I can't leave my house anymore..

Finding the willpower to overcome emotion is tough, but it can be done. You found it in yourself to take care of said family member and now it's time to take care of yourself. You may think it's hopeless right now but attitude is everything and based on what I just read the true tough times are over and it's "me" time. Thinking of getting yourself in shape before anything else may seem selfish, but in the end it's just as selfish as feeling sorry for yourself and being an emotional wreck.

I'm 23 years old myself and my mindset is that I truly have the world at my fingertips in the same way that you do. We are young and that's something we need to take advantage of because some people don't even get that. You are your own masterpiece and that is a luxury that not everyone is granted, so if you aren't going to do it for yourself then do it for those who can't.

I've personally battled my own weight loss problem and wasn't able to do anything worthwhile until I got my head straight. Again, attitude is everything and nothing of significance will ever be accomplished without a positive one. Here's a little motivation that helps me out every time I think about slipping up.

Whenever I see that fast food sign, those sweets, or ANY weakness and think that I may want to indulge in....I think to myself that it's okay because no one will be surprised if I fall off, and that pisses me off enough to push those things away and remember that I am the only person that controls me, not them.

You can do this! Its a new start. You will still have hard times so you need to find a new way to deal with them. Give up the fast food. Right now that is the drug of choice for you so you have to walk away from it to get your life back. Its not forever just until you get control of you. I went from 218 to 118 in less than a year so one year from now your could be half of you and yet more of you.

Hi, Tips for success? Well, this is more then tips, it is how I did what I did and how I did it in the past.
Losing the weight was never my problem, it was always maintaining it.. but with this site, I am going to master that.

I think you should eat at least 1600 or 1700 but here is what I did.
It's kind of long.. hope I don't bore you.

When I first started trying to lose weight, I did what I did in the past, what I knew worked.
I was at one time 161 and decided then, that was too fat, so I took, it down to 128.
This was WAY before My Fitness Pal.
I just did my own thing. Years ago, I was in Weight watchers when they offered it at my job. It cost too much to do their program, but I knew what the basics of it were, so I kind of used that for myself to scale back my calories.
Typically, I was eating about 2 cups of Raisin bran for breakfast, then I would have a slimfast shake, not the premade cans of junk they sell, I would use the chocolate powder and I'll tell you why.

I have no belief in the SlimFast program at all, but I don't like milk and I know I need calcium, so I would use that powder instead of something high calorie, like Nestle Quick, to be able to drink milk. But I created a way to have this that I really like and have been doing it for about 18 years!

I peel ripe bananas, freeze them, and every day for lunch, I would measure 2 cups of skim milk into a blender, add two frozen bananas, and a full scoop of the slimfast powder. This is actually very delicious and it served it's purpose for me.

When I worked in an office, that would be my dinner, not my lunch and truthfully on a really hot summer day, if you whip this up and drink it down, it fills you up almost instantly (due to the banana) and it cools you off! So for calcium, lower calories, and a delicious drink, I"d make this..

Now, back to my story. This is all Pre - My Fitness Pal.
I had the Raisin bran every day (I don't mind eating the same thing every day, but you don't have to)
I had Slim fast with 2 bananas and 2 cups of milk every day
Then I ate what I considered to be a healthy dinner.
Chicken breast baked or steamed with a healthy portion of rice and beans.. this is an example.
I did this, or close to it from May to September. I went from 177 to 139 doing this.

Then I joined MFP. at the end of September. It took me down immediately to 1200 calories. Well guess what? I was far exceeding 1200 calories with what I had been doing, what had been working.. but it seemed like a good site, it showed me that I was getting way too much calcium, and not enough protein on a daily basis, so I started to make adjustments to my food.

I still use the Slimfast shake but I use one banana, not two and sometimes, if my calories are going too high, I cut back one cup of the milk and use water. I call them Slimfast (1) and Slimfast (2) - this one being the water/milk version.

I stayed in their 1200 zone and the weight went from 139 to 135 by November 9 so in just about 5 weeks, I had taken down 4 more pounds and was thrilled to meet my goal weight! So thrilled that I kept doing that caloric intake.. and then I got down to 132.. This is great right? Yes, but LOGIC came back to me.

Eating 1200 calories a day, I was going to bed hungry every night. I didn't like this.
I realized that previously I was intaking about 1800-2100 calories and I was steadily losing weight.
Then at the end of DEC, I was at a bed & breakfast with my husband.
It had a nice jetted tub. So of course first morning there, we hopped right in.
About 15 min's in the tub, I felt really thirsty, got out grabbed a robe, got a water and came back.
I said to my husband "I don't feel right, I hear buzzing in my ears" I sat on the edge of the tub, thinking I need water.
Buzzing increased, vision got sketchy, so I sat down on the floor trying to shake it off, I leaned against the tub.
Next thing I know, my husband is slapping my face calling my name.

I felt like I was being pulled from a dream.
He said I fainted, scared the witts out of him, he wanted to take me to the hospital.
I said, no, I think I need food and I'll be ok.

I ate.. a decent breakfast and I was fine, but a few weeks later, I got an intestinal virus and again, I almost fainted.
My husband said "you are starving yourself, you aren't eating enough, think back to when you did it on your own"
So I did and he was right.
I raised up my calories to 1410

Result: I am much more satisfied in the day, I do not go to bed hungry, and I am still losing but slower. Mostly because I am running out of fat to lose, but at 1410, I am still losing... so summed up.

I've seen many posts on the message boards saying 1200 calories is too low.
I have proof from myself doing it on my own eating way more then 1200 calories that I could lose weight.
I don't go to bed hungry anymore and I am happier, much happier for it.

Hope my story didn't bore you, but my strong recommendation is: EAT at Least 1400 calories a day and exercise daily.
You will lose weight. I promise.

Huge hugs!

I can relate to a lot of what you said....

You CAN do this. The choice is yours. You are in complete control here. You need to make healthy choices, log your food and work out...even if it is just walking. That's it. Don't be overwhelmed.

I gained 60lb over two years and was very down in the dumps and feeling really bad physically. I have lost 25lb since Jan 1st. I feel so much better - and now I have control, and a plan.

If you get on track with your weight loss you will feel happier and more confident and then you can tackle the job hunt and everything else.

Don't waste your young and "fun" years at home, eating, sitting around and missing out on life...you're deserve more!

I am 25,unemployed and depressed and getting out of the house for a run becomes hard sometimes but its important to me to be in shape.So what do I do? I turn on my PC and log onto youtube look for JM,insanity,blogilates or www.sweatn.com and choose whatever I want to workout to for free! you should try it! you will feel the difference and your clothes will fit!

1. Get your macros in check. Start eating well and do your best to stick to it.
2. Exercise every day. Go outside and start walking. Have a jump rope? I recommend jump roping since it burns tons of calories.
3. Workout and start this new life of yours for YOU and only YOU. Once you have that focus and drive everything else will come back into place. I am not sure if you are religious or not and it's none of my business although you need to understand that God wants us to take care of our bodies. Also understand if you don't believe in God that some higher power such as the Universe is testing you right now to see how strong you are. These struggles are what form mountains and successful people. I've been through trials of depression as well from a child to an adult. I've always found a way to a more positive life. Those friends that left you should be nonexistent now. Do not let someone who walks away play on your emotions. Understand that people leave to teach us a lesson that we can do better. Find a better group of people. You will.
4. Find a motivational source such as certain websites that have images and success stories.
5. Understand it takes time and patience. Take photos once a month and see your progress the longer you stick to it. There is no better feeling than progress.
If you have any other further questions or need support shoot me a message anytime. Take care and keep everything I said in mind.

What he said and...

"Same thing" happened to me only I was working out and healthy then I quit and gained 50 lbs in 6 months! You have to just get down right hoping mad and go do it! When it comes right down to it, we are usually our own worst enemy. I could only wear my gym clothes so I took a second set to the gym and wore those home! I've lost 24 lbs in 2 months. Once you start getting exercise, your mental outlook will improve, I promise! Exercise releases endorphins, ever heard of a runner's high? Like it says on the door at Golds, showing up is half the battle! :drinker: If you can't join a gym then start walking for 30 mins a day. More if you can handle it. Other exercises are all over the web. Livestrong is a good site to look on, as well as videos on U-tube. Food control is a challenge too but once you really start looking at what you are eating it becomes easier. Stop wasting money at fast food places, make you own food from healthy fresh foods. It's better for you and cheaper! I find it easier with exercising as I can eat more on exercise days. :bigsmile: Remember the story of the tortoise and the hare: Slow n steady wins the race. But you have to start the race. If you can't do both start off controlling your food intake first. :flowerforyou: Big Bonus in your favor, you are still young! :happy: You can send me a friend request if you like & I will help ... kick your butt out the door, jk. :bigsmile:

Well, I just lost about 50 pounds and I know how you feel. I've been thru it on multiple occasions. The first thing I would say is just visualize yourself healthier and thinner and then act accordingly. I lost my first 35 pounds with simply eating clean, not even counting calories. I focused on 6 small meals per day because I get hungry often, and that helped keep me from having binges. It worked for me. I also tried to eat less processed, high-fiber, high-nutrient foods and lean proteins. Not everyone has to do that, but it's what worked for me. I also decided to think of exercise not as something I was doing for weight loss but something I was doing to get healthy, be stronger, be more active, and have better stamina. So, I focused on things I like, such as walking and hiking. Now I am finishing C25K. I also finished 30 Day Shred. While I have only lost 50 of my 80 pounds, I went from a size 18/20 to a size 10/12 and from huffing and puffing while walking around the neighborhood to being able to run for a half an hour straight.

If nothing else, make a deal with yourself to walk or exercise 30 minutes per day most days per week. Choose things you LIKE. Then, add on mini-challenges to keep yourself motivated. Once you drop one size, you will have more motivation and confidence to do more. Honestly, I started up again with Leslie Sansone videos. I did one mile and progressed to 2 miles. Then I did three. Now I run. It doesn't happen over night. There's no finish line. There's only today. What are you going to eat today that will make you feel nourished? What can you do today to exercise that will be a first step?

You don't have to do it all at once. And again, visualize the accomplishments you want. Picture yourself as healthier. Then live that way each day, one day at a time.

Take the money you are spending on fast food and junk to reward yourself with new outfits as your sizes go down. Don't wait. Look good at every weight, and you will feel better!

Oh, I see myself in what you have written, and I have since managed to get control of my weight, still a bit to go but I already feel so much better about myself.

My marriage was crumbling, then my Dad died very suddenly at only 67, whilst away on holiday, and my Mum just fell to bits, so I was looking after her, I split from my husband and that was messy. I lost lots of weight at the start and then the comfort food put it all back on and more, much more!

You have already done the first thing that helped me, finding this website, and after that I logged food every day and started walking each day for around 45 minutes to an hour.

You can get control back, and you certainly have the ability to conquer the emotional eating, just give it a try, and no better time to start than today.

I love that the advice to a lady to embarassed to leave her house is people telling her to go for walks.

How about some basic exercise dvds? Get some for what you like doing. You can probably pick up a few good ones on the cheap. Zumba, step aerobics, balance balls, yoga, etc

Look on craigslist for a Total Gym (or whatever it is that Chuck Norris sells). You shoud be able to get one for a hundred bucks.

Get a stationary bike and ride it while watching tv.

If you cant affor any of that stuff, look up a home workout routine online. Plenty of bodyweight exercises you can do. Heck, even some light calistenics would be good.

And yes, you should try to eat healthierand moresensible amounts. But changing your body from a thing at rest into a thing in motion is the best way to start.

Good luck on achieving your goals!

WELL i say get that *kitten* out there, go kick some butt!
gain some will power,
get your body hot!
DO IT NOW!

You found MFP, that is a great start. Now record every single bite you eat even if you know you shouldn't have eaten it. That is a start.

Also, thrift stores, Salvation Army, and Goodwill for workout clothes. You can either buy the rest later or lose enough to fit your old clothes, but you need workout clothes that fit so you can, as someone else already said, go for those long walks. I hope you have a pair of tennis shoes around, that is the one thing you should try to buy new if not.

Read "The Body Fat Solution" by Tom Venuto. Then read "When Your Body Gets The Blues" by Marie-Annette Brown. I was looking for inspiration to start changing my life and both of these books spoke to me!