I, Lynne Sin am giving up my unhealthy eating habits - I need help!

[LynneSin]

I weigh over 200 lbs, in fact I've probably gained 100lbs since I've graduated HS although at 5'10 120lbs at graduation, that was probably too thin. I never learned good eating habits since when I was young I ate everything in site and metabolism just got rid of the rest. Thank goodness for my height because I look big but it's not getting away with it anymore

That is no longer the case and I hate what I've done to my body. I found old pictures of me from about 50-60 pounds ago and I just loved that weight. I wasn't bone thin but I had the curves that were fun to go shopping and dressing. I see myself now and I cry. The worse happened after I had moved and hit a small streak of depression. I had left my home of 12 years and moved somewhere where I didn't know anyone, hated my new job (which is no longer my job - I love my new job) and had ended a relationship.

I'm writing this because like an alcholic I have to admit my problem before I will ever get help. My doctor does want me to get Thyroid tested but I know there is more I'm going to have to change. Sometimes I wish it was smoking I'm quitting because technically you do not need cigerettes to survive, but you sure as hell need food. I have some healthy habits, I do drink tons of water, I try to take vitamins and believe it or not, I really do not drink that much alcohol. I've given myself a bribe - if I lose the weight (and 40-50 at first would make me estatic!!!) I'll treat myself to a trip backpacking through Europe (I'd love to go to Italy and Croatia and I'll do it myself!!).

HELP!!!

My biggest problem is I'm the most fussiest eater you'll ever meet!! I hate onions, peppers and most vegetables. I probably have the blandest tastes out there except my extreme cravings for chocolate and salty foods. Most OTC diet pills are out of the question, I can't even drink a cup of strong coffee without getting the extreme shakes from caffeine and that ephredra just drives me crazy. My metabolism is shot and my energy level is NIL; that combination makes motivation at a negative value. Any suggestions you might have will help!!!! I do not want to turn 40 and look like this (I have a few years)

[villager]

1. giving up dairy...

...is often a good place to start, and then soda, if you drink a lot of it.

I don't have any particular diet to recommend, just commendations on your brave first step! I know you'll make that backpacking trip!

[roguevalley]

2. HUGS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Okay, lets think this through.

Exercise is a must. Remember that. No one ever lost weight and got
healthy without it. Start small and work up to it if you have to.

Know this: Research in Britain, cutting edge, said that the genes and the ancient starvation mechanisms are the major factor here in weight. The weight god at Johns Hopkins said DON'T KICK YOURSELF!!
IT ISN'T YOUR FAULT!

Don't cry, honey.

foods with colors -green, red, orange, yellow and blue are the good foods. They can be eaten in abundance and you must and will develop
a taste for them. Eat them raw if you have to. No one said every meal you eat must be hot. And eat them until you're stuffed. The others eat in moderation.

Take up a body/mind exercise. Look in your area for a tai chi class and take it. Its heavenly. Its the best weight loss and mind putter back to getherer that ever was.

Give yourself a break and email me if you want support and encouragement. This is a hard thing and your body is going through its paces to protect you. Now you must train it to help you in a better and different way.

Hugs,

RV

[short bus president]

7. blue foods?

I'm just having trouble getting a visual on blue foods. Fricasseed smurf?

[TrogL]

32. "there's no such thing as blue food"

from the TV show "Chef". Apparently that's why food service people wear blue bandaids, so you can find them if they fall in the food.

[supernova]

35. There's blue Jell-O

now. And blue fruit juice. And blue (and purple and green) ketchup.

[neuvocat]

3. Its a gradual process.

I've had the same problem with snacks and candy bars (I was pretty depressed when my mom died).

I just started doing things gradually to where I made only small adjustments to my diet over long periods of time-I was able to reduce my consumption of junk food by one day a week, then two days, then so on. If I felt I wasn't able to keep it up, I would just go back to one day until I could readjust.

The body will react to any sudden reduction in food as an act of starvation. That's how you end up heavier after a diet because you get hungry even though you are overweight. That's why it has to be gradual.

Same for exercise-don't try to have a rigorous or demanding routine when you start out. If you have to start off just walking around the block only once or twice, that's fine. Besides, it takes a lot of work to move when you're overweight-more so than a skinnier person. If you walk around the block a couple of times you've done as much work as someone else who goes around the same block 3 times, for example.

[ScreamingMeemie]

4. Water and walking. Less portions. You don't have to give up meat.

You can do it. Also, the old fat picture on the fridge worked for me.

Best of luck and hugs to you! Make sure you eat enough though!

:hug:

[Lefty48197]

17. A well placed mirror

helped me too!

[radwriter0555]

49. It's SIMPLE. Stop EATING so much and start MOVING. Walk, jog,

pilates, exercise.

Reduce your intake of food, increase your movement. You know this already.

Stop eating processed foods. Stop eating breads, cookies, cakes, anything that is a carbohdrate.

It's not that hard.

[short bus president]

5. I can offer no useful advice,

as my eating habits border on the atrocious. If, however, you'd care to take a little drive Southward, I have an, er, "exercise" <nudge> <wink> program that might be of interest to ya. :evilgrin:

[CMT]

6. best thing which worked for me

I set a goal of 1500 calories per day. I made it sound better by saying 10,500 per week, but I would give myself a break and say that 11,000 calories per week is my goal. I wrote down everything I ate: breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks. By writing everything down and keeping track it really makes you want to stick to a diet and if you go over your goal you can just eat a little less the next day. But don't deprive yourself!! that is why I put in that extra 500 calories per week (11,000 calories instead of 10,500). Drink plenty of water and exercise along with the calorie watching. For instance, I work 3.5 miles from my house and don't need to take any freeway, so instead of driving or bussing to work every day I would walk to work a minimum of 3 days per week, but as many as all five and then walk home. It took me only a little under an hour to do that and it is a great way to start the day. The result was I lost 25 pounds and am still losing. I have another 25 to go.

You can do it and always know you have people at DU who will give you support.

[Lefty48197]

8. This can help you to lose weight

Try counting calories. Keep a daily diary of every single thing you eat. Learn how to accurately estimate the calories in everything you eat, and keep an accurate count.
Multiply your body weight by about 14 or 15, and that's how many calories you need to eat daily to MAINTAIN your weight. Anything less will help you lose weight. Even if it's only 100 or 200 calories per day. Every 3600 calories saved = one pound of weight loss.
It's a long haul to lose a lot of weight, but this formula is one way to help. You'll be surprised at how many things you can do to lower your daily caloric intake.
Don't get discouraged if you go over your limit one or two days out of the week. In fact, PLAN on it. Don't be too hard on yourself while dieting. It's the long run that counts. Short 'slip-ups' are ok, as long as your account for them in your calorie diary. Accept the fact that you will lose weight some days, and gain weight on others. The trick is to find the energy to lose weight on MOST days. Good luck! I lost 25 pounds doing this last winter. It works!

[roughsatori]

9. Best of Luck and you are on my prayer list for tonight

I hope that does not offend you. I was taught to keep a prayer list as a Catholic child, and even now participate in prayer rings. I am a non-thiest Buddhist, but out of habit pray to Jesus.

Hey, I'm a kooky leftist, what do I know.

[Journeyman]

10. Cut back on carbohydrates and exercise like mad. . .

The carbs raise your blood sugar and when it drops you crave more food to raise it again. Try to exercise -- even if it's just walking -- for at least an hour or more per day. Between these two, I've lost 60+ pounds in the past 20-some weeks. I eat better -- I've come to really like salads, fruits and vegetables -- and I'm up to walking/running at least an hour and a half to two hours per day. Oh, and I'm 48, so age was not a barrier. Best of luck, LynneSin. It's a struggle and I won't tell you it'll be easy, but the rewards make it all worthwhile.

[madrchsod]

11. get yourself to a

good doctor that spec. in weight loss..if you were 120 then gained 100 you are serious over- weight. your poor little heart is working overtime to keep up,not to mention your bones and muscles. above all take it off slowly and lots of excerize. you really should have a doctor moniter your weight loss and heart..good luck.

[LynneSin]

21. I was also underweight until I graduated college

160lbs looks great on me, 170 looks good too. I'm 5'10 and these weights make me fine. I wouldn't even attempt to get close to 120.

[Kenneth ken]

12. well

I don't know much about dieting. How do you feel about fruit?
Fruit could be substituted for veggies in your diet. I think I'll stop there with diet;

exercise! Even if it's just walkig more, it will have some benefits. Depending on how sedentary you are now, start by increasing walking. For everywhere you go, ask, can you walk instead of driving? If yes, give it a go. If no, when you get where you're going park inconveniently, so you have to walk farther from the car.

Do you have a bicycle? Dust it off and ride it more often.
Do you like to swim? Find a place to swim regularly.

If you're wanting to lose weight, aerobic-type activities are (probably) going to help more than anaerobic - like weight training.

There is a thread in the meeting room relating to exercise; use it for ideas, inspriration, etc.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

13. Try Atkins..it's cut out for you but you gotta give up bread, rice

pasta and sugar and stick to the proteins. The amazing thing is you confront your food addictions on it and after the first two or three weeks, you no longer crave all those processed carbs.

BTW..I adore you just like you are... :D

[Djinn]

18. exercise and unprocessed foods

Like others have said - exercise is a key you can't just look at food or lack of it.

Something that is a problem in developed countries (and particularly so in US so I've heard)is the amount of procesed foods we all eat now - it means you have to not only read labels but you have to know what those numbers and chemical names actually are - eg a lot of products have "no added sugar" but when you look at the fructose (or other "ose"s) content it's already packed with sugar so the "no added" is a bit of a furphy. If I make a pizza with three blocks of cheese I don't have to ADD fat either it's all there already so technically you could use "no added fat" on that as well.

As much as is practical you should eat foods that you bought in as close as possible to their natural state.

Only other advice would be to throw away your scales (how much you weigh is irrelevant muscle weighs more than fat so if you're exercising more than usual you might not notice the weight dropping and that'll just depress you) judge your progress on how you feel, your energy levels and whether your clothes are starting to sag.

[SOteric]

40. Oh, yeah, I have a friend with similar tastes:

doesn't much care for vegetables, aromatics like onion & peppers she didn't care for.

She had a great deal of success with Atkins and has, to date suffered no ill effects.

Of course she's quite sensible about her nutrition.

Sue even found a wealth of acceptable bread and pasta products throught he online site for Atkins.

[Robb]

51. what nothingshocksmeanymore said

on both counts. Atkins (temporarily), and I adore you just like you are (permanently)!

It is funny when you cut out carbs how much you want them for a little while. Then it goes away... really! Do check with your doc about cholesterol, then go for it!

[Kathy in Cambridge]

14. Check your thyroid first-and go the healthy route

I'm your age, I gained a ton of weight over three years and was tired all the time. I recently lost 25 lbs. doing a modified Atkins diet and I have 20 to go.

You should DEFINITELY get on thyroid medicine if you have a problem. Lethargy and depression are symptoms of hypothyroidism, and an unhealthy diet makes everything worse. Once on medicine, you will shed some weight.

Drinking water and taking vitamins are good things-give yourself some credit! If you are seriuos about losing weight, you will probably have to learn to like some vegetables. You are missing out on nutrients and fiber. My sister's fiance is a fussy eater and needs to lose weight, so she had him make a list of what foods he likes and dislikes, and she cooks according to his tastes (she also sneaks in herbs).

Don't use diet pills-they are unhealthy. If you need any help or have any questions, feel free to ask. Like you, I felt like shit but now that I'm on thyroid medicine and eating better, I feel great! There IS hope!

:hug:

[JitterbugPerfume]

20. Weight Watchers , Lynne

It is a healthy diet, and you do not deprive yourself

I have lost 50 lb, and I am actually starting to feel good about myself again

You can go to meetings , or join online

good luck sweetie

[Bunny]

42. 2nd the Weight Watchers.

You do not have to go to meetings, you can do everything online. I'm doing the online Flexpoints program. It's about $15/month in fees. Eat whatever you want, when your points allotment for the day are used up, you are done eating. It's been very successful for me so far. And you must exercise. Even 10 minutes/day on a treadmill will help. I've lost 30 pounds in four months, and it's been relatively painless. Good luck - the hardest part is getting up the motivation to get started.

[FlaGranny]

46. Weight Watchers

is VERY helpful. It isn't actually a diet, in my opinion - it teaches you HOW to eat. You find that you can have anything you want, just not constantly. Just a trial on it will show you where you've been going wrong.

[Cheswick2.0]

15. you sound like you might have a problem with carbs/sugar

I know exactly what you mean about the sugar/salt cravings. Do you also set yourself up to crash out afterwards?

Whatever "diet" you decide to follow, try walking. Walking is great for your mood and for your metabolism. It gets your heart rate up without killing you so that you don't want to exercise the next 5 days.

[Lefty48197]

16. Here are some calorie saving tips:

Fast food is OUT. Always! You can easily get an entire day's worth of calories in ONE McDonalds meal. Avoid fast food restaurants like the plague. In fact, you may have to stay away from restaurants almost entirely.

Alcohol has a ton of calories. Lite beers, or very limited amounts of other alcohol are the ONLY option for those that want to lose weight.

Watch out for meat. A quarter pound of lean hamburger grilled has about 200 calories. A quarter pound of not-so-lean hamburger, fried has about 400 calories. Try to stay away from big steaks and pork servings. Grilled, or broiled chicken and fish are much better.

Watch out for dairy products. Only drink lower fat milk. 2% max. 1% is better. Stay as far away from cheese and ice cream as possible while dieting.
Sherbet or fruit bars are a much better choice. Lite cheeses are MUCH better than other cheeses.

Soda pop is a waste of calories. If you must drink it, then be very careful not to drink too much.

Bread and other carbohydrates (cereal, pasta, snack chips etc.) have TONS of calories. You probably don't know how many calories there actually are in these things. You MUST limit carbs while dieting.

Most important of all: If you absolutely MUST eat or drink a certain food, then DO IT! You may get too depressed if you don't treat yourself once in awhile. Eat a hamburger if you must! Drink a beer! Eat some potato chips! Just be sure to educate yourself as to how many calories you are taking in, and KEEP A DIARY so you know for a fact how you are doing. The diary will help you a lot.

[rbnyc]

19. It's not just what you eat...

...but when and why. I'm dealing with these same issues. I wish you all the best Lynne. I hope you and I can both go about 50 pounds back. Of course, we're so hot as it is, is the world ready for us to be that much hotter?

;-)

[LynneSin]

23. Rene, you're my secret lust kitten!!!

I just got off the phone with someone and I'm overwhelmed at how much response I've gotten. I'm going to do this. If BiggJawn and CatPower2000 can give up their smokes and get healthy then why the hell can't I give up the junk food and get healthy? (BTW, those 2 have inspired me to be healthier!)

[rbnyc]

24. That's awesome.

I'm on board!

[otohara]

22. Stop Eating These Foods

any fast foods, do not any soda's - they are toxic, yucky foods. Water is essential.

eat salads with olive oil and lemon juice - ween yourself off of creamy salad dressings. olive oil for everything. Good fats are OK and are healthy for you.

Fruit is full of sugar, veges are better - limit your fruit - banana's are the highest in sugar content and constipating.... don't eat foods that disagree with you. Like if dairy bothers you, cut it out, especially cheeses. As we age, many of us develop sensitivities to food - common are Diary, Wheat, Corn, Yeast, Sugar .... your body has to work extra hard to process these foods. Get it in and get it out! Helps with your metabolism if your body isn't working overtime to process your food.

Raw nuts are a good form of protein and good fats for your skin, hair - lots of vitamins & calcium

You might want to consider supplements - they are essential for good health and I don't know how old you are, but I take Vitex to balance my hormones, which helps with cravings - since hormones rule the chocolate attack - you can send me a PM and I will gladly recommend vitamins & herbs you might want to start taking.

Limit carbs...and processed foods - think healthy, not weight loss - it will come off and stay off.

[LynneSin]

28. Any info would be excellent

BTW, when I was 6 I got sick on Sprite. Since then I've rarely drank soda. When I first moved into my apartment I bought a sixpack of diet A&W rootbeer and there is still 3 of them in my friend (that was 2001). Water; however, I can't get enough of. At work I drink at least 64 oz of water and I have a few more glasses when I get home. I've also switched to Soy Milk, but the only flavor I like is Chocolate. I'd rather go back to regular skim milk (I can't stand whole milk) than to go vanilla soy.

[corarose]

25. I weighed 290 pounds 18 months ago

I don't remember going from 220 to 290 but it sure was easy to gain the weight.
I can sympathize with you when it comes to eating and gaining weight.
Even though I got my stomach stapled I still have the constant cravings for food and they will nerve go away.

It very hard to stick to a diet in the USA because we are surrounded by fast food, TV commercials and our whole life's are centered around FOOD.

I have been on every diet and over the years I have paid out enough money on diets that I could have owned a diet clinic.

Before you buy any books on diets ask me If I have the book because I will send it to you.

I am down to a size 10 now and I can't eat like I use to.

I wouldn't recommend stomach stapling to anyone but I tried for 15 years to get my weight off and I got tired of being fat.

Have you tried prescription diet pills. They work for about 2 months and then you can't stay awake after you stop taking them.

We should create a Democratic Diet and help each other.

[ornotna]

26. Good luck

Needing to loose 40 pounds myself, I know how you feel. I don't have any advice, just sending best wishes and positive thoughts your way. :)

[corarose]

27. Email me anytime I will help you.

:kick:

[ant]

29. what worked for me

It took a bit of experimenting, but tailoring this to your own tastes/needs is the best way to make it work long term.

Try to come up with about 10 dishes that are:
A) healthy
B) something you like
C) something with a prep time suitable for your lifestyle

Search the web for recipes, you'll find a lot of stuff. (C) is VERY important. Many times I've gotten all psyched for eating healthy only to find it goes to shit when I get home at 8 pm and I don't want to eat anything that won't be ready in 5 minutes. I'm too lazy to even slice up a tomato sometimes, so now I buy a box of cherry tomatoes and simply toss 'em into my salad. Pay attention to your own habits and limits and try to work with them, basically.

Anyway, for your meals: Focus on a protein - I usually use chicken, tuna, and turkey slices from the deli - and then build around it. Whole wheat bread is good for getting your carbs; fish, nuts, and flax seed oil are good for getting the good fats. There are other options, but these are my staples.

If you don't usually like veggies try hiding them in things where you can't really taste them. I'll use spinach instead of lettuce in my turkey sandwiches, for instance (but I like spinach, so...). I'll also toss shredded spinach into my tuna salads (cottage cheese, not mayo - it sounds disgusting but it's actually really good).

Anyway, the point is to have a handful of meals that you like and that fit your lifestyle. Don't try to drastically change things one day to the next. It rarely works. Gradually build up until you have enough meals that you can rotate through without getting bored. Also, give yourself a free day every once in a while to eat the "bad" stuff. And if you have heavy chocolate cravings consider hershey's kisses. If I remember correctly they're only like 25 calories each. One or two will probably satisfy your craving without ruining your lifestyle (NOT diet).

Two more things that helped me: always pack your lunch and pack a lot of snacks. In addition to my lunch I usually have a bag of baby carrots, an apple, raisins, yogurt, and a granola bar with me. (Those can be pretty sugary, but I count calories - not carb or fat grams - so I can indulge in things like this.) Honestly, I eat all day long but I manage to eat only 1800 calories or less each day.

OK, I know that's a lot of info, but if you only remember one thing remember this: find meals that YOU like and that YOU are likely to eat regularly. If you're unhappy or unsatisfied you won't stick with it.

Good luck!

[revree]

30. SEE AN ENDOCRINOLOGIST

I read a book called THE SCHWARZBEIN PRINCIPLE by an endocrinologist who specializes in hormonal problems, stress, weight loss and boy, was it an eye opener. I would suggest seeing a specialist that can help you understand your metabolic system, and what kinds of food it reacts well and poorly to. I am working on this, and it seems to be helping.

You are on the right track, and I fully support you in this!!! YOU CAN DO IT, but just remember one thing. You really are wonderful and perfect just as you are, and this is probably the one key to my own successful weight loss - learning to forgive and love myself for screwing up BEFORE I could start working on changing my body.

GO FOR IT!!!!!!!

[ForrestGump]

31. Bottom line is calories

No matter what the fad diets hold, it always comes back to calories. Eat more than you burn off and you'll store 'em. Some foods are more calorie-dense than others, of course, but low-fat, low-sugar, or no- or low-whatever is (certain health conditions aside) irrelevant to the overall caloric picture. it's calories. Simple. Well, simple enough in theory.

The absolute best way to eat is to eat a balanced diet. Lots of fad diets are teribly unbalanced. This not good. The Chinese knew that long ago, but the idea of balance and slow gains (losses, in this case) does not sell books - it's not sexy and it's not a quick fix. Ultimately, though, diets do not work...rarely, anyway. And crash diets can be both dangerous and totally self-defeating. What you need to go for is a diet - as in 'way of eating' - that you can live with indefinitely. So it has to be balanced and it has to be satisfying. And I'm a big fan of fiber, too, so let me point out that high-fiber foods (other possible and likely health benefits aside) can give you that bulk you need for satiety and yet not stay with you indefinitely, if you know what I mean.

And I happen to believe that exercise is relatively more important to health and weight control than is diet. That's based on my experience when I've been in locales that had me eating far higher-fat, higher-sugar (higher-calorie) food than I usually did and yet losing weight and improving tone because I was also exercising more consistently than usual. Regardless, exercise is of paramount importance and aerobic exercise is what you particularly want, preferably at least 30 minutes straight for as many days in a row as you can manage. And, again, like with the food, the exercise has to be of a kind that you enjoy or grow to enjoy, otherwise you're likely to just stop doing it at some point.

Weight control is, ideally, just a byproduct of all of this. You may still end up heavier than what you think is your ideal, but your body will be in vastly better shape (muscle mass adds weight, too, remember) as you eat and exercise your way merrily along. It's probable that you'll literally add years to your life, you'll feel better, and you're more likely to avoid conditions like diabetes, joint and other skeletal problems, heart and other circulatory problems, cancer, etc.

Good luck! Italy and Croatia (and much more) await you....

[F.Gordon]

33. You haven't met my wife

My biggest problem is I'm the most fussiest eater you'll ever meet!! I'd put her up against you in a "fussiest eater" contest any day of the week...

Mrs. Motivated just turned 52 and over the last 5 months she has lost 35 pounds. She's not using pills or "fad diets". She COUNTS everything, and especially watches CARBS. This means she had to give up her two favorite things; French Fries and Bread. But if I had to point to one thing that has (dare I say) "motivated" her ....it is the buddy system AND she talks about her weight goals with EVERYONE. Reinforcement is the best weight loss system. Just keep talking about it with everyone, like you are doing here.

...and when people start noticing that you've lost weight....that's a HUGE reinforcement.

Oh yea....she doesn't drink a bunch of water, she doesn't exercise, and she has "treats" once in awhile. Go figure. Her energy level is NIL as well.

[supernova]

34. Hugs to LynnSin!

Good for you, babe! Besides whatever else has been mentioned I will say what worked for me. You can do with it what you will.

1) exercise - start out just walking. Even if it's only 10 minutes a day. Whatever you can stand. As you go along you will get more interested and branch out into other things.

2) Always eat breakfast. This ramps up your metabolism for the day. In fact, don't skip meals. It only sends your body into starvation mode. Either eat 3/day or several small meals during the day. However you feel most comfortable.

3) Don't eat after about 6-7 pm. That's not to say you can't go out and enjoy a restaurant once in a while, but as a rule finish eating for the day several hours before you go to bed. Try to avoid the habit of having late dinners.

4) I did well on Atkins. I don't eat pasta, rice, bread, or potatoes anymore. I stick to protein sources, and low carb fruits and veggies. And lots of water and tea. I discovered I'm one of the ones who has a problem processing carbs. I don't eat dairy anymore either. I take vitamins and calcium supplements. You might have to experiment to see what kinds of foods are "triggers" for you, either psychologically or physiologically. Work to eliminate them.

Lastly, none of this happens overnight. Don't feel overwhelmed. I had to gradually add all these changes in. I started right after my birthday in July of last year. I now weigh 25 lbs less than I did last year. And I'm keeping it off!

[Mandate My Ass]

36. Don't beat yourself up -- that's the biggest hurdle to successful wt loss

Think baby steps. There are many great suggestions on this thread. THe only thing I can add is gradually reduce your calorie intake while gradually increasing your daily exercise. Don't think hard sweaty gym time, even a short 20-minute walk will provide great cardio and wt. loss benefits.

THe other thing is veggies - the more the better - but you don't like them. Have you ever taken spirulina or chlorella? They are algae in tablet form and are very health promoting and can even be filling. You can't OD on them because they are not a supplement and not a vitamin, they are actually food in pill form! OK, sometimes they smell like grass clippings but you can hold your nostrils and down a handful with OJ which is much better than gagging on veggies for which you'll never acquire a taste.

Set realistic goals. Expect to fail from time to time. Permanent weight loss results from permanent changes but you can't expect to do this overnight. Keep a food diary.

Good luck. You're a winner. Think like a winner.

[ewagner]

37. A note on exercise

Others who have posted thata it is essential are correct: it is! But it's not the old grunt and moan type. Somebody else suggested Tia Chi which is good as would be any of the martial arts (Tai Kwon Do)

But nothing beats walking 1-1/2 - 2 miles a day. During the fal, a hike through a local park could be great fun.

Always remember you have the support and encouragement of the entire DU family (dysfunctional as it is)

[AlabamaDem]

38. READ THIS, I know what I'm talking about

You DON'T have to give up eating what you want if you RUN. Running is the best and only way to loose weight, keep it off, and still be able to eat anything. If you can't start running right away then walk (as others suggested) and work your way up. Once you get to where you are running for 20-30 minutes almost non-stop, you will see the weight fly off you. You HAVE to run at least 4 days a week though. If you can do that and get up to 30-45 mins non-stop, you can eat junk food all day and you won't gain a pound, although I suggest trying to eat healthy some of the time.

Once you start running and seeing improvement, join a gym and start toning up. When women gain muscle it actually makes them look thinner, contrary to what many think (unless you are using steroids or bulking up bodybuilding).

GO FOR IT!

[zelda7743]

39. Hi LynneSin

I'm a Registered Dietitian and I help people lose weight for a living.
I heartily agree with ForrestGump that you need to eat a ton of fiber-containing foods. The key is to never let yourself get ravenously hungry. Snack on low calorie foods through the day. Don't cut your calories back drastically, especially if you are going to start an exercise program.
At 5'10, your healthy weight range is 135-165# depending on your frame. I would target 2000 calories per day. You want to strive for 200 grams of carb (whole grains and fruit, not white bread), 150 grams of protein (lean meats and cheeses), and 65 grams of fat (olive oil, avocados). Make sure that you are monitoring the grams of fat found in meat, cheese, etc.
Your calories should be evenly distributed throughout the day. Read labels on the foods you eat. Watch your portion sizes. A third of a cup of dry macaroni noodles has 33 grams of carb. How many people measure out a third of a cup?
You only need to be technical in your gram counting until you get a feel for roughly the amount of food you should be eating. Once you start losing weight, you need to back off on the number of calories you eat.
As far as exercising goes, I highly recommend Kathy Smith's Sculpting videos. Weight training is absolutely essential. Get yourself some 3 and 5 pound weights. This will kick up the amount of calories that you burn just sitting around.
Good luck!
Zelda

[jab105]

41. Give yourself a present!! A GYM MEMBERSHIP!

Get a gym membership...BUT, this is the important part, get it at a place that has personal trainers...at the place I used to go, it was free to go one-on-one with the personal trainer people, you just had to sign up with them...

I'd say, make sure its a guy, I've had two and they whip my ass if I dont do the stuff right, the girls are too nice to me (I can be very persuasive and lazy:))

So, sign up for 3 days a week with the trainer people...being signed up for a lesson will force you to go...and usually while there, if the guy is a workout junkie, he'll get on your case if you aren't following a better diet...

The key is exercise...

I broke my kneecap in December, and started physical therapy in February with this alternative place...which is way into health food...so I've just kept it up ever since cause I LOVE IT! They guilt me into eating well, and they work me out...I'm in the best shape I've ever been and I haven't had to diet at all, just a bit of guilt and exercise...

[LynneSin]

45. I have one

Isn't going to help if you don't have the energy or motivation to get to it.

[Crewleader]

43. Please LynneSin get your thyriod tested....

I suffer hypothyriodism and just recently got my lab results back and had to have my Armour upped because I wasn't feeling good, not losing weight and gaining again so it's something that really will hinder your weight goal if you have any problems there
and I just got this in from Dr. Mercola with some tips to lose weight by cutting calories and other info.

Please keep us updated on your progress and making the right choices is a great start with good intentions of living healthier and I wish you all the best, I'm still at it myself friend.

Take Good Care Of Yourself! ;-)



http://www.mercola.com/2003/sep/17/cut_calories.htm

[MaineDem]

44. Oh wow, where to start...

I'm following Weight Watchers as far as counting points goes but I don't go to meetings or pay them money. I really don't have the disposable income that would allow me to do that.

However, I find the points the easiest thing I've ever followed. I lost 100+ pound son Nutrisystem about 10 years ago but I never learned HOW to eat properly. It all came back and then some.

This time I'm doing it right. It's slow (130 pounds lost in 18 months) but it's coming off and I'm able to eat pretty much what I want. The secret is portion-control, balanced meals, exercise, and water.

You have to want to do this. I find so much of weight-loss is a mental struggle and the only one who can hurt me is me, and I can take her!

I read an article in Newsweek a few months ago that was pretty excellent! It broke this weight-loss effort down to a few points:

1)Educate yourself - Learning fosters the desire to live well and the cofidence to evaluate the various experts' advice. I highly recommend "Get with the Program" by Bob Greene. I know he was associated with Oprah but don't hold that against him. :)

2) Set reasonable goals - Small changes are more sustainable and better for you than a major change that falls flat after a few weeks. Don't think of it as denying yourself, rather look to the things you can have and remember your goal. That cookie (in my case saltine) will taste good for an instant but the loss you achieve will benefit you for years to come.

3)Master your own fate - Programs and counselors are no substitute for inner motivation. Give yourself a personal stake in your success. Take control.

4)Reach out to others - determine the level of support you want from others and ask for it. Figure out what you don't need and don't hesitate to ask for it to stop. Research shows that changes in diet and exercise happen because of ones own desires and are rarely helped by the nagging of others.

5) Confront obstacle - Stress, anxiety, and depression can stop you from the beginning. Don't be afraid to ask for help if needed.

I'm sorry if I wrote a book here. I'm living through this right now so if I can help in any way please get in touch with me.

And we're here to support you! Good luck. :)

[catpower2000]

47. Oh, honey, I know just how you feel...

40 pounds ago, I was miserable. I hated to look at myself without clothes--I would avoid mirrors everywhere. If I could have showered with clothes on, I would have.

I felt like I was looking out from inside someone else's body. I felt like I was trapped inside the fat. Any time I had to wear bulky clothes, like a winter parka or a wool sweater, I just felt like the Michelan tire man. I felt like a beached whale. I hated myself and truly at times wanted to die because of how I looked.

What helped me was having a goal. My cousin asked me to be in his wedding party in January of '02. The wedding was in September '02. At the time he asked me, I was at my heaviest, 165 pounds.

I had tried EVERY DIET KNOWN TO MAN. Atkins, Sugar Busters, Carb Addicts, South Beach, Beverly Hills, juice diet, grapefruit diet. They all had one thing in common. I was MISERABLE on them and I felt DEPRIVED all the time.

I had a revelation. I realized that I was never going to be able to follow a diet that didn't let me have Oreo's. I know that sounds stupid, but when I want a fucking Oreo cookie goddamit, I'M GOING TO HAVE ONE. So I had to figure out a way that I could eat Oreo's and still lose weight.

I must truly be a moron, because it took me the better part of a month to figure out that the only thing I needed to do was control my portions. I had to EAT LESS FOOD. I refused to measure and weigh and count points and all that bullshit. What I did was I cut everything I ate in half. If normally I had a peanut butter sandwich at 12:00, I had HALF a peanut butter sandwich. If normally I had a plate of pasta, I had HALF a plate of pasta instead.

Some things I had to cut in more than half. For example, Oreo's. :) When I was heavy, I could easily sit down and eat half a package of Oreo's. I had to limit myself to THREE Oreo's. An easy way I found to do that was that I removed the food I was going to eat from the package, then rewrapped the package and put it away and went into another room to eat. So, if I was going to have Oreo's, I took three Oreo's out of the package, clipped the package shut, put it back on top of the fridge, poured my cup of skim milk, and then went into the living room to eat. Chips, same thing, took them out of the bag, put the bag away, and then ate them.

I know this all sounds very infantile, but I had to learn to change my HABITS and that was the biggest thing I did that helped me to lose weight.

I had to stop eating TWO things entirely. Fast food and pizza. Fast food because it has no redeeming nutrional value and besides, who wants to support those fuckers anyway? And pizza because I COULDN'T regulate my intake. I couldn't portion-control with pizza. I always wanted more. So I stopped eating it.

The only other thing I did was I started drinking a gallon of water a day. A gallon of water is a lot of water, and I found it was hard to remember to drink all day long so I was getting enough. So what I did was, every time I remembered to drink, I would drink a FULL glass of water down at once. The way to tell if you're drinking enough water--your pee should be completely clear and odorless.

Stop drinking anything else--juice especially. You WILL gain weight with juice. The only things I drank besides water was coffee and diet soda. Small amounts of caffiene will help you control your appetite.

So that was it. Portion control and water. I didn't exercise, didn't take diet pills, didn't deny myself ANY foods. If I wanted cheesecake, I had a very small slice of cheesecake.

It took 9 months to lose 40 pounds. That sounds like a long time, but I still weigh 125, one year later, and it hasn't been hard to keep it off. I actually got TOO thin for a little while and had to eat a bit more until my body found its ideal weight. Now I can eat pretty much whatever I want, because I reset my metabolism and the size of my stomach.

Now, Lynne. As you know, I quit smoking, and I had to start working out when I quit because I was afraid I was going to gain weight. I can tell you honestly that working out WILL help you, and I could have lost the weight a lot faster if I had. HOWEVER. I was feeling the way you were when I started--lethargic, depressed, and unmotivated. There was no way I was going to be able to commit to an exercise program. So you do WHATEVER WORKS FOR YOU. That's the important thing. Don't overwhelm yourself, take it one step at a time.

The nice thing about my way is that you don't have to buy special food. The nasty thing about my way is that in the end, it all comes down to willpower.

If there's anything I can do to help, please let me know, I'd love to. :)

Cat

[ForrestGump]

50. Yeah, what she said.....

Catpower speaks the truth! :D

[DemNoir]

48. This just in LynneSin

My research has shown that you are probably the ultra-coolest person around here. This alone should make you quite happy with yourself. So take in a little less, exercise a little more, relax and be happy.