Willpower: Urge...too...strong.

[Oneironaught]

I honesty don't know what I expect anyone to say to me but, maybe some one has some words that might be useful to myself or others.

The short of it is that I'm really trying to lose weight. I don't consider myself "fat" but, I've been at 185 pounds for the past five or more years now and I don't like it. I did a diet, where I simply eat less, about two or three months ago and I lost about 12 pounds. Then I got careless and gained it back again.

I'd say that about 187 pounds or so is my peak weight ever. For the past month almost, I've been eating much smaller meals and skipping meals. For the past two weeks or so, I've had only very small lunches (for example, today I ate three bananas for lunch) and either a small dinner or completely skipping dinner (as I did last night). I never eat breakfast and I try to avoid junk foods. I weighed myself today and I'm at 177. I'd love to be in the low to mid 160's and stay there.

I've always considered myself to have extremely strong will. Willpower has always been one of my strongest attributes, in every field: fidelity, drugs, etc... When I choose to do or not to do something, I'm rock solid about my resolve. I value my self-respect above all else and I always honor my word.

My problem here is that I'm hungry: always. When I eat "right" I'm fine but, as I try to scale back on my caloric intake, I'm in a constant battle with the grumble in my gut. I'm so tempted to chow down on some pizza or something but I have to fight the urge.

I don't know if there's anything I want to be told or if I'm just venting to solidify the intent of my journey. Sorry if reading this has been a waste of your time.

[Mes Tarrant]

Heya. :D

Well firstly breakfast is the most important meal of the day and should never ever ever be skipped. People tend to gain weight, not lose it, when they skip breakfast. It's a fact! :shock:

Secondly, I don't think eating very little is a good idea for the long term because you can only torture yourself with that for so long, ya know? You can have big portions, but here's the thing, they have to be healthy. A big portion of pizza won't do you any good. If you eat healthy, you'll be comfortably full, and you'll have plenty of energy too.

A lot of people eat when they're idle just because there's nothing else to do. I have some suggestions for that but it doesn't sound like you do that...

What sort of beverages do you drink?

Exercise is also important, not just for losing weight, but to keep your spirits up and release stress in a healthy way.

Umm.. I'm going to go now. :D

[Never]

First of all, I have always been thin no matter what, so I am no expert on weight loss, but I think I can help you out in a different way.

Probably the best thing you could possibly learn here is that "willpower" as it is often used, is a myth. People fail at losing weight, quitting smoking, etc, etc because they have the ridiculous (yet understandable) notion that they can somehow assert will over the workings of the subconscious mind and just deny feelings. It is utterly impossible. You will notice that for those who succeed at what they do and keep it that way, it is often not really even a struggle for them (not that it's easy, mind you). This is because they are not suppressing the desire to eat or smoke or whatever.

When you make the decision for example to quit drinking soda, first you should know how the craving system works. You are sitting in front of the TV which is usually when you drink sodas, because of this, the neurons in your head are associating TV with soda. Suddenly the image of a soda comes up and you feel the desire for one. What you should not do at this point is tell yourself that you don't want soda or try to think of something else. What you should do is realize the brain function that caused this and just watch it. Feel yourself craving the thing and examine it as though you were a scientist, curious as to how badly it can hurt you physically. The desire will evaporate before your mind's eye. I should add here that the reason you believe willpower has been working for you in other endeavors is because in those cases, you believe in yourself; you KNOW without a doubt that you can do it....do you see the similarity with the awarenes method? You are showing yourself how weak and stupid the cravings really are.

Keep in mind that for every activity you usually would drink soda during, it will trigger a desire for one. Also know that it only takes once each time to reprogram your mind to not associate these things anymore. For particularly strong desires (such as for a person quitting cigarettes), solid awareness of one's breath and nothing else will help as the craving fades away in no more than 3 minutes absolute maximum (or is it five?) When you really see how simple it all is, you will laugh at these sudden and brief desires for something you are now sure you do not need nor want. Remember that a craving is a very brief desire that only lasts a few minutes at the most. If you hold on for long enough, they will cease to be a problem as you watch with awareness each occurence. You will be rid of them forever.

On the subject of diet I know much, but only about health, not weight. I suggest though that you immediately cease all ingestion of trans fats, whether it helps with weight or not, and drink water, not soda.

Remember that you do not have to muscle your mind to obey, you simply have to understand it, and it will help you rather than hinder you. Do not think of it as the enemy....ever. Hope this helped somewhat.

[Oneironaught]

Heya. :D

Well firstly breakfast is the most important meal of the day and should never ever ever be skipped. People tend to gain weight, not lose it, when they skip breakfast. It's a fact! :shock:
Thanks for the reply. I usually eat lunch at 10:30 - 11 o'clock or so on weekdays. So that's my "breakfast".

Secondly, I don't think eating very little is a good idea for the long term because you can only torture yourself with that for so long, ya know? You can have big portions, but here's the thing, they have to be healthy. A big portion of pizza won't do you any good. If you eat healthy, you'll be comfortably full, and you'll have plenty of energy too.
I'm trying to change my eating habits towards more vegetables and less crap, like fried foods and cheesy stuff. Though, I love cheesy stuff.

A lot of people eat when they're idle just because there's nothing else to do. I have some suggestions for that but it doesn't sound like you do that...
I was like that with junk foods many years ago but, I rarely eat that kind of stuff anymore. I pretty much gave up junk food 5 or 6 years ago. That doesn't mean I completely abstain though. But I try really hard.

What sort of beverages do you drink?
Uh, oh. I see where this is going. I drink a lot of soda, mostly Dr.Pepper. Used to be Coca-Cola. I drink maybe 1-3 beers a week. Usually one or none. About 10 years ago, I was a beer brewer and drinker of many a brew but I pretty much cut that out. I drink very little alcohol now.

I also love orange juice and sweet tea, but un-sweetened is fine with me too.

Exercise is also important, not just for losing weight, but to keep your spirits up and release stress in a healthy way.
You're right. I don't get nearly enough exercise these days. 10 years ago was a different story but, today? Nope. I see you said in a different thread that you like to walk a lot. Perhaps we can walk together sometime? :)

[Oneironaught]

Remember that you do not have to muscle your mind to obey, you simply have to understand it, and it will help you rather than hinder you. Do not think of it as the enemy....ever. Hope this helped somewhat.
Thanks. I guess I'll have to increase the juice factor.

[.:Rob:.]

I don't want to sound like I'm lazy (even if I am :p, what I'm about to suggest doesn't necessarily make you lazy), there are loads of different bodybuilding supplements that can help you. Fat burners, testosterone boosters, stuff to increase you metabolism. They could help you a lot - even if they are pretty expensive. You don't need all that much willpower to swallow 3 or 4 tablets a day.

I saw your pics in the "post pics of youself w/o discussion thread" and you said you workout. Maybe you could work 15 minutes of HIIT cardio (http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/wotw40.htm)into your workout routine?

[Mes Tarrant]

Yeah, soda does terrible things, really. To your teeth, too! I drank a lot of soda when I was in high school (most kids did), then I got to college and stopped and lost like 20 lbs. :shock: I was slightly chubby in high school, and now it's the greatest thing ever, to be a "normal" girl, ya know? (Although I end up spending a lot at the mall because everything looks good, HEH.)

I'm always up for a long walk! :) It's getting really hot here though so I have to wait till later in the evening. *shakes fist at weather*

Anyhooooooo... do you cook? Eating healthy is not about getting rid of something tasty and replacing it with carrots or something. No one can keep that up and be happy. Eating healthy is about cooking something delicious but not drowning it in oil, etc etc.

[Never]

.....lest it be extra virgin olive oil, which is quite expensive. Still, I would use it rather than butter and especially margarine.

[Oneironaught]

I don't want to sound like I'm lazy (even if I am :p, what I'm about to suggest doesn't necessarily make you lazy), there are loads of different bodybuilding supplements that can help you. Fat burners, testosterone boosters, stuff to increase you metabolism. They could help you a lot - even if they are pretty expensive. You don't need all that much willpower to swallow 3 or 4 tablets a day.
Nope, not me. That crap is absolutely out of the question.

Anyhooooooo... do you cook? Eating healthy is not about getting rid of something tasty and replacing it with carrots or something. No one can keep that up and be happy. Eating healthy is about cooking something delicious but not drowning it in oil, etc etc.
I do cook, yes. I'm actually decent at it. I don't cook as often as I should but, my roommate (I hate that word; we don't share a room) cooks several nights a week. He's such a nice guy. I generally eat "fairly" healthy dinners, just in too large a portion. I have been cooking on the grill a few times a week though.

But, I almost never eat fast food crap. For example, I've had probably 5 fast food burgers in the past... 6 years maybe? Well, I have a Steak 'n' Shake patty melt (damn those are good) a few times a year. I actually got a Wendys cheeseburger kid's meal a few nights ago (only because I'm a sucker for dumb video game-themed toys and they have the Wii toys right now). I took one bite of the burger and threw it away. I couldn't eat it. It tasted like crap. So that dinner consisted of a teeny tiny soda and a small order of fries. Pitiful.

EDIT: I was just handed a peach :)

[Elwood]

im in the process of losing weight and im just doing 200 crunches a day, seems to be working :)

[vee]

After graduating from High School I weighed a lot for my height which was five foot one. I got a job at restaurant as a car hop. I didn't have a car. So I had to walk to work, walk while I was at work, and walk home. The route to work was about two miles distance. When I got home I was so tired I couldn't even eat. No breakfast. For lunch I had a bag of cheese puffs, and a coke. I ate supper at the diner during my break. A cheeseburger, french fries and a coke and for desert strawberry pie with whipped cream. It turned out I dropped down to 115 in two weeks. I didn't even know that it had happened it was so fast. I had to start pinning my mini skirts tighter. This was a long time ago. Eat Less and excersise a lot. Good Luck.
Budhabee

[Moonbeam]

Lift weights. Building muscle is the best way to change your body. Walking is good too.

Eat more protein and non-starchy vegetables (green ones) and less fruit (don't eat 3 bananas for lunch!). One or two fruits a day is OK, but no more. Berries are best, also kiwi fruit. Cut out all sweets, including soda, except for dark chocolate if you have to. Soda is poison. Eat a moderate amount of good fats, including nuts, but be careful, they have a lot of calories. Try not to eat out, espeically at fast food.

If you are really serious, you should probably count calories, and make sure you get enough protein.

A low carb diet is best for losing fat and gaining muscle at the same time. You can't have too much muscle. Even if you are a little chubby, big muscles go a long way to improving health and appearance (IMO).`

P.S. If you find it really hard to resist sweets, maybe you could make a bet with someone. Me and my Bf do this all the time; I usually end up losing but it really keeps it down to a minimum. Find someone else who wants to do it with you. I'll bet with you if you want; I ate 7 peanut butter cookies day before yesterday, but I started over again yesterday. My BF has gone all this year without sweets (he's a pizza binger) so I can't compete with him anymore. It's all on your honor, of course, and for the glory. Let me know if you think it would help.

[Oneironaut]

Four words:

Eat Less, more often.

What you want to do is quicken your metabolism. Your body gets used to eating three - or in our cases, two - meals a day. (seeing as how I usually skip breakfast, too) You want your metabolism to begin getting used to handling and processing more, periodic, food intake, per day. Still watch the calories, watch the fat and carbs, watch the sodium and eat high on the proteins but, if you can manage it, take your 3 (or 2) normal meals a day and change them to 5 or so small meals a day.
As far as exercise, get at least 2-3 days of good 15-30 mins (at least) of cardio workouts a week and, as Moonbeam said, weight training is a great way to burn off the fat, turning it into muscle. Growing up, I was always a slightly heavy-set kid. I fluctuated between 210 and 220lbs all through middle-school and high-school and none of it was muscle. I happened to get serious about losing weight and, at the same time, got much more interested in gaining muscle. Since then, (mostly through cardio) I've gotten down to 180lbs and (through the weight training) gotten back up to 215lbs, but that's because of the visible muscle I've built, since I started weight training.

Sodas have to go. Believe me, not too many people have had a bigger soda fetish than me, at one point in time, but all it takes is the drive to stop it long enough to start working out and seeing results. I used to live on junk food. Seriously. But after you are able to put them aside long enough to start seeing results, you are also showing your body that it doesn't "need" these fixes that it's been developed to desire (basically, junk). If you're anything like me, before too long, you'll find yourself effortlessly turning down sodas and other junk, even when it's right in front of you. Your cravings change, and keeping the weight off becomes much much easier.

[Mes Tarrant]

I agree about the soda thing! After I went cold turkey on it, I haven't been able to drink it in excess... ever again. I just don't like it like I used to.

[Oneironaught]

I'll bet with you if you want; I ate 7 peanut butter cookies day before yesterday, but I started over again yesterday. ...It's all on your honor, of course, and for the glory. Let me know if you think it would help.
Deal! Let the staring contest begin.

*stares down Moonbeam with a cold, steely look that could melt glass*

Thanks, also, to everyone else. Oneironaut and Mes (and others) the soda thing is what I have to work at. But I follow what you're telling me. I'll start weening myself.

[Moonbeam]

Deal! Let the staring contest begin.

*stares down Moonbeam with a cold, steely look that could melt glass*



OK, you just decide what you want your bet to be: you could make it no soda. Mine is easy to pick, but hard to do: no sweets.

Now, after you decide what you want your side of the bet to be, if you break it you have to post in here and let people see. I'll do the same. I'm regretting it already...but I do have an eating disorder with all kinds of sweets, so the threat of public humiliation will help me. We can make it last as long as you want; maybe for the rest of this year?

If anybody else wants to do it, they can too. Just say what you don't want to eat, and then you have to post here if you do eat it, and suffer the consequences.

(Exception: Lucid Dream eating! This is good because it helps me get lucid. We could post any lucid experiences too.)

If this is too weird, let me know.

[Oneironaught]

OK, you just decide what you want your bet to be: you could make it no soda. Mine is easy to pick, but hard to do: no sweets.
Oh, well I thought we were doing sweets so that's what I'm going with. Candy, chips, any kind of snack food. Wait, does trail mix count?

Anyway, I haven't had any junk food for almost a week now. I had two small coffee cake things in the week before that.

I have already started the ween from sodas but I don't think I want to give them up completely, just cut way back. I've been drinking orange juice all day.

I had a medium-sized apple and a large tomato for lunch (bought two kiwi fruits, too, but haven't eaten them yet) and 6 tiny fried chicken wing pieces for dinner. I'm actually not feeling too starved so I'll be alright. For awhile at least. I actually turned down some candy crap that a friend offered me today. It sure looked good though.

So sweets it is. For a month? Starting today. On your mark, get set, GO!

If this is too weird, let me know.
Too weird? Or not weird enough? :D

[Moonbeam]

OK! Go! We'll do sweets AND chips, good idea. I don't think trail mix counts, if it is dried fruit and nuts. (I'd still go easy on that tho, LOTS of calories.) This is going to be hard for me, because I have a trip coming up and that is a traditional bad eating time, so I'm glad to have the extra inspiration.

Pinkies are pulled and the bet is on! Anybody else?

[Twoshadows]

Hey Oneironaught and Moonbeam--

I need to be in on this one too. For the last month I have kind of been lax and have gone from being raw vegan back to just vegan. I was starting to eat less raw fruits and veggies and eating some processed foods. And I have noticed my energy level has dropped and I don't feel as well.

So I'd like to join in this little support group. And my goal is to eat RAW vegan. I have a very few things on my "Okay List" that am letting myself eat that are not raw vegan. But my goal is to stick to that list. I actually started being strict again on Monday and so far have done great.

Good luck you guys. We'll all do great!!

Edit:

And by the way Moonbeam, I'm on vacation right now. Actually I'm at my mom's at this very moment--but I am heading out tomorrow and will be gone for a couple more days. I have an ice chest that I have fruits and carrots and salad stuff, etc. And I also have my raw nuts. So I'm palnning to stick with it even though I will be surrounded by difficult situations.

[Mes Tarrant]

Twoshadows, why are you vegan?? :o Seems intense. :D

[Twoshadows]

Twoshadows, why are you vegan?? :o Seems intense. :D

I have a sister that is going through cancer for the second time, and it is looking pretty bad. She's the one I'm traveling to see this weekend.

Anyway, from my research I feel that the raw vegan diet is the best for preventing cancer and other diseases. I just really don't want to get cancer. Eating this way makes me feel like I have some control over it.

[Oneironaught]

You're welcome to join us anytime, TS :)

I couldn't handle the vegan diet but, if it works for you then you have my best wishes. As always.

[Moonbeam]

And by the way Moonbeam, I'm on vacation right now. Actually I'm at my mom's at this very moment--but I am heading out tomorrow and will be gone for a couple more days. I have an ice chest that I have fruits and carrots and salad stuff, etc. And I also have my raw nuts. So I'm palnning to stick with it even though I will be surrounded by difficult situations.

:clap:Yay TS is with us! You can do it; you did for a long time before and I remember you saying how good it made you feel. You inspired me then and I know what you are doing is much harder than what I am doing, so you will inspire me now. I will think of both you and Gh when I am tempted to binge on cookies or something, and knowing that I will have to post my failure may be enough to keep me from doing it. (Als, knowing that you consider slipping into a mere vegan diet, rather than raw vegan, as failing, makes my efforts to avoid eating a whole cheesecake seem a little silly. I need that reality check. Which I will also do if I find myself eating sweets, because it will be a dream!)

Have a good vacation!

[Oneironaught]

:bang: It's been what, two days? I accidentally failed the challenge.

It's Father's Day so I took my Dad out to eat. He wanted to go to the Chinese buffet, fine. I was such as good boy; I ate one plate of mostly vegetable dishes. I didn't add any extra crap, like hot oil. I ordered UN-sweetened tea when I order sweet almost every "normal" time.

I had brussel sprouts, broccoli, mixed vegetables, rice, a small portion of a shrimp dish and chicken dish. Topped it off with 5 small pork ribs. That's the largest daily intake I've had in three weeks.

Then the bill comes, along with fortune cookies. It's force of habit: I grab the fortune cookie, tear off the plastic, break it in half, stick half in my mouth and read the paper inside.

Yeah, I put half in my mouth, chewed on it then suddenly realized: "Oh sh!t. I just lost." :( I quickly put the other half down and didn't eat it.

Confucius say: YOU SUCK!

So, even though it was completely un-intentional and only a small failure, I've failed none the less.

Thus:

Oneironaught: -1 (June 17, '07)

New Alpha objective = July 17, '07
Beta objective = Longer

[arby]

I'm not sure if any body's mentioned it but when you feel hungry, its often that you're actually thirsty. When you feel hungry, try drinking some water instead.

Most people are normally dehydrated. Drinking water regularly makes a big difference 0.o

[Adam]

Not read all the replies, so you might have had your answer but here is my take on it. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day for the reason that, when you first awake this is when you metabolism is at its fastest so breaks down the food quicker. Also eating breakfast gives you energy to get through the day, or at least till lunch and keeps you metabolism moving along. Skipping breakfast puts your body on starvation mode, and by this it will store excess fat from what every else you eat in the day to provide energy later on.

Eating breakfast will ensure you have the right energy levels and will mean your lunh is burnt off quicker.

What do you do excercise wise? This is also important. Its not just what you eat, its how active you are. I try to play football 3 times a week and go running a couple. I also eat fruit for breakfast and a smoothie and for lunch a soup or something followed by a healthy dinner, steak and vegetables :)

Good luck :)

[Oneironaught]

I haven't eaten breakfast for probably 16 years. But I almost always eat an early lunch (10:30 - 11:30 range).

[Moonbeam]

So, even though it was completely un-intentional and only a small failure, I've failed none the less.


Gh, if I could stop at half a fortune cookie, I wouldn't have any problems at all.

Please don't give up just because of one small accidental failure. I have a tendency to say, oh well, I ate one cookie, might as well eat another 10. But it doesn't sound like you are giving up. If I were to blow it, I would have to report the most embarrassing mass quantity ever seen, it would make you want to hurl.

Nevertheless, to teach you a lesson so you don't forget again, we have to publically humiliate you...hmm, what is the most humiliating smiley.... :doh::shakehead2:

The bet resumes! I don't think you'll forget again! You are just not used to thinking about what you eat all the time. The bet is working for me already, I thought about you guys at the grocery store this morning, and passed right by the tempting areas.

[Twoshadows]

gh--

I agree --don't be too hard on yourself. Accidentally eating half a fortune cookies is nothing like giving in and eating a package of oreos.

There were a couple of times this weekend that I wanted to slip up "just a little"--but I didn't because of this "bet" here.

So this is making a difference and helping already.

Thanks for the support guys! Together we'll do this.

:hug:

[Xaqaria]

Well, first of all I definitely agree with whoever said not to skip breakfast. The purpose of breakfast is too jump start your metabolism and get your body burning energy after the night's rest. The best way to do breakfast is to just eat a piece of fruit or something small that will get your stomach working.

Another good way to avoid useless calories is to drink water as much as possible. This also boosts your metabolism and drops off any sugar you would be taking in from juice or soda or the fat in milk. This is especially easy to accomplish in the summer when I tall glass of ice water is the most satisfying.

The key to anything of this nature is not trying to use your will power to force yourself to do things you don't want to, but to research and find ways that you can enjoy.

[Moonbeam]

There were a couple of times this weekend that I wanted to slip up "just a little"--but I didn't because of this "bet" here.

So this is making a difference and helping already.

Thanks for the support guys! Together we'll do this.

:hug:

Good! I'm glad it's helping you too. It would be funny if this works for me, because my BF and I are always making bets which involve money or doing onerous household chores. Then one of us breaks it and doesn't pay based on some technicality (he tried to claim once that "pear bread" wasn't a sweet), or one of us asks to call the bet off and we both give in.

P.S. I mean "when" not "if".

[King and God]

I have ignored reading everything but the first post, so some of the things may have been mentioned already.

I'd say that about 187 pounds or so is my peak weight ever. For the past month almost, I've been eating much smaller meals and skipping meals. For the past two weeks or so, I've had only very small lunches (for example, today I ate three bananas for lunch) and either a small dinner or completely skipping dinner (as I did last night). I never eat breakfast and I try to avoid junk foods. I weighed myself today and I'm at 177. I'd love to be in the low to mid 160's and stay there.

My problem here is that I'm hungry: always. When I eat "right" I'm fine but, as I try to scale back on my caloric intake, I'm in a constant battle with the grumble in my gut. I'm so tempted to chow down on some pizza or something but I have to fight the urge.

No wonder you are feeling hungry all the time. Three bananas is not a good choice of a meal. Bananas are a good source of carbs, but they have very low amounts of proteins and fats. You need balanced meals with protein, carbs and fats to feel physically well.

The following foods are healthy and I would recommend you to start eating them:
- Tuna (high on protein, but low on carbs and fats)
- Oats (very high on carbs and also has decent amounts of proteins and fats)
- Bananas (good amount of carbs)
- Eggs (good on protein and fats)

In my meals I will usually eat a can of tuna for the proteins, two raw eggs for more protein aswell as the healthy fats and a banana or two for the carbs.

[Marvo]

Excercise, stop skipping meals, you need them, don't eat (too much) fast-food.

You'll be lighter in no time.

[Oneironaught]

No wonder you are feeling hungry all the time. Three bananas is not a good choice of a meal. Bananas are a good source of carbs, but they have very low amounts of proteins and fats. You need balanced meals with protein, carbs and fats to feel physically well.
Hehe. Well, that was just an example from that day. But still, point taken. Actually, most days in the past few weeks I've been eating vegetables and some fruits for lunch. For example, here's my lunches from the past week:

Monday, I had 1 bagel with a small amount of turkey on it (sandwich), one star fruit (carambola) and some misc raw vegetables. Water.

Tues, I had 1 avocado, three plum tomatoes, and one mango. Orange Juice.

Two days ago, I had 2 kiwi, one peach, an a can of mixed vegetables. Water.

Yesterday I had a can of spinach, one apple, and two plum tomatoes. Water.

Today, I had a can of spinach, one pear, three tiny dill pickles, and a green bell pepper. Water.

Besides my accidentally eating half of a fortune cookie on Father's Day, I've had zero sweets or junk food. I've had no sweet tea and only one soda a day for at least a week now. Some days no soda at all. Mostly water (which is hard for me but I'm getting used to it - still don't like it though) and some orange juice. Only one beer in the past week and a half. Oh, and one or two cups of coffee on week days.

My dinners have been small portions of meat and vegetables and rice a couple of times.

Though, I'm happy to say that the feeling of constant starvation has passed almost a week ago.

[King and God]

Monday, I had 1 bagel with a small amount of turkey on it (sandwich), one star fruit (carambola) and some misc raw vegetables. Water.

Tues, I had 1 avocado, three plum tomatoes, and one mango. Orange Juice.

Two days ago, I had 2 kiwi, one peach, an a can of mixed vegetables. Water.

Yesterday I had a can of spinach, one apple, and two plum tomatoes. Water.

Today, I had a can of spinach, one pear, three tiny dill pickles, and a green bell pepper. Water.

Besides my accidentally eating half of a fortune cookie on Father's Day, I've had zero sweets or junk food. I've had no sweet tea and only one soda a day for at least a week now. Some days no soda at all. Mostly water (which is hard for me but I'm getting used to it - still don't like it though) and some orange juice. Only one beer in the past week and a half. Oh, and one or two cups of coffee on week days.

My dinners have been small portions of meat and vegetables and rice a couple of times.

Though, I'm happy to say that the feeling of constant starvation has passed almost a week ago.

Rice is good to eat too. It is a great source of carbs and it is cheap. I didn't think of mentioning it in my previous post.

Anyways, I think you are getting insufficient amounts of protein and fat. I'm not 100% sure about vegetables' nutritional content, but I think they are high in carbs and low in proteins and fats. Fruits are at least high in carbs and low in proteins and fats in general.

So I would advise you to start eating some of the stuff I mentioned in my previous post.

[Mes Tarrant]

Yeah eating fruits for lunch is definitely better than some of the alternatives, but eating just fruits isn't going to do much for your body. I think you need something with more substance (but not fat). Maybe a fresh sandwich? Also, I know you have a bet and all going on right now, but in general giving up sweets entirely probably isn't necessary. Sweets play a role too. It's all about paying attention to the food pyramid (and avoiding fast food).

Having said that, I went.. well, was dragged to a Wendy's tonight. ;)

[MSG]

DDR. Need I say more?

No joke, I used to be fat.

[Oneironaught]

Yeah eating fruits for lunch is definitely better than some of the alternatives, but eating just fruits isn't going to do much for your body. I think you need something with more substance (but not fat). Maybe a fresh sandwich? Also, I know you have a bet and all going on right now, but in general giving up sweets entirely probably isn't necessary. Sweets play a role too. It's all about paying attention to the food pyramid (and avoiding fast food).
I know, I know. I'm still playing around to see what's going to work. Honestly, I lost more weight quicker the last time I tried and all I did then was eat less of the same 'ole crap. This time, I've cut out everything I like and progress is ridiculously slow. Though, it is nice to re-discover the deliciousness of nature.

Having said that, I went.. well, was dragged to a Wendy's tonight. ;)
Don't feel bad. I had Wendy's kids meals for dinner a couple of times in the past two weeks. Every time they have Nintendo toys I just can't resist. So I end up buying dinner for every one just so I can get the dumb toys :shakehead2:

DDR. Need I say more?

No joke, I used to be fat.
As soon as the grass starts growing like crazy again I'll be getting exercise every week or two again. In fact, it's due to be cut now but it'll have to wait until Monday. That's about 4-5 hours of sweating, pushing and grunting. Actually, that sounds sexy: gotta' go.

[Spamtek]

DDR was my magic bullet for staying slim, but my 4th good soft pad broke recently and I can AA 'Max 300' hardly breaking a sweat, so the challenge starts to wear thin. I've tried taking up jogging but the gait does strange things to my knees. I don't think it's because I'm too fat (10-15 extra pounds, but I'm no jellyroll), but I just can't find a comfortable way to run. I have decent running shoes too, so it's a bummer.

DDR > Running in my book just because the distraction of having to coordinate your feet and listen to the music lets you really work up sweat on tough songs without realizing you're doing it. Unfortunately if you're not already good at it/don't even have the game and a good pad, then the time and money investment needed to develop your skill to the point where you're playing really demanding songs is considerable, and hard to commit to.

This seems not to be your problem, but the reason my diet attempts fail is just because I have no dependable, alternative forms of entertainment or satisfaction other than calorie-dense foods. It sounds pretty pathetic, but I'm living in a new place over the summer with no friends around, I have no appreciable talents or hobbies to keep myself busy with, and unfortunately I have a giant nihilistic complex that makes me believe that nothing I do will be enjoyable, and it's hard to forget about it long enough to remember that it's usually wrong. So I try to maintain high-produce low-carb diet, but when so much of my life is spent wondering to do that's fun and rejecting all the creative solutions, usually my only recourse seems to be the box of cookies in the pantry. What was my record for staying true to my diet? I think it was four days. And when I crash, I crash hard enough to cancel out all my successes - like Moonbeam says, if we've had one cookie, why not 10?

a couple days ago I couldn't find anything to nosh on to relieve the tension, so I brought out ingredients to make two dozen sugar cookies. Hey, that's fine, I can just have one and then pass the rest off to family or the neighbors. No big deal. Oh, that never happened... actually, the cookies never even got baked. I was so impatient I just ate two dozen cookies' worth of dough.

oogh...

Anyways, I agree that willpower is misunderstood. Put a hungry man in front of a forbidden food all day long and he will crack. But distract him - with work, hobbies, friends, etc. - and he won't remember he's hungry long enough to crack. For me, at least, my willpower to resist something is positively related to how many other things I have to distract myself with instead.

----

Also, about breakfast: I think it's bollocks. Ideally, I only eat when I'm hungry - actually stomach-hungry, not gratification-seeking hungry - and I'm never hungry when I wake up. I think this is about as simple as it gets: if I needed food when I woke up, I'd be getting a signal. Human bodies have had hundreds of thousands of years calibrating this process to get it right, and if I wake up not hungry then I take that as an accurate signal that I don't need food right now and I trust my body to know that much by now. So I usually start eating 11:00-12:00 noon. That's when I need it.

Also keep in mind that the human body wasn't designed to be full all the time, either. "Less food more often" sounds good on paper and seems to make clear sense when considering blood sugar and appetite trends, yet there's scientific evidence that starving yourself every now and then improves blood markers across the board, from insulin sensitivity to cholesterol profiles to C-Reactive protein levels (inflammation). This is Intermittent Fasting, and can be implemented several different ways - either eating for only 6 consecutive hours in every 24-hour day, or fasting completely for 24 hours out of every 2 of 3 days. Either way the point is to actually give your body some rest from digesting and being satiated and remind it that it doesn't live in a land of plenty (even though it does) where it can relax and get fat and unfit.

[Mes Tarrant]

Don't diss breakfast. A minimum amount of research will tell you just how important it is.

If you go several hours without eating, your body will stop feeling hungry. Does that mean that you suddenly don't need food? No.

I love DDR but yeah it's not as effective nowadays because the challenge is wearing off.

[.:Rob:.]

I did a little resaerch and found this (http://www.lifespan.org/services/nutrition/articles/breakfast.htm)article that said "Eating breakfast can raise metabolism by as much as 10 percent".

[Spamtek]

If you go several hours without eating, your body will stop feeling hungry. Does that mean that you suddenly don't need food? No.

Yes...? My body can live off its own reserves of energy for weeks. Hunger indicates that I am low on nutritive resources (calories, sugar, etc) and that I need to find a way to get those into my body. The easiest way is eating, of course. If I don't manage to do that soon enough though, my body will figure things out: convert fat or protein or glycogen stores into glucose, or even start running on ketone bodies. It has a lot of backup mechanisms. Either way it gets what it needs and I stop being hungry. In that situation then, whether I gave my body quick calories or made it make its own from my energy stores, my body is satisfied and I no longer need to eat: no more hunger.

Obviously if I ignore it for long enough then my energy stores will become so low that eating is my only recourse. This is when real starvation hunger sets in, which is maddening and something I would not be able to ignore for very long.

Keep in mind that hunger is not signalling that I should eat, but even more basically, that I should get up and find something to eat. A state of hunger is well noted for increasing brain function and activity levels in pretty much all creatures developed enough to experience it, from humans to rats to spiders. This makes sense: we need that boost of motivation and ability to go and grab some tubers or catch a rabbit.

Don't just dis it because it rakes against what all the smiling diet gurus in the media have nodded their heads to. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calorie_restriction#Intermittent_fasting_as_an_alt ernative_approach)

But I think this thread is veering off course... what have I done? For the record, if you wake up hungry then by all the means granted by the gods, eat breakfast until you're full. It'd be ridiculous not to. But it would be equally ridiculous to eat breakfast if you had no appetite for it.

[Mes Tarrant]

Have you even looked at Rob's article?

[Spamtek]

Have you even looked at Rob's article?
If "study after study affirms that [breakfast is the most important meal of the day]", then why didn't they reference any studies? Why don't the studies referenced on this page (http://www.cspinet.org/nah/11_99/great_debate.html) (I hate Nutrition Action newsletter, but at least they cite sources) come to any clear conclusion, then, if "studies show" that breakfast rocks the house, always, all the time?

Even if studies could point us in a definite direction as to how to regard mandatory breakfast sentences, there's no obvious consensus I know of to go by yet. Given that, why don't I trust my own appetite instead of what a bunch of guys in white lab coats (half of whom have pockets lined with cash from Kellogg's) insist is good for me? Or even better, why don't I go by (as of yet) unconflicted evidence (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calorie_restriction#Intermittent_fasting_as_an_alt ernative_approach) that going for a time without food might actually make me healthier and smarter (BDNF)?

Are you at all asserting that people should ever, at any time, eat even when they're not hungry? Would you take a shower if you didn't feel dirty, or go the bathroom if you felt you didn't have to?

[Mes Tarrant]

Or perhaps I can have a severe brain disorder and not take medications for it because my body tells me I don't have to.

I do shower if I don't feel dirty. I don't have to be caked in grime to shower. I shower every evening. It's part of good hygeine, to not wait until you can't take it anymore. I also brush my teeth twice a day, even if my breath doesn't smell horrific.

I may also go to the bathroom if I don't particularly need to just to be safe if I'm getting ready to go for a long car ride.

I'm not trying to convince you to eat breakfast. If not eating it works for you, more power to you. But eating breakfast does wonders for certain people. Okay? Why are you so hell bent on this.

If one website doesn't reference any studies, go to a different one and find studies yourself. Perhaps it's just not a well made website.

[Pelirrojo]

Honestly, I've seen so many threads like this, I didn't read the whole thing.... I just want to tell you what worked for me and be on my way :D

I noticed somebody say DDR... It's true, DDR is great cardio! Probably less terrible on your knees than running, and more fun for a lot of people too I'm sure.

Start doing pushups. It might seem kind of contradictory, but building muscle will help you lose fat. You'll gain weight, but become slimmer because the muscle will replace the fat. Of course, muscle weighs more than fat, so you'll gain weight... Just don't pay attention to the scale :-P

Even just one set of pushups a day will get you some nice results for a while, and then it gets harder... But you can get some huge improvements very easily. Do one set of like 15 or however many is pretty tiring but not quite to exhaustion. Then bump your target up by 1 every other day. In a couple weeks you should see some big improvements!

A note... If you start lifting weights to build muscle, don't be afraid to eat a lot. If you're working hard, your body will NEED those extra calories. Just try to put good stuff into your body. When I was really going to the gym hardcore I was probably getting 3-4000 calories a day, but I burned off pretty much all the flabbiness and turned it into muscle :D

Counting calories is a good idea. I've always counted the calories I take in, but I never really act on it. I'll look at something and be like "man, this is 400 calories!", and then eat it anyways :-P I think just acknoledging the fact that you're eating however many calories you are is good, and subconsciously you'll be more likely to feel full after a big calorie meal.

Sorry if I'm repeating somebody here, but I hope this helps :D

[jmp]

I'd like to be on this no-sweets thing aswell. Not because I fear the humiliation, as I have not been here long enough to be able to fear it. ;)
Mostly so I know somebody else out there will be disappointed that I failed, that I gave in.

So if you'll have me..?

[Oneironaught]

I'd like to be on this no-sweets thing aswell. Not because I fear the humiliation, as I have not been here long enough to be able to fear it. ;)
Mostly so I know somebody else out there will be disappointed that I failed, that I gave in.

So if you'll have me..?
Sure, welcome aboard. Your month starts now.

Welcome to DreamViews as well.

[Adam]

Just thought I would check on your progress and seems you're doing the right things still. One thing though mate, regular excersise really will imrpove your goal so much, not to mention improve your general happiness and attitude towards things.

I found when I broke with my ex I was all depressed, eating crap and never excersised and gained about 2st/30lbs. I went from about 10st/140lbs to over 12st/170lbs. Then when I snapped out of this was when I started to eat right and excersise a lot. I am about my ideal weight now of 11st/150lbs. The excersise does make you feel happier and now have a balanced diet and because of the excersise get to eat what I want in moderation. I try to run or play football about 3/4 times a week and often will do some push-ups or sit-up each day too.

Just food for thought (pardon the pun).

Keep up the good work :)

[Moonbeam]

spamtek is right, RE: don't eat if you're not hungry. All the scientific evidence points to the fact that less is more when it comes to calories, if you are talking quantity of life, prevention, and reversal of disease. I refer you to the Calorie Restriction Society, where you can fine multiple references on the subject of limiting food intake to improve every aspect of health. This really is no longer in debate if you read the (thousands of) published articles; the evidence is there. Both periodic fasting and limiting calories overall are shown to be effective. Unfortunately, we are talking quantity of life, not always necessarily perceived quality, for some people (me included.)

And spamtek--I totally sympathize with your situation. I hope that you can find some distractions to help you thru this time. Join us in our struggle and let fellowship support you.

However, unfortunately, I have failed myself and my friends here and I have something to confess. I just got back from a week-long trip. I was doing great, eating out but being sensible, no desserts, remembering you guys all the time and glad to have reason not to be tempted. The last night, we went to a show, then out by the lake to watch fireworks. Wait, let me back up and describe the dinner first. We ate sushi, which I love, but which my BF doesn't. I drank some sake, which was yukky, so to kill the taste I had some nice red wine. Then we had some more time to kill, so we went to a mexican cantina. I ordered a mojito, and my BF ordered two big appetizers because he was still hungry and a straberry daiquiri. I ate some of the appetizers and helped him with his drink. We went to the show, like I said, and then out to by the lake. There was a Ben and Jerry's stand...and without even thinking I went over and got a large chocolate-chip cookie dough ice cream and ate it as I watched the fireworks. I didn't even realize what I had done until the next day, when I was eating out again and I thought about dessert, then thought about the bet, then remembered what I had done the night before. I was so upset that I got a huge chocolate cookie, a box of Sno-caps, and a big bag of Hershey's kisses and ate them in the car. The chocolate fumes overwhelmed my BF, who hasn't eaten sweets this whole entire year, and he stopped the car and got some junk food too. (I tried to stop him, I said that i was going to embarrass him in the store, but I didn't, and he got like honey-roasted nuts and sweet pretzels, so technically he is still claiming no sweets this year.)

So that is the sordid story. I'm sorry I failed myself and ashamed that I have to report this to you. I would like to be back in for a second round after declaring myself the big loser, if that is OK.

Gh--congratulations, you're doing great! I will think of you for inspiration.

jmp--Hello, I'm Moonbeam, and I'm a foodaholic. Welcome to DV and our support group. Have fun!

[Oneironaught]

Adam, thanks.

Moonbeam, you may feel that you've disappointment us but, your having the guts to confess still makes me proud of you. And that honesty is possibly more important than whether or not you eat some sweets. Your involvement in this "challenge" is something you must do for yourself, not for us. And that holds true for each involved. If you've reduced your junk food intake then it's all worth it. Me, I've completely cut out almost everything I like. But still, every cut I make right now is up to me and is done solely for myself.

That said: You suck :D But you're still ok in my book. Just do your best.

Now, I'd like to hear where TS is at on this. So far you and I are down by one.

I have an ace up my sleeve in that I DON'T eat like crazy when I'm depressed. A lot of people eat or drink when they feel bad but I'm the opposite. I eat and drink less when feeling bad. I'm not saying I'm feeling bad, though. I've actually been feeling wonderful lately (except for one bout of feeling very depressed for most of one day), thanks to some one who I probably shouldn't call out right now. But my eternal thanks goes out to her.

Enough rambling. Moonbeam, you and I suck. Now let's just except that and move on ;)

[Moonbeam]

Enough rambling. Moonbeam, you and I suck. Now let's just except that and move on ;)

Right! I bet TS has got us beat...

[Twoshadows]

Right! I bet TS has got us beat...
Right..haha...I ate a cinamon roll last Friday night. I was out with friends, we had all gone to a all you can eat BBQ place. I was surrounded by all kinds of stuff I couldn't eat. I should never have agreed to go.

But--I did really good by eating a huge salad and watermelon--I did slurge on cole slaw and a few beans. Then I felt like since I had done so well at giving up all the meat and other big no-nos, I treated myself with a cinomon roll.

Later I felt bad. But this past week I have uped the exercise. So that's making me feel rather good. I even lifted weights one day (I really need to get that going on a regular schedule!!).

Anyway...that's where I am.

[Oneironaught]

Right..haha...I ate a cinamon roll last Friday night.
I was just about to laugh at you...

But--I did really good by eating a huge salad and watermelon--I did slurge on cole slaw and a few beans. Then I felt like since I had done so well at giving up all the meat and other big no-nos, I treated myself with a cinomon roll.
...but then I remembered that your goal was to stick to the vegan diet. You're allowed sweets. (I think this contest is rigged.)

Which means you came here only to taunt us, didn't you? Now go eat your cinnamon buns and shut the pie hole :bigteeth:

Wait, doesn't cole slaw juice have animal by-products? I'll have to check in to that one.

I have been tempted many times though. I even held two of those little packs of saltine crackers that have two to a pack today. I thought real hard then threw them away. Why did I have to say sweets AND junk food? Oh well, only a few more weeks then I'm getting a piece of something, I don't care what.

[Twoshadows]

Actually, I don't get sweets. I can't eat white sugar. I don't even eat bread.

Don't be jealous of my diet.

No, I shouldn't have eaten the cole slaw or the beans, either. The cole slaw probably had sugar in the dressing, plus other things I shouldn't eat. And the beans were cooked (and who knows what else was in with them--they could have had bacon greese added.:shock:) But I only had a spoonful of each. So I'm hoping it didn't to too much harm.

I can make a few sweets at home using certain ingredients--using dates or agave for sweetening. So that helps me some.

It sounds like you are actually doing great. Keep it up!

[Moonbeam]

I wish my screw up was as minimal as yours, TS. I always have problems getting back to doing the right thing. But so far, so good.

:thumbup: to weight lifting! (Hint to Gh! And add some protein to your lunch!)

[Twoshadows]

Yeah, I know how hard it can be after a screw up. But I know you can do it, Moonbeam....:).

Just think how you want to be all healthy and fit when you hike the Grand Canyon...:D.

[Moonbeam]

Yeah, I know how hard it can be after a screw up. But I know you can do it, Moonbeam....:).

Just think how you want to be all healthy and fit when you hike the Grand Canyon...:D.

Destroying your faith in me would be more than I could bear. You have helped me immensely. I will think of hiking the Grand Canyon before the first bite. I just hope I don't have a couple drinks and forget again. Vacation's over, so probably not.

[bro]

Oh shit, just reading this thread makes me sick. Yeah It's ok to watch what you eat, but don't go to excess by skipping meals. That is probably the worst you could do. This past year I became worried about my weight (no joke) and started to nearly fast every day. I came close to being hospitalized, and only realized just as I entered the weight danger-zone that these were anorexic behaviors, and thus was diagnosed with just that disorder, (though I don't think it was exactly that).

As Oneiro said, better to slightly lessen your amounts each meal and add more meals, but again, everything in moderation, don't go all out, your body will not like that.

I think Ideally you should have as he said, 5 smallish meals a day, (don't stuff, but don't leave feeling hungry), and start doing some situps or crunches. start low.

Listen, your body has a way of regulating itself, You choose what you put in, but you have to satisfy it in a healthy way. Skipping meals and starving, will only make you gain the weight back when you lose motivation, so small steps,good choices, NOT TINY AMOUNTS, THAT ONLY WOKS TEMPORARILY- set resonable goals...

Feel free to PM me, I'd love to help you with a moderate outlook

[Mes Tarrant]

I'm iffy on the whole 5 meals a day thing.... :? I would say 3 meals a day with snacks in the middle. See, having multiple meals a day is how people manage to negate the effects of gastric bypass surgery.

[Moonbeam]

You are right, Bro. We are all trying to be healthy with the diets that we have each decided are best for each of us. Everyone has to find what works best for them, keeping in mind good general nutritional practices.

Moderation and variety are good.

[Spamtek]

bro, for what it's worth, intermittent fasting or "skipping meals" is only going to lead to an anorexic state if you actually cut the amount of food you eat during it, too. That's not the idea, though; the point is, if you're eating 24 hours and fasting 24 hours, to eat twice as much half as often, not to eat normally and end up in a gross hypocaloric state. If I normally eat 2000 calories a day, the idea would be to eat 4000 calories on an on day/period and nothing on the off day/period. IF really isn't so much a mechanism for weight loss as it is a mechanism for overall health. That being said, it leads to improvements in health markers (like insulin sensitivity) that themselves ought to help stave off extra pounds.

Moonbeam, I'd love to join you in your struggle but I know when the temptation comes that I'd stoop to any low, deceive, finagle, and outright disregard my vows in the face of sugary temptation. It would be much more effective if one of you were, say, surgically attached to me at the hip so that I'd have to take accountability for all my failings in the presence of a real person, but online it's just too easy for me to cheat... not that I right now would, but that I standing in the pantry slavering over a cupcake (who is a completely different person) would.

[Oneironaught]

Well, I'm satisfied with my current intake and the fact that I'm surrounded by sweets and other junk foods all the time and am so easily able to resist or outright turn them down whenever offered.

I can't say that I'm loving it by any means. I don't but I'm at least sticking through this deal for my month. Once I've done that - even if I don't stay so strictly at my post - I'll be more able to decide what my next course of action will be. Since I've already reduced my intake by quite a margin, I (hopefully) won't be too tempted to stuff myself "just because it tastes good". On some occasions, maybe, but not on a regular basis.

EDIT:

Woohoo, I'm 10 lbs down from when I made my original post. Only 10 - 12 more and I will have reached my goal.

[Moonbeam]

It would be much more effective if one of you were, say, surgically attached to me at the hip so that I'd have to take accountability for all my failings in the presence of a real person

Well, it would be a little bit of a bother, but OK, I guess, if it will really help you. We can knock cupcakes out of each others' hands.

I think you and I are twins seperated at birth anyway, so it would just be a reunion.

Gh--good job! Because you ate :banana:and :aphiusiscrazy:but not :muffin:!
Soon the hard part will begin--keeping it off! Just what you wanted to think about, I'm sure.

[Oneironaught]

So, are soft pretzels considered junk food? If so, I'm about to lose again in about two or three hours.

[Moonbeam]

So, are soft pretzels considered junk food? If so, I'm about to lose again in about two or three hours.

I would say so. So what happened?

[Oneironaught]

I would say so. So what happened?
In that case, I lost :( I'm still sticking to my diet fairly strictly but, as far as "no junk food", well, I ate two soft pretzels. Aren't soft pretzels just pizza crust ;) I know, they aren't.

[Moonbeam]

In that case, I lost :( I'm still sticking to my diet fairly strictly but, as far as "no junk food", well, I ate two soft pretzels. Aren't soft pretzels just pizza crust ;) I know, they aren't.

Two?!:p

How much longer do you have to go? Are you getting close to your goal?

I'm happy with how I've been doing; I've got momentum now. I hope. Now, I just need to turn the rest of the blubber into muscle. Right. I better start working out more and looking at the computer less.

[Oneironaught]

Two?!:p

How much longer do you have to go? Are you getting close to your goal?

I'm happy with how I've been doing; I've got momentum now. I hope. Now, I just need to turn the rest of the blubber into muscle. Right. I better start working out more and looking at the computer less.
Of course, the weights I've given were measurements taken while fully clothed. But I'm down 12 pounds since starting this thread. Sorry, since starting the diet. So that's as long as this thread plus a few weeks. Another 10 will be right about where I'd ultimately like to be.

[bro]

Spamtek, I was not pushing anything on Oneironaught, rather, I was explaining to him my outlook, so please don't be so quick to jump on me. I had quite an experience, and decided this was an appropriate place to relate it. Moderation is key as I said above. Please don't be so quick to diagnose my situation as you are not familiar with even one of the symptoms I had.

By adopting the practices I stated abover, I came to a perfectly healthy weight, and a nice body type, although of course, like everyone I still have my insecurities.

Hopefully you'll listen to some of what I said or at least consider it, and not go to extremes...

[Moonbeam]

Of course, the weights I've given were measurements taken while fully clothed. But I'm down 12 pounds since starting this thread. Sorry, since starting the diet. So that's as long as this thread plus a few weeks. Another 10 will be right about where I'd ultimately like to be.

That's great! But let me tell you the proper way to weigh yourself: first thing in the morning, after going pee, before eating or drinking anything, stark naked. That will knock off another 5 pounds, easy.

[Oneironaught]

I've stated this in my other thread (about finding a woman) but, since it holds equally true in this case, I figure I should thank you all as well.

I've been on a quest of sorts to improve myself in several areas: confidence, self-image, outlook for the future, income, fitness, the way I relate to others, etc... My overarching motive is to get out of this slump I've allowed myself to fall into the past few years. This weight thing was only the first step in my journey. I wasn't exactly "fat" but I was overweight somewhat.

Anyway, I'm pleased to be able to say that every one of those things are currently in the works and I feel progress has - and is being - made in each. I'm not where I want to be, yet. But I am getting there.

In short, I am listening to what you each have said and I am taking some advice from each of you. I'm down 16 pounds from when I started and I've found the balance I need with respect to my dietary needs.

So thank you all. You really have been helpful, so don't think I've been ignoring your words.

[Moonbeam]

Now what?! See below. Sorry I don't see any delete thing.

[Moonbeam]

That's great, Gh. You'll get to where you want to be. All it takes is consistency. (I like giving advice, because it reminde me what I need to do.)

My old sig applies: "Discipline is remembering what you want." That was also mostly for my own benefit, but I think it is a good saying.

[CoLd BlooDed]

Wow, 16 pounds is an awesome loss, especially in this short amount of time and because you're doing it all by yourself. Congratulations. :D