Anyone else doing this completely alone?

AriesGal329

I am recently divorced, live alone, and none of my friends are currently in any kind of weight loss program. I sometimes share my successes with them, but don't want to bore them with details. I am really grateful for this discussion board because I get great feedback and support. So...thank you!!

Bshmerlie

As far as family I'm completely alone but I've got a lot of friends here on MFP and they ROCK!

kommodevaran

I don't feel alone here on MFP either!

Kalikel

I've had a few people say they were going to start losing because if I can do it, they can, too. They ask a bazillion questions, which I answer. Then they decide to eat like 500 or 800 calories a day, which they do for a day or two or three. Then they're off the diet. Every. Single. Time.

They're just crash dieting. They don't really want to lose weight.

So, yup! Just me. That I know, anyway.

azulvioleta6

Yep!

I think that it is actually a lot easier alone.

Terri70

I have my daughter and son, but they rarely say anything about me dieting, so in essence, I'm alone too. I can't wait to feel better about myself. That's one of the things I'm working on. Good luck to every one!

2snakeswoman

Yes, just me. I only have limited support at MFP also because I'm not a calorie counter. I've tried many times to do it that way, and A) I don't have enough of an accountant mentality to find any joy in CI/CO; it's a gigantic chore for me. logging makes me think about food all day long - what can I have? how many calories do I have left? Oh no, I want to eat now, what if I run out of calories?

What works for me is to keep myself as busy as possible with other things until I'm undeniably hungry, then I eat a reasonable portion of what I want (like a homemade bacon cheeseburger on whole grain bread with tomato slices last night), then go back to doing other things (including exercising because it makes me feel good). That's my entire weight loss strategy - wait until I'm hungry and don't stuff myself. I've been losing 1-2 pounds per week this way, total of 21 as of today, so I think I'm doing all right.

GaleHawkins

I do not have family that are eating for better health yet. Pain management research is what lead to my change of eating lifestyle. What others do is 100% their business as long as they do not die and fall on me.

What Kalikel posted is what I see most people doing that I know. In fact I did it for 40 years. Yes it seems dumb now but I did not know better at the time.

If I had not been staring cancer and other health risk associated with Enbrel in the face because the doctors wanted me to start taking it for pain management I am not sure I would have ever changed my eating lifestyle.

People do not lose weight and keep it off just for looks very often. We need a core and logical reason based on my experience.

SherryTeach

I think it's much easier to do this alone. I focus on myself, what I want to eat, plan out my days and generally don't have the complication of eating the way I choose in the company of others who eat differently or might derail me. My BF is supportive; we batch cook together and eat out on the weekends, but during the week, I find it much easier to plan, pre-log, and eat according to my own needs. I have plenty of support from family and friends to be healthy.

PinkPixiexox

You'll always find support here
Good luck

Francl27

I don't know anyone else who's trying to lose weight. My husband has been doing half-***ed attempts but he's not really trying, and obviously my kids are not.

MondayJune22nd2015

I don't necessarily prefer to do any of this alone but I don't mind, doing the nutritional route alone; just the exercising. I wish I had someone to exercise with.

lithezebra

Yes, I'm doing this alone. I like it that way. I can go at my own pace and bliss out on endorphins. I've tried exercising with other people, and I can't get into my blissful zone, or just enjoy the sounds of nature, when people are talking.

scyian

I'm pretty much doing this on my own but that's my preference as it means I can focus on me. Otherwise it's easy to get roped into a exercise session with a group of friends when I'd rather go on a run or lift some weights. I cook so husband gets the nutritional benefits of my meticulous meal planning.

Chris__SC

I live with a junk food junkie. I'm doing this alone but don't mind because it's for me.

Unknown

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Chris__SC

But here we're all in it together

middlehaitch

I did it on my own, OH works away a lot.

Saw a pic of myself I didn't like, counted calories, threw in a bit if exercise, and voila; a sustainably thinner, slimmer, fitter me.
No health problems involved; pure vanity and continued functional fittness.

OH, when I was 3 years into maintenance, got curious, followed suit, and is now a stronger, leaner version of his former healthy, but slightly overweight self.

It took me a while to share what I was doing with other people as I looked upon it as my own private adventure.

Cheers, h.

As a silly aside, even though I have been a member of MFP since 2010, I was so intent on calorie counting, I didn't find the forum until last year. 5 years into maintenance.

foreverslim1111

Yes I'm doing this alone, but my husband is very supportive and does things that help me stick to it.

callsitlikeiseeit

none of my family and friends are trying to lose weight. i do get a lot of comments about how well i am doing from them though.

myname20

I am kind of alone into weight loss too. Not sure if it is easier or harder, depends on your personality. But if you want to talk with someone someday, feel free to message me, I can listen

pstegman888

I started out alone (also live alone) and found the MFP boards extremely helpful & motivating. But after a noticeable weight loss and being very open about logging my foods immediately after a meal out with friends, checking calories before ordering, and being clear that yes, I CAN have that yummy dessert or helping of lasagna as I have saved enough calories for it, I now have 3 friends on the MFP program. One is pretty dedicated & we meet at the gym for workouts when our schedules coincide (which is how we originally became friends) and frequently eat out together, which is a pleasure because we are on the same page nutritionally. The second friend is struggling with lots of emotional issues and constantly sabotaging herself, so I try to be an example and an encouragement to her without making her feel guilty when she makes poor choices. She is still in a "diet" mentality, not the MFP way of thinking. The third friend had some very scary high blood pressure readings, and I basically made him go on the program (yeah, yeah, I know, he ideally should be self-motivated, but I really don't care, desperate times require desperate measures); he's been the most successful of all, although his macros are very carb-heavy from what he tells me of his meals.

Although it's helpful to have a few local friends who have some understanding of what I am doing, I didn't mind going it alone. I compete with the numbers and get a little thrill out of finding new ways to eat more nutritionally and stay within my goal calories. I'm glad not to have someone pulling me off track on a daily basis, I like eating on my own unconventional schedule, and I don't have to justify anything to anyone who might look askance at a scheduled indulgence. It does help to know someone is going to meet you at the gym, though, but it's easy enough to join a class or strike up friendships there to find an accountability partner.

angie_momof3

I have kids and a great husband that supports me but they're not doing it with me. I found some great friends here on mfp. I love to see how many calories they burn and how their weight loss is going. I also have an account on Instagram (angie_momgettingfit) and I've found great motivation with other people getting fit that post pics almost daily.

tomatoey

shell1005 wrote: »

Yep. I talk very little about weight loss in my actual real life. People who talk 24/7 about their diet and exercise program....well, IMO it couldn't be more annoying. I do what works for me and don't feel the need or desire to talk about it. If a friend or a co-worker wants to chat about....I'm A OK with that, but I am rarely one to bring it up.

+1. Talk about it here, with us

And +1 that it's way easier to do this on your own.

TheHumanMachine

Yeah, I am alone. I have tried to get my mom, sister and friend to start losing weight. None of them have stuck with it. I don't think they really want to. My mom and sister talk about wanting to lose weight, I gave them the tools and told them how to do it, but they didn't want to stick with it. It is pretty annoying sometimes though, they keep "wishing" they could lose weight.

fidangul

I'm technically doing it alone, as in there isn't anyone else losing weight with me. But I'm always going on about my weightloss to any who would listen to me lol. My mum babysits for me so I can workout and my husband comes along for walks sometimes. Also my MFP friends are champions and are all so inspirational and motivating. So no, come to think of it, I don't think I'm doing it alone.

hufflepuff03

I'm doing this alone but at least I have my mfp friends!

hotnumber

I like to exercise and see the progress made when I commit to a healthier way of life. I don't need friends or family to do it with me, I just want them to see me when I'm done

Losinandmovin

lauragreenbaum148 wrote: »

I am recently divorced, live alone, and none of my friends are currently in any kind of weight loss program. I sometimes share my successes with them, but don't want to bore them with details. I am really grateful for this discussion board because I get great feedback and support. So...thank you!!

You are welcome. Everything is better with someone to share it with! I hope to read about your successes every day! Weight loss and learning to focus on welless is hard work! We can all share the load here! Friend me if you like! I'm a newbie myself, but I'm gonna be here a while!

Orphia

I haven't really thought of it that way, but according to your definition I'm doing this alone.

Except really I've got all of MFP community and my amazing MFP friends. Yay!

AnnPT77

Yes - I'm a widow, live alone, no children, only child, parents deceased, so I do a lot of stuff alone! I have a number of wonderful friends I see regularly, but none of them are in weight loss mode.

My closest friends know I'm working on losing weight, and are supportive and ask me how it's going; I try to keep answers brief. Occasionally, an acquaintance will compliment me on my weight loss.

To be perfectly frank, I think it's sort of a bore, in a general social context, when someone rattles on at length about their diet (or their obscure hobby that no one else understands, or anything like that) - at least it's a bore if there's no one else there who's asking questions and doing it clearly out of interest rather than politeness.

I think it makes more sense to talk at length with people who are actually interested and informed, like folks here on the forums. And I, too, appreciate how supportive and helpful people are here!