Not sure if I'm ready

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willtry08
willtry08 Posts: 74 Member
in Introduce Yourself
Honestly I'm not sure if I'm ready to lose weight. I found this site today and thought it wouldn't hurt to give it a try since I have a rather significant amount of weight to lose. I guess any amount is significant, really. I'm not sure if I'm ready to lose it though - I feel like I should learn to love and appreciate my body the way it is before I change it. Otherwise I think I run the risk of not liking it much even after the weight is gone. What if, at that point, I just find something else about it to change/dislike?

My strategy - such as it is - is to try and get healthy and focus on that and less on the weight loss. Here's to hoping that the one naturally leads to the other.

My best wishes for success to you all.
xo
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Replies

  • Ltrautman80
    Ltrautman80 Posts: 47 Member
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    That's a great set of mind to start off. I myself started with 125lbs to lose and am down 27lbs. Start out slow. Start out learning how to track your food and reading lables, if you don't already. Then make healthier choices when it comes to eating. Thn gradually start exercising, but ease into it. You can add me for support if you want it.:smile:
  • knightreader
    knightreader Posts: 813 Member
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    you will know when you are ready. when i tried to get healthier and wasn't ready, i failed. that is my biggest difference this time around, and a key to my 65 pound weight loss since january... i was ready. you will know when you are ready. i can't explain how i knew, i just knew.

    good luck!
  • debjae
    debjae Posts: 242
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    Good luck to you!!
  • selig0730
    selig0730 Posts: 509 Member
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    i was on MFP for a year before i was really decated and losing weight...just start logging in and dont go over your calories and you will start losing some and before you know it you will be ready...btw you can add me if you want.
  • fayefern
    fayefern Posts: 57 Member
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    thats the strategy my daughter has- to not focus on weight loss, just focusing on getting healthy and guess what....she lost 10 lbs since Aug. 8!!! Im so proud of her! once she saw the loss, then her motivation and determination increased. We are doing this together, if you can find someone to do it with you i think that helps in motivating each other.
  • willtry08
    willtry08 Posts: 74 Member
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    That's a great set of mind to start off. I myself started with 125lbs to lose and am down 27lbs. Start out slow. Start out learning how to track your food and reading lables, if you don't already. Then make healthier choices when it comes to eating. Thn gradually start exercising, but ease into it. You can add me for support if you want it.:smile:

    Thanks for the support, I appreciate it. As soon as I figure out how to use this site properly, I'll be adding you for sure :)
  • willtry08
    willtry08 Posts: 74 Member
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    you will know when you are ready. when i tried to get healthier and wasn't ready, i failed. that is my biggest difference this time around, and a key to my 65 pound weight loss since january... i was ready. you will know when you are ready. i can't explain how i knew, i just knew.

    good luck!

    That's what I'm hoping for, a kind of *knowing*. That's how I was able to quit smoking after many many many failed attempts. One day, I just *knew* I was done with it and I haven't smoked since. That was years ago. I also found a very supportive forum when I quit smoking. Maybe by finding this forum I can repeat the same success with weight loss as I did with kicking the smoking habit. Anyway, thanks for your words.
  • willtry08
    willtry08 Posts: 74 Member
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    Good luck to you!!

    Thank you! Best of luck to you as well.
  • willtry08
    willtry08 Posts: 74 Member
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    i was on MFP for a year before i was really decated and losing weight...just start logging in and dont go over your calories and you will start losing some and before you know it you will be ready...btw you can add me if you want.

    Thank you, I'll be adding you as soon as I figure out how :)
  • willtry08
    willtry08 Posts: 74 Member
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    thats the strategy my daughter has- to not focus on weight loss, just focusing on getting healthy and guess what....she lost 10 lbs since Aug. 8!!! Im so proud of her! once she saw the loss, then her motivation and determination increased. We are doing this together, if you can find someone to do it with you i think that helps in motivating each other.

    I hope that strategy works for me as well. I guess time will tell! Take care.
  • sarahsummers12
    sarahsummers12 Posts: 128 Member
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    As others have said - you will know... I have tried a few times to lose the weight but never was serious enough to actually make myself accountable and stick to it. This time though I KNOW I will do it cos I am at the point where I HAVE to do it for me.... but certainly aiming for a healthy lifestyle is an awesome start - and if you focus more on just being healthy rather than actual weight loss you put less pressure on yourself, which means you won't be disappointed and beat yourself up too much.. just enjoy eating good healthy food and feeling better! Best of luck to you! Feel free to add me as a friend :-)
  • kimothy38
    kimothy38 Posts: 840 Member
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    My focus is on health and wellbeing, weight loss is a bonus. You definitely need to be mentally at the point that you're ready to change otherwise you'll just go through the motions, get bored and give up. I started with exercise that I enjoy doing (circuit, weights, walking) and as my self esteem improved I started focussing on eating foods that made me feel good (fruit, veges, protein, carbs 80% of the time). The sense of achievement I feel filters through to all aspects of my life and I'm much happier for it. Make small changes and you're more likely to stick at it. Good luck.
  • kimosabe1
    kimosabe1 Posts: 2,467 Member
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    One thing is certain: You are unhappy with your body or you would have never visited this site. Obesity causes health problems. My obesity has me on cholesterol medication, blood pressure medication and an antidepressant because I'm depressed about being a fat-*kitten*.... You can get your stuff together or die from a heart attack or stroke because being fat can cause both.....my doc said the exact same thing....I can see a form of motivation from your post. Make the smart choice!
  • smhaze77
    smhaze77 Posts: 52 Member
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    I agree with everyone has said so far, when you are ready you just kind of know, it becomes your main focus to get healthier and lose the weight. One thing I found was really helpful to me is to not think of it as a diet, diet to me means short term and deprivation. Instead I see it as a lifestyle change. I try to make better choices than I have in the past and do my best not to beat myself up to much if I have an off day. Most importantly if I'm hungry I eat, I love food too much. If/when you decide you are ready feel free to add me if you want :) Good luck with whatever you decide.
  • Jess4kids
    Jess4kids Posts: 27 Member
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    So today is a new day for me. I am going to start tracking what I'm eating because I heard that is the only reason stopping me from losing weight. I need some motivation!!!!
  • willtry08
    willtry08 Posts: 74 Member
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    One thing is certain: You are unhappy with your body or you would have never visited this site. Obesity causes health problems. My obesity has me on cholesterol medication, blood pressure medication and an antidepressant because I'm depressed about being a fat-*kitten*.... You can get your stuff together or die from a heart attack or stroke because being fat can cause both.....my doc said the exact same thing....I can see a form of motivation from your post. Make the smart choice!

    Honestly, being unhappy with how my body is now is the reason I think I may fail at this! It's kinda tricky to explain but the best way I can make sense of it is that I personally don't believe it's possible to make good decisions from a "bad-feeling" place. Know what I mean? Like, I think I'd be more successful if I can first get to a place where I'm choosing to lose weight because of how I want to feel not because I want to avoid feeling a certain way. I'm pretty sure I'm not explaining myself well! My mind works in confusing ways, lol.

    I guess I just want to feel good about my body first so that I can create more good feelings about it instead of feeling bad first and coming from a place of unhappiness about my body. By the way, calling yourself a fat-*kitten* sounds mean - I hope you're being kind to yourself...
  • willtry08
    willtry08 Posts: 74 Member
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    As others have said - you will know... I have tried a few times to lose the weight but never was serious enough to actually make myself accountable and stick to it. This time though I KNOW I will do it cos I am at the point where I HAVE to do it for me.... but certainly aiming for a healthy lifestyle is an awesome start - and if you focus more on just being healthy rather than actual weight loss you put less pressure on yourself, which means you won't be disappointed and beat yourself up too much.. just enjoy eating good healthy food and feeling better! Best of luck to you! Feel free to add me as a friend :-)

    Thanks for the support! Consider yourself added :) Take care.
  • willtry08
    willtry08 Posts: 74 Member
    Options
    My focus is on health and wellbeing, weight loss is a bonus. You definitely need to be mentally at the point that you're ready to change otherwise you'll just go through the motions, get bored and give up. I started with exercise that I enjoy doing (circuit, weights, walking) and as my self esteem improved I started focussing on eating foods that made me feel good (fruit, veges, protein, carbs 80% of the time). The sense of achievement I feel filters through to all aspects of my life and I'm much happier for it. Make small changes and you're more likely to stick at it. Good luck.

    This sounds like good advice, thank you. I hope my self-esteem improves in time too. To meet me you wouldn't know that I struggle with feelings of low self-esteem (I hide it well) but I second guess just about every decision I make - not confident at all!. I hope that by achieving some measure of success with weight loss I can feel more certain about myself, more confident. Take care!
  • willtry08
    willtry08 Posts: 74 Member
    Options
    I agree with everyone has said so far, when you are ready you just kind of know, it becomes your main focus to get healthier and lose the weight. One thing I found was really helpful to me is to not think of it as a diet, diet to me means short term and deprivation. Instead I see it as a lifestyle change. I try to make better choices than I have in the past and do my best not to beat myself up to much if I have an off day. Most importantly if I'm hungry I eat, I love food too much. If/when you decide you are ready feel free to add me if you want :) Good luck with whatever you decide.

    You're right, I need to get that diet word out of my head. Thanks for the support and congrats on your weight loss to date!
  • slamkajs
    slamkajs Posts: 7
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    I am not sure waiting to love your body with "a significant amount of weight to lose" is a good idea. I understand your fear that you may lose weight and then find other things to be unhappy about physically. Keep in mind, if you want to lose weight and that's a goal you're going to love seeing the person that sheds all that weight. Youwill not only feel more confident about your looks but, you'll also come across as more confident in other aspects of your life.

    Whatever you choose, good luck with your future endeavors!

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