Hallawes0303
11-12-2003, 01:04 AM
Hi I am a new member and I came here trying to find out more about some pill claiming to be as great as the bypass surgery and I am so glad I did because now I know not to waste my money. I am a 23 year old stay at home mom and I have been heavy most of my life. It started in 9th grade at 130 pounds and by the time I was 18 I was up to 180 pounds. 130 today for a woman my age is great but for a girl in high school it was just cruel. After having my daughter in 2001 I am now even bigger weighing in at 240. I wanted to write my opinon to shed a new light to this whole topic of obesity. I have tried a lot of the fad diets out there and yes they would work at first but then my mind would start to stray and I would begin to tell myself well I have done good all week I can treat myself to a burger. Then one burger turned in 2 and so on. I feel the biggest struggle in losing weight is in your mind. It is a tricky things and will play tricks on you. I feel you have to learn to be stronger than it is and eventually it will give in to you and let you do what you are trying to do for yourself. I have also found that support is a big issue for me. I lost all of my friends when my husband and I found out we were pregnant. We were only 21 and who wanted friends with babies was there point. Anyways I have yet to make any friends almost two years later. I enjoy the support from message boards and things of that nature but there is nothing like having a personal buddy. I have even put up signs to find a walking buddy and nothing. It tends to make walking or dieting easier if you have someone who knows your pain and your struggles as well. I have yet to find this but I hope that I do. I started a simple no pill no surgery no miracle diet and so far I have lost 15 pounds. I started a month and half ago. All I did was start to walk at least a mile a day. I also drank the suggested amount of water and started watching portions and what I ate. I do not eat carbs after lunch time and filling yourself up on fruit and veggies is key. My biggest weekness is bread so I allow myself one piece a day of whole grain bread. I have started to stray some here lately since the weather is turning cold. Its hard to make yourself walk when you are freezing but the point is I havent gained any back in the three weeks I havent walked. I think exercise is a big part of it but I also find the portion and water thing is key. I am also hoping to join Curves soon so that there is an alternative to walking in the cold. I also drink diet soda whenever I get bored with water. It is slow going but I hope to loose at least 100 pounds. I guess my whole reason for writing this is just to say dont let anyone tell you cant do it and the biggest person you have to watch out for is yourself. Until you convince yourself that you can and will do it you wont. I fall off the wagon sometimes but I make myself get back on it and tell myself I am not going to fall victim to obesity any longer. If any of you who read this have some of the same will problems that I do please feel free to email me. I cant be a person to person buddy but I will always listen. Good luck to all of you who are trying to do something about your weight issues and take care.
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leeanne172
11-12-2003, 04:17 AM
Hallawes0303 you sound like a truly determinded person and remind me of myself when I started on my weight loss journey, I know you can do it, I started out fairly much in the same boat your in
I have lost quite a bit of weight so far, 105 to be exact ( I started at 324) and I have about 70 more to my goal.
I don't count calories or carbs, I don't eat like a bird or deprive myself .. what I do is exercise 5 days a week, twice a day, walking exercise (walk away the pounds videos) I do no less then 15 in home walking miles per week plus a ton of outdoor walking. I drink 1.5 liters of water everyday (I only drink soda at the movies) and I eat puffed wheat with all bran for breakfast everyday, I eat a typical lunch .. soup and sandwich (white bread, not brown) and I have whatever I want for dinner, when I want a snack I have fruit .. apples and pears are my faves and peaches if I can find good ones.
I never beat myself up if I 'cheat' a bit, this is a lifestyle change and you just can't go every single day of your life without a treat here and there
I take vitamins, multi, A, C, flax seed oil and garlic
Losing weight is something you learn as you go, I don't believe you can really just say "today I am cutting this in half and exercising this much ..." .. it's something you have to be able to live with .. forever
Good Luck on your journey, I know you will reach your goals also :)
I have lost quite a bit of weight so far, 105 to be exact ( I started at 324) and I have about 70 more to my goal.
I don't count calories or carbs, I don't eat like a bird or deprive myself .. what I do is exercise 5 days a week, twice a day, walking exercise (walk away the pounds videos) I do no less then 15 in home walking miles per week plus a ton of outdoor walking. I drink 1.5 liters of water everyday (I only drink soda at the movies) and I eat puffed wheat with all bran for breakfast everyday, I eat a typical lunch .. soup and sandwich (white bread, not brown) and I have whatever I want for dinner, when I want a snack I have fruit .. apples and pears are my faves and peaches if I can find good ones.
I never beat myself up if I 'cheat' a bit, this is a lifestyle change and you just can't go every single day of your life without a treat here and there
I take vitamins, multi, A, C, flax seed oil and garlic
Losing weight is something you learn as you go, I don't believe you can really just say "today I am cutting this in half and exercising this much ..." .. it's something you have to be able to live with .. forever
Good Luck on your journey, I know you will reach your goals also :)
Kthulah
11-15-2003, 02:45 AM
Welcome to the board, Hallawes :)
I'm with Leanne on this one, only my personal focus isn't weight loss but overall health in general. It is something that you have to deal with all your life, and you can't let your mind play tricks on you.
I also don't count calories, and don't eat like a bird, but I do count my accomplishments. I try to think like an athelete.
An athelete doesn't think in terms of calorie consumption unless they have to be a certain weight to make a particular weight class in a competition. They think in terms of how high, how far, and how well they've done something. So if I make it to 20 miles, I'm celebrating like Rocky at the top of the stairs. That's a good feeling associated with an activity that just happens to burn calories too. LOL!
I'm with Leanne on this one, only my personal focus isn't weight loss but overall health in general. It is something that you have to deal with all your life, and you can't let your mind play tricks on you.
I also don't count calories, and don't eat like a bird, but I do count my accomplishments. I try to think like an athelete.
An athelete doesn't think in terms of calorie consumption unless they have to be a certain weight to make a particular weight class in a competition. They think in terms of how high, how far, and how well they've done something. So if I make it to 20 miles, I'm celebrating like Rocky at the top of the stairs. That's a good feeling associated with an activity that just happens to burn calories too. LOL!
posie
11-15-2003, 02:53 AM
Ditto, I would love to lose weight, but I really am more interested in feeling better. I used to be so much more active, but now because of my health (and weight) I feel tired and not well much of the time. I feel so much better when I eat well...and my weight just automatically adjusts. But when I get the cravings, it's crazy! And then I eat terrible. I do get hangups about the weight sometimes too and don't think about the health issue at times. But as time goes on and my health worsens and new disorders and diseases pop up in my life, I start to panic and just want to be healthy again. I know what I have to do, I just have to do it.
Kthulah
11-15-2003, 03:08 AM
Heheheh...My Grandma said to me once, "Darnit! Sometimes life just gets in the way of living!"
Sometimes other concerns will get in the way, or we can psyche ourselves into neglect after an emotional upset or even after a phase of binging. That's one reason exercise is so important. If you stock all your health into your diet alone, then if you break it that can lead to pervasive guilt and cloud the perspective. Whereas if you're exercising too, you can step back and say, "Okay, that was a bad week (month or year), but I recognize what I was doing, and now I'm getting that back under control," and still have the benefit of having kept your activity up during that time.
It's hard to keep up sometimes, and very easy to get depressed, especially if you have physical conditions including brain chemistry issues that make it luck that you're even thinking about self improvement at all. This is where support comes in though. Sometimes we need to lean on each other, and sometimes I personally need a good kick in the bum to get back in gear.
Sometimes other concerns will get in the way, or we can psyche ourselves into neglect after an emotional upset or even after a phase of binging. That's one reason exercise is so important. If you stock all your health into your diet alone, then if you break it that can lead to pervasive guilt and cloud the perspective. Whereas if you're exercising too, you can step back and say, "Okay, that was a bad week (month or year), but I recognize what I was doing, and now I'm getting that back under control," and still have the benefit of having kept your activity up during that time.
It's hard to keep up sometimes, and very easy to get depressed, especially if you have physical conditions including brain chemistry issues that make it luck that you're even thinking about self improvement at all. This is where support comes in though. Sometimes we need to lean on each other, and sometimes I personally need a good kick in the bum to get back in gear.
leeanne172
11-15-2003, 03:09 PM
I found when I started my lifestyle change that it took about 3 full months to really get into it and know what I had to do, like I tell most people this is a learning process and you don't learn it overnight. You have ups and downs or times when you know you are doing well but the scale will not move or even goes up a pound and you get discouraged .. well don't .. I weigh myself once a week (sometimes more, hee) today the scale could say 218 and tomorrow could say 220 !! well I know I didn't GAIN 2 pounds overnight so why beat myself over it?
You have to find what is comfortable for you and once you get into the pattern it is easy to follow but like everything changing food habits is difficult, I think too many people choose diet plans that is just 'not them' and when they screw up they give up .. well if you screw up then you discovered your human ;)
As for counting calories, I would rather bash my head against a wall then measure everything I eat !! Once you get into making the habit of making the right choices it is really amazing what you can do and everyday you get through is another day you feel stronger and want to continue
Now I think I will take a walk and maybe drag the hubby off the couch and make him go also LOL
You have to find what is comfortable for you and once you get into the pattern it is easy to follow but like everything changing food habits is difficult, I think too many people choose diet plans that is just 'not them' and when they screw up they give up .. well if you screw up then you discovered your human ;)
As for counting calories, I would rather bash my head against a wall then measure everything I eat !! Once you get into making the habit of making the right choices it is really amazing what you can do and everyday you get through is another day you feel stronger and want to continue
Now I think I will take a walk and maybe drag the hubby off the couch and make him go also LOL
leeanne172
11-19-2003, 09:50 PM
The only thing you can do is make time for yourself, you don't have to exercise for an hour at a time you can do it ten minutes at a time 6 times a day. Also the little things can make a difference also, if you have heavy books lift them over your head 20 times 5 times a day, take a ten minute break once an hour and walk in place. take the stairs instead of an elevator, if you take the bus get off a stop before yours and walk the extra block .. it is actually very easy to get quite a bit of exercise in daily if you slightly change habits. Eating out is fine as long as it's not always burgers and fries, have a sub with whole wheat bread or a salad and drink bottles of water instead of pop
Changing eating and exercise habits is difficult and frustrating at times, the worst thing you can do is beat yourself if you "mess up" .. it's a learning process and you have to find and learn what is comfortable for you. Try some of what I suggested above for a week and see what happens
Changing eating and exercise habits is difficult and frustrating at times, the worst thing you can do is beat yourself if you "mess up" .. it's a learning process and you have to find and learn what is comfortable for you. Try some of what I suggested above for a week and see what happens
Kthulah
11-20-2003, 12:49 AM
Leanne is right. Think of it in terms of health with weight management, and don't beat yourself up over a temporary lapse. Exams time is too mentally stressful to add that to it. I'd even go as far as saying that's a time one should prepare for as if it was a pregnancy.
You know ahead of time that it's coming, so set yourself up for success. If you're on the meal plan at school, talk to the cafeteria staff about hooking you and maybe a few friends up the same way they do for the atheletes. Just tell them that this is a time when you don't want to have to think about food specifically, and possibly make unhealthy choices. We all need a little support sometimes.
I've been pulled from the brink of some bad choices by supportive friends in the grocery store before on low energy days when I've considered taking the easy way out with sugars. A guy who worked in the meats section put one of their roasted chickens in my cart and gave me a nudge when I was staring at the candy aisle. LOL!
If the people you get your food from know what your needs are, then they can help provide for them. If they don't know, there's nothing they can do about it.
You know ahead of time that it's coming, so set yourself up for success. If you're on the meal plan at school, talk to the cafeteria staff about hooking you and maybe a few friends up the same way they do for the atheletes. Just tell them that this is a time when you don't want to have to think about food specifically, and possibly make unhealthy choices. We all need a little support sometimes.
I've been pulled from the brink of some bad choices by supportive friends in the grocery store before on low energy days when I've considered taking the easy way out with sugars. A guy who worked in the meats section put one of their roasted chickens in my cart and gave me a nudge when I was staring at the candy aisle. LOL!
If the people you get your food from know what your needs are, then they can help provide for them. If they don't know, there's nothing they can do about it.