Yet Another Attempt at Weight Loss...

Well if your not ready for a full on life change how is it going to work? You need to learn how to lose weight, its really hard when you just try to wing it.
Its serious, if you want it to work, you have to be serious. Start a food journal, write down everything you eat and the calories. I had great success on weight watchers. Losing a lot of weight is never easy, but nothing worth doing ever is.

Check out transitionslifestyle.com
This was the best program I did. They teach you how to eat real food so you learn something you can continue for life. It's not a diet. They also have personal coaches. I can try to help you find one in your area if you would like.
:)

Words of wisdom?
Hmmm:
When you THINK you are hungry, stop, drink 6 oz of water, then wait 5 minutes. If in 5 minutes you still feel hungry, have a snack. If you forget or don't really feel hungry... then move on.

And realize that it took a lot of years to get to where you are now. Stay positive. At some point you will start expecting results faster than you are actually seeing them...but don't get caught up in that. You spent a lot of time slowly gaining...so it will take a lot of time to slowly lose in a healthy way. If you are weighing on a scale, don't do it more often than once per week. If you weigh more often, you will start expecting results faster and will end up setting yourself up for disappointment, which can trigger that giving up feeling. Be positive, and don't touch the scales more than once a week.

Losing weight is basic math. You must burn more calories than you eat for a long period of time. Once obtained you must burn as many calories as you eat to maintain weight.

I wish it was easier, i really do.

You need to commit yourself to a good diet(not dieting) and a wrokout that is difficult, and you have to do it often. Other than surgery, this is the only true way to become skinnier. Sweating, grunting, cursing the fatty foods and complaining. But none of that compares to the feeling you get with every jean size you go down. When you no longer unbutton the pants or wear spanx. The work is totally worth it, and working out becomes more fun the fitter you get.

What I did was started working out. I was never good at counting calories. I would do whatever and know how many calories I burned. Then when I was eating later and wanted to eat more I couldn't help but think this is say 250 calories and I burned an extra 350 this morning, is this whatever worth blowing two hours of work? It never felt like a diet. Sometimes I would eat the whatever but I considered it worth the working out needed to burn it.

I didn't read all of the responses but I think its great that you started exercising! Keep it up walking is great for you and you can make your morning walk your me time, listen to a book on your ipod or music and walk. the is how I lost my baby weight after my 3rd Little one! I do also think you should see if there is a nutrition class you can take? A Lot of people think they are eating healthy whe really they are not! Anything in the snack machine at work is usually not healthy for example - try brining things to snack on with you to work, or instead of visiting the fast food place go to grocery store.. Or subway. try changing one thing first and take baby steps- like cut out regular soda if you drink that- move to water or cut back to one soda a day only. Do you watch the biggest loser? I think it is very motivational and they have some great tips on there. But most of all keep at it, one day at a time. If you have a "bad" day all is NOT lost. Start brand new again the next day! =) good luck I know you can do it.

hello
you can do a full on diet even if you are broke.. oh sure, the Jenny Craig Diets and NutraSystem all cost, but you don't need those... it's all about portion control... you can go online and figure out how many calories you need each day given your activity level and what you want to weigh.. .once you figure that out, then you can have a goal in mind and a place to start..
I highly recommend getting a pedometer (one that counts calories and or miles) this way you can track how many steps you are taking each day... steps add up... also, begin to keep a log of your activity. I track the miles I walk each day and find it helps to keep me on track. Also, "nutritional" food may seem like more upfront, but actually it isn't.. take for example that vending machine... about a 1.25 on average for a treat.. well if you bought a few apples instead, those would cost you less and fill you up longer while at the same time adding nutritional value to your diet than perhaps those crackers which are often made of white flour which in turn raises your insulin level which then can cause you to retain belly fat...
just start out one day at a time.. however, my best word of advice, don't plan on a meal for meal basis... try and plan an entire day out.. this way, you know what you are having for breakfast all the way through to dinner.
additionally, plan your snacks as well and pack them for work.. take note of how much you save by NOT using the vending machine.. I stopped doing that a long time ago.. not just to lose weight but was tired of giving someone else my money for what amounted to junk food. also.. if you want crackers. try buying a big box and packing those for your snacks.. you'll def save money that way..

I wish you the best

Hi there!
It is so good that you are thinking of a change...change is the hard part but you can do it. Patty gave you a pretty good advice to start with. Like she said which works very well is eating 3 healthy meals (vegetables, fruits, grains, lean meat like breast chicken) and 2 healthy snacks in between (handful of unsalted peanuts, almonds, gelatin, fruit , carrots, a little piece of dark chocolate once in a while!)
You should eat your meals every 4 hours. Avoid processed JUICE! (processed meals as well) instead drink water, lots of water or NATURAL juices. After each meal drink hot water or hot tea with no sugar or sweetener, this will help you to burn fat.
You like sweet treats? sometimes you can replace those with mashed ripped bananas, they get sweeter when you mash them very well and are very tasty!, strawberries, other fruit smoothies with no sugar prepared in your kitchen. Do not trust on cereal bars!!!! Lots of corn syrup and sugar!!!!!! that will make you starve more sugar....instead prepare your own granola.
Change is hard and you have to start little by little, day by day. Don't keep in your pantry or refrigerator things you cannot eat or will disrupt your intention to lose weight: just do not buy them!
Exercise...is a BIG YES whatever, any kind of exercise will help you, water aerobics?, walking (but..fast!!!!!!!) try to find at least 30 minutes (ideal is 45 min) every single day at the SAME time so your body gets used to it and you feel comfortable. Do not find "excuses" to avoid exercise, stick to your goals and write them down where you can see them (refrigerator).
It looks like you have a lot of energy, and that is wonderful.
DON'T GIVE UP YOU CAN DO IT do not rush or force it! Just take one day at a time and start little by little. Change is your goal: brake the habit and start a new one, one at a time. Ex.: If you drink your coffee or tea with 2 teaspoon of sugar, just take it with one and with other things the same and so on.
I hope this helps, good luck to you and do not give up!!!!!!!!

I did not read all the responses but the biggest thing is simply getting active, go walking, play soccer with your kids, whatever you like to do. Even walk in place while wathcing tv, anything that will burn calories. Drink lots of water and remember it is all in moderation. You will not accomplish this in a few days, start with one thing and change it, adding something else every week or even every month. It takes something like 30 days to create a new habit, take it one day or even one hour at a time. You can do it!

Not the last part, but instead of giving up your whole morning, find a 10 minute energizing routine you can squeeze in, either right before you eat something or while your coffee is brewing (if you drink coffee). After I had my S. baby, one thing I did to get extra exercise in was find about 10 minutes' worth of morning yoga moves. They helped me stretch and limber up for my day without making me sweaty, but my muscles also were getting a bit of exercise in.

This might sound gross to some people, but I also bring whole grain cereal to work instead of crackers (you can separate 1/2 cup or 1 cup servings into baggies). Some of them are quite flavorful (or at least bearable) and cheaper and healthier in the long run than crackers.

I can't imagine affording "diet food" now, either, so I hear you there. Another thing that works for me best is documenting--where I am, what my "realistic" goals are and some more lofty ones, and then documenting my progress (I also take pictures--you can look at a changing number, but those side-by-side pictures of your body looking different, even only slightly, are VERY encouraging--I keep mine in the back of my "health notebook" and do NOT show them to anyone).

You have a little one to keep you motivated--maybe you can find a co-worker who also wants to make some other healthy changes and you can encourage each other. I do like that about my work environment--there are people with very different states of health, health goals, and lifestyles, and we are very supportive of people losing weight or trying to be healthier. :)

If you keep working out you will do it! The awesome thing about being active is that you will feel better and may even want to eat better. It will be slow, but you will lose the weight and be so happy when you do. Just keep it up. Get motivated in the mornings and keep working out! Get a playlist on your mp3/ ipod and walk a mile or so. The day you wake up really wanting a change is the day you will really start achieving your goal.

I wish you the best-my cousin has had great success with weight watchers. My mom uses the Atkin's diet when she needs to and my sister uses the healthier-South Beach. I did one over the summer called the Sacred Heart diet. Stick with the fruits and veggies-cut the carbs-take salads and chopped veggies and a hard boiled egg and a few strips of chicken or turkey-maybe a few slices of cheese and a couple of tomato wedges to work. Take a cooler if you have to-walk 500 extra steps a day-stand whenever you can. Drink lots of water. My biggest downfall is -dare I say it? Wine! When I quit drinking , I lost 10 in ten weeks without doing anything else. Good luck-this is a great thing you are doing!

It's likely to take more than minor adjustments. The thing is that while you are dieting you have to take in less calories and/or burn more calories than what you're body needs to maintain. For all the diets that are available, that's the simple truth. You can't do it just with exercise, you can't do it by just cutting out a few things. It's a commitment. If you actually cut down to 1500 calories a day, you'll find it's best, most satisfying for you, if you eat more protein, fiber, fruits, veggies and cut down on carbs, sweets, sodas and other empty calories that don't leave you feeling full and don't last so you feel hungry again too fast. It's not expensive to eat fruits and veggies - it's cheaper than processed food. It is time consuming to plan meals and to cut up fruits and veggies, but it's really not more expensive. Tell yourself you are going to try it for a set period - like 1 month or even 3 weeks - and see what happens. Once you lose a few pounds, it becomes motivation to keep going. Plus, you really do crave what you eat so if you can do it for a month, you'll find that you really want watermelon, you really want a chicken kabob, you really want a salad. If there is an emotional reason that you eat, try to address it. (If you have health insurance, you might find that you have coverage to work with your doctor on issues.) If you are getting comfort from food, you might look for ways to replace that comfort. I wish you the best of luck.

I have a healthy diet, but sounds like you really aren't quite ready to diet.. Maybe you are getting there, but don't really sound committed, just frustrated. I understand it's hard.

So, start learning. Get some books about nutrition and learn how to eat. Portions are the key once you have learned what a healthy balance is.

Goal: eat 5 times per day, but small portions. 3 meals and two snacks. include protein at every eating.

Goal: Exercise. Make it doable. Walk 30 minutes in the morning, at lunch or after dinner most days. 30 minutes! When I hear people say they don't have time.........I bet most of us (especially on mamapedia) spend that much time surfing the net every day. And, My sister swears that if she exercises twice a day it kicks her metabolism into gear. This, I don't know, but it worked for her.

Here's a book that might interest you: The Beck Diet Solution: Train Your Brain to Think Like a Thin Person by Judith S. Beck

I commend you for wanting to make the change. Small changes can go a long way in making a modest improvement in how I feel and making sure I don't gain MORE weight.

Getting rid of processed sugars - for me soda - and I can drop 3-5 punds in a couple weeks off of that alone. Simaltaneously cutting out caffeine (again the soda) and I FEEL so much better - energy levels are more even and I crave water when I am thirsty after a while, not sweets.

I recently started modifying my lifestyle in a more permanent way. I started counting calories - always avoided it and resented needing to write down my meals, etc. But it has helped so much. I use myfitnesspal.com. It is almost fun to do. I aim to do 1200 calories a day to lose weight, but I can eat more.to merely maintain... and not gain. I try not to restrict what I eat, and instead limit portions. So if I want ice cream, we go for ice cream, but I get a kids cup and love it and not feel bad.

Finally, a LITTLE exercise helps. With my goal to lose like 40-50 pounds, I ideally would like to work out at a high heart rate for 45-60 minutes every day. However, it is not always possible, nor am I always motivated to do it. So I promise myself, I will at least tgry to walk on the damn treadmill or climb some stairs for 30 minutes even at a low pace. First, it burns calories, even if a small amount. S., I usually "get into it" and keep exercising a bit more than I intended. Third, it makes me feel better, and I am less likely to give into bad cravings and despair.

I also set reasonable goals. Instead of focusing on needing to lose 50 pounds which sounds huge and might take a year, I focus on losing 15 pounds because I know this will get me down one dress size. I can estimate that will take 2-3 months at a lackluster pace and I focus on that - "in June I will have dropped a dress size!!" Rather than having an unreasonable goal, little milestones can feel pretty good.

So, I have lost about 10 punds recently, but I am doing really well. I have never had this whole life change before. In past, I restrict food and don't exercise, or I exercise and come home and eat a half a pizza. This time I am doing both, and I am not punishing myself by being too restrictive, and I just try to be active. I have considerabel confidence doing it this way and I am making good consistent progress. If I have a bad day, I say, that's okay and go right back to the plan the next day, rather than feeling like all is lost. I heard in one diet book, this is called a u-turn.

Good luck to you. My goal is to have lost 17 pounds by May 6.

My husbands doctor told him he was the healthiest fat guy he'd ever seen. He was pushing 400 pounds. He was not a couch potato and he didn't eat an exhorbatent amount of food. He simply could not drop any pounds. When he did the fad diets he lost fast and gained it back with a vengence. When he came home after hitting a scale at the local market he was panicked. We decided to get healthy instead of trying to lose weight. He dropped 110 pounds in a year. That was five years ago and he has kept it off.

Balanced nutrition will balance your weight. I started him on an absorbable multivitamin/mineral complex. He took it in the morning with a meal replacement shake and then ate the same way he always did lunch and dinner. He had no activity change either. He dropped 60 pounds in 6 months and then started to run again. (He had run track in college and loved it so that was the thing he chose to do.) He lost another 50 over the next 5 months. I can't express to you how important it is that the vitamin absorbs. Most don't and most cause more problems than not. Too many pharmaceutical companies trying to make a quick buck on the recent health craze....

If you'd like to talk, PM me and I can give you more info. My husband's best friend also lost 50 pounds, my sister in law lost 15 and a friend that was underweight gained 10. Your body knows what it is doing if it has the proper fuel...

God bless,

M.

Check out Sparkpeople.com Free online program that encourages healthy eating and moderate (10 minutes at a time) exercise. The program has free online food tracking and exercise programs. I would start with just honestly keeping track of everything you eat in a day- keep track for one week- and remember be Honest! you might be amazed at how many calories you are eating each day with out being aware. Once you have an idea of what you are eating- then you adjust from there.

Good luck and take it one day at a time

I gained 100lbs in a year when I was in a bad marriage. After I divorced I had to work on my mind first and get back to loving who I am again. Next I started working on my body. I packed all of my regular plates away and only used the small desert plates for all of my meals. I stopped frying and began baking foods with less oils and salts and more seasonings to make up for the lack of salts. I cut out 85% of my bread/pasta intake and started walking.
I lost 85lbs this last year and I do go up and down but never enough to go a size bigger in my jeans! As soon as I went from a size 28 to a 24 I got rid of all my 28's and so on. I am now a size 15/16 but almost in 14!!! I weighed 289lbs now I am 204lbs. I am 5'8" & 44yrs old and I feel sexy, beautiful and alive again!!
I wish you the very best and just remember it starts with your HEAD first! Unless you are in good frame of mind and ready to change you will never make it. Love who you are now and start realizing you are worth it and change will start to happen.

God bless,
Sully

Theres always lab band surgery. I haven't had it myself, but know of several who have and have had great success. I watched a segment on it on Dr Oz yesterday, and it was interesting. They said too they have lowered the BMI at which you can get the surgery too b/c it has been so successful and insurance will usually cover it. Something to think about if diet and exercise are not working for you.