Hi everyone.....I need help

dms5061

Hi everyone, My name is Donna and I'm at an all time low right now. I need to find some other people that have or are struggling with the same issues and have overcome them. I am the heaviest I've ever been at this point and it was almost like I just gave up on myself about two years ago. I guess it was depression. I find myself not wanting to do anything where I may be seen, not wanting to be in pics with my sons, and completely terrified of trying to date because of my weight and I'm lonely and I'm tired of it. I have to really make this work this time and I need all the support I can get. I wish I knew people that have been there and understand how I feel and are overcoming it. I need friends!

SandraGreenwood

Hi Donna, I just joined too. I too am at my heaviest! I also now have diabetes and high cholesterol that is causing me to have a blockage in my right carotid artery. So I've committed to do this! My Fitness Pal has helped tremendously! I just started 20 days ago and I'm already down 7 lbs! You can do this!!! We both Can!

dms5061

Thank you Sandra! Wow, you're already down 7 lbs. That's awesome and so motivating!! Thanks for sharing....I needed that!

gunnsarah

Hi Donna, is that you in the photo? You're beautiful! Have you talked to a doctor about the way you are feeling? Some medication might help - but best of all getting some exercise will boost your mood so much. If you don't feel confident to go to the gym, could you walk? Getting out in the fresh air is so good for you, but when I started I sometimes just walked on the spot whilst watching tv, having a fitbit really helped to motivate me to move more.
Moving more and eating better is really all you need to do to help you get the old Donna back. Very happy to be your friend - mutual support is invaluable. Today is just the beginning!

grandmamere

Donna, you are not lone in this. I'm sending you a friend request. I have been taking medications for the depression. Walking at least 30 minutes a day may help the depression. If you haven't exercised in a while start by taking small walks and build up. Use telephone poles or blocks as a gauge and go from there. Here's something I just posted on my home page:
If we are struggling we need to remember that every time we misstep on our healthy journey, we have two choices: to keep walking backwards, which will surely take us even further away from our goals; or to accept our lack of perfection as normal and forgivable, and take not one, but two positive steps down the path that brings us closer to the future we want. Today I'm planning my meals for the week and preparing them too!

dms5061

Hi Gunnsarah and Grandmamere,
Thanks for the kind words and advice. With the weather getting nice, I plan to get out more and enjoy being outside. I think that will help a lot. I need to invest in a fitbit. Thanks to both of you for adding me. I already feel better and more like I can do this! Y'all are great!

holliedusteeeze

Hello Donna I too am at an all time low I start my fitness pal a week ago and have lost lb this week i am a huge weekend scoffers so am not doing so great today we all need help and support and we can all get the healthy happy places we want and need to be at...

dms5061

Thanks for the support Istrat115 and Holliedusteeze! It sounds like both of you know exactly what I was trying to say, how I feel, and why I want change. I am so touched by how many great, truly beautiful women like yourselves I've had contact with. I never would've guessed so many women would feel the same way. Let's do this and give me a huge kick in the butt if you see me slipping!

holliedusteeeze

Happiness and healthyness awaits us

ambersanford204

Hi Donna
I am in a similar situation ad just joined for some motivation and support as well. I am very overweight with depression and anxiety as well. The anxiety runs my life. Have tried pills, therapy, everything but honestly the only thing that seems to help is an honest try at a good exercise!! I always wear sweatshirts to cover up my belly and have very few pictures with my son which breaks my heart. This is a low point but we have to help ourselves and face reality. Which can be the hardest part about it! I don't know how to friend people but if ya need a friend, I'm here. Good luck on your journey and I hope you find what you need.

lavs21

Hey Donna I just joined today and starting to start from tomorrow- yes starting on a bank holiday it's either now or never, I have managed to loose some weight but I am still overweight by about 20kgs! I am reaching a point where I am starting to get depressed and I am scared of going back to my old weight of 106kgs! I want to look good and like urself start really "living" not just existing... So this time round I hope I will be able to loose those extra 20kgsi am carrying... Would love to support each other during the journey. :-)

MoggieMeow

Hi Donna! As everyone else on here has already said, if your photo on here is anything to go by, you look radiant and lovely. I feel the same as you in that things are at an all time low (I am on steroids that cause weight gain and an injured foot means I can't exercise), but there's something liberating and exciting about hitting rock-bottom, no? Everyone on MFP seems really nice, so keep logging in each day and you will see a difference. Add lots of friends and just be honest about what you consume on here, even on a bad day, and things will start to get a lot easier. It may not be perfect, but this is a good point to start. We believe in you!

Wendimalia

Donna...ooh I have so been there. 3 years ago I finally got myself fixed. Lost my weight, got therapy to understand how I ended up so unhappy and then was able to work together with my ex to raise our son. It was like getting my best friend back without all the fighting.
2 years ago he died and my life again went spiraling out of control. Now a single parent, I make sure my son is healthy and happy. But not me....I keep gaining weight and I cant seem to find that happy spot again. Yesterday I made a commitment to go and find it! I bought a vivosmart, set it up, connected the apps and move when tells me to move. The only thing it can't do is kick me in the butt when I'm having a bad day. So I hope to make friends and offer support also. I need a kick in the butt some days and can offer the same.

Bethutoo

Donna, I agree with everyone else's comments about your beauty. It just shines through your picture and your words. If you'll just bear with me over the next several paragraphs, I'll try to impart some wisdom to help you kick off the rest of your life.
I just rejoined the world of MyFitnessPal. A friend and I joined a few years ago and we both lost weight, then kind of ... well, many of you know. We were slimmed down and lost interest in maintaining such focus. I'm in my late 50s. Last year I joined WW, and lost 15 pounds, but again, the system, while extremely successful for many people, requires more focus than I am willing to give to my eating. So, I've combined the two. I've returned to my WW meetings because they hold me accountable AND are inspiring. Additionally, I'm using MyFitnessPal to monitor my food and exercise.
Here are the secrets to losing weight: (1) sleep (2) get aerobic exercise (3) eat whole foods. These three secrets are equally important:
(1) Sleep: Your body can't function properly on 5 or 6 hours of sleep. Especially if you are a woman over the age of 40. Lack of sleep feeds depression (and vice versa, right?), unbalanced appetite, exercise avoidance and unhealthy metabolism. The secret to sleeping well and deeply is to follow a common routine before bed, signaling your body that it's time to sleep. I NEVER go to bed without washing my face and brushing my teeth. Then I read for a few minutes. Even if I wake in the middle of the night and can't go back to sleep, I will splash my face, brush my teeth and read for a few minutes again. It works. There are other factors... watching violent shows or playing violent games, drinking heavily, high emotional activity, such as arguments, are all bound to deprive you of a deep and easy sleep. Sometimes I use a free online meditation to help me relax enough to sleep.
(2) Aerobic exercise (Man! I hate exercising!!! I hate aerobic exercise the most!) There is nothing more terrifying to me than being out of breath, but both my daughters are runners. I envied them. So, I drove to a park that is sparsely populated and started walking. Then I saw an overweight woman jogging. As she approached me, she waved and smiled. She didn't look like she was having "fun", but she inspired me. I started jogging. I would jog about 20 feet and then walk 100 feet. That's how I started. Now I can run a mile, albeit slowly.
(3) Eat whole foods: It's really hard to overeat when you are eating whole foods, and it's amazing how quickly you can adapt to this practice. I am not a great or innovative cook, but whole foods work for me. Fruit sits on my counter or in the fridge, just begging to be eaten. Hard boiled eggs! Good gosh, what a great snack! Almonds! Organic dried cranberries and cherries! Sometimes I eat three bananas, an orange or two and a couple of apples in a day! Fresh meats, poultry and fish have no hidden fat factors like the "meals in minutes". And the taste of cane sugar is so superior to those calorie-free sweeteners that I can't imagine ever using them again. Cane sugar.. 16 calories per teaspoon.
Throw out all that fake food - diet this and that. Use fresh food when you can, and when you can't, canned or frozen whole foods are great, too.
Last, but not least, check out Skinnytaste.com. Great healthy and slimmed down recipes. I'm a fan of her recipes. They are simple and delicious.
Good luck... sounds like a bunch of us are going to be supporting you, and you're plea for help has created a group that is caring and in it with you.

Jimsterintexas

Hi Donna. After retiring from the military in 2011, I gained about 45 pounds, and it seemed like there was no end in sight as my weight kept creeping up higher each day. I tried losing weight on my own by dieting and going to the gym, but I was only able to lose 10 pounds. I went on Nutrisystem and was able to lose another 17 pounds, for a total of 27 pounds lost in 3 months. For me, I needed a structured system that helped me with portion sizes and the right kind of foods. I'm not sure if you are able to do a system or plan such as Nutrisystem, Weight Watchers, or something similar, but it may be a way to help you achieve your goals. Jim

dms5061

I want to thank everyone for responding to my plea for help and support....and all of the wonderful advice. It warms my heart and makes me want to have one of those happy cries. I never expected to come across such warm and caring people that understand how I feel. Each person's story of how they got here and how the weight affected them has touched me deeply. I wish everyone the very best of luck and I can't wait to read all of your success stories! You're all beautiful!

Donna6017

Hi Donna, from another Donna. After reading all these posts, I don't know what I could add. Seeing how I've let myself go really saddens me. We need to remember we are beautiful. I've been a WW member on and off about a dozen times. I've learned weighing in at meetings doesn't hold me accountable. I need to only be accountable to myself. Sometimes that is hard, but I'm not going to give up. We are in this together. Anyone feel free to send me a friend request. Oh and I'm pretty good about tracking my food except I can't seem to get control of my weekends.

dms5061

Hi Donna, Thanks for the words of encouragement. I tried WW one time and didn't really commit. I know it would've worked if I had been really ready. I find I kind of lose control toward the end of the week after working long hours, taking care of things around the house, and just being too tired to put forth effort but I'm going to change that this time. We can do it!

MommaGretchen

I've been serious about tracking food on mfp and exercise on runkeeper for three days in a row. I'm 60 lbs overweight and 42 years old. Three days ago I couldn't get my wedding ring off of my finger (which was changing colors) I have a titanium ring that can't be cut off, so that was it for me!
I am staying just below my daily calorie allotment, and I'm determined to burn at least 500 calories per day. I want ice cream, chocolate, and potato chips SO badly, BUT I want to lose weight more. Nothing will taste as good as skinny will!
I'm tired of being embarrassed at how big I've gotten.... So I'm going to do something about that. We have Dance Central on Xbox Kinect, and I've been dancing with my kids! I'm having fun, making wonderful memories, and burning calories!

dms5061

MommaGretchen, I completely understand. My oldest son is graduating in a couple of weeks and I told myself at the beginning of the year I was going to get this weight off so I would look truly happy in the pictures taken with him and here I am the same if not worse than I was in January. Thank goodness I don't live in the same town I grew up in. Life sometimes get in the way of my exercising but I'm trying really hard not to let it this time. It sounds like you've come up with a great way to get the exercise in each day. Your kids will remember you doing that with them forever. That's awesome!