Was told the plain honest truth yesterday !!

wftiger

Set small goals. If you think 100 (or almost 200 like I had) then it is overwhelming. First goal - 25 lbs. Work for that are reward yourself.
- Track everything
- Weigh everything
- Don't cheat
- Overestimate food and underestimate workout
- And since you are Type II, limit carbs. Keep your net under 100 and you will see results.

It took my Doctor telling me there was nothing left for him to do for me. I was on 4 meds for blood pressure and it still wasn't controlled. Then my blood sugar started going up. So he basically told me I was eating myself to death and go ahead and keep it up if I wanted because I wouldn't be his problem much longer at that rate. Ouch. But that was Nov. 2011 and I am down 110+ since that day. Truth can be a motivator, it was for me. Use what you got from him and build on it.

Edit: Two of my favorite sites
http://www.diabetes-warrior.net/
http://www.marksdailyapple.com/

Primal has been great for me. Give it a try. It is easy to follow and I never get hungry.

Alford96

Just a tip after reading all the comments. If you love Bagels, eat them. Start by trying a half one instead of a whole one, they are usually way oversized anyway. Also, is it a plain bagel? Try a whole wheat. Don't eliminate foods that you love, modify them to make them healthier or eat better portions of them. When I started (still a newbie, I know), I had just bought a whole pack of whole wheat bagels. When I realized how many calories, I couldn't believe! But, I started only eating half, and having only a little bit of cream cheese with it and I added a fruit. I've also not eliminated eating fast food, I am on the road a good bit and sometimes just don't have the time to make a lunch, but I dropped my portions big time. Just a thought. It took me a good month to get where I was eating w/in my calorie range fairly routinely but I was STILL eating way under what I had been. You CAN do it-small changes with reducing calories/fat and adding exercise make a huge difference!! Also, I started measuring my portions, made a HUGE difference!!

kfdunn

Wow thank you EVERYONE for your responses it was greatly appreciated.....

1. I have logged in for now 2 weeks everyday ( a mircle for me ) and I have noticed that I like bagels LOL but never realized how many calories there was in one I was more consumed about the carbs SO they are now just going to be an occasional treat.

2. I honestly appreciated the Cardiologist being blunt with me because now I am thinking before I eat and I am paying more attention to myself.

3. Yes this time I am going to take it slow and steady - will need a lot of patience ! but I now realize this has been my problem in the past and it has just become a habit to just give in to the wrong foods ect.

4. I am going to research all the books that everyone suggested to get menu ideas and lifestyle changes

5. I am aiming for 4-6 pounds a month and 5 days a week exercise

Once again thank you for your responses

One other tip (lots of GREAT advice, but didn't see this):

"Diet foods" = oxymoron. Because...

You said that you were healthiest when a vegetarian, but I'd guess you probably ate far more minimally processed (closer to natural) foods. If your great grandparents didn't have a particular food, then it's probably not the best choice for you, either (you're cutting calories below maintenance level to lose weight - but you still need good nutrition).

Diet soda is bad, bad, bad for many people. They physiologically respond as though they'd consumed sugar, but the drink is a nutritional vacuum. They secrete insulin in response to a sweet flavor, blood sugar gets lower, ravenous hunger (sometimes pounding headache) follows.

Veronadragon

I agree with pretty much everyone here. Start slow, don't get overwhelmed or pressured. IMO don't concentrate so much on every single ounce or pound. I would start at building up your stamina and being healthy. Start easy, slow as I am. Do little things at first. Little tricks:
like just taking a longer walks,
parking further away at the store/mall.
If you have an Ipod/mp3, put on your fav music and just walk to it, its amazing how you lose track of how much you walked (even stationary) when zoning out and listening to music.
I bought ankle weights and wear them even in the house.
Instead of my desk chair I sit on my big exercise ball, it helps with your core.

As far as diet, I am just starting my journey as well. And my demons are forcing myself to drink more water (sounds easy, but not for a non-water drinker like me).
Unlike others who have soda issues mine are mochas and lattes. And even tho they are made with soy (lactose intolerant), they are full of sugar (as well as being expensive), I had to cut them out for the most part. I treat myself to a small one maybe once/twice a month. So it has been a diet on my wallet as well -Yay-.
Also, instead of fried 'fries', I bake sweet potato fries, have turkey burgers instead of beef, more salads, lots of beans, I love melons and I take advantage of that.
I don't eliminate carbs, but I do cut them as much as possible.
And another hard one is eating breakfast. I'm not a breakfast person, but even if it is just a hard boiled egg and some green tea it seems to help.

We're all in this together, and we get it. Whether its 100 pounds or 15 its not a quickie solution but baby steps. You'll get there. Let us know how things are going. :flowerforyou:

DanaDark

One other tip (lots of GREAT advice, but didn't see this):

"Diet foods" = oxymoron. Because...

You said that you were healthiest when a vegetarian, but I'd guess you probably ate far more minimally processed (closer to natural) foods. If your great grandparents didn't have a particular food, then it's probably not the best choice for you, either (you're cutting calories below maintenance level to lose weight - but you still need good nutrition).

Diet soda is bad, bad, bad for many people. They physiologically respond as though they'd consumed sugar, but the drink is a nutritional vacuum. They secrete insulin in response to a sweet flavor, blood sugar gets lower, ravenous hunger (sometimes pounding headache) follows.

There is no evidence to support the idea that simple flavor causes a chemical blood change. Diet sodas use artificial sweeteners, which do NOT cause a spike in blood insulin.

Best way to avoid drinking anything besides water is to first get your 8 glasses of water in for the day... after the 8th glass, when someone offers you any drink, you'll scream "NO MORE FLUIDS!"