[nvnvgirl]

I am a personal trainer and have had to deal with weight issues in a lot of different ways. But the first thing is to realize that you CAN do it. If I can do it, if people like OPRAH (who I don't care how much $$$ you have, losing weight is NEVER easy), who have incredibly busy lives, can do it, then so can you! You have to believe in yourself and make the right choices. Believe that you DESERVE to be healthy. Forget about chips at your desk. Cut up fruit and veggies and keep them with you. YOu can cut up a lot of them ahead of time and keep them in ziplock baggies in the fridge so they're THERE when you're tempted. Get yourself one of those insulated lunch bags (or coolers) and make it a routine to pack your meals in them. The mere fact that you've got something special and specific to put them in makes it a more concrete reassurance that you are doing something special for yourself (which you ARE). If you want something sweet, try those single servings of sugar free jello or fat free puddings. Or find a cereal that is healthy and you like, to eat dry as a "snack" (I like either Smart Start or Honey Nut Cheerios). And drink a LOT Of water. It DOES make a difference. When you feel your stomach rumbling, first drink a big glass (or bottle) of water. THEN have something good for you to eat if you're still hungry. Try to increase your lean protein (chicken, fish, turkey, egg whites) to a 4 oz portion 3 times a day. Use PAM or other nonstick cooking sprays to saute foods in. Use fat free or sugar free sweeteners in your coffee or tea. And try to delete sodas from your diet.
Exercise is really key and I'm sure you feel like you don't have the time or energy. If you have a lunch break or even 15 minutes, take a walk either outside or around your building. Once you make it a habit, you'll see how it helps with your stress level too and it will eventually show up as lost pounds. On the weekends or days that you don't work, take a longer walk and keep working up to doing a little more each time. Invest in some workout equipment (dumbbells, a step, a ball..whatever will get you moving) and workout videos or if you have a tv station that has workouts on it, do those. FITTV is great. Find out if there's a Yoga program on your local broadcasting. It can help alleviate your stress too, and if you can at least begin it in the privacy of your own home, you won't feel self conscious. I know you can do it; you just have to make the move to do it. Sit down and make a plan; as they say "if you fail to plan, plan to fail". Keep a log of what you eat and when. Keep a log of the activity you do each day. There are a lot of web based fitness and nutrition logs that are really helpful. It helps keep you on track and accountable, so that you can see where you're doing well and where you could be doing a little better. Good luck in your journey. You arent' a loser; the only thing you have to lose is excess weight, and that will make you feel like a complete winner when you become responsible to yourself and your health.