I think you should try to take up walking. It doesn't take a great deal of effort, but can definitely make a big difference in your fitness level over time (and may even lead to running). If you have access to a treadmill, my best suggestion would be to put it in front of a TV so that you can walk on it when your favorite TV shows are on. Set small goals for yourself. Walking for ten minutes is better than nothing! If you don't have access to a treadmill in front of a TV, get an mp3 player and listen to music, audiobooks or podcasts while you walk. I really think you are capable of more than you realize. You're letting your self-defeating thoughts take over, when all you need to do is step outside and walk around the block. It's that easy, and you'll feel like a million bucks for doing it.

I haven't tried any of her workouts yet, but I'll definitely give it a shot if I can find one of her DVDs on Netflix. Thanks!

I recently started doing a kickboxing workout video, and I love it. It is such a great workout, and I actually kind of enjoy doing it. I was wondering if anyone had any recommendations for kickboxing videos that you've tried. I'd like to try out some other videos (right now I've been doing Fitness Kickboxing with Stacy Cronin) for a variety. Thanks for your input!

Maybe you could try meal-replacement shakes like Slim Fast. I think the shakes themselves are kind of gross, but they also sell them in the form of different flavored powders you can mix into milk. Those taste pretty good to me (I get the chocolate flavor, and it tastes just like chocolate milk). If you're like me, you won't find them to be all that filling. You could drink them as snacks to get more calories into your diet (since they are intended to replace meals, they're relatively high in calories). I think eating any sort of meal replacement bars or shakes as snacks is a good way to get in some extra calories.

I can definitely relate to your predicament. I'm only 5 feet tall, and I'm trying to lose around 7 pounds. I certainly don't NEED to lose the weight, but I would feel better about myself if I did. It's funny, because people will tell me that I don't need to lose weight, but when I did get to my ideal weight (briefly) I got so many compliments and people reacted much more positively towards me! Sadly, I have a very hard time maintaining a lower weight once I reach it....



Anyway, just know that you are not alone!

I have recently been looking for a treadmill to use for walking. My price limit is around $400, which, I know, is rather limiting. I'm just graduating college, so I don't have much money to spend on this. I was wondering if anyone knew of a decent quality treadmill in this price range. I'm not looking for lots of features. I just want a treadmill that I can walk on daily without it breaking down in a year's time. My first choice as of now is the Merit 710T. Does anyone own or know anything about this treadmill? Has anyone had any experience with other treadmills that they could recommend?

I appreciate any input I can get! Thanks!

Thanks, everyone, for all of your replies! This is really helpful!



I've tried to back off of counting calories for a few days to see how it goes, and I am feeling sooo much better! I'm not gaining weight like I thought I would; I've still got my eating under control. I just feel free now, knowing that if a bunch of friends happen to want to get together and eat, it doesn't mean I can't join them! I'm also making sure that I get a little more exercise in to balance out any extra eating I'm doing. So far, so good!

Thanks for your advice, Brad! I should probably try to incorporate some physical goals, like you mentioned. I am basically just trying to lose the weight I gained in the past few years of college, so it's not that much, but it sure is difficult!



I like your idea of thinking less about dieting and more about living a healthy life, but I find this has not worked so well for me in the past. I wasn't able to actually lose any weight until I started keeping track of calories. I have definitely changed my eating habits for the better by doing so, but, like I said, I am getting very discouraged with this feeling of being restricted. At the same time, I've been under the impression that restriction is a part of losing weight.



So I don't necessarily see myself being on a diet like this for the rest of my life (unless I want to continue to lose weight even after I reach my goal). Once I get to my goal, I feel that I can maintain a healthy diet with a higher calorie intake. It's just the phase that I am in right now that I am really struggling with. I just want to lose those last 6 pounds, but am now losing the self-control I used to have.

I am in some serious need of motivation. I feel very close to the point of quitting my diet, which would be so disappointing.



I have about 6 more pounds to lose, and I've lost around 5 already. I started counting calories about three months ago. My weight loss has been very slow, mostly because I have "fallen off the wagon" quite a few times. I really love food, and restricting the amount of food that I eat takes its toll on me. I'll do a great job of staying within my healthy calorie range all week, but once the weekend comes I usually get to the point where I can't stand it and try to indulge in as much as I can in the shortest amount of time to basically get in all the eating I can before coming to my senses.



I feel like my diet has caused me to become way too obsessed with food. I've never had problems with binging, but lately I find myself doing just that. I'm not restricting my calorie intake by an unreasonable amount, but just having to count the calories really seems to bother me. Sadly, it is the only way I can seem to lose weight (in combination with exercise).



How does everyone else stay motivated? How do you keep yourself from just letting go and eating so much that it makes it nearly impossible to maintain your weight loss? I don't know if I am just particularly addicted to food, or if I just lack willpower. It bothers me that I have lost the ability to just feel normal about food, and to naturally know how much to eat and to stop when I'm full.



Well, I hope this isn't too much of a downer of a post! If anyone can relate or has some helpful advice, I'd really appreciate it!

Those cookies are delicious! I just made them. Do you know how much fiber is in each?

I know exactly what you're going through. I have been struggling with emotional eating quite a bit lately. It's been my biggest setback since I started my new diet.



If you are a stress eater, it is probably best to give your food gifts away (or throw them away). I know that's incredibly hard to do, but I find that when I have something like that lying around, it is the first thing I go to when I am stress eating. I would end up eating that entire chocolate bunny if it was around when I am stress eating, so I've gotten to the point where I just cannot keep those things around. Day-to-day I can normally control myself and eat tiny portions at a time, but the day when I end up completely overeating always comes and I go straight to whatever delicious food I can find.



I am always looking for advice on avoiding emotional eating, so I'm glad you posted this. If it makes you feel any better, I do find that when I have those days where I ruin my diet, it's never as detrimental to my weight loss as I think it's going to be. I almost always gain a good bit of water weight the next day, but that weight goes away quickly and I always get back on track faster than I expected.



I hope you get some good advice from this post! I know I certainly need some!

Thanks for your replies, everyone! I'm going to check all of these suggestions out.

Does anyone know of any good blogs that talk about nutrition/diet related things? I really like reading about these topics to keep me motivated and informed, so if anyone knows of such a blog please post it for me!

Thanks!

Thanks, Megan! That was very informative and helpful. I really like your suggestion to compare fiber contents of everything while I'm at the grocery. That would definitely make a difference. I just got some Fiber One cereal and was amazed at how much fiber they pack in there. That alone will give me a huge boost in my fiber intake.

Well, I am on a relatively low calorie diet right now. Today it finally hit me that I've been buying the wrong kind of low calories foods, though. I've been trying to eat the lowest calorie foods at every meal, and oftentimes I would rule out fiber-rich foods for something lower in calories (for example, I usually eat Special K cereal over oatmeal or some cereal like Kashi because Special K generally has fewer calories, though no fiber). After reading some of the posts above, though, I went to the grocery and got a lot more fruits, veggies, and a fiber-rich cereal to eat in the morning. It may have more calories, but I think it will be beneficial overall.



Thanks for your input! I appreciate it! If I do decide to try a fiber supplement, I will do so only on days where I am really lacking it. I'm going to go another week with my new set of foods, though, and see how much I can improve my fiber intake without a supplement.

Thanks for the advice! I guess I really needed to know if other people actually used all those fiber supplements, so it helps to know that you avoid them. I think the healthiest thing for me to do would be to increase my fruit and nut intake, like you suggested.

I've noticed that I don't eat enough fiber, and that it's hard for me to fit the proper amount of fiber into my daily diet. I am considering trying a fiber supplement. I know I've seen fiber supplements in the form of a powder that you add to your food and as a pill. I am basically wondering:

1) Is a fiber supplement worthwhile/necessary?

2) Are the powders and pills all that different from each other?

3) What fiber supplements have you tried?



Any advice on fiber would be appreciated! Thanks!

I don't think that my plan was too severe, since I wasn't losing more than 1-2 pounds a week on average. I do have a problem with always wanting to splurge on the weekends after a week of dieting, though. It's something that I really need to start being more careful about. Thanks for your encouragement!

I'm glad you pointed that out! At the very least I do now have the benefit of knowing that I am capable of losing a few pounds, and this time around I will be much wiser when those opportunities to slip up arrive!

Well, after reaching my goal weight (which was timed to be for a wedding that I was in over the weekend), I completely splurged over the course of four days, and am now three pounds over the goal weight. It's very frustrating that I spent so many weeks losing around 6 pounds to get there, and now I have gained back half of the weight in just a few days. Today I have returned to my diet, but I am very discouraged that I gained back the weight so easily. I'm also discouraged that it was so hard to maintain self-control throughout all the wedding celebrations.



Does anyone else encounter setbacks like these? Does it take a long time to get back on track? I wanted to update my goal once I met my first one, but now my second goal seems so much more difficult to achieve.

OOPS! I just realized this was posted not too long ago. Does anyone know how to remove my post? Sorry about the repeat!

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I thought these were some pretty useful tips for getting yourself to exercise.



http://www.diet-blog.com/archives/2007/03/13/10_id eas_to_get_you_exercising.php



These are the 10 tips:



1. Know Thyself - Time of Day

What's the point in aiming for fasted cardio (i.e. workouts before breakfast) when you are not a morning person? You might start with the best intentions - but it will probably not last. You must find the time that works best for you.



2. Know Thyself - Comfort Zone

When I exercise I sweat. Sometimes profusely. That may seem gross to some - and to be honest when I caught some people staring at my red sweating face - I was embarrassed. I've realized that public gym workouts are not always for me. I have a basic setup at home that I use instead. If going to the gym - aim for known quiet periods.



3. Boredom Busters

I feel bored just looking at the rows of poker-faced people sitting on their stationery bikes. I cannot do this. It bores me to tears. The personal trainer might prescribe 45 minutes of steady-state cardio - but it is most definitely not the only way. Personal Trainers for the most part are enthusiastic and helpful people -- but many seem to be stuck "in a box" when it comes to innovation. If you bore easily (like me) - then mix it up. The feeling of doing something new or different gets me interested again.



4. Structure and Planning

We have become a very time-poor people. Consequently if we want to accomplish anything we will need to plan it. Don't say "I'm going to exercise this week". Say "I'm going to exercise at 4.30pm on Wednesday for 30 minutes - and write it down. It might sound a bit obsessive but every Sunday I plan my whole week - what I aim to do at work, when I will exercise, etc. Without a structure things turn to chaos and I end the week feeling out-of-control and frustrated.



5. Surround yourself with like-minded people

It's tough enough to motivate yourself without having a bunch of couch potatoes pouring scorn on your intentions. Spend time with the right people (on-line or in the real world) and you'll find the motivation starts to come.



6. Focus on the feeling after the session

There's nothing better than blobbing out after a good exercise session. The feeling of satisfaction is something to be savored. Then there are the post-workout endorphins... and the good nights sleep...



7. Stop thinking: All or Nothing

"If I can't do this workout properly - then there is no point in working out". I used to think like this. Now I think that even a 5 minute walk is better than 5 minutes on the couch. Even 10 minutes of light weights is better than nothing. This is especially important when exercising after a period of sickness. You feel like you took one step forward but fell 3 steps backward. Go easy on yourself. Don't give up. Something is better than nothing.



8. What are your priorities?

When taking time to plan your week you will be forced to address priorities. If you are working 16 hours a day and (understandably) have no time for exercise - then you need to sit right back and take a long hard look at what you truly want out of life.



9. Remove the word "quit" from your mental vocabulary

Having goals is great. Lose x pounds of fat. Gain x pounds of muscle. Increased fitness. However there is something even deeper at play. If we lead sedentary lives then exercise simply must become a part of life. Period. Our bodies are made to be worked.



If I said to you "you must exercise for the rest of your life" -- how does that make you feel? Examine the feeling. If it feels like a prison sentence then perhaps you need to do some serious rewiring of your inner monologue. Imagine feeling vital, strong, and energized - into your 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s -- wouldn't that be a good feeling?



10. It's not just about looks

The skinny girl down the street might look good to you -- but her size is no indication of her health or strength. She may have unseen visceral fat (see normal-weight obese) or, sadly, could be inviting osteoporosis to come early.



Exercise is just as much about a healthy body as it is about looking good. My wife has reversed a number of health issues with the assistance of exercise. She is not model-thin - but rather - exudes strength and life. Having a strong and useful body often goes hand in hand with emotional self-empowerment.

Thanks for all the responses! I appreciate all these suggestions!

Hey Everyone,

Lately I've found that I follow my diet without much of a problem throughout the week, but once the weekend rolls around I completely lose my self-control. The main problem is that I always find myself having to go out to eat for various social outings, and once I'm in the restaurant my self-control goes out the window. I have a very hard time knowing how much is okay to eat, and therefore end up eating until I am full (which turns out to be just about everything on my plate). I know that restaurant meals these days are often 1,000 calories or more. It bothers me to no end that they don't include some sort of nutrition info on the menu, and since that doesn't seem like it will be happening anytime soon, I feel that I am going to have to learn the best way to choose my meal wisely. My main questions are:

What kind of things do you order when you go out to eat (that won't cause you to completely blow your diet)?

and

What do you do about the over-sized portions that seem to be offered everywhere you go? It's so hard for me to only eat a quarter or even half of what's on my plate. I always find myself feeling hungry until my entire plate is just about cleared. I know that people often suggest having the waiter/waitress box up half your meal before they even set it in front of you, but I really feel uncomfortable drawing everyone's attention to the fact that I am on a diet by asking the waiter to do this for me.



Any advice on going out to eat will be welcomed! I'm tired of losing weight each week only to put it back on over the weekend and spend the following week losing what I gained from one or two meals out!

Thanks, everyone, for your input. I decided to use a calorie calculator to figure out how many calories I should be eating. I'm going to try to go with a slightly lower number than Traineo recommends and see how that works out.

Does anyone know how Traineo comes up with its suggested daily calorie intake? I've been wondering how much of a deficit in calories I will have if I follow Traineo's suggestion (not including calories burned during exercise). If someone could give me an idea of where this figure comes from, I'd greatly appreciate it! Thanks!