Topic : Join the 100 Pound Club

Donna, I have lost 50 pounds so far in a year and a half with the help of Dr. Phil's 7 Keys and a Dietian.  My recommendations to you are to find a food program with food that you like eating because then you will stick to it.  It is similar with exercise.  Pick exercise that you enjoy and do it frequently.  I enjoy walking and swimming.  As far as stress management, there are many techniques.  I like journaling and writing down my feelings to help with Keys One and Two.  I hope these suggestions are helpful.  Take care! :) Bren

So in the month I started my diet, i've now lost 15 POUNDS! I am soooo geeked! I weighed 265...my weight now is 250 and my goal is to get down to 200...from there i'll continue my dieting, but I dont want to get overwhelmed, so i'm sticking to 200 pounds for now. If anyone has any advise to keep me going please feel free...If you want to know how i've done it i'm open!!

Yes yes yes, how have you done this. Have you read the book? Kellyster

Well, this is a first for me...but here goes!!!

My name is Abby and I am in the market to get "fit" and eat healthier for several reason. My main goal is not to lose weight although I do hope to lose a little bit. I am currently at exactly 250 pounds.If I had to put an amount on the weight that I would hope to lose I would have to say to start out that I would love to lose 30 pounds just to prove to myself that it can be done with diet and exercise. The first goal is to set an example for myself and my three little girls that eating right and exercise is a normal part of life rather than something you need to do based on a whim every now and again. My second goal is to use this lifestyle change as an outlet to overcome addiction (I will explain more later).  My final goal is to become more energetic, as of recently I have trouble and get frustrated and angry with myself and the people around me because I am just too "tired" to do anything that involves any level of activity. My brother suggested that I take "thermogenics" due to this issue with energy and I have been taking them in the morning to help me with energy then again thirty minutes before a workout. 

The addiciton that I speak of is a hard one for people to understand...and absolutely embarrasing as a 26 year old mother of three. I am addicted to online video games. I cannot get enough of them, there is always some new goal that I want to meet and I cannot bear the thought of disappointing my online "friends." Let's put it this way, about nine months ago I spent $4,000.00 on a new computer just for gaming. I could have bought a used car, done some much needed repairs to my home, gone on vacation with my kids...just about anything that would have been more worth 4 grand. I am not sure how to overcome this addiction and am recieving almost no support in overcoming the "gamer lifestyle." Pixels rule a lot of my life. I do not work right now, I have been in the habit of conforming the rest of my life to fit my gaming schedule, and for the last year I have only eaten one meal per day to accomodate this (it would be a HUGE meal at around 8 or 9 at night), which is horrible for my metabolic rate. I would occassionally snack but this snack would be more like a meal of cookies (for example) to compensate for the fact that I had not eaten that day.

That all having been said, now here are some of the things that I have done to combat these issues.  I have begun to eat less than 1200 calories per day; this means that I am eating more often to compensate for hunger but eating very small "meals." It is a very satisfying way to get to eat several times a day and still "eat right." I have been doing this for about two weeks and have had no "tempting moments" because I can still eat some very tasty things that I really enjoy! I never have been big on things like fast food though. Since I have trouble getting out of the house another thing I have done is brought the capability to exercise into the house. I bought two workout videos both of which are AWESOME. I got "The method: cardio flex band workout" for cardio and toning and The "Bender method core training; bender ball" to help me with my abs and back (I have always hated traditional sit ups). I work out to one video each day and then hop on my Gazzelle for thirty minutes more.

I have been able to cut my gaming back a little bit...but nothing like I need to. I now "only" play for about 6 hours per day, which is still really close to a full time job. I think that eating healthier and having more energy will create more of a mood that says "get off of the computer and do something!"

I would like to hear some feedback on whether or not you guys think the two can be combatted together...maybe even some of the things any of you all have noticed positively changing about your life when you changed your lifestyle to become more fit.

I know you want to see weight loss, but it is possible that you are seeing an increase in weight due to muscle gain! That is a good thing and if you keep it up the inches will come off. It is hard not to focus on what a scale tells you, but if you are feeling better and being healthier...that counts as something too! You just have to keep your mind in the right place. Please stay encouraged to get healthier for the sake of your life and those around you :).

Have you tried boosting your metabolic rate by eating less several times a day rather than eating less a couple of times a day? It could be that your metabolism is not keeping up with your new lifestyle. Also, more natural ingredients will help with this as well.

Hello Abby! I think that you can overcome your addiction to video games when you start eating right and exercising and having an entire outlook of a weight loss journey.  When I started my weight loss journey 3 years ago, I was watching 3 soap operas a day.  Then, when I started doing work out videos, I forgot about my soap operas.  I didn't really start taking weight off until I starting working with a Dietian a year and a half ago and now I have lost 50 pounds.  I still follow Dr. Phil's 7 Key's.  Another great thing is this message board and other Dr. Phil weight loss message boards.  You will find that there are several on here that you can become a part of-- which will be your Circle of Support.  I think that would be a great substitute for your video games.  I also recommend SparksPeople.com They are a website completely devoted to weight loss.  Even if you spend an hour on weight loss a day on the computer you are still spending more time on your health and less time on your addition to video games.  The good thing about being addicted to video games is that you can't eat and play video games at the same time.  So, try to stop playing them slowly and replace other habits like working out and the message boards for your time slowly--it doesn't have to be done all at once.  I wish you the best of luck!  Take care! :) Bren

Hi! My name is Amy and I am so excited to be a part of this board! I have been doing Dr Phil's 7 steps for the last month and am proud to say that already, I am down 16 pounds! This diet is the only program that has actually made me think differently. I have done almost everything to get this weight off as I have been overweight since childhood. In 2000, I had weight loss surgery and went from 297 pounds to 180 in 6 months. Of course I quickly gained it back because I didn't get to the root of my weight problom. I went on to gain and lose 50 pounds for the last 7 years. I even went on national TV here in Canada on a show called "X-Weighted" and grace the screen with myself in spandex! Although I had great tools with that oppurtunity, I still lost and gained. Dr Phil has taught me the tools that really work and my new outlook on this is that I have to lose this weight from the inside out. The reason I keep it on is all the demons that I am choosing to hang onto and I can be free from them...and free from the fat! I look forward to making friends here and cheering each other on!

"The good thing about being addicted to video games is that you can't eat and play video games at the same time."

This is so true. I am staying at about 1000-1200 calories per day and that is a LOT of eating for me. I feel way better and have completely stopped having digestion problems! It is a lot easier to eat small portions several times a day which also keeps my metabolism  up so that I am not gaining weight!

Last night my husband (who is completely supportive of the diet but wants me to play games with him!) asked me to get online and do something with him in the game. I found it so easy to tell him that he would have to wait until after my workout and shower. If things stay this easy then a healthier me is well on its way. It is not challenging at all to get off of the computer to go make a "meal" because I just get so hungry due to the fact that I am eating such small portions. It is not that difficult to get up and go work out because I know that I will feel so much better if I do. I have no desire to eat more because I already eat so much more than I used to! 

You are also very accurate in saying that the forums/ message boards are a good way to be on the computer but not be in the game. I don't have to completely change what I do because I can still get up and get on the computer while I wake up in the morning but I can do things like research nutrition facts that have raised my curiousity, read and reply to message forums, and other inspirational events rather than play. I had not really thought about it in that respect.

Thank you for taking time out of your day to help me.

Welcome Amy!

I am new here as well and not familiar with the courtesies of such a forum, however I would like to know more about the kinds of things you struggle with (the "demons")...but will completely understand if you are not comfortable sharing them in "public."

16 pounds in a month is awesome! What kind of diet changes have you made, exercise routines do you participate in, and how have you changed your mindset? Again, I am being a little zealous with the questions. Please do not bother to answer any that you are not comfy with.

Weight loss surgery is a big step, then again so is going on national television in spandex...but I do believe that you really have to change your mindset to accomplish a goal as in depth as physical fitness.

Good Luck. I hope to hear back from you!

 

 

I think your plan of brushing your teeth is a great idea as then your not tempted to snack after 7pm.  I'm diabetic and by not eating after 8 is really helping my blood sugars.  Walking in your school gym is a fantastic plan and you'll do really well.  I have been riding my stationary bike during the hot  days and am up to 2.2 miles on it. In about a week I should be able to walk outdoors as it is warming up this week.  I have been told and heard on Dr. Phil's show in the past that those who set goals of 1-2 pounds per week, are more successful and keep it off.  Thanks for your support and good luck.  Maria