Calling all health gurus!

I wouldn't call myself a guru but i think i can help. First thing i did was consider my calorie intake. Myfitness pal does a wonder job with that. Then i decided to increase my rate of wieght lose but in a healthy way. Of course if you're not losing weight right away you're not going to want to continue. I am currently on visalus shakes that are wonderful help me kick start my body. Of course you don't have to do that either. The main thing is eat more healthy foods. Snack a lot! I eat about 5 to 6 times a day. Your meat that you eat shouldn't be no bigger than your palm of your hand for a good reference. If you have a scale i would say 4oz. The rest of that plate needs to be vegetables. Thats for meals. Snack are smaller usually i don't make it bigger than 200 calories per snack. always eat light before going to bed. Be snacks for getting rid of craving i would say would be celery, cabbage, apples, carrots, and cucumbers. you can eat them til you explode. hope this helps

First and foremost you need to sit down and write a pros/cons list for you losing weight. If the cons to you are more than the pros, then regardless of how hard someone is on you, you won't be convinced it's essential. I believe that you may have a mental block on why you don't continue.

A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

I suspect your previous plans were overly restrictive and that makes it very hard to follow for a long period of time. We all get excited when we start something new like this. Your energy level sores, and you feel almost invincible. That passes, and that is when it gets tough. Keep in mind what you were eating to get to this point (no judging on my part, I was there), and work your way into something that fits your lifestyle. This stuff really is not that hard, but we all love to think it is. The trick is patience and persistence. There will be some sacrifices and you are going to need to learn how to cook whole foods in a manner where you enjoy them almost as much as the stuff you were eating before now. If you shop the perimeter of the grocery store you will not go wrong. Those interior isles that are stocked with all the convenience foods should not be visited that often. I am sure you will get some replies of the IIFYM plans. While that works for many people, it does take a little more mental dedication to stick to that idea. Fruits, veggies and relatively lean proteins allow you to eat more food and you will stay full longer. Less cravings, better moods and stable energy all make daily life a little bit easier.

"I need someone who is going to be tough on me, but also understanding. If you think you could help me, please, please, please let me know. I'm begging you! " I dunno about this. You have to dig your heals in if you want to make it stick. Nobody but you can make you do what is needed. Do not make the workout program to onerous. It really does not need to be for now. Work into it, read some books, and be patient. Sorry, it took time to add it to your frame, so it is going to take some time to get it off.

I think the "guru" you want is actually a therapist. One who can help guide you to find out why you're doing what you're doing. Cognitive behavioral therapy with an eating disorder specialty.

Personally, I've realized that no one else can be responsible for my choices or health. I've got to take the reins. It's one thing to find friends (on MFP or in real life) to be supportive along the way or to ask questions. But no one is going to stop me and say, "Hey, how about a healthier option that fits into your calories and macros for the day instead?" or "Hey, why haven't you gone running today?" I've found that I have to do that for me. Because when the others leave, I'm still left with me and my unresolved problems, and unless I hold myself accountable, I'll eat whatever I want when the others have gone. Similar to DatMurse, I didn't want to be a fat nurse. How was I going to tell my patients to change their lifestyles and warn them of the dangers of being overweight or obese when I myself was obese? I quit smoking for much the same reason (but also because I was tired of it). Every day I'd learn about another condition exacerbated by weight problems, and the list scared me into paying attention.

I'm not a "guru," I don't know it all, I don't know what works for everyone else. I only know what I need to do for me, and that I have a responsibility to myself to treat myself right if I want to be effective at my job (I also graduate in December), if I want to be an effective and responsible parent down the road, and if I want to love myself. I have to make these changes. And I've come to realize that no temporary diet will give you permanent results. If I want to see permanent change in myself, I have to make permanent changes to my lifestyle. Sure, allow for cutting loose now and then. But I gotta be honest with myself and my motives (for why I treat myself right, and also why I don't).

A support group might not be a bad idea either, such as overeaters anonymous (www.oa.org).

And a great book to look into, for anyone with compulsive behavior, is "Codependent No More."