IS ANYONE ELSE REALLY STRUGGLING ?

dirtbikegirl5

I agree with what other people have said about focusing on one day at a time. Although I believe in goals, I think that you should focus not on saying "I want to lose 60 pounds by March", but saying "For today, my goal is to avoid soda" or "For today, my goal is to walk one mile". The weight loss will follow the other goals.
As for exercise, I believe starting slow and working your way into more exercise. If you run on a treadmill for an hour today, and hate it, chances are you are not going to want to get on the treadmill tomorrow.
Good luck in your journey to better health. I would definitely stay on MFP for motivation. We all have dark days and it is nice to check in and have someone tell you to hang in there or telling you that you are doing a great job.

MrsJohnston

YES. It's extremely difficult for to me to loose any weight. I don't know if there's something medically wrong with me or what, but I never seem to make much progress, and then I loose all motivation and quit. MFP has helped me to stay on track and stay motivated better than every before. Try reading people's success stories if you're feeling down, knowing that other people have succeeded can be a huge help!
You can do it!

mznisaelaine

My weight always zig zags... I struggle because I dont know what adjustments I need to make to help me consistantly lose weight. I have been trying for almost a year now and I only lost 20 something pounds but I have 30 plus more pounds to go...Its hard because my confidence isnt improving and it gets me down. But all I can do is continue to stay dedicated....

Lizzy_Sunflower

I would just like to encourage you to stay the course. You CAN do this!! No, it is not easy, but it Can be done.

I have been a part of a weight loss study this past year and they gave me a few fliers in reference to working out, creating a realistic workout goal plan and other stuff. It sounds just like what you need. Feel free to check them out here:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/Lizzy_Sunflower/view/week-3-developing-and-implementing-an-exercise-program-90587

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/Lizzy_Sunflower/view/-being-active-as-a-way-of-life-103809

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/Lizzy_Sunflower/view/staying-positive-and-fighting-negative-self-talk-116663

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/Lizzy_Sunflower/view/setting-smart-goals-for-weight-loss-99338

I hope they help. Start small and Stay Positive! YOU CAN DO THIS!!

:drinker:

rm830

I have my up and down days, and lately I've been struggling bad but I am trying to stay positive. It helps to have MFP friends motivate me, and I try to do the same for others.

bander21

Hi, I'm Brittany! I am 20 years old, and a nursing student. I am struggling with my weight! Every single day is a struggle! I fall off the exercise wagon and then I get discouraged! I live with someone who eats less than healthy and makes it hard to stick to a healthy eating pattern! All I want is to look at pictures of myself and look at myself in the mirror and not feel disgusting! I wish you the best of luck along your journey! Its a struggle. Make a calandar, with goals, it may help!

mnwalkingqueen

You can do it!! I am over a 100lbs overweight which puts me in the same catagory as you per the doctor. I find setting small goals helps. I started with a workout goal and watched portion control along with substituting a yogurt for a sweet treat. I don't deprive myself just use portion control. The mind is very powerful so just staying positive will help with motivation. Remember every day is a new day. Start small and realistic so you will stick to whatever your goal is. Feel free to add me as a friend.

SLaw4215

I am still a work in progress. Off the top of my head:
Make exercise something fun! Dance, play games, hoola-hoop or just "hula" , play Rock Band.... anything that gets your arms and legs moving long enough to get your heart rate up into a burn zone. My ex-boyfriend plays Rock Band (drums) and ends up sweating his butt off ....and he's dropped nearly 70 pounds since this year.

Know your numbers. If you don't have one... you might like to consider the "Polar" series of Heart Rate Monitors. If you know what you are burning then you won't feel like you are failing if you go over on the MFP calories daily allowance and the deficite balance can be really encouraging.

Make it REAL - don't try to survivie on frozen Weight Watcher and Lean Cuisine meals unless you plan on doing that the rest of your life. They are full of sodium and eating those doesn't teach you about portion control. As soon as you stop eating them and haven't learned to measure, weigh, and cook real foods for yourself you will go back to your old habbits. PLUS -- if you look at those frozen meals... you can make them yourself for pennies compared to the prices they charge. And that goes for 100 calorie packs. If you are going to eat 100 calories of something - grab a piece of fruit, nuts, or yogurt.. not 100 calories of cookies. They are a trap

I'm a single Mom and I forget to put my own needs/wants first once in a while....especially when it comes to buying groceries and cooking meals. I rarely cook a meal that one of my children wouldn't eat so I tend to not make things with that in mind instead of just making something simply because I like it. I tend to think of me and the kids as a group instead of us as individuals so if one is craving carbs or chocolate after dinner... I fall right into letting their lack of self control get the best of them and suddenly it's my problem too. If I'm going to fix my weight problem I have to think more about "me" and still be a good caretaker for my kids.... and that's harder than it sounds.

2Bgoddess

The more time I spend on MFP, the more motivated I am able to stay. And I mean if I am able to read bogs and threads and statuses every single day, it helps me stay on track. I log every day, but for me that is just not enough. I need to know every day that I have my pals for support, I need to be able to see pictures of successful people too, every single day. Often I am just a Lurker observing, but I know I can also put myself out there any time too. The biggest thing for me is that I am not alone. You are not alone. You really can do it. For the longest time, I did not believe I could. So I decided to lie to myself long enough to believe that I could. Now I know it isn't a lie, I wasn't lying, just doubting. Now I KNOW not only that I can do it, but that every day I AM doing it.

NeshBeMe

I've watched my mom struggle w/ her weight and health my entire life (she's also close to 400 lbs.) When I noticed I was starting to gain weight and was considered obese, my health also started to decline. At that point, I knew it was time for a change. I started w/ my eating habits first (I hated the gym and working out). MFP was a blessing because I was able to record everything I ate and kept me focused. I started losing weight just because of that factor. It took me 8 months to finally join a gym. Now that I've joined, I actually like it. I still have my bad days but that's normal. We must crawl before we walk. Baby steps. You've taken the first one by deciding you want to make a change, the second step was joining MFP. Now it's time to take another one and stick to your calorie allowance. U can do it!

thankyou4thevenom

There is one thing that's made all the difference to me and that's small changes.

Don't throw yourself into a huge exercise regiment that doesn't fit in with your lifestyle. Start off slow and steady. Chose an exercise that fits into your routine (like walking to work) and then as you get lighter, fitter and able to do more go for the more vigorous exercise. That doesn't mean you should push yourself but doing too much all at once is one of the reasons so many people fail.

Start to educate yourself by reading as much as you can about food and how to be healthy. Avoid stuff about diets because diets don't work. Start to eat right and fuel your body and you'll start to see results.
You can eat more than you think you can. If you're morbidly obese go and look for your BMR and TDEE. If you only eat 500 cals a day less than your TDEE then you will start to lose 1lb a week. It's not much but it's a start. You'll also find it less of a shock than suddenly cutting back your calories.

Most importantly find out what works for you. It's all trial and error. Something will click and it'll all fall into place.

SamMorBelsmom

Mini goals. Like, 5 lbs a month. If you set your goals too high, you are bound to fail. Start with something small and when you succeed, treat yourself with a new pair of shoes or a new movie, not food. I have about 70 lbs to go. Add me as a friend and I would love to keep you motivated.

Isrn2

As many have said, just take it one small step at a time. Don't try to suddenly drop yourself to a 1200 calorie diet ... it's not sustainable at first. Follow the MFP recommendations for your calorie goal. Set your weight loss goal to 1 lb per week at first. Log everything you eat. Don't worry about starting to count calories AND implement an exercise program at the same time. Just begin by watching your calories. Then as you start to lose weight evaluate whether you're able to add in a little exercise. You can lose weight with just diet alone, and as it becomes easier to move it's easier to motivate yourself to exercise.

I started my weight loss journey about 5 years ago at close to 450 pounds. It took me 3 years to lose the first 100 pounds. Then I stopped for awhile and gained some back. I've been actively watching my calories for 6 months now and have lost almost 40 pounds. My knees and ankles are feeling better. I feel lighter. And now I'm ready to start adding in exercise. Listen to your body. You know yourself better than anyone else on here. Realize that it's a journey that can't be rushed if you're going to maintain for the rest of your life.

MFP is a great tool and there are lots of folks who have been where you are, and who are on the same road. Let's help each other!!

KaleidoscopeEyes1056

I haven't lost a single pound since September. Yeah, I would say I'm having a hard time...

Zaggytiddies

I also think it helps to have a really rocking playlist to workout to. Pick a bunch of songs that really make you want to shake your *kitten*. Let the music motivate your movement and switch it up every once in a while.

MelissaGraham7

Probably 90% of us struggle...that's why we are here. As so many above stated, start with 1 or 2 small things. Yes, it is hard to move when we are morbidly obese, but the important thing to know is that part gets easier. The more you lose the easier it gets until you are bouncing! I started with walking - took me 30 minutes to go a mile. Who cares? I did it even when I could only do one mile Doesn't matter if you do a quarter mile. Walk to the end of your driveway and back. But start and don't stop. MFP is fabulous because everyone here gets you and knows what you are going through. Lean us and get moving away from the couch, away from the food and toward LIFE! You are so worth it.

Hola723

One day at a time. Baby steps are key. Don't try and break all your bad habits at the same time. You will set yourself up for failure. Focus on making one small change a week until eventually all your bad habits are broken. For example, if you are a heavy soda drinker, give that up the first week. Then the next week, continue not to drink soda AND refrain from eating fast food. You and I didn't gain a lot of weight in a small amount of time so we cannot expect to lose it all in a small amount of time, either. This is a marathon, not a sprint. Running a marathon is hard and so is losing a lot of weight. Think about what it would be like to run a marathon right now- for me, at 300 pounds, it would involve a lot of sweating, crying, b*#$@ing, stumbling, crawling, and more crying. Losing weight is a lot like that. It is never easy, but it can be made easier if done the right way. Remember, baby steps! Feel free to add me if you are looking for a MFP friend who also has a lot to lose and you need encouragement and support!

stormieweather

I was just talking to my husband about this (he struggles a LOT with weight issues). I believe that the only way to effectively change our weight and life is to make exercise/diet as much a part of our routine as going to work, taking a shower, and sleeping. Don't tell yourself that you'll run a few times next weight and probably lift some weights...no, no, no, no,. NO! Give yourself firm commands to do X and Y at such a time, period. The end. No excuses. If I give myself leeway, I won't do it. I have to set a firm plan and follow it. Most people (who want to keep their jobs) can't just show up when they feel like it, or meander into the office whenever. They have to be there, on time, on schedule. You have to take a shower regularly, sleep regularly and exercise regularly.

Diet is just a matter of liking healthier foods. Slowly replace the unhealthy stuff with healthier versions. I found that reading about all the horrible additives helped me break my fast food addiction. Knowing how hard I have to work to burn off that cookie helps curb my appetite for cookies .

I have to not like cheesecake so much....haha.

HeatherMarie1174

You can do it.

Take it one day at a time brother. MFP is a great tool, start using it to track intake and take things a step at a time. You could put a big, big dent in that weight number in a year or so.

^^ This ... just take one day at a time ... and a year from now, you will be amazed at how far you have come!

krazyforyou

The ONLY reason yo do this is you. Are you worth the struggle? Are you worth all the hard work? Do you believe in yourself? If any of these answers are yes then welcome to the party. We all get up one day at a time and make the decision to try our best. If no one else beliebes on you we all do. Cause we are right there with you. Please dont give up.

risefromruin

It looks like you've received a lot of replies...but...when you're that overweight, it's hard to see that there is even an end in sight. I can totally relate to what you're going through. Two years ago, I would start and stop dieting/exercising all the time but it was SO hard to stick with it because I knew I had so far to go. My only real suggestion is to set small goals and move forward to attain them. You have to create the motivation to change your life yourself, nobody can do it for you. Start small with a 10 minute workout every day, and maybe remove one thing from your diet that you know is hindering your weight loss. If you continue to make small changes, they all add up in the end. Good luck to you!

CouchSpud

I think, in all fairness, we all struggle, That is part of it, it doesn;t come easy, but don't give up. It will slowly come off and the more you get into a changed routine, the better it gets.

You can do it

Bermudabarbie

So much great advice from the Peeps above. Let me just add a few more things:

"The Biggest Loser" is a TV Show. It's real but it is Television. Real life does not happen like this. People don't just "go away" and shed huge amounts of fat and pounds in a few weeks/months. They don't jump from a sedentary life-style to running 10Ks overnight. No way. No how.

You are not in a competition. You are doing this for YOU. It takes a huge amount of work, focus, planning, discipline and concentration to drop the weight in a healthy way. It may take you a few years, or longer. So be it. Just get involved in all aspects of MFP and give it your best effort each and every day.

I lost my 85+ pounds over a number of years. I went from a size 22W to a size 6. When I was at 220+ pounds (stopped weighing myself), I didn't think "Wow, I have to lose almost 100 pounds." I just knew I had to start losing. I have been on maintenance now for over 1 year. I have good days and bad. I sign in each and every day and do my best to log my foods each and every day. I walk 45 minutes to 90 minutes 4-5 days a week. I swim in the summer. That's about it. But it works for me and I think any exercise routine you choose is okay, as long as you do it consistently.

Give it your best shot. I feel you can do it. So many of us are here to help!

FuzzieJelly

I only lose 0.7 lbs per week. Slow and steady. Set small goals that are realistic. Long term goals are the ones that you can strive for when you are getting close to the ideal weight that is suggested to you. Be patient. You can do it!!!

BrownEyedBetty

I feel you! It took me a good 5 months threw research and trying new things that I found what works for me. I still have my off days. I saw a trainer, a nutritionist and my doctor just so I can learn the basics and how much I eat and how much I need to burn. When it comes to working out, you really have to find something you love and do it. Becuase I hate running on the treadmill .... i get soooo bored. I love weight lifting and Zumba, even water aerobics is so much fun and easy on the joints. Hope this helps! : )

PamelaB43

I agree, the first week is the worst. I have been on this "treadmill" of weight loss up and down before and it is tough. I have done WW and kept it off for two yrs and then I stopped logging my points in thinking " I got this" when really I was only bringing all of my bad habits back into my life because then I was not accountable. I thought I could "eyeball" the food and keep it in my head. The next thing you know I had gained my weight back. I am also a stress eater and comfort eater or I dont eat at all if I am upset. Neither is good. So I decided three weeks ago enough is enough. and I got serious again. A friend pointed me to MFP three weeks ago and here I am. Don't give up keep trying.

beckysiz

It really is something you have to do one day at a time. For me- I used this place and tracked everything for months. I ended up losing like 60 pounds before I hit a plateau and then realized that I need to be exercising. Once I started going to the gym (and believe me, I had to force myself at first) I started seeing wonderful results- this was enough to keep me motivated. You can do this! baby steps.... it's hard work at first, but once you it becomes a habit/your new lifestyle you will do it without even thinking about it

crudd12

I've been dieting for a year and half and have only lost 25 pounds! My weight loss has stalled and I've tried everything to get back to losing again! I'm right there with you! I'm not losing weight but I'm exercising just walking but I decided to buy some new clothes for the holidays since we were going out of town! I bought a 16 jean instead of a 20! I bought a 14/16 top instead of a 2x! Just start slow! Walk around the block for starters and just keep doing that until you feel like doing more! Eat more fruits and vegetables, healthy oils like olive oil, safflower oil, etc. (2 tsps a day), whole wheat, protein, and drink a ton of water every day! I wish you luck and good things in the New Year! I am right there with you struggling to keep this up since the scale will not go below 204! I've been stuck there a year gaining and losing the same 5 pounds! I am losing sizes just not pounds! God bless you! Just know you are not alone! Also I dropped my cholesterol from 204 to 180 and my doctor is very happy with me! She said to just keep trying and don't quit!

joannajohnsonrn

Thank you for posting this!

I am also so unmotivated.
I just found myself reading articles like 'how to lose that stubborn belly fat', and '6 quick weight loss tips'.
All the while, I know the answers, and I know that it really starts with me.

I am just in a funk like many others, and lack motivation to do anything. I have lost 10 lbs in the last year, and I really felt like I was trying. It is just not coming off fast enough and I lack motivation to take the next big step and lose another 10 lbs.

So, reading all these replies, and knowing so many other people are struggling, has helped me.

Again, thanks!

Good luck on your journey, and dont give up!

One step at a time, one day at a time, one meal at a time!