New here - week two and feeling pretty good.

[WorthyQueen]

Hi everybody. I started the program a couple weeks ago and have been reading the various posts from time to time (which have been very helpful to me, by the way).

Anyway, my official start date was February 15th, but I started this with a buddy and I was not ready mentally to commit to it.

I started it that first week and didn't prepare myself for it (shopping, planning, etc.) so I went off the diet at the first excuse to. :sadeyes:This went on for a week, then I went on it (kind of), but again, I still had not organized my life to do this right. So I came to this discussion board and I read the various posts and something changed inside me. I decided that I was tired of being overweight and tired of being tired because I was overweight. Besides, when I signed up for this diet, I weighed 196, but after two weeks of cheating and whatnot, I was up to 204 :( That was the last straw.

I have 4 kids and I've been pretty overweight since child number 3 (who is 16 now). I've tried all the different fad diets, but nothing would stick. So this time I decided that I would give this diet 100% and I would reach my goal weight. I sat down with my family and got their agreement to support me unconditionally. My husband even offered to eat what I eat while I go through this journey. I decided that I was willing to change my life for a season (or more) so that I could have a lifetime of health, vitality (and the ability to wear whatever I want!).

That was 2.5 weeks ago that I actually started the diet for real and I know that we're not supposed to weigh until 4 weeks, but I could feel my body changing and I had to. I'm already down to 192 (from the 204) and I' made it through the starving, headachy phase and am doing great! :)

Anyway, I just wanted to introduce myself and say "thanks" - because I would not have made this decision if I hadn't read through all your posts.

:party1:

[Bronwyn]

Well hello there WorthyQueen! Great nickname by the way and yes you are worthy... Worthy of the life you want to lead where you are strong, healthy, and gorgeous!!! So glad to hear these posts have inspired you as they inspire me to and are also very helpful when you have questions and need support. That is great that your husband is being so supportive. I don't know if he's got weight to lose, but my husband is losing weight too just 'cause he is eating what I'm eating and we're not doing the fast food/order pizza thing anymore.

I can't wait to hear about the progress you make! Please keep us posted and welcome to the plan and to these boards!

[JadeHawk]

Queen -

Getting your family and such to join in on your commitments is essential, and its going to make sure you stick to your goals. Im glad to hear your doing well so far and I know you'll meet your goal.. The short time I've been here its all I hear about haha.

Make a bet or two... put something on the line too that might spark a little healthy completion to help you stay focused as well.

Good Luck!

[Shasha]

:bighug: WorthyQueen and a very WARM WELCOME TO YOU!!!

I am so glad that just by reading the FORUM you have been inspired to get on track and to follow your eating plan 100% :clapping3:

{congrats} on having lost 12 pounds, now please pack that scale away or give it to your wonderfully supportive Hubby to hide.

I also want to say that just like Bronwyn, I love your name, WorthyQueen, and I want to encourage you to do this 100% from now onwards for YOU, because YOU are WORTHY of living your best life!

A very warm welcome to you and we are all here for you, cheering you on to reaching your dream: YOU CAN DO IT!!! {cheerleader}

[WorthyQueen]

Thanks for such great responses. I am very excited about this and reaching my goal weight is something that is long overdue. My nickname has been my nickname on the web for many years and it evolved after a joke way back when. I even have a blog that i keep with that same name on blogspot (hehe).

Bronwyn, you are such a caring supporter on this forum and I really appreciate your words of encouragement.

Jadehawk - I'll take that bet with you and in the end we'll both win! I really enjoyed your post by the way. But I do have a serious shopping trip as the incentive at the end :clapping3:

Shasha, thanks! You are a great moderator and I promise to put the scale away for now. :innocent4: I will keep you guys posted - I did make a ticker tape, but i forgot where I put the link. Oh well.

[cyberella]

mylady! :flower:

i'd like 2 introduce myself, i'm blablara (they tend 2 call me barbara in the outside world)- better known as cyberella- the chatterbox around here ... i'm pleased 2 make your aquaintance!
welcome!!! here, in the beginning of your own wonderful future!!

iz so great 2 read that something in u changed 4 the better while reading these posts- sometime i wonder if stuff written around here couldnt also demotivate people... :thinking:

anyway! iz good u found your way 2 the only way there is 2 achieve more health and vitality!!:flirt:
i wish u the best of luck on your way and great success!! {cheerleader}

oh, btw: cool describtion of this feeling: being tired of being tired of being overweight...
i can relate so well 2 your worz!!!

[WorthyQueen]

Hi Cyberella!
Cool name ;-) For the record, I think most people who have dieted and dieted appreciate the more candid communication that you find on these forums. We didn't get where are weightwise overnight, and to expect it to be really simple and fast is being overly optimistic. I always appreciate the raw honestly, rather than being disappointed because I expected something else.

The first post I read (after the "read this first" one) was the post from you having a hard time with the program. What I loved was all the support and encouragement and seeing that it lifted your spirits and helped you through the rough spots. So I do think that it will be more encouraging to newbies than discouraging really. We're all going to go through points on this when it may seem to not be worth it, but the thrill is in seeing someone go through that and come out the other side even better. That's the encouragement part. My first week on this program sucked (to be blunt), but I pushed through it and found some ways to combat the utter starvation and 2-day migraine. Now imagine if I had come here and everyone else said the first week was fabulous? That probably would have set me over the edge :thinking: So, in the end it is better to see what people really go through, then we know we are not alone and that there is a light at the end of the tunnel :party1:

Wow, that was long-winded. Sorry. :innocent4:

Anyway, you are awesome and I so appreciate all of this. Good, bad, indifferent.

[JadeHawk]

Guys -

I hear you!

Still in my first week, and yesterday was reaaaallly bad....

Im in the right state of mind, but it still dosent stop my stomach from telling me to stuff my face.. hahaha.

Up for 22 hours from work and stress and not being able to have a beer after one of the hardest days of working... man it was a 360 from how I ran my life the past 5 years. Waking up today DANG Im doing good.

Having that Get-r-done attitude is really where the human spirit sines and looking at all the great achievements throughout human histroy.... Losing weight is just another step in the other great accomplishments we are ALL capable of achieving... Sometimes it takes others to see the potential to spark the coruage to take the first step, or seeing others succeed, or even trying something noone else has! We all have the different motivating factors... exploit them.

Just like my football coach always used to say all the freaing time... and AT the time... I never truely realized its impact.

"baby steps"

We're bombarded with "wana piece of candy", or McDonnalds commercials, or office Birthday cake, or group of firends going for a drink.

Every decision made is either going forward or going backward on this diet... Measure your success in BABY steps... congratulate youself for making that right decision instead of mentaly saying "noo... I cant... stupid 1PD..." and deflate your spirit. If you can successfully navigate through 1000 baby steps... then... WOAH!!! 12 weeks done and in the bag.

This may not be pioneering from other arenas. However... Im rather young 25 years old and still play a healthy amount of video games. hahaha huge waste of time but so fun.

On one system called Xbox360. When you play a game, if you do something hard or complete a task... you get "Achievment points". I always thought this was Freaking BRILLIANT. It kept gamers reaching to do extraordinary things.

What I did was take that same concept and apply it to my goals in this diet program. So I created a list of achivements - its name - and the point value I will accumulate once its been achieved.

Once im done with the program I have a set "reward" structure based around the amount of points I've accumulated.

Heres an exampe:

ACHIVEMENTS - DIET AND EXERCISE Name Value
__________________________________________________ ___ Running

3 miles in 1 Running session non-stop Novice Runner 10
5 miles in 1 Running session non-stop Windbreaker 25
5 miles in 1 Running session w/breaks Runners High 15
26 miles durring 1 weeks span Marathon Man 25

__________________________________________________ ____Diet

Calculate meals for 1st personal to the gram for 1 week straight Novice Alchemist 10

Calculate meals for 1st personal to the gram for 2 weeks straight Lime in the Coconut 20

Calculate meals for 1st personal to the gram for 4 weeks straight Picky Eater 30


Ect ect... so I can basically MEASURE my success, its strange. however but for me, I can check off and feel proud of goals I set because is a SMART goal...

This post is getting a little long so maybe I'll go int S.M.A.R.T. Goals later

Off to the gym!!!

[cyberella]

WWOOOOOOWW!!! and WWOOOOOOWW!!!!!!!

U GUYS R AMAZING!!!!!

worthyqueen! u rock!! :party2:
and so do u, hawky!!!! :party6:

worthyqueen, i understand that u need the truth rather than the illusion 2 later not b dissapointed (in german the word 4 dissappointment is actually: not being fooled/hocused anymore if u listen 2 it carefully- and when people complain about being "enttaeuscht", i keep telling them 2 look that the word's telling them they got rid of an illusion and thaz ok or even good) but better being put in the picture in the first place-
u r so rite there!!

U R AWESOME- having only posted very few messages so far i already can feel your spirit, brightness and honesty- THAZ REALLY AWESOME, i'd say!!! :love7:

hey, and u jadehawk!
i think iz great 2 create an xbox-version of 1stpd-
ask cohen! mayb u 2 can get in2 big business here-
playing these games can keep dieters hands out of the reach of their candy-draws/fridges and their mouths!!! and everything that distracz from dieting and food is just so perfect!
and like u said, the best is the reward-poinz 2 stay motivated...
thaz fun- i'm getting carried away a bit.. :rolling2:

ya, babysteps!
i loved the xpression in the r.dreyfus/b.murray-movie (here it was called:"whatz up with bob?")--
when the therapist kept motivating the phobic guy 2 just go by babysteps, this really stayed in my mind eversince and i try 2 think of it whenever a goal is getting 2 big 2 handle!
being impatient as i am, going by babysteps is already an achievement, but it really does help!!!
thanx 4 reminding me again!!!!!!!!

u guys r soo very great!!! love it!

[Hugentobler]

Worthy Queen- Welcome! I was in the same place as you when I started. When I signed up i was 194...When I started 202...Well...Now at the start of week 8, I'm at 177 and I feel GREAT. So you hang in there. You can do this....Remember we are here for you. There are very knowledge people in this forum and someone always has the perfect answer for you. Can't wait to see your progress at the end of week 4.

Jadehawk-
I love your post. It made so much sense to me. I put a post-it on my bathroom mirror that says..."Baby Steps!" I have been down lately because my weight loss has slowed down to 2 lbs a week which can be frustrating. But I will keep reminding myself that it takes Baby steps. I also like your point system. I'm going to make one up with rewards.

[WorthyQueen]

Thanks Cyberella! The feeling id definitely mutual :)

Jadehawk, you are so right. The baby steps is the right mind set (as with all things in life really). It's that old saying "How do you eat an elephant?" - "One bite at a time." although I really like elephants, so i don't know that I can really appreciate the statement, except for the message that it is intending to voice. Yeah, baby steps is easier to say anyway.

Hi Amylynn! Thanks for such a warm welcome. That's exciting to find someone where I'm at. I was just looking at my before pictures (yes, I actually took some before i started the diet) and that was enough to keep me on task. I am doing pretty good. although, the end of the week has been rough because I wasn't feeling well (a bit of a stomach bug, I think) so I was home from work and overslept which screwed up when i have lunch and dinner (argh). But I am back on track and doing it. I know this diet works with all my heart so I am in it until I reach my goal weight no matter what. I actually can't imagine being 126lbs. as that just seems too skinny to me. I am 5'4" but i carry my weight well, meaning when people hear that I have to lose 75 pounds, they are truly shocked and can't believe it. This is a good thing, but being 126 pounds would make me a size 3-5 and I guess after 20 years of being nowhere near that size, I just can't fathom it. Which brings me back to baby steps, so i'll just take it one day at a time. BTW, I am taking pictures at the end of each month as well as tracking my progress. I think it is good to have a record of such an important and life-changing journal! Then when we reach our goals, we can post our pics and inspire others, too!
{elmo}

[Shasha]

{hi} there Everyone

Jadehawk, thanks for that fantastic input! :clapping3: BABY STEPS!!! :clapping3: WHAT A FANTASTIC DIETING TOOL!!!

You said you're young, but I think you are very smart and speaking of smart, I would certainly love to know about your Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time Goals and what you have to say concerning these...

Please come and share some more of that inspiring stuff with us!!

WorthyQueen: what is the smallest or lightest weight that you remember being as an adult? I must say that I do so look forward to seeing your PIC's!!! That's going to be awesome!!!

[WorthyQueen]

I was 125 before I had my 1st child, but I was too young to appreciate it. I did get down to 135 and a size 7 between my 2nd 3rd child. That was awesome and I still have pictures. I was on a strictly supervised weightloss program then. That program also said I needed to get down to 126, but at 135 I felt pretty good and when I look at pics from then, I don't think i look like I needed to lose anymore. I never made it to my goal weight anyway because I found out I was pregnant shortly after hitting 135, and i started gaining immediately. That was the smallest I've been as an adult. Even now I'm much smaller than I was 5 years ago.

[Shasha]

{hi} there WorthyQueen

GREAT, YOU HAVE PHOTO'S!!! I'd like you to take those photo's of when you were 135 pounds and spread them out around your home, your office ie: one on the fridge, one on your mirror, one on your pc, one in your handbag... you get the idea ... and then I'd like you to look at them often, so often that you can see yourself there again!!!

By the time you have completed your 1st Personal Diet Program, you are going to look as great as you did on those photo's if not better!!!

Keep your focus on your transformation!! Every day you are one day closer to achieving your goal!

I think that just by looking at those pictures of where you are doing can really help you to keep up your motivation {cheerleader}

[WorthyQueen]

Thanks, Shasha! That's a great idea. I don't have a lot of them, but I do have a few (it was for such a short time). I will get them out and hang them up and around. I'm already losing and I can feel my body changing.
:party1:

[Shasha]

{hi} there WorthyQueen

I just wanted to say: {goodjob} because you said: ''I'm already losing and I can feel my body changing." THAT IS WONDERFUL!!! :clapping3:

Now all you have to do it KEEP ON KEEPING ON!!! You've got the fat burning momentum going - no point in stopping now!!! {cheerleader}