okay, time for me to get real

[FirstLight]

I am really struggling against the desire to just crash diet for a few weeks and see whether I can at least "jump start" this process.

Up to 50 lbs overweight, i hide it well, but my pictures don't lie and my face and arms are definitely looking thicker than they ever have, i am avoiding mirrors and my clothes are not fitting either.
My teen just posted a picture of a bday party when he was 4 and i looked so freaking good! and there i was still "ten pounds' over when the healthy weight 'should' be for my height(5'1"). I am not looking to get from 175/180 all the way back down to 125... maybe I'd be happy at 140 even...

I suck at dieting- single mom, two school age kids, hard to cook two separate meals and not cave and order pizza when i am tired... that's one of my downfalls. i know alcohol is another, so that has to be cut out too cuz it's empty calories.
I like ezekiel bread, so that's a good substitute for breads when i feel i need carbs...and i don't have a bad sweet tooth...

but blah, blah, blah
the reality is that i need a swift kick in the ass and to just do it already. hence the idea to crash diet for a couple weeks to get my body pushed into it...or would a detox be better?

I live in the sierras, so going out and getting exercise is really screwy with the snow these days. on nice days I can walk one-two miles though.
But I came to this group to find some words of encouragement and maybe some 'majic bullet' advice...
is the drastic shift the wrong approach? i have been holding this weight for quite a few years and i need it to go away...now

(ps - I have arthritis, and i know the weight makes it worse, i also have high blood pressure now and that is probably due to the weight too... I am a big proponent of herbal and holisitc meds... but I am not above doing slim-fast for a month either, lol)

[NMDemDist2]

1. i feel your pain, I was at the same point last year this time

I'm 56 next month, have osteoporosis and had high blood pressure (Doc wanted me to start meds)

my highest weight was 175 at 5'3" and in the last year I've slimmed down to 140ish and still have my tummy and hips but have gone from size 18-20 down to 12s and 14s now. the last Doc visit, my cholesterol was back to normal and my BP is totally under control

I highly recommend Beach Body products. you'd probably like turbo jam or slim in 6 and they often recommend a 3 day fast before starting their programs. I am just finishing up a program the end of April and i'm going to fast for 3 days strictly to shrink my stomach a bit so I can kick up the calorie deficit without feeling like i'm starving

diet is the key and you'll need to find a way to grab control of it. I find if I cook a bunch of protein at once (a bunch of chicken breasts or a pork loin) I can use them to jump a quick meal that's healthy too. read labels like a hawk, cut out all high fructose corn syrup (it's in freaking EVERYTHING!) and get hooked up with a calorie counting site. lots of folks like 'my fitness pal'

start a food journal RIGHT NOW, you'll be amazed what you're really eating and probably find a few ways to start cutting calories right away

the Sierras will give you a lot of fun once you get back into shape, cross country skiing, biking, hiking are all in reach after you start training your body and exercising.

and to give you some hope, here's a link to my progress as of January (I'll take some more next month) but if i can do it, you can too!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=337&topic_id=4702&mesg_id=4703

and here's one from a couple weeks ago.....



and here's my wedding pic, 17 years ago when i was a size 10, so I'm getting there....



let me know if i can help! :yourock:

[FirstLight]

2. wow, girl, good work!

I know lots of the weight and eating is seasonal/depression related....I swear, six months of snow wears on your nerves!

I have done the food journal before and it is shocking... i have a my fitness pal application on my phone, and plan to start using that again this week. I let myself eat 'normal' one last day and today is the beginning of the end of my denial and lethargy!

Have you ever taken any supplements or nutritional diet 'enhancers' while also taking BP meds? that is one of the things i am wondering about. I want to do a cleanse but i wonder if there will be negative effects with my meds...and there's really very little crossover understanding of herbal and prescription chemistry...

I like the slim in 6! maybe next paycheck i'll be ready for it... (crossing fingers)

thanks for the encouragement! :hug:

[NMDemDist2]

3. good on the phone app

i wondered if that was an option, i find if i don't log it while i'm eating it i 'forget' stuff :blush:

i don't take supplements at all (edit to add, with the exception of a high quality multi vitamin), and i didn't let the doc give me BP meds, i told him to give me 6 months and we'd check again and by the time we checked i was in good shape so we didn't do meds after all. i think he was shocked :rofl:

as for the 'diet' part, i refuse to call it that since 'dieting' implies a temporary thing. i had to make a 'lifestyle change' and you'll want to also. as a mom it's your job to teach your kids how to live and proper nutrition is part of that. teaching kids to make proper choices and being role model is a GOOD thing! so quit buying the hohos and cookies and start loading up on strawberries, apples and oranges. the new crop of california strawberries are hitting the stores now. if you must have cake choose angel foods or graham crackers

if you're in CA there is a farmers market around too i'd imagine or a co-op so start thinking about how you'll have fresh healthy food available for your family. if there's a healthy choice available it will be easier to stop the bad habits.clean and prep the fruit and veggies and put them front and center in the fridge so when someone's cruising for a snack, they are right in front and not buried in a drawer needing work. it's amazing how a colander of rinsed grapes or strawberries sitting on the middle shelf will disappear..... :evilgrin:

take it a step at a time, keep reminding yourself you didn't put the weight on in a month so it's unreasonable to think you can shed 10 or 20 years of bad choices in a month. get into the long haul mode and here's a little secret---- if you drop a bunch of weight fast, you'll have that icky loose flabby skin (yuck!) but if you lose a pound or a pound and a half a week with regular exercise your body will have time to shrink up that skin and you'll look FABULOUS!

i know i may have sounded a bit 'preachy' here, but this are the things i have to constantly tell MYSELF to keep me plugging away, hope it helps you!

[FirstLight]

4. I know I have a good start with lots of those things...

I avoid soda, cookies etc for the kids and myself as well... we do wheat, whole foods when possible, less packaged at all times... watch the sodium and sugar levels on snacks, etc...

I also do the colander of grapes on the shelf! :rofl:

I got into a bad habit because we were struggling and on food stamps...i'd let the kids be the ones to eat all the fresh fruit and sacrifice it to get them to eat more... now I have to get back into the habit of letting myself eat it too.

little by little, for sure...

and right now, we won;t have a farmer's mkt till may or june - still 10+feet of snow outside! lol

[NMDemDist2]

5. so you know the drill,

use that phone app and get a few workout DVDs, they may even have some at your local library???? no weights? no problem, just use cans of food, small (soup) cans for flys and big ol honking quart juices for bicep curls...

where there's a will, there's a way! so find your will or as Confucius say "Journey of 100 pounds begins with a jumping jack!"

:evilgrin:

[WillParkinson]

6. First off, crash diets are not a good idea...

A good, structured approach is best. Paul and I did the whole yo-yo thing and it got us to the point where each of us was almost 300 pounds. Our doctors told us. Lose it or pretty much die young.

We joined SparkPeople based on recommendations here and from other people. Logging our food intake each day has been a lifesaver for both of us. We never realized exactly what we were taking in each day.

You can eat whatever you want. Seriously. Just seeing how much you're eating, in addition to how much fat, carbs and proteins you're taking in might be enough to actually help get you on the right track.

Also the community there is huge and extremely helpful.

Today Paul is down 40 pounds. I'm down 65 pounds. I'm getting close to 200. I haven't been 200 in years and years. I'm actually rather excited about it.