I'm never going to be thin or fit...

Ate like a cow today, second day in a row...Losing motivation.

I honestlyjmight just give up on the whole weight loss thing and admit I will be fat forever.

Cow's eat grass and hay. Sounds yummy!!

If you're going to give up, do it now and accept your decision so you don't waste a lot of time beating yourself up for failing all the time. Probably better for your mental health that way!

I was doing pretty good for a while. I went from 241 to 228 but this past week I gained and now I'm back up to 233. Very discouraging. But I know I have to keep going. So, today..it's back to the pattern that helped me lose original 13 pounds. My goal weight is 170. I know it's going to be a long struggle, but I have to do it, I must continue if for no other reason, so that I feel better about myself.

So keep going! Do it for yourself. And YES!!!!! You do matter!

That video recommended was awesome....thanks to the person who submitted that. Lots of positive support and it sounded like the problem was more "depression" oriented. Let us know how you are doing and what helped the most. You have such a pretty face that when you lose this weight....and you will if you stay on here.....you are going to kick A--! All that from a 61 yr old...OUCH! Let's do that video tonight girl!

Ate like a cow today, second day in a row...Losing motivation.

I honestlyjmight just give up on the whole weight loss thing and admit I will be fat forever.

I cannot tell you how many times I said the same thing.
But I didn't. I kept going. I eventually reached my goals. You can, too. Being fit feels GREAT.

Oh, yeah, I don't have the time or money for a gym either. The good news is...I am able to work out at home for free! And as the mother of a large family (I have six children), groceries are always a challenge. But cooler weather is here, and "comfort foods" like homemade soups, chilis, and beans are cheap, easy to fix, and healthy.
C'mon, you really can do this.

Okay my love first things first...stop making excuses! You don't need an expensive gym pass or over priced 'healthy' foods. Walking for 60 minus a day at a pace that makes you breathless but you can still talk can burn up to and over 700 calories.

Gym memberships are over rated. Want to lift weights..get a couple cans of soup. Want to use the elliptical..go up and down two or the same steps for 15 minutes. Want a treadmill..go outside and walk.

As for the not being able to afford healthy foods..that is bull. I feed my family of three very healthy well balanced meals on a budget of $200 a month. It all comes down to wise spending. Instead of fresh veggies go with frozen..same for meats. Store brand is just as good as name brand but a whole lot cheaper.

If you can't afford a good bra, wrap them girls up tight in an ace bandage. Make yourself a workout jar. Each time you workout for at least an hour drop a dollar in it. If you do it every day for a month..get a good bra. Same for shoes.
Workout shoes don't have to be expensive but have to be comfortable.

Until you stop feeling sorry for yourself, and quit making excuses, this will be hard.

I love to help people any way I can. Feel free to friend me. Also check it my pages for a little help.

http://m.facebook.com/?_rdr#!/MommyWeighLess?ref=stream&__user=663949770

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Liz

Amazing reply. I couldn't agree with you more. Kudos.

We've all been there. Let's face it, you will never be happy continually gaining weight and eating like crap. You'll yoyo back and forth between an "I don't even care!" attitude and self-loathing. You'll pick this back up in 6 months, and the cycle will start all over again. Cut out all that middle-time! Stick with it! Understand that you won't be perfect, and you will have days that are awful, but it's better to have one or two awful days then 6 months of them.

As others have mentioned, there are lots of exercises you can do at home - youtube or purchase video work outs, walk outside for longer periods of time, or run up and down your stairs. Push ups and sit ups, leg lifts and squats are all simple to do in your living room! Lift things around your house that weigh certain amounts (soup cans, paint cants, bags of flour or rice).

I bought my sports bras at Target, and I believe they were about $15 each. They have up to 2XL. Also, our local community college sells memberships to their pool and weight room for much less than regular gyms... something to check out if you're really married to the gym idea.

Do you make a budget? I am sure that you can find ways to work within what you already pay for food, but use fresh or frozen ingredients for much less money. Look for recipes that are quick and easy, and slowly expand the fruits, veggies, and grains that you try. Go meatless for several meals a week - beans are a filling and affordable alternative. Buy meat in bulk when on sale and freeze. Take advantage of markets where you can purchase exactly how much you need (butcher counters, grains and pastas by the pound, unpackaged greens and fruits mean that you can buy just enough and not worry about it going bad.)

Plan out your meals! Take about an hour on Sunday night, plan out what you will eat for the rest of the week, and then buy ONLY those ingredients that you need. Also, go to smaller local markets over superstores. You will be shocked how much you save by not purchasing impulse items and pre-packaged foods. I generally spend about $100 at Target or Meijer, $50 at Kroger, and $25-$35 at my neighborhood market. The prices are higher, so I subconsciously buy only what I need. Plus, the money stays locally!

Don't try too much at once. Find healthier alternatives to things that you already like. Don't try to give up chips and soda and cookies and ice cream and fast food all at once - you'll get overwhelmed. Pick one thing that you don't even really care for that much, and give it up. Keep doing that, and you will be amazed at how far you get in a couple of years.

It's a slow process to change the way you think about food and exercise. Don't give up! Just adjust your goals to be a bit more realistic.

Failure is not when we make a mistake or fall off the wagon. Failure happens when we quit.

I've been at this since March of last year and I'm still not at my goal. I am 60 lbs down though, which I wouldn't be if I just said "screw it" the first time I had a bad day or two. If you keep trying, you'll get there eventually.

This. THIS is the attitude that will carry you through.

It took me a year to drop about 60 pounds. Now I'm at my original goal. I say original because my goal keeps changing. And I *still* have "bad" days. That's life. Birthday parties are going to happen. A friend you haven't seen in a while calling you up for beer and pizza is going to happen. Giving in to your favorite greasy Chinese buffet is *going* to happen. So long as you do your best to exercise and eat right the majority of the time, these occasional indulgences will NOT derail you. For proof, look around next time you're at a restaurant. Are you telling me NO fit/thin people are enjoying french fries or dessert? The difference is they don't tell themselves, "Well, I ate like a cow at lunch, guess I'll eat like a cow for the next ten months..."

I say this not to be harsh, but because I also need to hear it every now and then myself! It's a lifelong journey. It won't be won or lost at one meal, or in one week. Vacations happen, too. :-) Good luck, OP!

ditto....

I should mention, it's feeling impossible because I can't AFFORD healthy food. I can't AFFORD a gym pass. All I can do walk, I can't run because I don't have a proper bra, which I need. I can't afford one. Don't even have runners. All the food I have is salty and bad...

Honey I am a mom of three kids ALL under the age of FIVE. I have NO extra money for gym passes, workout classes yada yada. I workout at HOME everyday and I WALK. I DON'T buy organic, I buy the food at the market that is the cheapest, but that I can turn into proper meals for us all. I workout in my UNDERWEAR lol, b/c I just don't have time or extra money to go shopping with my little ones for extras for myself. PUSH THROUGH it is so REWARDING for YOURSELF. OVERCOME your obstacles. NO ONE on MFP has it easy, but you JUST DO IT. If you are not challenging yourself you are not changing yourself. Good Luck!!

I have been struggling for over a YEAR with getting back on the wagon and let me tell you, I WILL reach my goal one day. Know why? Because I absolutely will NOT quit. Never!

If everyone had given up after a bad day or two, the success stories section of this site would be utterly devoid of life.

OK, now you're just making excuses. I don't have a bra, I can't afford good food, I can't afford a gym. I've been unemployed for a year and a half and I'm doing this. Go to Goodwill for a bra or see if you have friends that have one or two they can spare. It's not any more expensive to buy good food than it is to buy crap. You don't need a gym to walk, the street is free or maybe you have a friend that lives in an apartment complex that has a gym you can buddy with. This IS possible. I've made excuses not to do this for 20 years. I'm going to be 48 next year, and I'm done with excuses. If I don't feel like exercising or eating right, then I'm saying to myself I feel like staying fat and I'm not worth the effort. I AM worth it, and you are too. Be creative - just DO IT!

I should mention, it's feeling impossible because I can't AFFORD healthy food. I can't AFFORD a gym pass. All I can do walk, I can't run because I don't have a proper bra, which I need. I can't afford one. Don't even have runners. All the food I have is salty and bad...

You'll forgive me, but those sound like excuses. I find fresh vegetables to be way cheaper than processed salty foods. Pack of hot dogs? Buy the fat-free kind that are 50 calories a pop. Bags of frozen tilapia fillets, I saw those in the freezer aisle the other day, 5 bucks for a pound or somesuch.

You don't need a gym. Use the public pool, a lake or ocean to swim. Buy a sports bra at the local Goodwill. Shouldn't run you more than 3-4 bucks. Now you can go jogging. Do crunches, squats and leg-lifts. Lift gallon jugs of water. Download workout videos and do them in your own living room.

No excuses. Start NOW.

Spark people has tons of great FREE videos you can watch and do in your living room!

Also, as a large-bra wearer, I have to say you CAN get support from doubling up regular bras and then wearing a "support top" shirt (which is not supportive enough on its own). It's an imperfect solution, but something to get you by. I think you can get that type of shirt for <$10 at places like Target/Walmart/Meijer/TJ Maxx. My first sports bra was probably about $20 and lasted (however stinky) for 2 years. My first lap swimming suit came from Goodwill ($5). My hand weights were $2 a piece at Walmart.
For walking (not running) any pair of reasonably supportive tennis-shoes/sneakers will work.

You can do it too!!!