The top 3:

1) Too much soda. Some people have literally dropped like 40 lbs, just be cutting soda and other sugary drinks from their diet. I only drink water and herbal tea, so this does not apply to me.

2) Too much fast food: Again, imagine if you JUST cut fast food out of your diet, would that have an impact??? I bet it would.

3) Watching too much TV! A bit of a weird one, but the average person watches at least 4 hours of TV a day. (BUT we never have time to exercise!!!) So, either exercise in front of the TV (I do this a lot) or turn it OFF and go for a walk, etc. Can you cut you hours down to 2 hours a day. What will you do with that extra 2 hours?

And finally. Some of us are not any of these top 3. I don’t feel I have 1 glaring vice (like chocolate, chips, ice cream, etc). I more have categories. I choose ‘carby things’ most often. I’ll take crackers or bread over fruit and veggies. AND, could it be this easy? The author suggests, just replace your MAIN non-healthy habit with a good habit. So, get rid of the crackers and bread and eat fruit/veggies instead. Obviously, I need some bread/carbs, but I need to start limiting it and getting the FRUIT/VEG first, carbs second, not the other way around.

Well, I’ll let you know how it goes. I’m also thinking about BUSTING sugar. Not a major problem, but, it’s there!!

What is your BIGGEST vice??? Have you beaten it yet??? Do you think it would help if you did???

The book is called “the vice busting diet” by the way, I got if from the library!!

The whole fiasco brought my husband and I down quite a bit.  We thought we were ‘ready’ to buy a house, commit to a place, ’settle down’ and then panic hit when we realized that we were not ready.

We hate our jobs, and were about to buy a house that would leave us ’stuck’ working at them to keep going.  And, still, moving to England is always there.  It’s like a silent ghost that haunts and taunts us (come, it’s better here)!

I’m proud to say that I did not ‘go off the deep end’ and binge my life away or eat like a nutter because of what happened.  But, I was not up for “dieting” or traning.  My husband and I did process by taking lots of LONG walks (one of them about 5 hours).

Before I had this emotional hiccup, I had ordered TONS of books from the library on changing habits.  What I realized, is that it was my ‘head’ that needed the work.

So, I’ve been reading lots of very interesting books.  Books that talk about not dieting and losing weight (just by focusing on eating good food).  And, a new book that is about going slower.  About changing 1 THING at a time.  

 In my past weight loss journey over the last few months I would do really good and then have a few bad days and get frustrated.  Or, I would do really good, and then not lose, and get ….frustrated.

I think my focus was wrong.  I think I need to shift gears and focus on making LONG term, permanent, lifestyel changes.  AND, I need to get away from the silly notion that I can ‘poof’ wake up tomorrow and morph into the person that I wish I was (exercise bunny, perfect eater, etc).  It’s just not realistic.

So, although this journey will be slow, I’m making one change a week!

This week.  MORE FRUIT!  Try to have some with every meal.  A small change, but a good change, and then I will ‘build’ on this next week.

If anyone out there has done something like this, or done a more healthy (not ‘perfection focus’ or extreme diet focused way to lose weight), I’d love to hear from you and hear some of your tips. 

Glad to be back.

I’m the only person who is thrilled to have NOT been able to buy the house they really wanted!!

The good news is, I’ve lost 3 lbs!! I know it’s not the healthy way, but it’s nice to have an upside when you life is in the toilet!!

My hubby and I went house hunting for the first time with an agent. Wow! It’s scary but exciting. I might buy a house….eek!!!

And Yeah, I’m down a pound!!! I hope today is good too, I’m going to a party tonight and have such a hard time not over-indulging!!!

But..I WILL DO IT!! I can do it!! I hope there are veggie sticks.

I KNOW what to do, but sometimes I think it’s about the ‘psychology’ of it, like overcoming that part of you that WANTS the cake when you see it. So, I scanned my library and I’m getting out lots of books on HABITS and how to change them. I know my omega 3’s and 6’s and HDL and LDL etc. I know my antioxidant food and blah, blah, blah. But what I still don’t know is HOW to walk past that plate of fresh cupcakes at the office when they look so yummy, even though I have a lovely bowl of veggie sticks on my desk. I like veggie sticks, I do, but I like cake more!!! Sometimes I walk past, but all too often….I don’t.

So, that is my next challenge with this journey, to change my relationship with food and not want the stupid cakes and crap anymore. I’ll let you know how it goes!

And then, the next day I ’start again’. Only problem is, I’m not doing as good as I was. I’m doing a lot of good, and I want to recognize that, but I want to do better.

I was on the ‘abs diet’ for a bit, which is actually a pretty good diet, the food is healthy and the exercise plan is sound. But the diet is not designed great and there are not good guidelines for making it work for you.

So! Here are my thoughts of where to go next!

1) Weight watchers: I know that accountability would be helpful and I know it works for a lot of people. So, I’m considering it.
2) Create a plan for me. Try to sit down, and create days with “healthy meals” that I like, tailored with calories to meet my weight loss needs.
3) Just count calories: I was doing this for awhile and it was working. But sometimes, if it fit in my calories, I was having things like chocolate or what not that were not too healthy!
4) See a nutritionist. I think I can see one for free through my work plan.

Any thoughts, feedback? Anyone on here who’s gone the distance and been where I am? I do still want to lose the weight, but not crazy like I used to? Humm….

I feel so lost, and not just with my diet, but with my life.

Maybe I dream too much, maybe I have too much ambition, or ambition for the wrong things (like retiring early!)
I keep wanting to train for jobs, but I don’t want to do any of them, I find work so dreadfully boring after just a few weeks in any new job, and I’ve had some of the best jobs in the world (like cruise ships).

And I know I sound like a baby right now, and maybe I just need to ’suck it up’, but it’s not my fault I was raised in this annoying generation told that I could find “fulfilling work” or “work I would love’ and I’m left searching for that and just find it so hard to accept that the only “real” option is another 30 years of ‘drudgery’ so that I can what, pay the bills, have a house, etc? Is this IT??? Oh boy, I can’t wait for the collection of tiny “glimmers” of joy that might intersperse my otherwise dreary existence. Yeah!

And then, when I get like this, when I feel like “what’s the point”, when I look for new jobs, or new training and see that to do something I prefer I’ll need to drop my salary IN HALF!!! or even more, well, it’s depressing and the food goes out the window.

So, yeah, I guess I am having a pity party and I’m not sure what the rest of you might say to this? I guess it’s hard to try and invest in a future that you just don’t see. It’s hard to push yourself, eat that “lovely” spinach (when you want the fucking chocolate), when you just don’t even have the motivation to WANT to be anything. When you just don’t GET how people get out of bed everyday and go to work and somehow convince themselves that they are feeling happy! Or, what it the chemical change or personal growth that I need to do to no longer HATE my job and just be happy. Is it really just being positive? I try to work on that, I do, and I know it’s some elusive secret that some people just magically have, and they can fall in a pool of shit (literally, I read this once) and just laugh.

Okay. I’m done. Sorry, thanks for listening I guess. Hope I have not offended, or worse, dragged any of you down with my wee rant!

So, for those of you struggling, just keep trying.  It took me about 3 weeks to really get back on track but now that I’m here I’m feeling good again!

What matters most, is that we just keep trying!!! 

WE ARE ALL GOING TO SUCCEED!!!

Have a great weekend buddies!

Best of luck to you all.

Well, I’ve been on Buddy slim since December and things have been going pretty good. I’m learning what is working and what is not working for me!! (I believe it is different for each of us)!

I was recently part of a group for a number of weeks that worked really well. We checked in everyday, were focused on exercise and eating and did a great job. Unfortunately, that group seems to have ended (or at least slowed down so much it’s barely there).

So, I’ve decided to create a new group to meet those weight loss needs and keep me on track!

Here is what I would like from this group, so if it sounds like you and what you want from a group, please let me know. Either respond here or send me an e-mail.

First come, first served!

Here is what I am looking for!

1) I want to keep the group small. 4-5 members maximum (including me). I just found this to be the most manageable number to work with and keep tabs on each other. In my short experience on buddy slim, a small group like this seems to work best for me. I hate to exclude others, but I just feel a group with more people gets to be a bit much. If this does not sound right for you, I know there are tons of other great groups out there

2) I want people who are committed and really want to do this. Check in every day! Post accountability, support and be there for your fellow buddies in the group. Do you have the time to do this? Are you willing or ready? I have found you have to put in to get back!!

3) Although not 100% necessary, I would prefer to have people who are committed to working out. Only because this is a focus of mine and I feel it is an important part of weight loss, so if all of us are working out, we can encourage each other. I try to workout 4-6 days a week and hope for buddies who would like to do the same.

I have to admit, I thought a lot about this and it was a bit scary to post this and ask for what I need and what I am looking for. There are so many wonderful people on here and I don’t want to offend anyone or suggest things that don’t mesh with people. I am an open and accepting person. But, let’s face it. I’m being a bit selfish here too, I’m trying to make Buddyslim help me to reach my goals and with that I am looking for like-minded buddies to share this journey.

So, that said, if anyone out there wants to join me, let me know. Let’s get started and make this happen.