Carrie's at "SQUARE ONE"

carrie3101

carrie3101

New member
I once read a quote from Albert Einstein that said "The significant problems we face cannot be solved by using the same level of thinking we were at when created them."

I have created a problem. Over my five years at college, I gained 100 pounds. I have avoided writing that for years now, and it still constantly shames me when I think about it. I don't know how I let this happen, but I know it's time for it to come to an end. I tried started a journal here before, I acknowledged the problem, yes. I casually tried to lose weight before, motivated by wanting to get into cuter dresses, but this time it's about my health, my life.

This time, it means thinking about everything that I put in my mouth, to stop ignoring that I have a problem with overeating, and start facing up to what I have to do to change it. This time, my life is at stake. I have come back here, motivated by your stories to start one of my own. I have begin to understand that this is not something that I can take care of in a few months. To make real change, my lifestyle has to change. I can use food as a reward, or a way to make myself feel better, it is simply a way to nourish myself. I wonder if I can ever overcome my history of dependence on food. But, I have no choice but to try. When I think about how much food has taken from me, it's sickening- all the excitement and fun and joy.

I always used food as a comfort because I was miserable, when in fact, I was miserable because I used food as a comfort. Anyway, I just need some help. I need your wisdom, your encouragement, and I need to be held accountable. Please let me know what you've learned from your weight loss journey, I'd appreciate any advice at this critical time. My problem is persistence. I am in awe of those of you with the courage and strength to persist in this journey. So talk to me, I'm listening...:bigear:
 
so glad you are here (((((((((((((((((hugs)))))))))))))))))
 
Good luck carrie! Looks like you have a pretty good mind-set to really make some progress!
 
Carrie, If you're at square one, you're a lot further than most people out there! Congrats on your decision to lose weight! I understand how you feel about food, and I think most people in the forum can relate, but you've made that important first step!

What are your plans exactly?
 
Thank you guys so much for replying. My plans are to go as low carb as possible, while watching my calories. Lean meat and veggies, eggs and some fruit mostly. I've had some success on South Beach before. I'm also doing some form of exercise five days a week. I eat a lot, so I'm having vegetable soup a few times a day, which takes up space in my tummy but doesn't have a lot of calories. Most of all, I'm going post once a day to try to keep on track. You guys are SO motivating :)
 
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Today was not bad, in terms of diet

I skipped breakfast because I slept in...

Lunch
1 bowl of chicken and vegetable soup
1 6 oz steak
tomato salsa

Snack
Small orange
Carrot

Dinner
Bowl of vegetable soup
large piece of fish and salad

I'm rushing off to bed so I don't give into my cravings and eat everything in my fridge now. Thanks to everyone for their support! Tomorrow will work exercise, and will eat a bit more calories than I did today.
 
Hi Carrie,

Welcome back to WLF! I will write more when I have more time, but I just wanted to say your plan sounds good. Keeping your carbs around 30-40% of your diet is optimum, and make those carbs good carbs like whole grains, fruits and veggies. :) Watch out for the sodium that soups are loaded with. It'll make you retain water and hinder weight loss. I wouldn't eat soup more than once a day. Frozen dinners are just as bad.

Best wishes! :hug2:
 
Howdy CARRIE!!! Ty for the kind words over there***((((HUGGS***))))
Gl on reaching all of your goals stay strong,motivated,and committed!
Have a nice weekend.....Tammmy....:seeya:
 
Hi, Carrie. I think your plans sound very sensible. Many good changes come from simply swapping out the bad things in one's refrigerator simply for less bad things. I have a bit of chef in me, so I never would have believed I'd consent to things like constructing a cream sauce from non-fat cheese, skim milk, and I Can't Believe It's Not Butter spray, and yet I've done that. It wasn't ideal, nor good enough for a splurge, but it was edible and functional.

I think you're right on in thinking about your health rather than the cuter dresses (which are too easy to despair of). My own motivating thought when I began (only about a month and a half ago!) was that I didn't want to be in a motorized wheelchair when I'm seventy. That's a bit grim, but it really required something that grim to make me sit up and take notice of everything that I was doing to my body when I tried to ignore my problem.

I hope and trust that in time, your food issues will sort themselves out once your brain gets in the right mindset. I think of it as the same part of one's brain that keeps one from falling really desperately in love with married people. Your brain says to you, on some level, "Nope, not an option," and you don't break your heart (some people do, of course, but not most of us). Soon, hopefully, you'll look at whatever your bete noir may be, and you may want it, but your brain will say, "Nope, not an option," and your heart won't be broken.

Which is a long-winded way of saying that it all gets easier as you keep going.

Sophie
 
I think that you need to discern between good carbohydrates and bad ones. I eat tons of wholegrain cereal but very little bread, pasta, rice, potatoes. I eat tons of fruit and vegetables which contain fibre too.

Be sure that you work out how many calories is in the soup before you eat it too often. Even homemade soup with little sodium can be surprisingly high in calories. You may use meat stock which brings fat into the equation and pulses can be quite high in calories too which many people use to bring body to the soup. Bought soup often is high in sodium.

I hope that you manage to build on your initial motivation and are successful with your new project.
 
Wow, I just want to thank everyone who replied for their encouragement, I think you all are what is going to make the difference for me this time...

Watch out for the sodium that soups are loaded with. It'll make you retain water and hinder weight loss. I wouldn't eat soup more than once a day. Frozen dinners are just as bad.

Wow, I had no idea! Thank you for this. I made the soup myself, but I did not think about how much sodium in it, I just concentrated on adding veggies and less fatty meat. I will measure next time, Thanks!

I hope and trust that in time, your food issues will sort themselves out once your brain gets in the right mindset. I think of it as the same part of one's brain that keeps one from falling really desperately in love with married people. Your brain says to you, on some level, "Nope, not an option," and you don't break your heart (some people do, of course, but not most of us). Soon, hopefully, you'll look at whatever your bete noir may be, and you may want it, but your brain will say, "Nope, not an option," and your heart won't be broken.

Sophie, I want to thank you so much for your wonderful post. I am trying to think that those food don't exist to me anymore. Sadly, I'm living with people who are happily skinny and have lots of terrible things in our fridge, but one day at a time, I suppose!

[I think that you need to discern between good carbohydrates and bad ones. I eat tons of wholegrain cereal but very little bread, pasta, rice, potatoes. I eat tons of fruit and vegetables which contain fibre too.

I think I will start incorporating some healthy carbs back into my diet. I'm learning that the reasons I failed in the past is because I tried to eat only a limited supply of a small variety of foods, which clearly does not work. Thank you so much for replying, Omega :)

Also. thank you so much Tammy and edco for your motivation and support! Everyone have a great day :)
 
Get yourself an account at or one of the 100s other free food diary sites available on the web.. and keep track of your calories and other nutrients like sodium and fiber...

And especially read labels...
 
Today was long and a bit difficult.

Lunch
Small piece of grilled fish
4 oz baked chicken
tomato salsa

Snack
2 small pieces of pineapple
small handful of low fat popcorn

Dinner
3 oz grilled fish
1/4 paratha roti :)blush5:)
salad
small glass of red wine

Exercise
30 minutes of swimming

I have figured out that I love swimming, and while it may not be practical for the 5 days a week of exercise goal I have set myself, I usually LOATHE any form of working out, so I was encouraged. :hurray: Today I had a serious craving for chicken pot pie for some reason, and chinese food. And while I am allowing myself to indulge in moderation, I don't think I'm strong enough yet to not eat the whole thing. The paratha roti was my downfall today, but at least I didn't eat all of it! :piggy:
 
Please eat breakfast. You need to start that wonderful engine we call the human body...You're attitude is in the right place. Good luck and keep at it...it's a long journey and nobody's timing you. You can do it!
 
Thanks to everyone for their support in this journey. I struggled with cravings again today, I think I was very addicted to preservatives, and it feels a little like withdrawal. I've started taking a multivitamin and a capsule of Omega 3 everyday, and drinking a cup of green tea in lieu of coffee every morning. I've decided to attempt the couch to 5k running plan. I am so out of shape, I'm not quite sure I can do it in the 9 weeks the program says, but there's nothing more I want than to be an active participant in short races. The task seems so daunting, because up until now, my attitude to food and exercise has been incredibly unhealthy.

I am starting a new job this week, just the kind of upheaval that would cause me to indulge in the worst kind of food. Hopefully, I can make it through on track. Hope everyone has a great night!

Breakfast
1/2 cup of Autumn Harvest Kashi Cereal
small cube of Laughing Cow light swiss cheese
4 strawberries

Lunch
Large bowl of homemade bean-less chilli.

Dinner
Large bowl of homemade chilli.
2 ounces of beef
1/2 slice of whole grain bread.

Dessert
Square of Intense Dark Chocolate.

Does anyone else adore Kashi? It's the one health food I ate even when the rest of my diet was obscenely unhealthy!
 
im not really 'afraid' of kashi ... but it scares me. idk how i feel about all that natural stuff. .. . maybe ill try something sometime.. but.. in the meantime im stickin to my new find, special k.

good luck with the new job!
 
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