I need advice

I know exactly how you feel. I've been there a million times. I just got back into my healthier eating plan and started off with planning over the weekend what meals I'm going to eat during the week. (I've done it before, just fell off the bad wagon for a while.) So when I go grocery shopping I have my list. I also make sure not to buy the not so healthy foods I know I will finish in one sitting, but if I have to have it I try to buy the little package instead of the big one. It takes some time and a little practice but it gets easier and it really does help me if I want to control what I eat. Then on the days I come home and want to eat everything in sight, I make a quick smoothie with a little protein powder and veggies. That helps curb my appetite and lets me relax for a while before I make dinner. The planning also helps me not eat out since I know what I am going to make/eat when I get home. Also, instead of pledging to better the next day, I tell myself I'll do better on the next thing I eat. It makes me feel like I haven't ruined the entire day.

nutmegoreo wrote: »

Something to consider is what is your calorie target right now? If it's too low, you are going to be hungry and more likely to binge. Consider slowing your loss for now, until you get used to it.

I like that idea! I've actually done that before many times and it helped.

dmead001 wrote: »

Hey All, I have been reading the forums and I feel motivated and I have the want and desire to change my lifestyle. I am 270 and I used to be 200. Every morning I say this is the day and I'm logging everything and feel like nothing can stop me... when I get home from work I'm exhausted and stressed and the wheels come off and I just want to eat everything and before I know it I lost control and pledge to try better the next day... can anyone talk some sense into me?!?

honestly, go to dietdoctor.com and have a read ... changed my life. I was a serial dieter for 20 years until I found that site - now 4 years, 36kg lighter and going strong. And I'm just as busy as you are.

dmead001, I can honestly say that I have been down that road many times. Especially since I have worked out and dieted many times before with no success. And now that I am single and all my friends are married I just want to give up. This time around I have a personal trainer and a dietician which are both fantastic ways to make sure all the work you do is productive. And what I learned from my dietician is that in order to make a long term change that will stick, you should do things a little at a time. That has been the most effective for me.

For example, in changing my diet, I wanted to stop the bad carbs I was eating. I started with changing from white bread to whole grain only, white rice to brown rice only, and flour pasta to whole grain pasta only. After getting comfortable with that for a few months, I cut out all bread and pasta (being in Hawaii rice is the biggest part of our diet and the hardest part to cut out). Finally, seven months later, I just stopped eating all starches all together. I still have carbs through the sugars I get in my fruits, etc, but I have been able to break the dependency I have had on starches most of my life.

With this method, lots of commitment, and the help and support of my trainer and dietician, I have been able to go from 250lbs to 195lbs in 10 months. If I can do it, I fully believe you can. I have tried many times to lose weight and have never been successful until now. If you need extra motivation or advice, just let me know! The hardest part is just getting started!

Hi all,

You've heard it before: I've been a long time yoyo dieter due to depression, anxiety, and other mental health complications. Along with that, I come from a low-income household where food was cheap, processed, and not nutritious. All these have significant impact on your weight and your ability to be active.

Despite dedicating my career to mental health advocacy and counseling, I never really gave myself the same support I give others. All day long I sign people up for counselors. Psychiatrists, and cheer them on as they take on life. Just like with my diet, I've yoyo'd with getting my own mental health support. I've tried many different anti depressants and anti anxiety medication without much luck. I would take it for a month and never return to my follow up because I hated the side effects. This was mostly due to seeing my general practice doctor, rather than a trained psychiatrist.

Since seeing a psychiatrist I've tried one medication (Wellbutrin). I wanted to cry tears of joy and couldn't believe I wasn't having any crazy side effects for the first time. I was able to get a month in without stopping and happily went to my follow up appointment to share my success. After reflecting upon that first month I couldn't believe the results. No more constant feeling of dread and exhaustion. Control over my thoughts and eating habits associated with them. Don't get me wrong, I'm not singing down the street and dancing on rainbows, but the difference in just the brain fog that comes with mental illness alone suddenly vanished.

This is the first time in my life that I've had control over my eating habits without feeling like I'm on a strict diet. It's like my brain has the ability to awknowledge pros and cons and signals that "hey, you deserve to not feel like *kitten* after that cup of ice cream, maybe just take a bite instead." Not my usual, "I'll just take one bite *one cup layer* what happened?!... oh well I'll try again tomorrow, might as well top this off with a baguette!" *REPEAT*

I can't express enough the difference just having clarity and peace of mind makes when you're trying to get healthy. When at my worst I could barely get out of bed, how was I supposed to even think of going to the gym? Even when I know that it literally would give me endorphins to make me feel better.

Depression is like an additional 100lbs added to your weight that isn't visible to the eye. It so often goes unawknowledged and the stigma in our society prevents so many worthy people of this feeling of liberation. I've lost 33lbs in the last couple of months just simply by having control and confidence over what I want to eat. I'm able to control my proportions without feeling like I'm not giving myself everything I need to be full. This is probably something that needs to be experienced for yourself before you can believe someone else. But wow, I feel so obligated to share my story and let people know who may be struggling with mental health conditions to seek help if you can. If you're nervous, talk to a *UNBIASED* friend, who loves and supports you. If you aren't sure about medication, maybe start with a counselor and see where that takes you.

All I can say is in a world that tells you that you need to tough up and "go for a walk" when you're feeling "sad", know that you are worthy of having a healthy, functioning brain, that is able to love and support you just like you do with all your friends and family. Depression and anxiety is a chemical imbalance that leaves you pretty helpless to even those chemicals out on your own. If you're struggling with this, maybe tackling your mental health is the first step to a new life. Both mentally and physically.

Ask questions, post thoughts, or add me to keep seeing where this journey takes me!