amandapanda's Journal, 04 April 2008

I think you need to be honest with yourself. A 12 pound gain in a week is pretty much impossible. The only way that I can figure that could happen is if you were binge-eating ( a LOT) in the days right before you weighed in. If that's the case, once you "eliminate" that food, you will probably lose a bunch of that weight right away. Is there maybe some self-sabatoge going on here? I don't know you, but I'm guessing that, for some reason, deep down you don't think you deserve to be fit and healthy. Certain people are definitely curvier, yes (that's why I know my healthy weight is 139lbs, even though some girls my height may only weigh 115lbs), but that's different from being HEALTHY and in-shape. You CAN do this, but you've got to convince yourself that you're really worth it! The question is, how bad do you want it? I'm rooting for you, girl! 

its so strange because dieting is all in the mind, isnt it? i feel like im either hungry and unhappy because of being hungry or full and unhappy because i know i shouldnt have eaten as much. there doesnt seem to be an in-between. im either hungry or full... i feel so hungry all the time with my 22 point limit. i dont eat out and i dont buy snacks or any ready made items. even so, eeverything seems to add up so quickly that i almost KNOW that im gonna go over every day so logging it in just seems stupid. i do it anyway though... i weigh in on thursdays so i guess then i'll see where im at and try and figure it out from there... life really sucks. it does. arent college years supposed to be 'the best years of your life'? well all these eating disorders and weight gains and losses and meetings and psychologists and everything else makes me just wanna not exist. i'm not looking forward to it but i'm curious to see where ill be in 5 years... sigh. well its late. thanks for you comment though. its nice to know you cared enough to try and help me figure this out. god knows i need all the help i can get. <3 peace&love 

Hey Amanda, It sounds like you are having a tough day. If you are in school, this is a tough stretch in the semester by any standand. Hang in!!! Take advantage of the resourses you have, and remember - this is a marathon - not a sprint. Everyone's brain works different - sometimes the focus on food caused by a diet simply makes you eat more. You'll make it - and trust me in 5 years you'll be able to look back and laugh at the turmoils of college, but self-esteem is battle for some of us - and weight and self-esteem seem hopelessly entangled. Train yourself to make better choices and eventually you'll find it easier to stick with it without even thinking. Take some time to look over your point distribution - make some substitutions (like I've banned lf cheese and crackers because I always end up eating more than I've allotted myself -its just a food I can't limit myself on.) Look at time of day - are you using up your points early? late?. Are you getting enough protein? Are you getting a multivitimin? If you are feeling hungry, your body may not be getting something it needs. Try an egg for breakfast - its a nearly perfectly balanced protein. Even if you go over you points a bit, you may still have a calorie deficit between what you burn and what you ate. 22 pts is about 1100 calories - and you probably use close to 1800 calories a day - unless you are a real slug. Maybe give your self a couple of extra points - so that you can work yourself down to a WW level slowly - and give your body a bit of time to get use to eating less. Maybe give yourself 2 or 3 and then take one back every 2 weeks and see how you do... You can do this.... just keep trying and it'll come. 

the above people have provided some excellent suggestions...these seem tried and tested ways...it takes time to figure out what works for our bodies, minds, and our lifestyle/schedules, so try out different things, and eventually you'll figure out what's right. Meanwhile, as for feeling hungry, I tried to look at your food calender to see what kinds of foods you eat--and only saw the fibre one bar mentioned. I'll suggest that you try eating a bit salad, and possibly some proteins with ALL your meals--the salad will make you feel full for much longer, and the proteins stay with you much longer too. Until recently, my meals were really high on carbs and vending-machine junk, which exhausted all the calories too quickly, but left me feeling really hungry. BUt recently, since increasing the fiber and proteins in my meals, I feel full quicker and stay full longer, so try it out! THose protein bars, and other processed foods don't help as much as the real things, i.e., eggs, veggies, fruits, fish etc. Oh! and don't worry too much about food, diet etc., if possible...take some time to enjoy the school-life too...yeah, these are supposed to be the best years! There are lots of things you can do that's fun, low-cal, and high-entertainment, and doesn't have to be bad for ya! Hang in there, girl, we're rootin' for ya! You'll do great...you're starting the healthy process much earlier in life than many of us!!! Yay! 

oops, meant "try eating a BIG salad"  

Are you drinking enough water? I know that drs and professionals now say that 48 oz isn't necessary, but we often mistake thirst for hunger... and right now i am having a hard time at 22 pts also, i actually gave myself back a pt and did better, but i dropped into the next 10 lb range so i took it away again and i'm hungrier more often again (i started at 30 pts and 234 lbs, now down to 22 pts and 156.6) good luck