Forever Fat

HeaterM

I dont think I can do it. I feel as if I'm doomed to stay fat forever. Everyone else in my family is fat so part of me thinks well why not you too its easier. I went to the gym the other night and worked out for 20 minutes and used hanging out with a friend as an excuse. I work at mcdonalds so I eat there most of the time. I feel stuck. I read what some of you say which is try harder, and I just dont know how to make myself. I feel hungry all the time and I just dont know what to do.

Tonnenator

Hey hang in there. You look about the size I was when I was your age, and now I'm diabetic and have to stick myself with needles 4 to 5 times a day. My feet and hands go numb all the time and when I hit 30, my FACE and NECK got fat! I was fine with myself being fat as long as it was below my neck! Now I also have sleep apnea and have to sleep with a machine at night. I feel OLD and I'm not even 40 yet - I will be next year. Maybe this will help motivate you. Be blessed!

Iwillbemeagain

You can do this,,,, its hard to get going but once you do and start to see progress it will make you want to work harder!

amandamay71

I feel your frustration... Will power is so hard to keep! Go to the doctors and get full bloods done to ensure your thyroid is working properly... Then maybe see a dietition .... You can do it, you just have to really want to... (lol.. says me who is addicted to food!)

dawn_eichert

Don't give up. This is a journey that will have its ups and downs. The thing to do is pick yourself up and keep going. Find things that you like to get yourself moving more if exercise is your problem. With McDs....bring your own and only eat there maybe once a week and go for the healthier options if you need to eat there. We do this for ourselves and noone else.

Hang in there....YOU CAN DO THIS!!!

kappy_hollowell

Maybe you need a different approach. Do this for your health. Think about how unhealthy the rest of your family is, if they are fat. I know you can do it! So many people have accomplished this task using MFP, and have lost numerous pounds! Please don't give up. I'm not going to say try harder, but try something different.

I would not be able to eat McDonald's if I worked there, but if that's your only choice, try the oatmeal, grilled chicken sandwich, yogurt parfait, yogurt and walnut salad, and the garden salads with grilled chicken.

You may not be making the right decisions food wise. To feel full, you have to have sufficient nutrients in your diet.

If you eat a hamburger (250 calories) and the same calories worth of broccoli, you will feel full longer with the broccoli rather than the hamburger.

I hope this helps, add me as a friend for support!

april_beth

if you give up, youll continue gaining weight and will feel worse and it'll be that much harder to try again to lose it. and read what the diabetic lady up there told you - she scared the *kitten* outta me.

barbiebarkley

i believe that if you doubt yourself then ur setting yourself up for faliure!!if you use a positive outlook and say iI CAN AND I WILL,you will do that!!!get up every day with that I CAN!!!and maybe that will work for you.or even write I CAN!!!!on ur hand so you can see it all day!!!every time u think of not being positive look at it and say it!!!good luck.i believe in you and so should you...add me if you'd like

UponThisRock

If you don't get rid of the mentality that you can't do it, then you won't.

Make a goal of losing 1 pound. If you lose one, you can lose 2. If you lose 2, you can lose 4, and so on.

Move that mountain one pebble at a time.

Misiaxcore

I made this pic because I was feeling like that too.



And then I decided I was too stubborn to be fat.

annabellj

definitely dont give up! mickey ds has salads and fruit and yogurt parfaits and the apples slices, there are healthy choices. just make the decision, you dont have to stay fat just because you family is. i know how hard it is to keep on task when everyone else eats what they want but in the long run it is worth. something i say to myself is those fries taste good for a mere few seconds but being thin will feel good forever!

slobcat

The first thing you need to do is quit eating McDonalds! As someone said it is hard to start with but over time the hunger pangs go away and you find it easier. I felt like I was absolutely starving myself at first! I used to eat snacks like chocolate, crisps and pizza on a regular basis but now I'm into the swing of things I'm learning to resist them without being too gutted about missing out. You also don't have to cut junk food out completely, just have it in moderation/for treats now and then. Your friend is right I'm afraid. It's your body, only you can make it look how you want it to.

Good luck

Sue_Smiles

Fat is a mindset. I learned my eating habits as a child and followed them until a year ago (I'm 49 so that was a LOT of years) after 55lbs gone, I'm still fat. Because that is how I view myself.

You're not doomed but you do definitely have obstacles to overcome. Do your best, make small changes and don't look at the big picture. Eventually those changes will become habits and the picture will get smaller.

Chug water (lots of ice water on hand at work) and stay away from the cheese

Good luck hon, things will turn around. Remember little changes go a long way.....

Radcliffe83

I don't know what the menu at mcdonalds is like, surely they do salads, do they have chicken which isnt fried like KFC? Basically know what is going in you and then know how much you need to move.

Able to walk to work? Able to get up 30 mins earlier and walk before you normally get ready for work?

I know it sounds simple and saying it is. Doing it is harder... 'eat less, move more'

Good luck, add me if you like, happy to comment on any diary you have or give tips for recipes or even just chat if it helps.... I am working on my weight and have a job where I sit all day, exercise is very much something I have to think about to fit in my life.

Keep motivated.

kappy_hollowell

if you give up, youll continue gaining weight and will feel worse and it'll be that much harder to try again to lose it. and read what the diabetic lady up there told you - she scared the *kitten* outta me.

Amen! Scared me too!

catwrangler

Your head has to be in the right place. If you aren't ready, you aren't ready.

However, I think you are ready simply because you are here and wanting to succeed, asking for help. It's good to get fit and learn healthy habits while you are young.

What troubles me is, why are you hiding your workout time from your family? Do they rib you about trying to get fit? If so, that is horrible and they need to stop it.

Tonnina

I felt that way after my doctor diagnosed me as Hypertensive at age 20. I was like "Well, what's the point" but then I sat and thought on it... I want to be like an AWESOME grandmother or even great grandmother who still runs around with her kids, grandkids and great grandkids. I want to be like my Great grandma who's still alive, doing well at age 90... Sounds like fun times to me!!

vzucco

I know how hard it can be to go against what the rest of your family does. And working at McD's on top of it! Your family is just going to have to get used to you trying to lose weight, that means that when they go grocery shopping you should ask them to get you healthy food and snacks. If they won't, use your money from your job.

It must be so hard to refuse McDonald's but one way to say no is to not be hungry, fill up on stuff that's good for you. Healthy food is actually more filling, pretty soon your stomach will have shrunk and you'll be able to eat less calories per day.

You can take baby steps to get there but just keep moving in the positive direction. Drink plenty of water. And keep going to the gym! You don't have to find an excuse! Tell them outright where you're going. You should feel proud of the effort you're making.

Don't resign yourself to be a certain way for the rest of your life, YOU have the power to change yourself and become healthy. Joining MFP is a great start. Believe that it's possible, check out all the amazing success stories in the message boards for inspiration. Good luck

kristilovescake

It's important to take baby steps and not the "all or nothing" attitude. If you make small changes, such as stop eating fast food and make food at home instead, they will add up. Start by logging your food - everything you eat - and try to eat just a little bit less calories or a little bit healthier. Stay away from the scale and stop focusing on losing weight. Try to focus on how you feel and focus on being HEALTHY. Feeling healthy with more energy feels amazing and is more important than just losing pounds or inches.

As someone that has quit this healthy kick way too many times to count - in a few months from now when you look at where you're at, you'll regret not making these small changes that would have added up to some pounds lost. Maybe small changes will only make you lose 2 pounds a month, but you know what? In two months when you see you're down 4 pounds instead of the same weight - or heavier - you'll be happy you made small changes instead of just giving up. Focus on the long-term health benefits and not just the aesthetics of being skinny.

2bFitNTrim

If you don't get rid of the mentality that you can't do it, then you won't.

Make a goal of losing 1 pound. If you lose one, you can lose 2. If you lose 2, you can lose 4, and so on.

Move that mountain one pebble at a time.

^^ I agree with this. Your self talk will defeat you faster than your genes will.Change your mindset to "I can do this. This is hard, but I CAN do this!" :flowerforyou:

AmyLRed

also remember that it takes at least 14 consecutive days to create a new habit (or break an old one).

Try something and stick to it0no matter what- for at least 3 weeks. Chances are, you wont want to stop because it actually feels good. Have your friends meet you at the gym.

Bring healthy snacks in your bag to eat on your breaks at McDonalds instead of fries and stuff. It is HARD, but you CAN do it!!!!

_SusieQ_

This probably won't help but let me tell you that as hard as it seems now, it's easier at 22 than at 40.
Maybe your family doesn't want to face their own issues, so when you are trying to better yourself it makes them feel guilty about themselves. Someone above posted about healthier choices at McD's, and I agree. You can still eat there, just make different choices.

When you have so far to go (and I can relate) it does seem impossible to even start. But once you get going, and you see things changing, you will want it more. It becomes addicting.

Hang in there.

smpreston

Just because you work at McDonalds, you don't have to eat there. Take your lunch. If you have to eat there, stick to the grilled chicken salad with very little dressing. I'm not a psychologist, so I can't tell you any magic tricks to get over mental blocks. Just set your mind on making yourself better. Set realistic goals in 10 lb increments and reward yourself when you get there. Make that reward something related to an active lifestyle., Maybe new sneakers or a new workout DVD.

Texas501

Everyone in my family is basically fat. I had the same attitude as you. But after I looked around at this site, and found hundreds of people that have lost 100+ pounds, and I even friended a few, I know now that it is possible and just takes hard work. It can be yours too if you work hard at it. If you already tell yourself you can't then you are selling yourself short. And this is sad. Look around. Friend some of these folks and this just may inspire you to loose. Good luck in your journey.

perty09

Please dont give up! Anyone can change their life all you have to do is be willing to work for it. I totally can relate to being discouraged because of family. My family inst all overweight but a few are, and my parents never supported me in my weight loss endeavors to the extent I would have liked. When i wanted them to put healthy food in the house, they didn't, when i wanted them to pay for a gym membership they didnt and so all throughout highschool I stayed overweight and blamed it on them. When in reality, I have total control over my own body and what I eat, I just used them as a scape goat to remain in my fat state.

DONT DO WHAT I DID.

im 22 now and have lost 50lbs (still got another 40 to go) but i realize that i could have started this journey years ago and it would be over by now. No matter what obstacles are in your way if youre determined enough you can surpass them. You work at an unhealthy place? Start packing lunches/dinners before you head to work, prepare them the night before or morning of.
You dont have time or money for a gym membership? Utilize your backyard. run in your neighborhood or a nearby park... its free!

There are always options you just have to decide how bad you want this and how much you are willing to do to obtain your goal.

Look at it this way - devote the next couple of months solely to your weight loss and getting healthy and it will change your entire life from here on out. its totally worth it. Honestly I became a hermit, i stopped going out with friends, no dinners, no movies, no nothing and all did was go to work (or school), eat healthy throughout the entire day and workout and i focused on that alone and i dropped 50lbs over 4 months. Youre going to be hungry but you just deal with it... do whatever it takes to stay motivated. I personally printed out pics and cut out pics in magazines of girls in cute clothes that I cant wait to wear when I loose my weight or ppl who have the size body Im aiming for and hung them on my wall - along with a picture of me at my heighest weight so i can look at it and know that im never allowing myself to get there again.

if i can do it. you can to. you just have to decide if youre ready to commit and actually change your life.

A year from now you will wish you had started today.

vzucco

By the way, you are SO pretty!

AveryWays

I posted this the other day as motivation to continue on with our journey...

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/407128-this-is-how-excessive-fat-effects-your-body-over-all

Laura_Ivy

Oh I know how you feel! I come from a family where spending time together usually consists of eating in one form or another. It's hard but your well being is worth it! McDonald's does have healthier options...take advantage of them! Hugs!

torange

I want to thank you for being comfortable and open enough to even share how you're feeling. We're all here on this site because, in one way or another, we want something better for our lives. I don't have anything overly special to say, becuase everyone is right - it's up to all of us to ultimately decide to make better choices. Until we do, this cycle will continue.

I logged in today for the first time in almost 2 years (bringing 25 additional pounds with me) because I'm just sick of feeling this way. And it's spilling over into other areas of my life. So even if I end up eating like crap for the rest of the day, at least I took this one step.

All I can say is that you are not alone. Keep posting. Keep sharing how you feel and what you're going through. You are not alone.

bcattoes

If it's possible to switch jobs that would be a good first step. Have you considered waiting tables at a real restaurant? You'd make more money, could still have a flexible schedule and have better food options while at work. Eating better will allow you to eat more for the same calories. For the calories in one full sized McD burger you can have a huge plate of healthy food. And that's not including fries and drink.

As to the "why not stay fat" question, 2 very good reasons come quickly to mind.

1. You are clearly not happy being fat or you wouldn't be asking these questions.
2. Being overweight is linked to a number of diseases including heart disease, diabetes and several cancers. If your entire family is overweight it's likely some of them are already experiencing health problems due to it.

gazerofthestars

I was overweight/nearly obese for all my teen-life. Had tried everything, from exercising like crazy at gym, to "fad diets". Nothing worked. Nothing ever seemed to work. I gave up, re-started, gave up again (because I was getting no results)

Then on the advice of a friend I steadily increased my activity levels for a month. It seemed harmless, and I thought it'd be good to be active once in a while. Choosing to walk instead of taking the bus... stairs, instead of the elevator and so on, simple changes.

Frankly speaking the weight loss came as complete surprise to me when it did, and it was unintentional too. I'd lost 15 pounds in 5 months, and hadn't even realized it (it was only when a friend commented on my 'improved' appearance that I weighed myself on the scale, and my jaw nearly dropped!)

Now I am fit enough to run 5k's almost daily. Have lost a total of 40 lbs in the past 8 months

Key is, once you make a change, you stick with it! Remember that healthy changes are good even if they doesn't show you immediate results, your body will thank you later.

And take measurements. You may not even realize how much fat you're converting to muscle. They'll only show up as reduction in inches. Every little bit count. It helps you stay motivated.

All the best on your journey! You can do this.