Help me, please

[Wagamama]

So, as you all know i have been coming and going dieting and not dieting for as long the Wish board has been up. well, this time i really do want to be serious about losing weight. i know myself and know that i can't do the low carb diets. i did WW for a few months and that worked well and i lost 10 pounds...but then i started school again and couldn't afford it anymore. but now i really, really, want to lose weight. i know this is weird, but i'm hoping to be engaged and married (if he asks!!) in the next 5 years and i want to get in shape now, not the 3 months leading up to it or something.

what do i do? i have a temp job right now, but that may not last for more than a month...please help me...

 

[LuvTigger]

Great to see you back on the WISH boards. I'm a recent returnee myself, and I'd bet that quite a few of us have been in the same boat as yourself.

Before my most recent return to WISH, I decided that I wasn't going to follow a set program, and just try to reduce portions and exercise more. Frankly, and I am speaking only for myself as an undisciplined person, I really needed to follow a program that TOLD me what to do. While I wasn't gaining anymore weight without a program, I wasn't losing any either.

That being said, a program doesn't have to be expensive. In fact, with all of the experience here on the WISH board, you probably don't have to spend much at all, except for the food you eat!

Based on what you said, I'm thinking that these are your main options:
1. Go back to WW. However, you said you couldn't afford it any more. Is it because you were going to a WW clinic? I'm not that familiar with WW other than the point system...I thought I read there were places you could go to find how many points different foods are, like a website or a book.
2. Look into the South Beach Diet. I know people who couldn't make Atkins a lifelong way of eating, but SBD worked for them. There are probably more food options on SBD.
3. If you are disciplined, cut back on your portions and increase exercise. I have a friend who is counting calories (partly for medical reasons), and she did great! Lost 50 pounds in a year.

One thing that helps a lot of people is to write eVERYTHING you eat down and keep a log. You might be surprised!

Anyway, I really know you can do this. Planning is the key, and check in to WISH at least once a day!

Let us know what you decide and how we can help!

 

[Wagamama]

Thank you!

I'm a very undisciplined eater and dieter. I feel like I have to actually pay for a program so I can actually follow it. Make any sense?

I was doing the WW online program. I'm a very onliney person and it was easier for me to log in my points and look up things and check in online. I actually just checked their site and because i'm a past ww'er I could sign up for 3 months for $40. but then again, i just weighed myself (after many, many weeks!) and found that i have LOST 10 pounds. I guess its because i'm working now and don't graze all day long...

I'm going to think about this for a while longer....

 

[kennancat]

I did WW for my weight loss, but didn't actually join until I had about 6 pounds to go. It took me 4 weeks to get those off, and plus the 6 weeks on maintenance, so I'll have spent $80 on WW by the time I go lifetime. I liked the program but the meetings don't really do much for me. For me, the whole benefit of joining was having somebody standing there to weigh me in and keep me accountable. Basically, I'm saying to not let money stop you from doing WW. Once you've got the books and such, you can do it on your own if that works for you.

 

[wtpclc]

Wagamama - If you have a PDA, there's a program out there called diet & exercise assistant that works pretty well. It's about $20(?). It lets you put in your height, weight, kind of job (sit, stand, walk) and your current and goal weight. It then gives you your optimum calorie intake. Every day you input what you eat (it has a pretty big catalog, plus you can put in your own foods). It also lets you put in exercise and removes those calories from your daily log. Very easy to use and when you keep track of what you're eating, it makes a BIG differnece.

 

[teachingmykids]

I recommend fitday.com It will help you track everything.

I, too, am starting over. I can't believe how far off I got. Sometimes I wonder about my brain ability. HOW could go back to gaining weight............

~~georgia

 

[eeyore45]

see, and I'm slipping away... I started over 3 weeks ago, lost 7#'s, then real life stepped in, and I'm not going to curves, I'm not watching my portions, or counting (points/calories...fat... sugar)

I do so very well for 2-3 weeks, then I totally give up on myself!! Its stupid, I know it took months to gain 20#'s, why is it I want to lose 5#'s a week!! (not realistically ok, but somewhere I think that is my sabotage!! ITS HARD WORK!! and I'm lazy, or just have such low self esteem, I give up to easily!)

 

[teachingmykids]

I know what you mean eeyore45. I've worked so hard over the past 2 years, lost 52 pounds, and then just lost my mind. I've gained 19 pounds in the past 4 months. Sometimes I just dare myself to eat horrible things, I don't know why I do that. It doesn't even taste all that great.
~~g.