In need for encouragement...

karinatwork · Post by **karinatwork** » Fri Apr 13, 2007 3:52 pm

It's the patience I am lacking. This morning when I looked at myself in the mirror, I was contemplating to go back to WW, or a seriously calorie-restricted diet, or even go back to fasting because I was sooo depressed about myself, my body, and how my fat makes me feel.

For the past two years I have tried to jump back on the weightloss wagon with devastating results (weight gain instead of weight loss).
I guess it's because I move faster and faster towards May 26th (the date I will have to present myself to my family again - sounds crude but that's what it feels like to me) and my scale moves slower and slower every day.

I have to remember how my good intentions about being disciplined, being restrictive, turned around and bit me in the so-called for the past two years. I have been good, so good, since I started with No-S three weeks ago, but it's not moving as fast as I need it to.

Please, PLEASE give me hope, you guys, I'm so sad today.

Thank you for listening to me whine...

Jaxhil · Post by **Jaxhil** » Fri Apr 13, 2007 5:08 pm

I really know how you feel Karina! (((HUGS)))eta-I'm sorry if I don't have your name right!

I'm not seeing results as fast as I'd like either. But try to remember, this weight didn't get put on in a month or two. For me it's taken years

And you may not see the results you'd like before your family get-together, and I know that would bum me out too-but do NOT let their (possible) reaction cause you to go off the deep end and start another diet you know you won't stick to(well, you might, but I know for a FACT that I wouldn't!)...because what good would it do if you lost some weight quickly only to put it back on right after? It's very hard on one's health to do that.

Try starting to include exercising, if you are not already. I know for me I feel so much better-more stable mentally- when I exercise. I have much more confidence when I can feel my blood pumping, and my body feels alive instead of like a slug. I am HAPPIER. And I know that for me I *will NOT* lose this weight without exercising. It can help the weight drop much more quickly, of that I am sure.

You know, even if you don't lose much before you see you family again, if they can see how much less your eating-nos style!- they are likely to be impressed and give you encouragement that they can see your habits changing for the better. At least I would hope so. And if they don't, please don't let it get you down! You are worth the time it takes to get healthy and (most importantly!!) to STAY that way.

I am finally at the point where I realize its going to take me a while to get this weight off. I know that. I don't like it one bit-but you know, if I hadn't given up so many times in the past few years, I would probably BE at (or a lot closer to!) my goal anyway. That's why I want to encourage you to look at the long haul. Not as fun, I know, but much better as it's something that will STICK once you reach your goal. And then you'll be in the tiny little group of people who lose weight and KEEP IT OFF. How great will that be?!

Jammin' Jan · Post by **Jammin' Jan** » Fri Apr 13, 2007 5:12 pm

Losing weight very quickly is not healthy, and it is also not attractive. Your skin needs to catch up with the weight loss.

Don't worry about what your family thinks. The other programs do not work long-term; no-s will. The tradeoff is that it is very slow. Slow, healthy, and permanent is what you want to aim for.

Be patient with yourself. You are doing something good.

pangelsue · Post by **pangelsue** » Fri Apr 13, 2007 8:45 pm

What is your weight loss goal? Is it to be healthier? Feel more in control? Less obsessed about food and health? Able to maintain? Impress your family? Feel like a winner? Look good in clothes? Be able to play with your children? There are a million different reasons for losing weight. You have to find the ones that motivate you, personally. I can really sympathize with you on the goal of looking better and feeling like a winner. All the books say we should do it for ourselves or not at all. WE all know that other people's opinions don't matter but we are learning a new skill and it takes time and patience. That is the difference here. You want it to be forever and that is a noble goal. Even worse than people talking about your not losing weight, is losing a lot really fast and then gaining it all back with more. I know if someone in my family stays at the same weight, I tend to accept them the way they are. If they lose a lot, I praise them, ask them how they did it, am jealous and amazed. But what an awkward moment it is when we get together again and I can see the weight is back. There is no nice thing to say then.
You are on a mission and at this time you will be the only one to know it. But maybe 5 years from now, someone will say, how have you managed to keep the weight off all this time and it will be your turn to smile.

Too solid flesh · Post by **Too solid flesh** » Fri Apr 13, 2007 9:57 pm

This probably doesn't help with your upcoming family reunion, but No S does work, slowly. I lost about 50lbs over the past year, which is a lot but at times it seemed as though my weight wasn't falling at all for weeks. It was only when a No S returner posted to say how much weight they had put on, which they felt they would not have done if they had stayed with No S, that I realised what good progress I had made in fact.

I read recently, I think in Brian Wansink's excellent "Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think" (as recommended by Reinhard in a previous thread) that the speed of weight gain after a diet is proportional to the speed at which the weight was lost. How I wish I'd known that in my crash dieting days.

No S should work for you, but try to take the long view. The peace of mind No S can give, as compared with traditional diets, is well worth it. Good luck, and please keep posting and reading the message board - it's a great source of ideas and support.

wosnes · Post by **wosnes** » Sat Apr 14, 2007 3:42 am

It may not be moving as fast as you want it to, but it's moving as fast as it should. Jan is right; slow and steady weight loss is best. If you do something more restrictive to make the weight come off faster, it will just come right back as soon as you stop being restrictive.

Like it or not, some things take time and weight loss is one of them. Remember, you probably didn't put it on quickly, and it shouldn't come off quickly, either.

Keep on keeping on!!

karinatwork · Post by **karinatwork** » Sun Apr 15, 2007 2:04 am

Thank you for all of your support. It's tough, just like "pangelsue" said, there is nothing nice to say about someone who was thin and then got fat AGAIN. And not just a few pounds. A whole lof of weight.

I changed a few things already - I did not exercise. I hated exercising. But January 2nd I joined Curves, and it's fun. I go at least 3 times a week, not as much as I should, but certainly as much as I can.

I hope the No-S will work over time. I will just have to stand up and face the music, but once I'm back from Europe it will be a lot easier for me. I will have the time and the patience to continue doing what works. This is forever, isn't it? This is something we all can do for the rest of our lives, even when we're skinny!

Kevin · Post by **Kevin** » Sun Apr 15, 2007 9:14 pm

I think what Jan said is very important - you do not want to lose weight quickly. Your skin needs time to catch up with the weight loss.

florafloraflora · Post by **florafloraflora** » Sun Apr 15, 2007 9:22 pm

I can sympathize with the feeling of wanting to switch to a faster-acting program. Next weekend I'm going to meet some online friends for the first time at a convention, and I wanted to be a bit slimmer by now.

But you know what? I'm proud of the way I've changed my eating since starting No-S. For every day I have when I'm feeling fat, I have another day when I feel light, springy, and sometimes even foxy. And I love that I don't obsess about my next snack anymore. It would be nice to see the quick weight losses of past dieting efforts again. But those other programs just weren't sustainable. I love my new sensible attitude toward food and I don't want to get back into obsessive counting and monitoring and restricting.