I'm not sure why ..

teirney

Hi, I'm new here. This is me:
24 years old
5'-0"
145 (ish) pounds
Mom to a 3 year old
Newly engaged
FT Student
PT waitress
ADDICTED to cheeseburgers, french fries, Coco-Cola aaaand candy..

I admit I do not exercise regularly, if at all outside of work or school. I have some NutriSystem meals someone gave me but haven't touched them. .had them for three weeks, I can't get over my cravings of cheeseburgers and all things unhealthy. I gave up soda for SEVEN MONTHS then gave in one night ..back to the wagon of drinking as much Cola as I can get my hands on. I just want to add that YOU DO NOT LOSE TEN POUNDS IN A MONTH IF YOU DON'T DRINK SODA! At least, I didn't.

I don't drink alcohol (gave that up right before I gave up soda) and I don't and have never smoked.

I need help getting started. I feel like if I don't have a plan, I won't follow through. I am getting married in about 18 months so I HOPE/PRAY/PLAN to lose 20-30 pounds by the wedding, which seems doable, yet very unpractical in my current binge eating state.

AHHH I feel so helpless. .a prisoner to so much bad-for-you but so wonderfully tasting food.

mlove1307

18 months should be plenty of time to lose that amount of weight!

You need to do some MAJOR soul searching though... WHY do you want to lose weight? Ultimately, a wedding is NOT going to be enough to stop the binges.

I know that because binges are like out of body experiences where your body literally says "give me that cheeseburger or else its all you will think about".. or something along those lines.

I put on a lot of weight by overeating and eating the wrong things and I had to take a look and see honestly, really why I wanted to lose the weight. Focus on how it will make you FEEL. Because only that will be strong enough to keep you from eating junk. Once I figured that out, it was easy for me to stick to a diet/exercise plan. I started by eating a sensible amount of calories and moving more. I just walked at first, then I joined curves and discovered my love of the elliptical..

If you have any questions, or need any help figuring out an eating plan that works FOR YOU, just send me a message. I'll do my best to help you out. :]

itzabug72

Why not try and substitute, such as turkey burgers for beef or sweet potato fries for regular it's still not the best for you but it's a lot better and its a good start. Don't put so much pressure on yourself if your stressed out you'll have a harder time losing the weight.

Hope this helps

Good luck

weaklink109

There are any number of "PLANS" out there, but none of them will work if your head is not in the right place. It starts with the realization that any changes you make have to be for the long haul, and that exercise is an important component of a healthy lifestyle, which, in turn leads to weight loss and better health.

I have lost on all kinds of "PLANS" and always gained it back. Last April I made a decision to adopt a permanent new way of looking at food--which I LOVE, and exercise--which I always hated. The best eating plan is one you will follow, and ditto for the exercise.

I can eat anything I want, just less of it. I like to walk, and I find I enjoy using my Gazelle, so that is how I get my cardio. Now that I have lost enough to feel capable of doing strength training, I am using some weights and some resistance bands for toning and working muscles.

It sounds like you might be looking for some nutritional guidance. One of the best books that I have seen in a long time has just come out from the publishers of Prevention Magazine. I believe the title is "The 400 calorie Fix." It is clearly written, easy to use, covers eating in restaurants and using prepared foods when you need to, and it gives you tools to create menus that meet your caloric needs without sacrificing nutrition.

As for the cravings. Speaking from personal experience, if you can resist them for about 2-3 weeks and start eating healthy, they will fade into the background. Everyone has different triggers. Some who use artificial sweeteners find it causes them to crave sugar and carbs. I have figured out I am one of those people. I haven't tried this myself, but know of people who swear that organically processed apple cider vinegar will knock back their cravings. To find out more on this, you could google the subject or search for prior posts on the subject.

The last thing I will include is something I wrote back in November, and I think it might help you get your head pointed in the right direction:

First, here are some tips in response to another's question about how to be successful:

I always keep frozen veggies in my freezer. I like broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, and microwaving a large portion of these and adding a slice of reduced fat cheese, or shredded Parmesan, about 15 seconds before the end of the cooking cycle makes a nice flavor addition, and the fat will help you feel satisfied. This is my secret weapon for dinner if I don't have many calories left, or if my exercise plans fall threw and cause my calories to reduce over what I planned.

I have learned that if I get enough protein early in the day, I am not going to be attacked by the "hungries" later in the day. Thank goodness for Zone Perfect nutrition bars which I have for breakfast on the days that I work, and I always carry one in my purse for emergency rations.

I don't always eat my exercise calories. In general, I stay around 1400 calories a day, and usually have 100-300 calories left over. That way, on a day like today where I ended up 100 calories over, it is no biggie in the grand scheme of things.

Another thing I do about every 3-4 weeks is have a day where I go over my calories by at least 800. This has kept me from going into starvation mode and plateauing. Usually I tie it in with an occasion where I will be eating out or some other food-related activity.

This next tip won't work for everyone. Since I adopted the philosophy of "diet is a 4-letter word" and "lifestyle change" is what I am on, I no longer have overwhelming cravings that constantly derail me. I thnk it is because I know nothing is off limits with planning. That being said, there ARE still things I love --such as chocolate, ginger snaps. Thanks to the snack size candy bars, I can enjoy an Almond Joy and only "spend" 80 calories. I have no trouble limiting myself to one as they are individually wrapped. I can satisfy myself with 2 ginger snaps, and that will only be 80 calories also.

At work, I always keep something around to nibble on (often an apple or a banana) so I can avoid the vending machine. The two things I will get out of the machine in a pinch are V8 juice (wish they had the low sodium kind, but I often have my own can) and milk is the other thing I will get.

The second is something I wrote back in June that needs to be shared from time to time:

After fighting the battle from the time I was about 11 years old, I have learned a few things that I would like to share, so here are my 10 Commandments of PERMANENT Weight Loss:

1. "Normal" is what you make it. So I have changed my "normal" diet to one that does allow me to have things I like, but in moderation. I LIKE breads, and pasta. Thus, although I lost on a low carb program, Atkins is not comfortable for me, long term, so when I went off of it, I gained.

2. Veggies are your friend. In addition to the nutrients they provide, and "good carbs," they are very filling. They can help you reduce your calories and not feel you are starving to death.

3. You can EAT ANYTHING you want, if you P L A N for it, calorie-wise speaking. When I have a special occasion or a dinner out where I know I will be exposed to things I like but don't have everyday, I don't have to deprive myself, because I can go into the MFP database ahead of time, figure out the caloric "cost" of different things and plan how to order. Many restaurants have nutritional information on their websites, which is also helpful for this purpose.

4. People who severely limit their calories will lost, BUT as soon as they try to eat any additional, they will gain very easily. This is because the body becomes too "efficient" by slowing the metabolism to get by with less. The way around this that has worked well for me is "Zig zag calories." You can google it and get all kinds of info, but simply put, you eat MORE on a given day, on a regular basis. For me, every 3 -4 weeks, I will do a day where I might have 2000-2200 calories on a given day. This is different from the other days, where I have 1200-1400 per day.

This WORKS. I lost 20 lbs. in 9 weeks. I have NOT been hungry. I am not feeling deprived. I have foods in my kitchen that would normally send me in to "binge" mode, but they don't bother me now, because I know I can have them, as long as I take into account what else I will be able to eat that day.

5. EXERCISE matters!! I haven't started strength training yet, for reasons of time and practicality, BUT, I am the queen of walking. I average 20-28 miles a week. It is free, can be done by most anyone, baring physical limitations, and if you get yourself a cheap MP3 player (it doesn't HAVE to be a spendy IPOD) load some fast tunes on it, you will be surprised how quickly the time flies.

If you are trying to lose and you are only doing strength training, you are going to be disappointed with the results in terms of pounds lost, but you will likely firm up, build muscle (helps boost your metabolism) and be more toned, so include some cardio for a complete program of exercise.

6. Be responsible for what you put in your mouth. I have heard, and used all the excuses. "It was there" "I was hungry" "My boyfriend made me go to the pizza parlor" 'or to Baskin & Robbins." (ice cream chain for those that are not familiar w/the name) That last statement may be true, but he didn't hold a gun to your head and FORCE you to eat 5 slices of pizza instead of having one slice and a salad!! and no one threatened you into having a 3 scoop banana split instead of a child size dish of your favorite flavor.

7. People who log their foods lose more weight than those who don't . Thank goodness for MFP!!! People who have a support system, whether family, friends, or online --such as right here-MFP!! are more likely to be successful over the long term than those who don't.

8. People who make permanent changes in the way they deal with food and how and what they eat will lose, maybe not as fast as on a crash diet, but they are much more likely to lose PERMANENTLY!!

9. Be sure to eat enough PROTEIN, and GOOD FATS (Nuts, Avocados, Fish oil/ Omega 3's). The protein will keep your body from consuming muscle to survive, and the fats will help you feel satisfied and avoid the "hungries."

10. Don't use a screw up as an excuse for "falling off the wagon" for the entire day, or week, or month. "I ate a bunch of cookies, so that makes me a failure, therefore, l will eat an entire pizza!!" Hey while I am at it, lets get a burger a fries and a milkshake for lunch tomorrow!!"

And on a related note, remember "FOOD is intended as FUEL." --NOT a source of comfort. Think of it in those terms, and find other ways to satisfy your emotional needs and you will succeed in the long run.

Good luck. If I can do it, YOU can do it!!!:flowerforyou:

teirney

Thanks for the replies ladies! I typed all that up pretty quick and just realized it did sound like I want to lose weight only for the wedding. I am just overall tired of my clothes magically being a liiiittle bit smaller each week. I feel so ..gross when I look at myself in the mirror. I am only 5 feet tall and small framed so all this weight makes me feel like a stranger in my body. I guess I just want to feel like me again . .

BrendaLee

I am the queen of binge eating. I'm a firm believer that it can be overcome, but it's a daily thing...maybe more of a minute by minute thing at times. You have to practice not giving in and dealing with the emotions and anxiety that come along with that. You have to really want this...more than you want just about anything else in your life, and you need good solid reasons otherwise you're not going to stick it out. Most people find better success when they think of it in terms of health. You can use your wedding as a secondary motivation. So, spend some time thinking about why you want this, then choose to do it. If you slip up at meal or for a day or even a week (or the past 2 months if you're me), keep trying.

MFP is the best weight loss tool there is. Check in every day, log everything, use the message boards...it honestly will help to keep you in check.