Dieting Club: 50 - 100 Lbs Community

I did not have 50lb to lose, only 10lb, but I think it was just as big a struggle, and the same principles applied as if it was more.

I also struggle with undisciplined eating, as much as any highly overweight person.

What has helped me is if I follow quite a structured, rigid pattern, just to get some discipline into my habits. When I start losing control, I try first of all to eat 3 meals and a snack or two at regular times, more or less the same time every day. No eating outside those times, but no skipping any meals either. Structure in your eating times is very important initially. It makes you feel more in control, and also "safe" in the knowledge that your next meal is not far off!

Only once I've mastered that, I look at reducing the amount I eat during each session.

Exercise has also helped to prevent further weight gain, but that means quite a lot of consistent exercise, in order to burn some substantial calories. I have to do cardio 5 or 6 times a week (on 3 of those days I jog minimum 10km, the other 3 days I walk 35 min. fast uphill), and I do quite heavy weightlifting 3 times a week for 40 - 50 min. at a time. Anything less than that may help with toning, shaping, general health, etc., but don't expect it to burn huge amounts of calories.

The hard naked truth remains that one has to eat quite a bit less - small portions, healthy food, nothing deep-fried, fatty, stodgy, heavily processed, surrounded by batter or encased in pastry! Avoid really high-calorie, high-fat foods as far as possible.

The body can get used to less food; it just takes time and patience...

OK, I'm in the 50-100 lbs overweight category, and I'm starting (again). This time I'm trying the "Paleo Diet." And I started with a trainer 2 months ago -- but sessions have been on hold while we got a diagnosis on a knee injury.

I'm heavier than I've ever been. Too much seeking comfort in eating, I suspect, so I'm seeing a counsellor, too. Alas, I keep hearing it will never get easy. Guess I'm just going to have to accept the need to pay attention to what I eat!

If you are going to omit dairy products, just make sure you are getting enough calcium, to protect your bones.

Hi Duck,

Congrats on your determination to get healthy again! I think many of us fall into the emotional eating group. Food can become our best friend and our worst enemy. Ugh!

What was it that you feel was holding you back from losing weight before now? Was it your relationship with food, poor self-image, or something completely different?

I think that while we are all forming these new healthy eating habits that we find accepting the change in habits so hard. I've found that once I've been practicing good eating habits for a while it becomes a little easier to make the right choices. They are like second nature.

However, it's the emotional addiction to food that we really need to address to see life long habits. If we never deal with the root of the problem, it will always come back to haunt us. It's great that you're seeing a counselor to help you with this so you learn how to cope with those addictions should they appear again.

Good luck and keep us posted!!!

I have lost 80 lbs with weight watchers, have been in a platau (and gained about 10-15 lb back) for about a year. Depending on what my doctor says I have a goal of losing 50- 70 lbs more.
I am disappointed that I have not been losing, but excited that I didn't gain it all back. I had a lot of challenges in the past year that I hope are behind me for now, and if they come up again they will not be as difficult to deal with.
My biggest hurdles are avoiding sweets and working with the new Weight Watchers plan, I haven't had time to devote to it yet this year, but hope to in the next week.
The biggest difference with other weight loss goals I think is that there is no way I am going to get to my goal weight quickly. It is going to take years. I also need to focus on very small details with my habits to stay successful. I have been overweight since I was in middle school, now I am 31, and none of those habits are going to go away quickly.

This really sounds like me. I have been trying to lose weight since I had my first child, thirty one years ago. Over the years and the next two children, the weight just kept going up. Now I want to lose 80 pounds but can't!! I read all the literature on weight loss and its benefit, have membership of a fitness club, have a stationary bike at home, etc. Whenever I exercise I immediately feel a compulsion to eat. And I end up eating way above any calories lost. When I get on the scale and find I have lost some weight, i start to eat more and gain even more. I live in Africa and going to an analyst is not an option here for cultural reasons...they are not readily available anyway.
Its as if something deep within me doesnt really want to lose weight and I feel I am slowly killing myself.

Hi Andie . I have removed ovr 100 pounds I am sure because I was on my plan for a couple of months before I weighed in, for my starting weight,,of 247. Maintaining is a bigger struggle for me than the journey to remove the weight...

when I was younger I had no trouble removeing excess weight after my babies were born i returned quickly to my pre pregnancy weight ..

It was loseing My Mother in 1987 that started me in a deep depression and sense of loss I tried to fill the emptyness I was feeling inside with baked goods and Icecream that had me on a 5 year binge resulting in a gain of over 100 pounds maybe 130

so knowing what got me obesse was helpful I spent the next 5ish years trying to remove the weight with diet after diet .. each time I lost some but quickly gained it back ..

my current plan came from somewhere within myself after being diagnosed with macular degeneration in 1999 it was reading about this problen online , that I came to the conclusion that my unhealthy food choices caused the problem so I got this Idea that I could reverse the damage by eating as healthy as possable It came to me from someplace within myself that this was the answer.. that was April 2003 took 4 years of looking into before tha plan came to me ... the thought in my head was ( so maybe it's true I am too old to lose weight BUT I can eat healthier thats the least I can do the help my eyes heal )

thats what started the whole thing turned into a weight reduction program

thats how I got here and I am struggleing with maintainance must remember what my first goal was healthy eyes and body
Gotta keep wprking on it I am a work in progress
Hugs Judy:)

I started here in Jan., 2010. I got tired of yo-yo weighloss, only to gain it and then some back.

I kept reading that diests don't work. I'm like all the rest who wanted a quick fix and then go back to fries and endless bread and pasta. But it doesn't work that way, now does it? It IS about making a healthy lifestyle.

I read somewhere, we choose one of the following pains.......the pain of discipline OR the pain of regret.

When we have our slips with food or don't get in the exercise we want.....don't let the slip become a habit.

Come to the diet boards for support...it IS here.

Good luck and good health to all in 2011.

Barb

I am new to this community. In reading the discussions, I can relate to almost all the problems. Getting motivated in diet and food planning and keeping it up is hard, but I am seeing a little bit of progress. My biggest roadblock now is getting back into exercise and I have all sorts of excuses. I hope one day soon I will wake up with resolve to start some simple exercises to do in the house (3ft of snow on ground and just had trigger thumb release).

WHERE DO I START I LOOK UGLY I CAN'T SEE ANYONE WANTING ME WHEN I DON'T LIKE MYSELF I AM FAT FAT FAT.

"The pain of discipline or the pain of regret", that is an excellent mantra. I am going to keep reminding myself of this. I will try to provide a condensed version of me and my struggles. My highest weight was somewhere between 380-400lbs. I had gastric bypass surgery in 2000. Unfortunately for me, immediately following the surgery I had severe rheumetoid athritis attack leading to bi-lateral knee replacements, metal stint inserts to both wrist, and rotator-cuff surgery to both shoulders. I think the bypass surgery was the catalyst for all these issues since I had no previous joint problems or family medical history of such. Anyway, I did lose 200lbs, but because I was so immobile, I never developed any exercise or healthier eating habits. The surgeries, medications, and other personal issues (including a lay-off from a position of 25-years), lead to a deepening depression and even an unintentional overdose (side effect of Ambien-Cr). The overdose was a wake-up call, although I was not able to simply overcome my issues. I knew that the dark place I was living in was not the norm for me, but I did not know how to fix it. I sought counseling and even moved to a new state, which is where I am now. While the emotional problems and depression followed me, I am finally climbing out of the abyss. I have a new counselor and I am exercising. I came to this site looking for support because I have already plateaued with my weight loss and I do not understand why. I regained approximately 60lbs, so I weighed 260 the day I finally got out of bed and walked around the block for the first time. It was a difficult task and because of the knee replacements I am always concerned that I may trip and fall and be unable to get up (which has happened in the past). I have no explanation as to why I was able to get moving, but I am hanging on to this mind-set for dear life. I have been exercising consistently for approximately three months. I either walk or ride my bike around the block (3-times), or swim for 30 minutes, each day. I have never in my life regularly exercised like this. I have changed my eating habits (reduced my intake and all but eliminated sweets and graze eating), but I've only lost 22lbs, and no weight at all for the last 3-weeks. I am enjoying food more now that I don't eat until I am stuffed, I am thrilled that I can actually walk around the block, and I am no longer having muscle cramps in my legs and feet, so there are a lot of good results from these new practices. But why have I plateaued already? 238 can not possibly be the weight my body wants to maintain. How do I break this? I feel I have finally obtained the mentality to break my addiction to food but the lack of movement on the scale still has the power to trigger the food-monster voices in my head. Help me please!

Hi..Well this is my first time blogging. I just turned 60,have about 70lbs to loose and all but gave up trying again. Its rough when its been a long battle and had dominated so much of my thoughts over the years. Now its more of what kind of old age do I want. I'm borderline on so many health issues right now and they all say the same thing. Loose weight. This time my focus is that I want to be around to enjoy my grandkids and keep up with them!!!Its time to take care of me and that's not selfish. So I am digging out that month's supply of NutiSystem I ordered months ago and giving it a try. I loved what you wrote about just sticking to a time plan of eating first. Who would have thought? Just getting into that habit first and then going for lessening the calories!!Great idea. Also I'm going to take a few Sr. classes at Adult Ed. to get back into moving. Well here goes..scared of failing but more afraid of the results of not trying again.....

For me I think its been so long that I've tried to battle the weight , that I give up before I start. Who wants to fail yet again. I mean we try to feel good about ourselves in other ways but lets face it,we live in a society that jams it down our throats on a daily basis;"thin is still in". I just turned 60..guess what my birthday wishes on my candles were for 20 years?? I'm an emotional eater so you just need some big episodes in your life and there you go. But .something in me doesn't want to give up yet.I'm 60. I'm borderline for so many health issues and I have my sweet grandchildren now. What will the quality of life be for me as I age if I don't do something now. I want to enjoy those grandkids.
So I'm going to pull out that month's supply of NutriSystem I bought months ago,blog for the first time in my life to find some buddies,and join some Sr. adult ed. exercise classes to start back. I loved what Tomato 05 wrote. To first just put yourself on an eating schedule. Then the next step start lowering the amount of food. I can do that. I've been encouraged already and that's big considering how I felt before I found this site.I'm a little scared to start again but I think I'm more afraid of giving up this time.

Told you it was my first time blogging...well yous get the gist of it all....now to figure out what went wrong the first time..it just erased on me and I thought I had to write again......Sorry