Hello all. I'm Dona and I'm desparate!

DonaReed

Got an e-mail at work today from our HR dept recommending this site to journal my eating and exercise. Glad that they cared enough to let us know about this.

I have been down on myself more than usual here lately, and I hate that worthless feeling. So I have decided to at least try journalling and see where it gets me. I know, its just a baby step, but maybe the knowledge it brings me can help me make small changes that have an impact.

Weight has been a struggle my whole life, and I don't expect that to change, but right now I am making decisions to try to work with this issue instead of just being upset about it and continuing to let it get worse. If I gain much more wright, I will end up bed fast, I just can not see me there.

I saw the young woman on the Biggest Looser this week weigh in a 476 lbs at 29 years old, and it really shook me up. It was like looking in a mirror.

Sorry if I am going on too much for an introduction. Just learning my way here.

Thanks for reading this, and successfull thoughts for all of you.

dumb_blondes_rock

honestly when i tracked my food alone, i was amazed how how many calories i used to intake on a diet i thought was "reasonable"......if you jsut start to eat healtheir you will feel sooooo much better anout yourself....and it will give you that extra push to want to exercise.....good luck to you and can't wait to see your after pics!

kaylou

They are all "baby" steps...but you have made the right baby step! It is a journey but its allll worth it! You can do it, you'll be amazed!

horndave

Great job starting the process. Welcome, you can do this. Set your near term and long term goals and there is plenty of people on here that are in the same boat. YOu can do this.

MOMOFTWO29

Hello and welcome to MFP, the best website ever!!! You will love this site if you don't already. I love this site. It is so motivational, supportive, helpful, easy to use, and everyone is so nice and friendly. I just wanted to wish you a lot of success on your weight loss journey. You can do this!!!!!!!!!!! :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou:

LittleSpy

Welcome to MFP!

I just started last week at over 270 pounds. I started logging every single thing that I ate. I started exercising every day. I've lost 9-10 pounds in 10 days. I feel more motivated and on-track than I ever have before. If I can do this, I know you can, too. All it takes is time & effort. :flowerforyou:

2kaizen

Welcome!

There are plenty of people here to cheer you on! You're mindset is a great starting place!

Good luck :flowerforyou:

klybarger

I just started using this site too! I have been pleasantly surprised - don't feel as much pressure/stress on this site as I have with other programs. A lot of resources and community threads to help you.

Wising you much success on finding what will make you happy!

epoeraven

Hi Dona,

Welcome!!! One of the biggest hurdles in changing something is knowing what it is that you need to change. So by journaling what you are eating your baby step is a good thing in that you can see where your trouble spots are. This website was a HUGE help to me in that area.

And, I totally agree with horndave in that while having a final goal is great you need to have small goals also set up throughout your journey. That way an attainable goal doesn't seem so unreachable.

tayner

welcome to this site. use all the features and be honest with yourself, and you can make it work. Good luck to you!

liardly

First of all nobody is worthless, we need to stop associating weight with our values and worth. Everyone is worth it, no matter your size, after all it's the size of your heart that counts not the size of your "gut".
Second we need to have a positive midset, if one really beleive that this is what they want then you do it and you follow through you will get it. It will be hard work, you will be unconfortable at first but then you will feel great once you finally get to "your accomplishment". This is a lifestyle, not until I loose 20 lbs or whatever mentality and I can have my favorite dish.
Track everything, eat right and exercise and you will get there. It will take some time but when it's for a lifetime, it's worth it.

Keep you chin up, you definetly are "worth" it,

rachi20024

Be proud of yourself for coming here, this my seem like a "baby step" but it is really a "leap" into a new lifestyle that anyone can bennefit from! This is a very inspirational site and I encourage you to seek motivation through here ( especially in the Before and After pics). Welcome and I hope you stay with it!

YAY to new begginings:drinker:

janitor

:flowerforyou: A journey of a 1000 miles begins with one small step. Do one nice thing for yourself today.

Phoenix_Rising

:flowerforyou: A journey of a 1000 miles begins with one small step. Do one nice thing for yourself today.

What a beautiful first post!! :flowerforyou:

darman

You can make it Dona - it all starts with the first step and you have made it - take it slow and gradual to begin with - like others have said it's not about losing or dieting or even exercising but about changing the lifestyle and incorporating all those things into your new lifestyle - I assure you that you will feel better that you have in some time and the people on this site are "real" people - at many different levels but we all remember where we started.

I do recommend setting some short term goals and focusing on them but make sure that it is something that you can live with,,,,,the worst thing is setting goals for yourself that you can't realisiticly make and then you get frustrated and give up

I wish you all the best in your journey

cheshirekat

Hello Dona! Congratulations on taking the first step, and believe me, if this is something you truly want in your heart and you dedicate yourself to making positive changes, one small step at a time, it will happen with time and patience. You can find the strength within yourself to evaluate your lifestyle and see where you can make things happen to feel better, body mind and soul. When you stay active and eat well, you feel better and have more energy, get sick a lot less (if at all), and have more self-esteem. To be honest, just having to keep track of what you are eating and knowing that if you eat it, its going to go in your weight loss journal is sometimes motivation enough to avoid unhealthy binges. But make the decision today to try, and if you fall off the horse you can get right back on and try again, but do it today, not tomorrow or next week, but right now. Good luck, I know you can do this!

lizzys

frist steps lead to more and pretting soon you will be running

stopstaring

heyy i just joined..like 5 monutes ago and i already feel more positive about myself


Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Free Calorie Counter

BrendaLee

Baby steps are great as long as they're a step in the right direction. I started here at over 300 pounds, feeling little motivation, and wondering how much longer I could go on living in misery. For the past 3 or 4 years, I haven't been able to stay on a "diet" for more than a few hours. I got to the point where I just KNEW in my heart I'd never lose the weight, but after I found MFP, that all started to change. My health was in the bucket, and I began to realize...that's all that's important, because without it, you have literally nothing. I wanted one more shot at finding health and happiness, and I feel like, for the first time in a long time, I'm actually on my way. I struggle every day, but after every failure, I don't say, "I blew it, this "diet" is over", I get back at it the next meal, the next day, the next week. The weight is coming off SO slowly, 1-2 pounds a week, and in the past that would have driven me crazy...but the difference is, I'm actually eating this time, and I'm really good with a 1 or 2 pound loss. Have you ever lifted a 1 pound weight or a pound of anything? It's heavy, and now 27 of those are gone from my body. Slowly, but surely. Anyone can do it. I didn't believe that before I came to MFP, but now I do. ANYone. People do it all the time. People do it without drugs, without surgery, without paying anyone...good old fashioned daily exercise, and watching your calories. Calories in vs. calories out. It's as simple as it is complicated. Once you discover that you have power over weight loss in a way you never realized...it really puts it into perspective. Overeat at a meal? Can't fight a craving and give in? Work it off. We bigger ladies are lucky in a way- we burn a lot of calories pretty quickly. I do Sweatin' to the Oldies, and I burn around 500 calories. I'm sure I'll miss that when I'm smaller, but I think that'll be the only thing I'll miss.

Anyway, sorry for writing a novel, and I hope you actually read this because it's from the heart. Good luck.

Brenda

DonaReed

That is a wonderful insight. Thanks for the encouragement.

barbiecat

:flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou:
Welcome, Dona,
This is the beginning of the greatest chapter in your life. Just do it one day at a time. And when in doubt, drink some more water :drinker: :drinker: :drinker: