Everyday Systems

Hello, all.

I am a brand new S-er. I found this site through a blog, read the home page, and was instantly drawn in. I like the fact this lifestyle choice addresses the issue of gluttony in our culture. It’s refreshing, and it’s also a manageable way to deal with the issue of eating right.

I’m just gonna lay all my cards out on the table: I’m severely overweight. No – check that. I’m obese (God, I hate that word). I wear a size 28-30, but I found a pair of jeans in a size 36 that fit. Yikes.

I’m 356 pounds and 5’ 7†tall. I carry most of my weight in the hips, butt, thigh, calf region and look like a pear with legs. I hate it. I was always the big girl and, growing up, I never really had a good example to follow when it came to nutrition. But that shouldn’t be an excuse – I’m an adult now, living with my husband away from my parents, and should (and do) know better.

In an ironic twist, my parents just got fed up and started WW. My mom is now down nearly 40 pounds and weighs significantly less than me. I’m happy for them, but really concerned for myself. That concern then turns into anger and frustration and a sense of “What can I do? I’m hopelessâ€â€¦

I guess I just lack the willpower to stick to something like counting calories, or points. Snacking is my biggest weakness – especially at night. And I’m an emotional eater. (This is starting out to be a real cheery intro, isn’t it?)

Anyway, seeing my parents go through this has gotten me thinking it’s time to make some significant changes. And I have a young son now and want more children eventually. I can’t be a decent mother if I’m stuck in the house all day because I’m too fat/tired/unattractive to go out and do things. In addition to my little boy, I work full time and go to grad school full time and I manage 95% of our housework. I’m too busy to be out of shape and exhausted.

I’ll never be stick thin. I have curves. But I have a set goal. It’s not even so much a weight as a size. I want to get down to between a size 18-22, preferring size 18-20. I haven’t worn that size since middle school (no joking).

So I’m hoping to find encouragement and support here and really find a lifestyle I can stick with. I think I can avoid the 3 S’s and reward myself in moderation. I also plan to exercise, but need a boost in moral support every now and then.

Thanks for letting me ramble and I hope all of you have a great day!

EQ -

Welcome. You sound ready to make changes, and that's the first step.

This is a plan that you can live with, and you'll find a lot of support here.

Take it slow, and set yourself up for success. It's better to develop the habit of consistency over time than to burn out quickly.

Best wishes.

hi englishqueen! i really dig your honesty. i hope you do really well and inspire us all

Wow English Queen, don't worry about being cheery on your intro, that is a tough situation to be in.
But you want to change it and that's really the only place to start.
A good place.
Keep your goal in your mind and be prepared for a thousand little setbacks along the way.. Try to set you mind on only a few good new habits at a time, or even just one and be patient.
Not sure if you like walking, but I just got hooked on it recently and it's a great upper and does help lose weight as well, though I find the eating/diet part much more significant in impacting weight.
I'm 5'2 and at least 50 pounds over weight right now, but I'm working towards my goal and have a picture in my mind of how I will be when I get there. Try creative visualisation as an added helpful tool in sticking to your personal goal. It's very empowering. And don't let the scale bum you out, cos that happens very easily! Focus on daily habits changing and just try to stick to plain and simple NoS!
You will love not counting calories, but still feeling you are keeping yourself eating sanely and normally, and not overeating.
Blessings to you and your family!
Good luck.
Debs

KCCC wrote:EQ -

Welcome. You sound ready to make changes, and that's the first step.

This is a plan that you can live with, and you'll find a lot of support here.

Take it slow, and set yourself up for success. It's better to develop the habit of consistency over time than to burn out quickly.

Best wishes.

ps... sorry I didn't see this but I have to say Amen to all of it, especially the last bit. KCCC is a wise one

I would caution to be careful about goals. I have a couple of goals too, and I must say sometimes my lack of reaching them causes frustration. Then I have to remind myself that these are LONG TERM goals, or that it might take me a while to reach them.

This diet is really not so much about reaching goals. It's about creating a better eating habit. If you set a goal and reach it, you're not supposed to then stop the habit.

I do understand where you are comming from. My short term goals are to not require cholestorol and blood pressure medications. My long term goal is to loose 100lbs. These are the reasons I started No-S. However, I try to always keep in mind that the REAL goal is to eat like a normal human being, and not a gluton.

EQ,

Echoing all that has been said. There are such good posts to glean wisdom from. Did you get the book yet?

I know you will find, as we all seem to have, that NoS affects everything. The biggest is gaining control of different areas of life that are out of control.

Like so many here, I've done every diet that comes along including WW. None of them has ever given me the tools to address the root of the problem until NoS.

So welcome, welcome, welcome.

We will all cheer you on.

Resting

You know, I was on WW for a bit and I was really encouraged that in the first week I lost 5 pounds. I was then discouraged when in the second week I maintained, and I think the third I gained 2 pounds back. I also didn't like paying them money every month.

One thing I remember is that I used the points system to plan my meals. Well, to make things easy at work for lunch I used to stock up on canned meals. I remember sitting eating canned chili or spagettio's(sp?) and thinking "I know it is only X points and fits into my point system, but eating this stuff regularly just CAN'T be that good for me."