T.H.E. Team (trying hard everyday) November '11

Tennessee2019

NEW MONTH, NEW ME.
Stand Tall
Start Fresh
Believe In Yourself
One Pound At A Time
One Day At A Time

I will be done with p/t in 2 weeks, then it will be up to me to continue to strengthen my foot & be ready to hike the volcano in June. I let myself get lazy after my surgery, telling myself that I can make up for lost time once I was healed again. Well, the healing took a little longer than I had planned & we are heading into the rainy season (the first storm is supposed to hit Thursday night & last through Friday) so I need to pull out the Wii Fit, the Leslie Sansone DVDs, climb onto my eliptical & burn some calories!!!!!
My daughter got me Jillian Michael's 30-days shed for my birthday in April (one month after I was diagnosed with Posterior Tibial tendon Disease) so I wasn't able to use it at that time. I will be checking with my doctor when I see him in December to see if he feels I am strong enough to do it, before I pull it out of its case. My mom asked me if I wanted a bathrobe for Christmas this year. Nope. I no longer want to hide my body in clothes. I told her that I want a set of Kettlebells to get my arms in shape & also start using the 3-5-10 pound weights I already have. I want to work hard enough to be proud of what I look like when I walk onto the plane in 215 days.
Whether I have to wear this brace for the rest of my life is yet to be known. That also depends on me. I will do my best to strengthen my foot & hope that it is enough so that I don't need the brace anymore. But, I will cross that bridge when I come to it - IF I need to.
Right now, my focus is on our trip to Hawaii & not to look like a beached whale.

No changes in my weight, due to TOM.

tiggerbounce411

I have MS and don't want to overdue physical stress so I work up to the next level of intensity that I do for any exercise. I think you might want to check into getting a DVD that I got free, it's for exercising when you have MS. MS doesn't affect my balance like it does many, but it may be helpful to you as pain and muscle stiffness is a symptom many people with MS experience. Sounds like you have something that this could help you still exercise with.. You don't have to have MS, you can get it knowing someone..me..who does. Google it, its active ms or something like that. i just looked up Exercise for MS patients

vs1023

Hey there! Just got a message to join y'all so here I am

Quick recent background: Had my son in January after a high risk pregnancy with a lot of prenatal interventions. My water broke at 32 weeks so I ended up on hospital bedrest til 35 weeks. With a high risk pregnancy I couldn't work out anymore. He was born with a cyst in his lung at 35 weeks and required ECMO (heart/lung bypass) and had the cyst removed while on ECMO on day 2 of life. He was in the hospital from birth (1/27/11 til 4/20/11) and came home with a feeding tube. Things seem to be normalizing a bit with his schedule, but DH and I work from home and care for him and we have a 6 year old and dog, so I can't get to the gym 5-6 days a week like I did pre-pregnancy because he cannot go into their daycare center. We are working on getting a pediatric CNA in to help us, but the process has been long.

So I'm on the journey of getting rid of this weight for the last time. I eat cleanly allowing myself very little to no sugar. I lean towards primal eating with meats, veggies, but I do have a little carbs (sweet potato and oatmeal) and some dairy. I love weight training and take classes at the gym sometimes doing 2 in a row to get it done.

Thanks for having me!

nacs246

Good Positive thoughts brings good intentions and rewards. Keep thinking like that and acting on your resolutions and I am sure you will be a winner:).

Tennessee2019

UPDATE: Before getting into the shower this morning, I stepped on the scale - I've dropped 2 pounds since the 29th (TOM weight) so now I weigh what I did when I started MFP almost a year ago. It's been a bad 2011 for me (family & medically) but as I said in my earlier post - start fresh. So, now I will continue to watch the numbers on the scale go the RIGHT way.
My next big fight will be Thanksgiving between not over-eating & also having TOM during that time, but I will win that fight & then take on Christmas too.




SW: 253
CW: 253
GW: 160 or so

nacs246

@ Hawaiiandreamer Great to hear you doing what ever is necessary for you:bigsmile: . I have been eating really well (look at my diary) and working out but I was real pleased to see that I did lose weight last month. I am saying this to you Hawaiiandrem coz I am sure you can do this even over Thanks giving and Xmas. Don't be self concious of yourself when you exercising , most important YOU are doing something about it!!:flowerforyou:

mwoneis

Hi Everyone!

I received the invite to the group and look forward to getting to know everyone!

A little about me:

I turned the big 3-0 this year and I have a 5 1/2 year old son. I've always had struggles with my weight and my pregnancy was no different. I gained almost 40 lbs while pg and at the end I was almost 300 lbs. I've been up and down since then however I have started my current weight loss journey in Jan. and have gone from 280 to my current weight of 245.5. My goal is to hit the 200 mark but would like to go even farther! The lowest weight I've had in my adult life was in 2003 when I weighed 220.

I've gone through a lot in my life which has not helped with my weight problem. I lost my dad to lung cancer in 2004 and also went through a divorce in 2006-07.

I receive support from my Mom as well as my SO but joined MFP to get a little extra

juicyfruit85

WOOHOO new thread!

floreo22

Hey everyone!

I got an invite to join T.H.E. Team, so I thought I would come along and introduce myself. My name is LIly and I'm 21, living in the UK with my wonderful boyfriend.

I have always been a little bit heavier than my friends, but it was nothing drastic until I was about 18. After losing about a stone with weight watchers, I started binge eating and put on 5 stone through university (I really hate writing that down - it sounds awful!) This is mostly down to a horrible torrent of family and personal problems meaning my weight went unchecked. On top of that I have ME/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, which means I struggle with exercise due to rubbish energy levels.

I have joined MFP because my sister, who is my best friend, is getting married next year and wants me to be her chief bridesmaid, but I feel too embarrassed to wear a dress in public at the moment. My goal is to feel fabulous by next August so I don't let her down on her big day.

I really look forward to getting to know you all and hopefully helping each other on our journey. My weight stats should be in my signature. Also, I weigh in on a wednesday, as this works best for me, but I can post my loss on a Monday if that is better for you

WannaBeSlimJim2

Do you need an invite to join this group?

AshDHart

I just joined this group and posted in the Oct thread. Since this one opened up I want to reintroduce myself to everyone.

SW= 377 lbs
GW= 185 lbs
CW= 312 lbs Oct 31st.

I have fibromyalgia and right now I'm on oxygen 24/7 from a bout with pneumonia in March. My husband was diagnosed with diabetes in March 2011 and instead of going on medication he wanted to make dietary changes and lose weight. March was not a good month health wise! He has lost 68 lbs and never needed to go on medication! His blood sugar numbers are now in the normal range. :happy:

I have a blog where I'm updating as I go along. www.fitharts.com I would love for you to visit. :flowerforyou:

My goal this week is to burn 1500 calories via exercise.

Feel free to friend me just include a message that you are part of T.H.E. Team!

Looking forward to getting to know everyone.

Shannonigans84

Hello newcomers!

I'm down a lb and a half from a week ago. I couldn't be more thrilled! I haven't been in the 150s since 2006, so this is huge.

This month as I shed the last few pounds, I'm going to focus on toning exercises. If I don't I'll still be a mess at my goal weight!

Here's to a wonderful and successful November!

mwoneis

WTG shannon_2003!!

scarrier715

I was kindly invited to participate in this group, and since I suspect I will need all the help I can get to go the distance and reach my daunting goal of losing 130 lbs. I decided to accept that kind invitation. So here I am and these are my opening statistics:

My S/W as of this morning (11/4/2011), first thing, right after I rolling out of bed and visiting the bathroom, was 287 lbs.
My G/W as of this time is set at 157 lbs.

I am on medication for high blood pressure for about 15 months and I would like very much to not need this medication anymore. I believe weight loss will help me achieve this goal. Last year at my annual physical exam, my blood sugar was not out of normal range, but was creeping up. One thing I have sworn to myself is that I will never allow myself to become diabetic if there is anything humanly possible I can do to avoid this from occurring. From a year ago 11/5/2010 until now, I have gone from 315 lbs to 280 lbs, and in the past 5 weeks or so back up to 287. That 7 lbs. gained is my new wake-up call. Time to smarten up and get back on the elevator going DOWN, not the one going UP.

Since I just joined 60 minutes ago, I have no success to report except the weight loss of the past year, which is something significant. I have achieved that loss by cutting out processed food and sugar, minimizing grains, bread, potatoes, adding in a lot more fruit and organic vegetables and grass-fed meats and free-range eggs. But I travel for my work, and that can be a real challenge.

So I'm resetting my shoulder to the task, resetting my goals, and onward and downward from today!!

scarrier715

@ Tinathatsme - I am newly part of this group, but I suspect you will be warmly welcomed, if my welcome has been any indication.

mwoneis

I was kindly invited to participate in this group, and since I suspect I will need all the help I can get to go the distance and reach my daunting goal of losing 130 lbs. I decided to accept that kind invitation. So here I am and these are my opening statistics:

My S/W as of this morning (11/4/2011), first thing, right after I rolling out of bed and visiting the bathroom, was 287 lbs.
My G/W as of this time is set at 157 lbs.

I am on medication for high blood pressure for about 15 months and I would like very much to not need this medication anymore. I believe weight loss will help me achieve this goal. Last year at my annual physical exam, my blood sugar was not out of normal range, but was creeping up. One thing I have sworn to myself is that I will never allow myself to become diabetic if there is anything humanly possible I can do to avoid this from occurring. From a year ago 11/5/2010 until now, I have gone from 315 lbs to 280 lbs, and in the past 5 weeks or so back up to 287. That 7 lbs. gained is my new wake-up call. Time to smarten up and get back on the elevator going DOWN, not the one going UP.

Since I just joined 60 minutes ago, I have no success to report except the weight loss of the past year, which is something significant. I have achieved that loss by cutting out processed food and sugar, minimizing grains, bread, potatoes, adding in a lot more fruit and organic vegetables and grass-fed meats and free-range eggs. But I travel for my work, and that can be a real challenge.

So I'm resetting my shoulder to the task, resetting my goals, and onward and downward from today!!

Welcome to the group! I am with you on the not wanting to become diabetic as my mom is and I see what she has to go through daily. Eating while traveling is tough! That seems to be one of my hardest things to deal with as it's easy to just pick up something quick and fast. Good Luck and we are here to support you!

nacs246

@tiggerbounce411, @Mwoneis , @Vs1023 ,@scarrier 715 TO all of you a hearty welcome. Sorry if I missed any new members but you are included in this welcome. Please friend me so I can keep in touch with you all and comment individually.

We all have been through life with our ups and downs but we here to help each other become stronger and healthier. Most importantly we are HERE and have found each other .Lets all make our quest and dreams in life a success!:bigsmile:
WE can do this.

Sorry I missed Tinathatsme and floreo22 ---Welcome

WannaBeSlimJim2

HI T.H.E Team

Still not sure I get all of this, if u are a seperate group, or if you all just befriend one another...?

Anyhoo. The dirt on me is

This is my second time coming back to MFP. My husband who is 34 had a heart attack in July and has been doing amazing at how he eats, gave up cold turkey all his bad habbits, and has slimmed down from 194 to now 176 as of yesterday. UGH. He obviously needed to do it, but really, so much easier for men. So this had the opposite affect on me. I became the closet eater. When out in the car, or when ever alone, I would eat and eat and eat. Sugar is my weakness. Even while eating it I would question why I don't have the strength to say no, how much harder it was going to be to reach my goal, and so quick to feel defeat, it became my soothing food. Whatever I had to tell myself to say it was okay I was indulging.

Well enough is enough. I've never had the hour glass figure, but I want to feel good in clothes. I don't want to sit down and pull my shirt out because it's "clingy" to me. If I get a few head turns when out...SWEET, I want to feel good in my skin.

SW 206
GW 155
HAPPY DANCE GOAL WEIGHT...145

SO dumb it down for me peeps...I check in here to see how everyone is...we "friend" one another...light bulb not gone on yet for me

MommyRobin

Hi, I'm Robin! I'm a happily married 37 yr. old mom of 4 boys. I just joined MFP. I started my weight loss journey in April this year. I lost 15 lbs. initially. Then, I got sick. Gained a couple back. It took me a while to get motivated again. After my kids started school, I decided it was time to focus on me. Sept. 1, I started working out on my elliptical trainer and watching my calories. I've lost 31 lbs. since then. Total weight loss so far, 44 lbs. I want to get as healthy as possible to try for one more baby starting around my birthday on March 20, 2012.

SW= 225 lbs
GW= 145 lbs
CW= 181 lbs Nov. 4, 2011

mwoneis

HI T.H.E Team

Still not sure I get all of this, if u are a seperate group, or if you all just befriend one another...?

Anyhoo. The dirt on me is

This is my second time coming back to MFP. My husband who is 34 had a heart attack in July and has been doing amazing at how he eats, gave up cold turkey all his bad habbits, and has slimmed down from 194 to now 176 as of yesterday. UGH. He obviously needed to do it, but really, so much easier for men. So this had the opposite affect on me. I became the closet eater. When out in the car, or when ever alone, I would eat and eat and eat. Sugar is my weakness. Even while eating it I would question why I don't have the strength to say no, how much harder it was going to be to reach my goal, and so quick to feel defeat, it became my soothing food. Whatever I had to tell myself to say it was okay I was indulging.

Well enough is enough. I've never had the hour glass figure, but I want to feel good in clothes. I don't want to sit down and pull my shirt out because it's "clingy" to me. If I get a few head turns when out...SWEET, I want to feel good in my skin.

SW 206
GW 155
HAPPY DANCE GOAL WEIGHT...145

SO dumb it down for me peeps...I check in here to see how everyone is...we "friend" one another...light bulb not gone on yet for me

Welcome to the group! I am sorry to hear about your husband's heart attack but I am glad that he is on the right path now. I agree that it does seem so much easier for men to loose weight! Argh! Good Luck with your weight loss and feel free to friend me so we can keep supporting eachother!

mwoneis

Hi, I'm Robin! I'm a happily married 37 yr. old mom of 4 boys. I just joined MFP. I started my weight loss journey in April this year. I lost 15 lbs. initially. Then, I got sick. Gained a couple back. It took me a while to get motivated again. After my kids started school, I decided it was time to focus on me. Sept. 1, I started working out on my elliptical trainer and watching my calories. I've lost 31 lbs. since then. Total weight loss so far, 44 lbs. I want to get as healthy as possible to try for one more baby starting around my birthday on March 20, 2012.

SW= 225 lbs
GW= 145 lbs
CW= 181 lbs Nov. 4, 2011

Welcome to the group Robin! WTG on the weight loss so far! How exciting that you are going to be trying for another baby soon! Good luck and look forward to supporting you in our journey!

scarrier715

Good day, everyone. I have had a couple good days in a row now, and that's the way it starts. I am a daily weigher, and when I stop doing that, I know I'm starting to stray away from what I am trying to accomplish.

I actually started on my weight loss one year ago tomorrow. I disgarded the modern diet and began to embrace the primal eating movement. I eliminated potatoes, grains, sugars, beans and dairy from my diet and dropped 15 pounds almost immediately. I went on to lose 40 pounds for like a day, but did not maintain 40 rather lifting gently up to 35 pounds and then hanging at that level on a plateau. Then I got tossed into a cycle of business travel and was in downtown LA and in Las Vegas where there was plenty of awesome food and fun colleagues to dine with...now I am renewing my resolve and getting back to business.

Yesterday morning when I weighed myself, I weighed 287.0. After a good day of primal eating, this morning I was 284.8. That was my experience before with primal eating - when I stuck to it the weight just began to fall off me. Not that I'm in any danger of wasting way, mind you - but when you have 130# to go, you want that falling away of the weight more than anything else.

It is expensive buying organic and choosing grass-fed beef and free range poultry and uncured meats, but I have to say, it is really satisfying to eat that way too. I found a local farm that raises beef cattle free-range on grass in their fields and sells it in their farm store, vacuum sealed, no preservatives. It really has great flavor and reminds me of the beef we used to get when I was a kid.

Anyway, that's my ramble for the day. It's nice to be part of a group of people on the same journey. Good luck to everyone as you press forward in your weight loss. Each day is a new opportunity to make the right food choices. Enough of those kind of days in a row and voila!! Weight loss. Onward and downward!!

Tennessee2019

Welcome to all the new members & thanks for checking out this thread. We are all on this journey & even though we are in different parts of the country/world, we can still support each other as we work towards a healthier life. We're all here for you when you need to vent, cry, scream - whatever. Because at least one of us can probably relate to what you are going through, whether it has to do with food, family, friends or just life in general.
But there are a few things that we MUST keep in mind as we travel this path together:

Stick to it, even when you don't see a change anywhere. It will pay off!
More water really helps.
Exercise eventually makes you feel good and then you can't live without it.
Keep moving, find ways to keep yourself busy and away from the tv.
Walk, a lot, walk anywhere you can.
Log everyday, be honest with yourself and to others.
Use the success stories for motivation, it helps!
You don't have to pay anyone to lose weight, you can use the things around you. Run up and down the stairs, netflix has free videos and so does youtube.
And most of all, you have to want it to get it. You have to be willing to sacrifice that cake or cookie for your dinner. Sure it's ok to splurge but sometimes it's a matter of what is best for you, not which one will taste the best to you.

SW: 253
CW: 253
GW: 160 or so.
Yes, I am back to where I was when I started MFP almost a year ago. :grumble: This was due to my foot surgery that prevented me from exercising for the last 5 months. Now I have 213 days to improve my life, my health & my body before we go hike Kilauea volcano in June. Slowly but surely, I will succeed.

anyonebutmehaha

hi, i just got invitation to join THE group. i've been on MFP for about a week so far...dang scale doesn't seem to know, nor do my jeans, but all this no crap food and going to gym 5 out of 7 days as to be doing something..somewhere. lol. maybe next week i'll have exciting news?
i've never been in the 'waif category' but was always curvy yet muscular. until an accident 2 yrs ago put me in a wheelchair for over a year~ it is amazing how much weight one can gain when going from a super active person to forced total inactivity, throw on a boat load of pity eating during that time and here i am seeing 200 lbs for first time in life. i want my body back!! i'm still in an air cast on one leg from knee down so i can't do anything like running or elliptical, hell walking to mailbox hurts the leg so at this time can only do non-weight-bearing type of exercises. i joined local gym last week and the rowing machine is my new BFF. i want to lose the 65 pounds ive gained, it is time. i'm older (don't look it though) and feel like if i don't lose it now before menopause hits soon that i'll be stuck this way forever.
oh and i struggle with depression as of late...so i would eat more cause i was depressed i was so fat and then get more depressed and eat more and so on and so on etc. etc. etc. time to break the cycle. say it with me~ i will do this!
thanks for asking me to join THE group.
~anyonebutme (one day i'll hopefully get to change my name to something like wannabeme, haha).

mwoneis

@HawaiianDreamer Such good suggestions! What an exciting trip that awaits you next year and what great motivation. :happy: We can all do this together with help.

_xoxok

Hey everyone! I got the invite to join, sooo here I am. My name is Kisha, & I'm only 19 years old. I've been struggling with my weight since I was little, by following in my mother's foot steps. BUT, I'm old enough to make my own decisions now & I'm ready to become a healther & happier me! I would love to have some motivational friends on MFP, so feel free to add me(:

SW: 169
GW: 125
CW: 169

Tennessee2019

These are SO true when it comes to weight loss & almost every aspect of life:

1. Apply What You Learn

“Knowing is not enough, we must apply. Willing is not enough, we must do.”

How many people do you know that read a lot of books and spend a lot of time buying courses, but never apply the knowledge they learn?

You may even notice these tendencies in your life. It’s hard to take action and apply what you learn, because we’re all afraid of failure, and taking action can be paralyzing from time to time.


However, success in life doesn’t happens until you use the knowledge that you have inside of you. Most of us have exactly what we need to get to our goals, but we make excuses not to even get started.

2. Learn, Discard, Create

“Absorb what is useful, Discard what is not, Add what is uniquely your own.”

It’s all well and good to learn from others, but it’s not until you take action that you discover what works and doesn’t.

When you discover what doesn’t work, you simply discard it and keep going. When you keep moving forward, you will create your own path.

Living a successful life is all about experimenting and trying new things. The more things you try, the closer you will get to true success.

3. Simplicity

“Simplicity is the key to brilliance.”

If you can simplify your life, your goals, and your tasks, you will not only be happier, you will also get more done and be more successful.

It was not until I started focusing on one single task and one major goal in my life that I started seeing rapid results in the direction of my dreams.

If you’re trying to go after multiple things at once, you will end up accomplishing none of them. Pick one thing that’s the most important to you and go after that.

The funny thing about focusing on one goal is that it seems that you’re neglecting all the others aspects of your life, but when you focus on one goal, magically the other aspects of your life improve, sometimes dramatically.

4. Break Barriers

“Using no way as a way, using no limitation as a limitation.”

We all have negative beliefs that stop us from being as successful in life as we would like.

The only person holding you back is you. Once you become comfortable with overcoming your fears, you will start seeing dramatic success in your life.

One of the most common characteristics of successful people is that they are willing to try new things and face their fears. They are not fearless, they are merely willing to do what it takes.

5. Be Open-Minded

“Take no thought of who is right or wrong or who is better than. Be not for or against.”

There’s no right or wrong in the universe. It’s completely subjective.

Getting caught up in the drama of who is right or wrong or who is better than will only distract you from reaching your goals and creating a successful life.

Stay open to new possibilities, and the viewpoints of others. You can never know what you will learn when you explore things you at first thought were pure nonsense.

6. Contribute

“Real living is living for others.”

It wasn’t until I found my passion and started contributing to the world with my writing that I started feeling fulfilled.

We all have our unique gifts that we can use to make the world a better place. These are usually talents and skills you have that you are very good at, and that you like to do.

It doesn’t matter if you like to make jewelry or if you enjoy cooking, because everything is connected to everything else.

You are here to make a difference with the talents you have. There’s a reason why you are you.

7. Manage Your Time

“If you love life, don’t waste time, for time is what life is made up of.”

We are surrounded by distractions, such as e-mail, Twitter, and Facebook. They are great at connecting us to each other, but they distract us from what is truly important.

Learn to manage your time, and get the most valuable tasks done before you start to play. Use time management courses to get your life in order.

You can often double, triple, or even quadruple your productivity by using just a few simple time management tips.

A good one that I use is to write down the three most important tasks for the next day before I go to bed.

8. Be Flexible

“Notice that the stiffest tree is most easily cracked, while the bamboo or willow survives by bending with the wind.”

Life will throw curve balls at you, so you have to get used to being flexible. The more comfortable you can be with being uncomfortable, the faster you will grow as a human being and the more success you will have in life.

This is exactly what distinguishes successful people from unsuccessful ones. Successful people are more willing to be uncomfortable, because they know that that is the fastest path to their goals.

Whenever you bump into something that makes you feel bad, stay flexible, and find the positive in the situation. I’ve found that most of the problems in my life are blessings in disguise.

The only thing separating positivity from negativity is time.

9. Set Goals

“A goal is not always meant to be reached, it often serves simply as something to aim at.”

If you want to create your dream life you want you first have to know what you want. For the longest time I avoided setting goals, because I thought it was unnecessary.

It wasn’t until recently that I discovered that goal setting can not only make me more productive, it can also dramatically increase the clarity I have.

When you set goals, use the S.M.A.R.T criteria, which stands for specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely goals.

10. Be Patient

“A quick temper will make a fool of you soon enough.”

One of my weaknesses is my impatience. However, I’ve learned to channel my impatience into getting more done and being productive.

It’s also important to realize that most of the things that are truly valuable in life take time.

Whatever you do, keep taking small steps each day toward your primary goal, and you will be surprised at how much you can accomplish in just a few years.

11. Kill the Box

“All fixed set patterns are incapable of adaptability or pliability. The truth is outside of all fixed patterns.”

It’s easy to get into a rut, which is simply a familiar pattern that feels comfortable. If you truly want to grow as a person and lead a successful life, you have to get out of the box.

In fact, throw the box out altogether, and start following your heart wherever it leads you. This can be as simple as following your highest excitement in the moment.

Most people are stuck in their minds and never listen to their heart’s deepest desire. Don’t let this be you.

12. Control Your Thoughts

“As you think, so shall you become.”

What you think about, you draw into your life. If you’re constantly being negative, you will draw more negativity into your life.

Instead of focusing on the negative, think about what you want to get out of life and focus on the positive.

This is another way of telling you that you have to set goals and focus on those goals as often as possible. The results you will get by doing this will be dramatic.

Most people sit around whining about their miserable life, and then they wonder why nothing good ever happens to them.

13. Take Action

“If you spend too much time thinking about a thing, you’ll never get it done.”

Don’t over analyze and over think. Take massive action even if things aren’t perfect before you start.

Most people that try to get things perfect never get started at all.

14. Allow

“I’m not in this world to live up to your expectations and you’re not in this world to live up to mine.”

It’s easy to get stuck on what other people would think of you if you became successful. Most people are so afraid of this that they never rise above mediocrity.

It is not up to you to make people happy. You can only make yourself happy, and the way others react is just the way they will react.

Don’t let other people dictate how you live your life. Determine what you want, go after it, and don’t look back. You will be much happier for it.

15. Create Your Own Destiny

“To hell with circumstances; create opportunities.”

You can make all the excuses in the world, but nothing happens until you stop blaming your circumstances or people in your life, and take control of your life.

It is up to you to take responsibility for your life and create your own opportunities. You may not be able to do exactly what you want right now, but you have the opportunity to take steps toward it.

No one will create the dream life for you. You have to do it yourself.

16. Be You

“Always be yourself, express yourself, have faith in yourself, do not go out and look for a successful personality and duplicate it.”

As I said earlier, you were born with unique talents, gifts, and skills. When you try to be someone you’re not, you will only attract people into your life that are not in harmony with you.

When you are you, and that includes the weird things about you, you will find that the most amazing and interesting people start popping up in your life.

Sometimes this may take years, and sometimes it can happen in just a few days. Let whatever happens be okay and go with the flow.

17. Have Integrity

“Knowledge will give you power, but character respect”

No success in life is worth it unless you have integrity.

It’s very hard to find people that are honest and have integrity as one of their highest values. It’s easy to throw in a lie here and there and try to manipulate people.

Only conscious people realize that this won’t make anyone happy in the long term. It might get you what you want in the short-term but it’s not a recipe for happiness.

Live with integrity, and people will respect you. And best of all, you will respect yourself which is a very desirable character trait.

18. Learn the Rules, Break the Rules

“Obey the principles without being bound by them.”

If you want success in life, learn what other successful people have done to get to where they are.

It’s important to learn the principles of success, but not be bound by them. Once you know what you need to do, follow your heart and your intuition.

19. Do Things for You

“Showing off is the fool’s idea of glory.”

Life is not about impressing other people. If you try to show off, it will backfire.

And if you try to seek the approval of others, it will just make you miserable. The only person that needs to approve of you is you.

This goes hand in hand with many of the quotes above. You can only be you, and it is not until you reclaim your unique self that you can be truly great.

20. Believe in Yourself

Last, but definitely not least are the expectations you have of yourself. Your beliefs will determine the success you have in life.

There are ways to overcome limiting beliefs and negative expectations, but nothing happens until you accept that they exist within you.

And nothing happens until you take full responsibility for the life that you have created in this very moment.

melisae

Hi Everyone,

I received an invite to join and so here I am

A little about my weight journey. I started putting on weight shortly after moving cross country 9 years ago...lots of pizza and beer will do that! Then after getting married in 2005 and suddenly becoming ill I put on a lot more weight and about 4 years ago reached my heaviest (230lb) and my lowest point of self esteem. I never had body issues before then and was so disgusted with myself (and the lack of cute clothes) that I was almost paralyzed with self-loathing. So it took me a while to decide to do something about my weight but when I finally did I regained my self confidence, became healthier and ended up dropping 50lbs before discovering I was pregnant with our first child. During the pregnancy I put all the weight back on but with little regret. Ryan is 6 weeks old now and while I'm back at square one I'm definitely in a healthy state of mind and know that even though it will take while I can and will lose the weight!

I'm excited to share this journey with you, having support and knowing others understand what I'm going through will make this second attempt even better!

Feel free to add me!

Painten

Do you need an invite to join this group?

No invite needed, just jump right in

Hey all the newer people.

dequinn2001

Hi. I am excited to have a motivation group. Well, here goes.
My highest weight was 235 (pregnant)
S/W 225
C/W 222
current G/W 199
I would love to get lower than that but for right now I want to see the 100s again!
Lond term G/W? Not even sure. I've never been thin so I'm not even sure what number looks good on me. I just want to be healthy.

Shastinalynn

Hi everyone, I just started MFP this week. My SW was 192, GW is 150, CW 189.4. SO far I love this website and hope to make some MFP friends! This time around ( because you know few of us are on our first attempt) I want to work on continuing to lose weight even after I lose my first five pounds. I have a habit of going back to my unhealthy ways after I lose five pounds. I always think " oh I got this" or "I'm too tired of doing this"