Having MFP "friends"... does it help?

rlsluvr

Been here for a cpl months now... same old story... lose a few/gain them back, lose that same few, gain that same few back...I started at 225 over 6 years ago, and lost 50, but I just can't get motivated to take the other 30 off... I start out gung ho, but somewhere along the way I get de-railed

I've heard that having MFP "friends" really help to keep you motivated, and informed, and help when you just need to vent? True?

I'm a 38 yo mom of 3 (20,almost 18, and 13) with 2 at home. My biggest trouble area is at home after work... I just want to graze, Salami, cheese, crackers, cereal with Milk, cheezit's, dried fruit, dark chocolate... I do really well at work during the day... and I can't seem to get motivated to excercise.... I have a ton of Tae-Bo, and the 30 day Shred, abs diet, and the Sparkpeople: The Spark: Fit, Firm & Fired Up in 10 Minutes a Day coming in the next couple of days....and a treadmill and soloflex in my garage..collecting dust!!!!

Anywho Now I'm reaching out... if there is anyone out there with close goals to mine, or having the same or close to the same challenges...maybe you can reach back... I'd just like to find some friends to help me along the journey, and hopefully I can help them as well... help me along the path and I'll help you.....ok I'm rambling... looking forward to meeting you...

Heather

SugarHi

Hey Heather!

Trouble times during the day happen to a lot of us! Really what you will have to do is get busy during these times. Grab the kids and go ice skating (indoor areana), go for a walk, play tag (I do this as flash light tag inside with my kids in the winter) or some other activity... Do the laundry, don't even enter the kitchen. Life style changes are hard! But you're motivated and that's good. Also, you could start a journal when you get home and want to start grazing write down how you fee right then and there. You may be surpirsed what comes out. That helped me a lot. Jotting things down... When I enter my comfort zone, which is at home or other specific places it becomes easy to shadow food. Anyway. My friends on here have helped a lot! It's worth a try

Ami

Chantelle160

I Would love to be your friend! I find it's really great to keep you motivated. Everyone is extremely supportive and are very inspiring. There's a group of us starting the 30 Day shred on Monday if you would like to join.

mmccurrach

I call this my Facebook for weightloss! It helps me having a bunch of people as friends so I can look at statuses and then get a little extra motivation when everyone writes and says woo hoo or hang in there. It can't hurt and it makes it fun and keeps this task in the forefront of my mind!

I friended you! I'm open to whoever wants to friend me also! Keeps it interesting!

TnTHawkins

The friends I have made here have really motivated me a ton. I started this Jan and have pushed myself at my current 230 lb weight to run a 5K (3.1 miles) on the track last night. I feel really good and my friends have been supportive and motivate me to stay on my goals.

Add me if you like and I will help anyway possible. Good Luck

Todd

bbblue92

I am totally on the same boat! I'm married and have two kids (17 yr old daughter and 2 1/2 yr old son). I find I have the same problems when I'm at home and with my busy schedule of work and going home and taking care of EVERYONE, dinner, homework, little one, clean up, etc....I feel my biggest challenge is at home where the fridge is . . . when I pack my stuff for work, I stick to that stuff, but when I get home, another story. It's also hard to come up with dinners that I can actually enjoy as well as the others who aren't really watching so much. My hubby could stand to lose some weight and seems to be somewhat encouraging to me but what would really encourage me the most if he would join me in my journey. My daughter also could get involved as she is a little overweight as well (I don't tell her that) but I've changed what I keep in the house, so if it's not there, people can't eat it! . . . . I also am with you on the excersice after coming home, I have the DVDs, etc. but find after taking care of all the other stuff, it's so late that I can't motivate myself to even begin to exercise so I go to bed 'cause i'm so damn tired! I don't know what you do for living but I get my workouts at lunch at work (fortunate to have a small gym downstairs that is always empty) and on the weekends, taking kids for a walk. I've been stuck on 7 lbs for over a week . . . Maybe we are on the same boat....but I do feel that having friends is some help especially if ppl in similar situations. Even though I don't know the others very well, I see their progress and look at their menus, and see others commenting on their progress and that helps to motivate me. When I see everyone else doing so well, it helps me to reconsider stuffing my face, or to exercise just a little bit more. A little bit winded and maybe TMI foryou but if you would like to add me feel free to do so . . .

s2481

Hi Heather,

Thanks for bringing that up! I was wondering the same thing. I haven't yet met any new people on here but I'm definitely open for trying it to keep motivated and hopefully motivate others as well. I am lucky to have a sister who is a personal trainer that keeps leaving me sweet motivating messages and sometimes it really does make me stop being lazy and get up and exercise. Let me know if there's anything I can do to help keep any of you on here motivated!

Sara
P.S. If anyone wants to add me go for it!

SaraWo24

I would love to be your friend (and anyone else's too!)!!!! I don't have quite the same goals as you do, but I find that ANY motivation and encouragement from others really helps. I've been on MFP for few months now as well, and really started "buckling down" this past month and a half or so. I find that it really motivates me when I see friends on my homepage that are doing well. Like, when I have a day when I just don't feel like working out, my homepage tells me everyone else is so I should just do it! People on MFP are so kind and encouraging that it's really hard NOT to be motivated! Good luck!

SaraWo24

Hi Heather,

Thanks for bringing that up! I was wondering the same thing. I haven't yet met any new people on here but I'm definitely open for trying it to keep motivated and hopefully motivate others as well. I am lucky to have a sister who is a personal trainer that keeps leaving me sweet motivating messages and sometimes it really does make me stop being lazy and get up and exercise. Let me know if there's anything I can do to help keep any of you on here motivated!

Sara
P.S. If anyone wants to add me go for it!

Hi Sara! I'm Sara too!

LittleSpy

I wasn't into the friend aspect of the site at all when I first came here. I wouldn't ever reject a friend request, but I never sent them to anyone. But the more I posted, and the more weight I lost, the more people asked to be my friend (awwwww. :laugh:). I have nearly 100 friends on MFP now and I think I've only asked to friend ONE of them -- the rest have asked me! And I'm glad they did! With the changes to MFP (the site changed about 2 months ago to incorporate more of the friend features), I really enjoy reading about my friends' days & encouraging and being encouraged by them.

So, yes, I think friends do help here -- a lot. And feel free to friend me.

nicolathornley

Hi Heather,


Everybody's suggestions here are really great but if you find that even with the support of MFP you still can't get motivated- you might want to think about signing up at a Weight management center.
That's what I had to do because I:

1) needed people who were educated on nutrition, behavior and exercise to tell me what I was doing wrong and why I couldn't lose weight. and to keep me motivated- needed that one on one.

2) most importantly I needed to feel like i was being held accountable- I needed to have the face to face interaction of having to walk in every week and weigh myself- it is the best motivating factor I could find!

3)The third motivating factor is that I'm paying money for it - I'm signed up at Medical University of South Carolina's Weight Management center- and hell if I'm going to let that money go to waste.

I saw you are in Elk Grove California and googled Weight management center- there are a bunch near you. If you decide to do this- try to find a place that does a full check up ( ie bloodwook to rule out your thyroid, diabetes etc), tells you how many calories to cut according to your BMI, gives you an exercise routine geared around your specific body and has you meet at least once with a Behavioral Psychologist to figure out the ins and outs and hows and whys of your eating behavior. I finally figured out at 36 that I was going to keep yo-yoing my whole lifeif I didn't figure out what I was doing wrong......

Hope this helps- hang in there and don't give up!!! Nothing beats feeling healthy and sexy again!
Nicky
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&gl=us&g=Elk+Grove,+CA&q=weight+management+elk+grove+california

Rev_no_Boosh

I think the short answer to your question is; yes it does help. I think it helps when you have people to prop you up when you need it and hold you accountable when you need it. If all you get is positive, or all you get is negative, neither will work. It's all about having people who are struggling with you. I've lost about 50lbs, got away and gained about 10 back. Now I'm back and ready to finish my goals. I couldn't do it without my friends here. It's all about surrounding yourself with good people who are trying hard and are there for you. That's true in real life and on MFP.

rlsluvr

Thanks so much to everyone who has commented, and "befriended" me... I look forward to getting to know you all better, and to lend a helping supportive hand when I can...

YOU ALL ROCK!!!!


XOXO
H

SammiAnne11

I agree, it helps knowing you can ask questions, and peek in on how our MFP friends are doing. I have so much just from reading their posts and gotten awesome feedback and motivation from them.
Keep up the great work!
I am Sam, so feel free to add me too!:flowerforyou:

sokkermom

I would have to say this has been the best way to lose weight. Our support group consists of me, my husband, my boss and his wife and another co-worker. It really helps when you have friends to give you that drive to want to succeed in obtaining your goal and you help them as well. We give each other meal ideas and make sure we are all eating right and healthy. We have all had success in losing weight since we started on MFP and we have my wonderful husband to thank for telling us about it.

mvl1014

It does help. The first dozen or so people, I friended and since then many have friend requested me. Presumably they've seen my posts and thought they brought something to the table.

That said, while I leave many encouraging comments, I don't get much feedback. I guess it's nice to just know someone appreciates you. :-)

rlsluvr

It does help. The first dozen or so people, I friended and since then many have friend requested me. Presumably they've seen my posts and thought they brought something to the table.

That said, while I leave many encouraging comments, I don't get much feedback. I guess it's nice to just know someone appreciates you. :-)

I'll leave you feedback... I promise....:happy:

Supermel

I added you as a friend (only second time i've added someone lol) I find the friends i have help a LOT. I'm also a before dinner grazer lol. I am finding an instant pack of regular oatmeal, made with extra water so its a bit less thick (no need for milk) with a tbsp of lite pb stirred in, helps me stay FULL on 200 calories and i get thru the before dinner munchie stage. I started at 186 in June09. I am down to 156.6 as of today!! I want to lose 11.6 more for sure (my current goal) and will then re-evaluate what i think a realistic goal for me will be. I was tiny in high school but that was a long time ago!

jillybeanruns

Friends definitely definitely help! They help you stay (or get) motivated and encourage you! With that said, it does probably depend on who you friend and whether or not they give you feedback. I try and be helpful and supportive of my MFP friends, but I also won't say something I don't mean

Feel free to add me if any of you all need any extra encouragement!

epoeraven

I never sought out having freinds until a couple people asked me and I accepted. Once I found out how much help it was to get encouraging words and see what others were doing I started asking other people. I think it is definitely an asset to my efforts.

NMorse1907

I think the it definitely helps! :0)