REJOINED

[Guest guest]

I am 219.6 lbs today.

I think losing weight has to be a personal choice and I don't think any woman should feel less of herself because of it. We have to remember we aren't who we are because of what we weigh; it's what's inside that's important. The outer part is just strappings and even though we want to look our best it doesn't necessarily mean we have to lose a lot of weight.

Personally, I have been thinking more and more that I am pushing myself too hard to reach a weight that I don't stand a chance of staying at, EVEN if I manage to reach it in the first place. With my life style and activity level I don't think I can get down to 147 lbs and stay there. So what I'm going to do is try to get down to a more sensible 185 lbs and then maintain that for awhile. After I manage that then I'll decide if it's worth me trying to go any lower. I know I used to look pretty decent at that size. But I think that weight will be a good stopping point for me. It may still be considered over weight but remember I am 5'9" tall and if I manage to get down to 185 lbs that'll be a 46 lbs loss (from Sept. 10th-2007). It may take me another 6-12 months to lose the balance of what I need to lose but it won't be by starving myself. I'll make the best choices I can each day and get what exercise I can, but I'm not going to do anything to the extreme anymore. Do the best I can and try not to let it get me down if I have a slow week.

This was and has been my thinking but it's diet motivated and I want to get to a point where I'm eating without thinking "diet" and I'm hoping this group will help me get to this point. It's been something I've struggled with for the last 2 years and I always go back to diet mode but diets aren't getting the weight off that needs to come off for my health. I want to eat in a natural way and only eat what my body needs and no more and I'm trying to listen to my body more so I know when it's satisfied.

Vicki B

[Guest guest]

Hi Vicki,

Welcome back, glad to see you here. We here to support you, and I know

you have lots to share as well, so I look forward to great

conversations!

Thanks!

Gillian

Gillian Hood-son, MS, ACSM

Healthier Outcomes

It's not just about losing weight!

Want to eat your favorite foods without

gaining weight?

Get your copy of our fr*e special report, " 6 Simple Steps to

Guilt Free Eating " by visiting

http://www.healthieroutcomes.com

At 09:23 AM 9/25/2007, you wrote:

I am

219.6 lbs today.

I think losing weight has to be a personal

choice and I don't think any woman should feel less of herself because of

it. We have to remember we aren't who we are because of what we weigh;

it's what's inside that's important. The outer part is just strappings

and even though we want to look our best it doesn't necessarily mean we

have to lose a lot of weight.

Personally, I have been thinking more and more

that I am pushing myself too hard to reach a weight that I don't stand a

chance of staying at, EVEN if I manage to reach it in the first place.

With my life style and activity level I don't think I can get down to 147

lbs and stay there. So what I'm going to do is try to get down to a more

sensible 185

lbs and then maintain that for awhile. After

I manage that then I'll decide if it's worth me trying to go any lower. I

know I used to look pretty decent at that size. But I think that weight

will be a good stopping point for me. It may still be considered over

weight but remember I am 5'9 " tall and if I manage to get down to

185 lbs that'll be a 46 lbs loss (from Sept. 10th-2007). It may take me

another 6-12 months to lose the balance of what I need to lose but it

won't be by starving myself. I'll make the best choices I can each day

and get what exercise I can, but I'm not going to do anything to the

extreme anymore. Do the best I can and try not to let it get me down if I

have a slow week.

This was and has been my thinking but it's

diet motivated and I want to get to a point where I'm eating without

thinking " diet " and I'm hoping this group will help me get to

this point. It's been something I've struggled with for the last 2 years

and I always go back to diet mode but diets aren't getting the weight off

that needs to come off for my health. I want to eat in a natural way and

only eat what my body needs and no more and I'm trying to listen to my

body more so I know when it's satisfied.

Vicki B

[Guest guest]

Hi Vicki,

Welcome back, glad to see you here. We here to support you, and I know

you have lots to share as well, so I look forward to great

conversations!

Thanks!

Gillian

Gillian Hood-son, MS, ACSM

Healthier Outcomes

It's not just about losing weight!

Want to eat your favorite foods without

gaining weight?

Get your copy of our fr*e special report, " 6 Simple Steps to

Guilt Free Eating " by visiting

http://www.healthieroutcomes.com

At 09:23 AM 9/25/2007, you wrote:

I am

219.6 lbs today.

I think losing weight has to be a personal

choice and I don't think any woman should feel less of herself because of

it. We have to remember we aren't who we are because of what we weigh;

it's what's inside that's important. The outer part is just strappings

and even though we want to look our best it doesn't necessarily mean we

have to lose a lot of weight.

Personally, I have been thinking more and more

that I am pushing myself too hard to reach a weight that I don't stand a

chance of staying at, EVEN if I manage to reach it in the first place.

With my life style and activity level I don't think I can get down to 147

lbs and stay there. So what I'm going to do is try to get down to a more

sensible 185

lbs and then maintain that for awhile. After

I manage that then I'll decide if it's worth me trying to go any lower. I

know I used to look pretty decent at that size. But I think that weight

will be a good stopping point for me. It may still be considered over

weight but remember I am 5'9 " tall and if I manage to get down to

185 lbs that'll be a 46 lbs loss (from Sept. 10th-2007). It may take me

another 6-12 months to lose the balance of what I need to lose but it

won't be by starving myself. I'll make the best choices I can each day

and get what exercise I can, but I'm not going to do anything to the

extreme anymore. Do the best I can and try not to let it get me down if I

have a slow week.

This was and has been my thinking but it's

diet motivated and I want to get to a point where I'm eating without

thinking " diet " and I'm hoping this group will help me get to

this point. It's been something I've struggled with for the last 2 years

and I always go back to diet mode but diets aren't getting the weight off

that needs to come off for my health. I want to eat in a natural way and

only eat what my body needs and no more and I'm trying to listen to my

body more so I know when it's satisfied.

Vicki B

[Guest guest]

Thanks Katcha. All I can do is keep working to learn what I actually need and don't need. The body really doesn't need nearly as much as we think it does. I think sometimes seeing something will start a wanting of that food whereas had I not seen it, I wouldn't have even given it a second thought. Especially when it comes to sweets. I find I really don't care for sweets that much anymore but let me go to a buffet style restaurant and see all that's available and 9 out of 10 times I'll get the richest dessert they have. I may only eat 1-2 bites of it but I have to have it because my brain is yelling for it. On the other hand I love salty foods but because I tend to retain fluid badly, I'm trying to limit my sodium intake, and as long as I don't bring it in the house I manage pretty well there.

I've never cared a whole lot for meat (although I do eat it) because I have a problem digesting it well. I much prefer cooked veggies (I don't care for many raw veggies), and I'll eat potatoes just about any way I can get them. I love pasta too and I know that has a bad rep but I feel if eaten in moderation, there shouldn't be any limits. I just need to work on the portions of what I eat cause there are times when I eat a lot more than I know I should be eating. I wouldn't be this size if I was following proper portion control or eating as a normal eater would do. But you know I wonder what exactly a normal eater is???? My dad was 6' tall and never weighed more than 165 lbs in his life yet he ate as much as a football linebacker!! That man could put away a huge amount of food. And he ate anything he wanted. He was strictly a meat and potatoes guy. But he was also constantly moving. He rarely sat still for more than a hour at a time. He owned his own business and loved it and worked long hours doing what he loved doing. Would you consider him a normal eater? I don't know.

I grew up in a family that was very weight conscious (the women in the family) and everyone was on one diet after another. Noone was ever satisfied with how they looked. So I grew up thinking I had to do the same way and for 25 plus years I've dieted. I've been as skinnie as 117 lbs and as heavy as 249-1/2 lbs (I'm 5'9"tall). Now I'm heavier than I've been in years and all I want to do is be at peace with my body. I'd still like to get back down to around 185 lbs and then just stay there but I want it to be a natural process instead of just another diet or form of diet. So I'm trying to eat in a manner that I think is more natural for me and hopefully over time I'll lose the weight I want to lose because I'm treating my body better. I hope this makes sense.

Vicki

-------------- Original message from "Katcha" : --------------

Vicki I can relate to your struggle with this! Yet I see that you areaware of what you are feeling about yourself now which is great too.Awareness is really the first step! I bet you find next steps poppingup for you as you travel your IE journey. Best to you - Katcha>> Thanks Gillian,> This has been such a struggle for me. I hate the thought of anotherdiet. I've tried for over 2 years to get the weight back off andsomething in me says no more and it fights me every step of the way.I've got to find that point that I can live with and be at peacewithin my own body.> I hate how I look right now but I know it's mainly because I flatout eat too much. I don't listen to my body. I tend to have mouthhunger but not true hunger. I need to learn to seperate the two.> Vicki B