I know I need to lose weight but i can seem to get started

DianaG783

Every week I think long and hard about losing weight and becoming healthy. I think so much yet hardly act on it. 5 years or more ago I would tell myself i need to do it and would it. I did it before but in the last 2-3 years i gained it all back and more. I am 5 ft and weight roughly 156 lbs. 4 more lbs then last week. I have done WW, vegetarian, counting, b12 shots with meds, etc. I work out still and do my best to go atleast 4 times a week but even then I dont do as much as I do unless I am doing zumba or a weight training class. I feel so sad and upset because even though everything points to my eating habits and i cant seem to motivate myself beyond a thought. I am super addicted to candy and junk food. I get lazy to do my lunch and always go the easy way out and spend money on food. Junk food. I hate the way I look and more so hate that I have endometriosis. I really need to get motivated. I want to have kids ( I am 30) and know that a healthy diet is the answer. I need to lay it all at the cross and surrender and allow God to help me become more disciplined. I get upset knowing that i have accomplished educational and work goals and yet cant lose weight. I never thought weight would be an issue for me. I was a healthy weight growing up until I went to college and got exposed to outside food . Then once I graduated I started to eat out more. I would get stressed with work and grad school and would buy quick food and eat fast in my car. I just really set bad habits for myself. I am fed up. I want to be lean and healthy. I dont want to hear that I am prediabetic or that my eating habits could have contributed to my endo because it breaks my heart. However, I HAVE TO HEAR THAT. I just had to vent and hope that I am not alone and can get some motivation and support.

MostlySunshine

My best advice is to start out slowly. You say you eat out a lot...start leaving your money at home or take a look at the restaurants menu to see the more healthier options. Also just try and change your food slowly. Let's say you like candy bars...cut it in half then stick it in the freezer. Then maybe instead of candy bars switch to granola bars and so on. Also with the exercise just do thirty minutes and day for maybe three weeks and then kick it up to an hour. I did all this and have lost over 80 pounds. I would always go all in and it would make me feel crazy. Doing it slowly saved me. Also just remember if you have a bad day just get back on track the next day.

mmcdonald700

Agreed with the slow and steady approach, that might be for you! For me what works is seeing change as it's happening so I tend to go all out. As a fellow lazy person and student... totally understand eating out. I finally tried to start looking at things more positively than negatively which has seemed to help. I also made a new years resolution to "be less lazy" which includes mini goals like prep a lunch and breakfast and snack for every day I'm at school all day, do some kind of physical activity 6 out of 7 days a week, etc. Discrete, doable goals for myself and where I'm at. Whenever I don't want to do something, I find what makes me do it is positive self-talk. Now, instead of saying "ugh I don't want to do it... yeah.. maybe I'll do it later." and reasoning why it's okay for me to not do that thing (cleaning, making meals, working out, etc) I try to talk positively like "Ugh I don't want to... but this is for you. This is to make you feel good. Prioritize your health and your needs - in the long run this is worth more than your short term gratification of doing nothing". Try to talk yourself INTO doing things instead of allowing yourself to justify why you don't HAVE to do them and remember that you want to do those things because they are good for you and you are taking care of yourself. Hope that helps!

edit: And when I do end up doing the things I told myself earlier in the day I would I end up feeling so good after! It ends up working like a positive feedback cycle, the more good you do for yourself, the better you feel, the more good you wanna do for yourself.

tavasue

All I can say is it takes what it takes to be ready to do it. I had to "hit bottom" before I was ready to go "all in" and start on my weight loss journey. I had to realistically look at the current and future consequences of my weight as well as think about what is important to me. That's what raised my motivation and commitment level.

claudie08

Bump.

DigitalDiana

OK... so I am not -100 lbs., and I don't have the market on this,. but I thought I would give you a few tips that helped me along the way. I work long hours and at a very stressful job (School Principal) so I know what it is to come home and think...I deserve this!!!

Start exercising...go for a 20 minute walk every day for a week. Increase that to 30 minutes... Once you have done that work on some other ways of exercising. Do you have a bicycle? Bicycle for 40 minutes.
Once the weight starts to come off you will have the inner motivation. If you can't get out to exercise try the Leslie Sansone youtube video...just 20 minutes 1x per day.

As for junk food. I plan my splurges... for dessert every day I have the dessert style Silhouette yoghurt..chocolate raspberry or caramel ... they satisfy the craving for sweet dessert. I also take them for snack at work so I don't need to eat the snack on the staff room table. They are only 35 calories each...and come in a 16 pack. The other go to is the Quaker caramel chocolate chip rice cakes ...only 50 calories. I also try not to drink my calories. My odd spurge is milk and cream for coffee.... other than that I do not drink juice or pop. Water is my friend

I allow myself 1 fast food outing or restaurant outing per month ( works for my wallet). Once I've done one I know I can't until the next month.

I am working on the last 10 lbs of my weight loss...and yes, I feel unmotivated right now....but believe me...I feel so much better than I did last year at this time. I now know I can do the 20 minutes without huffing and puffing!! Tonight it is -42 C here and I can't go out for a walk. So Leslie Sansone Youtube it is...
You can do it!!

LINIA

hi Diana,

I read your post 3x and , is this correct--you go to Zumba class and to some other classes at your gym?

QUOTE """I work out still and do my best to go atleast 4 times a week but even then I dont do as much as I do unless I am doing zumba or a weight training class. """

Ok, so you already spend 4 hours a week at the gym and you really need to lose very little----you are at 156 and would feel/look really great if you just drop 30 pounds--a small amount on MFP.

I think that somehow you have to hire or find a "coach" , someone who will help you to order healthy food at lunch, begin to bring your own lunch and eat an apple (for example) rather than chips or candy. Motivation is a difficult area for many of us---The first step is not to buy or bring into your house any of the snacks, chips, candy---buy or cook mostly vegetables, lean protein and drink adequate water everyday. (you can decide when to have a "cheat day" or a favorite snack once in a while so you don't binge).
Yes, now is a great time to begin, while you are relatively close to your goal weight.

It is wonderful that you live in a moderate climate and do not have to endure a cold winter--if you want to add me as a friend here, that is fine----good luck---you can do this!

Linia