I would like to remind everyone that even though the number on the scale might not go down, your measurements probably are. For instance, between April 19 and May 19, I lost only 8 pounds, but 12 inches.
BorealisBelle welcome to The Club!
It may help you to take things in small steps. I found it very difficult to motivate myself into action when I kept dwelling on ‘everything’ that I needed changed to lose weight. Pick a single item and work on it by itself. Build upon a small success to bigger things.
Not all gyms are horrible places but I can relate to your concerns. It seems here that many people think all gyms are ‘social clubs’ for the ‘beautiful people’ to meet. The national chain gyms can be pretty heavy on the sales tactics to get you into a contract. I suggest, if you want to look at gyms, to do a lot of comparison shopping. We found a great gym, beautiful facilities, helpful staff, and no contract/sales pitch. They do exist, you just have to look beyond the television commercials. 
That is not to say a gym is necessary, even adding a walk after dinner is a step (no pun intended) in the right direction. Yes, it is daunting after a long day but I think you will find that once you get over the hurdle of getting off the couch the rewards are fantastic and that long day’s stress and fatigue start to float away.
I have found that I do not have to deny myself much of anything by following a reduced calorie diet. Yes, fast food (junk!) and pasta (toughest of all!) is currently out for me. Other than that, I eat almost everything I always did - just smaller portions and in many cases healthier substitutes for the same food. It takes work and discipline, it won’t just happen, but it is not as big as you may think. Check out DietPower software, it really helped simplify managing my diet.
Finally, don’t sell yourself or your life short. Don’t hide in the shadows, you only get one life and no one else can live it for you. Read this thread, and the previous SDMB Weight Loss Club thread and you will find many people here who are, or were, in your shoes. Ask for suggestions and they’ll respond with ideas!
MeanJoe
I started the Atkins Diet on Feb 14th.
Weight on 14Feb03 = 375#
Weight as of 28May = 325#
Goal = 250#
Weight lost = 50#
Amount needed to make goal = 75#
My wife says I rock!
Last night, I finally reached my goal weight, after close to eleven months on WW! Now I start on maintenance…
Start Weight (7/9/02) - 247.2 lbs.
Current Weight - 157.6 lbs.
Goal Weight - 158.0 lbs.
Total Weight Loss - 89.6 lbs.
Zev Steinhardt
Congratulations, Zev! Do we get before-and-after pictures?
zev - Congratulations, you are an inspiration!
GrizzRich - Welcome to The Club and keep us informed of your progress.
MeanJoe
zev, way to go!
Grizz, you do, indeed, rock!
Congrats, zev!!
A quick question - Does WW offer kosher meals?
With WW, you don’t have to eat their foods, you can eat anything. So I only eat kosher foods.
Zev Steinhardt
:smack: I’m such a :wally !
I didn’t realize you didn’t have to eat their food…
May 28th weighing in at 113 lbs.
I started out at 120, and I’ve been cutting back on the sugar I eat, and I’ve been lifting weights one day, doing situps the next. I hope to get down to 100 lbs. I’m not sure I can do it though, I might have to settle for 105.
Quasi weighing in at 198 and holding. “Reference jeans” looser, so I’m digging out the size 36’s next.
Thanks
Q
Welcome, BorealisBelle!
It’s hard to change your eating habits, but a few months ago, my doctor told me I was diabetic and had to lose weight. It’s really hard for me, since I’m in a wheelchair and can’t do much in the way of exercise. But so far, dieting alone has worked. I expect I’ll probably plateau at some point and have to figure out a new plan of attack, but here is some of the advice I received from my dietician:
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Become familiar with labels. Pay attention to how many carbohydrates and calories and how much fat is in your food.
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Invest in a food scale and measuring cups and spoons. You will use these alot.
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Keep a food journal. Write down what you eat, when, and how much.
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The way I approach the “food pyramid” has changed:
The base is vegetables. They’re low in sugar so I can eat just about all of those I want at every meal. (3 cups of uncooked vegetables = 1 serving of carbohydrate)
Next is carbohydrates. Now, while I have cut back on what I used to consider “normal,” it’s no where as extreme as some diets out there. The carbohydrates group includes fruit (including juice, that stuff is loaded with sugar), starch (bread, pasta, corn, rice, potatoes, cereal, etc.), and dairy (milk, yogurt, everything but cheese; lactose = milk sugar). I’m allowed 3 servings of carbohydrates (15 grams each, 45 grams total) at each meal, plus a snack (1 serving).
Meat includes beef, pork, and fish, of course, and also eggs and cheese. Cheese has very little lactose in it, so it counts as a meat. I’m allowed 2 ounces of meat at lunch and 3 at dinner. I choose lean meats and low or non-fat cheeses. To be honest, I don’t really pay attention to how much meat I eat. I don’t pig out on it, but I don’t weigh or measure it like I should because it’s not a source of carbohydrates so I don’t worry so much about it. Hey, sedentary me is losing weight! (IANAD, YMMV).
Finally, that fun fat group. I’m allowed 1 serving of fat at breakfast, and 2 at lunch and dinner. But, again, I use mostly lean, non-fat, and low-fat products so I don’t sweat that one too much.
For beverages, I drink diet, sugar-free stuff. Diet Vanilla Coke tastes GOOD, believe it or not!
So a typical day’s meals look something like this:
Breakfast:
2 Eggo waffles w/sugar free syrup
1 sugar-free, fat-free yogurt
Diet Snapple ice tea
Lunch:
Ham and cheese sandwich with Healthy Choice Ham, low-fat cheese, low-fat mayo, lettuce, white bread
Baby carrots
An orange
Diet Vanilla Coke
Snack:
An apple
Dinner:
1 serving Hamburger Helper made with lean (7% fat) ground beef and non-fat milk
1-2 cups broccoli
A sprinkling of low-fat cheese on broccoli
Diet beverage
Sugar-free Jell-O for dessert
I feel satisfied, and while I was a little freaked at first, I’ve gotten used to it. I pretty much don’t eat cookies and cake and fun stuff like that anymore, because it’s all so high in sugar that I just can’t adjust my menu enough to accommodate it. But Joel seems to enjoy bringing home different diabetic candies, lite and sugar-free snacks, condiments, etc. for my approval.
Now, my dietician gave me tons of print-outs and pamphlets that I refer to constantly but that I can’t reproduce here. However, here’s a handy list of visual references to keep in mind when you’re eating out or it’s otherwise inconvenient or impossible to weigh your food or check the label:
3 oz. of meat is about the size and thickness of a deck of cards or audio cassette tape.
A medium apple or orange is about the size of a tennis ball
1 oz. of cheese is about the size of 4 stacked dice
1/2 cup ice cream is about the size of a tennis ball
1 C mashed potatoes or broccoli is about the size of your fist
1 teaspoon of butter is about the size of the tip of youir thumb
1 oz. of nuts or small candies equals one (small) handful
I know this is probably a lot to absorb, but I hope it’s not overwhelming. Mostly, I hope you see how easy it is, once you set your mind to it. Probably the most important thing of all is getting the support of your family. If your husband will eat the same diet as you, it makes it a lot easier because then you won’t be cooking two separate meals every night. Little things like that help.
Good luck! Let us know how you’re doing!
Great job, everyone! And how 'bout that Zev!
And poultry is still a meat too, darnit, figures I missed something!
Gr8Kat: Or, you can just weigh everything! I gave up a few decades ago trying to measure brocolli in a measuring cup!
Gr8Kat: Or, you can just weigh everything! I gave up a few decades ago trying to measure brocolli in a measuring cup!
Right. Way to go, Zev.
Q
Ok.
Ok.
I’m ready to do something about this. Really. Yep. Here I go.
I’m 5 feet tall, 156 pounds. It’s tough to find clothes that fit the waist without bagging around the ankles. Manufacturers apparently don’t realize that short doesn’t equal thin.
The last time I was at a healthy weight was in 1998, when my husband dumped me and I stopped eating in despair. Then I met another man, got happy, and started eating again.
I think back on my mother, who didn’t like to leave the house because she was embarrassed about her weight, and I see that I’m stacked together just like her. She died of a heart attack at only 55. All of my family is heavy.
I’m not looking for skinny. I think I’ll set my initial goal as 140 pounds.
Right now, I spend way too much time in front of my computer. So, let’s add 30 minutes of exercise, at least 3 times a week. I belong to a gym, and I like it, but I rarely go. Summer vacation is here (I’m a teacher) so I’m about to lose the “I’m too tired” excuse.
For eating, I’m going to start by increasing vegetables.
That’s a great plan. That way, by the time you have to go back to work in the fall, working out will have (hopefully) become a habit, so you’ll make more effort to squeeze it in. Also, you can have more energy by fall, so you won’t be too tired to exercise!
Good luck!