Diet Community

You should be your own inspiration! Just because you've gained it back doesn't negate that you've lost all that weight before! What did you do last time to lose? What are you going to do differently this time to make sure you don't have a regain?

What made you gain it back?

My best words of encouragement are to write down each and every thing you eat for a week. After that week, look at what you're doing and make small changes. Smaller portions, healthier alternatives, more fruits, veggies, whole grains, water. If it's in your budget, take that journal to your doctor and ask "What modification could I make to this diet to lose weight?".

You CAN do this, and you will again! Stay active and make sure to do 30 minutes of some kind of activity every single day and the weight will come melting off. Best of luck!

Great advice 3point14! To lose my last 5 pounds, I've been writing down what I eat every day, and it has helped me to stay honest with myself, stay within my calorie limit, AND monitor my progress...seeing my weight drop as I flip through my notebook (I check my weight every morning and write it on the top right-hand side of each page) is GREAT motivation to keep going. Almost there!

First and foremost, lose weight for your HEALTH! You deserve to live a long, healthy life with no medical problems later in life. How great would that be?

Once you start losing, you'll feel soooo much energy--let THAT be your next motivator. Don't reach for the junk food because you're feeling good now, you don't need that energy zapper! Maintain that energy level we all had back in our childhood. It's possible...because I'm finally experiencing it! I wasn't overweight, but I was gaining a lot of weight and getting there. I was eating tons of junk and feeling horrible and zombie-like! But now I'm eating a whole foods, plant-based diet and feel GREAT!

Lastly should be how you will look. It's a nice motivator to see yourself looking better and better in clothes, but without the first two motivators (health and energy level), it's not enough to keep you going. Here's to longevity and boundless energy!!!!!

I lost 200. You can lose half of that.

YOU CAN DO IT! I completely understand your terror - it is intimidating but just by posting here, I know you are ready.

Start by using the WebMD Food & Fitness planner to track your food and activity. It's a great motivator and a good way to get started. Even if you don't have a healthy food day, put in your food to get an idea of what exactly you are eating.

The WebMD Dieting Club: 50 - 100 is filled with very supportive and smart members. Pop over there and say "hi!" too!

Please keep posting for encouragement and more resources. And be sure to check in with your doctor before you start any new food or exercise plan -

Haylen

Hi anon
really looking within ourseves and getting to know why we eat what we do can help to make a plan I had this love of icecream that sabotaged every attempt I made , So I made a plan for the icecream I made a deal with myself to indulge in 1 serving of icecream after I stayed on plan no slips for 1 month
this helped to remove the feeling of deprivation.. as a result eating healthy still after nearly 10 years I no longer need icecream I may indulge 2 or 3 times a year now ..
My eating habits are changes I still have slips but get right back on my journey to better health right away ...
the weight loss 50-100 board is my safety net that where i do my conffesions and victories it is a very supportive group and costs nothing to join us ..
after being on my Nutrition Quest a couple of years My life long asthma went away I am 70 years young and had asthma since I was a baby on medication all that time and now no meds at all / this journey to better heath is definatly nothing to fear only good can come from it . It is all a matter of makeing better choices maybe take a walk every day
I hope you get something from what I said
Hugs Judy:)

When I first lost that 100 pounds I was going through a divorce (a HAPPY divorce - I felt FREE) - then I guess I got stuck in a bit of depression (that "freedom feeling" didn't last for too long - then it got kind of scary) so I guess I turned to food again for comfort. I am going to start writing down what I eat - I have a great doctor so he'd be happy to look at what I'm doing (not doing) to lose weight. Oh, man, I started walking a few days ago (mile to 2 miles) and it's a killer!!! I know it'll get better (my sister walks with me and that a BIG help). Thanks for the words of encouragement!

I'm so ready for some energy. I'm totally drained here at the office all day and I am going to start writing down what I eat - so many people say that it really does help. Thanks for the advice.

I'm impressed by the way your asthma went away - that is awesome. I don't have asthma but I have a lot of other health problems and I bet losing the weight will make me feel so much better. I'm from Texas and I really want to get in that tube and float down the Frio with my sisters and my son and it's very hard to do because I'm so heavy. Thanks for the advice!!

Hi Leigh

focus your eating plan on fresh fruits and vegies lean meats fat free dairy and whole grains nuts in moderation I like pistachios ...
I was trying to improve my health the weight loss came as a surprise...the asthma too what a great surprise that was I have been medicine free for 6 years .
try to eliminate proccessed foods after you have been walking for a few weeks you will find that exercise gives energy
not at first because the body isn;t used to it so slowly increase activity
I was accually trying to slow down the progression of macular degeneration an eye problem I have and I am doing well in that area too My eye doc says I am unusual I think it is my Nutrition Quest.. I hope your illnesses go away too you will feel better with less weight thats for sure
Hugs Judy:)

Hi Leigh,
in your initial post, you told us about your weight , your health problems, that you successfully lost 100 but slipped and gained it all back. pretty negative stuff.
Tell us what is good and beautiful about you. Then remind yourself of those good points. You came seeking inspiration. My best advice is to not knock yourself down. To think that you are worth EVERY effort that it will take to lose the weight and Keep it off, means that you will have to focus on all of your good points . It means that you will have to think of yourself as WORTHY of that effort. Which of course, you are.
Keeping a food and fitness diary helps in so many ways I can't begin to tell you how much. The one here on WebMd is great. You fill in the blanks then it tells you how many calories and how much exercise to shoot for every day to get to your goal. The one on Fitday.com is very good too. These take a lot of the guesswork out of logging the foods you eat. As long as you are honest about how much you eat of them, proper serving sizes as recommended on pkg or in recipe, etc. you can log like 1 1/2 servings or whatever and they fill in the calories consumed.
Drink water. Not coffee, or tea or gatorade. WATER. 64 oz a day. For the unititiated that means 1/2 gallon per day. It's easier than it sounds if you drink water with meals and snax instead of calorie laden juices, milk , sodas or alcoholic beverages.
Remember. This is for you and you ONLY. It's not for a promise to your hubby, or sister, or mom. This is for a promise to YOURSELF. Because you are worth a promise kept.
kim

One thing - has fear every done anything positive for you other than keep you from crossing a busy street? Probably not. Fear is a thin veil. We realize that only when we walk through it, though. We have to take the steps. The internal negative voices can be strong. But ask yourself, have they ever really told you the truth? No. They say, "You can't do this." Fact is you did it before. Of course you can. The question is, "Will you?" Make a start despite the fear. Set a start date in the very near future, like Saturday or Monday. Go to the store. Buy the right foods. Get your food log ready. Figure out your exercise schedule. What times each day? What exercises? If you can, join a club and sign up for classes. If you can't afford a club, check with your local parks department. They often have free classes or ones that are very very cheap. Comb the thrift stores for some used exercise DVDs if nothing else. Take care of the details. And when the start date arrives, wake up and start. Forget the voices. They are liars. I do a lot of meditation and prayer. Simple things like the Serenity Prayer and positive affirmations. Keep it simple. I can do this, I can do this...over and over the top of those negative voices. They will quit soon. Remember how it worked before. You did it once, you can do it again. My story is after bouncing up, then down, then up more, down more, up even more, down even more all my life, I reached a size 50 at age 54. I estimate I weighed nearly 400 pounds. I started to ride a bike. After a while I was diagnosed with cancer and beat it. (If I hadn't lost quite a bit of weight, I would not have gone to the doctor, my cancer would have progressed and who knows if I would still be here.) I kept losing, added running and swimming and strength exercises and by 2009 I was doing triathlons. In 2011, just shy of age 60, I completed IronMan Wisconsin. Today I am a triathlon coach doing three races a year. I signed up again for IM Wis. 2013. I'll be nearly 62 and I intend to kill it! So if I can, you can. What is there really to be afraid of but staying the way we are when we don't like who we are so much. Be the change. A fitness trainer friend of mine says, "Want different, do different." Do you want different? Then get it done. Good luck!

Hi and thanks so very much for your posting. Welcome to our community. There are lots of people who are or have been in a similar situation. We're all here to share and help to support you on this journey.

As I have written so often, in order to make a positive change in your life and have it stick, you need a plan. I use the following template as a basis. This is in my books Fight Fat after 40, and Body for Life for Women. I like to keep things simple. My new book THE HUNGER FIX is launching on Katie Couric's new show on Sept 19th on ABC. It's about the new news in overeating and the new science of food addiction, because most people of all sizes have this problem.

Pick small things you will do in each category. Small steps mean everything. That's how real and sustainable change happens.

MIND: You need to really drill down on why you want to make this change. Go deep. It has to be something really meaningful to you. A personal goal that means a lot to you. Then you need to take time to calm the panic and anxiety you're feeling. Don't live in the past. Come into the present. Just take 24 hours at one time. You cannot keep shedding and gaining 100 pounds. That is very tough on the body and mind. You need a way of doing this that is healthy and sustainable.

MOUTH: Right now head over to the WebMD Food and Fitness Planner and sign up. Let's get a real plan of attack for daily eating. You cannot wing this. The Planner has the blue print.

MUSCLE: Get up and just walk as much as you can every single day. Do 5 mins here, 5 mins there. Build gradually over time. Those medical problems you have presently will start to reverse with your first steps. Increase your activities of daily living. And, take it 24 hours at a time. Schedule ME time to get up and get away from it all.

Sit quietly and look deeply into yourself. Say to yourself "I love you". No more shame, blame and guilt. Power through this process with love.

On the Katie show, i being my 1 year journey with Shayla White who is 5'7" and 287 and 35 yrs old. Watch her journey. We'll be blogging and writing about it on WebMD. We're all doing this together. And we're here for you.

Now run on over and sign up for the Planner.

Waiting on your next posting!

Dr. Peeke