For Those Who Have Successfully Lost Weight.

I lost all of my baby weight and then some. From the day my twins were born I was 104 pounds lighter a year and a half later. What worked for me was exercising and eating well (I followed Weight Watchers after the first year), but I did not deprive myself. All foods are okay in moderation. So, on Monday have a small portion of a treat. Same thing for Tuesday. A diet shouldn't be all or nothing. That's when we crash and binge on unhealthy foods.

Diets don't work. They are designed to fail. I know i have been there done that. www.SoYouWantToCleanse.com is the only thing that worked for me. I released 42 pounds 5 years ago and have kept it off. My body is functioning at it's optimal level. Want it?

It comes down to just not being able to stand being over weight. After each of my 3 kids (gained between 30-50 pounds for each) I just felt horrible until all the weight was gone. And that kept me motivated. I couldn't look in the mirror. I was so miserable it was everything in me to keep a good attitude and not gripe about it in front of the hubs and kids, but I HATED IT EVERY DAY. I never slacked once I was done nursing and could burn calories without collapsing from hunger and fatigue-it was full speed ahead. I refused to give up the old clothes until they fit again.

It also helped that without insurance, we were pretty broke after all the births, so I had only a limited amount of cheap ugly maternity clothes to wear until I could get into my real clothes again! Some of my friends who could shop went out and got all new sizes of cute stuff and never lost the weight. :)

Deadlines are also good. Like, I have a wedding to go to at the end of April, so I'm being way good to have a new dress to be slim in. I'm always making deadlines for myself and meeting them for the heck of it, otherwise there's no urgency.

I'm lucky because I don't have a sweet tooth, but believe me, I have a slow Irish metabolism, I'm 40, and I ALWAYS had to work hard to maintain a normal weight. So it helps it was no different to be diligent working it off when I needed to lose, I just had to increase what I was already used to doing. I got a trainer (just at my normal gym for a few sessions) and increased my gym routine and added new stuff each time. Now the weight's all gone, but I'm always at battle with that first ten pounds that tries to come back. But that's true for pretty much anyone.

It's all the same stuff: healthy food, regular exercise. It's the only way, and it ALWAYS works. You HAVE to look at it like "You're so lucky you are able to control your weight, and thank goodness healthy food is available, it's much harder for some people who can't exercise, thank goodness we can track calories and are educated... " blah blah. It's a constant mind trip.

Also, it REALLY helps if you don't let yourself get hungry. I eat a GOOD breakfast, A snack, a GOOD lunch and VERY IMPORTANT: a healthy significant snack around 3-4 pm so I don't starve until dinner (fasting for 6 hours between lunch and dinner causes your metabolism to slow down and makes you eat too much for dinner). Light dinner. Nothing after dinner. The afternoon snack helps you not fall off the wagon for dinner and night. Go to bed early, don't stay awake late getting hungry and snacking.

Don't totally deprive yourself or you can't maintain he grind. I have a bag of yummy salty oily chips once per week, and a little dark chocolate (a couple squares) every day. You can occasionally have a nice big restaurant meal. But MOST of the time, you have to be good. We're all in the same boat. I snack whenever I want, but it's something healthy with a bit of protein, carbs, and fresh fruit or veggie so it helps me feel good until the next time I eat.

I do find that I'm psyched and able to conquer whenever I'm fed, but the minute I get hungry, I start to feel defeated and eat more calories than I should, and slack on my choices. Don't get too hungry-it WILL make you overeat.

It's tricky too, because exercising makes you more hungry. Eat small, healthy things every couple of hours. Drink lots of water. When you're hungry, eat a healthy snack. It boosts your metabolism and prevents binges. Get lots of sleep. That also helps the metabolism and makes you feel better which prevents cravings. When you're super hungry, drink water before eating, sometimes that alone makes you feel better and you can skip the food.

Just the past couple of weeks I've really been good about doing my DVDs and going to the gym and eating well and it ALWAYS works. I chased away the puffy belly and double chin that was back just two weeks ago.

Don't give up! Fight! You can get into those 10s (I just did with no muffin top!) and you will feel awesome! You can feel a little better every day, and see a couple of pounds disappear every week if you just do it. You can do it! OH, and I ALWAYS remind myself the most important thing is being healthy for my kids. that motivates me too. My kids remind me to go to the gym and do my yoga.

I don't know what you've tried specifically, but what worked for me (with the added calorie-burn bonus of breastfeeding) was:

Take "before" pictures--nothing horrendous, but I took some of me in boyshorts and a sports bra from the front and sides (never shared them with anyone) and pasted them in the back of my mini notebook. I also put dated measurements in there for myself and took new pictures every 5 to 10 pounds and new measurements, or every few months. THOSE were a huge motivator for me!

I used a cute small notebook that I can fit in my purse for record-keeping. I am not detailed and do not count calories, but note my weight in the morning and write down "how" I ate and what I did for exercise the day before. So a record might be: "Weight: [insert here]. Worked out with DVD for 30 minutes after work. Ate pretty well, 5 fruits/veggies, had a piece of cake after dinner. Feel pretty good but tired."

I have to plan my day's worth of food in advance and include a small treat.

Make working out a priority. Once you develop a routine with at least 20 to 30 minutes of exercise and reasonable diet, you feel so good it is easier to stick with.

Get a pedometer if it helps you and translate activities to steps. When I went back to work after my second child I participated in the Eat Well Live Well program where you record your steps and aim for 5 fruits and veggies a day.

I just lost 10 pounds to go from a size 10 to a 6-8. I too have good intentions usually, then don't follow through. Here are some things that finally helped:

First, I eat a good breakfast. I saw thing on TV that said that women who eat a breakfast high in lean protein lose more weight and even eat more calories throughout the day. i typically eat an avocado, cottage cheese, and two scrambled eggs. it helps me stay full to lunch.

also, you hear this all the time, but it really worked for me. i wrote down what i was eating...everything! i was accountable to myself. i would think about eating something, but then thought, "i don't want to write it down." i found that i eat way more than i realize...a bite here, a slice of cheese there. When i am getting things for my daughter, i would have a little. so, i made sure to just stop doing that. don't eat things off your children's plates. i realized i was eating things that i didn't even think about.

try to get as much junk out of the house as possible. have snacks available that are healthy, or reasonalby healthy. don't eat out of the box or bag. use kid sized bowls. eat smaller portions. allow yourself these snacks so you don't give into cravings. i have been eating lots of fruits and veggies too.

for dessert, i have been eating a small bowl of fruity pebbles. sugary enough, but not too high in calories and no fat.

don't think of it as dieting, think of it as a new healthy eating plan. it's easier to keep. allow yourself to eat "bad" once in a while for special occasions, but go right back to healthy eating after that.

drink only water...and exercise is key. try to up your exercise, you won't lose weight without it.

Every time you eat, make half your plate fruits or vegetables. That's it. So if you were going to grab 2 cookies, grab a cookie and a clementine. If you have some pizza, take one piece and a big salad. If you want more pizza, you also have to have room for more salad. If you have a bagel for breakfast, you need to have a fruit salad too.

Seriously, it works. And you'll feel healthier to boot.

Exercise, exercise, exercise...

What is your modivation ? A spa treatment ? A shopping spree ? A weekend get a way ? A Target Gift Card? I movie dinner night ?

I would set a goal that monday to monday if you accomplish a plan or if you loose some kind of weight, you treat yourself to something fun. Then spread it out to two weeks, three weeks ect.... so it does not get too costly.

It is really important that when anyone is going on a journey of any kind to have an accountable person. I think you should find someone to go along side you and do it together.

Love W W

i recently lost about 25 lbs, i feel a million times better, back in size 10 after years and years! i am not the most motivated person either. what i did was think about my real downfalls and think about what worked for me in the past. my weakest points are bread, nighttime snacking, and the drive through. so, i pretty much stopped eating bread. my biggest change was breakfast. i used to eat bread for breakfast. now i eat an egg white omlette with whatever veggies are in my fridge and a slice of fat free cheese. i make the omelette with olive oil in the pan. 2 big mugs of coffee. then i go to the bathroom and lose 3 pounds, haha. if you put some chicken or turkey in there too, the fullness lasts even longer.. secondly, i started keeping fiber one bars as well as special k bars for the kids in my car. no more drive through. then i bought an air popper, and i still snack at night but i mostly have air popped popcorn with just some salt or chili powder and some decaf green tea. i still havent gotten any kind of regular exercise routine in, thats my biggest step, but just those changes made a big difference. and i dont keep chocolate in the house, i cannot resist. if you want a good jump start, here is what you can do..... just eat 1 serving of fruit or veg a day, otherwise eat about 6 oz of plain grilled/baked chicken every 3 hours. it stinks, but it works. not healthy long term of course, but if you do this for a few days you will see/feel a difference and its very motivating. best of luck, you can do it!

Stop dieting, start cutting portion size gradually and find little treats that satisfy your sweet tooth without being HIGH CALORIE or HIGH FAT. I too have a HORRIBLE sweet tooth and I traded in my Starbucks Hot Chocolate for hot cocoa made at home from Swiss Miss Fat Free Marshmallow Lovers with 1/2 C Skim Milk and 1.5 C Water heated. It tastes pretty darn good. I also eat things like vanilla fat free pudding with 4 nilla wafers and bananas in it -- like a little creamy banana treat. Or try alternative non-high-glycemic sweetners like agave syrup and stevia and do your own baking but then slice the treats into NORMAL serving portions and divvy them out over the week. Keep a food diary (I use www.calorie-count.com). It does an analysis and tells you what vitamins/minerals you are deficient in and if you are continually going over in cholesterol, sodium, etc. which are high risk factors for disease. It is a challenge to me to get an A or A- on most days :) Most of all- you need to get moving and exercise if you aren't. These things go hand in hand. I get up and do exercise classes in the morning before my kids are out of bed at my local YMCA (530am classes) and the PEOPLE there keep me coming back! I have gained and lost the weight from 2 pregnancies that were 17 mos apart and am currently pregnant with #3 and will probably end up around only 30 lbs gained. I need to WORK at keeping my figure and I enjoy it....last summer I challenged myself to complete 2 triathlons so the training motivated me and got me in great shape to get prego with #3 (which will be 3 babies in less than 4 years).

It is awesome to slip into clothes that haven't fit in a while and that tastes better to me than any piece of cake! I am a candy/junk food junkie (really, I used to eat swedish fish by the 5 lb box in 1 sitting in college, oatmeal pies by the box, milk shakes, cheese steaks, etc.) Yech. I cut portion size, got moving, found healthier alternatives I can make myself, and started pre-measuring any "treats" into baggies and small containers (or even pre-cutting banana breads I make, etc) and eating just that portion in one day. Try it -- please :)

have you tried hypnosis? I just got a book by an english guy paul Mckenna I'm sure there are others but my book has a cd that i can listen to at bedtime, Worth a shot right, you might want to check the library.

I would like to lose 20 lbs. I'm going to cut back on the soda pop that i have been treating myself to, and try to stick with water, I'll see how far that gets me. If you want someone to be accountable to, you are more than welcome to pm me.

Try visualization. One trick I used many years ago: As I cut and washed chicken for dinner I would look at the fat under the skin (on the thighs) it's ugly, slimy and just plain yukky. Then I would picture that fat on top of my skin all over my body in blobs. Then take that mental picture and associate it with foods I should avoid. After a week or two I started to not want the high calorie junk food and moved toward better choices. This takes time and displine but works very well. I was able to lose 35 lbs in about a year, 160-125, plateaued for a few months and got all the way down to 115 and a size 3.
Now I'm post-menapause and need to lose again and I am using that same visualization and again it's working.
Also stop buying junk food for a while. Think about how healthy you are becoming as well as how nice you will look again. Tell yourself you are lucky to enjoy salad and fruit instead of letting yourself feel deprived.

The Alternate Day Diet. You only have to have willpower to get through one day. The next day you can satisfy your sweet tooth if you want to. Then you get through one more day, then the next day you can give in to your sweet tooth.

It is the most "do-able" diet I have ever done. I lost 25 lbs on it in about 6 months.

Hi there, HB. First of all, do give yourself the praise and credit for even "wanting to" get motivated, to work at making a change and the motivation to hit your goals. That alone is 90% of it! You just need some tool, based on what your body wants. Some goals are harder to hit than others, as you have found. What are you doing to achieve your goal to lose 30 pounds? Dieting? Working out? Denying yourself dessert?
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I think the first problem is that you're calling it a "diet" - diets rarely result in long term weight loss, because we usually feel deprived in some way and therefore they are harder to stick with, and as soon as we reach our goal, we tend to revert back to the same bad eating habits. I would highly recommend Weight Watchers - they teach you how to make better food choices and incorporate your favorite foods into a sensible eating plan, for the long-term. I've been on it for about 10 months now - it's been slow going, but have lost 23 pounds so far (wanted to lose 30 total). The meetings have provided me with a really great support system, and I find that weighing in every week and being accountable for my actions has helped keep me on track. Maybe having a friend or two to do it with would be helpful for you. Also, try to set short-term goals for yourself - and don't beat yourself up if you backslide - just try not to let it snowball out of control. Now that Spring is in the air, maybe you can try to get out and walk a little every day, or several times a week as well. I wish you the best of luck - I know it's not easy, but once you lose the first few pounds, it's alot easier to stay motivated because you'll just feel better! Good luck.

You sound just like me...I just wanted to lose 30-40 pounds. I lost 10 pounds last month and now am starting month two. I am so excited. I started doing Arbonne's 30 day feeling fit kit. I had enjoyed their protein shakes before, but putting it into their 30 day program works. You can check it out at www.marywozniak.myarbonne.com.

I am right with you. It is all going right to my middle.
I asked a very active friend of mine what is the true secret to losing the middle fat. She said it is cardio, cardio and more cardio. Most people do just enough to tone but for you to see the best results of your toning you should lose the weight first.

My husband says basic running around the house after kids and such isn't enough because you need to maintain the high heart rate for 45 mins bare minimum.

I have tried when I feel the craving just going out for a walk to get my mind off of it all (it works) or I try to drink a big glass of milk instead. This has been a hard winter and it shows. I am so excited for warmer weather.

Let us know how you do!

Diets don't work. Deprivation only makes you focus on those cravings more. Also, most people that go on diets rarely stick to them. Then there's the sense of failure. If you can stick to a diet, then most people gain the weight back when they stop dieting.
The best thing to do is to modify your eating habits. You can join Weight Watchers if you have the money. If not, there are several free online sights you can use to track your calories.
You HAVE to exercise. You'll notice a huge change in your body if you work out. I've been working out fairly regularly at home for the last few months. I'm not losing weight, but I am losing inches. I'm not ashamed to put on a bathing suit now :)

I started with Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred, then I did Biggest Loser Ultimate Workout for Kinect and I just go Shred It With Weights from Netflix. The Shred is ridiculous. I saw results after the first week. It's HARD, but it's only 20 minutes a day. I notice that since I've been working out, I'm much more cautious with what I eat.

It sounds like you are a lot like me. I tried to diet for a long time but my sweet tooth always gets the best of me. I suggest keeping blow pops in the house or even in your purse. I was able to lose about twenty pounds by just dieting but I can't stick with a strict diet for more than a week or two. I just started going to the gym about a month ago. I feel so much better about myself and I really do have a lot more energy. If you are hesitant to go to the gym, try to go with a friend or family member until you are comfortable. If you are exercising, you will be less preoccupied with food and the exercise will allow you to have the extra snack and still lose weight.

Wow! I have not read Bill Phillips but that is sooo true! The first 3 months are always hell and then my body just adjusts somehow and the cravings are less persistent and easier to ignore. I attribute it to my body running well - proper fuel and all that. Definitely have a plan of what you are going to eat and when including a healthy mid afternoon snack. That way when you are feeling hungry you can say to yourself I'm just going to wait an (x time) and have (x snack). Now, if I could just figure out how to keep myself from falling off the wagon when I am overly busy and/or stressed out I'd have it made!

I lost 40 lbs of baby fat (haha baby fat) thats what I like to call it anyways on weight watchers. Weight Watchers taught me how to eat, because I really had no clue how or what to eat to lose weight. Im not trying to be rude or judgemental, but if your not doing it, you dont want it bad enough. I was so determined to get back to myself. I was only 26 and wasnt going to settle for being fat forever. There were no amount of oreos or ding dongs that could stop me, I wanted it! I am a chocolate FREAK, when you find out what a piece of chocolate cake consists of, its SOoooo not worth it anymore. I couldnt tell you how many times I had birthday cake shoved in my face and could simply say "No thanks" Good luck! You can do it!

This is really simple, and not the whole solution, but here's something that helps me. When I crave sweet, I eat fruit. I haven't done Weight Watchers (yet) but I respect it, and I've been told that fruit has no points.
When I pack my lunch for work, I pack the following:
1 sandwhich
1 yogurt (low fat)
1 apple, cut up
1 C baby carrots
and some or all of the following:
1 fat free pudding
1 C dried fruit
1 granola bar

I am a size 6 after two pregnancies, up from a size 2. I don't love the extra wieght I'm carrying, but when I eat the food I mentioned above and resist the junk my co-workers bring in to "share", I feel like I'm doing the right thing.
Also, I eat at my desk so that I can exercize during my lunch break--my office is connected to my gym so I just head over.
Good luck. Glad to hear you are focused on feeling good, more than losing pounds.