I have been trying to lose weight for 20 years, every year I seem to gain about 5 lbs over the course of the year instead of losing. Except this last year, I remained the same, and the year before I lost 15 lbs. I have tried many different diets (only free ones). Read many diet books (from the library). I feel like I should be a weight loss expert by now, except for the fact that I still need to lose weight. Here are some of the things I have learned...
- If I remove treats from my day to day life, I need to replace them with some other type of reward or I feel punished. Books, magazines, shopping, calling a friend, I have tried a lot of things, but it is hard to find something to replace afternoon cookies.
- If I give up sugar, flour, potato, and white rice for two weeks - I no longer have any hunger pains or cravings, ever. But those two weeks - require a padded room.
- I hate breakfast, gagging it down sucks, all the skinny people I know in my real life do not eat breakfast.
- I have to exercise every single day at the exact same time or I get off track and skip it.
- If I go to the diabetic section of the store and buy a lot of sugar-free crap, it helps me get through those first two weeks of giving up sugar.
- I think I am resistant to change. I find it really hard to give up sugar and white stuff and start exercising all at once.
- I do a two week: before the diet actually starts period, where I get off the sugar and white stuff and I start to exercise. Except since I am not technically dieting yet, I eat sugar-free pies and brownies and I don't exercise-exercise I do low impact low effort-just get in the habit type exercise. It gets me in the mood.
- Do you skinny people really eat breakfast?
- Can you tell I am about to go on a diet? How fun is that?
- Do you have any recommendations?
- Do you have any tips for something to "treat myself" instead of afternoon cookies?
- I am making meat loaf and mashed potatoes for dinner, you know last meal and all. MMM.
- Do you think walking around the mall for thirty minutes counts as exercise?
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12 comments:
It's so unfair that nature designed us to eat as much as we can (particularly sweet or fatty stuff).
I have been able to cut down on sugary stuff by eating dark chocolate. I don't exactly LIKE it but it does seem to fulfill the chocolate lust. I certainly don't binge on it. Not even tempted.
Get a bag of hershey's dark chocolate kisses (the purple ones) and see if that works. Even if you eat too many the first time, I promise you want the next. Two is really my limit. Dark M&M's are good too (but more likely to be eaten in quantity.
2. DON'T GO SHOPPING. If you replace eating with shopping you'll soon be in so much debt you'll have to start eating again to cope with the anxiety. I'm not sure anything replaces food---I'd go for being too busy to think about it (it's the only thing that works for me).
3. Buy fancy coffees or teas (but watch cals for coffees). Hot liquid takes longer to consume and is more satisfying.
4. Don't force yourself to eat (breakfast) when you're not hungry or---if you do---just have something like a banana. I am a breakfast skeptic.
5. Mall walking is a popular exercise program where I live.
Any type of movement constitues exercise in my opinion. My father lost 50 pounds by eating oatmeal in the morning and bringing fresh fruit to work and eating a regular meal once a day. Me? Don't ask me because I am a Mrs Yo-yo.
great list, I know how you feel
Treat yourself with something like a bubble bath or pedicure...and don't be afraid to indulge in a little chocolate now and again. Don't make yourself feel deprived!
Good luck and Happy TT!!
There are groups that use the Malls for Walking...it is great exercise, as long as you don't meander, like I tend to do, lol!
Keep focusing, Marsha...and all the best in the World to you!
I loved this Thurs 13. I've been trying to lose those last 15 pounds for the past few years and FINALLY made it down to only having 5 left to lose.
I always eat breakfast. Actually, technically I eat 2 breakfasts. First when I get up at 6 am to write and then another one when I get to work at 9 am because by then, 3 hrs has passed and I'm hungry again.
My tips - try to get 30 minutes of exercise a day (yes walking in the mall counts if you can keep up a steady pace!), watch your portion sizes and for a treat, I get one of those huge chocolate bars, break off 4 squares and take that to work with me. That's my treat. Good luck and great Thurs 13!
hmm...wow...I NEED this today. I always gain 5-10 pounds in the winter and lose it in the summer. I can already feel it happening. I hope you'll post more of how you are doing...I'm right there with you!
Yes i eat breakfast, but it's not much, a bit of yogurt or a piece of toast.
And yes, walking around the mall for 30 minutes counts. Anything that gets/keeps you moving.
Best of luck and willpower to you.
When I was skinny I ate breakfast, yes. My stomach starts to growl as soon as I wake up -- sometimes sooner. Any opportunity to eat is a good opportunity to me, I wouldn't dream of skipping breakfast. My preference for breakfast though is a box of Chocolate Eclair ice cream bars. Or cold leftover pizza from the night before... Or both.
I lost 75 lbs on Jenny Craig. It works, but it's not free.
Good luck with the diet Marsha. You do need to eat breakfast though. Porridge (oatmeal) is good or maybe a scrambled egg on wholemeal toast. The idea is that breakfast keeps the body fuelled until lunch. Re. afternoon snacks, you could have a baked apple with cinnamon and raisins, some dried fruit or fresh fruit. Your body has got used to sugar, it's like giving up anything, you need to wean yourself off it gradually. Walking is a great form of exercise, even if it's only walking round the mall. That's my advice for what it's worth! Best of luck!
I hope you are successful and I believe it's possible. What worked for me when I lost weight (20 lbs)last week was the South Beach Diet. It sounds like you are planning to follow a lot of what it recommends with the curtailing of sugar, white breads, pastas, corn etc.
I found a couple of snacks a day kept me away from more dangerous foods. I'd have a little wedge of low-fat Laughing Cow cheese or a 1/4 cup of almonds. Good whole grain bread and apples, oatmeal, no sodas--those things helped me.
Being diagnosed with GERD has forced me to reduce my weight. I gained about 40 pounds since March 3,2006 when I smoked my last cigarette, which likely caused the GERD. I had to stop eating 2-3 hours before going to bed. That alone resulted in several lost pounds. No coffee, which for me means no 1oz or more of heavy whipping cream every day. No chocolate, which for me means deep depression (OK that's a bit of an exaggeration!). No tomato or citrus. Really it is rather depressing and I have come to some recent resolve. But, my whole point is not poor me, but a sympathetic wish for your success.
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