started off with 115 lbs to lose, now its 125lbs

Start doing light exercise every day to at least get your body moving & you can build up from there. I made a bunch of small changes early on - all the things they say you should do but that most people don't - parking as far away as possible, walking to the grocery store & back with my bags, taking the stairs instead of the elevator in my building. I built that up to either a 40-min cardio dance workout or hour+ elliptical plus weight lifting at least 5 times a week. Honestly, only you're going to be able to motivate yourself - I was the same way as far as exercise & diet went but one day, it just clicked that my old lifestyle & rigidity re: exercise was slowly killing me & that I didn't want that for my life. You have to want it for your own health. I would also say start by doing active things you really enjoy - I used to dance (& loved doing it) so I started with a dance workout video at home. Trying to force myself into an intense workout to start never worked for me in the long run, but the ability to build on the previous days'/weeks'/months' workouts [& see myself do so by tracking it daily] was immensely helpful.

I also purchased a fitbit which helped show me how active I was during the day & helped me adjust my overall activity. It also syncs with MFP & has been a big motivator for me to get close to my final weight loss goal. I have about 5 more lbs to go to hit my goal, but even if I didn't hit it, I'm down to a healthy weight & feel the best I have in a very long time. Ultimately, that was what mattered most to me.

Hope some/all of this is helpful for you. Good luck with your weight loss journey!

I do understand where you are - I have been there myself and just despaired at my situation.

Please don't give up. Start now by making a plan of some small changes you can make which will help. Things like taking a walk every day, make a meal plan, cut out some snacks, replace fizzy drinks or alcohol with water or tea.

Look for some motivation too, I love reading other people's success stories because they really fire me up, some people use the fat picture on the fridge, find something that works for you.

It can be done because others have done it therefore you can too.

Good luck.

You and I are rowing the same boat. We just have to make up our minds to DO IT. Friend as many people as you can on here.. including me! and draw inspiration and motivation from wherever you can from everyone. I always feel so overwhelmed and don't know where to start. That is when I am reminded of the old saying- "How do you eat an elephant?... One bite at a time" Baby steps, girl... baby steps. Walk to the end of your driveway and back- and then message me when you get back to your house. YOU CAN DO THIS!

girl just start walking! walking is great and you don't have to go walk 5 miles the first time, you can walk for 5 mins... then 10 mins...then 12 minutes... just keep walking and one day you'll love walking. once you feel more comfortable add some other things you like to do - your profile says you want to be able to dance - well you can dance your way to that thinner healthier body! there are tons of games and work out dvds with dancing, I like to play just dance but there are literally millions of dvds with every type of dance and you can start off slow and keep going. its going to be hard but you have to push through, log all your food (even if it is bad!) and drink lots of water. allow yourself to gradually get off certain foods or even just eat them less - if you eat a certain unhealthy thing everyday, try eating it every other day...then leave more days in between. it gets easier, trust me. you just have to be dedicated and try your hardest.

feel free to add me if you want some friends, i just turned 22 so i'm about your age

Walking. If you are not used to moving around, walking is the best. You can do it as vigorously or gently as you like, you can swing your arms or put your hands in you pocket, you can walk on the flat or on hills. This is something you can really vary if you want to but when you have finished your walk, however long or gentle, remember to do some stretches afterwards, this will help you feel more flexible and less achy.

As for motivation, only you know the reasons for which you are truely wanting to lose weight. Make yourself a bit of list, most people do this in their profiles, reasons for why you want to lose weight; to be healthy, to be fit, to reduce the risk of heart disease, to buy cute clothes etc... Whenever you feel you are lacking motivation it's a good reference point to come back to and remind yourself of your reasons and of any goals. It's also great for your MFP contacts to be able to help and hold you accountable and encourage you.

I have only lost 10lbs so far but I have done this simply by eating a calorie controlled diet and doing more walking (eating my exercise calories back most of the time). I have just started doing 30 day shred as I felt I was ready to tackle something harder but that's for you to decide when. I have taken inspiration from my Mum, Sister and Dad, all who have lost around 30+lbs since August on a calorie controlled diet alone, no exercise at all - not even walking.

Everyday I look on the 'Success Stories' message board, this really helps me as I can see that it really is possible to lose the weight, get healthy and get the body I want, I just have to stick to it.

Sticking to it, that can be hard. I have found myself a routine which works for me. You need to find a routine for planning meals that suits you. Here's a bit of a list of things that have helped me get started and keep going;

1. Logged how many calories I ate before embarking on weight loss
2. Worked out, using MFP, how many calories I should be eating each day
3. Eating breakfast for the first time since I started school (so, 29 yrs)
4. Making time to walk, even if only for 20mins or move my body some other way.
5. MFP app and Garmin Fit app for mobile phone, keep me in check
6. Weighing out and planning meals in advance (only 1 day, some prefer to do it weekly etc.)
7. Routine breakfast and lunch while at work, 30g of cereal + milk, Tin of soup, 2 Pieces of fruit
8. Very varied and wide range of evening meals, I use low calorie cook books as well as my own recipes to keep things interesting
9. The MFP success stories
10. My MFP contacts
11. Set myself a main goal and mini goals
12. Discovering that it's working helps a lot
13. Stretching every day has made me feel more mobile
14. Cutting out coffee has worked for me

All these things have worked for me, but everyone is different. You will find your own way and the things that work for you. The first couple of weeks were the toughest for me but now it is routine, it does feel good to know I'm doing something about my weight - finally.

For probably the last 5 years I have been saying that I want to lose weight, that I will start my diet tomorrow, that I will start working out when things get less hectic at work, blah blah blah.... Well if I had done it then I wouldn't be here now, needing to lose 63lbs. That's my biggest thing, I kept on saying it and talking about it instead of just doing it. So instead of being healthy for the last 5 years, I've been miserable and unmotivated and unhealthy when I could have been doing this, then.

Remember this isn't about dieting, this is changing the way you see food, the way you cook food, how much food you eat. It's about changing the habits of a lifetime for something new and better. It's about making sure you have a future, getting healthy and fit. It's about your relationship with food, food is fuel - not therapy. Food to a human is like fuel in a car, you only need what it takes to function, but we have the ability to be able to store the excess where we don't want or NEED it.

Maintain weight - Carlories in = Calories burned
Gain weight - Carlories in > Calories burned
Lose weight - Calories in < Calories burned

There's lots of different calculators you can use to help you figure these things out, BMR, TDEE, MFP Settings, heart rate monitors etc. Do your own research, this will help you retain the information and change your mindset - long term. People telling you won't help you change as much as finding out for yourself. Gain knowledge and lose weight for the long term. Knowledge doesn't weigh anything.

Don't put off until tomorrow what can be done today. Feel free to add me to your MFP support network. I hope that you find the things that work for you. All the best and don't give up. It's an uphill struggle but the higher you climb, the better at it you get and if you give up now, how will things have changed from any other time before?...

All I know is that this site works, IF you journal every day and are honest!!!! I have been overweight practically all my life, except when I was litte and up to age 15!! Less input, MORE output. Get yourself a pair of Size 14 jeans and imagnie what you'll look like in them. YOU CAN DO IT!!!! I am going to do it!! If I eat something that I shouldn't, off I go walking and/or exercising. You can eat anything but CHART it and drink at least 8-10 glasses of water. In fact, drink water when you feel hungry. Nobody but you can make that change! Your desire to change has to be greater than your desire to stay the same :0) I'm here for you if you are here for me!! I have about 100 pounds to lose...I know what I'm talking about :0)))

Just start. personally, i would not start with a hard work out - it will burn you out if you are not used to it.
I have lost 46 lbs since june. all i do is watch what i eat (actually eat whatever I want - but in moderation) stay under your calories / watch your sodium and sugar. thats it. and walk. make it a routine to try to go out walking everyday or night to get some exercise. once you get started, you will be surprised how easy it really is.

I can totally relate to where you are coming from.
I have been overweight my entire life - and I was finally ready to do something about it about 10 years ago. (it took at least 6 months of me thinking about doing something before I was actually ready to DO it).

I started weight watchers at that time, and I lost 70 pounds. I was the skinniest I had ever been in my entire life. I maintained that weight for a few years, and very slowly - it came creeping back on me. Life happened - stress happened, lots of things happened - and I stopped trying or caring. Over the last 10 years, I gained all 70 pounds back plus 20 more.

During that time - over the last 5 years or so, I kept thinking I was ready to try again. I'd start a diet, lose about 15 lbs, then give up and gain it all back, plus more. This cycle went on until March 2012. At that time, I decided I was FINALLY ready to do it for real, again.

I know that nothing that ANYBODY could've said to me would've made me ready. YOU have to be ready to do this for YOURSELF. Not for anybody else - not because of anything anybody has said to you. It has to be when you are absolutely, 100% ready to dedicate yourself to losing weight and eating healthier. Until you are 100% ready, it isn't going to work. I know from personal experience.

Since March, I have lost 34 lbs, and I have about 48 lbs to go to my goal weight. I am much more dedicated this time than I EVER was before. And I know the only reason for that is because I was 100% ready for this. Good luck and stick with it! You will be ready one day

the biggest piece of advice I can give you is that you need to be completely honest with yourself!

I started this journey weighing 305 lbs, I am now 315lbs...due to stress and the addiction to eating. I stress over so much, I am having a hard time to learn how to deal with it. I have not started exercising, which is my first reason I am not improving. I also have been using the "I will start my diet tomorrow" saying everyday for at least a month now, second reason. I am so disappointed in myself, but am wondering, am I the only one dealing with this?
Doing something about my obesity is the HARDEST part so far...I just cannot seem to get the motivation I need!
But in my mind I crave it, I want a healthier lifestyle....Just need motivation to get me started and keep pushing me, better yet, shoving me each day.
But, my body doesn't move like a 21 year old body should, my joints ache from doing absolutely nothing. I need to change, but how can I without pulling a muscle or causing something to break. I don't know if I should start out with intense cardio or mild. I just do not want to make a mistake and wind up hurting myself rather than improving myself. I know the saying "No pain no gain" but that is for muscle burning, not bones!! Please, if you have anything or any advice to say to me, feel free to share!

I have gone thru a lot of what you have adding that I have a form of Crippling Arthritis. My Neck, Shoulders, Lower Back and my hips are fused. I have Foot Nerophy in both my feet. I started by walking 10 minutes today was my best I went for 40 minutes I don't measure in steps or miles or blocks I just start the timer and go for a walk. Some days are worse than others maybe next time out it mite only be 20 minutes again but at least I am giving it a go.

Forgot to mention I only have 45% of one lung and 50% of the other due to Blood Clots and my ribs are fused so I can't take a deep breath.

Just take it one step at a time you can do this.

Have a great Thanksgiving

I hear ya. I went months, years, saying to myself that I would start eating right tomorrow. Instead, all I did was gain more weight. At my highest I was 337 pounds. It took a health scare to get my butt in gear to do something about losing weight.

If you are having trouble taking the first steps, my advice is to start small. Make your first goal to log in to MFP everyday and track everything you eat. Don't worry at first if you aren't staying within your calories, just get used to logging what you eat. After a week or so, start to stay within your calories. Then add a bit of exercise. If all you can do is a 10 minute walk, then do that 10 minutes. The next day try to do 15 minutes, and the day after that do 20. Eventually, it will all click and you'll find that you enjoy eating right and exercising.

Feel free to add me.

I understand where you are coming from.... it is hard to 'stay' motivated - but we have to.....I want to feel good again, I want to have energy again....and I know it is only me that can make it happen. So I want to say 'welcome' to this wonderful site - the people here are very very supportive and helpful - they have pulled me out the 'dark mirky place' several times - I won't give up and I know you won't either... we are all in this together... we can do it....anyway....welcome!!!

:flowerforyou:

Get to a club with a Pool, that will take a lot of stress for the bones, as will as losing the weight. My knees are so much better, after just losing 27 lbs. Good luck and get moving. Carol

I hear you also and you have gotten a lot of great advice. Some of which I will use for myself. I have two motivators. My Darling Daughter has lost weight by counting calories and a rigorous excersise routine, at least I think it's rigorous. If she can do this, so can I. My second motivator is, I got a dog. He's a big German Shepherd and needs a lot of excersise. Just walk. To the mail box. Park a couple of parking spaces farther away from the grocery store. Park your car and do your errands on foot, that is if you live in a small town. Find a friend to walk with. Take it slow. Someone told me that is takes 21 days for something to become a habit. They were right. I'm very lucky, I have a nice woods behind my house to walk one. I love the scenery. The fresh air does wonders too. Getting started is all in your head. The best of luck to you. I'm very new to this forum, but feel free to add me as a friend.

I would like to echo a lot of what's been said about making small changes/taking small steps. Yes, that's great advice, and the small changes DO add up.

However, I do want to clarify something, and I'd like to add something as well.

Clarification: exercise alone may be a start, but it is often said that weight loss is 80% eating and 20% exercise. Having lost 82 lbs over a year (I'm pregnant now, so I'm on hiatus), I have found that to be 100% true, especially since I didn't exercise for the first 4.5 months of that year and saw the difference between no exercise and running or Spinning 5-6 days/week. Eating well/logging helped me lose most of those pounds, and exercise kept my losses going and really improved my body (and not just in appearance). Exercise also helped me crave foods that fueled my body rather than just fulfilled calorie requirements.

So yes, continuing to eat as-is and moving some will help, but if I had to start somewhere, I'd choose to start with eating habits first. That is not to say that you shouldn't start with exercise - it's just my honest (and humble) opinion that food is the best place to start to see results faster.

Addition to what others have said (one person kind of implied it, unless I missed something): The motivation to start really has to come from within. Nobody can want it for you; you have to want it badly enough for yourself. YOU have to tell yourself that you are worth it. On the days that are hard and you want to quit, YOU have to make yourself not quit, to tell yourself that every good choice you make adds on to the ever-increasing pile of good choices and will do you so much good in the long run.

I like to think of the desire to make healthy changes as a light switch. Your switch needs to be in the "on" position, and no one can turn that switch on or keep it on but you.

I'm sorry if any of that sounds harsh; I really tried not to sound that way, but I don't like sugar-coating this. It's just that if you don't *really* want it and aren't ready to change, then you won't succeed, and all the advice you've gotten about small changes (which is good advice) will be placed in the "didn't work" column in your mind for the next time you get fed up and want to do something about it.

In short, you have the power to do it; you just need to actually do it.

Best wishes to you, honey - I really hope to see you around here and eventually posting on Success Stories :happy: