I can't seem to get motivated to lose weight. I bought myself a scale in hopes that I would see how bad it is, and want to change. It's only been 2 days, but no change in eating habits.
I gained 40 pounds with my pregnancy with twins...lost 30...then gained it all back. It sucks so much! I like to eat...a lot. I know the concept of cutting down on portions, eating 5-6 small meals, drinking water/no soda...blah blah...but it doesn't work for me. I just get sooo hungry all the time!
FF is just so easy...and getting those shops doesn't make it better for my health. Twins dad is same way...except he is nearly underweight from working so much.

Any ideas for healthy snacks in the car? I do have gym membership, but between the twins, shopping, and working on my masters it's almost impossible to find time to go. I do have a kid membership for babies so they stay in the daycare facility while I work out, but I feel the need to make money instead. So, the membership is being wasted

Any other tips?

Thanks

The last sentence struck me. You find the need to make money, but meanwhile you are wasting the money spent for the gym membership Give up a few shops a week and go there instead. Your physical and mental well-being are worth far more than anything else. The gym will give you some "me" time, help you with some weight loss, boost your confidence, build your stamina and even improve mental clarity. All of the above will help you in every aspect of your life including mystery shopping!

After my twins were born I lost a whole lot of weight and 2 months after they were born weighed 15 pounds less than my pre-pregnant weight. A whole lot of that was thanks to breast feeding.

As I have gotten older it has gotten harder to lose weight and keep it off. What I have found is most successful for me is the Atkins plan because I am such a fan of protein. I always have personally found salads very unsatisfying and carrots & celery as a snack? Gimme a break! Atkins is not having you count calories but rather counting the grams of carbohydrates. I am happy enough ditching the bread and having the meat from my sandwich! I will happily turn in a plate of pasta for a pork chop! What I did find that with Atkins I never felt hungry and never felt sorry for myself such that I needed a treat to cheer me up. Mix up a box of sugar free jello and you have cool sweet treats in the fridge. Hard boil a couple of eggs and you have an available snack or can turn them into egg salad to eat with a fork. When I did my gas station yesterday my inside purchase was a pack of pork rinds. Carbohydrate free!

The concern with Atkins is knowing when to come off of it. While the weight was coming off my cholesterol actually was going down despite lots of eggs, hard cheeses and meat (not fish, meat). As with any diet at a certain point your weight will plateau. This is time to stop the diet and go to a more normal, but sane, food pattern as for some reason when you are no longer losing the cholesterol will start going up.

My significant other has been trying to lose weight for the past several years by cutting back portions or using bits and pieces of various diets. For a diet to be successful you need to follow it, not just the parts you like and do what you want the rest of the time. When he finally gets serious we will go back on Atkins. For the moment he is doing some organic carrot juice nonsense, but this too will be unsuccessful since he has toast with peanut butter and his carrot juice for breakfast, not just the carrot juice.

I'm also one of those who prefers more protein. I actually gave up dieting a long time ago and just slowly made adjustments including learning portion control. It sure as heck doesn't mean I don't eat more than one portion, but at least I'm aware of it! I do eat some carbs and try to pick the really good ones, whole grains, oatmeal, etc. My favorite fruits are berries which are lower in carbs, have a decent amount of fiber and a real nutritional punch. During the day I often pack cheese sticks and small packets of nuts with dried cranberries. The only problem with eating that during the day is it leaves me craving a glass of red wine to go with

LOL...it does sound strange about the gym. I do need that 'me' time

Flash- That's awesome you have twins, too! I did breastfeed for 6 months, and that was when most of the weight came off. Then they weaned themselves, and I packed on the pounds I did try Atkins several years ago. I liked bread too much lol

Carrot juice? Just carrot juice? Yuck. I tried that stupid cabbage soup diet a week before my brothers wedding to try and lose weight (not smart, I know...)...but I got sick after 1 day. haha

It's probably best it made you sick. Would you really want to attend the wedding of someone you like after eating cabbage for a week!

Yup, my twins are getting disturbingly close to 40 :-( And I loved the time I was breastfeeding because I could thoroughly indulge in my two favorite things--peanut butter and chocolate milk.

Carrot juice was recommended as his breakfast by his doctor who I am really starting to wonder about. The guy basically recommends a third world diet of primarily lentils, rice, raw vegetables and fruits and wild caught fish. His notion is that any prepared food is poisonous. 4 oz of carrot juice in the morning, lentils or rice for lunch and fish with raw veggies for dinner. Preferably breakfast should be at 5AM and dinner should be before 6PM. Mid evening you can have a fresh fruit if you are hungry. Dairy and meats are unsafe because of the hormones used on the animals. Breads and pastas are processed so unsafe. One loses credibility when one take a decent idea off the deep end.

What I really appreciated about Atkins was that the drastic carbohydrate restriction was only for the first 2 weeks. After that I could add back some carbs and just be selective about how I spent my carb allowance. So yes, we did do some pasta with smaller portions to stay within the carb allowance. Or we could do a light breading on fish or pork chops. And we didn't worry about the diet when we were invited to dinner or had a dinner shop. That year we even did a Thanksgiving dinner with the whole turkey and dressing and cranberry sauce and gravy and etcs. and by self monitoring portions of the high carb stuff still managed to eat ourselves to traditional drowsy oblivion without having 'failed' Atkins because we cashed in our carb allowance. Our hostess did not even know we were dieting, though she mentioned we both were looking thinner.

As some one who is morbidly obese (300lbs on a 6,2 frame)... I feel your pain... The key is with me is to set clear goals... My new years is to not eat ff... Made before newyears...So far I have gone 3 weeks and only had it,twice... I made it to lose weight, lower sodium, and have extra gas money to see my girfriend.. I lost close to 3 lbs.already... Second is to be realistic... I already broke it twice... But im still gunnin 4 the goal... Judge urself by the times u get up not fall... Lastly is to have fun... Look im not fabio but my gf likes me any way and shes no model but beautiful to me... Your hubby is there and right now 1/4 woman dont have that... Accept urself for who you are be happy... I know you are loved by somebody... Appreciate that and feel good

That doctor is not totally off base. I have been really lucky to have some great grocery options including Trader Joe's, Whole Foods and two high quality locally-owned stores. It makes finding meat and dairy without hormones much easier along with organic vegetables and even the "processed" foods without things like high fructose corn syrup and trans fats.

For a long time I worked with a woman who was from Bulgaria. She often told me when she traveled home for visits she would automatically lose weight only to gain when she returned. She firmly believed the hormones in our meat and all of the additives were making the difference. I am such a foodie that I not only like eating good food, I love cooking it, shopping for it and reading about it So much of what I've found is very much in line with her thinking.

I've already mentioned this in another thread today, but it bears repeating. I eat what I like and really enjoy meat, eggs, butter, etc. Several years ago I made it my mission to keep anything with high fructose corn syrup and trans fats out of my diet. In 2 years my cholesterol dropped by over 40 points and I lost right around 20 pounds. My next goal is to get away from corn fed animal protein if I can find an accessible and affordable source for grass fed beef and free range chickens who's diets aren't supplemented with corn

There is a reason that the third world is the third world. . .

LisaSTL Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> That doctor is not totally off base. I have been
> really lucky to have some great grocery options
> including Trader Joe's, Whole Foods and two high
> quality locally-owned stores. It makes finding
> meat and dairy without hormones much easier along
> with organic vegetables and even the "processed"
> foods without things like high fructose corn syrup
> and trans fats.
>
> For a long time I worked with a woman who was from
> Bulgaria. She often told me when she traveled home
> for visits she would automatically lose weight
> only to gain when she returned. She firmly
> believed the hormones in our meat and all of the
> additives were making the difference. I am such a
> foodie that I not only like eating good food, I
> love cooking it, shopping for it and reading about
> it So much of what I've found is very much in
> line with her thinking.
>
> I've already mentioned this in another thread
> today, but it bears repeating. I eat what I like
> and really enjoy meat, eggs, butter, etc. Several
> years ago I made it my mission to keep anything
> with high fructose corn syrup and trans fats out
> of my diet. In 2 years my cholesterol dropped by
> over 40 points and I lost right around 20 pounds.
> My next goal is to get away from corn fed animal
> protein if I can find an accessible and affordable
> source for grass fed beef and free range chickens
> who's diets aren't supplemented with corn


How coincidental is that. My former roomate is Bulgarian and says the same thing. However He was there and came back to stay with me recently and actually gained weight. So who knows. I mean in Bulgaria.

geauxcj Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I can't seem to get motivated to lose weight. I
> bought myself a scale in hopes that I would see
> how bad it is, and want to change. It's only been
> 2 days, but no change in eating habits.
> I gained 40 pounds with my pregnancy with
> twins...lost 30...then gained it all back. It
> sucks so much! I like to eat...a lot. I know the
> concept of cutting down on portions, eating 5-6
> small meals, drinking water/no soda...blah
> blah...but it doesn't work for me. I just get sooo
> hungry all the time!
> FF is just so easy...and getting those shops
> doesn't make it better for my health. Twins dad is
> same way...except he is nearly underweight from
> working so much.
>
> Any ideas for healthy snacks in the car? I do have
> gym membership, but between the twins, shopping,
> and working on my masters it's almost impossible
> to find time to go. I do have a kid membership for
> babies so they stay in the daycare facility while
> I work out, but I feel the need to make money
> instead. So, the membership is being wasted
>
> Any other tips?
>
>h Thanks


Right. You need protein and fiber to feel full. Roast a chicken or buy one from the grocery. Cool it and cut into chunks and put in plastic food bags/ Honey mustard . High fiber crackers and mozzarella cheese sticks, lo fat. Feta cheese is also lo fat. Greek yogurt.and cut up fruit. I do not know what climate you are in, But walk, walk, walk. Just open the door and go anywhere. If I were your neighbor I would babysit the cuties, while you walked your but off. Just a thought.

Whichever diet or plan you decide to follow, give it time. You will feel hungry at the beginning. Remind yourself that it'll get better. I keep in touch with other "dieters" on sparkpeople.com & weightwatchers.com. I can't stress enough how much support groups help. There's no charge to participate in the discussions. The blah, blah, blahs that help me are, no eating out and tall glasses of cold water when I have a craving. Keep your eye on the prize and know that you will lose weight and your body will adapt to your new way of eating. It WILL happen with time. Good luck!

Thanks for all the great tips! Only have 1 shop tomorrow, and it's right by the gym!

Hi geauxcj, came across your post and can't help to comment. I Know how it feels because I too just gave birth to my daughter 4 months ago.. I don't breastfeed thats why loosing weight is really hard for me. I tried drinking some appetite suppressant coffee 6 weeks after I gave birth and I lost a few pounds in a month, but I eventually gained it all back because, eating is really one of my hobby.. Besides taking care of my baby, I also have a home based job, which keeps me hungry and sitted all day. It even came to the point that my menstrual cycle did not resume up until I decided to walk for a few minutes a day and lessen my calorie intake. What I'm trying to say is, we have to take it easy. We have to give our body time to recover, we have to enjoy being a mommy and working at the same time.. 'Me time" is also important once in a while..

One way to lose weight and build a leaner body is to switch to a plant based eating program. I am on Day 84 of a plant based program, and choosing to eat this way has certainly been a life changing event. Many people lose a lot of weight rapidly on a plant based eating program. Unfortunately, I am not one of them and I am happily losing weight slowly and consistently. This involves changing the way you think about food and eating for the rest of your life, and requires you to make a tremendous commitment to yourself. The best book I've found on the subject is Eat to Live by Joel Fuhrman, available on line from Amazon or from Dr. Fuhrman's website.

I have two pds till I reach my goal. I gained 20pds from msing, and could not lose it. Getting your metabolisum up is important, do work out.
My "diet" now is oatmeal with walnuts and apples a few times a week, or a piece of grain toast and a soft boiled egg. Lunch is my biggest meal, sandwich, soup or salad, I snack on almonds, greek yogart, and I make oatmeal raisen cookies with a glass of almond milk. Dinner is always
protein, chicken, salmon, steak now and them, veggies, later I have an apple,
dipped in a spoonful of peanut butter. I think eating a varity of food allows
you more choice and everything in moderation, and is easy once you start lossing. My appetite has shunk, I am staying under 1200 calories, and still
losing. I never eat FF., but go out to a lunch job a couple tims a week,
instead of everyday like when I started. I know it's hard to start, but you can do it. Let's not forget dark chocolate in the eveing. I'm back in my size 8's...

I have quite a sweet tooth and love to bake. Unfortunately I also love to eat what I bake. My favorite car snacks are now nice crunchy honeycrisp apples and are juicy enough that I don't have to buy something to drink as I do the shops---saving me that extra few dollars which add up over time. I just put more exercise into my ordinary activities---I will park farther away from a store and walk just a little farther. I pick up the pace walking inside the store instead of a pokey amble I walk right along. It's the little things that add up and I found that I lost 54 pounds that way.

Cettie - Outstanding! Good Job!

6 weeks and only broken 3 times!! whoo hoo... and i weighed myself and i was exactly 299 for three days which means its not water weight... so far lost 1lb

but that 1 lb represents 3500 less calories...

i agree it is the small things... i added a workout and the past 2 1/2 weeks i have completed it 5 times... thats equal to the times i have gone to the gym in the past year or so... not bad... about 30 min of crunches, push ups, and toe touches... i also never take the elevator at work unless i have some thing that needs to be taken on it like my hand truck or box cart...

Congratulations Cooldude - Losing weight is not easy and the first victory is to stop gaining.

I lost 71 pounds in 2011. Here are my biggest changes....

Even though I did a ton of fast food shops each month, I took the food home to other people, gave it to homeless people on street corners and even threw some of it in the trash. I wanted the fee but not the fat.

I started going to Meijer early in the morning and buying "last date of sale" produce that was already chopped up and ready to eat. I kept a cooler in the car and would keep fruit and vegetables at my fingertips all day on long shopping routes. I ate all I wanted of that stuff and then would add a little protein by eating a little cheese or cottage cheese. I only ate at restaurant shops that let me order something healthy.

I shipped all my big clothes to Goowill in another city. lol I needed something to ship and that stuff sure weighed enough.

Then I started taking retail shops where I could buy new clothes and get at least reimbursed for it.

Geaux, since you mentioned changing eating habits, why not change shopping habits as well? Instead of doing shops that involve food reimbursements, try other type of reimbursements that may involve clothing or other things? Just a thought.

Don't give up after 2 days though. It takes a little bit longer to develop a habit that's both routine and comfortable for your lifestyle.

habits take 21 days minimum to form... least according to some psychologists...

Hi! Thanks for all responses

I went to the gym today...finally! It felt good! Although the daycare lady ticked me off, and said my twins were "tough little girls" and asked how I put up with it. Really?!?!? They were both fighting over getting in the same toy car. They are 21 months...fights happen!

Anyway! I've lost a few pounds since the start of this thread! Thanks for all the great tips! Congrats to those who have lost weight!

Schedule it in like a shop...go to classes that way you know every Mon, Wed and Friday for example it is classtime. You will see the same peeps and feel more committed. MaKE a goal and write it down. How many times will you go per week? You need minimum 4 times per week hard workouts to lose that weight. Get rid of the junk in the house. Make healthy foods easy to grab. Search some new recipes that taste good and are healthy. Make big salad a few times a week and pick off that before dinner to fill you up. Dark green leafy not that light colored crappy lettucee either

This is NOT "fatsecret.com or caloriecount.com"....what has all this weight loss talk got to do with mystery shopping???

I lost 90 lbs 5 years ago with Weight Watchers, and have kept it off - although I did gain 20 lbs when I was ill, and could not exercise... but I got right back "on program" staarted attending meetings again [a VERY IMPORTANT part]... and lost my 20 lbs... now am below goal weight and back into my size 6's... I'm living proof that you CAN lose the weight AND KEEP IT OFF!!!

The above mentioned websites are excellent for weight loss participents, [the whole comraderie deal WORKS!!]

Also, sign up for the newsletter at "manmeetsscale.com"... it's done by the CEO of Weight Watchers, but he doesn't really discuss WW, just some interesting points regarding the information that's out there...........

Best of luck to all of you who are attempting to make a lifestyle change and lose the weight for GOOD!!! [Remember there IS no fast fix for what took a lifetime [or however long it took you] to put it all on...]

My fiance's mother swears by methods that call for her to eat foods according to her blood type. She avoids the foods that the diet says are bad for her as an O negative blood type. She does very well with it and keeps her weight off.

I am trying to eat according to my B negative blood type, but so many foods I like are not on my list!

CGRANT, threads on General Chat encompass many things other than mystery shopping.

This thread is under the "Anything Else" thread. We can talk about anything else that doesn't fall under the other categories, including life style issues, prayer requests and any other non-mystery shopping interests. Some of us have become internet friends through our common bond of mystery shopping and we like to share other areas of our lives. The ways some of us have lost weight (which some may have gained through mystery shopping) can help those who need to lose. So just about anything goes in the Anything Else thread.