Weight Issues

Hi, i have suffered with being overweight most of my life. I am coming to the point where I just cant handle it ne more. I try to diet and it just makes me depressed and I eat more. I do so good, then i say ahh ive lost 5 pounds so i can splurge for the weekend.....and i never stop splurging. So i end up gaining back the 5 pounds. I have thought about joinin the gym, but I am so self conscious that I feel liek everyone is watching me and makin fun of me. I kno that is not the case, but in my head I just cant handle it. PLZ PLZ someone, if u have successfulyl found a way to loose weight could u share it with me. How much have u lost? How much did u weigh b4 and after? This is ruingin my life, even though it shouldnt. Plz help me. Thx in advance ~Colleen~

Hey, been there done that!

I was chunky my whole life, but it got worse as I got older.

When I finally weighed in at about 215, I decided that it was time to change.

I went on a diet study with a hospital close to work. Eat only what they give you, all the no-cal liquid you want. Two hospital stays (beginning and end) where they took TONS of blood (it was a study around your hormones). The reward was losing 10% of my body weight (about 20 lbs at that time) and $1500.00!!!

It was easier to stay true to it because a) I wanted the $$$, b) there were others doing it along with me and c) there were moderators (authority) who you had to answer to every day.

While on the diet, I learned A LOT about portion control (what a real portion looks like) and my body got used to NOT having sweets (my downfall still).

I managed to lose not 20, but 30lbs while on the diet and then another 10 after that - just by being careful. I have since gained (yes, this is typical - but you've got to expect it and FORGIVE yourself) only about 5lbs back.

Some days its a struggle, but I am so happy with my new 165-170lb body (and the looks I get from men!) that it makes it a lot easier to maintain! Course shopping for a new wardrobe with my $1500 was great!

While this may not work, or be feasible, for you. There are lots of other options out there - just think in terms of doing it WITH OTHERS and think about it as a LIFE decision to change, not a "diet"!

Good luck!!

I built a gym in my room, it takes up more than two thirds of my room but its worth it. It took me a while to start losing weight but I lost about thirty pounds and now I'm pretty slim and all I did was lift weights, but I guess the results might be different for different people maybe you should get exercise at home or jog at night if you're bothered by other people.

I have the opposite problem, I think i'm shrinking too

I am 5'3" on a good day and had gained 40 pounds in 4 years. I finally decided to do something about it. I have since lost 35lbs(and kept it off for a year and a half). The sad truth is their is no fast cure here are the things to remember about losing weight.

1. Watch what you eat try and have a lot of fruits and vegetables for snacks. At work make your own lunch.

2. The worst thing you can do is deny that you want something it will become all that you can think of. If you have a craving for something set up times for it. Eat healthy 6 days of the week and then on the 7th treat yourself don't overeat, but just let yourself have it. This takes away the sense of denying and it will be easier to stick with your new healthy eating habits if you realize that you can eat whatever you want just not too much 1000 calories of chocolate or 1000 calories of strawberries will still make you gain weight

3. Don't set a long term goal it seems much harder to reach and it becomes easier to give up. Healthy weight loss is 1-2lbs a week anymore than that is water weight or muscle tissue. If you lose more slowly due to lifestyle change you are more likely to keep it off. Set that as a goal if you lose 4lbs this month buy yourself something nice or do something nice for yourself

4. On average people need to have 16cal for every lb that you weigh to maintain your weight if you weigh 200 lbs that is 3200 cal. Losing one pound is 3500 calories so if you cut out 500 calories a day that is 1 pound.

5.Limit pop/coffee alcohol they are empty calories. A lot of people don't drink water because they don't like the taste add a slice of lemon and drink it ice cold. Make sure to drink 6-8 glasses (you can become too hydrated) of water a day many people are mistake thirst for hunger and will eat. Try drinking some water. If you are still hungry then eat something light.

6. When it comes to exercise do things that you like if you don't feel like it is a chore you will like it more and may even be excited to work out. Until you are comfortable going to the gym buy a jump rope they are like $8.00 if you jump rope for 20 min you burn like 200 calories it is also one of the best aerobic exercises that you can do for your whole body (it is hard on your knees though) get some yoga tapes it is very low-impact but if you do it right your state of mind will improve and it will tone anad lengthen your muscles. Get some 5 and 10 lb weights

7. Set up a workout schedule do yoga twice a week, jump rope twice a week and then lift weights 1-2 times a week. If these aren't exercises that you like than find something for you bike riding, kickboxing, boxing, walking running the thing is to do it you want to lift weights though building muscle burns more calories.

8.SUCCESSFUL WEIGHT LOSS TAKES TIME you will plateau for awhile and it takes about 3 months to see real lasting results if you can stick with it til then it will be easy to make it a part of your life which is what you will have to do. You will feel better look better and do something great for your body

There are other tips that I could give you but this is getting kind of long. Know that you can succeed don't be hard on yourself for not working out one day or eating something that you shouldn't everyone does that from time to time just don't make it a habit. Good Luck

Hi,

I've kept my weight down for years after a 25lb gain 5 yrs ago (now I'm 130 at 5'8" --just right for me) by eliminating ALL sugars (look at label ingredients even put it in spaghetti sauce!, exp.); concentrating on eating more proteins/veggies/salads; and eating half(or less) the starch I'd like Must admit I still sneak a treat now and then but moderation is the key----don't keep denying yourself, that you can never have (your fav food again). It's just no way to live.

As others above mention, drink water, avoid diet sodas.

Exercise is the key I think---i.e., raising your metabolism, building muscle tissue. You burn calories better etc. I tend to walk a lot (nyc is a walking city after all) and I do toning exercises at home like callenetics (popular back in late '80s)or for variation, pilates. Boy do they work! And you don't have to sweat like a pig either

Just take it slow and steady and give yourself rewards galore for each size you go down. Above all, be healthy and happy.

okay lets see if this helps-- have you ever thought that theres something behind the eating problem-- do you eat when you are upset or angry--i've been chunky all my life as well- but this last year i just went overboard-- going from 135 lbs to 235 was not nice-- i am down to 195 pounds, but theres still a long road ahead of me-- its nice to receive compliments when you are losing weight-- this keeps me going-- but i think you gotta get to the bottom of this-- maybe theres something in your life which you are unhappy with and thereforeeeee you are taking it out on the food-- i know what my problem was-- my exboyfriend-- wehn i started gaining weight-- he ddin't want to have sex with me anymore-- and thereforeeeee i would eat-- of course i kep on getting bigger and bigger so it just kept on going on and on and on-- it never stopped-- the day it stopped was when i got rid of him--since then i've lost some weight and i am very proud of myself-- i just gotta stick with it and know that in the long run its you that matters- no one else and if you really want this you gotta work hard at it--its not something thats gonna happen over night- it takes time but with a little determination anything and everything is possible-- hope this helps--lot sof luck and any questions..write back-- i have pretty good diet books and exercise routines--wishfulthinker--

Alright, let me help you with this. Im 16,5. I was always really fat, cos i did nothin but eating all the time,but I had lots of friends and everyone liked me. Lots of girls where going out wit me, but just as friends (i was their chubby friend whom they could trust)...One day,i fell in love with a girl. We made a relationship (my 3d) and everything was getting on fine. Finally she left me. I thought she left me cos i was really fat (c left me for other reasons though), so i got really angry wit my weight. I weighed over 250lbs so i decided i lost weight. After some researching (diet tips, calories stuff,exercising) i started diet, without telling to anyone. In 3 months time, i lost over 55lbs, and now, after 5 months i weigh 180 lbs, so i lost 70+ lbs in 5 months . What i did was really simple. I tried to take less than an amount of calories (really low though,sth like 600-800) i put as a limit every day. It was really hard, and people told me after that it is really unhealthy, but it worked fine for me. Changes were really noticeable. Ppl would not recognize me any more,ppl that i hadnt seen for many weeks were staring at me to find out who i was, relatives couldnt believe it was me. It was really fun. I did the diet all by myself, so i learned how to eat and how to preserve my weight. Now ive got girls looking at me all the time (i was really popular even before my diet, now im even more ) Anyway,thing is that in order to succeed, u must be determined to do this, and not calling it off for tomorrow and tomorrow...i mean, itll be 2-3 months that ull suffer, but after that ur life is going to change dramatically. Go for it!