NEED SUPPORT ----- Please! :)

[Need2BFit]

Hello Everyone:

I'm new here. I need major help. I need to lose about 80-85 pounds. I'm a member on the removed board and was told the support here and diets here worked together really well.

I definately need support, badly. I don't have any around here. I'm 29 and feel horrible. My weight is now at an all time high. I've been over weight now for 7 years. I just did my BMI and it was 34 and said I was obese. How depressing!

I once tried the Atkins diet and managed to lose 14 plus pounds but then fell off. It is really hard for me to stay motivated. I live with two boys, my husband and son. They can eat anything whenever they want. I don't have time to cook two separate meals either.

Plain and simple I need help, advice, and support. I really want to look half way decent again. I feel so miserable. I'm tired all of the time. I feel lousy.

I used to be 148 pounds and I'm 5'9. Now I'm 230 and still 5'9. I'm not asking to be that 148 again, I would be happy at 160.

My weight is carried from my breasts to my hips. The worst kind. I've had doctors tell me its the hardest to lose and the most dangerous.

If any of you can point me in the right direction tell me anything you can or just be there it would help.

Grocery suggestions are BIG for me. I get so bored eating the same foods over and over. I'm a huge carb eater and sweet tooth galore. HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks in advance.

[losborne11]

I read your message and its funny Im also 29 and my BMI is also 34. I have been on the induction phase since 04-07-04 and have only lost 3lbs. I am eating less than 20 carbs per day but the weight loss is slow. I am going to the gym daily and have been told by a personal trainer that, the change in diet along with weight training will slow the weight loss in the begining but thats ok. keep your spirits high. Remember eating isnt a hobby, if you can understand that, it is only there to keep us alive, you wont depend on it as much. The change has got to come from inside of you. Be good to yourself and eat healthy. My father died at the age of 49, of being overweight and not taking care of himself. This life change you are going through, will not only change the way you feel about yourself but it will also, forever, change the direction your future. Live as long as you can!!! See!! food doesnt sound so controlling anymore does it.

Lee Ann

[Need2BFit]

My msg above says a member on the removed board, what does that mean????

[losborne11]

Im not sure, I just signed up a couple of days ago.

[mocha_princess]

I know that was confusing. The red word removed, means they edited the board to remove certain words. For some reason it removed what board you were from. usually if it is from another site, it does that. Don't worry about it, it doesn't mean anything. Anyway, I know what you mean about support. I have started Atkins 5 times and slacked each time (except this time!). I came here and found some real support. I would encourage you to go to the Lowcarb Challenges section of the bulletin boards. There you can join whateever challenge that suits you and get some great support. I will tell you what has been helping me if you are interested.

For me and I think for anyone, has to be desire, first of all. I am not talking about, "i want to lose weight, I hate how I look" desire. I mean, "I will do whatever it takes to lose weight" and "I want to be thin more than I want that cookie" desire. Until you reach a point within yourself where you are sick of the weight, all the support in the world won't help you. I am not saying that to discourage you or to be mean, I had to say it to myself. I sat down one night, and really took a good look at myself, how I was eating, why I wanted to lose weight, what needed to happen and how desperate enough I was to do it. I finally decided, I can't be fat anymore. I can't live my life this way. So this time, I finally got real with what I needed to do and with no whining or excuses because the bottom line is, I AM RESPONSIBLE for why I am this way and/or staying this way. I HOLD THE FORK!!

Once I did that, I made it so that I am less likely to fail. I sat down and talked to my husband and explained what I needed to do. Then I made a cabinet, totally for me and my food, so he wouldn't eat it. (If you have kids, I would consider a padlock! seriously. lol) Then I got rid of all my old favorites and goodies, candies, etc. After that, I bought a notebook to use as a journal and used it to write down what I eat each day and plan my meals ahead, to track my exercise and water and most of all for my feelings. That is what is making you fat: feelings/emotional eating. You have to face that before you can do it. I know I ate to not feel or hide or cover my true feelings. Now, I am learning that I can face them and get it over with or not face them and stay fat.

You need to have that talk with yourself and decide what you are going to do and do it without giving yourself excuses. Exercise, even if you don't feel like it (i hate exercise but I do it), say NO to someone who keeps saying "oh you can miss ONE day!", make up your mind that this time will be different and act it even if you don't yet feel it. Come to the boards or chat for support instead of eating(i used to come to chat, every hour for weeks). Go thru your house and throw away all your goodies, tell your family that they need to help you to do this, if not, then do it whether they like it or not. If you control the menus, cook for you and if they don't like it, ask who else would like to cook. You won't get any takers, believe me. Everything you can eat, they will eat. And you can disguise a lot of things Get a low carb cookbook or find some recipes here. If you go to Y-A-H-O-O, you can find a group that does only low carb recipes! (i can give you the addy if you want). Plan ahead your meals! That way you don't get stuck when you are hungry. And don't stock up on all that "low carb" products crap or eat things like, S-u-b-w-a-y-s, wraps, you can;t eat that stuff til you have been on Atkins for a long, long time! You will never lose if you do. You will not be perfect at first, you are changing you life and that is big. Take it slow. If you do cheat, get right back on the VERY NEXT MEAL. Don't allow yourself to wallow in defeat. Everybody makes mistakes and cheats. Very few Atkiner's go thru cheat free. Well, I am talking too much but this should help you two start out. Pleas visit the challenges board for support, you will be happy you did.

[mocha_princess]

I saw in your other post that you run and workout everyday and etc. Are you using any of those low carb products? Eating things like S-u-b-w-a-y wraps or anything? If you do, they will stall you big time. Check you condiments and all labels of everything you eat and i mean everything! Some things are ok to use like a low carb ketchup, if you miss ketchup (heniz just came out with one--excellent!) I think, what you think as you not losing; is that you are, you just can't see it because you are exercising pretty regular and hard. You say you feel better and thinner but can't see the scale budge. You are gaining muscle and that can interfere with the scale reading true numbers. Just make sure you get your water in, take your vitamins, and keep your intake going. you will get a whoosh soon. And it is ok to sometimes not make 20 g. Some people go 20 one day, 15 the next, 18 some days. You don't have to hit 20 exactly, just don't go over it and don't go too low; never go less than 11.

Another culprit may be that you are a slow loser and you fat stores are resistant. If you don't lose anymore or don;t get a whoosh in the next 4 weeks, then it may be that you just lose slower. Not a bad thing but it can be frustrating. Don't give up either way, because it is better if you do anyway. We are really supposed to lose 3 lbs or less a week on Atkins but people really push it and wonder why they fail. You lose fast on Atkins but we are not supposed to get insane! Just hang in there, and go to the challenge boards and join a group that way you can ask questions and other members can help you who have been on longer. There are many, many, old timers here, that love to help newbies; its how I got this far! Good luck and keep going! You can do it!