Needing help with weight loss

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I have been trying to lose weight for years four years in fact. I was at my highest weight right after I had my daughter at 211lbs I know some will say thats not to bad but I am only 5 feet so thats alot for my height. since then my weight has yo-yoed none stop but I never get below 178. I have tried everything from pills to starving myself, fast, Hcg, Atkins, weight watchers, work out dvd's to so much more til I fail. I have reached the point now that failing in not an option I have to lose this weight, I have to get health for me and my family. what made me finally reach this point? My son had heard someone call me FAT and then asked me why am I fat and why cant I be skinny like his friends mommies. It killed me and even though I tried to explain to a 4 year old that his mommy has tried and tried and tried what can you really tell them to help them understand when their whole lives you tell them if they try their best they can do anything they set their mind to. so finally I started thinking why? Why can't I tell myself the samething? why can't I change my life? why can't I be all I can be not only for myself but for my kids. yes through this journey I will struggle and yes they will see me do so but at least they will know I worked my butt off to get what I wanted and they can do the same as they grow up to get the thing they really want in life. I now have a moto I love and will be sticking to because it says the exact thing I am working on in my life. YOU CAN'T GET THE *kitten* YOU WANT BY SETTING ON THE ONE YOU HAVE :)

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  • suzy1220
    suzy1220 Posts: 118 Member
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    You have the right attitude to succeed! Don't measure your success by the scale, measure it by how you feel, how much more you can do, how much easier it is playing with your son, how your clothes fit and how you aren't out of breath doing the simplest tasks. Don't let the judgment of others be your guide. Begin this lifestyle change for you and only you. It is not temporary, this will be a forever change, so make sure the steps you are taking are ones you can maintain over the long haul.

    I created a livable diet that fits my lifestyle. I did not do any fad diets, haven't cut out any food groups and treat myself often to my favorite foods. What I did do that has helped my success is cut back on portions, weigh and measure my foods, substitute healthier options (ie chicken sausage for regular sausage), stopped making high calories side dishes and started experimenting with different ways to cook veggies, eat when I'm hungry so I don't get to the point where I keep eating b/c I ignored my body's signals, and eat until I am full. I also exercise at the gym but don't go crazy b/c I wouldn't be able to sustain that for the rest of my life. I go out to eat at restaurants (probably too much) but I research on the internet the nutrition guides so I go in with a plan of what I am going to order. You'd be surprised, salads are usually NOT the healthiest option on the menu! I usually stay between 1200-1900 calories a day (my exercise gives me more and I sometimes eat them if I am hungry). And I log everything, regardless of whether I want to or not. Sometimes that alone stops me from binging. By not acknowledging you ate something, you are setting yourself up for failure. These things have helped me to shed 56lbs since January 2013 with about 40 more to go.

    You are welcome to check out my diaries, which will prove everything I said above. (The 4th of July is not my norm, it was a really bad day but I still logged it and felt sick the entire next day for doing that to my body!)

    Good luck, you will love this site and the people you meet on it. I don't think I would have lost any weight if not for it and them.
  • mistyez
    mistyez Posts: 5
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    thank you so much for the help and kind words. it means alot to me to more understand what steps I need to be a healthier me. I am so glad their are people that are willing to help someone know more about healthy eating and weight loss thank you
  • suzy1220
    suzy1220 Posts: 118 Member
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    No problem! I am not an expert by any means but like you, I have struggled with my weight forever. I've been up and down but usually more up than down! Something about this time just clicked for me and I feel like I am doing it the right way for me. This site makes it easy to log and using the scan feature on your phone is even quicker.

    Good luck and as 'friends' we can support each other through this. You gotta start somewhere, right???