In need of advice/encouragement, anything. Just help.

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I've been trying since I was 16 to lose weight. I noticed a cycle. I do really good for about a week or two eating fruits and salads, veggies and protein. Cutting out sweets, fast food and junk. I shed off a bunch of weight and then. I start to crave stuff. First it's something little. Like a cookie. Then it turns in to two. Then I crave fast food. I start out just having something maybe once a week. Then it turns in to almost every night but a couple. Then I get depressed. I get mad at myself. I start to hate myself because whatever weight I just lost, I gained back most of it. Then I get discouraged and I binge. I probably had about 4 cupcakes, 1 ice cream bar, a bunch of chocolate and even now while writing this post I'm thinking about getting up and going and getting McDonald's. I know the risks of my obesity. (Highest weight 350) I'm sick of the way my body feels because of my weight. I just feel like there's no hope. I feel like I'm going to be big forever.

Replies

  • kirstyfoy
    kirstyfoy Posts: 139 Member
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    As everyone has said don't diet. Log your calories for what you do eat and try to stay in defect. Are you exercising? Doing some weights will help tone and cardio will allow you a few extra calories on the days you need more x
  • robynrae_1
    robynrae_1 Posts: 712 Member
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    First thing log your food, even if it makes you cringe a little, knowledge is power.

    Second start with small changes. How about instead of all salad and veggies every day. How about one serving of veggies every day? And maybe a 5 minute walk?
  • Phirrgus
    Phirrgus Posts: 1,894 Member
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    I have nothing to add to the great advice in this thread but a bit of encouragement - everyone here started from somewhere they didn't want to be. Read the threads posted above, ask tons of questions, and keep coming back.

    Wishing you the best :)
  • Dgil1975
    Dgil1975 Posts: 110 Member
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    Just to echo, I think there are many great offerings of advice on here. I agree that it really does come down to lifestyle change and not dieting, as diet is a temporary action to meet a long term goal, which turns into a temporary action with temporary results.

    Don’t beat yourself up on falling off, the most important point is getting back up, and continue the journey. Also know your limitations. There are many people on here that have been super successful with having things like chocolate and occasional fast food in there life, you may not be one of those people. I know myself, things like chocolate and fast food were like an addiction for me, I mean I just craved it constantly, so I don’t partake in that at all right now. Maybe one day I will feel comfortable allowing myself those indulgences from time to time, but I don’t trust myself to have that in my life right now. When I want something sweet I eat fruit, or a sweet potato.

    Hope this helps, and good luck on your journey.
  • IsETHome
    IsETHome Posts: 386 Member
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    The portion size is important. Buy a scale, and a good set of measuring cups (I prefer the metal with the mark on the inside for size). Write EVERYTHING down in your log. Even that mint you had from the candy dish, or packet of sauce. You will be surprised on what adds up, and quickly make other choices. For example, a Chick-filla sauce packet for special sauce is 140 calories. Ya - no thanks. I'd rather use hotsauce, with 5 cals in it.
  • IsETHome
    IsETHome Posts: 386 Member
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    Oh, and based on your self-assessment, I recommend you work with a professional wellness coach (not a gym coach necessarily), but one you can work through specific goals and get past challenges. Note, I eat almost everything, but it is "portion" that is the key, as well as balanced. Eating salad a week straight would be difficult for almost anyone I think.
  • ConfidentRaven
    ConfidentRaven Posts: 1,428 Member
    edited February 2019
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    I had the same issues and there are few diets that I haven’t tried, but 99% of them lasted less than a week. My longest (before now) was about a month sort of doing Jenny Craig, but only because I worked there! My highest weight was 382 pounds and I finally realized that I needed to make some serious changes.

    In addition to the wonderful advice of not viewing this as a diet, but a lifestyle change, I advise to take it slowly. Make small changes over a few weeks, for example this is what I did:

    Week 1 cut out sugary drinks and replace with water or unsweetened tea (keeps the migraines from dropping soda down) log everything you think you eat

    Week 2 find out your calorie goal, stop getting seconds, measure and log what you actually eat (a huge eye opener for me), try to stay in your calorie goal

    Week 3 start meal planning to stay in calorie goal, add in more nutrient rice foods (read veggies for me), add in 3x a week of exercise that I enjoy

    Week 4 begin to identify foods or times of day that you over eat, develope a plan that makes you happy (repeat as needed)

    I’m starting week 8, 22 pounds down and I still work on both weekly and monthly non scale goals. This is the most weight I’ve ever purposely lost and the longest I’ve stuck to any changes. Hang in there you have this.