christabelle66 Member

Hypothyroidism is a *kitten*! It is possible that your are restricting your calories so much that you are giving yourself adrenal fatigue, which can make things worse. I have lost 17 pounds since May eating a lot of food, but my diet is primarily plant based. There are foods I limit, because they have a known impact on the…

The single biggest thing that reduced the frequency and intensity of my migraines was getting my previously undiagnosed sleep apnea treated. Reduced my migraines by 80 %. I did not find that cutting dairy out made a big difference for me in terms of migraine (but does provide me with other positive affects), but avoiding…

It is hard when you have a lot of weight to lose. It helps to break things down into smaller, more attainable goals. 5 minutes of walking is better than no minutes of walking. Celebrate every five pounds of weight loss rather than worrying about the 60. You are making a permanent lifestyle change, not going on a diet--…

The free version does work fine but the ads drove me crazy! Happy that I upgraded. Completely personal preference.

Congratulations! That is quite an achievement. Happy to encourage and be encouraged.

Dawn Jackson Blatner coined the expression "flexitarian" for people who mostly eat vegan but reserve some openness to have some turkey at Thanksgiving or an occasional hot dog at the ballpark. The assumption is that eating 90% or 95% vegan is still better for your health, the planet and the cause of compassion than eating…

Loads of vegetarians and vegans on MFP, including several groups. I have been 90 to 95% vegan for about 4 1/2 years. Feel free to add me as a friend. My food diary is open and my husband (omni) and I eat mostly home-cooked meals.

Welcome back! Sounds like you went through a very frightening and sobering wake up call. I allow myself one dessert/treat a week, usually on the weekend. Keeps me from feeling deprived but is infrequent enough that it does not contribute to sugar cravings.

I struggle with too-- I had most of my thyroid removed ten years ago and gained 60 pounds over three years. The slowed metabolism sucks. Thyroid levels changes are slow to change in Lab work but going every six months to get your thyroid levels tested is essential to your self-care as your needs can change over time. I…

I am a yo yo dieter as well and am determined that this is the time that I lose the weight and keep it off. This time I am trying to change my thinking about all this, not just what and how much I eat and how much I move. I have been very motivated this time by the books by Judith Beck (The Beck Diet Solution and The Diet…

49 and trying to get my health back under control before my 50th birthday

I have been 90 to 95% vegan for 4 1/2 years for a multitude of reasons (health, compassion, sustainability). I am proof that there are vegan foodies (of course, my husband does most of the day to day cooking so the burden is on him). I love to try new recipes and have lost 15 pounds in two months while still eating really…

I have been 90 to 95% vegan for the last 4 1/2 years. I also eat primarily home-cooked meals (some from recipes, some not). The first few weeks of creating my favorite recipes in MFP was a little time consuming but it has gotten easier, as we tend to eat a lot of the same things over and over again. I definitely do not…

I was just recently introduced to the Beck CBT Techniques a few months ago when Judith Beck and Debbie Beck Busis spoke at my local bookstore. I borrowed them from the library and found like I had found the missing piece. I have managed to lose significant amounts of weight in the past (and even maintained the loss once…

In the immediate, MONITOR YOUR EATING has been invaluable for me. I was eating relatively healthy food, but I was not consciously aware of just how much food I was eating. In the long run, I think it is invaluable for me to COUNTER THE UNFAIRNESS SYNDROME. Over the last ten years, I have been able to be very disciplined…

I am realistic with myself-- I love chocolate and if I don't include a little in my diet, I will go off the rails at some point and eat crazy amounts of it. I add a tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa nibs to my daily smoothie and allow myself one really delicious dessert a weekend. Keeps my sugar intake low but is still…

Seems to be a fair amount of fellow vegans and vegetarians floating around MFP-- you might want to check out the group Happy Herbivores http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/45-happy-herbivores and Vegetarians and Vegans http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/105865-vegetarians-vegans

Hi Kimberleigh-- sounds like you have a lot on your plate! I had most of my thyroid removed eleven years ago and it was a humbling experience. I have lost and then regained the same weight over and over again the last eleven years-- I will do well for a while and then either a big social stressor (death of a close…

One strategy that has worked for me is allowing myself to have one indulgence meal a weekend where I can eat anything I want with no judgement (although I find as I go on that I am more careful about the portion size than I used to be, dividing a take-out meal into at least two portions). I also allow myself one really…

I have been mostly vegan (about 90 to 95%) for the last 4 and a half years but have an omni husband, a 17 year old who lives on carbs and a 13 year old who would probably be vegan if she didn't adore pig and salmon. I have a couple of strategies that help keep me on target and minimize the chaos at mealtime. I try to…

There a couple vegan and vegetarian boards on MFP, including Happy Herbivores (http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/45-happy-herbivores) and Vegetarians and Vegans (http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/105865-vegetarians-vegans). I have been 90 to 95% vegan for the last four and a half years-- feel free to add…

I have lost 14 pounds and have 63 more to go. Some of this is the same 30 pounds I have gained and lost repeatedly the last ten years. It's a little daunting but I am trying to focus on five pounds at a time and on simple, sustainable changes. I found the books by Judith Beck (The Beck Diet Solution and the The Diet Trap…

I found that just logging everything I ate for two weeks without trying to lose weight was incredibly eye opening. Small realistic goals are so important when you have a lot of weight to lose. I gained a ton of weight after having my thyroid removed and ballooned up to 233 pounds. I am trying to concentrate on five pounds…

There is lots of good advice here-- remember, the haters and bullies are telling a truth about themselves when they bully you or criticize you, not about YOU. It is easy to get overwhelmed when you first start out-- I spent two weeks tracking my food regularly before I even tried to lose weight. It was completely eye…

I am one of those people who can stay relatively motivated and fairly disciplined for about seven months and then my sense of deprivation starts to kick in, I get resentful that I can't eat like "normal" people, and I start to slide. One indulgence, becomes a second indulgence, and so on and so on, until the "exception"…

I would like to think that I have self-control and motivation never to eat refined sugars and carbs again but at 49 and a veteran of the diet roller coaster, I know that it is unrealistic to think that I personally will NEVER again eat a chocolate chip cookie. I have managed to sugar cravings in the past with only having…

TeaBea-- the MFP Beck Diet Solution group is starting to me more active and we are starting to get interesting and supportive discussions started. Stop on by! http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/105973-the-beck-diet-solution-group

Are you coming to Philly or is the workshop going to you?

I do actually use spiral bound index cards. I have more than one set (Debbie Beck Bursis' suggestion), but I ALWAYS carry one set in my purse. As I use public transportation to commute to work, I use the time I have to spend waiting for trains reading my ARCs as well as my response cards. In the Beck workshop, Debbie…

There is a Beck support group here but currently there are only two members (including me!)-- I think primarily because it is so hard to search the groups. I have informally connected with several Beck devotees and you are welcome to add me as a friend and to try to find the group (Mindsiview started it and it is called…