I need help!

ClaireSmalley2012
ClaireSmalley2012 Posts: 11
edited November 8 in Motivation and Support
Hello

I have been an on and off dieter for approximately 8 years. In the past it was just because all my friends were thinner than me, or I wanted the boys to notice me and other adolescent reasonings. I have never stuck to a diet for more than two weeks, but at that young age I never needed to really be dieting anyway. As I hit adulthood i tried more diets, I have attempted Simfast, Weightwatchers, Slimming World and Rosemary Connelly - with some of these the food was the problem and with others it was the exercise. I always gave up! However, I am approaching 25, want to start a family and have been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes - this time I can't give up.

I started the usual New Year diet on January 1st and at first I impressed myself and was doing really well - exercising 4 times a week, eating smaller portions, eating more fruit and I gave up both chocolate and alcohol. I thought that my determination in wanting to get healthier and increase my control over my diabetes would keep me going but it has been only 4 weeks and I have slumped back into my old ways. I can't remember the last time I did any exercise and it has become all too easy to grab for the fast, but unhealthy, food.

My plee to you is; Is there anyone out there who feels that this used to be them? Is there any advise anyone can offer me with regards to eating healthy on a budget, or doing adequate exercise without have to pay for the gym or joining a class? I'm not lazy if I put my mind to it, but a lot of my problem is that I have been this way for a long time and change is hard. Sometimes I feel i'm on my own in this and a little help would be gratefully accepted.

Thank you in advance, and happy dieting to all you fellow fitnesspals.

Claire xx

Replies

  • visiri
    visiri Posts: 173 Member
    I wasn't much of a junk eater - I just ate too much, so looking at calories at every meal keeps me honest and stops me from mindless seconds (usually in the time it takes me to record the food, I realize I'm not hungry anymore). Sorry I can't help much there. But for exercise. I REFUSE to join a gym and I don't have time to go to classes - getting in my car to go somewhere to exercise is pretty much a no go.

    I have an HRM and I do something for at least 20 minutes every day, even it it's just walking around the block a few times. One of my favorite things to do is put the HRM on, crank up the tunes and dance like a crazy woman. Sometimes I do chores while doing that, sometimes I just dance for 20-30 minutes. I can do that in my pjs and burn about 200 calories.

    The hardest part is the mind - you have to think about your actions and plan your days so that you can get it done. It's hard, no getting around that.

    Good luck !!!!
  • crazybeautifulkittie
    crazybeautifulkittie Posts: 86 Member
    I support dancing around like a crazy woman. Keep moving, even if its like fiddling with a pen. Also if you live in a walking friendly place, walk to the grocery store or to the movies, if not I try to make myself take the stairs and such. Every little bit helps. As for general working out, find something you really like. And I mean really really like. It can be ballroom dancing, yoga, or pole dancing. But really like it, so you'll be motivated to do it, and look forward to doing it.

    Diabetes is a royal pain (I do not speak from personal experience, but have watched many a friends live with diabetes). And you can do it, put your mind into it. Be careful following like fad plans. I'm not saying all is bad. But some of them will not work so well for your person, and remember to keep it moderate, don't over stress yourself by saying I'm going to workout 6 days a a week, because chances are you are not and you will just end up kicking yourself. Rather start out with once a week, like take a class with a friend. You ladies can keep yourselves accountable.

    Finally, record yourself in the webcam. Stand in your bikini and do a 360 degree turn. Then watch yourself. If you don't like what you see, then there's motivation to stick with the plan. Everytime I really want to eat like cake, fried chicken, etc. I just whip out the recording of my not so hot bikini body and then all the craving goes away. Seriously it works. Bonus: when you do finally start dropping the pounds you can be amazed at what you do look like.
  • JENNIFERRE4
    JENNIFERRE4 Posts: 3
    HI HOW ARE YOU DOING
  • ClaireSmalley2012
    ClaireSmalley2012 Posts: 11
    Well here I am a year later, and well nothing seems to have changed - oh wait, one small change... I'm now heavier than I was last year!!
  • gsschulte
    gsschulte Posts: 79 Member
    Keeping with a new program is a tricky thing. I try new stuff all the time just to keep things interesting. I also found a baseline that I love. I jog. I jog nearly everyday. and on the days that suck and nothing goes right, I jog. even if its for 15 minutes I keep doing that thing just to not break training. Humans are creatures of habit so once you start one you have to keep it going. Small consistent change is what your body needs. I started at 300 lbs going to the gym at 11pm so no one would see me with sweatpants and no idea how long I could walk let alone jog and now I go to the gym and on a good day I can jog for an hour straight. I used to be faster, I used to do more, I used to lift as well but right now things in life are difficult so I just jog. Its the best hour I have all day. I use a treadmill at the gym and turn on netflix and watch what ever I want for an hour while I trim the fat. After January I plan to bring back lifting into my routine. constant and consistent change.
    Inside you is something that is more powerful than any computer or multiple computers on the planet. Its also more powerful than itself. Your brain will make you walk across fire or lift a car with your bare hands, It will also tell you the worst thing ever "I can't". The best days I have at the gym are the ones that I feel off going in so I talk myself up. "You can do this", "This is nothing", "Just a little more". hearing that the whole time does a great deal to keep you going and coming back.
  • d2rala
    d2rala Posts: 54
    I do not have diabetes, but a good friend does - type 1 - hard to manage.
    She struggles with her weight because of the diabetes.
    Have you tried going to a nutritionist who specializes in working with diabetics?
    Also, get a friend or two to join you for walks.

    Friend me - I will be happy to ask you if you've been getting out!:happy:
  • MrsMJZ
    MrsMJZ Posts: 9 Member
    First things, first...you can do this. You wouldn't post unless you have the desire to do it. That means your first step, motivation, is already accomplished. That's one of the hardest parts. My favorite quote is "Don't let what you can't do get in the way of what you can do." So, let's figure this out. What can you do? What's in your control right now?

    What physical activities do you like or are you willing to do? Dance? Clean? Walk in place? Walk outside? Walk at the mall? Things are going to start out small but, guess what? If you walk in place or dance for ten minutes today, you've accomplished something. If you do 11 minutes tomorrow, you're already doing better and beating the old you : )

    What types of "healthy" foods do you like? No diet foods like slim fast or lean cuisine (you can always incorporate those). Remember, this is not a "diet"...diets are temporary. This is for life - and yes, you are still going to eat hamburgers or ice cream or whatever else you love. Believe me, I'm on a budget too. Maybe I can share some recipes with you.

    Feel free to friend me too! :smile:
  • Koldnomore
    Koldnomore Posts: 1,613 Member
    The biggest reason in my experience that people fail is because they try to change EVERYTHING at once..which it sounds like you are doing/did.They get frustrated because they aren't losing 'fast' then try starving themselves, over exercising, pills and other stuff and then they convince themselves that it's impossible and just give up.

    Don't do this..

    Instead:

    Start small. LOG EVERYTHING for at least 1 week. Don't worry about how much you eat, just get used to loging it and also this helps to see where you can improve the next week.

    Find your TDEE and BMR, don't fall into the trap of trying to live on 1200 calories when your body needs more. At age 25 and 200lbs you need MINIMUM 1600 calories (it goes up if you are teller then 5 feet)

    READ http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

    Once you have understood what you need THEN you can make small changes to your DIET. Stop drinking calories, limit your treats to one a day.. Still don't worry about if you are over, just try to improve a little every day.

    When you finally have your diet under control THEN you can worry about adding exercise and start eating back some calories to compensate.

    With @50 lbs to lose you will probably see 2lbs/week for a very SHORT time. More likely you will go about 1-1.5 for a bit then taper off to 1/week . The less you have to lose the slower you should lose it. I'm about 50lbs to my goal weight right now. I have already lost almost 40lbs in 6 months doing this. I do NOT work out a lot - I go to one Zumba class for 60 min every week (which I have only just started last month) and walk about 30 min per day otherwise.

    You do not have to change everything all in one day. Just change a little bit every week. It took time to put on weight, it will take a while to get rid of it. Settle in..expect to take @ 6 months + to lose that 50lbs but if you start now you won't have to be back next year with the same 50 lbs to lose right?
  • ClaireSmalley2012
    ClaireSmalley2012 Posts: 11
    Good Afternoon,

    Thanks to all of you for your comments and your support.

    Back in July I attended a course at the hospital to teach me how to gain better control of my Diabetes - it worked! It also taught me that while I have been getting tighter control over this past year I will have been gaining weight. I was shocked - that is exactly what had happened and exactly why I had given up, again!

    Well, lets just say I got right back on it and weighed in at my heaviest yet - 210 pounds. I decided to set small half stone targets and agreed I would celebrate every 7 pounds like it was a huge achievement - which it is. 6 weeks later and I have lost my first 7 pounds - I couldn't be happier. After all the time I have felt like I have been doing something wrong or that I have been failing I could finally celebrate that something was working.

    I stil need to change my diet - I am sat writing this after demolishing 20g of Haribo sweets, but things are a lot better than they were.

    I now exercise at the gym a couple of times a week, including 1 Zumba and 1 Spin Class. I am also training to be able to run my first 5K with the hope that that will turn to a 10K and then hopefully a Marathon!

    I know it is only a start, but with the diabetes under control and the weight slowly coming off I am definitely in a happier place. My next step is to work out how many calories my body needs and to change my diet to a healthier one.

    Thanks again for your help and advise, anything else anyone can give would still be appreciated - I still have a long way to go!!
  • Deedle7544
    Deedle7544 Posts: 185 Member
    Good for you! Its a great start to a healthier lifestyle. I am turning 50 in 6 months and I am determined to lose 30 pounds before then.
  • ClaireSmalley2012
    ClaireSmalley2012 Posts: 11
    Thank you so much for this. I'm not totally sure I understand it yet, but I'm thinking that I'm not eating enough - I thought dieting was all about removing calories, but that can do more damage apparently!

    Thanks again!
    READ http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12
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