First Steps

iVillage Member
Registered: 12-19-2003
First Steps
9
Tue, 05-30-2006 - 1:07pm

I'm exploring and trying to find the right diet for me.

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
In reply to: brigitroseo3
Tue, 05-30-2006 - 2:38pm

What depressed you about WW? Weight watchers is meant so that you do NOT feel deprived, since you can eat ANYTHING as long as you stay within your points. So please let me know what exactly happened to you so maybe I can help.


I follow the program and feel it works great for me, but everyone is different.


A Lot of the ladies here are on a counting calories plan and have had great success.

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 Karen


iVillage Member
Registered: 05-29-2006
In reply to: brigitroseo3
Tue, 05-30-2006 - 2:51pm

I'm not on the Weight Watchers program, but on a different one that is much more individualized for my lifestyle. These programs aren't designed to make you feel deprived because you can still eat whatever you want within the boundaries and not going over a certain point.

Hopefully you can find something that works for you. I've noticed that just cutting back my portion sizes and cutting certain foods out of my diet completely has helped me a ton. For instance, I was addicted to coke. So instead of cutting that out completely, I started drinking just one regular drink a day... then after a few months of that, I switched to diet. Now, I don't even drink my diet drinks anymore because I have cut back on my sodium intake, and all I drink is water... period.

Now, I'm not saying this will work the same for you, but the point I'm trying to make is that losing weight and keeping it off is a lifestyle makeover. Don't look at it as a diet because just the thought of being "on a diet" puts you in a psychological state of feeling deprived and it will signal more cravings and make you want to binge. It's proven that diets don't work, but someone committed to making themselves healthier and putting their all into a lifestyle makeover will succeed in not only dropping the weight, but keeping it off.

Good luck to ya!

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-16-2005
In reply to: brigitroseo3
Tue, 05-30-2006 - 2:57pm
I'm on Weight Watchers as well. I've only been back for about 3 weeks now, but I do know what you mean about feeling down for the first few days. It gets better. At least for me it has. When I began to go outside more to walk or ride my bike, I started feeling more alive. I am a hermit by nature, so this getting outside business is new to my body. I think the fresh air and sunshine have really helped my mood, plus just getting moving made me feel better. Both physically, because I know I'm finally doing something good for myself, and mentally/emotionally, because I'm not hiding inside 24/7 like I would normally do. Try again for another 2-3 weeks, and get outdoors as much as you possibly can--even if your just walking around the block REALLY slow-like I do. I think you'll find that your mood improves dramatically after the first few weeks. In any case, at least stick with some form of weight loss plan and come here often, because everyone here is in the same boat paddling like crazy in an upstream battle against the dreaded scale.:)
Good luck to you, whatever you decide to do.
Katherine
349.2/347.4/140 (starting weight/current weight/goal weight)
[That middle number will hopefully be less by tonight. Weigh-in is at 6pm)
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-11-2006
In reply to: brigitroseo3
Tue, 05-30-2006 - 3:20pm

Hi and welcome..

It's hard to know what direction to send you in because I don't know where you're starting from and what makes the most sense to you.

From my experience.. gradual changes work the best. I started out by eliminating soda and cutting back on fast food and doing a little bit of exercise.

My First 10% of Body Weight

iVillage Member
Registered: 12-19-2003
In reply to: brigitroseo3
Wed, 05-31-2006 - 1:49am

I'm starting at 257 my goal is 155.

iVillage Member
Registered: 12-19-2003
In reply to: brigitroseo3
Wed, 05-31-2006 - 1:52am
I don't really know why it depressed me, or whether that was what made me so down over the weekend.

iVillage Member
Registered: 12-19-2003
In reply to: brigitroseo3
Wed, 05-31-2006 - 1:52am
Thank you.

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-06-2006
In reply to: brigitroseo3
Wed, 05-31-2006 - 7:04am

Hello there and welcome to the board.


Do give WW's (or any other plan) a week or two before you decide against it. People are different and what works for someone wouldn't necessarily work for someone else. WW is a great plan and many people swear by it, but at the same time it might not be the choice for you. But again, do give it a fair chance. It might be the whole concept of 'being on a diet' that is making you feel this way and not necessarily WW.


Another thing to do is not to follow a formal plan and start gradual changes in your habits. This may seem less frustrating because you can go at your own pace and not feel overwhelmed when you change a lot of things at the same time. What you may do is try journaling. I know you have to journal with WW to calculate the points, but I don't mean that. I mean just journal what you eat and don't give point values or anything. And you can tick beside the food that you really eat out of hunger (and not boredom, or just because it's there, etc). Try this for a couple of days and then have an honest look at your journal and see where you can make changes. Decide for a goal or two and follow that for a week, then evaluate and so on.


And do come here to vent and share your daily struggles. It is easier when you see people facing the same

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iVillage Member
Registered: 01-25-2006
In reply to: brigitroseo3
Wed, 05-31-2006 - 9:42am

I just want to say welcome and good luck. Sounds like you have been through a lot in the last several years. I hope you find what is right for you in every aspect of your life not just weight loss. The only thing I can add is I don't like restrictive diets either and I eat whatever I want but count calories and try to stay below a certain level of calories. IF I really want somehting and it makes me go over though I don't beat myself up, might take me longer to lose but at least I am learning something in the process about food and about me. So maybe you won't get fast result but start slow and work your way up, restricting yourself greatly sounds like it does the same thing to you as it does to me, bums you out!!! Personally I restrict myself and then when I cave I feel like a failure and that is what bums me out. Maybe you are feeling a similar way. I just know I wish you the best of luck in whatever your decision is and welcome you here to vent, just talk, ask advice, or whatever you need.

ANgela
256/250.6/231 1st goal

 

Angela

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