starting over...would like to hear how everyone is doing, etc.

[MelindaKiah]

Well, I'm beginning the process yet again. Gotta lose weight...an absolute ton of weight. We're going to Universal in 10 months and though I do not expect to have all my weight gone, I'd like to lose a nice chunk and be able to walk around with my 4 kids and enjoy myself.

I am SO confused on what type of plan to use. If anyone is willing, I'd love to hear how everyone is doing it...what plan, how long, how you feel, weight lost, etc.

Thanks guys!!

 

[Amelia]

Hi!

I'm Amelia and I've been doing Atkins since last January 2. I've lost a total of 53 pounds and my goal is to lose 100 pounds. The first couple months thing went fast and as I settled into my new way of life I started losing a bit slower but still at a steady pace.

The changes I've noticed in me are; 1. I sleep much better and more sound than I have in years, so I'm no longer tired all the time, 2. I have more energy to do the things that need done, 3. (and this is a big one!) I feel better about myself than I have in years!! Since I started my new way of life I've become a better mother, wife, and person. I now enjoy going out in public with my family instead of always making excuses for staying at home by my self.

I now know that what affects me also affects my family so not only is my life better, but my families is better too.

You've come to the right place. If you need a hug and inspiration you'll find it here. Welcome, and good luck!

 

[mum4jenn]

My name is Sheila and I am also on Atkins along with my dh DaddyDon. I started this new way of eating on June 6th and I have lost 46 pounds. My Dh has lost 42 and started July 7th. I am trying to lose at least another 35 but may go lower if I decide once I meet my original goal.

This has been a great plan for us even though there are some foods we miss. We know that one day we will be able to have them every now and then. My energy is much better and I sleep much better. My clothes sizes have gone from size 22 to a current 16.

Atkins has worked for us because we get to have things like bacon,real mayo,real cheese,etc.

Whatever plan you use read up on it before you start and you can always ask questions here because everyone cares and wants you to succeed. These are the very best bunch of folks around here I have ever experienced!!

 

[DoeWDW]

I also eat low-carb, which covers quite a few plans - Atkins, Protein Power, Carb Addicts, etc. I definitely feel better. I started at the end of August and have lost 8 of the 15 pounds I wanted to lose.

This is a great place to come for information, celebration and inspiration!!

I've found the WISH Journal board to be very helpful for me also. Keeping a journal of my weight and measurements, the food I eat, the exercise I get, and how I'm feeling has really helped a lot.

 

[Tiger Lily 03]

Hi there! Lily here. I too am low carb/Atkins. I am successfully losing weight and find that I am not hungry with this plan. It is a plan I am happy to work with since I see and feel results better than the “eating healthy, eating less” plan I tried before. Remember, it is the lifestyle change you should seek. Whatever plan you pick, go for the idea of making healthier choices and try to exercise as best as you can whenever you can. The combination of better eating choices and increase in exercise/activity is certainly a winning combination whatever healthy eating plan you follow.

This low carb/Atkins plan is also one that my DH finds he can work with to make healthier choices. He does not feel as if he is starving himself and is finding that he is successful in weight loss as well. His recent blood test was a good one and he is pleased with all of it.

I also agree that you may want to visit the library and check out a book on the plan you want to try. I think that the information in the beginning of the Atkins book will translate to any diet plan. The beginning chapters give an explanation on how we metabolize our food.

Good luck in your newfound life. You will find great support here.

 

[MelanieC]

I do WW's. The first year I lost 37 pounds from 1/5/02 -5/25/02 and I gained almost all of it back. I had not realized at that point in my life that this was a journey and I must make these habits permanent. This year, I have lost 32.4 pounds since 6/2/03. I have never felt better, and I learned that it's a journey not a destination.

I love Weight Watchers because I can eat whatever I want, I just eat less foods, and ones that are not everything at once. I still have pizza every week, and I still enjoy steak, hamburgers, bratwurst etc. I love it! It doesn't feel like a diet at all. The new WW's flexpoint system is the absolute best!

Good luck in choosing. The main thing is that you must find something you think you can live with for the rest of your life. The only difference will be that once you get to your goal, you get to add food back in until you maintain. The key (in my opinion) is that you can't go back to your old habits. That is what got you into the trouble in the first place.

Melanie- Its a journey, not a destination!

 

[MelindaKiah]

Wow! Thanks so much guys!!! You guys are great. I have about 135 lbs to lose, which is daunting to say the least.

I've been toying with low carb, but it's so hard to switch the brain over to something like that. You know...we've been told for so long to eat low fat, high carbs, etc. I guess I need to reprogram. I lost about 60 lbs a few years ago eating nothing but fruits and veggies. But, that was way too strict to stick to for life. And that's the whole point, isn't it?

I'll get the books from the library to ensure I get all the correct information.

Thanks again. I love reading about how people are doing.

 

[kayeandjim00]

My name is Kaye and my eating plan is what you would call "Eating Sensibly." I limit my calories to 1200 per day, watch my fat intake, and walk 1 1/2 miles 5-6 days per week. I have been doing this since the second week of August and have lost 20 lbs. The main change we have made is our portions as well as changing how and what we cook. The little changes we are making are making a big difference but also don't seem extremely drastic. Like WW we eat what we want we just work it in by eating less later. You have definitely come to the right place - everyone here is so supportive and motivating! There are lots of WISH success stories as well that really keep you moving in the right direction! Hope you decide to take the WISH challenge!

 

[bunnyfoo]

Hi there!

I've been on Weight Watchers since July and I've lost 18.2 pounds so far! I really like their plan because it teaches you to eat things in moderation. I still eat all of the things that I love -- pizza, chocolate and desserts but I eat them less frequently and in smaller portions.

Good luck with whichever program you decide on! The WISH board is also a great source of information and support so if you decide to join, we'll be here for you!

 

[catherine]

Hi, my name is Catherine. I don't really have a plan like Atkins or WW. I have changed my lifestyle. Before taking the WISH challenge I ate large portions of the wrong types of food, I drank soda with caffeine, I never drank water, and I got hardly any exercise. I joined WISH Aug. 2nd. I now eat smaller, healthier portions of food (I keep my cal. intake below 1200), I don't have any caffeine, I drink approx. 112ozs of water a day and I exercise every day. So far I have lost 30lbs. I have quite a bit more to lose and I find that it helps if I break my weight loss down into smaller goals. I think that the important thing is to find something that works for you and stick with it. WISH is a great place to be. You'll find lots of info., motivation, and encouragement. Good luck finding a plan that is good for you.

 

[WDWLVR]

Hi my name is Mary and I started in mid-September with 65 lbs. to lose. I'm doing WW online which means I do the regular WW but don't go to meetings - I do everything online including keeping track of my points. I can make the decisions to eat what I want and the big thing for me was realizing the size of the portions I should be eating vs. what I was eating. It has worked great for me! Since I started I've lost 12 lbs. I'm sleeping better, my blood pressure is down, and I just overall feel better. Haven't gone down a size yet but definately notice that my clothes are fitting looser.

Melanie says it best when she states that this is a journey. A journey I'm very glad I started on and one I hope to continue for a long time.

Good luck in your search for the right plan or journey for you. WISH is great with giving support so please join us.

 

[Camping Griswalds]

My name is Maureen. Like so many others I've tried and quit different diets at different times. The big difference for me this time is the mindset. I've set goals and measured myself. My big goal is to weigh about 185 by Feb. My little goals are new each week. The first week ...no cheats. The 2nd drink 100 oz of h2o every day. THe third I've added a 1.2 mile walk to the mailbox every day. My goal for the month is to eat out at Ruth Chris steakhouse on Nov 1 with my girlfriend. We talked about things we lost sight of when we became moms and one thing was sleepovers with girlfriends and foing out to dinner and eating slow, having a glass of wine etc. So our gifts to ourselves for changing our lifestlyes this month is going out to dinner and staying in a hotel where we can laugh and giggle all night. All of our family think this is a nice treat. Much better than what i used to say, " If I lose 10 pounds I'll eat choc chip cookies.

By the way I started Atkins 9/28 and weighed in this am and have lost 18.5 pounds and 6.5 inches total. Pretty cool!! Find some little thing that works for you. Best of luck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[TigH]

Just wanted to say hello and welcome! You can do it! I'm on WW and love it. At my heaviest I was 196 (back in the early 90s). I lost weight and got into the 170s (just made up my own diet.) Then I joined WW and got into the 150s and felt great. I started exercising (running) and dropped into the 140s. I've been up and down ever since until earlier this year when I started WW again at 159 pounds. I'm at my all time low of 135 right now.

Make small goals so that you don't get overwhelmed at the total amount of weight you want to lose. Find a program that you can live with FOR LIFE and be as optimistic about it as you can be!

You can do this! Wait until you see Party of Six's posts - she's lost 85 pounds since Jan/Feb/March of 2003 and she is still going! She just cut back on certain foods and she and her husband have both lost alot of weight.

Glad to have you onboard!

 

[ohiominnie]

Hi, my name is Karen and I have a problem. sounds familiar...oh yeah, it's from Finding Nemo!

My problem was that I idolized food and let it have a stronghold over my life.

I am doing what's called Weigh Down Workshop. It's a Christian based program that has you follow the God given clues your body gives you to limit the amount of food you eat. On this plan, NO food is off limits. There is no watching fat, carbs, or any other part of the food. There is NO counting of calories, points, carbs, fat grams, etc etc. By not consuming my mind with these tasks, I have more time to be what God wants me to be.

The idea is this....God made your body to call for the food it needs, when it needs it. So when you are PHYSIOLOGICALLY hungry, your stomach will growl. It will not growl at all of those other times that we tend to eat...social eating, bored eating, depressed eating, etc.. I only feed my stomach when my body is asking for it...stomach growl. And then, the other part (which is a bit trickier for me) is to ONLY feed my stomach until it is satisfied...not bulging, uncomfortable and refluxing. There are cues to follow for this....for example, ever notice how good the first bite of that 3/4 pound cheeseburger tasted but yet the last bite of the burger that you stuffed in only because you didn't want to waste it didn't really taste that good at all? God designed our bodies to do that...so we wouldn't over eat. Unfortunately, we all have the will to do what we want and eat even though we don't need it.

How to deal with temptations...well, again, it's a Christian program. God wants us focusing on HIM, not on the food (thou shall have no one above the Lord your God) So, if you are tempted to eat when you aren't hungry, you pray for strength to avoid it. Lots of good things have happened to me when I've bypassed "convenient food" because I wasn't hungry. As if God was blessing me for obeying Him.

I lost 20 pounds easily on this program a few years ago. After I got down to the weight I wanted (and was there about a year) I slipped back into my old ways. Many times I'd eat to the point of refluxing and complete misery. I gained all 20 pounds, plus 5 back. In April I started Curves, but it wasn't getting the weight off. In late June I decided that I'd do low carb since lots of WISHers were having success with it (It was the Curves diet) It was nearly the worst 8 hours of my life!!!!! It wasn't that I craved the things I "shouldn't" have....it was that God was tugging at my heart trying to get me to see that this was NOT what He wanted me to be doing. I just felt so miserable and not at peace. The next day, I switched back over to Weigh Down and have felt wonderful about it. Early July I was 150. I'm now at 131.5 (not my offical weigh in day so I haven't changed my line at the bottom) I'm very close to what *I* think my goal should be. I'm not sure what God has in mind though and I'll continue to follow His lead.

When I first started and had all that reserve, there were many times when I ate less than my children over the course of a day (ages 9 and 6) I'd skip meals because I just wasn't hungry. Now, as I get closer to "normal" size I find that I'm hungry more regularly. And, another plus is that no food is considered "evil" and offlimits. I have sour cream on my tacos and real cheese. I have Breyers high octane ice cream. I have chips. Of course, all within the limits of hungry and satisfied. I can also be satisfied on much much less. Instead of opening a bag of M&M's, tipping my head back and pouring them in, I can take ONE M&M and let it sit on my tongue, actually TASTE it, savor the flavor as the chocolate sits on my tongue and then swallow. I can now be happy and "satisfied" with just 3 or 4 M&M's.

I know there are lots out there who are happy with the plan they are on. And, typically, whenever I post my testimony about my weight loss I get a couple of PM's from people who feel I'm bashing a certain plan. It is not my intention to do that. We all have to find what works for us. I have found peace with this plan that I have not found with other methods. I have found that it works for me. I know several people who were over 300 pounds and have dropped down to goal with this plan. I also know that I thank God daily for what He's doing in my life and I must tell others. "Hide it under a bushel? NO! I'm gonna let it shine"

Hope this helps. Welcome to WISH!
God bless!

 

[Chattyaholic]

Hi, my name is Yvonne...and I'm a food-aholic. I weighed 115 (I'm just over 5' tall) on my wedding day, but the weight piled on after I had my 2 children. I always "blamed them" for my weight, but...they are now 25 and 27 years old, so really I can't keep doing that. In May I had thyroid surgery and somehow, over the summer, managed to lose 8 pounds. Then in Sept. I was in the hospital for blood clots in my lungs and found out I'm diabetic. So! The dietician came in and talked to me for quite awhile. We set a calorie limit of 1800 and 15-17 carbs (with 15grams = 1 carb) per day. In the month I've been home from the hospital I've lost 12 more pounds, so a total of 20 and I'm absolutely thrilled about it!

I normally have somewhere between 1200 and 1500 calories per day, rarely ever get up to my limit. And usually 10-12 carbs per day. My doctor said that with diet and exercise I should be able to get off the medication (I take 500 mg glucophage daily) and I never, ever want to do insulin so these new eating/exercise habits are definitely going to be a way of life for me now. Instead of living to eat, I am now eating to live.

I'm walking 2-4 miles 3-5 times per week and really, really enjoying it. It makes me feel good when I walk and it's really beneficial to the body.

At my highest, before my thyroid surgery, I was 208 and I'm down to 188 now and dropped a jeans size so THAT was a great feeling in itself!! I can hardly wait to drop another size!! And as a reward I bought a nice pair of New Balance walking shoes.

Yesterday was my DD's 25th birthday and her DH had to work so I took her out to dinner (Bennigan's). I knew about this ahead of time so I planned for it and only had about 450 calories for breakfast/lunch, saved most of my calories for dinner. We ate early (6:00 p.m.) and I had grilled chicken, rice with peas and carrots, fresh green beans. Skipped the salad, and didn't have a dinner roll, because I wanted dessert! My first dessert in a month! Had the cheesecake with strawberries, yum!! The whole meal was about 800 calories, so I was still well within my calorie limit for the day and I didn't feel "cheated" at all. (I brought one of the chicken breasts, half the rice and green beans home).

Whatever you do, find a plan that works for YOU and vow to make it a new way of life. And exercise too! And set smaller goals. Ideally I want to lose about 90 pounds, but that sounds like SO MUCH, so I'm just taking it at 10 pound increments, much easier that way and more satisfying.

Good luck to you, and welcome to the club!!! ((hug))

 

[nancyj_pa]

Hi Melinda,
My name is Nancy and I'm following a low carb plan. I have a lot of weight to lose as well. I started in the beginning of August and have lost about 17 pounds so far.
I feel a lot better already and find I can walk again for a mile or two with no problem. I usually ride my bike a few times a week in nice weather.
You'll find a lot of our stories in the WISH Journals at the top of the WISH boards. You'll also see a lot of our menus. Please feel free to read them and start your own as well.

Good luck with your decision!!