There are so many of us that try or have tried with all our might to lose weight and are perpetually unsuccessful. It is enough to depress anyone.

That said, I personally believe that we can try too hard.

For the first twelve years of my adult life I weighed about 132 lbs. Not counting pregnancies, I was definitely carrying abdominal fat by age 38 and gained to about 200 lbs by age 60. I had a 4th child the day before I turned 40 and 5 miscarriages after that.

I believe most of the weight gain was due to dieting and binge cycles, or to the thyroid. Every time I lost 5 lbs, I would regain 10.

After being skinny for the first 33 years of my life, then pregnant 3 times when I didn't notice how much or if I was gaining permanent weight until the third pregnancy, my health took a downturn that seemed like hypothyroidism, and I noticed the abdominal fat, but my TSH tests came back "in the normal range" until just after I had changed my diet and lost 12 lbs in 12 weeks. Then my TSH said I was hyperthyroid.

That started me on a long road of weight regaining, and losing weight when I rebelled against taking the drugs and had a pleasant summer in hyperthyroid bliss.

The new endocrinologist I went to after that summer promised to give me the anti thyroid medication (ATD) gradually so I wouldn't gain weight, but it was only slow enough that he didn't notice my weight gain, in spite of everything I was trying to do to prevent it.

I have been able to go off the ATDs as of December, but my thyroid levels don't seem to be high enough, in my opinion. I went to a third endocrinologist last week for her opinion, but haven't heard back yet.

are you exercising? maybe you need to keep a food journal to see what you are actually eating all day long.

I write everything down I eat when I remember too. I walk every where I was born with Epilepsy ,I can not drive . My medications add to my weight . I also on medication for Allergies, Neuropathy,and blood Pressure I am at the age where I am starting the change of life and that does not help with my weight. My heaviest weight was 239.6 and I that was 18 years ago, now i still trying loose weight , I want to loose 100 ponds ,,,If I stop yo yoing I would be 60 pounds down

The problem with yo-yo diets or fad diets or promises of magic pills that let you eat anything is that while they promise quick weight loss (either fat or what usually ends up being water loss) what they don't tell you is that when it's over you gain the weight back just as fast if not faster; and usually more too.

Life certainly catches up with all of us, time passes, extra weight packs on. For me I never even really noticed - being overweight has been my body type my entire life except birth where I was an extremely average 7lb 4oz lol. But one day I stepped on the scale and decided it was the time to change and I had the opportunity to go forward.

If you are truely searching for a healthy path, the groups on DS are a great first step. You have like minded people that have been through similar life obstacles and are going through the same physical and mental battle that you are facing.

Losing weight has to be something you are ready for mind, body, and soul. It is a life style change, not only a 'diet.' You may choose to count calories... you may choose to count points... you may choose to not count at all and do something low carb or go vegetarian... whatever you choose you have to commit to it, you have to listen to your body, and you have to cut yourself some slack every once in a while (we are all nothing but human full of change, confusion, and mistakes).

Exercise is a huge factor. If the body isn't moving (and it might take to lose some weight before you can, which is okay - that's what I had to do) the muscle will waste away. If the muscle wastes away then not only are you hurting your body's future, but you can't convert what you eat into energy and it'll go straight into fat. I had to/chose to wait until I lost 30lb before starting up exercise and I still have over 100lb to go, so my journey is fairly long.

Something you mentioned, that really resonated with me is that "if you remember to eat." I am in that same boat. 1) I consumed most of my daily calories in over sugared coffee (of which sugar is my biggest pitfall) and 2) I would constantly forget to eat and would be happy if I had 2 actual meals a day regardless of what the content was. Now I don't know for sure your reason for forgetting, but for me since coffee is an appetite suppressant, I wasn't EVER physically hungry. Also, I have been battling anxiety and depression (prescription-less) for the past 2-3 years and with fighting the urge to constantly sleep, eating was the last thing on my mind. Lastly before I had to move back in with family I also didn't really have any money to eat, so I also used not eating to my advantage. So I don't know if you have any of those similar issues, if you do I can say that losing weight doesn't completely correct any depression symptoms but it does clear up some of those receptors in the brain so the symptoms (for me) can lessen in severity.

I hope you find what you are looking for here. It's a great resource. Sometimes, and I am guilty of this too lol, folks may "sound like" that they have all the answers. So sort of take replies/posts with a grain of salt, or rather, don't take anything too personally. Everyone just has their own opinions and want to help and will give you insight into their journey in hopes that it'll somehow help you look at things from another perspective that could ultimately benefit you.

Please don't hesitate to reach out to anyone, participate in discussions, or ask questions.

Good luck! You already took the first step so you can definitely do this if you put your mind to it!

I know this well Frances. For me, it has been forty years. To learn what I had been doing wrong, I decided to enlist the help of a health coach. She helped me realize that in order to keep my weight under control, I had to start writing down everything I ate. After doing this, I was finally able to take control of my weight. I'm happy now because I know what to do to keep from gaining weight which I feel is more important that losing it. I was climbing and didn't know how to stop it! If I stop recording in my journal, I lose control again. So I now know that keeping a food log is the only way I can lose weight. I tend to get off track when I don't. I hope this helps.

For me this is something new to try.
Reg coffee: I don't want food. not even go to grab hand full of foods. down side, reg makes me liken to mouse in running wheel, lol. it instantly trys to stain my teeth. Right after having coffee I half to quickly brush my teeth n gum line.

Sugar Free jell-o 5 up to 10 cal's w 0 trans fat.
I started w 10 cal's. I found:" Great Value Sugar Free" powdered "jello". only add water to make jello.
1 box makes 4 1/2 cups. 1/2 cup serving is 10 r 5 cals. yesterday, the binge that I've ben battleing w for quite sometime tried harder than normal to get me to resume pigging out. With jello intake Monday, I cut bk on food intake. oh of my bing creaturer fought because it missed, n is missing extry food intake that mt body had got use to haveiing.
will last night I got sweet tooth. so I used "perrier" bottled water ( bubbles ), n diced pinapple chunks. I maded 6 cups of jello.
Instead of bowl,I use cass. pan to pour hot jello in. I use pan as jello mold pan.
I want suface area more than depth of jello.
When I want to pop something in my mouth,I will cut lrg sq of jello, that already jelled.
Between 1 AM this morning to 9 PM, So far I have had 4 cups of jello. the rest of jello that I aded today for today I will have tonight n into wee hrs of tomarrow morning.
Oh ya, at night, I also have hand ful of seedless grapes w dish of jello.
Today for lunch, I stired up jello ( into clumps) I add shreed/chop up luttace, banana, prun,5 walnuts maded into pcs. 1.5 cup I stayed feling full for little over 3 hrs but vn at 3 hrs I didn't want more than pinch at a time, n spaced a part intervals, of go to grab foods.
Tomarrow inaddition to fixing pan of jello, I'me going to fix a medium size bowl of cut up fresh fruits. I will also add shreeded luttace into bowl of fruit. yep tomarrow food being: bowls of jello n bowls of fruit, n 2 hand fulls of original" Fiber One " cereal.
Fri inaddition to jello I'me thinking about makeing lrg bowl of green leaf salad for wk end.
I put just about any type of raw veg w can of drained chick peas, in my leaf salads. Somtimes when I have left over brown soup beans I will drain beans n add to green leaf salad. ya when I add beans,I also put white n purple onions in my salad.

Diets are a jump start into obtaing along the way a healthy food w out limination for a life time style.
However limminate: grease white flour
limit: starch carbs salt sugar
processed food are not our friends.
If u must: olive oil pam spray butter flavored pam spray
Bake Boil Grill Micowave

Protien wal mart pharmacy dept. whey powder protein. chocolate flavor being the best n doesn't taste like chemical/card board.
Fiber wal mart cereal il Original " Fiber One" cereal, 80 cal's
Water Lots I drink gal of ice water. Starting out I suggust no less than 16 oz plus other liq's such has juices/coffee/tea
Move. My form of exercise, walking. walking inside mall as will as outter but inner walls at wal mart.
Sleep reg schedule

Cal's in Cal's out

Measureing tape, scale, old/current pr of jeans.
Only weigh in the 1st thing in morning, w scale always in same spot, n wearing the samething. I have a winter house coat that weighs just a little over 2 lbs :0 ya it took me a while to figure that out.

Will, I had cup of jello, diet coke, water n 1/2 cup of fiber one cereal ( dry ) so off to bed I go. for my so called mid nigt refg raid I will have jello n hand full of seedless grapes, n more than likely a cup of lite coffee n ice water.

Oh ya it is best to lose weight slowly.
we all have slips. it's ok n normal to do so. just restart healty life style/eating healthy ASAP

Good Night. Good Morning/Day to some. X's






So far this is working for me to get a grip on n rid of binge beast. while keeping me feeling full.not guilty, defeated n dishearted.

fnk, I think she was saying she writes everything down when she remembers to write it down. Not that she has to remember to eat.

I had to completely change the way I eat for the rest of my life.
For me what works for my body is lower carb. My body does well with high fat and protein.

Before that I did the same 'fad' way of eating, dieting. Always gave up after a week or less and gained what I'd lost + more.

I'm kind of stalled right now but I've lost over 80 lbs and kept it off for over 3 years! I'm 20-25 lbs from my goal, I'll get there one day!

Just wanted to apologize for such mis spelling...rambleings, in prior reply. I just now got in Dr hospital. A med had been temporary add to reg med that I've been takeing. will, I had slightly had toxicity.2 meds were not a safe combo for me.

If it wasn't for friend, n in home care service I would have had to stay, over night, in hospital, for opservation.

When I'me stressed apparently I binge.
I eat healthy but in recent mo's in additions to reg intake I can't seem to make myself stop pigging out. Yes I temporary have above normal stress but I assume it is due to medical care issues, n I'me having rm built on, n 1 side of lawn land scape reshaped. Medicare doesn't cover dental care. ya cost per tooth is $3.000. I'me in mist of having 8 of my teeth replaced w perment teeth. So ya that's a little stressful.

As far as dieting. Occassional I will temporary diet just to kick start motivation/ to get bk on track r to get yoyoing to stop ( even if I can only get yoyoing to stop for a few dys ) I do not diet dyly nor on reg bases.
however most recently I have replaced a few healthy foods w jello. I'me going to start haveing jello that has fruit n/r vegs in it plus I will eat my normal reg foods but smaller portions inorder to decress cal in take. will I'me being shoowed to bd..
again I aplogize for yesterday n today rambleings.

I been trying different ways of diets and none seam to do any good . i do not cook very much and just cook enough for me. sometimes it can be a 15 min meal. I do not get a lot of exercise now that it is summer. with my fair skin I burn too bad . I wish I could do something because I sick of being FAT...

Hi Frances

If you want to change, it is hard work.

Post here a day's worth of food to give us an idea. What do you cook? It is hard when you don't have someone to cook for. Self care is difficult.

Regarding exercise, could you join a gym and exercise indoors? Or exercise very early/late? Or just wear a baseball cap and heavy sunscreen to go out. Or get some weights/equipment/follow a youtube exercise routine in your home.

Hi Lizzie ,
Iam on a budget so unless the gym has a deal I properly will not join. I do walk a lot because I do not drive . I also take the city bus. I was orb with Epilepsy and have dealt with it for 45 years and 9 months and will have it all my life. I am cooking for myself and sometimes I have leftovers for 3 days .I came down with the flu tonight, and it sucks. I walk the house.I hope this flu stuff does not last very long, it is not fun. i do not like being sick.

Your medication could have a factor. My son takes three types of meds for his seizures and doc told him it could be a major factor in his weight gain. I get up every morning with the intention to try some days I make it some vI don't but I keep trying. The one thing I quit quit doing is beating myself up over it.

I never had a weight problem till my 20's when I started medications for bipolar. Those are similar to epilepsy meds. I gained 125 lbs in 10 years before I realized I had to do something about it... (Well I realized it before then but I wasn't ready.) Medications can definitely add to the problem. You can do it, though, so far I have lost almost 80 lbs.

Keeping a food journal is a good idea. Also sometimes your portion sizes may be bigger than you think. When I realized what a serving size actually is I was HORRIFIED. 3 oz of meat? Who only eats 3 oz? I eat very lightly throughout the day and save my calories for dinner, when I like to eat what I think of as normal-sized portions. I don't like to walk when it's hot but I go early in the morning and then at dusk and it does help. Good luck to you.

I also went on med. for fybromyalgia and gained weight. I am also writing down what I eat. and noting my walk- small walk with my dog. I like the other replys they really have helped me also.