Diets & Weight Maintenance Support Group

Hello------I am also a lazy person so I know how you feel. I have 20-30 lbs to lose, but lately I gain 5 and then lose 5, so right back where I started from.

I feel it is best to start slow. Take a walk and build up gradually. Park the car further away so there is more walking. Any movement is good, so try to increase that.

Try to cut down on sugar. Eat more fruit and veg and more sugar free like popcycles instead of ice cream. More water than soda. Just small changes can add up over time.

Mine is a work in progress. I believe slow and steady is the way to go because it is a lifestyle change, not a diet.

My best to you. Please keep posting updates. We are all in this together. You are not alone....(hugs)

Make small steps, minor course corrections and similar things. Keep doing this, and at some point you have made significant changes.

Try to get better foods to snack on, like carrots, yogurt, and other low calorie things.

Drink more water, perhaps tell youself that you have to have a glass of water BEFORE you can have a soda.

Park at the far end of the parking lot rather than up close.

Learn to cook from scratch rather than buy processed foods.

That has worked for me.

I try and have different goals for different time intervals.
For each meal:
1. Take a little less (never reach for a second spoon of anything except veggies)
2. Fill half the plate with veggies.
3. Drink 2 glasses of water (1 before, 1 after)

On a daily basis my goal is:
1. Eat veggies at every meal.
2. Eat 2 fruits per day.
3. Drink 1 glass of milk.
4. Walk 30 minutes (have a dog, so that one is must)

Weekly basis:
1. Exercise 3 times (not including walking).
2. Eat vegetarian 3 times (lunch or dinner)
3. Eat Fish 3 times a week (lunch or dinner)
4. Weigh myself only on Saturdays.

Monthly Basis:
1. Take a new photo of myself.
2. Do something selfish (facial, spa, sauna)
3. Have 3 nights off the diet (but no binging, more like have dessert)
4. Commit to 1 new healthy habit.

And when you reach the end of the month, be honest with yourself. How did it really go? I grade myself on food and exercise every day good, moderate or bad. Then at the end of the month i look back. How did it really go? If the goal is to maintained the weightloss and stay slender, then you need to create habits that will allow that. Sudden changes to diet or exercise are never permanent. So gradually build it up. And have fun! Don't start doing things you don't like. Pick habits you would like to live the rest of your life with.

You've gotten great suggestions for small, doable changes. They do add up over time, and many people find it less overwhelming to work on one or just a handful of small changes at time. Some other ideas you may want to think about: switch from refined carbs to whole carbs (eat brown rice, whole wheat pasta, and whole wheat bread instead of white rice, white pasta, and white bread); learn to bake or saute lean meats and fish; try making one new healthy or lower calorie/lower fat recipe per week; pick one thing you eat that you know you shouldn't be eating, figure out a healthy, lower calorie substitute, and concentrate on just making that one change, then the next week, tackle another one; try taking one brisk ten minute walk per day, see if you can do that for a week, and then up it to two brisk ten minute walks per day, see if you can do that for a week, and then up it to three brisk ten minute walks per day, and voila, you will be doing 30 minutes of exercise per day within three weeks.

Maybe you aren't a gym person. Think about that. Is the gym really where you want to be? There are other ways of getting exercise besides in a gym.

How you know what diet is best: the diet that works for you is the best one. Whatever you do to lose weight has to work for you, and it has to be healthy and not too extreme or involving too much crazy and/or expensive stuff. Also, it may help to think of this as a lifestyle change instead of a "diet."

Thank you everyone for all your thoughtful responses. Just reading them is motivating:)

I am also having a hard time getting motivated. I am going to try these ideas everyone has provided. The problem I am having is eating while doing home work. It seems like eating is my motivator. Any suggestions for this? Thanks, I love this site!

Sanka, can you do your homework in an environment where food is not readily available? Like the library? Sometimes when I change a habit, it helps to change it pretty thoroughly, like changing locations.

Motivation....???

I cut out pictures of women that are in shape, exercising, lifting weights, etc (not models that are size zero and do nothing but look hungry, but women that are toned and exercising)...
THEN

I pretend it is ME!

xo Sun

Do you guys think making meal plans ahead of time is doable? My problem is I come to work, without a lunch and end up always ordering out, and it always ends up being unhealthly. That or I don't eat at all until I find myself starving and at that point I reach for anything which usually is junk food. I guess at least I have figured out my problems. LOL Now I just gotta figure out a solution that I will actually stick with!

Meal planning on the day u buy groceries is a good idea.