Dr. Oz was on promoting his new diet book, and it was very interesting.

He listed ingredients to avoid - hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils, high fructose corn syrup, sugar, enriched bleached flour were a few.

The show inspired me, but at the same time I am discouraged. I went through my pantry and EVERYTHING I eat has these ingredients in them! Even vegetarian vegetable soup, which in theory should be healthy, has corn syrup in it!! Why???

I want to try to eat more heathfully, but am stumped on where to start. I work every day, and the last thing I want to do when I get home is to spend an hour making something fresh and healthy. I like EASY. Boxed, canned, packaged, microwave. These are good things. :) So why is it so difficult to find easy items (with easy cleanup) that are good for you?

Another interesting thing he said was that he doesn't understand why people won't consider gastric bypass surgery. He said that if you had cancer, you'd have surgery, so if you have another disease (obesity) that is shortening your life, why wouldn't you have surgery to save your life? I have to say I have NEVER considered surgery but his comment got me thinking.

All I know is I am really tired of carrying around over a large-bag-of-dogfood's worth of extra weight. No wonder I am tired! :(

Crystal

You know i used to catch Oprah and Dr. Phil everyday.. but now that im a sub teacher and after school director... i miss it...
I can understand your frustation.. i did the HMR diet in 2004 lost 60 pounds felt tons better... i got married in April.. and felt like a princess.. now in aug i got off the pill so my husband and i could start our family ... i am no spring chicken.. but then in less than a month after getting off the pill... i gained 22 pounds and hot flashes not to mention a bunch of other menopausal stuff i never thought i would go thru... i am sooooo frusttrated with my weight and stuff and now if were going to try and have a family what will happen next... im switching to mostly organic stuff and i am feeling better you might try that... but please don't be discouraged.. i just wanted you to know i understand your frustation... enjoy life.. its just too short to turn into a nurotic silly person.
Lori

I feel the same way about the diet thing. I think I finally reached my fill this weekend. I went to a party and of course was uncomfortable and looked horrible and just feeling like I could feel every roll shake as I walked and feel my double huge chin waving back and forth. Anways hung out with girlfriends that I have been friends with since school and got to thinking (I know horrible to think this way but couldn't help myself) that I use to be the thinnest in the group and now I'm the fattest. I use to be in a size 11/12 and could shop at a regular girls store while they all had to go to the Avenue, etc. I use to borrow my brother's large tee shirts to sleep in. What happened??? I thought this as I stuffed my face till I couldn't fit another bit and left ready for a nap because I pigged out with my pants tight on me and you know what ENOUGH. That is how I feel ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. I am the only one that can change my life, I am the only one that is going to make it work. Enough with the excuses or putting it off or dieting for 1/2 a day and then finding some reason when my stomach is rumbling not to eat the grapes I have but go to the vending machine at work for candy bars.

My plan for the first few weeks just till I get some will power and see results is to do a lot of WW meals. Easy, no thinking.

I will then switch to healthy lean meats, veggies and fruits and eat very plain and only wheat flour not white flour products and watch portions.

I am starting to try to make some changes.

My thing is I am a very routinized person. So I will have the same rotation of 3 or 4 meals for lunch every day. I need to find 3 or 4 HEALTHY lunches to replace the rotation of Taco Bell, Subway, Sonic, and pizza. So last night, we went grocery shopping and I got some different low-cal, low-fat soups and frozen dinners to try. I found options that didn't include corn syrup or hydrogenated fats. We'll see how it goes.

I am also cutting out soda completely. I don't drink it often - maybe 3-4 a week, but at 150 calories each time, it adds up.

We got some peanuts and cashews. Dr. Oz had said that if you are going out to eat, to eat a handful of nuts about 30 minutes before mealtime, and it will cause the hormones that signal that you are full to be released, so you won't feel the need to eat as much at your meal. I'm gonna see how that works.

I am also going to start writing down everything I eat. I did this before and lost 20 pounds. It really stops you from all the little snacking when you know you have to be "accountable" for it.

Lastly, exercise. The worst part!!! I am going to try to get DH to go for a walk with me every night to start with, and then take it from there.

I hear what you are saying about will power, Dee. I don't have a candy machine at work, so I don't have to deal with that temptation - I can just not buy candy and it isn't around me to tempt me. I was really good at the grocery store last night - no junk whatsoever! Maybe you can not carry change or cash with you, so you CAN'T go to the vending machine no matter how badly you want to.

And Lucy, I agree that we don't want to become neurotic and silly. :D I'd just like to be a thinner well-balanced person. LOL.

Crystal

Well it sounds like you are off to a great start. I think what happens to a lot of people or at least me is I want results fast and when I don't get it I get discouraged and give up. I have to remember baby steps. Just stop the vending maching and eat what I bring and right there should be 10 pounds worth. I am soooo disgusted and have never been this heavy before in my life and it's just getting worse and worse but I honestly think I had to hit my rock bottom which was this weekend. All my girlfriends are still chunky but just chunky. They maintained basically their size from school where I went from 11/12 to 24/26 sometimes a 26/28. I have fat where I never had fat before and unfortunately it is concentrated right in my belly. Can't take it anymore.

I hear you. Mine is in my belly too.

For me, it has been a slow and steady increase. I was a size 10/12 until my early twenties and have slowly put on a few pounds here and a few there until now I look in the mirror and say "Who is that FAT WOMAN!?! That isn't me."

My problem isn't in not getting results. It is in impulse control. If I really want something chocolatey and gooey, it is VERY difficult to tell myself no. And the weird thing is I am not an emotional eater at all... I just REALLY LIKE bad things! So I'll have the chocolatey gooey treat, then I just stop trying to make better choices, which I think is the key - to make the best choice one-meal-at-a-time for each meal and each snack.

I hope you are able to resist the lure of the vending machine. I know we can do this!!!

Crystal

I know these threads start all the time but since we are on the same page at the same time why don't we start a new dieting/support thread. Interested? Today started the diet for me and I only plan on weighing myself weekly. Unfortunately because our scale makes you weigh one thing and then you go on literally a second later and you weigh 20 pounds (lol) I have to go get a new scale and think I am going to get the Weight Watchers one my girlfriend has this weekend so I have nothing to go by when I weigh myself next Monday am but I will know if I did good just by the weigh my clothes fit me.

Anyway let me know if you are interested and I will start a new thread.

Yes, sure! It is good to have others who we are accountable to!!!

I just went to the restroom at work and rather than just walking back down the hall, I walked all the way around the building to get back to my office. I plan on doing this every time I go during the day.

I'll weigh myself weekly as well. That's a good idea since it fluctuates so much daily.

I feel pretty positive about this. I haven't been this interested in doing something about my weight in a long time.

Crystal

I haven't been this positive or determined I guess since the last time I lost 60 pounds and met dh so here go. I guess I'll start a new thread and we can go to it if we feel we are having a bad time or just to be positive and route for each other and maybe others will join in.

Oh by the way good for you on the walking. I started this am and instead of parking in my close spot by the door I parked in the last parking spot. I guess little changes like this will make a difference.