I think I'm playing hide and seek with my motivation....

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I joined myfitnesspal a few months ago. At that time I weighed 280. Today I weigh 287. I know how sick I am of being fat. I know I want to be skinny and healthy so I can enjoy a long happy life with my husband and two young sons. I know I want to look in the mirror and love the outside of me, like I love the inside. I know I am a good person who deserves to be happy. The problem is, I don't know how to fix all of this. A big part of me wants to, but I am really struggling. I have been this way my whole life. I am also 6'1" so I got used to being bigger and taller than most everyone else from a very young age. But I am so tired. Mostly tired of being unhappy. I will take any advice....Thanks in advance.

Replies

  • sla0814
    sla0814 Posts: 240
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    Write down a pros and cons list of being overweight and keep it with you always...You deserve to feel fit! You deserve a healthy life for yourself and your family! You are worth it! I'm tellin ya...The first couple weeks of my lifestyle shift (changing from poor eating habits to healthy) was like coming down from a serious drug addiction! I craved anything and everything under the sun...I was going through a MAJOR personal event and the first thing I gravitated towards was food but I had to resist it...

    No doubt, it's hard to start but once you keep going it's SO worth it!! Don't give up, don't ever give up...If you want to add me for support, I'm your girl!

    God bless
  • idivadi
    idivadi Posts: 222 Member
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    :flowerforyou: Keep at it. You will get to the point where you feel you match inside and out.
  • Xaspar
    Xaspar Posts: 726 Member
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    Caradon, I know how you feel ... sometimes I feel like my 'give-a-dam' broke and life is gushing through all the goals and good intentions I had when I woke up that morning (or went to bed the night before.)

    Sometimes it is all I can do to only take each moment and decide that in that moment I am going to treat myself with the respect and dignity I deserve. And that means physically challenging it, with exercise. honoring it with the foods I choose (or don't choose) to eat, and accepting that I am a human being with some pretty intense and confusing emotions and reactions. Most importantly though it means truly believing that I actually DO deserve to be treated correctly not only by those around me, but by my own self as well. (And sometimes I can only believe THAT for a moment at a time too.)

    I hope you can find the support in the community that will help you reach your goals for fitness and lifestyle change. Friend, ask questions and be ready for as much tough love as encouragement.
  • wags9701
    wags9701 Posts: 2
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    DON'T DO IT!!! IT IS NOT WORTH IT!!
    Don't waste another day of your life-I too am struggling at the moment....today I logged in for the first time in a week to track my food...and was way over my goal and did not exercise! I had a bad week!! I am refusing to allow this bad week turn into an entire month and then an entire year. I am taking it one day at a time and pushing on to do better tomorrow.

    I lost a ton of weight about 5 years ago just to gain it all back and then some! Now I have to start over...

    I can relate to you lack of motivation....I encourage you to look at your husband and kids and MOST important-look at yourself everyday- and see that you and your family are worth the change and that will hopefully give you the motivation to start moving more and eating less...just make a few changes every day and this will soon multiply and you will see a difference!

    YOU CAN DO IT! Just remember IF YOU DON'T QUIT YOU WIN!!
  • ms_debbieg
    ms_debbieg Posts: 34
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    My suggestion is to start fresh, log in everyday & be patient. I started on 3/19 @ 196 lbs I am now @ 174 lbs (I'm 5'4) feeling better than I have in a long time. I started really slow, researching low calorie foods - I am a snacker so I had to find stuff I could eat and not feel guilty. The biggest thing that has helped me is logging my food, I found yes I ate too many sweets/snacks but more than anything my portions were too large. I actually ate somewhat healthy foods most of the time (besides my sweet tooth) I just ate too much.

    After 2 weeks of logging foods I started walking a little, I had to make myself do it 2 days a week for at least 45 - 60 minutes. I worked myself adding another day after a month now I'm up to 5-6 days a week at least 3-4 miles a night. I plan an hour each night for just walking & listening to my ipod, it is my ME time!!

    Make yourself a small plan, add to it as you go along. Don't beat yourself up if you slip, just keep on looking forward!! You can do it !!
  • Bmorrow
    Bmorrow Posts: 169
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    Mmm, I was just talking to my dil mother yesterday d she sounded much like you do. My ? to her was what can people do to help? She replied the best motivation is seeing someone successful with their endeavors. Is everyday a win win...not for me, but I am determined to stay with it even if I am working on it forever. I have a friend on here that has just amazed me. She has been on here for over a year...kinda a one step forward two steps backward kinda gal...some days her diary is so good and then at nit she will eat a bag of mini candy bars???? But she stays with it, she has started jogging and exercising and her body is getting stronger and changing. I think "slow and steady wins the race". Just keep doing what you can do to get on a pathway to health. You are a beautiful young woman and you deserve to live a healthy , disease free life. Do it for you! Everyone will reap the benefits. Would love to be your friend so friend me if you like. Good luck!
  • Bmorrow
    Bmorrow Posts: 169
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    Mmm, I was just talking to my dil mother yesterday d she sounded much like you do. My ? to her was what can people do to help? She replied the best motivation is seeing someone successful with their endeavors. Is everyday a win win...not for me, but I am determined to stay with it even if I am working on it forever. I have a friend on here that has just amazed me. She has been on here for over a year...kinda a one step forward two steps backward kinda gal...some days her diary is so good and then at nit she will eat a bag of mini candy bars???? But she stays with it, she has started jogging and exercising and her body is getting stronger and changing. I think "slow and steady wins the race". Just keep doing what you can do to get on a pathway to health. You are a beautiful young woman and you deserve to live a healthy , disease free life. Do it for you! Everyone will reap the benefits. Would love to be your friend so friend me if you like. Good luck!
  • FluffyCorky
    FluffyCorky Posts: 96 Member
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    When I first signed up I had the same issue. I wanted to change my life but had the hardest time motivating myself to do so. In the past month so far I've learned: log on everyday at least once, you can never have too many friends on MFP to help give you the push you need and to answer your random questions, & every little positive counts even if it's nothing big it's all one step in the right direction. I've realized that even if I've fallen off the wagon it's best to just move past it and start fresh the moment you realized it happened. The more time you waste thinking about it the harder your going to have to work to get to where you want to be. The great thing about this site is that no goal or accomplishment is too small. We are all here to help push each other to do better and to help ourselves and others realize that we are worthy and capable of becoming the best we can be. You can totally do this. Don't waste any more time trying to find your motivation. If you have to just fake it, and before you know it, it will come naturally.

    ***PS-one of the biggest things that have helped me is looking at all of the success stories. Especially the ones with pictures. Seeing other people who have accomplished the same goals as I am looking to accomplish always amps me up to do better***