Hello Sandra, welcome!
I read your first few posts and decided to write my honest opinion. I am sorry, but I see too many people come and go on these boards and I feel like I really should say something, I get the feeling you really want to lose weight and that is great BUT
- things like "I could never eat veggies at night" make me cringe... to lose weight, to live more healthy (and therefore longer) you will have to change certain things in your lifestyle. deciding beforehands that eating vegetables is not possible sets you up for failure. Why not veggies? Why instead of eating zingers and ice cream don't you try some carrots and cucumber? I am nto saying you have to stick to it, but the attitude of "I don't do this or that" doesn't go well with the whole "lifestyle change" that is necessary for you to lose the weight and gain health.
Also, meal replacements are terrible! Why would you do that? Yeah maybe you lose some weight initially but it creeps back once you stop replacing meals and actually eat meals! Why don't you try to find food (easy to prepare if you don't want to cook it) that is yummy, low in fat and calories, and still a meal instead of a replacement? You need to change things permanently to have a permanent effect on your weight, otherwise you will just yoyo back up as soon as you resume eating normally! You said you lost 60 pounds while doing that... did the 60 pounds come back once you started eating again?
To properly lose weight you need to be committed, committed to change your lifestyle, to make better choices, to be informed and understand what you are putting into your body. Is it easy? No! Is it doable? Absolutely!
So now I have finished lecturing you, I am sorry I went off at you. I was like you a few years back, tried fads and just ended up bigger than before because I had not understood how it really works. Since January I have changed everything, I have chenged how, what and when I eat, I have changed how, when and how much I exercise and my life has improved so much! It really has, I went from being a chubby, cranky, constantly ill, depressed and very selconscious girl, to being a self assured, happy, healthy person, and I really hope you can do it too! And I want to share what I learned, I want to help you (and others) manage to do this too. But to do it, first we need to face the ugly truth... and that is that we "abused" our bodies in a way that made us this fat. Now we need to nurture it back to health!
I hope I didn't scare you off the boards, I won't post again in your diary if you don't want me too, I understand that not everybody wants to hear harsh words (especially when you have just joined), but I really do want to help you!
Have a merry christmas and a wonderful new year, hopefully one where you can lose weight and feel better with yourself, Camy