of food (being that cake is generally ounce for ounce high in calories) and would be constantly hungry, tired, weak, and have uncontrollable urges to eat more food because their body isn't getting what it needs. They WOULD eventually succumb to those cravings as their body's way of trying to nourish itself. 

On the other hand, someone who's eating a nutritionally balanced diet and consuming the same amount of calories over the course of the day with healthy foods, is going to feel satisfied, not have the sugar cravings, and will lose weight and be able to maintain eating that way which will result in further weight loss.


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## AlexS

A few things come to mind MM. 

When I have kids that need to lose weight, I limit their food to times, rather than the food - they can have breakfast at whatever time, then a snack, then lunch at 1pm then a snack and then dinner - but it is all at set times. They count down those times, and I find it helpful to them that they know when they can next eat. Obviously then what they eat is a factor, but you already know that. 


Sounds to me as if you have a few issues going on, you are not happy with your weight, but you are not happy with yourself either, from your depression issues that you describe - it is like climbing a mountain to deal with them both at the same time, and I would recommend that you don't as you can only fail and then hate yourself more. One challenge is more than enough for anyone. 

I like you and have a lot of respect for you, maybe you should see yourself the way that others do for a while and work on that first, make yourself feel better first. 

Am here for you, if you want to chat at any time, here, there or on FB!


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## MacabreMikolaj

Thanks guys. I feel I did well today, I feel a lot better but that's usually how this starts - I'm gung ho for a couple weeks and then just flag. Here is an example of what I consider a good day of eating, please dissect it if you wish and offer some insight:

1 cup of Apple Cinnamon cheerios w/ 1 cup skim milk
1 small package of Welch's fruit snacks (80 calories)
1 rice krispie square (100 calories)
1 foot long veggie sub from Subway w/ cheese & honey mustard on honey oat
1 Campbell's garden tomato soup in hand w/ packet of crackers
A couple chunk of pumpernickel bread w/ spinach dip (I shouldn't have eaten this, I know that)
1 small chicken breast stuffed with broccoli w/ mashed potatoes

Also drinking water the entire day as well, and I ate the pumpernickel and spinach dip after biking to the grocery store and back with my brother-in-law (3.7km one way). I worked up a CRAZY sweat, and felt so darn good after, my legs feel about to fall off.

My brother-in-law is awesome, he's super athletic and as soon as I mentioned I wanted to maybe ride my bike, he practically dragged me outside (my sister wouldn't go, she drove, LOL). We've also agreed that on rainy days, we'll play DDR or Playstation Move!

Any commentary on my food plan for today would be great, I know it needs tweaking but I felt happy and satisfied all day long.


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## Hidalgo13

Keep up the good work! On your original post you made yourself sound much worse then you really are!  

Just a note about the bread. I don't know how healthy pumpernickel bread is, if someone or if if you know MM then please tell me.  I know it's healthier then white, but anyhow, try kamut or spelt bread. Those 2 grains are healthy and are starches that won't make you gain like wheat does.


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## Hidalgo13

Ugh I also keep forgetting to add. Drinking green tea is good. it helps detoxify and it has some sort or... "thing" (sorry I forgot what it's called) that helps with weight loss. Won't do a miracle and make you loose 5 pounds in a week type of thing, but it can help and it's good to drink after a meal.  Also if you ever do cheat and eat a nasty greasy thing, drinking peppermint tea will help your digestion.


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## MacabreMikolaj

I've been seriously considering drinking mint green tea again, I adore it and I also cannot drink coffee without at least a couple teaspoons of sugar and I only like honey in my tea, so right there it would be healthier for me.

I think my biggest hurdle right now is learning to ENJOY eating right and exercising without actually having to lose weight. I get in this terrible mindset where I try to be active and I don't lose a pound and I get SO upset and discouraged. It can't be for weight at this point, I have to start out slow, slowly get into shape and then start working my *** off when I feel ready.


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## Kentucky bluegrass

Oh, sweet and hurting girl...forget about the food. You need to come to terms with how special you are and how much you deserve good health and happiness. You're worth every single bit of each! You've left the past, and you are a new creature. Embrace the new drug-free strong woman you are. I believe the rest will take care of itself. God bless you real good!!


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## OffTheTrack

Your post sounds a lot like me in some ways. I can eat like crazy and inhale is usually a better word. I am also real busy and spend a lot of time in my car which has made it easier to stop and grab food then cook so I totally understand you there! I had knee surgery which slowed up my running and I have gained some weight. I feel your pain!

Recently in an attempt to eat better (rather then concentrate on pounds lost), I started receiving an organic fruits and veggies bin every other week. I get fruits and veggies I have never tried; some Ive never seen! They come with recipes or I look some up online and make time to cook something new. Its been fun trying new things. Some have been great and some not so much. But the emphasis was on the adventure...and the fact that it is healthy. 

I also signed up for healthy recipes that come in the email...vow to try a new one twice a month. 

Has worked for me...I am eating healthier. 

Also try greenlitebites.com a girl who lost a bunch of weight lists a new recipe a week..all healthy and Ive come across some delicious meals. 

And have you considered overeaters annonymous? I dont like group stuff but they delve into the reasons people overeat or have bad self control with food.

I read some where that food is one of the hardest addictions to overcome...because we need it to live and cannot ignore it to deal with the issue. Makes sense. 

(sorry for the long post)


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## MacabreMikolaj

Yeah, a huge part of my problem is the WAY I eat - I shovel it into my face like someone is going to steal it, in massive bites I can barely chew. I don't know why, I've always eaten this why. Growing up, me and my sister always polished our plates off first. So while I don't think I eat a lot of food for someone my size, it's the kind and way I eat that's such a problem.

Thank you Kentucky Bluegrass, you're very sweet.  I know I need to get over my self esteem issues, I know that losing 20 or 30 pounds isn't going to magically make me love myself. I suffer from moderately severe social anxiety so that really doesn't help - I'm already paranoid, and add weight to that and it's a recipe for disaster.

I had another good day of eating! I took leftover mashed potatoes and broccoli stuffed chicken for lunch and OMFG, srsly, I need to "file" away that awesome feeling and remember it every time I want something bad. It was SO delicious, and SO filling, and I felt so alert and happy afterwards instead of high and bloated. It's so stupid because I DO love good food, it just seems to boil down to laziness on my part and not wanting to cook it!

Going to aim for making extra dinner every night so I take some as my lunch and get away from living on frozen entrees!


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## VelvetsAB

_I hate cooking for just Matt and I, but we always make enough extra to freeze for lunches, so that it isn't such a pain._

_Right now we have 3 different lunches in the freezer -chili, chicken with mashed taters and veggies, and some lasagna. Makes a huge difference, and makes taking a lunch so much easier as well._


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## EternalSun

For added support, I'm a member of a weight loss forum called "3 Fat Chicks on a Diet" that I love. There's tons of different sub forums that cover everything, including the emotional hurdles that are difficult to get over. The members there are all extremely helpful and supportive, and there's also a "Goal Photo Album" where people post their before and after pics. I find those pics to be really motivating, I look at them when I'm feeling discouraged. 3 Fat Chicks on a Diet Weight Loss Community - Powered by vBulletin

Also, there are tons of weight loss videos on youtube. If you run out of ideas for meals, you can just look up "low calorie dinner / breakfast / lunch" or whatever you're looking for and tons of results come up. I am LAZY in the kitchen ( read - if it has more than 5 ingredients, I'm not making it) and I've found a ton of good recipes. I follow a weight loss guru called "antishay" who's also very supportive and incredibly inspiring. I love to watch her videos, she's very easy to relate to. 

Keep up with the good work! I find the longer I stick with it, I actually enjoy it. It's starting to be like a challenge as to how much I can push myself, and the results are the best part!


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## Kentucky bluegrass

So happy you had a great day! Approach your new you one day at a time...one hour at a time...one minute at a time! Have another great one tomorrow.


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## HollyBubbles

It's good to hear you had another good day 
Just a few suggestions, they're only little but they're something...

Could you perhaps keep yourself a journal about food? Not only write what you've eaten for the day, but how good you felt about eating good, and if you felt bad that you ate something bad then put it in there, to remind yourself.. So you can go back to it when your feeling naughty so to speak.

You mention you drink coffee... Do you like apples? Perhaps you could swap that coffee for an apple, especially if your using coffee for a boost in the mornings, the natural sugars in apples should wake you up just as much, but in a healthier way... Or maybe eat an apple or part of an apple while your at work so you have that energy to say to yourself "right, I have the energy I'm GOING for a bike ride."

I can keep an ear out for some recipes if you like, I'm 16 and have been doing food and nutrition for the past 6 years, and ironically, right now we're studying food insecurity, which ranges from peoples eating habits, to insecurity from time and money etc... So we make one recipe a week in under an hour (preparing, cooking AND cleaning up afterwards) and they are usually better than I expected them to be.
For example last week we made fish cakes, with tuna, bread crumbs, parsley, onions etc... The week before that I think it was, we made chick pea enchiladas, which is a vegetarian dish... Now don't get me wrong, I LOVE my meat, but it was really good, we even made our own tortillas to use in the enchiladas.

All the little things make the biggest differences


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## Gidget

I skipped through a lot of this but I just wanted to let you know it might be your medication? I take two types..one anti depressant and one anti seizure medication and both have side effects of weight gain. I was told by the doctor to lose 15 lbs.

Do you happen to have a treadmill? If you like watching tv and are able to position your treadmill infront of it this will help time pass by without staring at a wall or something. Also what helps me is mucking stalls,picking pastures,and sweeping the barn. I have lost almost 7 lbs total and it's really hard.

Also replace sugar with nutra sweet or splenda( VERY small amount goes a long way...there is this other one that is a natural sweetner but I forgot what it's called)...


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## back again

As mentioned before congrats on another good day  I have a couple of suggestions that might help.

Remember it takes about 30 days to form a habit, so the first moth will be the hardest but once you get throught that it will get easier 

I find that running in the morning if possible helps me more than running in the afternoon - that way the energy buz from the endorphins makes you feel more awake and you start the day off on a good note. Also the best time to eat is within 45 min of doing exercize (thats when your body uses the energy the most)

Another suggestion is instead of focusing on your weight, focus on how you feel. Your energy will increase and you will probably find yourself becoming more positive before you start to loose weight, so its a more immediate goal you can reach 

Last... I dont know where you are, but in Australia at the moment we have a big 'swap it dont stop it' awareness thing on TV, so its all about small victories and then you get to feel good about what you are doing more frequently 

Good luck


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## Ladytrails

Congratulations on your successes! It's one bite at a time and you're doing great! I would add to the suggestions that you have your doctor check your thyroid levels, too. An inactive or sluggish thyroid will cause all of your symptoms - weight issues, depression, and memory loss. 

I'd also suggest that you not worry too much about cutting out healthy fats -- I found when I was trying to break my junk food habit that a small amount of fat made it easier for me to eat veggies (e.g. butter on broccoli until it tasted good, regular ranch dip on carrots). Then, after my tastes changed to actually enjoy the healthier foods, I could cut way back on the fats because I didn't need them as much. 

As a diabetic, I can also add that usually the fat-free versions of food are insanely high calorie or high carb compared to the regular versions, becasue the fat-frees have a lot of extra sugar to substitute for the fats -- which will not help get over the taste for junk food. 

Good luck!


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## MacabreMikolaj

I agree, thanks. I try to avoid "diet" or "fat-free" foods because they are NOT healthy for you. This whole "anti-fats" craze is just insanity as far as I'm concerned. If we could cut all artificial crap out of our diet, and live on meat, veggies and fruit I think we'd all be crazy healthy.

I try to avoid artificial sweeteners as well. The natural one is called Stevia and it definitely takes some getting used to. I prefer to choose "real" ingredients over artificial or man-made ones as I'm fairly confident all this processed crap will be our demise.

I've had a fantastic few days, I'm feeling very upbeat. I feel I've made real goals for myself. Yesterday I had a bit of a cheat, I got myself into a pinch and ended up eating some chicken fingers and fries for lack of a better option but in compromise I played hookey from work and spent 6 hours tooling around the barn cleaning and organizing and bathing my horse. I also ate a light dinner. Today I ate fantastic, and it was raining, so we played DDR in the basement for a couple of HOURS. Holy cripes, I was DRENCHED! It's crazy how fun exercise can be!

So I've basically stuck completely to my "if you don't go see the horses and ride after work, you have to find some other way to be active for half an hour". I've barely "cheated" and even then, I had a decent portion size of chicken fingers and fries and compromised with a light dinner.

Thanks a ton guys, I'm feeling super optimistic. I'm just avoiding the scale at this point and working on learning to ENJOY being healthier. Next step will be counting calories a little closer and increased activity! :lol:


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## tinyliny

MM,

I have skimmed through half of this thread. I don't have time to read it all. Sorry, but I want to say that eating is never GOOD or BAD. It's just eating, plain and simple ;
By saying "I have been bad with my eating." you actually punish yourself, and ironically, this only propogates the problem. Strangley enough, once we punish ourself with self castigating words, we feel less able to resist doing it again because we have basically said WE are not responsible, because we are just plain, intrinsically BAD. So, we do the same behavior, punish ourselves to somehow wipe it out, and go right back to doing it again and again. As long as we at least punish ourselves verbally, we feel that we are "doing" something about it.

Stop self punishement. Start self observation, without judgement. say "I ate many french fries. PERIOD. say "now I feel heavy" No, critisism, just an observation. This will help you to see yourself as a viewer outside of you might see you. This will help you think about what MM wants to do next time.

Also, I know that portion size is one of my huge problems. I can totally relate to what yoiu say about thinking I am still hungry, eating fast and all the rest. I currently am having increased problems with my weight, and I hate to tell you this, but it NEVER GETS EASIER, ONLY HARDER.
But you have only today to live, so deal with only today.

If you are familiar with 12 step programs, you may look into Overeaters Anonymous, which functions under that same concept that some people have come to the place where the no longer have control over eating and in order to live in peace with food, must abstain from certain foods or behaviors.
Scary, I know. I am kind of resisting going back, but there was a time when it helped me trememdously and it may be that I will come to the place where I am willing to go back.


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## Kentucky bluegrass

Wonderful reading your upbeat message!! Remember, one day at a time, and enjoy it...it's a precious gift! Keep up the great work. You're an inspiration.


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## Gidget

DDR IS AWESOME...also you could maybe get a wii..i know that is can be a workout for the arms. Dancing games are the best.


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## MacabreMikolaj

We have Playstation Move! I think people underestimate the workout you can get when you get really competitive against someone. I played my brother in law for HOURS when he first got it, and I was sweating like crazy and sore the next day!

My brother in law is being crazy helpful. You feel almost annoyed at points, but as soon as I got home today, he was right on my case about what I was choosing for my exercise. It's really helpful, he's not pushy or demanding, just kind of a niggling annoying reminder in the back of my head. :lol: It's been fantastic having him around, and I think he enjoys it as well because those tactics never work on my sister! He likes to encourage, and it's fun for him to have someone who will go do exercise type things with him.

tinyliny - I completely agree. I know my wording needs to change, but I actually felt good about the chicken fingers and fries. I acknowledged I ate something with a much higher calorie content, and instead of punishing myself, I just modified my day. Quite frankly, I didn't even enjoy it all that much - it wasn't my first choice, but things got all mixed up and it was that or $8 for a bowl of brown lettuce clippings my work cafeteria calls a salad - BLECH.

We had chicken quesidilla's tonight (homemade) and I didn't even think of the food as good or bad - Ren made me a full quesidilla, I got halfway through, said I'm full and just pushed my plate over to him without thinking! It was quite liberating!


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## Hidalgo13

Yay! You're doing so well! You are thinking in a very healthy way. Oups you cheated but you ended up making up for it with some exercise and a lighter dinner! 
You're much stronger then I thought, than you made yourself sound, than you believe! I'm so proud of your progress and efforts.  I have some family members that wouldn't have gotten as far as you in such little time and they have more motivating reasons to actually do it. 

Keep up the good work!


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## MIEventer

I too havent' read through the whole thread - so my appologies if I repeat or sound like a broken record.

This is going to sound rude more than likely, and I am not intending it to - so please forgive me if that's how it comes across. What I want to say is, if you really want to lose weight, you will. Now that's not considering medical issues or thyroid issues, but more than likely, most people can loose the weight if they truely want to. It is, simple - mind over matter.

What I find most people do, is evolve their lives around food. Majority of people evolve their daily in's and out's and coming's and going's, based on meals and food. I used to be one of those people too, and it is very easy to fall back into, if you don't keep an eye on it. What it took me to do, to lose weight, was making food evolve around my life instead. Now, I only think about food when my tummy starts to grumble, or when I have to pack my lunch box for work - that's about it.

When my Hubby gets hungry, he goes into the kitchen and makes a meal. Puts the rest of it away and cleans up the mess, leaving the left overs waiting for me when my tummy starts to grumble. Or vice versa.

I have lost 15lbs thus far, changing my eating habits and making subs in my eating plans.

I stopped drinking pop, I stopped drinking Starbucks specialty coffee's, I stopped eating before bed *I would work my 8 hours without eating much, and then when I got home at close to midnight, I would eat a meal and go to bed*, I cut out a lot of high carb foods, no more fast foods. Also, I drink a lot of coffee and I used to pour International Delight's French Vanilla Flavoring into it...instead, I now use pure Honey and Fat Free Milk.

Since I made those changes, I've dropped 15lbs in 2 weeks.

The other key, is to cut down your portions - you already know this. When I went to a clinic due to an eating disorder I had back in High School, I learnt from the Counsellors and the Dr. that the key trick is to stop eating, before you get to that "I'm full" point. That is very difficult to do, for me, because I would see all that food left on my plate, and I would have to eat it all. So now, I just put enough on my plate that I know I can eat, and I put the rest away.

The other key, is to snack. A handful of peanuts, or a fibre filled granola bar, or a protien Special K Shake, a small salad, fruit or veggies, etc, etc.

The other trick for me, is that I stopped buying the bad foods and putting them in my cupboards and pantry. I want potatoe chips, well, tough titty cause there are none. I don't make the bad foods accessable to me. 

See what I am saying? 

I still eat "bad" foods once in a while, there's nothing wrong with that, but limiting how much you intake is the important factor.

It's not dieting - I hate that word and I hate diets. It's a life change, a change of mindset, opinion and way of life.

I wish you the best!


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## MacabreMikolaj

I think what is discouraging for me is when I make changes, I seem to GAIN weight which is hopelessly difficult to deal with when you have emotional problems to boot.

I joined a boot camp, where I was working out HARD three times a week for an hour at a time. I was watching what I was eating, avoiding fast food, and going to my Weight Watchers meetings. In 4 weeks, all I managed to do was GAIN 5 pounds. I actually had a breakdown in a meeting and just freaked out and since then, completely fell off the wagon again. I understand my eating wasn't perfect, but if I managed to not gain OR lose by sitting on my ***, how on earth did I manage to gain 5 pounds working out? And I know people go on about "muscle weights more then fat" and quite frankly I think it's a load of hooey. I don't know anyone else who can work out like me and my sister can and actually GAIN weight from it.

I've had an excellent week, and I dared hop on the scale this morning and for the first time in over a month I budged from 206 pounds - I'm 207.8 pounds. I've held within 0.5 of a pound of 206 for well over a month now, and suddenly I start trying to eat healthier and be more active and I GAIN 2 pounds.

I am NOT letting this discourage me. It's not worth it. It's not about weight gain or loss anymore, it's about ME being healthier and feeling better. But this is basically what happens EVERY single time I try to lose weight - I work my *** off, GAIN weight, get hopelessly depressed and eat a bucket of ice cream. :-(

I'm almost positive it's residual from the unhealthy lifestyles me and my sister put our bodies through - we starved ourselves 50 pounds lighter in a matter of 6-8 weeks, both of us. It's no wonder our bodies don't want to let go of anything. I have to book an appointment with my doctor for another issue, I think I'll have a discussion with her about my weight loss issues and rule out any major medical issues.

And then I'll just work harder I guess!


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## JustDressageIt

MM - please PLEASE remember that muscle weighs more than fat.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## MIEventer

After dealing with my eating disorder, the Counsellors told my parents to get rid of the scale. The scale can lead to issues like starvation, and picking up eating disorders - that's how it egnited my issues. I was bulemic and annorexic - standing 5'7" I was 120lbs, skin and bone. 

So - no scales. You need to learn to go by the feel of your clothing. The reason is because we retain water and lose water, so that weight gain you obtained, is more than likely water, not fat.

Did you know, that in 1 month, we *being us Woman* are our normals selves 1 week out of the 4. We are Pre-Menstral, Menstral and Post Menstral. So, we gain water, get buldgy, and lose it - 1 week out of that month, we are our normal weight, our normal selves mentally and physically.

I don't have a scale at my house, I'm not allowed. My Husband wont let me. I bought one at a garage sale, but it dissapeared pretty quickly...lol. I weigh myself at work. There, they have a large scale for their Residents to keep their accurate weights for health reasons etc, etc - and I'll sneak in there and hop on it. I went from 185lbs to 170lbs, but I weigh myself only in my "normal" week of my cycle - and I go by my clothing. 

Pants that I haven't been able to wear for quite some time, I can slip on now and they are baggy. 

The other trick, is when you do lose weight, get rid of the clothes that are too big. Keeping them around, gives you the excuse to gain the weight to fit them...so if you get rid of them, there's no excuse in the back of your head. 

It sounds to me, that you have emotional, depressive, mental issues that is hindering you to lose the weight. You've found food to turn to for comfort, and you do get something out of it, a payoff - if you didn't get a payoff, you wouldn't do it. We as Humans, don't do things unless there's a payoff, a joy to it - there is always a reason behind our actions. 

So when you eat your greasy fast food, you get something out of it. Some sort of satisfaction - so you have to teach your train of thought to work with you, not against you. 

I suggest a counsellor, someone you can sit with and talk about your deep inside issues that are causing you to turn to food for comfort. You're depressed by the sounds of it "emotional problems" as you state - I don't think you're going to lose much of anything, until you target why you are turning to food to "mute" what is hurting inside. 

I think, that if you get help to change your train of thought, you'll lose weight quickly. When you learn to "let go" of food as being a companion, you'll lose weight quickly. 

It is, truley, mind over matter. It really is. You either do, or your don't.

***BIG HUGS***


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## Dusty1228

Muscle DOES weigh more than fat, I promise.
During/after that boot camp you weighed more, and you probably even felt slightly bigger as well. Because you were.
I'm sure you burned quite a bit of fat, but you were also building the muscle underneath the fat, which for a time will make you bigger rather than smaller.
Obviously the workouts you were doing weren't exactly the type you needed, maybe you needed more cardio(fat burning) and less muscle building, at least at first.

It's like trying to do sit ups to get rid of belly fat. IT WON'T WORK. All you're doing is toning the muscles under the fat, and it will, in fact, make your stomach bigger because the muscle is bulking, but the fat is still there.

I agree with MIEventer. Don't ever, ever worry about what the scale says, there are so many different reasons for actual weight fluctuation it's ridiculous.

I begin my morning, every morning, by looking at my face and lifting up my shirt and checking out my stomach in the mirror. I know it sounds weird, but my face is the first place it shows up if I was a pig the day before or whatnot.

Like MI said, listen to how you FEEL, in your clothes, and when you are in different positions. Sitting, standing, lying on your side. One time I was trying to lose a few pounds to fit back into a pair of pants I had and I felt so discouraged, nothing was working, it was only a few pounds and I was just getting so upset. I didn't WEIGH any different by the scale, but I noticed that while driving I had started to get an irritated place on my collar bone from my seat belt. It was an odd moment to realize it, but I HAD lost the fat, but not the weight. I went home and tried on the pants, which fit loosely, WOOT.

I guess I'm just saying, weight isn't even a factor, so don't bother yourself over it.

I'm glad to hear that you are going to see a doctor and I'm sure she will be able to point you in the right direction, barring all health issues.

Good Luck and keep posting! You sound very serious about this and you seem to be thinking about your health as a whole and that has to be a step or FIVE in the right direction!
<3<3<3


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## JustDressageIt

Dusty1228 said:


> Muscle DOES weigh more than fat, I promise.
> During/after that boot camp you weighed more, and you probably even felt slightly bigger as well. Because you were.
> I'm sure you burned quite a bit of fat, but you were also building the muscle underneath the fat, which for a time will make you bigger rather than smaller.
> Obviously the workouts you were doing weren't exactly the type you needed, maybe you needed more cardio(fat burning) and less muscle building, at least at first.
> 
> It's like trying to do sit ups to get rid of belly fat. IT WON'T WORK. All you're doing is toning the muscles under the fat, and it will, in fact, make your stomach bigger because the muscle is bulking, but the fat is still there.
> 
> I agree with MIEventer. Don't ever, ever worry about what the scale says, there are so many different reasons for actual weight fluctuation it's ridiculous.
> 
> I begin my morning, every morning, by looking at my face and lifting up my shirt and checking out my stomach in the mirror. I know it sounds weird, but my face is the first place it shows up if I was a pig the day before or whatnot.
> 
> Like MI said, listen to how you FEEL, in your clothes, and when you are in different positions. Sitting, standing, lying on your side. One time I was trying to lose a few pounds to fit back into a pair of pants I had and I felt so discouraged, nothing was working, it was only a few pounds and I was just getting so upset. I didn't WEIGH any different by the scale, but I noticed that while driving I had started to get an irritated place on my collar bone from my seat belt. It was an odd moment to realize it, but I HAD lost the fat, but not the weight. I went home and tried on the pants, which fit loosely, WOOT.
> 
> I guess I'm just saying, weight isn't even a factor, so don't bother yourself over it.
> 
> I'm glad to hear that you are going to see a doctor and I'm sure she will be able to point you in the right direction, barring all health issues.
> 
> Good Luck and keep posting! You sound very serious about this and you seem to be thinking about your health as a whole and that has to be a step or FIVE in the right direction!
> <3<3<3


This - this - this.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## MacabreMikolaj

I know that muscles DOES weight more then fat in terms of volume, I'm just tired of hearing it as an excuse for why we're gaining weight. My sister was a member of CrossFit for 6 months, working out 2-3 times a week and didn't lose a pound OR an inch. It was so discouraging for her, she's fallen off the wagon and just refuses to get back on. It's mind boggling to me how someone can put that much effort in and still not lose weight - yes she was a bit more toned, but really, after 6 months what more do you have to do to actually lose weight?

I'm sure she was doing things wrong, I just think that's what such a huge part of the problem is - combined with emotional problems, the inability to see a real difference when you make big changes is so hard to deal with. Any other person I know who decides to lose weight, just starts going to the gym, starts eating better and magically drops 30 pounds in a couple of months. If this whole "muscle weighs more then fat" phenomena affects everyone, why doesn't anyone else seem to struggle SO badly to lose weight?

It's ok though, I hear what you guys are saying and I don't care anymore. I don't care if I'm "fat", I just want to be healthy. When I was a working student, I was around 180 pounds and considered overweight, but I was in near perfect physical condition. I could unload, toss and stack a couple hundred hay bales in an afternoon and barely break a sweat. I would kill to be there again, that's all I'm worrying about!  I don't want to GRUNT when I lift a 50 pound bag of feed anymore!


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## HollyBubbles

MacabreMikolaj said:


> I know that muscles DOES weight more then fat in terms of volume, I'm just tired of hearing it as an excuse for why we're gaining weight.


I hate the whole "muscle weighs more than fat" too, two years ago I was overweight, and out of the blue I got really really sick, I lost 10kg in the full 2 weeks that I was sick, including muscle mass that I previously had. I ate nearly nothing the entire two weeks and refused to go to the hospital (I spend enough time there). I got better, started riding again and doing everything I normally would, and put on another few kg, got my muscle back.
But we both know that statement is true... My mum goes to the gym 3 days out of 7, and she hasn't lost weight... But dang, now she fits my jeans, she never did before (this has taken months btw, it didn't happen magically!)... She's gained muscle tone and lost fat.

Toss the scales, they're horrible things made to make us feel bad about ourselves, the more you worry about what weight you haven't lost etc, the more you will stress and put on more weight... Chuck them now!!

...Right, now I shall get back to my homework:lol:


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## Kentucky bluegrass

Good morning! It's a new day, MM! I'm in is with you, horsewoman friend. You have a great, healthy, affirming day!

God bless you, dear one!


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## zurmdahl

I don't have much to add to what has already been said, but I think that keeping track and making an exercise plan is a really good idea. I know I have a terrible time motivating myself to exercise too, and the only time I ever got in a consistent routine was when I wrote out an plan for myself. Also, if you're getting sick of chicken you could try fish, I don't know if you like fish but it's really good for you and would be a good alternative to chicken everyday. Good luck!


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## MacabreMikolaj

I hereby solemnly agree to stop getting on the scale.

I've successfully managed to follow my goals of a minimum half hour exercise or barn every day - Shay-la is pushing me now to agree to a half hour of actual exercise a day, with or without the barn and I think it's a good idea. It's easy and manageable, and I bet a half hour a day of sweat is better then an hour 3 days a week right? I'm doing purely cardio right now.

Me and Shay-la have gone speed walking/jogging two days in a row. We're out for about 45 minutes at a time, speed walk most of the way, but for a about 1/4 of the way we use lamp posts and do jogging "sprints" between them (jog one set, walk one set, jog one set, etc.) It works up a sweat, but I keep cramping up bad so hopefully that works out soon.

Going to try and make jogging/walking with Shay-la a regular thing, and on nights she works, go bike riding instead!


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## MacabreMikolaj

Man I love Google. I worked out our route is approximately 4km! We spend about 1.5km doing "jog sprints". Yay!


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## myhorsesonador

are you my twin? I'm now at 235.  I was 140 5 years ago when I bought my mare. What happend? Both of my parents get after me all the time for not "trying," but they never support me when I actualy try. I hate looking at my self every day. I have all the mirors in my room covored. I'm convinced that I'll be single the rest of my life because of my weight. Here is a pic of my best friend, Drew and I. He is such a bean poll. >_<


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## myhorsesonador

MacabreMikolaj said:


> Man I love Google. I worked out our route is approximately 4km! We spend about 1.5km doing "jog sprints". Yay!


WOO HOO!! you go girl!


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## Dusty1228

MM, congrats! You sound like you are so emotionally into this, it seems to be helping in that aspect, for now?

You mentioned cramping up. Are you drinking enough water, Missypants? Juuuuust askin!

<3 Keep it up! <3


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## MacabreMikolaj

I think that may definitely be it. I used to cramp horribly at boot camp as well, and although I chug water WHILE I exercise, I'm notorious for letting myself dehydrate throughout the day so it makes sense that my lack of fluids BEFORE I exercise is causing my cramps. I searched up how to prevent cramps and that seems the most likely explanation so I have to start making sure I'm drinking a LOT more water!


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## HollyBubbles

MacabreMikolaj said:


> I think that may definitely be it. I used to cramp horribly at boot camp as well, and although I chug water WHILE I exercise, I'm notorious for letting myself dehydrate throughout the day so it makes sense that my lack of fluids BEFORE I exercise is causing my cramps. I searched up how to prevent cramps and that seems the most likely explanation so I have to start making sure I'm drinking a LOT more water!


Your supposed to have 1L during and 1L after excercise (If I remember rightly, if I can find my class notes I'll make sure)
And bananas help with cramps too because of the potassium, so i'm told, but I don't eat bananas much :lol:. I find I get really bad calf muscle cramps during the night, and they're horrible, you don't wanna go there it hurts for hours afterwards :?


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## Dusty1228

I find staying at the 'correct level' of hydration is pretty dang difficult. It's hard for me to find a happy medium between staying hydrated and having to pee every 5 minutes, and I've put myself in your situation a lot of times which is why I asked :/

Like Holly said, bananas are great, too, because in starting to exercise regularly you are probably sucking your body's normal potassium reserve up in no time, leaving you deficient. 

Personally, I DETEST bananas! Their texture grosses me out. 
I'm not trying to be a supplement pusher, haha, but when you talk to your doctor you might want to ask her if there are any supplements she would suggest for you just starting out on your regimen. Something that might work short term until your body regulates itself and gets the hint that you're in for the long haul?

You sound like you're coming along wonderfully and you seem so much happier and more excited, so once again, I must say keep it up, I don't know you personally, but from your posts, it seems to be working wonders for you mentally/emotionally.
<3


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## VelvetsAB

_Before I met my boyfriend, he was overweight. (Technically, I bet he is still overweight if you went by the stupid BMI scale.) He started a 12 week program at the gym last year in February and has made fantastic progress. Of course, he paid an arm and a leg to have a trainer 4 days a week for pretty much a whole year, but in the end, he is better for it._

_Surprisingly, he has only lost about 30 pounds over all, but has gained a lot in muscle. Even while loosing fat, he has gained inches on his legs and arms. However, when you look at him now, compared to before, you can really see the difference. _


_It can be super frustrating when you feel like the weight isn't coming off. Thats when you really have to go by how you FEEL in your clothes. _

_You can do it!_


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## DutchFeather

Since you have a hard time eating on the weekends, take snacks to the barn with you... Baggies full of pretzles, baby carrots, apple slices, grapes, trail mix, berries, nuts... Healthy snacks that will keep you at least eating from time to time through the day. And pack a lunch to take with you. Tuna is actualyl good for you, so a tuna sandwich, a fruit, and a bottle of water. DRINK WATER! A lot of people don't realize that drinks add a lot to your caloric intake. Add less sugar and cream to your cup of coffee in the morning and eat a blueberry muffin while you drink your coffee. Drink water all day long. A lot of the time, what people think is hunger pains, is actually your body telling you that you need a drink. So drink water  

During the week, eat a decent sized breakfast, this is the meal that is going to give you all your energy for the day. Have a snack around 10ish and then a healthy lunch. Salads may seem boring, but if you add some cheeses and meets and bacon bits to it, it's really yummy. Have another snack around 3 and then a small supper. Half of your plate should be vegies, with a portion of meat about the size of your fist. Don't cut out carbs and startches, yes it will help you lose weight, but you'll be depriving your body of what it needs. Just eat smaller portions of it. Have a glass of water with your meals. Eat your last snack around 7 or 8, but do not eat after 8pm. 

I know it's difficult, since I got out of the Army, I stopped working out and stopped eating right, and have gained about 30 pounds. I feel like a cow. I keep telling myself I need to stop drinking soda (in the Army I drank water to stay hydrated for 2-a-day work outs) and eat right, but that steak and mac n cheese are so yummy I can't stop haha... So I understand! If you want you can PM me. I'm now bound and determined to not only lose the 30 pounds I've gained, but to lose about 15 more that I should have lost in the Army. So 45 pounds. I'm right there with you hun, and so is the forum. We'll all help you  And, I know it might now seem like it, but exercise makes you happy. It helps to release healthy endorphins that make you feel better. Go for a brisk walk, you'll feel so much better. I just need to remind my body that running, although it burns right now, feels good. Wish we were closer, I'd help you!


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## DutchFeather

Since you have a hard time eating on the weekends, take snacks to the barn with you... Baggies full of pretzles, baby carrots, apple slices, grapes, trail mix, berries, nuts... Healthy snacks that will keep you at least eating from time to time through the day. And pack a lunch to take with you. Tuna is actualyl good for you, so a tuna sandwich, a fruit, and a bottle of water. DRINK WATER! A lot of people don't realize that drinks add a lot to your caloric intake. Add less sugar and cream to your cup of coffee in the morning and eat a blueberry muffin while you drink your coffee. Drink water all day long. A lot of the time, what people think is hunger pains, is actually your body telling you that you need a drink. So drink water  

During the week, eat a decent sized breakfast, this is the meal that is going to give you all your energy for the day. Have a snack around 10ish and then a healthy lunch. Salads may seem boring, but if you add some cheeses and meets and bacon bits to it, it's really yummy. Have another snack around 3 and then a small supper. Half of your plate should be vegies, with a portion of meat about the size of your fist. Don't cut out carbs and startches, yes it will help you lose weight, but you'll be depriving your body of what it needs. Just eat smaller portions of it. Have a glass of water with your meals. Eat your last snack around 7 or 8, but do not eat after 8pm. 

I know it's difficult, since I got out of the Army, I stopped working out and stopped eating right, and have gained about 30 pounds. I feel like a cow. I keep telling myself I need to stop drinking soda (in the Army I drank water to stay hydrated for 2-a-day work outs) and eat right, but that steak and mac n cheese are so yummy I can't stop haha... So I understand! If you want you can PM me. I'm now bound and determined to not only lose the 30 pounds I've gained, but to lose about 15 more that I should have lost in the Army. So 45 pounds. I'm right there with you hun, and so is the forum. We'll all help you  And, I know it might now seem like it, but exercise makes you happy. It helps to release healthy endorphins that make you feel better. Go for a brisk walk, you'll feel so much better. I just need to remind my body that running, although it burns right now, feels good. Wish we were closer, I'd help you!

And you're not going to lose weight right away! You might actually gain weight at first as your body puts on water weight and muscle! So don't look at the scale for the first week or two! You'll be able to feel it and see it rather than look at the scale!


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## HollyBubbles

Macabre, it's been a while since we've last heard from you on here, hows it all going for you now?


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## MacabreMikolaj

Hey guys, it's been going well! I swear I feel a little more slender. Shay-la took some pics of me riding Zierra and for the first time I didn't want to gag. Could have been the angle, but I bent over to tie my boots the other day and I realized I wasn't having to hold my breath because I couldn't physically breath when I was doubled over!

I got thrown a little out of wack on the exercise with my latest fall off Jynx, hurt my back and put me out of commission for about a week and a half, but I was also eating a LOT less laying in bed.

I finally ate McDonalds for the first time in about a month and a half the night we went to the hospital - just an unfortunate situation of getting trapped there for 6 hours, and both of us STARVING at 2am with NO other options for food. Biggest mistake ever - the cravings are back full force and horrible (I'd almost gotten rid of them). So of all the things I eat, I MUST avoid McDonalds at all cost because it's the only food that sparks borderline homicidal urges in me where I feel like I'm going to DIE if I don't get a Big Mac! :-(

Me and my sister have both committed to keeping food/emotional journals. Just to keep track without feeling the pressure so we can recognize problem areas.

Feeling very motivated and happy about the progress! It's slow, but it has to be a complete transformation and not a quick fix so that's something I'm willing to do!


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## trailhorserider

I have you tried a low-carb diet? 

My parents have been off/on weight watchers practically my whole life, and I'm overweight too, and I just could not seem to loose weight on a weight watchers/low fat diet. I felt like I was starving/punishing myself and not seeing any results. 

I finally tried low carb when a friend went on it, and it was the first diet in my whole life that actually worked! I started out at 212 lbs. in something like May or June of last year, and by November I was at 189. Maybe not a gigantic weight loss, but it was the best I have EVER done on a diet. 

Then Thanksgiving and Christmas came, and all the high carbs that go with it, and I fell off the wagon. I am now at 203. But you know what? I feel like I know how to loose weight now, and I never had any success before watching fat/calories.

What's great is you really don't have to control your portion size. I can pig out on some of my favorite foods (steak, chicken, fish) and have as much as I want, with the fat/skin on it too.  I can eat salads with "fattening" dressings, because they are actually much lower in carbs than the low fat dressings. You can have butter/dressings on your veggies. It's GREAT!

The main things to avoid are any kind of processed grains, starches, and sugars. So the taboo foods are breads, potatoes, pasta, sugars of any kind, etc. Even milk is high in carbs.

BUT, you can have all the meats and non-starchy veggies you want, in practically any portion you want. And I would allow myself 1-2 healthy "sweets" a day, such as a fruit, a sugar free yogurt, etc. 

So anyway, even not following the diet as faithfully as I did last year, I still weigh less than when I was trying to eat low-fat and walking. I find that in itself really amazing. All that walking, hunger and self loathing for nothing! I just try to avoid as much carbs as I can and I don't worry about the fat or portions. The first two weeks I lost 8 pounds!

I didn't follow a specific low-carb diet. I just researched it on the web and sort of did a modified Atkins diet. I really didn't even keep strict track of my carbs. I just focused on eating meats/veggies and very low amounts of fruit and other carbs. And avoided breads, potatoes, and anything with sugar like the plague. :lol:


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## corinowalk

Pineapple (and pineapple juice) has as much potassium as a banana in a 4 oz glass. I would take a can (4 oz) and put it in my water bottle when I worked out. Flavored water, potassium, hydration...all in one! Good luck!


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## MacabreMikolaj

I would be ECSTATIC if I could succeed at a low-carb diet, as I firmly believe that grains are the disease marking society. I would give anything to be able to eat only meat and veggies, I do believe it is the best diet for human beings.

The issue is being able to deal with the emotional problems that make me crave sugar - be it in the form of grains, or junk food. I do like meat, I do like veggies, but giving up carbs is like a bad drug addiction, which should tell you RIGHT THERE how horribly bad they are for us. 

My sister and her husband are believers in the Paleo diet, and I'd love to reach that point. I doubt I ever will, it's so difficult in this fat, lazy society of convenience, but it's the goal I work towards!


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## outnabout

MacabreMikolaj said:


> The issue is being able to deal with the emotional problems that make me crave sugar - be it in the form of grains, or junk food.


I understand... when you state in your first post that you have struggled with depression/bipolar, I immediately thought of my adopted daughter, who has diagnosis of borderline personality disorder/bipolar. When she was living here with me, I would be shocked to find my sugar container almost empty when I went to bake a cake or cookies. I don't know how, but she would devour sugar. 5 lbs. of sugar would disappear in no time. On her oatmeal?? Who knows? I never had sweets or sodas at home. They aren't healthy, and fortunately I don't have a sweet tooth. Some types of mental/emotional disorders crave sugar and carbs, it is a fact. Now, unfortunately, my daughter is very overweight from psychotropic meds, but at least she is still alive. 

If I were you, I would find a holistic/naturalistic healer type doctor or a homeopathic doctor who will help you with your body chemistry. They are hard to find, as there are many quacks. I have found that traditional medicine is very, very lacking when it comes to psychological disorders and their devastating effects on a life. 

Good luck, and I wish you the best.


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## HollyBubbles

MacabreMikolaj said:


> Hey guys, it's been going well! I swear I feel a little more slender. Shay-la took some pics of me riding Zierra and for the first time I didn't want to gag. Could have been the angle, but I bent over to tie my boots the other day and I realized I wasn't having to hold my breath because I couldn't physically breath when I was doubled over!
> 
> Feeling very motivated and happy about the progress! It's slow, but it has to be a complete transformation and not a quick fix so that's something I'm willing to do!


That's excellent!! Well done for sticking to it


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## Susan Crumrine

I know how hard it is. I am on a diet too. Because I have two previously broken legs, with hardware, I cannot work out. Very hard to lose.
I have been doing low fat, low carb. It is very hard. I have lost 16 pounds in about four weeks. 
When you get to be 40, it is even harder to lose. Good Luck!! Susan


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## DutchFeather

If you HAVE to each McDonalds (stuck in the hospital at 2am again etc), don't get the Big Mac, get a $1 cheeseburger or a $1 mcchicken with a cup of water and a small $1 fry. You still get to eat, but it isn't as many calories or as much cars and fat. You can still eat the foods you like, but, it's about the choices we all make on how we eat... A small $1 cheeseburger versus a big mac. A cup of water (or even a sweet tea) versus a large soda. 

You're doing good though! Keep it up and stay motivated!


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## Dusty1228

^^ I have done the $1.00 cheeseburger thing! Big Macs are my absolute favorite as well and you can't have a sandwich without the fries, In my humble opinion! So, I ordered either the $1.00 cheeseburger and fries and added big mac sauce to the burger or the cheeseburger kids meal, which you can get with milk, juice or a small soda. I know it's bad for you, but once again, the quantity was so small, that I didn't feel I went too far with my treat and my body thought I had a really small Big Mac. I had to balance it off later with carrot sticks for my snack instead of the one or two oatmeal cookies I allow myself, but, it was so worth it.

MM I am so glad to hear that you are doing so well. Doesn't it seem a little easier now, that you can feel even a little difference? I was able to fit into my favorite pants the other day, (right out of the dryer!) without doing the shake your butt/crouch/jump up and down. I was so happy, I ate good all day and didn't regret passing on the cookies! 

Congratulations and continuing good luck!!!


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## MacabreMikolaj

Haha, if I didn't eat a Big Mac, I wouldn't want McDonalds. I shouldn't say I'm addicted to McDonalds, I should say I'm addicted to Big Macs and their french fries. The fries are what kill you - if you could eat JUST the burger and a glass of water, that is a reasonable meal with a certain amount of nutritional value. Adding the large ice tea and large fries are what turn it into a meal that equals over half your days require calories intake.

I will have to conquer my McDonalds issue at some point, but I rather enjoyed reaching a point where I wasn't craving it anymore, and I feel myself slowly returning to that state. I have no issues with other fast food, I can eat at A&W or Burger King and actually order a salad, or a healthier option or eat it once and not think about/crave it for weeks. Granted, I "want" it due to convenience, but I never crave it like I do McDonalds - if someone offered me an A&W burger or a home cooked steak, I would choose the steak. However, between a Big Mac and a steak, I'd actually have to think about it and probably WANT to choose the Big Mac (which I actually did in Vegas at 14 with my sister, my parents were going to take us to a high class restaurant and we actually chose to stay in the hotel room because the hotel lobby had it's own McDonalds). How sad is that?!

I can see certain things changing, and I am enjoying it. I don't have to struggle to avoid fast food anymore, it's become enough of a taboo both from a health point of view and financial point of view, that I don't think of it as an option - I'll be driving home at 9pm and think "man it would be easier to grab a burger" and imnmediately think about what's in my food pantry at home to cook. Before, I'd have to mentally BATTLE myself about why a burger was a bad choice, and end up caving anyway and buying one. Now it's like a fleeting thought before I just think about what I'll make when I get home which is AWESOME. And on the rare occasion I do eat out now, it's more enjoyable because I consider it and go "yes, I DO feel like a burger right now, I'm going to have one with salad!" instead of it being a war in my head.

I have a long ways to go, but it's refreshing to have these little habits changing and not weighing on me so heavily anymore.


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## Ladytrails

You are SO on the right track! I don't have any easy solution; I'm the same way about potato chips. Just one and I'm useless. So, I know that it's easier just not to take the first one. But it is so tempting! Hang in there! If you're making the right choice for you more times than not, you're winning.


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## HollyBubbles

Ahh we all have weaknesses right  mine is chocolate and biscuits.
And the cravings are always worse during my period.

I find if I feel like something "naughty" (today it was a drinking chocolate) I just go and eat/drink something thats in it, and bam, craving gone. Like with the drinking chocolate, I went into the fridge and drank milk instead.


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## gypsygirl

i always loose weight when i stop eating out, even if i try to eat healthy food out. my problem is im super lazy about cooking haha ! 

sounds like you are doing well ! and when you cut out something like mcdonalds it just gets easier and easier the longer you dont eat it. you will get to the point where you dont even crave it or think about it at all ! i have the same issue with doritoes....yuumm i just cant stop eating them ! i could eat a whole family size bag if i didnt cut myself off !


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## PaintedFury

MM, it sounds like you are doing wonderful with your new lifestyle! I'm not going to say the D word, it should be illegal! The only suggestion that I have is if you are craving a burger, get some ground turkey, and make your burgers out of that. My husband and I live with an older friend, who is allergic to beef, so we have had to alter our eating habits quite a bit, and our weekly burgers have turned to turkey burgers. They are delicious! We cut up the lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and I've replaced Miracle Whip with Spicy Mustard, and that's hard for me because I LOVE MW. I still use MW, but I always replace some of it with mustard, especially the Spicy Mustard! Now I find that I almost prefer the mustard to the MW. 

My biggest piece of advice for you, would be the following. In your emotional journals that you keep, at the end of every entry, list 4 or 5 things that you done that day that you are proud of. And try to do it daily. Even if they are small things, like I exercised for 45 minutes today, or I finished a really tough project at work. Something positive! This will help change your outlook on life, which from reading through this, you are already starting to do, but this will help you along. It gives you a reason to look at the positive things that you have done that day!

You are a wonderful person, and have gotten so much awesome advice! Always remember that you are loved, by everyone that knows you, and we look forward to seeing you happy and healthy! I may be thousands of miles away from ya, but if you ever need anything, just let me know, and I'll do my best to help you. Even if it's just someone to talk to. Look me up on facebook, Lisa R. Jackson-Rutherford | Facebook and we can chat or PM. I'll even call ya if need be. Love ya girlie!


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## petitepyromaniac

Here's a few tips I thought of as I read through this thread. Sorry if they're in a weird order!

-You mentioned how you're too tired after work to cook. You've made huge improvements since you posted that, so you may not need this anymore, but I had an idea- What if you tried cooking in a crockpot/slow cooker? Put the food in the thing in the morning, so when you come home it's all cooked and ready to go! You'll have a healthy meal already waiting for you, so no McDonalds on the way home allowed!

-Focus on the good stuff you CAN eat, not the stuff you can't

-Eating a bigger breakfast will start you out right, and you'll be less likely to want to cheat later. Maybe you can add a piece of fruit with your cereal.

-Sometimes when I start eating, I subconsciously think "This is so good, I'll definitely be going for seconds". By the time I'm done with my first helping I'm full, but because I had mentally already planned on seconds, I do it anyway. Try not to accidently make a plan when you eat.

-If you do go for seconds, try to make your seconds only be the healthy stuff.

-Try different activities that are fun, but active. Spend a day playing at the pool, or go try a game of tennis. Switching it up will make it not feel like exercise!

-If you eat more/worse, don't beat yourself up- just exercise a bit more.

You're doing great! I feel like you probably don't even need this advice by now! And I completely understand the depression thing! That makes dieting (and everything) super hard. I don't have time to post more, but maybe I'll touch on that later!


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## Horsey and Holistic

It sounds like you are hypo thyroid. Your body needs iron, iodine, magnesium, and selenium as the top vitamins to lose weight and feel better. Read up on the condition and any health food store will carry most of these vitamins.


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## Saddlebag

I use my crockpot to make a big pot of chili, stew, chicken stew, split pea soup, etc. I'll enjoy a fresh cooked serving that night and freeze portions for other meals. I like to keep three different choices. Those are for when I just don't feel like cooking.


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## waresbear

MacabreMikolaj said:


> Haha, if I didn't eat a Big Mac, I wouldn't want McDonalds. I shouldn't say I'm addicted to McDonalds, I should say I'm addicted to Big Macs and their french fries. The fries are what kill you - if you could eat JUST the burger and a glass of water, that is a reasonable meal with a certain amount of nutritional value. Adding the large ice tea and large fries are what turn it into a meal that equals over half your days require calories intake.
> 
> I will have to conquer my McDonalds issue at some point, but I rather enjoyed reaching a point where I wasn't craving it anymore, and I feel myself slowly returning to that state. I have no issues with other fast food, I can eat at A&W or Burger King and actually order a salad, or a healthier option or eat it once and not think about/crave it for weeks. Granted, I "want" it due to convenience, but I never crave it like I do McDonalds - if someone offered me an A&W burger or a home cooked steak, I would choose the steak. However, between a Big Mac and a steak, I'd actually have to think about it and probably WANT to choose the Big Mac (which I actually did in Vegas at 14 with my sister, my parents were going to take us to a high class restaurant and we actually chose to stay in the hotel room because the hotel lobby had it's own McDonalds). How sad is that?!
> 
> I can see certain things changing, and I am enjoying it. I don't have to struggle to avoid fast food anymore, it's become enough of a taboo both from a health point of view and financial point of view, that I don't think of it as an option - I'll be driving home at 9pm and think "man it would be easier to grab a burger" and imnmediately think about what's in my food pantry at home to cook. Before, I'd have to mentally BATTLE myself about why a burger was a bad choice, and end up caving anyway and buying one. Now it's like a fleeting thought before I just think about what I'll make when I get home which is AWESOME. And on the rare occasion I do eat out now, it's more enjoyable because I consider it and go "yes, I DO feel like a burger right now, I'm going to have one with salad!" instead of it being a war in my head.
> 
> I have a long ways to go, but it's refreshing to have these little habits changing and not weighing on me so heavily anymore.


 Those evil burgers & fries are heart stoppers. Literally. All designed to corrode your arteries & stop your heart. I have eaten about 5 fast food burgers in my life, I don't like them & don't crave them. And this can be this way for you. The saturated fats in those foods turn off the fullness center in your brain, telling your body that your are still hungry and you want more. When you eat foods like whole grains, proteins (lean chicken, fish etc), that turns on the fullness center and you've had enough, no more food. That is because your muscles & vital organs have been been fed with the proper nutrients. With that junk food, your poor muscles & organs got diddly squat & your fat cells are greedy and will always take more if your giving it to them. I could go on & on about this subject but people get mad & tell me to shut up. Anyways, I am a firm believe in being fit, sleek & energetic & other than in my late 20's & early 30's for kickboxing, I have never been in a gym. I am 50 yrs old and can wear a bikini & look **** hot and I think most anyone can if they put the time in. I do 45 mins of cardio & boxing 5 times a week at home in the winter when I don't ride the horses cuz of too much snow. When I am riding regularly, I just do the boxing & kicking for about 1/2 maybe once or twice a week. I got girl guns & abs, & you can too.


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## tblver

I skimmed through the first few pages and I'll just say this--although I have not had quite the journey you've had, I have been battling losing weight as well. I like flavor, and umm...eating right is hard! Basically how I started was I put a goal in my mind. I am lucky enough to be extremely driven.....as in 'no' is never an acceptable answer and I will work for what I want, and get it. I decided that I wanted to lose weight and gain muscle for my horse. If I expect him to be in shape well I need to be in shape too!

I also decided to do Crossfit, but I'm doing it 5 times a week with weekends off. Honestly its all in the individual affiliate; I am lucky enough to have an awesome group of competitive people who push me, and a great personal trainer who knows when I'm BS-ing something and when I'm not. But if you don't have the money for that, you can still work perfectly well with a YMCA membership _if you are really dedicated to making this happen_. I know there is a lot of bad mojo surrounding women and weight lifting (I don't know why) but I personally like being strong and if you want to reduce fat, building muscle is really an invaluable part of doing that. Cardio burns calories and fat as long as you are doing it--muscle fibers burn calories through out the day. I do 30 minutes of weight lifting, and then a daily WOD (takes up the additional 30 minutes) and I am home in time for dinner. I go after work, and the affiliate I go to is directly on my route home, so there is zero excuse to go except my laziness. My weight loss has been slow--I saw a 10 pound loss when I cut out soda, then a few inches but no weight, and now I've lost ten more pounds and about another inch a few weeks ago--I haven't weighed or measured myself since then but I know that I need to, for my goals' sake.

I also agree that you need to do a whole food purge and throw out the bad crap, and then only replace it with good stuff. Go to the store someone else if you need to have a referee, but make it happen. I know my personal weakness about eating good food was partially that I had to actually cook the good food and I didn't have to do any kind of work for the bad stuff. But I got over it, and now I cook for a couple days at a time.

As far as eating, I really really suggest trying low carb. Try and cut out most breads and potatoes (aka starchy carbs), only eating small portions once or twice a week to curb cravings and subsequent binges. Lots of eggs, tuna, chicken, spinach, asparagus....stuff high in fiber and protien. Fiber will make you feel full a whole lot sooner, and without all of the additives and all of that other stuff, you won't be so chemically driven to continue eating (junk food is engineered to taste good so you want to eat more!). I really think you should go spend some time with your sister, haha and immerse yourself in Paleo for a little bit; even if you don't end up committing to that lifestyle, you will more than likely come out with a whole new view on processed foods and how to shop at the grocery store.

I also suggest you set goals for yourself, both long and short term. This has been the biggest driving factor in keeping me 'on the wagon' so to speak;these past few weeks I have been house sitting far away from my affiliate, but I am running half a mile and also making up my own WODs, which would have been unheard of for me at the beginning of the year. Right now I am aiming to lose 10% body fat, hopefully by August 11th (when I will be going on vacation for four days and I want to be beach ready) but I also am aiming to get triple digits in all of my lifts (squat, deadlift, and shoulder press). In the long term, I want to be able to compete in the Crossfit Open next year.

Bottom line here is, and if I sound harsh I'm sorry this is just how I personally think about it, you have to want it bad enough. Very much like an addict, you have to hit rock bottom before you can really change yourself, whatever rock bottom for you may be. For me it was 165 pounds and size 16.


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