sucess seems soooo far away :-(

shabrick00

It's true, this is something that takes a long time, and that can make it very boring. But, just imagine how amazing it will feel once you have achieved your goal. I can promise you it's worth it. And while it is a slow tedious process, you'll have lots of exciting moments of feeling that you've achieved something along the way. Watching your body change can be a real buzz. I would recommend taking progress photos - start now if you haven't already, and take them every month or so. Sometimes you think things haven't really changed until you look at pictures. So, it's worth accepting that this is something that is often boring, and often difficult, but it's so, so worth it, and there will be exciting times along the way.

As for exactly how you should do it... Really, keep it simple. Make small changes that you can stick with permanently. I would highly recommend not cutting out any foods that you love (except for medical reasons obviously), not forcing yourself to do hours and hours of exercise that you don't enjoy, basically do what you can to not feel like you're "on a diet", and the whole thing will be a lot easier. If you want to change lots of habits, that's fine, but maybe pick one or two at a time to work on.

Here's a handy guide: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

You will hear a lot of advice, on these forums, elsewhere on the internet, and in real life. Some will be good advice, a lot will be crap, and it can be hard to know which is which. If in doubt, keep it simple. Don't make radical changes unless you're sure they're right for you. If you make mistakes, don't ever let that be reason to stop trying.

And, you'll get there. Don't think about wanting it RIGHT NOW. Think about where you're going to be this time next year. I can't promise you'll be at your goal, but you'll be a huge way towards it, and you'll look really different from how you do now. You just have to be patient and persistent, and don't give up. Ever. :flowerforyou:

THANKS SO MUCH

gymgirl3590

Everyone is different.

As far as diet goes, I really haven't changed what I eat all that much. I try to chose better when I eat fast food (picking fish or going to Subway). I also cut out snacking, and if I really need something I have a banana or an apple. If I know I'm going out to dinner later at night (where there will be more calories), I have brunch instead of breakfast and lunch to have a little more wiggle room. I also cut sodas down to one can or less a day. I keep filtered water in the fridge and Gatorade mix too.

If I had to start cold turkey super strict diet I would cheat. In my opinion a lifestyle change (like eating better) still has to be something that you like or you won't be able to keep it up.

Instead I'm focusing more on making a new work out routine (one that I still like and feel good about). When I hit a platue I may make more adjustments to my diet.

I see it as a success that I'm feeling good about myself, and I feel I can maintain it.

AglaeaC

The definition of success isn't "story", but all the small yay!'s that you manage to create every day.

Macstraw

A couple of other things to keep in mind:

1. As somebody else mentioned, you will get LOTS of advice on here. Filter it to what works best for YOU. The pieces of advice will conflict with each other, don't get concerned or confused by that - remember that everybody is different & what works for 1 person may or may not work for somebody else....

2. Not only keep your goals reasonable (it's OK to have a long term picture of where you want to be, but keep in mind that may change as you travel down the path because you may end up looking & feeling healthier at a higher weight than you thought if you have built a good amount of muscle) & just aim at the next goal. after you reach it, then set your next goal & work to it. Keep doing this until you are happy where you are. Your goals may be #'s on the scale, they may be a distance walked, run or swam, they may be a # of repetitions in a set (or # of sets) if you're lifting weights or doing core exercises, they may be creating the ability to do things that you haven't been able to do - every 1 of them you hit is a success. Keeping them reasonable & hitting them 1 at a time makes it easier to continue to be successful without feeling overwhelmed & I think you'll be surprised at how quickly you hit them. When you keep hitting them & setting the next one (that always makes me happy) will keep your motivation up & you'll find yourself striving more. The next goal is always the important one, the final stop on the journey is not because I will bet it won't be what you originally planned it to be.....

3. The scale is just a # that can be influenced by many things, don't worry so much about that & concentrate on being able to do things. Remember that, for the same volume, muscle weighs more than fat. If you are exercising you may not see the scale # go down (it may even go up a little bit), but you will still see yourself getting smaller - clothes will fit better, etc. This is a bigger success than making the scale # change - it means you are making good changes to your body.......

Keep the faith, keep at it & add friends - they will help motivate you & will help hold you accountable if need be. You're on the right path & it's a much more crowded road than you would think. Stop & ask for directions once in a while...........

bkw99508

Congratulations on taking the first step!

I have been logging for over 70 days now (how time flies). When I first started at MFP I read all the newbie FAQ posts. Needless to say the amount of information was vast and sometimes confusing. So I just took one thing and got good at that and then added the next thing. I started with just making sure I hit my deficit. I didn't worry about what macros to hit, if I should eat "clean", what time, or anything other than calories in - calories out. Once I got comfortable logging my food and eating at a deficit, I started to look at my macros (protein, carb, fat). I wish I could say that I have mastered that step but I have not as of yet, but I'm down a total of 25 lbs (16 since starting MFP).

So my advice is don't over think it, and take small steps. Crawl before walking, walk before running.

Good luck!