Good to see you!!

Great to see you back again Valerie...keep us posted.   We are here.

Debra

I am going crazy, I had the Mirena put in and I have gained like 25 lbs. Is that normal? Plus, I have other things that have changed since they put it in. I think I am going to get it taken out. I look and feel terrible. Has anyone tried to go get back on this diet everyday and never make it through the day? I am a very frustrated person today. Everyday I get up and say today is the day. Then someone wants McDonalds for breakfast and I give in. BAD! BAD! I do want to say, the 6 months I committed to this diet. I felt great, lost weight like crazy. It just makes me all happy when I think about it. I remember how good I felt, but I just do not seem to have it in me to want it bad enough. I ache, and feel terrible. Where is my will power.  Junk Food UGH!!!!!! Anybody got any ideas? Help!!!!!!

Quoted from 3130

I am going crazy, I had the Mirena put in and I have gained like 25 lbs. Is that normal? Plus, I have other things that have changed since they put it in. I think I am going to get it taken out. I look and feel terrible. Has anyone tried to go get back on this diet everyday and never make it through the day? I am a very frustrated person today. Everyday I get up and say today is the day. Then someone wants McDonalds for breakfast and I give in. BAD! BAD! I do want to say, the 6 months I committed to this diet. I felt great, lost weight like crazy. It just makes me all happy when I think about it. I remember how good I felt, but I just do not seem to have it in me to want it bad enough. I ache, and feel terrible. Where is my will power.  Junk Food UGH!!!!!! Anybody got any ideas? Help!!!!!!

hi valerie--

i would definitely get the mirena out if that's an option for you. hormonal birth control messes with LOTS of people. i choose to be on it right now, but i have never had a lot of problems from it, either.

the best tip i have for compliance is just to sit down and think for 3 minutes before you go to mcdonald's, or eat a non-compliant meal...think about how you will feel tomorrow (both physically and mentally). consider if it's worth it. i usually find it's not.

just make yourself sit there with your feelings and really think through the decision.

it's also good to have alternatives in mind...like if you want mcdonald's, can you get some hamburger and cook it up yourself? have it on an ezekiel roll with compliant toppings? make sweet potato fries?

i have to say...i'm a newbie still (one month on the BTD), but i have been astonished at how good compliant food tastes. i made a BTD zucchini bread last night, and it's about the best darn bread i have ever had, and so much healthier than so many alternatives.

great advice!

I don't think I know anybody who hasn't had trouble with hormone-induced birth control.

Quoted from Ribbit

I don't think I know anybody who hasn't had trouble with hormone-induced birth control.

well, you don't really know me, but i haven't had trouble with it  

i don't think it's ideal to take by any means (in theory i would be off of it), but for me it's about the only form of birth control that actually keeps me from getting pregnant, and since i've always tolerated it well, i stick with it  

i know i keep posting to this thread; i swear i'll stop soon  

but i just wanted to tell anyone who's struggling with cravings...i don't try to quell mine. i mostly just try to find healthier ways of having what i want.

yes, in the BIG picture, the BTD is about revamping what you eat pretty profoundly. but in the day to day, trying to be happy and get through the day, sometimes you just have to bake that bread you're craving, or go to your favorite restaurant, or have (quinoa!) chips and salsa.

but that doesn't mean you can't do things to make that bread or those chips BTD-compliant, or order something BTD friendlier at the restaurant. some restaurants, like pulled pork stands, yes, you really can't get by in, but in many of my favorite places, i really can still eat at without consuming any major avoids (wheat, corn, dairy avoids).

i'm drawn to "cleaner" food type places, where they know and will tell you what's in their food, to begin with, which helps.

for example there's a local burger bar that sells organic grass-fed burgers. i went there and ordered one in a bowl, with no bun, and had it topped with sauteed spinach, feta, onions, grilled fresh pineapple, roasted red pepper, and pesto. and you know what? it was amazing! i didn't feel like i was missing out on a darn thing!!!

Quoted from Ribbit

I don't think I know anybody who hasn't had trouble with hormone-induced birth control.

I always had a HORRIBLE time with it. Especially when I used the Depo-provera shot for a year... I was a raging expletive deleted AND gained weight.  

(Oh dear, my expletive was deleted!   ) Anyway, I have a thing called Essure now... it's permanent birth control, much easier than tubal ligation. And I love it!

http://www.essure.com

great resolve!!
welcome back!

Glad to see you back.  Keep trying.  Whatever healthy choices you make just get you one step closer to where you need to be.
Jane

Quoted from Valerie

The positive note on this is that I know I will feel better being back on the BTD diet. The BTD diet has always been with me and I am still excited. I am back and watch me roar.  

The good thing about this lifestyle is that it is always here when we want to be compliant.  The knowledge is good and useful, we have to be ready to have it work for us.  Much success with sticking to it!

I made it through yesterday not cheating. I wanted to real bad, but I read a lot of testimonials and remembered what Goldie and Angela posted. I am having caffeine withdrawals and pretty shacky and feel like having a low blood sugar spell. I ate an egg/toast/green tea for breakfast, but I feel real bad this moring. I will go have some grapes for snack. I did not have a chance to exercise yesterday, but I will do it this evening. It does not help that I am not in a good mood due to financials and people in general. I will pray and that will help. This is soooooo hard, but I can not keep living the way I was. I was spending money to poison myself with all of the food loaded with toxins and preservatives.  I will take five minutes at a time if that is what it takes. I know what the reward is for all of this hard work. I keep reminding myself how I never felt better in my life when I followed the BTC diet. Thank goodness it is Friday. I will have the weekend to take care of myself. Give me strength, will power and commitment, please. Thanks everyone for your support.

You can do it!! Just try to remember how bad you feel when you "cheat" but don't be too hard on yourself if you do...We are all human...

Well, it is Monday again. I have started and fell off the road, started and fell, started and fell again. Once again I have started this morning. I will keep trying until I make it. One day it will happen. I am really not sure what else to do. I was thinking about a saying I know about walking and falling in a hole and every time you walk the same path you fall in that same hole. Well, I changed one thing this morning from the other mornings. I got up and walked with my puppy. We shall see if the change will keep me fram falling in the same hole. Wish me luck. I have a positive attitude which helps.

Keep picking yourself up.  That is the key!  You will only fail when you stop getting up again.  
Exercise is very important and may very well be the key to increased stability in your resolve.

Valeria, you have referred to one of my favorites poems!  It was written by Portia Nelson.  Here is it.

There's a Hole in my Sidewalk

Chapter 1.

I walk down the street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I fall in.
I am lost...
I am helpless.
It isn't my fault.
It takes forever to find a way out.

Chapter 2.

I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I pretend I don't see it.
I fall in again.
I can't believe I am in this same place.
But it isn't my fault.
It still takes a long time to get out.

Chapter 3.

I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I see it is there.
I still fall in...it's a habit.
But, my eyes are open.
I know where I am.
It is my fault.
I get out immediately.

Chapter 4.

I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I walk around it.

Chapter 5

I walk down another street.


We are following your journey, Valeria.  Welcome back!  

NHG what a neat poem.  and very good advice I must say that as an O gatherer I have a hard time getting my excerise in and if I don't get some in the morning the rest of the day is a lazy day. Little things help, taking the stairs and not an elevator, or parking your car so that you have to walk more are little things that go a long way. Valerie just keep walking.  

Quoted from NewHampshireGirl

Valeria, you have referred to one of my favorites poems!  It was written by Portia Nelson.  Here is it.

There's a Hole in my Sidewalk

Chapter 1.

I walk down the street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I fall in.
I am lost...
I am helpless.
It isn't my fault.
It takes forever to find a way out.

Chapter 2.

I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I pretend I don't see it.
I fall in again.
I can't believe I am in this same place.
But it isn't my fault.
It still takes a long time to get out.

Chapter 3.

I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I see it is there.
I still fall in...it's a habit.
But, my eyes are open.
I know where I am.
It is my fault.
I get out immediately.

Chapter 4.

I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I walk around it.

Chapter 5

I walk down another street.


We are following your journey, Valeria.  Welcome back!  

This poem perfectly describes my epic, twisty-turny (read:  yo-yoey) weight loss journey.  This new street is wonderful.  

Note:  I am not sure if I've ever seen that full poem in writing, but it is often-referred to and paraphrased in 12-step meetings.  I know because I used to go to ACOA (adult children of alcoholics) meetings years ago.  It is a very cool poem.

Quoted from Valerie

Well, it is Monday again. I have started and fell off the road, started and fell, started and fell again. Once again I have started this morning. I will keep trying until I make it. One day it will happen. I am really not sure what else to do. I was thinking about a saying I know about walking and falling in a hole and every time you walk the same path you fall in that same hole. Well, I changed one thing this morning from the other mornings. I got up and walked with my puppy. We shall see if the change will keep me fram falling in the same hole. Wish me luck. I have a positive attitude which helps.

I LOVE your attitude.  YES, please do keep trying until you make it.  That is how you make it.  A few years ago, I was lower than low and wondering how I got there AGAIN (i.e., how did I gain ALL the weight back and then some?), and I was in a state of despair and dismay, BUT I never left the forum, never "left" the diet (although I was doing a lot of non-compliant things, but I kept trying even though I was struggling and not "succeeding"), and I really just hoped (I'd love to say I "had faiith" but, honestly, I thought I would never be able to lose the weight again, but I HOPED I would and I was not prepared to give up trying and accept where I was) that one day, it would all come together.  And sure enough, it did.  There were a lot of factors, like the GenoType Diet coming along, but it wouldn't matter if the GTD came along if I had GIVEN UP, would it?  No, I stuck it out.

And I also LOVE what you said about changing one thing.  One thing.  When I first began to turn things around, it was before I decided to switch to the GTD in earnest, so I was still basically BTDing, and I just decided, okay, just go back to basics.  You know what to do.  You got this.  Go back to basics, and just be humble and do baby steps.  Stop the Kettle brand potato chips.  Stop it.  Just kick out the big avoids, that's all I can do right now, is what I told myself.  So I did.  And from there, I did one more thing and one more thing, and then I decided, okay, let me really give this GTD thing a try.  And let me try to walk half an hour per day.  And that is when it really turned around.

But it wasn't just one thing, like the GTD or like walking every day, or like giving up the chips, though those were all huge.  It was all the, for lack of a better term, FAILURES I had experienced over the years, all the times I fell into that same BLEEP hole!!!!!!  Some of us HAVE to fall in and fall in a few times before we really understand where the hole is, how to avoid it, etc.  We can ONLY learn what our patterns are and what our triggers are and what works for us and what doesn't by falling into that d*mn hole.  No one can TELL you about the hole, you have to fall into the sucker.

It's all very "Wizard of Oz", really.  Glenda couldn't simply tell Dorothy to click her heels together three times to get back to Kansas.  No, she had to go through AAAALLLL of that loooooooong, twisty, turny journey on the Yellow Brick Road.  All of it, she couldn't skip one experience.  That was the only way she could learn what she needed to learn.  But she never gave up.  That kid was intrepid.  She said it herself, that all she kept saying to everybody was, I want to go home, I want to go home.

Well, your attitude will take you home.  Don't give up.  Stick to it.  And just do what you can do.  If it is walking the puppy, then walk that little doo-dad for all he or she is worth and be proud of yourself!

You're going to make it!

Okay, third and final post of this particular spate (   ):

Valeria, if you miss your caffeine from coffee, please try kukicha green tea.  Kukicha means "twig tea", as they use both the leaves and the stems, which results in, get this (two positives a'comin'): stronger, richer, more complex flavor, with LESS caffeine than even regular green tea.  It has very little caffeine, yet it gives you just that little jazzy lift.  I LOVE the stuff and guzzle it all day long at work (but curiously, not at all on weekends).  I put one bag of Haiku brand kukicha tea, and one bag of Celestial Seasonings pure peppermint tea, in a big mug of boiling water to steep.  I leave the bags in there the entire time (even when I'm drinking the tea), the longer the better.  I know some folks 'round these here parts say only brew green tea for five minutes, but I say, pffffft, the longer the BETTER, baby!

Try it, you'll like it!

Deblynn, I'm retired, now, but you brought back memories of my taking the stairs instead of elevator wherever I worked.  And, during the lunch time I would grab some of my co-workers and say, "come on, let's do the stairs", and we would walk up, down, up and down the stairs and feel just great that we had actually accomplished some exercise!  So, keep it up, deblynn.  Also, same with the parking lot although I can't say I enjoy walking during a rainstorm or snow.  

PT, I didn't know that poem was used at ACOA.  It makes sense, though.  Great choice.

i have to use the stairs every day, my house is two story.   just remember every time you want something what it will do to you. i think specifacly of what that item will do to me. french fried=sluggish motabalisim, bread=tired, dairy=mucus and so on. some things like the preservatives i just =poisen. it really is a mind set and if you set your mind the rest will fallow. i know that sounds like it was typed for A's but it is still true no matter your blood type.

It's good to have this thread up and running again, and good to see you back Valeria!  

One of the most important things for me is to stock my kitchen with a lot of food choices that are good for me.  If my own kitchen is full of poison, how could I possibly manage my appetite if I get hungry.  I just don't buy foods that aren't good for my body.

If those occasional time come up when you have no other options, then eat what you have to, with a smile.  But in your own kitchen at least, take inventory and provide yourself with things you like so they are there waiting for you.  Practice cooking with them so that you come up with some dishes you know you will enjoy eating.  This is a powerful way to form new habits.

We are creatures of habit.  Choose your own habits . . this is personal power!