Just looking for some support :-(

I understand! It will be a rough road at times...as you may want to give up. But I look at how far I've come, not how much I have to go. You lost 47 pounds!!! That's awesome!!!

Get back in that gym with a smile because you have accomplished what a lot of people wish they could do!

Do you listen to music while you workout? Upbeat music and just staying around positivity will also help. Feel free to add me. I will encourage you along the way

My husband definitely supports me in my weight loss, but I find my biggest motivation in my MFP friends. There are alot of really great people on here. My husband and my family are great and always offer compliments, but there isn't anything that compares to people who know exactly what I'm going through...counting calories, trying to get exercise in, failing some days and killing it on others! Many on here go through the same things I do on a daily basis. Build up your friends list and remember you are doing this for yourself! You need to take control and make this happen. No one else can do it for you, but we can definitely offer you some support along the way. Feel free to add me! :happy:

What an awesome post - - - - it made me cry!!! I have not been at quite in your spot but my story is the same "out of contol". I KNOW the feeling of thinking FINALLY I can do this. My life has been working thru a weight issue - - with so many failures. I love this web site. It is my tool for success. I work it EVERY DAY!! Support from outside - not so much. Disappointing when expecting it and it is NOT there - - - soooooooooo - - - I do what I am doing now. Log on to MFP and find a post to identify with - - - THANKS.

As I said it is an AWESOME message. I will think of you often and wishing you success, success and more success until you shed tears cause you have reached your goal!!!

Hugs
LindaLou

First of all, congrats on your weight loss so far. It's a huge accomplishment that you should not belittle. I may not be the best person to answer this because I do not have children so I can't relate entirely to your situation. But I do know that it can be hard to stay focused on fitness when you don't have support from those around you and when they seem to constantly be making demands for your time. Just remind yourself that by doing this for yourself, you are also doing this for your family. Your kids deserve to have a happy and healthy mom, but more importantly, YOU deserve to be happy and healthy. Focus on your goals and remember how good it feels to make accomplishments, however small they may be. If you are running out of motivation, maybe you are setting the bar too high. When the challenge seems insurmountable, I always remind myself that something is better than nothing, and set my goal just a little bit lower. 9 out of 10 times, I end up going the whole way anyway, because getting out there is often the hardest part. Just focus on how you will feel when you are done!

You're right, it is terribly hard. And sometimes you just gotta cry to let that out. Then you get on #11 or whatever number you go to. Because you REMEMBER what it felt like to weigh 347 and you imagine what it will feel like to weigh ____ (whatever your goal is). ((HUGS)) Hang in there. It is worth it.

So its been 2 weeks & ive gotten use to being back at the gym, but today was a bit different. I did my 32 minute warm up on the treadmil then i went on to the 30minute circuit. I love planet fitness for the mix of 10 steps & 10 machines. Well when i got to #10 i felt worn out, when i got to #16 i thought it was sweat, but by #17, i realized it was tears. I am not one to show my emotions like that in public so it suprised me. I wasnt crying because i find the gym to be hard, but it was because I finally reached the point of so tired of being sick & tired, my frustration was making itself seen & i wasnt embarrassed. Im fighting with myself to get fit. Sure ive tip toed at working out, here and there, do just enough to maintain what i lost nearly a year ago but at this point bs'ing my self is no longer an option. Sure Ive gone from 347 to my current 306, im on the back door of kissing 299 & when i do, im going to kiss the 300's good-bye for good. I think its hard for me because there is always something pulling at me....work, school, kids, relationship & family. I seem to be everyones rock & my kids, who are young, do try to be supportive but in the end i feel like who really can understand what im going through & I need more of a support system.

Can someone please tell me what do you do to keep yourself motivated?
Outside of MFP, how do you find support?

For me it was riding one victory to the next, keeping it on the forefront of my mind along with my end goal, keeping my EYE ON THE PRIZE AT ALL TIME. I posted up pictures, statues, clothing, all over the house and in my car. Pushing out all negative thoughts and keeping my mind on the progress I've made and the progress I wanted. Single minded focus and push all else out of my way, KNOWING WHAT I WANT, KNOWING I AM GOING TO GET IT. It worked. I've spent 15 years failing and it's hard for an aging woman like myself, but if I can do this at age 50 and above, ANYONE CAN!

Your body loses weight in chunks, not linear. I have found that you can do everything right and your weight loss seems to plateau but if you are patient and keep exercising and eating at a deficit (however slight) you will lose it, it will suddenly "whoosh". There are so many variables for the scale; water retention, digestion, hormones, allergies, sodium, carbs, water intake, DOMS, inflammation, the list goes on. People mistakenly think they lose or gain weight when they eat more or less because of these fluctuations.

Losing weight requires tremendous patience. You will not lose it when you want it or where you want it. The body does its thing. Some apparent plateaus can last a month or so. You cannot make it happen faster. You must focus on two things; calories and exercise. Nothing else matters. Scales and metrics don't matter. The day in and day out grind of exercise and calories are all that matters. It is not very exciting until things fall into place. You get your victories and you ride one victory to the next.

The scale is a trend tool. The scale is good but put it away and only check once a week and only use it as a trend tool. It will fluctuate, it does not matter. Take front side and back progress pictures at least once a month. You will see differences that the metrics won't tell you and it's that little bit of NSV that will keep you going until the next victory.

Try to get a buddy. I have a great partner/cousin who is also part of mfp. She was the one who put me on to this... there is also fb, black women losing weight. My son works out and tells me when he sees results in my which keeps me going. Set goals for yourself. Take measurements, when the scale isn't moving measurements are so important. Good luck on ur journey. U can do this... I also go to Planet Fitness.... I love it.

So its been 2 weeks & ive gotten use to being back at the gym, but today was a bit different. I did my 32 minute warm up on the treadmil then i went on to the 30minute circuit. I love planet fitness for the mix of 10 steps & 10 machines. Well when i got to #10 i felt worn out, when i got to #16 i thought it was sweat, but by #17, i realized it was tears. I am not one to show my emotions like that in public so it suprised me. I wasnt crying because i find the gym to be hard, but it was because I finally reached the point of so tired of being sick & tired, my frustration was making itself seen & i wasnt embarrassed. Im fighting with myself to get fit. Sure ive tip toed at working out, here and there, do just enough to maintain what i lost nearly a year ago but at this point bs'ing my self is no longer an option. Sure Ive gone from 347 to my current 306, im on the back door of kissing 299 & when i do, im going to kiss the 300's good-bye for good. I think its hard for me because there is always something pulling at me....work, school, kids, relationship & family. I seem to be everyones rock & my kids, who are young, do try to be supportive but in the end i feel like who really can understand what im going through & I need more of a support system.

Can someone please tell me what do you do to keep yourself motivated?
Outside of MFP, how do you find support?

I am fortunate to have a strong support system of friends, family, coworkers and my 2 beautiful daughters. Since I know that not everyone is so lucky I make it a point to be a support for anyone else who needs it.
I started out at 350 pounds. I am now 256. Friend me and we can travel the rest of our journey together.

All nice stories, different that others but with the same comon objective, to start feeling better about ourselves.

What made YOU deicide this was it...Enough...I want to change my life around?

For me, I always pushed others in bettering themselves, motivated them and supported them...I never thought about myself....sure..I knew I had gained weight and was overweight but as much as I was being a motivator for others, I just couldn't do it for myself.

My son was 316 lbs at 16 and today, he looks like a personal trainer....working out for past 3 years...he's down to 178 and well shaped...I can remember him asking me to join him at the gym...but went in one ear and out the other....I knew that inside me, I always wanted to go trianing at a gym but I was too shy, thinking everyone would look at me.....

Well, one month ago, I decided that yes, I wanted to change my life around. Something snapped in me, and, as my son, who introduced me to MFP asked me once again to join him at the gym, well, I went for it...and man, do I WISH now that I had done it yearssssssssss ago.

Lost 13 lbs in just one month, I see muscles taking shape on my body and encourages me to just keep going full steam ahead.

Now, it's MY TIME, For ME! as YOU should do it for YOURSELF

Best success to you and everyone else in here who undertook this journey to better themselves