I'm Back

Well, I had a bout with discouragement and lack of will-power.  I gave up for several weeks and now just two weeks away from school starting (which by this time I wanted to be much thinner, but here I am, normal) I'm back again.  This time I'm on a 1200 calorie limit.  I think it will help if I start with 1200 instead of starting at 1500 and lowering, which tends to be too difficult for me.  I found out that the best thing for a woman to do when they're pmsing and feeling fat is to exercise and diet during.  I feel a little slimmer than normal after just one day's work out.  It does a number on the psychological. 

Well, *wishing myself luck*, I hope this works out.  I'm willing to do this, and to wait for results.

Just because, well, I guess I'm kind of blogging, here's something I wrote down yesterday in the midst of my cravings.  It isn't meant to depress people.  Surprisingly enough I wrote this with a rather content attitude:

The thing that sets apart dieting, exercise, and losing weight from many other life changes is that you're opting for daily torture from three different angles (psychological, emotional, and physical).  Not much stops the cravings.  Not time, not when your stomach shrinks to its normal size and you think you should be feeling more easily satisfied, not the changing of your taste-buds' preferences after eating healthy for a while, not mental preparation, not support or will power.  You may be able to forget the cravings, successfully step around them, but they will always be there.  Like I said, this life change comes at you from three different angles as well.  Psychologically your brain is telling you that you -need- the freshly baked white cupcake with strawberry icing.  It's telling you that you -need- to lie down and rest at the peek of your 30 minute exercise routine.  Emotionally you're frustrated.  Boredom reaches for a cure in food.  Thinkinmg that you're miserable and are going to stay that way brings on crabbiness.  Physically, your stomach's growling, your mouth waters at the thought of food, you burp a bit more from the lack of things to digest in your stomach, your stomach gets a bit more acidic, and from exercise your muscles tire, they're sore the next day, you get exhausted, it drains you of your energy, certain exercises really hurt, etc.

When choosing to lose weight, and even more specifically to eat less and exercise more, you're literally choosing to be miserable.

One thing that helps is owning the misery.  The truth is you could be eating w/e you want.  You could be laying around on your butt all day.  But you own the misery.  It's yours, all your choice, and suddenly it's not a crime being done to you but a self-disciplinary measure with great benefits.  You simply have to trust that in the pain there is a meaning, there is value.  It isn't for nothing.  It is for a reason.  And that helps.

Well, this is just from my point of view.  Not everything is the same for everyone.  I decided to grab a cheap pink plastic piggy bank I've had for a little while and turn it into my "positive notes" container.  Everyday I try to think of a positive thought or accomplishment of mine that I can put in there for the day.  It helps me feel something has been accomplished.

Anyways, tootle-loo.  lol

Welcome back.... I just started today after a 2 year break.  I was on a good even keel and then got pregnant.  Here it is a year after the birth of my child and I'm back where I started. 

Here's to fresh starts.  I learned alot the last time around so hopefully it will all come back to me.  I like your "positive notes" idea.  I might have to try that.

Good luck and feel free to keep in touch if you need motivational support

Welcome back to both of you.  Just keep putting one foot in from of the other and you'll make it.  Remember to not go too low on your daily calories.  Also, you need more on the days you exercise.

Take care.

It's not going too low on my calories that's the problem.  I can pretty much keep them in check.  It's remembering the exercise days that I have trouble with.

jenniferelyse-  I'm so glad your back!  Whether it be a few weeks or a few years break, it's good to get back on your feet!  I would like to keep in touch with you and see how you're doing.  Mind if I friend you?

Veevee-  I have a question.  I have a Gazelle Edge workout machine that tells me how many calories I burn as I exercise.  As a side note, I don't totally trust it, since it doesn't take my heart rate or measurements into account and I feel I'm getting a general, rather than accurate, count.  Still, it's better than nothing.  So I try to burn 300 calories a day.  If I burn 300, and consume 1200, are you saying I should eat 300 more to make up for what I've burned?  I'd really like a refresher on how that works.  Thanks!  :-D

The way I deal with that is eat a snack before exercise and another just after.  That pretty much makes up the difference.  Of course, I am a short, fat, old lady with blood sugar issues and have to eat to keep it level.  When I burn too much doing exercise, my blood sugar goes below 35 (way too low) and I get shakey to the point of not functioning.  A friend told me to eat a banana right after (I never eat bananas due to high GI but this is one time it pays off).  I also drink a whey protein drink (protein slows down GI).  On the advice of several friends here on C-C I have been using Luna bars for the before exercise snack as they are perfectly balanced and around 180 cals.  I don't especially like them, but they serve a purpose.

Hope some of this helps.

That makes me a bit happier.  *grin*  Eating more is always a treat.  Especially when it is a guiltless treat.  I've seen and had the Luna bars before.  You're right, not so tasty, but worth it.  Thank you!

Yes, or at least split the difference.  1200 is the very basic you need, if you are doing nothing.  Have you using the tools to get the C-C recommendation?  Before I started in June, I was eating less than 1000 cals a day and was gaining weight.  I upped my cals and started to lose.  If you eat too little, you will slow you metabolism down so you won't lose anyway.  I lived that way for 35 years.  If you are serious about doing this while you are young and learning to eat HEALTHY, then use the tools here and the good, good, help from others on this site who have gone through this.  La

Some examples:

Lady Obsidian

United2gether

Writestuff

Slappy

Utahangel

Flamel

hkellick


and many others who have been on this journey a lot longer than me and know a whole lot more than me.

Thanks so much for the recommendations!  I'll make sure to do this the right way, because I am very serious about this. 

I've posted a lot of really great information and useful tips in this thread:

http://www.calorie-count.com/forums/post/8532 .html