... and i've stayed the same weight.  it's getting frustuating...

i don't know how to diet.  maybe this is not for me but i was just wondering, what motivates you to lose weight.  what's that one thing that triggers your mind into telling you, "YOU CAN DO IT" 

i seem to be eating all my meals outside my home.  it's so hard meeting friends at restaurants and not sharing the same food.  in the end, i give up.

I am on my 3rd week of Alli and I have lost 10 lbs.....

I just went thru and did my nutrition log and I customized it so that I can type in all that I am eating/drinking and I saw that my target calories is 1,800 and I am only getting about 1,200 per day.  Maybe that is why I am doing ok.

Have you tried doing the log?  It's pretty cool, anything that you eat and drink can be put into it.  Try it out and see if that makes a difference, then you can see what you are eating and drinking.

~Carolyn

Personally, I think the largest part of the success of any weightloss program is the mental aspect. If you feel deprived, if you feel it isn't going to work, it's probably not. Especially because these things prompt you to give up.

The truth is, we know that eating healthy WILL EVENTUALLY show results. That's a fact.

So, what motivates me to eat healthy?

It's not enough that we change the act of the word, "diet" into the word, "lifestyle", although there is mental implications as to WHY diet programs have changed the wording. There is power in spoken words. Positive words are known to produce positive results. Negative words can produce negative results. The word "diet" has become associated with the word, "failure" or "unsuccessful". That's why I think we have moved into "lifestyle".

When I hear "lifestyle", I think of something that is a part of me; A behavior that comes from me, naturally.

For years, I have trained myself to want Chinese Food, nachos, and other things that I KNOW aren't good for me. That's years of reinforcement of a bad habit. 

IT TAKES 6 WEEKS TO MAKE A NEW HABIT, OR BREAK AN OLD ONE.

That's great. 6 weeks. How am I going to get through 6 weeks?

First, by not thinking beyond 6 weeks and by not stopping short of it, either! If you have been around infants who gradually progress into walking toddlers, you would see that they spent much of their time falling on their butts!

Eventually, their persistence pays off...and they become mobile!

For me, I separate who I am from who I want to be. Who I am is on restriction. (lol)

Who I want to be has been given authority over who I am.

I have been on Alli for almost 9 weeks. By week 6, I considered myself trained in what I ought to be doing, AND NOW I AM WALKING IN IT. As with a toddler, I now I have to watch for certain dangers that wouldn't be present for infants....the door of temptation has to stay shut, like all exits to a house where a toddler is present ;o)

Eventually, I will mature by positive reinforcement of my healthy eating "lifestyle", so that, even when the restriction is lifted, I won't be affected by it!

 YOU CAN DO IT!

PS.

I also tend to think that if I were to quit, the reward was probably RIGHT THERE and I JUST MISSED IT!

itsgavi:

... and i've stayed the same weight.  it's getting frustuating...

i don't know how to diet.  maybe this is not for me but i was just wondering, what motivates you to lose weight.  what's that one thing that triggers your mind into telling you, "YOU CAN DO IT" 

i seem to be eating all my meals outside my home.  it's so hard meeting friends at restaurants and not sharing the same food.  in the end, i give up.

Hi itsgavi,

You have to look at yourself, and say: "I am worth it! I will do it and it will be easy (not so bad) and fun!  I will enjoy the journey".

Don't think of this as a diet, but a lifestyle change where you are incorporating healthier and more nutritional foods.  The best foods that you can eat take the least amount of time to prepare.  Vegetables have the most nutrition when eaten plus as a bonus they fill you up because of their fiber content.

Staying away from processed foods and snacks will make you feel better.

  Maybe your firiends should start eating healthier foods, or go to restaurants that have a healthier menu selection.  Friends should be a support.  Its about living healthier longer.

You will do it!

Sophia De Monte RPh

You must have will power and keep in my your goals.  My freinds now help me and remind me. They tell me you can"t eat that and I have been doing good.  I also have been on them three weeks and I lost 7 pounds.

I keep telling myself "I am not going to see immediate results." It took a lot of time to gain the weight and it will take a considerate amount of time to loose it. I used to smoke and I stopped about a year ago. I keep telling myself, "if I can stop smoking, I can loose weight, no big deal." Besides looking better, I just want to feel better. It seems like I never feel good and I think my weight has everything to do with it. It really affects me physically and emotionally. I started taking alli on February 21st and I have already lost 7lbs. I think alli keeps me "in check" about what I'm eating. Not having treatment effects is really motivating.

Restaurants have a wonderful selection of food that are low in fat and your friends will only wish they had your motivation once they see you are eating healthier. Maybe you could be the start of a healthy beginning in your circle. I have been out to eat several times. I even went to the Olive Garden. I ate the mixed grill and the endless salad with fat free dressing. It was so good and I felt great about myself for making a healthy choice and being a good influence on my husband and role model for my kids.

For me, it was just time to start feeling better. I want to be a better wife and mom. Looking good doesn't hurt either.

woah~ thanks everybody...

everything everybody said has made me think twice about what i started four weeks ago.  starting this fourth week i will change the way i think about food and will remind myself about all this positive feedback. 

wish you all good luck with the program and ofcourse wish myself  too.  haha.

*i can do it, too!*

I surround myself with healthy magazines, snacks, etc.  I have health and exercise related magazines in my bathroom, nightstand, coffee table, and at work.  Constant reminders keep me thinking in a healthy way.  If you read about how beneficial exercise is, it is tough not to feel guilty if you don't do it.  I do not have cookies in my pantry any more.  I have baked Lays, baked Doritos, pretzels, apple slices, yogurt and lowfat granola bars as snacks. I've been taking alli for three weeks as well and I have lost 2 pounds, but I feel much lighter (may have some new muscle). 

Another trick I use is I wear my tighter clothes.  I am actually considering throwing out my larger size jeans (I have two pairs I've alternated for 2 years).  I am a nurse and I wear scrubs all week, so it's really difficult to tell if I've gained weight throughout the week.  Sometimes on the weekend, it is a huge downer to put on my regular clothes and have my belly bulging out of the top.  I bought the larger jeans for comfort, but realize they just let me expand!  I have been wearing my tighter jeans the past two weekends, and it is nearly impossible to overeat when you have tight jeans on.  It is too uncomfortable!

I think it would help if you ate most of your meals at home.  Believe me, I was eating out nearly every day, and initially it is difficult to have to buy, prepare, and clean up after meals, but it is definitely worth it.  Occasionally, it is actually enjoyable.  I feel that I am exercising a bit when I am chopping veggies and scrubbing pans.  Food outside of the home is nearly always prepared with lots of butter, oils, and salt.  I think just eating at home for a week would help you lose weight.  Good luck, and please do not get discouraged and give up.  Your health is very important to your wellbeing.

 I started alli about a month ago now. I just weighed in this morning and have found that in one month I lost 14 pounds.  That is awesome.  I was really worried about starting to use alli because of the treatment effects and the fact that my friend was taking it and had them all the time.  She obviously must have just been eating the wrong things all together.  Although I have lost 14 pounds, I look at myself and feel I look smaller in places than 14 pounds would allow.  I guess the saying they say is true that you could lose inches without losing weight.  I have a lot more weight loss to go but this is an excellent and promising start.  I have a 20 year reunion to go to this year and want to make sure I meet my goal by then or at least get pretty close to it.

SW: 280

CW:  266

GW:  170 

so i finally put in content everything you guys said about weight and all... this week alone which is my 4th week i think. I LOST 7(SEVEN) pounds!!!  in one week!

i started to excercise

i ate small portions with less or no fat at all

and i most important, i changed the way i think about myself.

thank you

 I wanted to know since you have been using Alli if you have had any treatment effects. I am supposed to sart taking my pills today and am concerned about the treatment effects. While I am at work I plan to eat only non fat foods so I don't have to worry but my average meal for the last three days has 6 grams of fat in it. Like the ounce of cheese on my sandwich which I am not going to be having today. Any feedback would help.

Ivanna 

 I am at my one week mark tonight of using Alli.

It's been years since I've made it a WEEK doing one thing, and I feel very proud of myself.  Within the first couple of days, family started to make comments about looking thinner, and they didn't even know I was using this product.  I really think a lot of this is mental.  Actually, I think 99% of weightloss is mental.  If you tell yourself that this is it for you, then it will be.

I am trying to stay positive about everything.  It's so hard to do, but I know in the end, it will be well worth it.  I feel so much better by not eating greasy foods, there is a wide variety of things I can eat, and I believe it can work.

Good luck to each of us!  Let's think positive!