Need support... Is all this really worth it?

i don't know about the restrictions due to your medical conditions, but you can lose the weight. it takes patience. for now, forget all the baloney about low carb, clean eating, low fat, low sugar, etc. etc. etc. (unless you have to follow those for your medical conditions!). just get started logging your food. learn your BMR/TDEE and get in the habit of going under each day. it's critical to establish these behaviors as habits. once you do, none of this is hard... it just takes time. to lose 200 lbs, you should expect to be at this for a good 2 years or so. once you're on the way, then you can start researching nutrition and strength training and all those other things. what's important now is just getting started and learning to use the information and tools at hand so that you're equipped with an understanding of how and why your body gains and loses fat.

i'll tell you one little secret... it's not as hard as you think it will be. plenty of people lose lots of weight simply by logging their food, making sure they are eating at a calorie deficit, and walking for exercise.

Hi, I'm not a veteran loser yet, but it's got to be worth it. with your hypothyroidism you are probably cold a lot... so moving will feel good and warm you up. take it one day at a time, just do the best by focusing on wanting to feel good and energetic. wishing you much success and feel free to add me.
Judith

It's so worth it but it's not easy. Sorry for your struggles but stick with it because in the end the rewards rock!

It is worth it.

How about baby steps - i.e. today instead of eating while at the computer, reading or watching tv, make sure when you eat you only eat sitting at a table with no other distractions.

I used to eat loads while watching tv and movies but once I broke the habit, it saves a lot of calories.

i don't know about the restrictions due to your medical conditions, but you can lose the weight. it takes patience. for now, forget all the baloney about low carb, clean eating, low fat, low sugar, etc. etc. etc. (unless you have to follow those for your medical conditions!). just get started logging your food. learn your BMR/TDEE and get in the habit of going under each day. it's critical to establish these behaviors as habits. once you do, none of this is hard... it just takes time. to lose 200 lbs, you should expect to be at this for a good 2 years or so. once you're on the way, then you can start researching nutrition and strength training and all those other things. what's important now is just getting started and learning to use the information and tools at hand so that you're equipped with an understanding of how and why your body gains and loses fat.

i'll tell you one little secret... it's not as hard as you think it will be. plenty of people lose lots of weight simply by logging their food, making sure they are eating at a calorie deficit, and walking for exercise.

Definitely. In the beginning, just log in EVERYTHING you eat. I used to go over by a ton when I started last year, but continued logging. After you're used to logging, then try to shoot for your calorie goal. Nothing extreme. Just do what you can to start getting closer and closer to that number. Eventually, meeting that number will become easier and before you know it, you've lost some weight in the process and it's time for a calorie deficit adjustment. It's been a year and I'm just starting to try to learn about the nutritional/strengthening/overall fitness aspect of this. Don't give up and don't get discouraged just because you're going over or it seems too tedious logging in everything. You'll get used to it as long as you stick with it and it is DEFINITELY worth it.

It's never easy but it does get easier to get into a schedule and before you know it you're not thinking about it. Yes it's hard and yes there will be days when you want to say F it. It's worth it when you look back and see all your hard work and your progress.

You have to ask yourself if doing nothing and possibly gaining even more weight is worth it? As others have pointed out start with some small achievable goals, whatever that is for you. Like cutting out one soda instead of two, skip a pastry, whatever. Doing a quick 5 minutes of jumping jacks still burns some calories. Small victories add up. You'll feel the payoff as you drop pant sizes. You can do this! You'll gain a certain confidence in yourself too!
Add me if you want.

Do what you can - start with logging all your food, the good and the bad - this is definitely a learning process, and you are going to have days when you just can't do it. That's okay, just keep pushing toward your goal.

Make a rule that you can't eat while on the computer. Then come here and read.

There is no such thing as failure, only delayed success.

Nah you're right its totally not worth it!

I mean sure you will live longer, have less health complications including being at lower risk for diabetes, heart conditions, and a number of other degenerative diseases, be able to buy nice clothes and like the way they look on you, have increased self confidence, be able to move more freely, be happier and have more energy, get increased respect from the general community (I know that sounds judgmental but there is objective evidence to show this happens).

But on the other hand, making a change to your life will require a little bit of effort. You will have to say no to the occasional slice of pie and make a conscious effort to get up and move on a daily basis...

Actually, when you put it like that, it does seem worth it doesn't it!

It's so worth it! I wish I started this time last year and I'd already be at my goal.

I wish you lots of luck!

Your diary is filled with so much sugar and processed foods. You can eat so much more if you fill your meals up with healthier choices, fruits, veggies, salads, whole grains, lean meats. Go through the success stories and find people with open diaries to get some ideas to make healthier choices. You will feel alot better!

It is worth it. It can change your life. Realize you don't have to do everything at once. Start building new habits. As they take, build more. Don't obsess about the scale, focus on changing what you do. Eat less. Move more. Eat better. Lift some heavier things. You're building a new lifestyle - don't look to fad diets or drastic actions - use the process of losing weight to teach yourself how you'll live when you're done.

^^this...absolutely.

for me, it was baby steps...making better decisions here...better decisions there...working out a little here and a little there. Pretty soon I was making 80-90% better decisions as to what was going into my body...my walks 3x weekly turned into runs and HIIT and started walking on the less intense days just to keep moving...so 5 times per week...now recently have incorporated weight training on my non cardio intense days...

It's been a slow process but I'm getting there little by little and feeling better than I have in years. Just baby stepin' to a new lifestyle...the results on the scale and my measurements are just gravy.

I have lost over 100lbs. Here is my advice(I am a person who becomes easily overwhelmed and gives up). Start. Slow. Yes, it's very tempting to jump right in head first but that never worked for me. When I first started losing weight I started with just diet change. No formal exercise. I had to do one thing at a time and concentrate on just that. When I started losing I added in some exercise.

If you can commit to small changes and make them become habits it can make this whole process much easier. It was daunting to think of making a big diet change plus commiting to 5-6 days a week of working out. I couldn't do it. Call me weak, whatever you want but this worked for me.

I now work out regularly. I don't always log exercise on here. I use mfp for calorie tracking mainly.

This works if you can commit to doing it. Maybe start with making NO diet changes and logging every single thing you eat/drink on here. See what you've been eating. Be honest about it. It'll give you a good starting point. Then start with small changes. See what you can cut out or lower day by day.

If you look at "easier" as changing your lifestyle to include smaller portions (which was hard for me), more exercise (another one I had to work at) and changing the WHAT you eat along with the how much....at the start it's hard.

As you get use to doing life differently, it's much easier. Being mindful of your body and your health becomes a "new normal". But that...it takes a long time.

What I've learned is that you have to like what you are eating, but eat a LOT less of it. I use to eat a lot of cheese. Now I eat just one portion (the legit, lipstick-sized piece) when I have it, and only really once per day. I don't need it on EVERYTHING anymore like I use to. I find I buy different cheese now than I did as well. I buy it to savor and enjoy now instead of just being the huge hunk of cheddar because I'll eat it within a month.

Forcing yourself to exercise more is actually the easiest thing. Start with anything. When you watch TV, get up and start doing jumping jacks for a minute at a time. Or 20 body-weight squats. or 5 push-ups. ANYTHING to start getting addicted to wanting it to be easier and feel better. Once the fever to feel good kicks in, you won't want to stop.

Make change slowly, or you run the risk of not doing it at all. Replace your soda with water. Keep a food diary to start. See where you normally are in calories vs. where you need to be. If you are eating too many calories, try to eat a little less and measure/weigh your food to know what portions are supposed to be (this is still a struggle for me). Get an idea of where you are to know where you need to be.

I believe in you. You CAN do it. It takes what feels like forever, and you'll be discouraged at times, but that's what we're here for. We're doing this "new normal" thing together.

Best of luck!!

With needing to loose 100 pounds myself I always remember my Dad telling me this one thing...he said you didnt put the weight on overnight and it wont come off overnight. SLOW AND STEADY is the way to go..any little change you make will make it easier to loose the weight. I started using my fitness pal on January 2nd and so far I am down 8 lbs. One change I made is when I come home from work I dont sit on the couch...I walk on my tredmill for at least 1/2 hr...I am also making healthier choices when eating..so far this is working for me....slow and steady