help

I have gained 26 lbs in a year and a half but it feels like more. The smallest I have been is a size 14/16 about a year ago. Before that I maintained a 16-18 for a long time. Now I am a 18/20.
I just realized in another post that I have been trying to be a size 12 for 13 years.
I am so surprised, and wonder what makes me think I can actually do this now if I have been so unsuccessful all this time.
I think its harder now, because I have had such a difficult year. I am depressed but not all the time but often.
I feel unhealthy.
and so uncomfortable.
I know I am near ready to get 'serious' again.
again.
I know this has to be a lifestyle change. forever.
I know what is healthy to eat and not eat.

I know that I enjoy eating. I would rather eat over any other activity.
I have trouble saving left overs. Even in a restaurant. I take it to go when full but eat it in the car or as soon as I get home or definitely before bed. Its rare I can save it for the next day and it never last longer than that.
I hate to throw away food or waste food.
I sneak food when no one is around.

Exercise is a whole other problem. My work schedule and my commute really gets in the way of time. but I know that thats not a good enough excuse.

I really would like to control my eating. How do I start? How do I stick with it?

I tried writing it down. so many notebooks started.

If I 'mess up' / cheat once, I ruin the rest of the day. I know I shouldn't but I always do.

I have tried weight watcher points before. I can do it for a while, and lost weight by going 'over the points' by 10 daily. I used to walk more. and do weights more. = to get to a size 14.

Message edited 12/2/2009 7:18:22 PM.

Re: help

honestly I think you might benefit from a therapist and maybe a nutritionist. Every one can lose weight but unless you tackle the issues that are making you eat then the weight wont stay off. If its just a matter of eating more healthy things then I say just a nutritionist but many times if there is overeating then there are other problems driving the overeating.

Re: help

first off,

it's hard, but great you realize you want to change

what i will say sounds absolutely insane, but i swear by it, and so do many others...


you can eat as MUCH as your want, as often as you want, and nonstop if you choose....you will never feel hungry, deprived, or that you are on a "diet"...and, you do not have to excersise if you don't want to (unless you want to tone, etc)

anyway, it is the raw diet and is proven for weight loss

woman goes raw and looses half of herself - cnn news

i did it myself for one month and lost over 20 lbs. it works because all of the foods you are eating that even have sugars/fats/starches in them...they are the good kind, and break down in your body the way it is supposed too...like a strawberry has sugar, but it is a different sugar than a snickers bar.

and you can make some yummy raw desserts that taste so yummmy!!

i did it for 30 days because i believe that anything worth trying is worth it for 30 days, it won't kill me.

i'm looking to go back soon to it, once i get back in that mental state.

maybe worth a shot for you to try for a week, see how you feel?

i lost so much weight so quickly but it wasn't unhealthy - i was hydrated and eating amazing, and never felt hungry.

good luck & stay positive!

Re: help

From reading your post and my limited exposure to this when I was a personal trainer I think you may have a compulsive eating disorder. Two of the things you said make me think this, where you say you take home leftovers but you eat it in the car or when you get home, you can’t leave it. You know it’s there and it’s almost ‘calling to you’, right? You can’t stop thinking about it until you eat it? Also that you say you sneak food. You should never have to feel like you’re sneaking it, who are you trying to hide it from, yourself? Food is not bad, it’s not dirty, you need it to survive, you’re allowed to eat. Can you go to counseling to find out WHY you do this? Death of a family member? Bad relationship with someone close to you? Do you feel out of control and you’re punishing yourself by doing this to show you really are out of control? If you can’t go to counseling then try to read some internet articles or books on compulsive eating.

I know it’s a slightly unpopular opinion, but honestly exercise is not the answer. Sure, it can take you to the next level, or help you lose an extra 10 pounds, but it’s the 23 hours you’re NOT exercising that are more important. For you, based on what you’ve said, just learning to control your eating by getting to the root of why you’re doing it will be what works for you.

Don’t look at it as ‘once I make this commitment I can never eat again’. I have been working out and eating ‘healthy’ for approx. 18 years. I still have things I love, I still indulge, but it’s not all day every day. I still have days where I eat way too much. I still have days that I eat all the wrong things. If you make it seem like once you make this commitment you can only eat salad and tofu for the rest of your life it won’t work. Say to yourself, ‘you know what, I don’t really want this brownie today, I can have it tomorrow if I want it.’ Each little time you do that it will add up. I think part of it for you may be that you enjoy food and say to yourself “OK, tomorrow I am going to start this diet so I need to eat all the things I love today because after tomorrow I can never have that again” but as I said it doesn’t have to be that way. You don’t have to start tomorrow or next week or after Christmas. Just start right this second, and make small changes. Don’t deny yourself the things you love. You CAN still lose weight and have things you enjoy. Don’t tell yourself “I can never have this again” because you can, but maybe tell yourself, you know what, I’ll have it tomorrow. Tomorrow may come & you may decide you don’t want it then either.

I know I don’t know you and I am just going by the very short post from you, but I don’t know that anything will work for you until you get the root of the compulsive feeling you have, though. Good luck, and feel free to FM me. I know often people see someone thin and think it’s not a ‘struggle’ but I am thin because I make the choice to eat healthy & in moderation. Trust me, I would LOVE to be eating junk and eating ‘more’ but I choose healthy. I struggle, too. I work at it every day, too.

You CAN do this. You can choose to get to the root of your eating and change. It won't happen overnight and there will be slip ups and you may get discouraged at times. We all want a quick fix, we all want it to happen immediately, but it takes time and a lot of effort every day, but you CAN do it. You need support and there are so many women here that will give it to you

Re: help

Re: help

Posted by rileysmama

first off,

it's hard, but great you realize you want to change

what i will say sounds absolutely insane, but i swear by it, and so do many others...


you can eat as MUCH as your want, as often as you want, and nonstop if you choose....you will never feel hungry, deprived, or that you are on a "diet"...and, you do not have to excersise if you don't want to (unless you want to tone, etc)

anyway, it is the raw diet and is proven for weight loss

woman goes raw and looses half of herself - cnn news

i did it myself for one month and lost over 20 lbs. it works because all of the foods you are eating that even have sugars/fats/starches in them...they are the good kind, and break down in your body the way it is supposed too...like a strawberry has sugar, but it is a different sugar than a snickers bar.

and you can make some yummy raw desserts that taste so yummmy!!

i did it for 30 days because i believe that anything worth trying is worth it for 30 days, it won't kill me.

i'm looking to go back soon to it, once i get back in that mental state.

maybe worth a shot for you to try for a week, see how you feel?

i lost so much weight so quickly but it wasn't unhealthy - i was hydrated and eating amazing, and never felt hungry.

good luck & stay positive!

Re: help

Re: help

Posted by EA327888

Posted by rileysmama

first off,

it's hard, but great you realize you want to change

what i will say sounds absolutely insane, but i swear by it, and so do many others...


you can eat as MUCH as your want, as often as you want, and nonstop if you choose....you will never feel hungry, deprived, or that you are on a "diet"...and, you do not have to excersise if you don't want to (unless you want to tone, etc)

anyway, it is the raw diet and is proven for weight loss

woman goes raw and looses half of herself - cnn news

i did it myself for one month and lost over 20 lbs. it works because all of the foods you are eating that even have sugars/fats/starches in them...they are the good kind, and break down in your body the way it is supposed too...like a strawberry has sugar, but it is a different sugar than a snickers bar.

and you can make some yummy raw desserts that taste so yummmy!!

i did it for 30 days because i believe that anything worth trying is worth it for 30 days, it won't kill me.

i'm looking to go back soon to it, once i get back in that mental state.

maybe worth a shot for you to try for a week, see how you feel?

i lost so much weight so quickly but it wasn't unhealthy - i was hydrated and eating amazing, and never felt hungry.

good luck & stay positive!

This is interesting! I am already vegetarian. In general, my meals are healthy and my problem is that I eat too much junk around them or instead of 1 'bad' meal I have 3 in the evening. ...I might be able to incorporate more raw foods in lieu of overeating bad stuff.

Re: help

Posted by EA327888

Posted by rileysmama

first off,

it's hard, but great you realize you want to change

what i will say sounds absolutely insane, but i swear by it, and so do many others...


you can eat as MUCH as your want, as often as you want, and nonstop if you choose....you will never feel hungry, deprived, or that you are on a "diet"...and, you do not have to excersise if you don't want to (unless you want to tone, etc)

anyway, it is the raw diet and is proven for weight loss

woman goes raw and looses half of herself - cnn news

i did it myself for one month and lost over 20 lbs. it works because all of the foods you are eating that even have sugars/fats/starches in them...they are the good kind, and break down in your body the way it is supposed too...like a strawberry has sugar, but it is a different sugar than a snickers bar.

and you can make some yummy raw desserts that taste so yummmy!!

i did it for 30 days because i believe that anything worth trying is worth it for 30 days, it won't kill me.

i'm looking to go back soon to it, once i get back in that mental state.

maybe worth a shot for you to try for a week, see how you feel?

i lost so much weight so quickly but it wasn't unhealthy - i was hydrated and eating amazing, and never felt hungry.

good luck & stay positive!

This is interesting! I am already vegetarian. In general, my meals are healthy and my problem is that I eat too much junk around them or instead of 1 'bad' meal I have 3 in the evening. ...I might be able to incorporate more raw foods in lieu of overeating bad stuff.

Re: help

I tend to do the same things. I eat things when I KNOW I shouldn't. I've started rinsing my mouth out with listerine when I feel like over eating and it stops me.

I also tend to say to myself, "Well I already messed up today, so I'll just eat whatever I want and pick up the diet again tomorrow" Do NOT do that! One slip up isn't going to sink you-but throwing in the towel is.

Re: help