Weight Loss HELP

K.,
The first thing you need to do is get rid of the stress.Then call your Dr. and have them refer you to a dietian.They will teach you about food and so much more.You almost have to look at food as a enemy in your situation but it isn't. Your body needs to know it will get food 6 times a day 3 meals and 3 snacks , small portions.Then your body will stop keeping the fat , exercise is very important also. Walking and biking really helped me once when I was over 250 pounds.I went back down to a size 5 and 110 pounds. I was in heaven.
Hope this helps

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I hope you find what works for you. The fact that you put on 53 pounds after bypass surgery is just scary. I would be alarmed also.

I know four people who have done WeightWatchers, Jenny Craig etc... They would take it off and put it all back on and end up weighing more. As a matter of fact, I weigh more after doing Weight Watchers. Am I scared about my health to -- you bet.

Have you looked into contacting a dietician at a local hospital? Have you looked into Physicians Weight Loss Program? They are supposed to offer a counseling program called the maintenance program AFTER you loose the weight. Chip Kulik of Majic 105.7 did this program and has kept it off for years. He now owns a franchise because he believes in the program.

If you sit at work and have an hour journey going to work and going home -- that's more time not exercising. I found out real quick if you work full time and have kids and get home at six, there is no time to go to a gym. I now get on my exercise bike.

Do you have a treadmill, videotapes or weights you could use at home so you don't have to run out to the gym? If you are a mother of small children leaving the kids behind can be difficult.I was told that running and jogging keeps it off. Good Luck

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K.,

Boy can I relate! I've been overweight my entire life, as I'm sure you have, or most of your life. I'm 23 and now have a 2 1/2 year old, and OMG is it hard to keep up with 180lbs excess weight on you right? I'm 5'10 and 334 lbs. I'm actually down from my starting weight last year at 360lbs. It's been a little over a year, and personally 26lbs is great but it's not nearly what I should have lost in over a years time. I did all the diets, just like you did. Then about 6 months ago I decided this is it, I'm tired of it I'm done, I'm having surgery!! Well, I was all ready to get it done. I've done 8 months of doctors visits on my weight, went to the seminars, tried all the diets I could find, logged everything from when I was 16 and dieting until now. Then 4 weeks ago it dawned on me, theres one thing I have no tried. A trainer. A personal trainer/dietician. I looked in my tiny little town (okay not tiny tiny but small enough) and found a gym I liked and close to my office. So I called and made an appointment. I got the cost of how much it would be for a years of training, which is VERY expensive. So I decided to look into how much I would pay for a surgery. Which with my insurance it was 20% of the cost was my out of pocket expense. I found out that the trainer was LESS then surgery by more then half! I got all my facts together and brought my husband in, we by no means can afford this is his obvious first answer. I'm not rich, but by the time I showed him the difference in cost of a surgery vs a trainer he was completey on my side and ready to go. THe great part is that you can pay the trainer by visits, or months. I started with her 2 1/2 weeks ago and girl let me tell you I feel GREAT! I've lost 11 lbs so far and I go in for my 3rd week weigh in tomorrow. I meet with the trainer 2 x's a week only. And the other 5 days I'm on my own. But knowing that she's there, watching me, and she even calls me if I haven't made it there by an hour before close is SUPER motivation!! I know its a major expense, but OMG it really does work! I never thought it would but it does. Take a look into it, even just finding out the facts and how much one time a week or twice a month would cost would be helpful! Please feel free to email me if you have any more questions. ANd yes my trainer is a dietician also, and watches my food journal weekly. It's awesome. It's a major bill, as much as a car payment actually (which I desperatly need a new one) but I'm not willing to let this feeling go. I made it work. Good Luck, and hang in there!

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I don't know any weight loss coaches. but the two best diets I know of are "Eatting For Life" and believe it or not the original Diabetic Diet.
On the Eatting for Life you take a day off and pig out on anything you want.
I prefer the Diabetic Diet. You can have all the raw cauliflower, broccoli, mushrooms, cucumbers, etc. that you want and there are no actual weight gain. For instance you can eat a whole jar of dill pickles if you want and they have no calorie affect. My doctor once told me if you are craving chocolate or something else sweet to eat a dill pickle because it would solve the craving. I thought he was crazy but it works!
The nice thing about either one of these diets is that you eat six times a day!!!
It isn't so much that you eat a lot, it is what you are eatting that is the real problem. Both of these diets will train you to eat the right things and give your body a chance to burn off the things the way it is meant to do because you aren't eatting the wrong foods! They both offer exchanges, etc..
If you want to know a little more about them I would be happy to communicate with you!
Taking your children out for a walk every night or a bike ride for about 1/2 an hour a day is great exercise and good family time. You might consider doing that too.

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Overeaters Anyonymous!!!try different meetings..even in other areas... I not only lost weight but kept it off for 17 years now. I continue to enjoy the PROMISES of the program. It works when I work it. The thing is not to do it alone. There is help there. They say to go to six meetings before deciding if it is for you. You can find on line meetings too.

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Hi K.,
It definately sounds like your ready for the next step.
Chrisy O'Connor
Registered Dietitian
Personal NEWtrition, LLC
###-###-####
www.NutritionSOS.com
Try checking out this websit. If Chrisy can't help she has staff she works with (nurses) that help. I've heard really good things...it's worth a phone call... Good luck!

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To get your mind off food try doing more activities throughout the day. Go for walks, ride a bike, take your little one to the park or the zoo, etc. Instead of snacking, drink lots of water, juice, smoothies or coffee. Stay away from sugar and processed foods..they keep you coming back for more like an addiction. Always eat slowly which helps you feel fuller faster (read a magazine or do a wordsearch while you eat to help - but NO tv).
You can also try to detox your body. This may help you lose weight easier since the body will cleanse itself of all the nasty stuff in the environment, chemicals in beauty products, etc. They sell a detox kit at the health food store. Check out a book on detoxing at the library to read up on it.
In order to lose the weight you must do cardio exercises. Walking is the easiest, plus it calms your mind. Try going for a brisk walk every night with your daughter before dinner. You'll feel so energized afterwards that you won't even think about food, you'll just want water! Invest in comfortable (and cute) workout clothes. You'll feel better about the way you look while your exercising.
Just keep in mind, it's not always about the way you look, it's about the way you feel. If you eat healthy and exercise every week, then you will feel great...and your mind will be clear of all the negative thoughts.

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Hi K.!
Though now I am a stay at home mom I am an exercise pyhisologist and do exactly what you are looking for. Right now I work with people in thier homes coaching them. Please feel free to contact me and I will help you anyway I can.
S. Akins ###-###-####

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Hi K.,

Well, I want to say how I admire your honesty and your willingness to really look at the issue/problem. That's so grand! Congrats on you honesty. While I am a life coach, I would say just one thing to you, because you get all the reasons why you are doing this. I would suggest that you concentrate less on your weight and more on your health. It's almost as if YOU must trick your mind into allowing your will to take over. I clearly see you are ready to move on but old patterns of belief are holding you. I get it. The mind works like this, if I said, K. don't think about the color of your car, whatever you do, DO NOT think of the color of your car then the only thing you can think of is the color of your car. So if you can begin, first with the little things about healthy choices then you can begin the process of changing your mind...A great book from Wayne Dyer (and again I am believing this has nothing to do with you loosing weight but rather your thinking) is; Change your mind, Change your life! I just feel you really REALLy know what you need, and I love that you are so willing to put it out there. One other great book by Michael J. Losier is Law of Attraction, if you practice what he suggest you will see major changes in your life in every area!!

Best to you! Obviously your family is lucky to have such a loving person in their life!!

Peace. S.

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Hi K.,
It sounds like you have tried everything and its not that they don't work it's just that when you want to eat something when your stressed you should be grabbing carrots with fat free ranch or a bowl of strawberries or what ever fruit or vegetable you like. Clean out your cupboards and remove all the items high in fat and sugar. Poeple usually only think of the fat content but sugar will pack on the pounds or keep you from getting anywhere. If your a pop drinker diet pop is a must. 100% juices instead of juice cocktails. Drink plenty of water. Of course when you want a cookie, have one. But just one. Have sugar free candies around, chew gum or chomp on ice. Watch your portions having three meals a day with 2 snacks so you don't get hungry. When your about to do something crazy food wise, walk away, grab that stroller and take that baby girl for a walk and you'll feel very proud of yourself that you are in controll. I have four girls and have kept my weight at a normal range for my height my doing exactly what I have described to you. But you have to really want it to make it work. Don't give up! If you have a bad meal start over the next meal immediately don't say I'll do better tomorrow because before you know it your right back into your old habits. I know you can do it and a little prayer when your about to binge works wonders too! Best of luck! M.

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Hi K.!
I totally understand your frustrations! I want to recommend a place I have recently joined. Body By Todd. They are located in North Columbus. http://www.bodybytodd.com/
Their approach to weight loss and toning your body to make you a fat burning machine is FABULOUS! The first few times I attend what they call Quick Visual Results (QVR) I as AMAZED! I have been a member at Curves and a regular gym before so I thought this would be about the same. Boy was I wrong. The totally take into account your body type... and I mean everything about your body - your shape and muscle build ... and even down to your personality and the way your body digests food. Melinda, Britney, Collene and everyone there are so great! To me they are like my personal trainer, my life coach, my "mom" ... they just help keep me on track.
When I would see all of their ads in news papers, I was very intimidated. But I just thought - what the heck, I have tried everything else. If you have questions for me please feel free to contact me via email @ ____@____.com

GOOD LUCK!!!
Marg

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I understand... although I have not experienced long-term extremes like you mentioned, I have experienced enough to know the frustration and the despair.

Unfortunately, I have no professional referrals. You will want to include seeing if you are suffering from depression. But I do have some coping suggestions until you find one. First, (stay with me here) attempt to follow the guidelines you had learned at Weight Watchers - that will be a large part of the battle and WW is the only program that is realistic for those who want to overeat.

Second, your mind is a powerful thing. The same excitement you create within your head for indulging in whatever food for whatever reason can be turned off just as quickly as you turned it on. The next time you are getting ready to overdo it, or have even started to, think about something disgusting that may have happened to that food. Vividly visualize something completely repulsive. This is going to get graphic so the squeamish should stop reading now.

For instance, let's say you made spaghetti for the family. And, everyone is eating and you decide you want seconds even after starting with a large portion. So, you go back and load up the remainder on your plate. Although you feel neither hungry or full at this point, you may feel a compulsion to eat more until you get that "nice" heavy feeling in your stomach and that you won't be "happy" unless you do it (believe me, this is my never-ending battle). This is when you need to imagine that a disgruntled worker at the spaghetti sauce factory purposefully tainted the sauce with his own personal pubic hairs and spit. In addition, he added some gum he scraped off the bottom of his dirty work boots which also had remnants of the dog poo he had stepped in the day before. You can vaguely smell the poo on your fork. Disgusted yet? Do you really want spaghetti right now?

So, follow all the lessons you've learned about portion control and food choices and then use your mind to overcome the rest. It will only work if you actually do it and want to be thinner.

Best of luck to you!

2 moms found this helpful

I commend you for not giving up and trying all resources to help yourself. It's a really hard thing but it will be worth all the effort you put forth.
I myself have struggled with weight as well, though, not as serious as your situation. I recently bought a Wii Fit, the nintendo game, and I love it. It has a way of motivated you to do more and to improve your posture, and to lose weight by working out. But the great thing is you are having so much fun you don't feel like you are working out. It's a little expensive ($350. for the Wii and the Fit together) but it's well worth it. I've struggled to lose that baby fat, and I'm starting to see some results in just 3 weeks. Plus I'm having fun.
Also have you found a buddy you can walk with. Walking is the greatest and easy on your joints. Good luck!!! don't give up!!!!

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Hi K.,

I hope you find someone good to help you out. I just wanted to say that it is definitely a mindset. You really need to change how you think about eating. You should eat to live, not live to eat... It isn't easy - but it sounds like you really want to do this and I believe you can.

1 mom found this helpful

Hi K.,
I have been struggling with my weight off and on. I used to be very active through out life, until I moved far from my family and friends. I moved for my fiance and his family. He was very badly homesick and missed home, plus his mother offered us a house of our own. (MISTAKE), I didn't realize that we would be putting everything in this house and yet, every day I find reasons why we should just tear it down and leave it be. I can't though, he grew up in the house and loves the yard, well we all love the yard. I don't get out hardly ever (Past issues between my fiance & I) had imprisoned me emotionally & mentally. So I am afraid to get a job. But I really want one, I want to be able to enjoy life again and enjoy my family and also be healthy. I don't struggle with food. I don't eat when I get stressed out, I just can't get motivated enough to want to enjoy time with anything or anyone. I do want to, just find it more of an excuse to just sit and stay. I used to weigh 130lbs. and be able to wear size 3 jeans. Now I am even scared to even face a doctor because of the scale and all. I've even volunteered with my sister in law about joining her gym, but I think she's in the same boat I am. Except she has friends and she does work. Her mom says she's just lazy. I'm not lazy, I do things all the time, but I get so stressed out or depressed about something, and I just want to sit and think about where I went wrong. We are financially strapped for a lot of things at this point and I am gonna look for work and force myself out because my kids need me more now than ever and need to know I'm not gonna be a lazy mother. Good Luck and I hope you can come across anything and something good & healthy. Oh, I don't know if you have ever heard of sparklepeople.com or something like that. Its a really cool web site for how to motivate, recipes, exercise plans, meal plans, weight goal..etc...I need to get back into it. As far as anything it is free. I'll try to find that site and post it on here if your interested. Good Luck!

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You have to want to do it and put your mind to it and think that it is not a diet but a change of life for the better for you. I know about stress. I have a daughter who has cancer (since 19 months old and she is 6 now), when I was told her cancer came back for the 3rd time my ex left me, he took everything and I had nothing. I had to move in with my mom and 2 aunts in their 2 bedroom house, she was going to have surgery and very agressive adult chemo and my baby was screaming all of the time. I gained and gained and finally said I need to be here for both girls and I know it was going to be hard and I needed everyone in the family to help me out. I started weight watchers with a knowledge that it was not a diet but a way of life that I would be doing. I knew I could eat whatever I wanted but in limitations and to learn to control my portions and what I wanted. It has been 2 years now and I have lost 90 lbs. Yes I have ups and downs but I have done that and I would like to lose 50 more. I have been on every single diet and pills out there and nothing worked because it was a diet and a quick fix. With weight watchers I have made changes not just for me but also for my entire family. I love food too and I have not given up anything I enjoy, I just have made changes.

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Hi K.,
If you are in the Cleveland area, my sister in law is a life coach...she is a wonderful woman. Her phone # is ###-###-#### her name is Jennifer and her office is in Solon. We both know how hard weight struggles can be, good luck!

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Hi I too have did everything plus weight loss surgery have not gained weight back yet but have not reached my goal either I weigh 163 and my goal is 150 I did wiegh 246 at my highest I would love to go even lower but Iam lazy and I know it if I would just go walking or take a excize class I would get there but no motovation I need to just do it.It is hard say a little prayer every morning please god help me be strong write down everything you put in your mouth try byt don't give up.God bless you

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What about just seeing a regular psychologist to start with and in the mean time make small changes in your lifestyle... more water, more fruit, smaller portions. I think many people just try to go all gung ho and make tons of changes and then can't keep up with that lifestyle. Perhaps you are eating out of stress, boredom, and using food for comfort. Just talking about your worries with someone can be a big help. I love my holistic psychologist

Good luck

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My sister has similar weight problems. She finally went to an herbologist for help. She found out that she is allergic to many things such as wheat, red meat, some fruits etc. Once she got away from those items she was able to lose nearly 200 pounds. She did eventually gain some back but she is still at a healthy weight. She does "cheat" now and then to keep from falling into bad eating habits.

I have also read that depression can cause us to overeat and make it impossible to lose weight. Being unhappy or bored or just "out of sorts" can also cause weight and other health issues. It may be that you need to search your inner self for something that may be causing a problem that you may not even be aware of yet.

mddhf

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K.,

If you are ready to commit to it, lose the guilt, and be very honest with yourself, try sparkpeople.com. It has been a life saver for me. I didn't think it work at first, but my cousin talked me into to checking it out. To date I have lost 20#s, she has lost 55#. There are wonderful people and support groups on there. Best of all it is all free! No, kiddin! Check it out, and email me if you have any questions. Here if you need a friend.

F. R.

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K.,
I feel your pain. I too have been on all of the diets and know what to do, but can't stay motivated and end up gaining the weight back plus a few more pounds. I eat all of my favorite things before I start a diet and feel deprived and angry while I'm on them. I too need a GOOD counselor and hope you get a response from someone out there who can sincerely help. Please keep me in the loop of what you learn.
Sincerely,
M. H

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Hi K. I am not a counsler but I am battleing the same problem as you. I am 67 and married for 49 years. When I preg for our second baby I had to have bed rest the last couple months. Ever since I have only gained and not been able to loose. I am now in a program with my Dr. and several any other people in our little town and so far I have lost 20lbs and hope I can continue but like you 'i like food'. I know this has not been help to you but sometimes it just helps to talk to someone in the same boat. Good luck

1 mom found this helpful

Hi K.
I'm sure you are well aware by now that it's actually not a "diet" it's a WAY OF LIFE! If I can help you change your life style and eating habits and you would not be hungry....would you be interested? Please give me a call or send me an emial and we can talk further. It sure doesn't hurt to talk.
Good Luck
S.

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First off I have to say that I don't believe in diets. You have to make a lifestyle change! I finally got tired enough of my little bit of extra weight, and despite exercising it wasn't coming off. I started to really watch what I ate -- sort of counted calories, but didn't deprive myself. I am a firm believer that if you deprive yourself you'll crash and burn! I did yoga three mornings a week (just a 30 min power core video), started running again (I'm a 5K runner), and the weight and inches started coming off! My mom is a dietitian, so I did have someone to fall back on if I needed some extra help. It also helped that I had a lot of nutrition knowledge. I would highly suggest finding a dietitian to help you get started -- how much should you be eating and what type of meals. I also encourage you to exercise - it will boost your energy and your metabolism. In all that you've said you tried, exercise was never one of them. Start small -- walk 20-30 minutes a day. That's all it takes! Gradually add more, including some small weight training. It also helps to have a support group. I started a blog and all of us would keep food diaries on it and encourage each other. That really helped with the motivation. Good luck, and I hope you find something and keep on that path!

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Let me start off by saying that what you are trying to do is attainable. Find something positive about yourself every day praise yourself for it. Comments from others are hard to disregard...i'm experiencing this myself. It hurts and does not help when people emphasize your flaws..especially from family...(They are insecure about something about themselves.)
Have you thought about going to a doctor to have your thyroid level checked? Your numbers should be in the range of .3 to 3.0 (so ask them what they are if you do this). this is just a thought because after I had my baby, I couldn't get the weight off so I went to the doctor and my thyroid stopped working. Your thyroid controls your metabolism and your body's ability to lose weight. This is so worth your time checking on this.
Before I got pregnant with my baby, i had started to put on weight. I thought I knew what to do and was trying it, but it would not come off...plus i was gaining. If you have any questions, feel free to message me. Hope this helps and God bless!

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Perhaps try seeing a personal therapist. Often eating is linked to emotional and mental stigmas we carry. Maybe you need to approach weightloss from the inside and the outside. Maybe addressing some of the emotional links to eating and food you can gain a better mental control over your surroundings and how you think about food. We create a mental image of ourselves, food and our lifestyles. Sometimes addressing those issues will help us put things into perspective and gain the momentum that we can uphold throughout our lives.

Just like being anorexic or bulemic, those illnesses are ones that use food to control our surroundings when we feel we cannot control anything else. Just something to think about.

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K. I am sorry I do not know of any weight counselors or what insurance will cover but I can shed some advice. Feeling tired and overweigt sucks. I was so thin my whole life until kids and now have struggled but I did loose 37lbs. The bottom line is over eating. Tell yourself that everytime you want to eat here and there that you already know what it TASTES like so move on. Don't let it take over you. Stick to diet drinks and no to little fast food. And don't buy the junk food if its there you will eat it. Don't you want to look good for your own sake? YOU can do it. Start now again you can do it! god bless and good luck.

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As I am reading everything you have tried, I don't see anything in there about exercise. No matter what anyone tells you, NO diet is going to work, especially permanantly, if you do not add exercise to it. Please do not take the word exercise so literally. There are so many different physical activities you can do to speed you metabolism without EXERCISING. From what I see in your request, it looks like you could use the comraderie from a group exercise class. I taught aerobics for several years, and one of the gym's was a Ladies Only. I believe they have changed their name now, but don't be intimidated by the gym. What I loved about my classes there, was that there were women of ALL different shapes and sizes. I had a woman in my class who easily weighed over 300lbs, but could run circles around you 115lb teeny bopper! It was all about having fun and enjoying yourself. The weight loss won't seem like such a chore if you have a good time at it. You won't obsess so much about food when you are having a good time exercising.

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Hi K.,

Read the book Ultra Metabolism by Dr. Mark Hyman. He talks about how stress can make you gain weight (other stuff too besides that), so definitely try to get rid of some of that. Well worth your time.

You may find help through prayer and/or meditation, if you do those sorts of things. They're stress-reducers too.

It is HARD!! Maybe a walking buddy, to get exercise? A diet buddy? Support from the overeaters anonymous group, or an on-line support group?

Have you talked with your doctor? Some of them are still stuck in the "cut calories, increase exercise" mode which definitely doesn't work for everybody; but might be worth a question. Checked for food allergies? Somewhere I read that once some people get their food allergies under control, they can finally lose weight.

Good luck to you!

K. Z.

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K., I'm a certified personal trainer, nutrition consultant and posture alignment specialist who has a minor in counseling. I've have worked with quite a few over the years with these same types of issues. I even had one client who was turned over to me by a professional counselor. He felt he had done everything he could. We then worked on re-training the way she was thinking and making her PRODUCTIVE instead of destructive.

At the onset, she had over 100 pounds to lose. When it was all said & done, she was able to have candy on her desk at work without eating it, STOP the emotional eating, throw away uneatened sweets, exercise on a regular basis and get things done at home that she'd been wanting and needing to do for years. A MUCH happier lady!!!

I am in the Fishers area. Not sure where you are or what the status of your situation is. Let me know.

D.

Dear K.,
I see a pyschologist for many reasons and she is quite good. She's even a member of the American Bariatric Society. Her name is Laurie Little and she owns her practice with her husband, Kirk who is also wonderful and a couple of other therapists. They are located in Florence Ky. I'm not sure where your located. They also have a website...littlepysch.com, I believe. Their phone number is ###-###-####.

I would also like to recommend vitalityforlife.com by melaleuca.com. They offer nutritional shakes,bars and supplements. I would check it out if I were you.
Good Luck.

Many Blessings,
M. V.
Independent Marketing Executive
Melaleuca-The Wellness Company

First, I dont sell anything.

Second, I am a recovering anorexic - so I have done the opposite, eat nothing due to emotional reasons. went the other way, ate everything in sight.. sigh.

What worked for my friends: Food Addicts Anonymous - similar to AA, seriously.

What works for me: I took all sweets and junk type food out of the house, so i would have to drive to get it if I want it. Extra work and I'm too lazy. AND I used book "eat right for your blood type" Slow but sure little changes and i'm doing great for several years now. I'm not doing anythign special - no limiting of calories (although I'm sure eating the entire day could be bad), no ridiculous 4 week plans - it's a lifestyle of learning which foods function like medication, food and poison and then adjusting WHAT you eat. No calorie counting, nothing. :)

I sure hope this is helpful!

My husband and I are distributors for a company that sells weight management products that have been proven to work. We can send you out a free sample pack. Just go to
a-khealthsamples.com and put your info in and we can get it out to you so you can try and see if it will work for you. Good luck and God Bless.

I have had the same issuses .I would suggest seeing a endo After many years of having a weight problem I finly seen a Endo he put me on a med that takes away all my food cravings I still have to work at it but it is so much easer