Hi,
You have already received loads of replies, but I still hope you read mine.
I too have struggled with weight since about 4th grade.
The first thing you need to do is talk with your doctor. You say you have always battled your weight, there may be a physical reason for that. With me it was a low thyroid, but there are other reasons as well.
You didn't mention if you were breast feeding. This may influence your final decision on which weight loss program to choose. While breast feeding, what you eat the baby eats.
Keep in mind, any healthy weight loss program will give you what you put into it. However, I personally would steer away from the programs where you purchase your food from them. I just feel they are expensive and don't really teach you healthy eating. They may have changed in recent years, I don't know.
The support of others at WW is what I feel helps those that are successful at it. If you read what others have to say about WW here and other message boards, you see a lot of those that gained weight back when they stopped going to meetings. This bothers me.
I don't have the money to pay weekly dues until I have reached goal and kept it for a year. But then the weekly support never felt like support to me simply because I was battling a low thyroid and not just weight gain. No one else at the meetings had the same problem I did at the time. Having someone else weigh me weekly before my thyroid was under control and seeing the one step forward three steps back I was struggling with didn't help me at all as they didn't understand what I was dealing with. Further, the leader was determined it was something I was or wasn't doing rather than the physical reason behind the lack of weight loss. To be fair, it may have just been the few people at this particular meeting, I may have had better luck changing my meeting time.
Also, I can't personally count points daily for the rest of my life. I just don't have that discipline. WW helps certain types of people, other programs help other types of people. Don't feel you have failed if you try it and it doesn't work for you.
To repeat myself, any healthy weight loss program will work.
There are plenty of ways to take control of what you are eating and to add enough of the right kind of exercise for you, for you to lose weight.
I can tell you the only way that will work regardless of what program you choose:
1. Check with your doctor before starting anything to rule out any possible physical reasons for struggling with your weight.
Find out the amount of calories you need to eat each day to stay healthy but lose weight. Do you need to avoid salt? Etc.
2. Have a good support system in place; friends, family, co-workers, whoever it is in your life that gives you good mental and emotional support.
3. Don't weigh yourself every day. It can get obsessive, I know. LOL. Once a week is enough, try for about the same time on the same day each week. Keep in mind any natural monthly weight issues you may have. I personally hold about 2 to 4 pounds each month for about 3 to 5 days.
4. Keep track of what and how much you are eating. I don't seem to handle carbs very well and will just keep eating that darn pasta if I don't measure out before hand.
5. Know your weaknesses and have a plan of how to deal with them before you face them.
6. Drink lots of water. If you aren't a water person in the first place, get yourself one of those reusable cups or bottles and keep it filled to sip on all day.
7. Add more fresh to what you eat and avoid processed when you can. Share portions while eating out, or divide your plate, eat the right size portion and leave the rest or take it home.
8. Add more fruits and veggies and go light on the things you think you can't live without. If you must have a cookie or there will be blood shed, have the darn cookie, but stick to what the package says a serving is. Don't deny yourself, and you most likely won't binge. You are after healthy, balanced, and varied so you don't fall ill or get bored.
9. Add some exercise you believe you can live with at least 3 times a week. Ask your doctor for advise on this. Find what works for you or you won't do it often enough to help.
10. Remember, you need to make lifestyle changes in order to change your life. Start slow with the changes you can make right now and add as you go when you know you are ready for the next one.
11. Laugh when you need to laugh and cry when you need to cry and don't worry about the small setbacks. You will run across them and you will find the way around them. Don't be afraid to ask for help or support when you feel you need to. Those who love you will gladly give them.
Good luck to you, I know you'll make it. Feel free to contact me: ____@____.com