I Just Can't Restart

[Guest FourAces]

I did so well on a program I was on but the past three months have been a disaster. I simply cannot get restarted and I've easily put back on all the weight I've lost, once again.

Very very very depressing ... its like being a drug addict maybe worse cause your body needs some food whereas u don't need that hit of speed or piece of crack.

[Guest Hoover42]

It sucks that the body seems to have it's own ideas about whether to put on weight or not regardless of how hard you fight it.

Fighting millions of years of evolution is not easy, especially now when food is so easy to get and so fucked up nutritionally.

[Guest EXPAT]

I had to change my approach completely to "the diet". I had to approach it as a permanent change to my lifestyle. That's when I started to eat only 1500 calories or less a day and to make sure I moved as in biking or walking at least 30 minutes 4 or 5 times a week. I don't always make that last goal but that is the goal I shoot for. I also had to re-think portion sizes when I eat at home and when I eat out. Everybody eats too much. But there is no easy out. It's all about eating less and moving more.

[BigK]

It must be something in the water. After losing a significant amount of weight last year I've bounced up and down since the first of the year.

[Guest FourAces]

I had to change my approach completely to "the diet". I had to approach it as a permanent change to my lifestyle. That's when I started to eat only 1500 calories or less a day and to make sure I moved as in biking or walking at least 30 minutes 4 or 5 times a week. I don't always make that last goal but that is the goal I shoot for. I also had to re-think portion sizes when I eat at home and when I eat out. Everybody eats too much. But there is no easy out. It's all about eating less and moving more.

That is a very practical approach but you obviously have quite a bit of will power to stick with it. For me eating is about the same as someone addicted to drugs or cigarettes well I guess that is a drug too ... but I'm sure you get the point.

I've been on pretty much every diet and diet program around. Literally from North Carolina to Southern California over many years. Ironically the only time I ever lost a large amount of weight was kind of doing what you note above lol. Its just so hard to get back to that spot and stay there.

[Guest FourAces]

It must be something in the water. After losing a significant amount of weight last year I've bounced up and down since the first of the year.

Sorry to hear that. If you are in Texas I think its the water

[JKane]

Thought about this thread when I saw this today...

[Guest gcursor]

There was this guy who was in an office that I worked in. He was rather heavy. So we were talking one night and he had started losing weight (which I could see). The only thing that he did? He drank LOTS of water. Everytime you saw him, he'd be drinking water...he used to get his container filled more than a few times a day. He didn't change his diet, sure as heck didn't exercise (I knew this guy), or do anything else differently. But he swore by this little "method".

[JKane]

Drinking a full glass of icewater when waking up is a regular part of my routine, and drinking one before meals is a great idea!

[Guest EXPAT]

I switched to crystal light cherry pomegranate mix in my water instead of all soda and it has made quite a difference. I drink a lot of it and limit my intake to water and that mixture. It has reduced my hunger and fills me up before and after all meals. I highly recommend it as an option to all soda.

[Guest FourAces]

Thought about this thread when I saw this today...

Just add a few years and insert my pic

[Guest FourAces]

There was this guy who was in an office that I worked in. He was rather heavy. So we were talking one night and he had started losing weight (which I could see). The only thing that he did? He drank LOTS of water. Everytime you saw him, he'd be drinking water...he used to get his container filled more than a few times a day. He didn't change his diet, sure as heck didn't exercise (I knew this guy), or do anything else differently. But he swore by this little "method".

I know a card dealer who lost about 75 pounds. Her biggest change in diet was drinking lots of water and cutting out all soda and most cf the coffee she would normally drink. I guess the water fills people up enough to cut down on there hunger whether real or not.

For me it probably would help but I think my biggest problem is lack of cooking. I eat every meal out .. mostly fast food. Obviously very fattening.

[Guest EXPAT]

And that's what I changed too. I drink a ton of water (and crystal light flavored water). But I also started cooking at home almost exclusively and that helps me maintain portion control. I find that almost every dish in a restaurant serves double or triple what one should eat as a portion size.

[Lucky]

Four Aces, we have more in common now. I have put on the pounds that I lost and the doc is telling me to lose them. So I am back at the gym and hoping to lose some weight. It is hard on my knees and hard on my heart. I am getting to the point where if I had a hard on myself I couldn't see it!!! (:

[Guest zipperzone]

I have found over the years that the only diet that really works long term is Weight Watchers.

Very few restrictions, seldom if ever hungry and easy to understand & follow.

[OneFinger]

I lost 130 lbs by cutting out all carbs, alcohol, and sugar. Basically went on a high protein diet. Have kept off that weight for about 18 months.

Also increased my exercise by hiking, biking, and swimming.

[ihpguy]

I'm on my last 20 pounds. Then having the surgery to get rid of the loose skin.

[Guest FourAces]

Well I finally have a mini start happening. One week on a lower carb program ... feeling better and so far no major issues with wanting certain foods. Mostly eating chicken (the legal chicken that is ) and beef. Added eggs and salad over the weekend to mix it up a little bit.

[citylaw1]

I know a card dealer who lost about 75 pounds. Her biggest change in diet was drinking lots of water and cutting out all soda and most cf the coffee she would normally drink. I guess the water fills people up enough to cut down on there hunger whether real or not.

For me it probably would help but I think my biggest problem is lack of cooking. I eat every meal out .. mostly fast food. Obviously very fattening.

Try the Atkins diet.

[Guest FourAces]

Try the Atkins diet.

Its a little too restrictive for me as I have a huge amount of weight to lose. But the South Beach diet is lower carb and gives me more of the variety that keeps me satisfied enough to stick with it.

[Guest FourAces]

Just finished my 3rd week of a modified low carb diet and have lost 20 pounds! Going forward the weight will come off a bit slower and I am prepared for that. I'm stlil motivated and actually can feel the difference already Its gonna be a long journey but at the end maybe I will write a diet book

[ihpguy]

On a weight-loss site I am on, I get a daily digest of helpful tips. One was that eggs are a great, lower-cost source for protein. I have recently been eating 6-8 hard boiled whites daily. Tossing the yolks. Very low cal. High protein. Ditto on the skim milk. Lower-fat partially-skimmed ricotta and non-fat Greek yogurt all are good possibilities. And an old rule from decades ago with Weight Watchers(I think) was 72 ounces of water/daily PLUS an extra ounce for every pound overweight. Also, an extra ounce of water for every ounce of caffeinated beverage(coffee/soda)consumed.

On my own regimen, I have taken a distinct liking to steamed cauliflower and broccoli. I top it off with barbecue sauce thinned out with rice vinegar. It gets kind of addictive. Easy and fast. Simple clean-up afterward.

And a great source for good vitamins are collard greens, onions and garlic sauted in olive oil. Easy and fast to make as well.

[MsGuy]

...collard greens, onions and garlic sauted in olive oil. Easy and fast to make as well.

Mmmm, now that actually sounds good! I'm going to try that.

[ihpguy]

Here is a recipe. I normally use about 4 times the quantity of garlic and twice of the thinly sliced onion. The collards are incredible as a supply of potassium.

http://intlrecipesyndicate.blogspot.com.br/2010/06/couve.html

[Guest FourAces]

Sadly I hit a huge bump in the road today ..kind of went on a mini binge:( Prior to this I have lost 26 pounds in about 5 weeks. I hope I can simply get back to the program tomorrow.