I need A LOT of motivation and encouragement... Help?

I am always free to talk if you like

Hi, im Jackie i have struggled weight all my life, i need to lose 40 lbs for my health,now almost age 40 yrs old,i want to get the weight off for good.
I would love to have a friend who totally gets were im at and been any trying to achieve,its not easy but we can do it together!!
best of luck to you , hope to have you as a friend,Jackie.

Maybe start cooking for yourself?

Add me as a friend. I am often in the same boat but I'm the cook. I have kids and they want other things then myself, which isn't always an issue but do like to make them the occassional treat (cookies, cakes and pies). The trick that I have found is before being exposed to some of this foods, i find a snack that will 'fill' me so that way I don't eat as much and I am still under my calorie count. Introduce a salad to the mix and don't allow yourself to eat any other food until the salad is done. the first step is to set a goal. This week I am going to enter all my foods, good bad and ugly. Then next week my goal is to replace one food in that list with something better for me. I also introduced more water to my life as I found that helped me with my appetite and flushed out my system. Hope this helps

For motivation, go to youtube and search for : My 120 Pound Journey. Also look at the website: http://bendoeslife.com. It will inspire all of you, I'm pretty positive.

Learn how to love your body by learning about nutrition and exercises that help you reclaim control over your body. Set realistic goals and find someone locally to keep you accountable.

I agree with birdie, you should cook your own healthy meals. Maybe pick one day a week to make several
nutritional meals and store them in the freezer, so when the family sits down to eat, you can have your own plate of
delicious food. It is hard to make others realize the danger in eating high fat, high calorie meals until it directly effects
them (unfortunately).
I have been dealing with my big body all my life. I have lost a good amount of weight before joining
this site and hope to lose more. I have gone from wearing a size 22/24 jean to a size 12. It took a long time to completely change my way of thinking about food and how to determine what was best for me.
Feel free to add me as a friend, and I look forward to your future success!!!!

You an do it! no matter how big or small the goal, I think it always seems hard!

Hit me up. I have a lot to lose as well. Motivation is key when our goals are as big as they are.

I had right around 150 lbs to lose when I started. My HUGE thing was eating what my family ate. I had to stop doing it. It's gonna be SO hard for you with mom cooking, but if you want to succeed, then you'll either have to make your own or move out

I wish you well

Feeling free to add me also! As formum start cooking yourself and show her that you can cook also tasty things without butter and too much salt.

I'll send a friend request to ya.. I started with ~120lbs total to my final goal. I've lost about half of it. Really.. it comes down to being determined, having a "Can-Do" attitude, and never giving up. Yep.. there will be tough days.. there will be days where ya completely blow it.. shake it off, try again tomorrow.

If you step back and look up at the magnitude of a mountain, it seems enormous from the bottom. However, if you just start the climb and concentrate on the few feet in front of you, it becomes much easier and less daunting.

I will try to help in anyway that i can if you want just friend me.

I started out needing to lose 85-90. It sounded like such a big number and I have a history of yo-yoing and giving up. Been on MFP since July, and it feels like its going so slow but, I've lost 18 pounds, and just the difference I feel in my body makes me keep going and stay focused. Pick up a 5lb dumbell and see, how even losing 2 of those will be easier on your body. Don't expect it all to fall off at once, get used to long term goals, do it for yourself and no one else.

Start preparing, measuring your own food. I rely on Lean Cuisine sometimes and it helps with portion control. Swap Country Crock for butter, cauliflower instead of mashed potatoes, and get the skin off that 3 oz. chicken breast. It doesn't have to be dreadful, but I understand how hard it is when all of that food is being waved in front of your face. With me, the more I counted calories and watching portions, I realized how out of control my eating had ben when it seemed "normal". Now even if I have a little of the "good stuff" I can't tolerate a lot of it and it doesn't taste all that fabulous. You can do it! It gets easier if you stick to it. Feel free to add me.

I know how this is, often I make 2 seperate meals in our house, one for us and one for the kids. Not that I dont think my kids should eat healthier, they just need some of the fats. They are very small, petite and calories are good for them. My husband and I not quite so much. Wish I could share some of my fat with them. LOL
Anyways, yes it is a pain, but its a pain Im willing to deal with so my husband and I get back to our goal weight and healthy to be around for our children longer.
You are pretty young looking and I think if you get it now, it will be easier as you go along. Good luck, you have already made the first step, joining MFP. Lots of fantastic people, with fantastic support. Cant go wrong here! :O)