Hello from Sonya

[sonyagirl]

Hi Everyone,

I'd like to introduce myself. My name is Sonya Scott, and this is my second time on the diet. Lauren, I got so much inspiration from reading your post yesterday. It sounded like my story -- going on the diet about a year ago, losing about 25 lbs., and gaining it all back, quickly. What you wrote really helped me, and I wanted to thank you. I am trying this again with my attention on life after the diet. I think the real test with this is how we succeed in "real life" after we have reached our goal weight. I realize now that if we don't change our old habits (binging, etc.), we will return to our previous weight. So this is what I need to work on that. The diet is much more difficult for me this time. I was cheating all the time (I have just resigned for 12 more weeks, as i just didn't have the disclipine needed for the past 2 months), and I was taking big losses.
After reading Lauren's post I realized that others have had to repeat this also, so that I am not alone in this.

I am 56 yrs old, and got down below my target weight last time
(100lbs). I know with your support I can do this again. Thanks to all of you for being here. It means more to me than I could ever day. XOXOXO Sonya

[Lauren]

Welcome, Sonya! It's nice to meet you! I'm glad I'm not the only one who couldn't hold it together afterwards. :) Yeah, this time has been really hard for me too. I'm so happy to hear from you today. I'm having a particularly rough day because I'm on refeed but had to go back three days because I screwed up with eating too much cheese accidentally. The end is so close yet so far. I just need to be patient and keep busy, but I'm so depressed and disappointed in myself, I don't feel like doing anything. I wish I wasn't so obsessed with food. I really want sweets and wine. I would never bring myself to cheat, though. I was supposed to go to a family BBQ (right now!), but I didn't end up going. It just would have been too difficult for me in this mental state I'm in today. I know I need to stop beating myself up and just move on, and it will all be over soon. I'm just jealous of all the people around me having their freedom to eat whatever they want. Serving my family cake last night really has stayed in my mind today. It looked so delicious! So I'm realizing my food addiction is still very strong and I really need to get it in check before I finish so I don't repeat the same mistakes as last time. I don't think I will, but on a day like today when psychologically I'm so down, those are the days it's hard to control food intake. I just want to eat and drink everything! We can do this, though! It's nice to have yet another diet buddy out there cheering us on! We'll make a post-diet thread for those rough days when we just need our diet buddies to support us and keep us on track, even after the diet. :)

[Mei Mei]

Welcome Sonya!
Glad to have you here. Thanks for being so brave and sharing your story. good for you signing up again!! It really teaches us to be wary and take this loss so seriously that we never want to repeat this diet--wonderful as it is.

Lauren,
I'm so sorry you had a yucky day:sadeyes:. I just odn't understand what takes over us on some days. It's like some crazy full body take over by an alien, one who craves food and drink unnecessarily. I know exactly what you are talking about, so I really am sorry. Go to bed and wake up to a better tomorrow. Remember that it may not be that you screwed up, it may be just your body adjusting to the added food. It seems really tricky psychologically to me in that we have trianed ourselves not to eat much for months, now we are to eat. So you feel like you must have done something wrong. You didn't, your body is adjusting. But I know it's a bummer. You are almost there, and you have taught all of us so much.
I like the idea of post diet support too. I'm pretty nervous about it. I got almost this skinny two years ago, and never thought I'd be fat again. Bam. I was wrong, and I weighed more than after my youngest was born. It's good to be thin again, just hold onto that to get you through the bad days.
Thinking of you,
Mary

[happytmo]

Sonya and Lauren,
Thank you so much for being honest. I know we all appreciate your honesty and coming back on here. I too worry about post diet. I think we crave certain foods that we can't have for +/- 6 months and then splurge when we are done. At least I can see part of me wanting to do that. You girls make it real for me. We can really gain back the weight if we're not careful.
Sonya- I have about 100 to lose like you did the first time. How much of that have you gained back? If you don't mind me asking. Like I said, I want this loss to be permanent.

[MIMI]

WELCOME SONJA, to our great forum. You will see that these diet buddies will encourage you soooooooo much. YOU CAN DO IT THIS TIME. Just keep that thought in your head EVERY DAY and don't look back. I BELIEVE IN YOU...........SONJA CAN DO IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YEAH!!!!!

Lauren, hang in there. You have come so far and your always ready to give everyone else encouragement, now it's time to give yourself a little encouragement. I really appreciate you keeping us informed on your refeed. I'm am scared to death of it and after the diet. It really helps when all you guys keep us informed. Thanks, to all you lovely people that give us information about your refeed. Love all of you..............MIMI

[Debbie J]

Welcome Back Sonya! I too know what its like to lose, gain it all back and then some. This is my third try on this specific diet and I too have a fair quantity of weight to lose (about 65-70 more pounds: I've lost about 20-25 so far.And thankfully, this time around (i'm into my 5th week officially) I feel I've hit my stride and I'm finding it quite easy to stick to... But I think all of us, Lauren (feeling better yet hon?) Happytmo, Mimi and many more have to wrestle with coming up with true life long strategies. If we keep sharing our support and successful strategies, tips , etc. and keep using this open forum with LOTS of honest communication I think we all as a determined group can have BIG SUCCESS... as you can see, your situation is not an isolated case and
we can all learn from and help each other. Confronting the situation is the first thing and a very courageous thing and it seems to me you're doing that. You too Lauren! So TAKE A WIN!

Love,
Debbie J

[Lauren]

Wow, you guys--you really are amazing! Thank you so so much for your support! I did feel better even just telling you guys I was feeling crummy, and now seeing your responses, I feel like you're all holding me up and I know I'm going to be fine. I felt like such a whiner all day--I'm so close to done and here I am moping around because I can't eat cake. It is such a mental thing and it is like aliens take over our minds sometimes. Luckily, for me, it usually only lasts a day and then the next several days should be super easy. Here's hoping! Gosh, I'm just so grateful for this forum right now! I don't even know how to THANK YOU for your support! It means so much!!! I'm definitely going to be on a post-diet thread because I think that's something we're all going to need. Today was a big wake-up call to me in that regard, because I feel like if I did have the freedom to eat what I want and I was bummed out about anything else, I would have turned to food for sure. That's what I need to fix!!! Food is not the answer! It's so nice to communicate with people who understand. I'm so happy we're all here for each other. It really means a lot.

[sonyagirl]

Hi everyone,

I can't tell you what your replies have meant to me. Thank you from my heart! There is nothing like the feeling of being understood and acknowledged. Lauren, I totally get where you're at. May I offer you a suggestion of something that has helped me in the past -- put your attention OUT -- on anything outside of yourself. Get it off the food and your current situation. Get busy doing something -- anything. This has saved me many times. My daughter (19yrs. old) had a bout with anorexia 4 years ago, which was so hard. Long story. Anyhow, now she's totally gone the other way, and eats 24/7 -- hugh amounts. She's tiny (5'1", 85 lbs.). She eats like a truck driver. It's so hard to be around when I am trying to be disclipined with my food. I am really trying to keep busy, and so far it is working. But something that I have realized Lauren, is that this is just a DECISION for us. That's all it is.If we have really and truly made the decision to do this -- we can! It's actually pretty easy when you think of it like that -- at least it is for me. No one is twisting our arm to do this diet, and change our lives. We have decided this on our own. This decision has given me great peace and calmness. When I am eating crazy, I feel crazy and anxioius. You are amazing, and you will reach your goals. Thanks for being there for me.

Happytmo -- I think that I must have mis-stated my target weight. It is to weigh 100lbs., not to lost 100lbs. So sorry. I have about 25 lbs to lose. I'm normally pretty slim, but have been going up and down for some time now. thanks for your input, sweetie!

I'll write again soon, and I am sending you all my love ... Sonya

[pumbza]

Hi there to the greatest LADIES I know YOU are all stars in YOUR own rights I am so PROUD of YOU all YOU persevere and Persevere and YOU just support each other and thats what makes this FORUM so GREAT I don't think there is one like this in the WORLD???Lauren we learn so much from YOU and I KNOW YOU WILL DO IT I think cakes and choclates all HAUNT us but YOU are strong enough to say NO and YES you struggle for a DAY but YOU win and YOU can GO on YOU really MOTIVATE ME I could not bear to slip UP because I know YOU are there in the BACKGROUND but I also know if I slip UP you DIET BUDDIES will be there to pickup the PIECES thats what makes me want to stay here forever that way I WILL STAY healthy!!!GO GO LADIES YOU CAN DO IT I KNOW YOU CAN!!!Hi sonya a special welcome to YOU this is a BRILLIANT FORUM as YOU can see!!Have a GREAT DAY!!:innocent3:

[PhyllisRis]

Yeah....we're all really great counselors.....now where is that chocolate brownie!! (oops, did I say that outloud???).
This forum is really the best thing to compliment this diet! We all understand what everyone is going through! We're all at different stages so the newer people can learn from the more advanced ones and we all learn from the "veterans". Whoever came up with this forum should get a Nobel prize for weightloss support!!
Thanks to all my diet buddies!!!
Phyllis

[PosterGal]

I totally agree - both Lauren and Sonya should be commended coming back, joining again and re-losing the weight. Which, hey, is a lot better than what others -myself included - have done- loose some weight, gain more, try another diet, same cycle. It's a real encouragement to all of us to see 'real struggles' and know others have overcome. . .

I too am scared of refeed and after diet life - but truly, reading stories of others is extremely helpful -hat's off to both you ladies! Hang in there!

[Debbie J]

Hear! Hear!!!

Phyllis: you crack me up!

Sonya: So RIGHT ON to point out the power of DECISION! And how therapeutic it is to extrovert (get one's attention OUT on someone or something else)... and sometimes for me the best thing to focus on is how I can help someone else! So I just want to validate everyone for every single contribution made to this forum (which means to us and all fellow dieters) THANKS GANG ! YOU"RE THE BEST!!!

Have a great day everyone. Lauren, You're GREAAAATTT!!!!

Have a fantastic day!:love7::love7: