New guy here and miserable

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Permalink Reply by Skinny Sushi on April 19, 2010 at 2:50pm

Man, feeling like this sucks, doesn't it? I was looking at pics of myself from Christmas and felt just the same. It is so tough to make the changes and make them stick, but you CAN do it. My brother is a little taller than you but weighs about the same and he's been trying to make tiny changes too to just get the weight off. He walks everywhere he can, and instead of trying to overhaul his food entirely he is just trying to start by eating only single portions of things... so instead of having a whole pizza, he'll have two slices and if he's still hungry he tries to fill up with water and veggies. He says it's tough, but he is seeing weight loss from it.

I've heard that guys can lose weight faster than girls... but I really think it is a difficult thing to do no matter who you are. Just try making TINY changes, and doing one small thing at a time until you feel like you've got it down, then adding another and another. So start by just walking for ten minutes, one day per week. Once you do that, add on eating one veggie twice a week for a week, then add another day or ten minute exercise... if you do it just little by little it feels less overwhelming.

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Permalink Reply by BigBob on April 19, 2010 at 9:09pm

Thanks SkinnySushi. It really is a terrible feeling. You're probably right and I should approach this slowly to give the changes a better chance of being permanent, but I think I feel another extremely low cal crash diet coming. I know I can take off 25-30 pounds in a month, and I think I need to do that just to be comfortable, just to stop obsessing. Maybe then a sensible battle can be waged. Thanks so much.

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Permalink Reply by Skinny Sushi on April 20, 2010 at 6:48am

I know how you feel, and I know why you'd want to do that, but please don't. Those crash diets don't fix anything. They set you up for failure by asking your body to do something it cannot possibly maintain in the long term, and nine times out of ten you gain back everything you've lost and then more.

I know you don't want to wait. I know you're desperate to feel better about yourself, but please do this the right way, the healthy way. It is so much better for your body, for your health, to do this slowly. It will be easier to do it slowly, and it will mean a much better chance of making the habits stick. SMALL STEPS. You have to set yourself up for success!

I am happy to be an online cheerleader for you through this. Just stick with healthy choices, please? NO crash diets. You may be surprised by how quickly you lose weight in the beginning even by making small changes. I lost ten pounds in the first month, and you'd likely lose even more than that.

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Permalink Reply by Jzbell on April 20, 2010 at 12:47pm

I'm cheering for you too, BigBob!!! SkinnySushi is absolutely right - no good will come of a "quick fix." I've been tempted by them myself... even recently... but I do know better. My weight came off pretty quickly to start too, like SS said. All you have to do is get started; you might be surprised at how far and fast momentum will take you once you get going. :~)

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Permalink Reply by BigBob on April 20, 2010 at 2:48pm

Okay okay. I will try not to starve myself. I still haven't been able to make a plan and decide how to go about this, but I am looking at a ton of different diets trying to make a decision. I have been cutting back since joining here, but I did just have a bbqed hot dog and a danish after a big victory in traffic court! Woot! :)

I've done some successful water fasting and juice fasting in the past. I really enjoy the process whether the cleansing fanatics are right or wrong about the benefits. I like being in ketosis. I feel very clear and very 'happy' when I do that. I usually start the process by only eating what I call 'the world's healthiest salad" for a couple days. Then I water fast for two or three days before juicing mostly with freshly extracted veggie juice (lots of greens). This just rips the pounds off me and I usually feel great during and after. If I feel real bad I stop. Convince me that this is a bad idea. The only reason I yo yo is because I don't continue with a healthy plan, but I think I am in a mental state to do that.

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Permalink Reply by Skinny Sushi on April 20, 2010 at 3:35pm

Cleansing does not work long term, and some reports have even suggested that it can do real harm. Your body needs fuel to run properly, and water is not enough fuel. If you really want to do a "cleanse," then do so by eating only fruits, veggies, and whole grains for a few days, then adding in some lean proteins or protein rich beans/veggies.

You have to stop thinking about this as a diet. I use Weight Watchers, but not as a diet. For me, it is a tool to keep me thinking about food and exercise in the right way. When I eat lots of fruits and vegetables, I get to eat more food. Since I love food, I love to use these good foods and exercise to "earn" more eating. I've also found that when I don't have heavy, fatty foods all the time I feel so much better physically. That's probably why cleanses make you feel better. It's just because you're giving your body a break from so many heavy foods.

Humor me, and for one week, just try eating fruits and veggies, whole grains, and lean proteins. Use honey instead of sugar. Spend FIVE minutes every day doing something active. Then let me know how you feel. Not what the scale says, but how you FEEL. If you still want to do a cleanse then, we'll talk... and I'll try some other way to convince you not to.

Do this right, and it could be the last time you ever have to think about weight loss and food struggles. I really think you can do it and be super successful with a little determination.

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Permalink Reply by BigBob on April 20, 2010 at 4:29pm

I tend to agree the cleansing industry is selling snake oil. I have never specifically cleansed with the colon products. I've just water and juice fasted with good (to me) results.

As for exercising, I grow organic heirloom tomatoes for market (side business) and I am planting at the moment, so I work pretty hard physically (every weekend of the year actually) and on My Page here I mention being a walk-a-holic, usually 3-5 miles a day. Without the walks I would be a bigger mess than I am. I'm not much for sugar and sweets so that part will be easy. I haven't had a soda in two years. I am a bread eater. I bake my own and that's how I like it, warm from the oven, with a little a mayo, a thick slice of brandywine tomato, a pile greens and a couple strips of peppered bacon -- oh man. :)

I am with you on most of this, so I will HUMOR you, SS. I hate the word diet and know it's lifestyle that matters. I rarely worry about what the scale says and have no desire to find out. I probably should once before I start just to get the bad news, but last I checked my scale stopped at 300 and I keep going. I broke my mom's a few months ago. My guess, by the looks of things and the way clothes fit is.... uhg... 355-360 -- my past recorded high was 352. I'll use a doctor's scale tomorrow and report back, but I won't weigh in often.

Carbs are my downfall. Bread, pizza, tortillas, even cereal. These are my fuel more than anything else. So, by the sounds of what's necessary to humor you, these are out of the picture -- well, I get whole grains. Fine. I know they gotta go.

Fruits, veggies, whole grains, lean proteins -- for a week -- starting tomorrow. I'll fast for the rest of today just because. :)

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Permalink Reply by Skinny Sushi on April 20, 2010 at 5:25pm

I can't wait to hear if it helps. And you can keep making your own bread, just use whole wheat flour and fat free mayo, or replace the mayo with fat free greek yogurt and spices.

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Permalink Reply by Jzbell on April 22, 2010 at 5:28pm

"I've just water and juice fasted with good (to me) results."

Bob, you wouldn't be here now if you had good results. I think trying SS's ideas for a week are a great idea, and you might even find that you like some of it!

Don't even try to tell yourself that you can never have any of the things that you like any more... that'll never work! You just have to learn balance.

Roni posted a great topic yesterday I think might help: http://ronisweigh.com/2010/04/what-healthy-habits-have-you-adopted-...

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Permalink Reply by Sienna Alessandra on April 20, 2010 at 7:02pm

I'm rooting for you, BigBob.

I hope you start blogging here daily. That has been really helpful for me.

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Permalink Reply by Abbi Adams on April 22, 2010 at 1:39pm

I am new to this board too BB so welcome from another newbie! I agree with the others, a quick fix is just a recipe for a huge let down later. Why is it so hard to make eating changes for life? Good luck Big Bob! Look forward to learning more about your journey!

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Permalink Reply by BigBob on April 22, 2010 at 3:45pm

Sienna, Abbi -- thanks.

I'm finding this site a little difficult to navigate, but I do see the positive aspect of having a weight loss diary/journal/blog. I am considering starting one on Wordpress where I keep a couple business blogs. I write and research A LOT, and the platform here is pretty limited for me, no offense.

Anyway, I am doing it Skinny Sushi. Day 2 here and all is well. I still haven't weighed myself but a couple days probably won't make much difference.

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