Enough Is Enough - 40 Pounds Need to GO!!!!

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  • HollyAnn_
    HollyAnn_ Posts: 47 Member
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    This sounds like a great group of people! If you want to add me id love the encouragement and accountability!
    I'm currently losing baby #4 weight. I started out the highest with this one and then after delivery I even gained some :( I got up to 220 and was so miserable. As an all-state athlete I was disgusted with myself. I alaways delivered at 200 and after a month after I was usually around 185-190. But like I said I gained instead of lost. Right now I'm at 195 :/ But I'm moving downward and that's what's important. My goal is 160-165.
    I need help with staying consistent. I go days where I might not eat very much at all and then binge on brownies that night. But my eating goal is to add more veggies to my meals. And not canned. Real, fresh, vegetables.
    So I'm down for some help and giving some as well.
    Good luck to all of you!
  • mariemxx
    mariemxx Posts: 56 Member
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    HollyAnn_ wrote: »
    This sounds like a great group of people! If you want to add me id love the encouragement and accountability!
    I'm currently losing baby #4 weight. I started out the highest with this one and then after delivery I even gained some :( I got up to 220 and was so miserable. As an all-state athlete I was disgusted with myself. I alaways delivered at 200 and after a month after I was usually around 185-190. But like I said I gained instead of lost. Right now I'm at 195 :/ But I'm moving downward and that's what's important. My goal is 160-165.
    I need help with staying consistent. I go days where I might not eat very much at all and then binge on brownies that night. But my eating goal is to add more veggies to my meals. And not canned. Real, fresh, vegetables.
    So I'm down for some help and giving some as well.
    Good luck to all of you!

    Without a doubt sounds exactly like my issue .. No worries I am shooting you a friend request now.
  • schandler1011
    schandler1011 Posts: 83 Member
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    I know how you feel! I was really uncomfortable with myself... I only have a few more pounds to go now thankful for MFP calorie tracker and the program I do. I still have a bit of a muffin top to get rid of but it is summertime and time to wear all those cute outfits! here for your support if you want to add me! :)
  • MissJay75
    MissJay75 Posts: 768 Member
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    mariemxx wrote: »
    robper13 wrote: »
    Hi Marie,

    I know how you feel. For the longest time, i have been trying to lose weight. Nothing ever worked for me. Even though i was exercising, i couldn't drop the weight...except maybe a pound or two. Then i would gain it back. It was frustrating. I guess it was my fault as i would eat until i got full, or i had to have at least two helpings. I was the heaviest i ever weighed last year....about 228. It was a gradual gain over like 10-12 years, about 40 pounds. I felt miserable. Then last year my wife and i tried this program called Diet Free Life. You basically eat every 2-3 hours, 3 snacks and 3 meals typically. You just had to have the right combination of proteins and carbs (fast/slow). You didnt have to cut out favorites like bread, pasta, etc. plus your snacks could be anything as long as it was in the suggested calorie range. We bought the program but actually didnt open the box until a few months later...lol. We then opened it and watched the dvds on how to put your fat loss plates together. Well, this has been the only thing that has ever worked for me. Plus i did get the Map my fitness app and started a walking program last July. I did fall off the program though for about a few months, but restarted again last month and am now at 199.2 and am losing about 1.5-2 pounds per week. I determined how much weight i wanted to lose each week by figuring out my resting calorie burn. I bought a jawbone up band which really helps alot. Plus downloaded the my fitness pal app last month to track my eating, etc. it has really been a positive experience. My wife and i are on the right track now. Hang in there, we know you can do it. Working out just enhances, accelerates the process. Eating the right combination of food, plus eating every 2-3 hours plus a sound fitness program will surely meet your needs. Good luck to you! You can do it!


    Thank you very much ! I am definitely determined its just gets hard at times like last night I got a steak and cheese flatbread from subway I knew I shouldn't have and it was in my calorie range but I still felt guilty ! :-( uggggg !

    You should really examine where the guilt is coming from, and why you say you shouldn't have eaten it. The food was within your calories. Steak and cheese sounds high in protein and delicious. Food is meant to be enjoyed! Food is meant to fuel your body. I don't see a darn thing wrong with that choice. I think it's hard because (unless you have medical dietary restrictions) you are imposing unnecessary rules on yourself that are hard.

    What is your personal philosophy on 'good' foods and 'bad' foods? How did you decide this?
  • mariemxx
    mariemxx Posts: 56 Member
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    MissJay75 wrote: »
    mariemxx wrote: »
    robper13 wrote: »
    Hi Marie,

    I know how you feel. For the longest time, i have been trying to lose weight. Nothing ever worked for me. Even though i was exercising, i couldn't drop the weight...except maybe a pound or two. Then i would gain it back. It was frustrating. I guess it was my fault as i would eat until i got full, or i had to have at least two helpings. I was the heaviest i ever weighed last year....about 228. It was a gradual gain over like 10-12 years, about 40 pounds. I felt miserable. Then last year my wife and i tried this program called Diet Free Life. You basically eat every 2-3 hours, 3 snacks and 3 meals typically. You just had to have the right combination of proteins and carbs (fast/slow). You didnt have to cut out favorites like bread, pasta, etc. plus your snacks could be anything as long as it was in the suggested calorie range. We bought the program but actually didnt open the box until a few months later...lol. We then opened it and watched the dvds on how to put your fat loss plates together. Well, this has been the only thing that has ever worked for me. Plus i did get the Map my fitness app and started a walking program last July. I did fall off the program though for about a few months, but restarted again last month and am now at 199.2 and am losing about 1.5-2 pounds per week. I determined how much weight i wanted to lose each week by figuring out my resting calorie burn. I bought a jawbone up band which really helps alot. Plus downloaded the my fitness pal app last month to track my eating, etc. it has really been a positive experience. My wife and i are on the right track now. Hang in there, we know you can do it. Working out just enhances, accelerates the process. Eating the right combination of food, plus eating every 2-3 hours plus a sound fitness program will surely meet your needs. Good luck to you! You can do it!


    Thank you very much ! I am definitely determined its just gets hard at times like last night I got a steak and cheese flatbread from subway I knew I shouldn't have and it was in my calorie range but I still felt guilty ! :-( uggggg !

    You should really examine where the guilt is coming from, and why you say you shouldn't have eaten it. The food was within your calories. Steak and cheese sounds high in protein and delicious. Food is meant to be enjoyed! Food is meant to fuel your body. I don't see a darn thing wrong with that choice. I think it's hard because (unless you have medical dietary restrictions) you are imposing unnecessary rules on yourself that are hard.

    What is your personal philosophy on 'good' foods and 'bad' foods? How did you decide this?

    I guess what society considers bad .. fast food. things with bread and cheeses .. etc.
  • kyrstin__1188
    kyrstin__1188 Posts: 170 Member
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    Hi there! I'm the same way, I go for a while with being healthy, and then something happens and I'm just over it for a while. I'm hoping this time to stick with it. Recently restarted my gym membership, and have been trying to make better choices.

    Feel free to add me for some added motivation! :)
  • vanessie5
    vanessie5 Posts: 20 Member
    edited July 2015
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    HI Marie! I am new here as well and know how you feel! I have always been thin but Ive had 2 kids in the past 2.5 years (youngest 3 months old). Ever since I've had my first its like my metabolism has gone byebye. I went from being 5'7 and 125-130 lbs at 25 yrs old to 202 at 28 after I had my daughter 3 months ago. I started dieting almost 3 weeks ago and have gone down to 190. I count my calories and measure all my food and try and fit a work out or 2 in a week. But its sooooo HARD. i would love some motivation as well!
  • mariemxx
    mariemxx Posts: 56 Member
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    vanessie5 wrote: »
    HI Marie! I am new here as well and know how you feel! I have always been thin but Ive had 2 kids in the past 2.5 years (youngest 3 months old). Ever since I've had my first its like my metabolism has gone byebye. I went from being 5'7 and 125-130 lbs at 25 yrs old to 202 at 28 after I had my daughter 3 months ago. I started dieting almost 3 weeks ago and have gone down to 190. I count my calories and measure all my food and try and fit a work out or 2 in a week. But its sooooo HARD. i would love some motivation as well!


    Well that's what I'm here for- for motivation and to be motivated lol ,, feel free to add me !
  • acorsaut89
    acorsaut89 Posts: 1,147 Member
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    mariemxx wrote: »
    Hi Marie, sounds like you and I are just alike. I struggle with this exact same thing. I have never weighed over 120 pounds in my life. Now I am 48, I weigh 170 pounds currently. I can't breath, bend down it is very hard. Enough is enough for me to. I just started today eating better choices. I would love some motivation with someone else as well. Good Luck to you

    I am completely open for any motivation I can get from anyone. I am about 6 ft tall and weigh 235 right now and honestly I will never forget when I got on the scale about 2 years ago and saw 211 I was completely digusted. Now I get on the scale and almost want to cry .. I am here for motivation and I hope you will be too !

    Let me start this with I get the motivation and the feelings you can get when step on a scale and you're like I weigh whaaat? However, try to get past the numbers. I weigh in at just over 250lbs - I am 5'10 but I run 5K's and next week starts training for a 10K. Do you think someone at 250lbs can do that? I do back to back cross fit classes - I train 6 days a week. You have to get past the number on the scale if you want this to be long term.

    Also, if you don't love yourself now weighing 40, 60, 100lbs less isn't going to change that. I have read of lots of people who are SEVERELY obese and go through the WLS only to be that much more unhappy when they hit a "normal" weight. Along with working out and making better food choices, this is also a journey of self discovery. You need to love yourself all the way through because there will be times when that feeling of I'm doing this for me is all that you've got. On my 5 or 6 am runs I struggle and when my alarm goes off at 4:45 I'm like seriously why do I even bother? No one else is at the gym to see me run, no one else is on the streets, no one cares. You have to care enough to keep pushing when it feels like you cannot push anymore. You have to care enough to say no to foods you know you don't really want to eat . . . you just have to care enough about you to make it happen.
  • mariemxx
    mariemxx Posts: 56 Member
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    acorsaut89 wrote: »
    mariemxx wrote: »
    Hi Marie, sounds like you and I are just alike. I struggle with this exact same thing. I have never weighed over 120 pounds in my life. Now I am 48, I weigh 170 pounds currently. I can't breath, bend down it is very hard. Enough is enough for me to. I just started today eating better choices. I would love some motivation with someone else as well. Good Luck to you

    I am completely open for any motivation I can get from anyone. I am about 6 ft tall and weigh 235 right now and honestly I will never forget when I got on the scale about 2 years ago and saw 211 I was completely digusted. Now I get on the scale and almost want to cry .. I am here for motivation and I hope you will be too !

    Let me start this with I get the motivation and the feelings you can get when step on a scale and you're like I weigh whaaat? However, try to get past the numbers. I weigh in at just over 250lbs - I am 5'10 but I run 5K's and next week starts training for a 10K. Do you think someone at 250lbs can do that? I do back to back cross fit classes - I train 6 days a week. You have to get past the number on the scale if you want this to be long term.

    Also, if you don't love yourself now weighing 40, 60, 100lbs less isn't going to change that. I have read of lots of people who are SEVERELY obese and go through the WLS only to be that much more unhappy when they hit a "normal" weight. Along with working out and making better food choices, this is also a journey of self discovery. You need to love yourself all the way through because there will be times when that feeling of I'm doing this for me is all that you've got. On my 5 or 6 am runs I struggle and when my alarm goes off at 4:45 I'm like seriously why do I even bother? No one else is at the gym to see me run, no one else is on the streets, no one cares. You have to care enough to keep pushing when it feels like you cannot push anymore. You have to care enough to say no to foods you know you don't really want to eat . . . you just have to care enough about you to make it happen.


    Wow thank you so much !
  • MissJay75
    MissJay75 Posts: 768 Member
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    mariemxx wrote: »
    MissJay75 wrote: »
    mariemxx wrote: »
    robper13 wrote: »
    Hi Marie,

    I know how you feel. For the longest time, i have been trying to lose weight. Nothing ever worked for me. Even though i was exercising, i couldn't drop the weight...except maybe a pound or two. Then i would gain it back. It was frustrating. I guess it was my fault as i would eat until i got full, or i had to have at least two helpings. I was the heaviest i ever weighed last year....about 228. It was a gradual gain over like 10-12 years, about 40 pounds. I felt miserable. Then last year my wife and i tried this program called Diet Free Life. You basically eat every 2-3 hours, 3 snacks and 3 meals typically. You just had to have the right combination of proteins and carbs (fast/slow). You didnt have to cut out favorites like bread, pasta, etc. plus your snacks could be anything as long as it was in the suggested calorie range. We bought the program but actually didnt open the box until a few months later...lol. We then opened it and watched the dvds on how to put your fat loss plates together. Well, this has been the only thing that has ever worked for me. Plus i did get the Map my fitness app and started a walking program last July. I did fall off the program though for about a few months, but restarted again last month and am now at 199.2 and am losing about 1.5-2 pounds per week. I determined how much weight i wanted to lose each week by figuring out my resting calorie burn. I bought a jawbone up band which really helps alot. Plus downloaded the my fitness pal app last month to track my eating, etc. it has really been a positive experience. My wife and i are on the right track now. Hang in there, we know you can do it. Working out just enhances, accelerates the process. Eating the right combination of food, plus eating every 2-3 hours plus a sound fitness program will surely meet your needs. Good luck to you! You can do it!


    Thank you very much ! I am definitely determined its just gets hard at times like last night I got a steak and cheese flatbread from subway I knew I shouldn't have and it was in my calorie range but I still felt guilty ! :-( uggggg !

    You should really examine where the guilt is coming from, and why you say you shouldn't have eaten it. The food was within your calories. Steak and cheese sounds high in protein and delicious. Food is meant to be enjoyed! Food is meant to fuel your body. I don't see a darn thing wrong with that choice. I think it's hard because (unless you have medical dietary restrictions) you are imposing unnecessary rules on yourself that are hard.

    What is your personal philosophy on 'good' foods and 'bad' foods? How did you decide this?

    I guess what society considers bad .. fast food. things with bread and cheeses .. etc.

    Why should society decide for you? If you are going to let something dictate so much of how you feel about things, it should something you've seriously thought through, and educated yourself about.

    If after researching it, you feel like 'clean' eating or certain other restrictive diets are how you want to eat, then perhaps you should make friends with people in those communities that can help you make that switch. But please let it be a conscious informed decision, not a vague general feeling of "should".

    I would like to offer you a different perspective. Legitimate allergies aside, calories are just calories. Bread is not bad for you. Cheese is not bad for you. Foods with fat in them (especially dairy) are not bad for you. Sugar is not bad for you. Too much of any of those can be bad for you, and lead to weight gain, but you can certainly eat all of those things (if you like) and still lose weight. People do it all the time.

    Certain kinds of fat are less healthy for you than others. In general, foods that start with whole ingredients are more healthy than processed foods. But I strongly believe that in moderation these things can be enjoyed and are not shameful.
  • Hoppymom
    Hoppymom Posts: 1,158 Member
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    I could use a new friend or two. I lost 70 pounds starting four years ago. I did it in 16 months when I was out of work. I then started gaining it back because I was driving 40 minutes each way to my new job. I didn't have the energy to workout most days when I got home and I stopped logging what I ate. I am off for the summer and nursing an injured knee but I have started logging again. The steroids for the injured knee caused me to put on a lot of weight quickly. I have now lost about half of that and am ten pounds from my all time high. The doctor told me yesterday that I am once again pre-diabetic, my trigger to lose four years ago. I need to get myself together and fix this. I have a gym membership but haven't been for a long time. I am turning 58 next month and want to get down so I am no longer obese in 18 months. I am 5'4.5" I am really supportive of my friends on MFP and can use some support my self...and an occasional kick in the butt.
  • CassieR6
    CassieR6 Posts: 280 Member
    Options
    Wow I feel like I could have written this. I am battling with the same thing. I do great and fall right back to where I was. Over and over again. I am once again trying to get back on track. Feel free to add me. :smile:
  • mariemxx
    mariemxx Posts: 56 Member
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    Hoppymom wrote: »
    I could use a new friend or two. I lost 70 pounds starting four years ago. I did it in 16 months when I was out of work. I then started gaining it back because I was driving 40 minutes each way to my new job. I didn't have the energy to workout most days when I got home and I stopped logging what I ate. I am off for the summer and nursing an injured knee but I have started logging again. The steroids for the injured knee caused me to put on a lot of weight quickly. I have now lost about half of that and am ten pounds from my all time high. The doctor told me yesterday that I am once again pre-diabetic, my trigger to lose four years ago. I need to get myself together and fix this. I have a gym membership but haven't been for a long time. I am turning 58 next month and want to get down so I am no longer obese in 18 months. I am 5'4.5" I am really supportive of my friends on MFP and can use some support my self...and an occasional kick in the butt.

    That's what I'm here for ! Feel free to add me ! Good luck !
  • LiftAndBalance
    LiftAndBalance Posts: 960 Member
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    mariemxx wrote: »

    I guess what society considers bad .. fast food. things with bread and cheeses .. etc.

    I consider bread and cheese very good foods! Foods are just foods, they're neither good nor bad (unless you have food allergies/intolerances). A healthy diet is a question of balance and context and can totally contain bread and cheese and even chocolate, ice cream and cake and whatever else you like to eat. I lost about 40kg a few years ago and maintained that since then, and have now lost a bit more and lowered my body fat percentage, all while eating all the foods I like. Moderation is the key word. To get out of your cycles of being 'good' for a few weeks and then crashing, it would probably help to reevaluate your moral judgements about food. Start with simply weighing and logging everything, striving to meet your calorie goal most days. Find some form of exercise that brings you joy (and eat back about 50–75% of those calories as well). Be kind to yourself!
  • acorsaut89
    acorsaut89 Posts: 1,147 Member
    edited July 2015
    Options
    MissJay75 wrote: »
    mariemxx wrote: »
    MissJay75 wrote: »
    mariemxx wrote: »
    robper13 wrote: »
    Hi Marie,

    I know how you feel. For the longest time, i have been trying to lose weight. Nothing ever worked for me. Even though i was exercising, i couldn't drop the weight...except maybe a pound or two. Then i would gain it back. It was frustrating. I guess it was my fault as i would eat until i got full, or i had to have at least two helpings. I was the heaviest i ever weighed last year....about 228. It was a gradual gain over like 10-12 years, about 40 pounds. I felt miserable. Then last year my wife and i tried this program called Diet Free Life. You basically eat every 2-3 hours, 3 snacks and 3 meals typically. You just had to have the right combination of proteins and carbs (fast/slow). You didnt have to cut out favorites like bread, pasta, etc. plus your snacks could be anything as long as it was in the suggested calorie range. We bought the program but actually didnt open the box until a few months later...lol. We then opened it and watched the dvds on how to put your fat loss plates together. Well, this has been the only thing that has ever worked for me. Plus i did get the Map my fitness app and started a walking program last July. I did fall off the program though for about a few months, but restarted again last month and am now at 199.2 and am losing about 1.5-2 pounds per week. I determined how much weight i wanted to lose each week by figuring out my resting calorie burn. I bought a jawbone up band which really helps alot. Plus downloaded the my fitness pal app last month to track my eating, etc. it has really been a positive experience. My wife and i are on the right track now. Hang in there, we know you can do it. Working out just enhances, accelerates the process. Eating the right combination of food, plus eating every 2-3 hours plus a sound fitness program will surely meet your needs. Good luck to you! You can do it!


    Thank you very much ! I am definitely determined its just gets hard at times like last night I got a steak and cheese flatbread from subway I knew I shouldn't have and it was in my calorie range but I still felt guilty ! :-( uggggg !

    You should really examine where the guilt is coming from, and why you say you shouldn't have eaten it. The food was within your calories. Steak and cheese sounds high in protein and delicious. Food is meant to be enjoyed! Food is meant to fuel your body. I don't see a darn thing wrong with that choice. I think it's hard because (unless you have medical dietary restrictions) you are imposing unnecessary rules on yourself that are hard.

    What is your personal philosophy on 'good' foods and 'bad' foods? How did you decide this?

    I guess what society considers bad .. fast food. things with bread and cheeses .. etc.

    Why should society decide for you? If you are going to let something dictate so much of how you feel about things, it should something you've seriously thought through, and educated yourself about.

    If after researching it, you feel like 'clean' eating or certain other restrictive diets are how you want to eat, then perhaps you should make friends with people in those communities that can help you make that switch. But please let it be a conscious informed decision, not a vague general feeling of "should".

    I would like to offer you a different perspective. Legitimate allergies aside, calories are just calories. Bread is not bad for you. Cheese is not bad for you. Foods with fat in them (especially dairy) are not bad for you. Sugar is not bad for you. Too much of any of those can be bad for you, and lead to weight gain, but you can certainly eat all of those things (if you like) and still lose weight. People do it all the time.

    Certain kinds of fat are less healthy for you than others. In general, foods that start with whole ingredients are more healthy than processed foods. But I strongly believe that in moderation these things can be enjoyed and are not shameful.

    Love it - and so true! As your profile says you did weight watchers a couple years ago, this concept of eating whatever you want but portioning it so you're not eating too much should be rather familiar.

    The trick is this: people feel like certain foods are "bad" because they are what I like to call less bang for your buck food. You could eat a whole plate of broccoli and not even hit 300 calories, now put 300 calories worth of white pasta on your plate and see what the quantity difference is. People feel like fruits, veggies, low cal, low fat, low carb options are the best because you can eat more for the same amount of calories. The reality is that it depends on what your goals are: as a runner, my goals are both weight loss and nutrition based. If you just want to lose weight, eat whatever and as long as it's HONESTLY less than what you're burning then you should lose weight. But often times the low carb, low fat, low cal diet options have replacement ingredients in them so they still taste good because, as I've always said, when you cut the fat you cut the flavour - so you might be consuming ingredients that aren't all that good for you nutrition wise. I also agree that you should "nature test" your food - as in if you were living in the wild, could you grow this or make it yourself? If so, it's probably nutritionally sound. I am a big everything in moderation kind of person - I still eat pizza, burgers, chocolate, drink alcohol I just don't go crazy with it and the majority of food I eat is whole foods. Another good rule of thumb: the less commercials and advertising you see for the food, usually the better it is for you nutritionally.

    Learning to portion or self control is the biggest thing! As you experienced with WW once there wasn't someone around for your weekly check ins you started to flail, and you said you're only accountable to yourself - well that's the biggest factor right there. Jenny at WW might seem to care that your weigh in was higher than last week but if you gain weight, she doesn't live with it - YOU DO! and that right there should be the sole reason being accountable to only yourself is the biggest and most important factor ever. Being accountable to yourself is very important - you are important!
  • mariemxx
    mariemxx Posts: 56 Member
    Options
    acorsaut89 wrote: »
    MissJay75 wrote: »
    mariemxx wrote: »
    MissJay75 wrote: »
    mariemxx wrote: »
    robper13 wrote: »
    Hi Marie,

    I know how you feel. For the longest time, i have been trying to lose weight. Nothing ever worked for me. Even though i was exercising, i couldn't drop the weight...except maybe a pound or two. Then i would gain it back. It was frustrating. I guess it was my fault as i would eat until i got full, or i had to have at least two helpings. I was the heaviest i ever weighed last year....about 228. It was a gradual gain over like 10-12 years, about 40 pounds. I felt miserable. Then last year my wife and i tried this program called Diet Free Life. You basically eat every 2-3 hours, 3 snacks and 3 meals typically. You just had to have the right combination of proteins and carbs (fast/slow). You didnt have to cut out favorites like bread, pasta, etc. plus your snacks could be anything as long as it was in the suggested calorie range. We bought the program but actually didnt open the box until a few months later...lol. We then opened it and watched the dvds on how to put your fat loss plates together. Well, this has been the only thing that has ever worked for me. Plus i did get the Map my fitness app and started a walking program last July. I did fall off the program though for about a few months, but restarted again last month and am now at 199.2 and am losing about 1.5-2 pounds per week. I determined how much weight i wanted to lose each week by figuring out my resting calorie burn. I bought a jawbone up band which really helps alot. Plus downloaded the my fitness pal app last month to track my eating, etc. it has really been a positive experience. My wife and i are on the right track now. Hang in there, we know you can do it. Working out just enhances, accelerates the process. Eating the right combination of food, plus eating every 2-3 hours plus a sound fitness program will surely meet your needs. Good luck to you! You can do it!


    Thank you very much ! I am definitely determined its just gets hard at times like last night I got a steak and cheese flatbread from subway I knew I shouldn't have and it was in my calorie range but I still felt guilty ! :-( uggggg !

    You should really examine where the guilt is coming from, and why you say you shouldn't have eaten it. The food was within your calories. Steak and cheese sounds high in protein and delicious. Food is meant to be enjoyed! Food is meant to fuel your body. I don't see a darn thing wrong with that choice. I think it's hard because (unless you have medical dietary restrictions) you are imposing unnecessary rules on yourself that are hard.

    What is your personal philosophy on 'good' foods and 'bad' foods? How did you decide this?

    I guess what society considers bad .. fast food. things with bread and cheeses .. etc.

    Why should society decide for you? If you are going to let something dictate so much of how you feel about things, it should something you've seriously thought through, and educated yourself about.

    If after researching it, you feel like 'clean' eating or certain other restrictive diets are how you want to eat, then perhaps you should make friends with people in those communities that can help you make that switch. But please let it be a conscious informed decision, not a vague general feeling of "should".

    I would like to offer you a different perspective. Legitimate allergies aside, calories are just calories. Bread is not bad for you. Cheese is not bad for you. Foods with fat in them (especially dairy) are not bad for you. Sugar is not bad for you. Too much of any of those can be bad for you, and lead to weight gain, but you can certainly eat all of those things (if you like) and still lose weight. People do it all the time.

    Certain kinds of fat are less healthy for you than others. In general, foods that start with whole ingredients are more healthy than processed foods. But I strongly believe that in moderation these things can be enjoyed and are not shameful.

    Love it - and so true! As your profile says you did weight watchers a couple years ago, this concept of eating whatever you want but portioning it so you're not eating too much should be rather familiar.

    The trick is this: people feel like certain foods are "bad" because they are what I like to call less bang for your buck food. You could eat a whole plate of broccoli and not even hit 300 calories, now put 300 calories worth of white pasta on your plate and see what the quantity difference is. People feel like fruits, veggies, low cal, low fat, low carb options are the best because you can eat more for the same amount of calories. The reality is that it depends on what your goals are: as a runner, my goals are both weight loss and nutrition based. If you just want to lose weight, eat whatever and as long as it's HONESTLY less than what you're burning then you should lose weight. But often times the low carb, low fat, low cal diet options have replacement ingredients in them so they still taste good because, as I've always said, when you cut the fat you cut the flavour - so you might be consuming ingredients that aren't all that good for you nutrition wise. I also agree that you should "nature test" your food - as in if you were living in the wild, could you grow this or make it yourself? If so, it's probably nutritionally sound. I am a big everything in moderation kind of person - I still eat pizza, burgers, chocolate, drink alcohol I just don't go crazy with it and the majority of food I eat is whole foods. Another good rule of thumb: the less commercials and advertising you see for the food, usually the better it is for you nutritionally.

    Learning to portion or self control is the biggest thing! As you experienced with WW once there wasn't someone around for your weekly check ins you started to flail, and you said you're only accountable to yourself - well that's the biggest factor right there. Jenny at WW might seem to care that your weigh in was higher than last week but if you gain weight, she doesn't live with it - YOU DO! and that right there should be the sole reason being accountable to only yourself is the biggest and most important factor ever. Being accountable to yourself is very important - you are important!

    Thank you! I enjoy getting all this feedback from different perspectives it really helps.
  • anabai
    anabai Posts: 1 Member
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    Marie,

    I too know what you feel... I went from losing 105lbs back in 1999 on WW and became a lifetime memeber so you would think I learned... but one kid later after my weight loss, I struggle... I was back on track 2 years ago, was running everyday, tracking my food and then life kicked me and I lost my balance and its so easy to say, I will do it tomorrow. Well let me tell you that I said enough is enough 47 days ago and I have been tracking everything I eat and going to the gym 5 days a week... I do enjoy working out so no issues, but one thing for me is tracking, track everything you eat is a step in the right directions. if you need any help please contact me.... I know all to well and from what I can see on this board we all know what you are feeling... it will come, you have to be ready and you have to be happy... that is a really big thing... GOOD LUCK AND YOU CAN DO IT
  • mariemxx
    mariemxx Posts: 56 Member
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    anabai wrote: »
    Marie,

    I too know what you feel... I went from losing 105lbs back in 1999 on WW and became a lifetime memeber so you would think I learned... but one kid later after my weight loss, I struggle... I was back on track 2 years ago, was running everyday, tracking my food and then life kicked me and I lost my balance and its so easy to say, I will do it tomorrow. Well let me tell you that I said enough is enough 47 days ago and I have been tracking everything I eat and going to the gym 5 days a week... I do enjoy working out so no issues, but one thing for me is tracking, track everything you eat is a step in the right directions. if you need any help please contact me.... I know all to well and from what I can see on this board we all know what you are feeling... it will come, you have to be ready and you have to be happy... that is a really big thing... GOOD LUCK AND YOU CAN DO IT

    thank you ! i have tracked EVERYTHING I've eaten since Monday so i am moving in the right direction. I figured i would slowly add some physical activity the pool swimming laps anything just to get moving.