help...diets dont work for me

[allisonwonderland]

ok....ugh,I have to lose A LOT of weight,I dont even own a set of scales cuz I dont wanna get on them.BUT I look at me and my clothes size compared to how short I am and I know it is a BUNCH.I was thinking about ATKINS,what do you think?My problems are I snack A LOT!!I dont really eat all that much at meal time..just snack all the time.I dont have the money right now to do WW,Jenny Craig or any of that,I REAALLLYY DONT,i am struggling to pay for rent,tuition,,etc like it is.SO,,what is girl who likes to snack,has no money,no will power supposed to do?HAHAHH...what worked for you?what is your take on atkins?should I start out with one plan and then try another?THANKS!

 

[PrincessCyann]

You can lose the weight

The word "diet," for me anyway, invokes images of deprivation, gnawing on carrot and celery sticks all day, so I prefer to think of it was a new eating plan/way of life. When I thought about it, it did make sense, because after all, people can "diet" for awhile, then return to their old eating habits and regain the weight they worked so hard to lose. So, maybe if you don't look at it in a deprivation sense, but a way of life instead, it may not seem as daunting or restrictive. Well, that's what I tell myself countless times throughout the day (it helps...usually)

Also, if you like to snack, perhaps you can look at healthier options. Did you ever hear of that book "Picture Perfect Weight Loss"? I think it is so cool in the way that it illustrates the options you have. If you like to snack, you can eat something like 20 bowls of blueberries in place of a candy bar. Now, I doubt anyone would eat 20 bowls, but it just shows that you can have a lot more of something with lower calories in place of *one* of something laden with fat and calories. The book has a lot of great illustrations, even showing what you can have in place of a piece of pizza--rather than 2 pieces, have one and a salad, and a bunch of other things. Sorry to be so cryptic with the illustrations, lol, I haven't looked at the book in awhile. It did leave an impact on me though, now I look to see what my options are.

I don't know what you like to snack on, but perhaps you can find lower calorie (and tastey) options that can be stretched out throughout the day?

What has worked for me is reducing calories and exercising. I tried the South Beach diet (and it worked great) but I couldn't stick to it. I took some tips (using lettuce leaves instead of bread for sandwiches for example) from SB and other diets, and incorporated them into a reduced calorie plan. I also cut out a lot of sugar and really plan out what my meals for the day.

Good luck!

 

[dawnball]

I was thinking about ATKINS,what do you think?My problems are I snack A LOT!!I dont really eat all that much at meal time..just snack all the time.

...

what is girl who likes to snack,has no money,no will power supposed to do?HAHAHH...what worked for you?what is your take on atkins?should I start out with one plan and then try another?

I'm new here, but not new to dieting, so I'll chime in.

You *can* lose the weight.

Instead of seeing snacking as a horrible habit to be broken or else you won't ever lose weight - why not consider your snacks as mini-meals? If you eat 2 small meals a day now, and 4 snacks - then call it 6 mini-meals, or 8 mini-meals or whatever it takes.

In general I try to make each mini-meal contain at least 2 of produce (fruit/veg), grain (preferably whole grain, but work your way in slowly if you need too), and protein. For me, a mini-meal might be cottage cheese and fruit (produce, protein), a piece of meat and some vegetables (produce, protein), fruit with milk on top (produce, protein), a bowl of cereal with fruit (grain, produce), veggie sticks with hummus(produce, protein), rice with veggie stir-fry (grain, produce) etc. However - make sure to eat your first mini-meal early in the day (breakfast) and don't snack all night long. I cut myself off around 7:30pm (bed at 11).

Second - it isn't really just about how much/what you eat. It's also about how much you move. You're a college student - how much do you walk on campus? Walk instead of taking the bus, carry more of your books in your pack (not too many, especially if your pack isn't a good fit), walk around the building during class breaks instead of grabbing a snack from the vending machines, etc. Building more axtivity into your day doesn't have the same benefits as going to the gym, but every step (and every bite) counts.

I wouldn't suggest plan-hopping, IMO it's hard on your body. Atkins or not is a pretty personal choice, but I'm generally not in favor of the "low-carb pasta/zero net-carbs candy bar" type of junk. I think it's as much of a bad idea as fat-free cookies. Calories count, and healthy habits are better than fake food.

dawn *bounce*

 

[wiskband]

I totally agree with what princess is telling you........... dont bother with the word diet! DIet also sounds to me as if its just temporary..........
trust me its not. I made that big mistake...... I lost 60 pounds then thought OK I lost it I can go back to eating whatever I want when ever I want cause my diet is OVER! so I gained it back, I have just recently realized that this is a life change.
As far as what plan to do, I myself live a LC lifestyle, I am not a strict ATKINS person but LC has really become very easy to do! I really believe that no matter you decide, you should begin small and then work your way up. FOr instance, stop eating or drink a certain food. do that for a wekk and go on. OR stop snacking in between meals etc. take small steps make up small goals..........
ANd Ill tell ya, if you decide on LC or atkins be prepared! FOr me I had to get over this hump it was hard for a about 3 days then it was easy sailing!
I very easliy adjusted to LC.......
anyway good luck with whatever you decide. IF I can do it anyone can!
renee

 

[Laurajean1014]

Don't look at it as (I have to lose XX or XXX lbs.). Go for the first 10, than 15 then 20 and just see what you can do. Before you know it, you can or have reached 40 or better!

Remember: Everything is temporary..............even your weight situation!

Today is the day to make the change.

 

[luvthatdisney]

I too have been trying to lose weight - and also dont like the word diet (it is just so universally used). Since January 2004 up to now I have lost about 100 pounds. I started doing WW and went to the meetings for about 3 months. From Jan to June I lost about 40 lbs. I kind of took the next 6 months off. I did not gain any weight back I just was not trying to lose any (summer vacations, school starting, Christmas, etc...). Well in February of this year I started back and did WW on my own. You kind of learn how many points things you like to eat are and since Feb I have lost 50 more pounds.

I too have tried Atkins, Formu3, LA Weight loss, Diet Center, Jenny Craig and found WW was the cheapest and easiest for me to do. I know everyone is different and their bodies will take different things to lose weight. I did find that on Atkins I felt deprived as I was always eating different that everyone around me - and it was NOT cheap. I did lose on the other programs I tried, but I could not stick to them on my own. WW is the only one I have found I can do myself at home.

The one thing I have found is that I have to exercise - I have done many things like walk at a local walking track (free), WW exercise videos, Denise Austin. But the best workout I have found is The Firm. It is expensive to get all of the stuff (transfirmer, stick, videos) but now that I have it all it is great and I can really tell a difference. I just had to figure out what worked best for me.

See if anyone you know has done WW before, they might have the books you can use. I have kept them all - and would gladly let a friend borrow them if they needed to. Go to their website and see their forums - you might find someone in your area you might could buddy with. Getting used to the points system was the hardest part - but once I mastered that it was easy. Hope you find what works best for you!!

 

[Rhonda]

Atkins/low carb has worked great for me! I've tried other "diets" (WW, Jenny Craig, etc.) and none of them worked for me. With Atkins/LC I can eat as much as I want, whenever I want. I just make sure to eat healthy, low carb foods like fresh veggies, lean meats, cheese, eggs, nuts, some fruits, and some whole grains.

The first two weeks are the hardest - if you can make it through you'll probably lose 10-15 pounds in those first two weeks. But, it's very strict. After those 2 weeks, you gradually start adding in more carbs in the form of veggies, nuts, some fruits, etc.

Start out by reading the first 3 chapters of Atkins New Diet Revolution. It will get you started, then go from there!

Good luck!

 

[donac]

I too didn't think that I could lose weight. I just turned 50 am going through menopause and didn't have the time to think about dieting. About a year and a half ago I had to go on BP medication because nothing I was doing was helping. In the past year I have been reading everything I can about dieting and gettting my own ideas together. At the end of Jan the nurse at my school set up a weight loss contest. Put in $10 and the one who loses the most wins the money. There was a girl and guy catagory. I started riding my exercise bike and watching what I ate. I didn't deprive myself but was more conscience about what I ate. At the end of the month I had lost 10 pounds and won. Don't tell me that you are too busy to do this because I was working on the costumes for my son's school play and we were working very long and hard every hour I was not at my school.

SInce then I have been up and down but mostly down. I have been holding at 17 pounds down for about a month. I just started working a little harder at it since I am on vacation until Sept. and I hope to lose a few more pounds.

I still have a long way to go but I know that I am watching what I am eating, exercising at least 4 times a week and getting a great deal of support from these boards.

Keep trying. I can't tell you how long it took before I was able to lose weight.

Dona

 

[Storygirl]

I am another Atkins girl - I'm new to the boards under this name, but not new to DIS. I just found this WISH site today and I am so excited!!!

I would like to second what others have said about the first 3 days/2 weeks of Atkins. The first three days are hard because your blood sugars begin to drop as you are not taking in the sugar it expects. You may feel tired, minorly dizzy, all around ick for those days but then if you make it through you feel GREAT! It's like detox from sugar . The first two weeks create the habit - plus it is the strictest time. But it's worth it. I lost 80 pounds watching my carbs and felt great. I have put 20 back on and am now trying to lose again - but it was NOT because you gain going off low carb...trust me it is the foods I have eaten while not watching my carbs

To fight hunger? Don't worry about it. The protein and fiber you'll be eating will totally fill you up. If you are hungry, eat. That's the beauty of this. Have some turkey, chicken, cheese...get some deli meat or cheese and make a roll up (no tortilla yet though!) and dip in mayo or mustard. Drink lots of water. Sugar free jello made with cream cheese is very low and can be your friend...a tablespoon of heavy cream with diet root beer poured over it is a magnificent substitute for a root beer float (try it - you'll be amazed!). Just remember to drink water or eat something low or zero carb when you're hungry between meals and you'll be fine.

Try atkinscenter dot com (I guess this name is too new for urls!) for recipes and lots of explanations of induction (first two weeks), and so on. Having the book is even better for reference, but the website gives you a really good indication of whether or not this is right for you.

I'm diabetic (yay ) and have PCOS so this is the lifestyle for me. When I am watching my carbs well, I find that I don't have to take medication to control my sugars and that alone makes it worth it to me.

Yes, there are tons of lc and sf items out there - treats are great. Especially single serving ice cream bars and such. But don't make the treats a cornerstone of your eating and you'll be fine. Lots of fresh veggies, lots of lean (and even not lean!) meats, some fruits (yes, you can have fruit!), some dairy, some nuts...lots of good, healthy, fresh food.

I am sure there are tons of people here who are excellent resources and I would like to offer myself as well feel free to PM me. If Atkins/low carb works for you, great! And I promise if you stick with it for those two weeks, well, you'll notice a difference in your clothes right away!

Jenn.