When did you realize you were doing it wrong?

lisamarie2181

I have noticed the longer I have been on my journey, the way my whole mindset of food has completely changed. When I started I did all the fad diets out there, followed crazy restricted diets, like no salt, no fat, super low cal, because all I cared about was losing weight, just as long as the scale went down I was happy. I would lose, couldn't handle the crazy restrictions, and would gain all over again. This repetitive cycle of gaining and losing I am sure is all to familiar to a lot of people out there. It was mostly about appearance, never really cared what the crap was doing to my body - and health? What was health, as long as I'm skinny that means I am healthy right?? WRONG! After having this mindset for so many years, succeeding in the short term, and never fully reaching my goal and going backwards, I obviously realized I was doing something wrong.

It is kinda crazy to say a documentary changed my life, but I owe the new me to them. They made me open my eyes and realize how wrong I was. Nutrition is key! Getting in vital vitamins, minerals, and nutrients from food is what matters for your body to function how it is supposed to and for you to be successful on a long term journey. These few documentaries made me take ownership of all the mistakes I have made and stop being ignorant and open my eyes to knowledge. I started researching all things about vitamins and nutrition and the importance of it in our bodies, how it can cure illnesses and bring you to optimum health. I have so much more knowledge on health and nutrition and proper diet that I never had before. I used to believe what everyone else said to be truth. No longer. What others say may peak my interest, but I actually take the time now to do the research to see if it is something that can benefit me.

I have finally learned how important it is to be good to my body. I am no longer just trying to lose weight to look good, I am now doing this to get healthy, and the weight loss is a wonderful benefit. Why not kill two birds with one stone? lol Can I lose weight eating junk? Yeah probably, but am I feeding my body the proper things it needs? not so much. Do I still mess up and eat things I shouldn't? Of course, no one is perfect, but I do it very seldom and seek to find better options to meet a craving. in the past I would eat a bad meal and say f**k it, just ruined my day and kept eating crap and sometimes kept it up for days. i no longer do that. I have learned the easy route is not the best option. Our bodies are very resilient and can do amazing things and they deserve to be treated well. You take care of them, you will start reaping the benefits, more then just weight loss. This whole change in my mind has changed my entire life. I no longer take the easy way out. I take the time to prepare my meals from scratch the majority of the time, making sure I get in the all important veggies and have come to love cooking now. No more easy convenience things that are probably three times smaller then my healthy homemade meal and no where near as tasty! I have come to find that once I cut those things out of my diet, I no longer craved them! I crave healthy things now, not processed junk, and a lot of the times when I do fall off and eat bad food, it doesn't taste how it used to. My body is used to having nutritious wholesome food now, definitely has changed my palate and has made resisting most not so good for you foods because they just don't taste so good anymore. I have learned that I can indulge every now and then and not feel like I have cheated, this is my lifestyle and those few higher cal days than normal can actually benefit, not harm.

I have realized the importance of exercise and why I need to incorporate it into my lifestyle. I wish we could all wake up one day and just love working out, but for a lot of people it is definitely a process and getting in the habit can be hard, and in my crazy yo yo dieting days, I never exercised. I would drop the weight still being the lazy girl I was, not really thinking, hmm, I'm probably losing muscle, not just fat. I now know it isn't just about the food, which definitely is the major component, but being active and moving your body is just as important. I can see myself over 10 years ago at the weight I am now, and I look completely different. I look slimmer and not puffy and I actually am starting to have a shape. All because I work out now. I can lose weight without working out, that was an excuse for me for a long time, but again, why not kill two birds with one stone? Why lose some fat and some muscle to have to work super hard once I lose the weight to build my muscle back up again. Come to realize it is a waste of time by not doing both at the same time. Again simple, but the mind likes to play tricks on you.

So when did you realize you were doing it wrong? How many of you out there are lifelong dieters like myself and have finally learned what they need to do to stay on the road to success? Have you found certain things that you have now changed so not to repeat the bad cycle of gaining and losing?

And for all you newbies out there, what made you come to the decision to take the leap and start working on getting healthy? Anything major that played a factor or just plain fed up with the way things have been? Are you finding things to be a bit easier having all this support on MFP?

I know this isn't guaranteed, it will always take hard work and dedication, but every time I have lost weight in the past, I never hit my goal, and always figured I would fail and I did. I no longer think that way. As much as I may get discouraged or frustrated, that thought of failure is no longer in my mind. I fall off the horse, I get right back up and keep going because if I don't, I will just go back to that lazy sad girl I was. But in my mind I know this is the last time and I will get to my goal this time.

Would love to hear your stories and thoughts, I am sure we have a lot of reformed yo-yoers on here

cmriverside

Good for you for figuring it out. I"m pretty sure someone is going to want to know the names of the documentaries you are talking about...I didn't see them in your post.

~signed, Reformed Eater.

lisamarie2181

Idk if you have netflix, which is where I got them all lumped together to watch them all, but they may be available at a library, but Food Inc was the first that got me intrigued, and then I watched Food Matters - this one was my eye opener! I made me delve into researching all about nutrition and holistic benefits for illnesses and how amazing our bodies are. there are few others that I liked - The Gerson Miracle - about Max Gerson, who found the cure for cancer with high dose vitamin therapy and raw diet. Tapped was another, no longer drink bottled water after that one lol

The Food Matters one was what put me on my path to learning more, there are quite a few people on here that give alot of "Facts" that have no idea what they are talking about half the time and tell people this as truth. And in the past I was one to believe what others said without researching for myself. This change has been huge for me. There are so many rights and wrongs when it comes to getting healthy and losing weight and no two people are the same. You are your best option for success, not what some schmo on the internet told you to do. So important to find what is going to be best for you and you alone.

DawnieB1977

I don't think I've ever done it wrong as such, because I've exercised regularly for several years now, but I've changed my mindset towards eating in the past year or so. I think having children to feed has done that, because I want them to have healthy, balanced meals and I can't expect them to live off salad.

I lost weight for my wedding in 2008 (about 45lbs) but I just lived off salad, and was probably under 1200 calories every day. I went to the gym 5 times a week but did purely cardio, and I didn't have a clue about eating lots of protein.

I'm now the same weight as when I got married, but my jeans I bought just after my wedding are falling down on me, and I think that's because I have a personal trainer now, and I make sure I eat around 1300 calories a day, and eat lots of protein. My body is a different shape (although that could be because I've had 2 children).

My eldest child is 3, and he's never been a good eater, as in he just wouldn't eat full stop. I used to wonder if my obsessive calorie counting and attitude to eating when he was a baby made him like that. So when it came to weaning my 2nd child, I had a totally different attitude, and she is brilliant at eating, and my son is much better now.

lisamarie2181

I don't think I've ever done it wrong as such, because I've exercised regularly for several years now, but I've changed my mindset towards eating in the past year or so. I think having children to feed has done that, because I want them to have healthy, balanced meals and I can't expect them to live off salad.

I lost weight for my wedding in 2008 (about 45lbs) but I just lived off salad, and was probably under 1200 calories every day. I went to the gym 5 times a week but did purely cardio, and I didn't have a clue about eating lots of protein.

I'm now the same weight as when I got married, but my jeans I bought just after my wedding are falling down on me, and I think that's because I have a personal trainer now, and I make sure I eat around 1300 calories a day, and eat lots of protein. My body is a different shape (although that could be because I've had 2 children).

My eldest child is 3, and he's never been a good eater, as in he just wouldn't eat full stop. I used to wonder if my obsessive calorie counting and attitude to eating when he was a baby made him like that. So when it came to weaning my 2nd child, I had a totally different attitude, and she is brilliant at eating, and my son is much better now.

lol the whole cardio is a new discovery to me! I always did just cardio, now I have started incorporating the strength training, and those wonderful ideas I got from my MFP friends!

and ahh the salad diet lol i tried that and got sooo burnt out I couldn't eat salad for a very long time after that lol

lisamarie2181

BUMP!! No one wants to share?

californiagirl2012

I have noticed the longer I have been on my journey, the way my whole mindset of food has completely changed. When I started I did all the fad diets out there, followed crazy restricted diets, like no salt, no fat, super low cal, because all I cared about was losing weight, just as long as the scale went down I was happy. I would lose, couldn't handle the crazy restrictions, and would gain all over again. This repetitive cycle of gaining and losing I am sure is all to familiar to a lot of people out there. It was mostly about appearance, never really cared what the crap was doing to my body - and health? What was health, as long as I'm skinny that means I am healthy right?? WRONG! After having this mindset for so many years, succeeding in the short term, and never fully reaching my goal and going backwards, I obviously realized I was doing something wrong.

It is kinda crazy to say a documentary changed my life, but I owe the new me to them. They made me open my eyes and realize how wrong I was. Nutrition is key! Getting in vital vitamins, minerals, and nutrients from food is what matters for your body to function how it is supposed to and for you to be successful on a long term journey. These few documentaries made me take ownership of all the mistakes I have made and stop being ignorant and open my eyes to knowledge. I started researching all things about vitamins and nutrition and the importance of it in our bodies, how it can cure illnesses and bring you to optimum health. I have so much more knowledge on health and nutrition and proper diet that I never had before. I used to believe what everyone else said to be truth. No longer. What others say may peak my interest, but I actually take the time now to do the research to see if it is something that can benefit me.

I have finally learned how important it is to be good to my body. I am no longer just trying to lose weight to look good, I am now doing this to get healthy, and the weight loss is a wonderful benefit. Why not kill two birds with one stone? lol Can I lose weight eating junk? Yeah probably, but am I feeding my body the proper things it needs? not so much. Do I still mess up and eat things I shouldn't? Of course, no one is perfect, but I do it very seldom and seek to find better options to meet a craving. in the past I would eat a bad meal and say f**k it, just ruined my day and kept eating crap and sometimes kept it up for days. i no longer do that. I have learned the easy route is not the best option. Our bodies are very resilient and can do amazing things and they deserve to be treated well. You take care of them, you will start reaping the benefits, more then just weight loss. This whole change in my mind has changed my entire life. I no longer take the easy way out. I take the time to prepare my meals from scratch the majority of the time, making sure I get in the all important veggies and have come to love cooking now. No more easy convenience things that are probably three times smaller then my healthy homemade meal and no where near as tasty! I have come to find that once I cut those things out of my diet, I no longer craved them! I crave healthy things now, not processed junk, and a lot of the times when I do fall off and eat bad food, it doesn't taste how it used to. My body is used to having nutritious wholesome food now, definitely has changed my palate and has made resisting most not so good for you foods because they just don't taste so good anymore. I have learned that I can indulge every now and then and not feel like I have cheated, this is my lifestyle and those few higher cal days than normal can actually benefit, not harm.

I have realized the importance of exercise and why I need to incorporate it into my lifestyle. I wish we could all wake up one day and just love working out, but for a lot of people it is definitely a process and getting in the habit can be hard, and in my crazy yo yo dieting days, I never exercised. I would drop the weight still being the lazy girl I was, not really thinking, hmm, I'm probably losing muscle, not just fat. I now know it isn't just about the food, which definitely is the major component, but being active and moving your body is just as important. I can see myself over 10 years ago at the weight I am now, and I look completely different. I look slimmer and not puffy and I actually am starting to have a shape. All because I work out now. I can lose weight without working out, that was an excuse for me for a long time, but again, why not kill two birds with one stone? Why lose some fat and some muscle to have to work super hard once I lose the weight to build my muscle back up again. Come to realize it is a waste of time by not doing both at the same time. Again simple, but the mind likes to play tricks on you.

So when did you realize you were doing it wrong? How many of you out there are lifelong dieters like myself and have finally learned what they need to do to stay on the road to success? Have you found certain things that you have now changed so not to repeat the bad cycle of gaining and losing?

And for all you newbies out there, what made you come to the decision to take the leap and start working on getting healthy? Anything major that played a factor or just plain fed up with the way things have been? Are you finding things to be a bit easier having all this support on MFP?

I know this isn't guaranteed, it will always take hard work and dedication, but every time I have lost weight in the past, I never hit my goal, and always figured I would fail and I did. I no longer think that way. As much as I may get discouraged or frustrated, that thought of failure is no longer in my mind. I fall off the horse, I get right back up and keep going because if I don't, I will just go back to that lazy sad girl I was. But in my mind I know this is the last time and I will get to my goal this time.

Would love to hear your stories and thoughts, I am sure we have a lot of reformed yo-yoers on here

I am a reformed yo-yoer. I spent 15 years failing and didn't reach my goal until age 50 My story here --> http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/740340-i-lost-60-lbs-at-age-51-anyone-can-any-workout

Don't give up. It may take some experiments to find what works for YOU. What worked for me might not work for you. But I belong to a group of women where what I did is mostly successful for all of them. It's a slow patient process where the turtle wins the race.

Best of luck! -Bobbie.

aclarke6006

My wake up call came with my engagement photos. I just didnt like how I looked. Shortly after, I saw a stand up with Jim Gaffigan and he talked about his hatred towards the gym and how he loves fast foods (habbits i fell into before). Then one day it just triggered. I cut out soda for loads of water. I drink tons and tons of water throughout my day. I also get to the gym at least 4-5 days in the week for a nice workout. With my cardio, I change it up so I don't get bored of doing the same things. For example, when on the elliptical, during slow songs I kick up the resistance and go at a slower pace. For the upbeat, fast songs I tend to lower the resistance and move faster. My calorie counting through MFP has been my last big change. It can be eye-opening to log 3500+ calories in one day with little activity. Holding myself accountable for a healthier life and nice wedding photos is a big deal!

avasano

Goodness! I just got older.... ;O Not a spring chicken anymore...

MudDancer

Have you watched Forks over Knives? It's a great one and I believe it is on Netflix now. I have seen the other films that you mentioned, the one thing that these films helped me do was to cut dairy out of my diet. I lost 20lbs making this one change!

I only wish I could get a refund for all of the money that I have wasted on diet books, pills and gadgets...none of them have ever worked and with that money I would be able to hire a personal trainer and then buy a whole new wardrobe now that I've figured out the only answer is diet and exercise.

Good luck on your journey :happy:

erikaaaaaaaa

Great post! For all intents and purposes I wanted to lose weight for both appearance and 'health', but I didn't really believe it until recently, if that makes sense. It was all for appearance, but adding in that it was for health too made me sound a little less shallow, I suppose. I didn't actually have the mindset to make it about health, though.
I would do a little diet here and there, but I really didn't think about it being a lifetime change. I thought about it as something I'd do for 6 months to get that beach bod while becoming 'healthier.' But now I understand. I can't say it was any one thing-- a documentary, book, or person. It just all finally clicked that while I was telling people "yeah! i'm trying to get healthy!", I really actually meant it. A flip was switched, and I am totally ready for this change.

I am definitely going to look into those documentaries. Cheers!

lisamarie2181

Have you watched Forks over Knives? It's a great one and I believe it is on Netflix now. I have seen the other films that you mentioned, the one thing that these films helped me do was to cut dairy out of my diet. I lost 20lbs making this one change!

I only wish I could get a refund for all of the money that I have wasted on diet books, pills and gadgets...none of them have ever worked and with that money I would be able to hire a personal trainer and then buy a whole new wardrobe now that I've figured out the only answer is diet and exercise.

Good luck on your journey :happy:

No I haven't seen it but I have heard about it, I am going to have to look it up on Netflix! Thanks!

And I feel the same, so many diet books, cookbooks to go along with the diet books, its never ending lol they are all collecting dust on my bookcase now haha

symba1130

When I actually starting loosing weight and it wasnt as hard as I thought it would be. I did it with little tweaks here and there and now 18months later I am still at it. This has become a change in lifestyle, not a diet. I used think there was no way I could ever eat a sandwich without mayo and cheese and now I can have a yummy sandwich for less than 250 calories.
I also always HATED exercise. I am certainly not a gym rat, but I do enjoy my classes and I have met some new people. I even look forward to boot camp most days because I know its good for me and the little bonus is if I burn some extra calories, I even get a treat guilt free.

The other thing that has really changed this last 18 months is what I eat. I havent bought a lean cuisine type meal in over a year, they are just gross to me now. I make all my soups from scratch in the crockpot and freeze portions. I enjoy banana "softserve" over commercial low fat ice cream. I feel physically sick the next day when what I thought was a treat really wasnt a good idea in the long run. I dont look forward to summer festivals for loads of food, just a few of my favs. I could go on and on.

It really is a nice feeling when you realize you are doing this for all the right reasons and not just to loose pounds. :-)

Jessvaliquette

I think I am still doing it wrong. I have a lot of allergies and some of the healthy foods that I use to love I can no longer eat. I am having trouble creating recipes or cooking my veggies to make them different and good. I also hate peppers, and honestly it pisses me off because it would be so awesome to make stir fry, my boyfriend loves them so often I make myself some kind of veggies and then his, I am allergic to carrots, yep, use to carry them around and snack on those, a lot of fruits with the pit in the middle and even almonds. I just find that when I am trying to eat healthy I am more limited because of this. I have been preparing food for the last two weeks but seriously need to find some good ideas for supper. We have limited our carbs right now, not long term but just as a purge to try and get ride of cravings, but shortly I want to be able to enjoy some good healthy carbs.

lisamarie2181

I am a reformed yo-yoer. I spent 15 years failing and didn't reach my goal until age 50 My story here --> http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/740340-i-lost-60-lbs-at-age-51-anyone-can-any-workout

Don't give up. It may take some experiments to find what works for YOU. What worked for me might not work for you. But I belong to a group of women where what I did is mostly successful for all of them. It's a slow patient process where the turtle wins the race.

Best of luck! -Bobbie.

I have seen you on the boards alot and I think you are amazing!! You look fantastic and congratulations on all your success!

Thank you so much for sharing

cmriverside

Another good one is Sick, Fat, and Nearly Dead....also on Netflix right now. It's geared toward the morbidly obese, so doesn't apply to all of us, but it is very inspirational.

lisamarie2181

My wake up call came with my engagement photos. I just didnt like how I looked. Shortly after, I saw a stand up with Jim Gaffigan and he talked about his hatred towards the gym and how he loves fast foods (habbits i fell into before). Then one day it just triggered. I cut out soda for loads of water. I drink tons and tons of water throughout my day. I also get to the gym at least 4-5 days in the week for a nice workout. With my cardio, I change it up so I don't get bored of doing the same things. For example, when on the elliptical, during slow songs I kick up the resistance and go at a slower pace. For the upbeat, fast songs I tend to lower the resistance and move faster. My calorie counting through MFP has been my last big change. It can be eye-opening to log 3500+ calories in one day with little activity. Holding myself accountable for a healthier life and nice wedding photos is a big deal!

So glad to hear all the changes you have made and I am sure you will look fantastic on your wedding day!!

And congrats on your success so far Awesome!!

ubermensch13

It is great to see your diet and health has changed by seeing food differently, but I'd caution anyone to believe these documentaries without looking at the peer reviewed scientific studies either confirming or rejecting them. The one about "curing cancer with vitamin treatments/raw diet" is just garbage. Sorry to be blunt, but it is pure crap. My wife, a Geneticist, has been railing against these types of dangerous "alternative" views to health and science for years. One, Cancer can't be "cured" simply through diet, check out any of the major scientific publications(cell/science/nature) to see how many of these claims have been debunked. Is it possible for SOME people, depending on your genetic makeup, already potential immunities to certain Cancers, to change their diet and see an impact, sure, but to make the leap and claim THAT is the answer for everyone, is just irresponsible bullcrap. Cancer, is a sickness caused by many genetic factors, which is why certain people respond to certain cancers and their medications differently. If you get cancer, eating healthy or the "right foods" will have minimal results without the proper treatments. I say good for people getting healthy and eating better, it is true that healthy and active lifestyles reduce the risk of many chronic illnesses, however, this should not be taken the next step as a claim diet alone is the answer to serious illnesses.

lisamarie2181

Great post! For all intents and purposes I wanted to lose weight for both appearance and 'health', but I didn't really believe it until recently, if that makes sense. It was all for appearance, but adding in that it was for health too made me sound a little less shallow, I suppose. I didn't actually have the mindset to make it about health, though.
I would do a little diet here and there, but I really didn't think about it being a lifetime change. I thought about it as something I'd do for 6 months to get that beach bod while becoming 'healthier.' But now I understand. I can't say it was any one thing-- a documentary, book, or person. It just all finally clicked that while I was telling people "yeah! i'm trying to get healthy!", I really actually meant it. A flip was switched, and I am totally ready for this change.

I am definitely going to look into those documentaries. Cheers!

Same for me, I had a "it clicked" moment lol You never realize what a difference it makes until that switch is flipped. I think part of it too is that we lack confidence in ourselves that we are capable of doing this. I think alot of people sell themselves short on just how strong a person they are!

thank you for sharing and good luck to you on your journey!!

lisamarie2181

Another good one is Sick, Fat, and Nearly Dead....also on Netflix right now. It's geared toward the morbidly obese, so doesn't apply to all of us, but it is very inspirational.

Yes I watched this one too, very interesting! I do have a juicer but I kinda wish I invested in a vitamix because that leaves the fiber in! But the nice thing about this documentary was that I think it tried to get the word out about juicing and not just for weight loss. There were quite a few in there that just has ailments and they got rid of them by juicing. definitely some very interesting stuff!

lisamarie2181

It is great to see your diet and health has changed by seeing food differently, but I'd caution anyone to believe these documentaries without looking at the peer reviewed scientific studies either confirming or rejecting them. The one about "curing cancer with vitamin treatments/raw diet" is just garbage. Sorry to be blunt, but it is pure crap. My wife, a Geneticist, has been railing against these types of dangerous "alternative" views to health and science for years. One, Cancer can't be "cured" simply through diet, check out any of the major scientific publications(cell/science/nature) to see how many of these claims have been debunked. Is it possible for SOME people, depending on your genetic makeup, already potential immunities to certain Cancers, to change their diet and see an impact, sure, but to make the leap and claim THAT is the answer for everyone, is just irresponsible bullcrap. Cancer, is a sickness caused by many genetic factors, which is why certain people respond to certain cancers and their medications differently. If you get cancer, eating healthy or the "right foods" will have minimal results without the proper treatments. I say good for people getting healthy and eating better, it is true that healthy and active lifestyles reduce the risk of many chronic illnesses, however, this should not be taken the next step as a claim diet alone is the answer to serious illnesses.

Honestly it isn't crap, it really comes down to you believing in a holistic approach or not. I do. I didn't just base my knowledge of these things on a documentary, I have done research on these things and after researching them, I believe these things to be true. You can not be treated this way for cancer in the US, kinda makes you wonder why that is, it isn't because it doesn't work, it is because they want you to be treated with surgery and chemo/radiation. There are alot of proven studies and research on this topic dating well back to the 40's and 50's, but it is not in the medical journals because it is a holistic approach, not medicinal. And according to most doctors they will say holistic doctors are quacks, and I do not believe that. Holistic doctors for the most part believe in orthomolecular medicine, and most are way more educated on nutrition then most doctors are. Doctors are MD's that practice medicine, not nutrition. and i know that alot of the Dr's I have gone to have never been able to give me good advice on eating, which I am not surprised by.

I didn't say it was just diet that cured the cancer, I can't go into the whole documentary, there are alot of components that go along with it, it is a major overhaul to your whole lifestyle, but for you to say it is crap is going a bit far. Just because you may not believe in a holistic approach does not mean it doesn't work. if you research and look into the Gerson Institute, they HAVE cured people of cancer, even some terminal cases.

Just because you may believe everything the medical society tells you doesn't mean it is end all be all. How many dr's prescribe pills to people that don't really need them? ALOT. Alot of people have died from complications from taking medicines and things of the sort, and I don't want to be one of them. I live a pretty holistic lifestyle and keep working on making it better, and after experiencing changes in myself, not just weight loss related, that is why I believe in this approach.

To each their own, if you don't want to watch them, don't have to. There are people out there that believe in holistics, even if you may not

Thank you for your insight.

beachlover317

BUMP!! No one wants to share?

I share your insight. This is the first time in my 54 years that I have "done it right". I'm not depressed because I'm not reaching my goal in a few weeks - that always made me lose my ambition and quit. I've lost 54 pounds in 6 months and it has slowed down now - but that's okay! I will reach it and it might take over a year - and that's okay. I'm eating a lot of food - no more starving for me. I am doing very little cardio, but have started body weight circuit training and I LOVE it and it makes me feel strong and powerful. 2 things I never expected to feel at this age.

But, enough about me. You and I have just become friends over the last month. You are a great, supportive person and I value our friendship! Carry on!! You're doing great!!!
Jan

lisamarie2181

BUMP!! No one wants to share?

I share your insight. This is the first time in my 54 years that I have "done it right". I'm not depressed because I'm not reaching my goal in a few weeks - that always made me lose my ambition and quit. I've lost 54 pounds in 6 months and it has slowed down now - but that's okay! I will reach it and it might take over a year - and that's okay. I'm eating a lot of food - no more starving for me. I am doing very little cardio, but have started body weight circuit training and I LOVE it and it makes me feel strong and powerful. 2 things I never expected to feel at this age.

But, enough about me. You and I have just become friends over the last month. You are a great, supportive person and I value our friendship! Carry on!! You're doing great!!!
Jan

You too Jan! I love having you as a friend!!! You are an inspiration to me and I enjoy being able to walk this journey with you!! I am so proud of you for all your success thus far and can't wait to see where our journeys take us!!

michellekicks

For me it was when I was on Weight Watchers in 2002/03. I successfully lost 60 lbs and kept it off until my first pregnancy in late 2005. I realized during that time that I was eating very few calories. I was actively kickboxing (competing) and running and I noticed that when I had an injury or forced rest for a week or so I had my biggest losses. I started to correlate not eating enough with the scale movement stagnating. When I would throw in the towel and eat more I'd lose on the scale.

When I was just a few pounds from my goal my Weight Watchers leader suggested I just eat at maintenance for a week and give myself a break. I did. I lost 3 lbs that week. I did it again the next week and lost another 3 to get to my goal.

I hadn't been eating enough to have my body process fat the way it should. I have known since then that I need to eat at a moderate deficit to lose. When I do, the weight comes off.

This time around I've applied the same principal but have been more diligent with my protein intake. It's working even better.

It's about small changes over time. I may never have a perfect diet, but as I get older and wiser I've learned from my previous experiences.

Cindym82

I think I am still doing it wrong. I have a lot of allergies and some of the healthy foods that I use to love I can no longer eat. I am having trouble creating recipes or cooking my veggies to make them different and good. I also hate peppers, and honestly it pisses me off because it would be so awesome to make stir fry, my boyfriend loves them so often I make myself some kind of veggies and then his, I am allergic to carrots, yep, use to carry them around and snack on those, a lot of fruits with the pit in the middle and even almonds. I just find that when I am trying to eat healthy I am more limited because of this. I have been preparing food for the last two weeks but seriously need to find some good ideas for supper. We have limited our carbs right now, not long term but just as a purge to try and get ride of cravings, but shortly I want to be able to enjoy some good healthy carbs.

try skinnytaste.com i'm allergic to some crazy things too but have found a lot of recipes off that site

lisamarie2181

I think I am still doing it wrong. I have a lot of allergies and some of the healthy foods that I use to love I can no longer eat. I am having trouble creating recipes or cooking my veggies to make them different and good. I also hate peppers, and honestly it pisses me off because it would be so awesome to make stir fry, my boyfriend loves them so often I make myself some kind of veggies and then his, I am allergic to carrots, yep, use to carry them around and snack on those, a lot of fruits with the pit in the middle and even almonds. I just find that when I am trying to eat healthy I am more limited because of this. I have been preparing food for the last two weeks but seriously need to find some good ideas for supper. We have limited our carbs right now, not long term but just as a purge to try and get ride of cravings, but shortly I want to be able to enjoy some good healthy carbs.

try skinnytaste.com i'm allergic to some crazy things too but have found a lot of recipes off that site

yes! Another skinnytaste lover!! I suggested the site to her too, it is my favorite recipe site!!

lisamarie2181

For me it was when I was on Weight Watchers in 2002/03. I successfully lost 60 lbs and kept it off until my first pregnancy in late 2005. I realized during that time that I was eating very few calories. I was actively kickboxing (competing) and running and I noticed that when I had an injury or forced rest for a week or so I had my biggest losses. I started to correlate not eating enough with the scale movement stagnating. When I would throw in the towel and eat more I'd lose on the scale.

When I was just a few pounds from my goal my Weight Watchers leader suggested I just eat at maintenance for a week and give myself a break. I did. I lost 3 lbs that week. I did it again the next week and lost another 3 to get to my goal.

I hadn't been eating enough to have my body process fat the way it should. I have known since then that I need to eat at a moderate deficit to lose. When I do, the weight comes off.

This time around I've applied the same principal but have been more diligent with my protein intake. It's working even better.

It's about small changes over time. I may never have a perfect diet, but as I get older and wiser I've learned from my previous experiences.

I too have recently come to the realization about needed to eat more cals, so far so good!

And your diet doesn't have to be perfect. Every small step we make to change is one step further to having a healthy lifestyle and from the sounds of it you are well on your way! I commend everyone for taking these steps, no matter how you do it, you are doing what is best for you and that is what matters It is a journey not a sprint!

Congratulations on all your success thus far!!!

Leeny01

My story is pretty similiar to yours. I think my shift in thinking was a combination of things...firstly because all of my yo-yo and extreme dieting just wasn't working. I mean, some of them literally didn't make me lose anything...so suffering for no reason wasn't a party! The second thing was my PCOS symptoms which were and still are interfering with my life. (Of'course, at the time I didn't know I had PCOS) But the third thing was the biggest, a Bible verse. Galatians 6:7 says that we reap what we sow. I had heard that a million times but had never applied it to my eating and my lifestyle. I used to roll my eyes when everyone would say, "Oh, don't eat that, it will cause cancer!" I felt like every other day I heard that and I used to say, "We're all going to die one day anyway, when it's my time, I'll go, no matter what I eat." I still believe I'll go "when it's my time" but I can reap a whole lot of sickness and disease in the meantime by neglecting my health.

*NOTE: That is not to say that I think everyone who is ill has caused their own illness or anything crazy like that! I do believe, however, that many of the things our society is now plagued with are a direct result of our neglect and in some cases, our ignorance. Without research, it can be very difficult to know the right road to take!

I also really enjoyed the documentaries you mentioned, which really gave me a passion to study these things and try to walk them out in my own life. The two I saw mentioned (Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead & Forks Over Knives) were really fantastic, I thought they were great and you'll love them! God bless all of you on this journey. It is just that, a journey. My longstanding impatience to get thin/healthy overnight has only sent me backwards. Have a great week! xo

IveLanded

Another good one is Sick, Fat, and Nearly Dead....also on Netflix right now. It's geared toward the morbidly obese, so doesn't apply to all of us, but it is very inspirational.

I wouldn't say it's geared towards the morbidly obese.....the message I got was about how much damage bad food does to us, especially with that autoimmune disease he had. I loved that one.

My wake up call was when I was making my new years resolutions for 2012 and I realized that I had made a resolution to lose weight in 2011....and I had taken up running but still hadn't lost any weight. If I was exercising more but hadn't lost ONE SINGLE POUND, I obviously needed to do something really different.

And I didn't want to go one more year with looking back at resolutions that I didn't keep.