I Need Help PERIOD

Big hugs to you. If you can't use your family as a support network, do you have any friends in a similar boat? A club you can join where you can find people who can cheer you on?

It's tough to get motivated but I've found two things really helpful this year. 1) tracking my food every day as I know how easily I could lapse and eat more calories than I should and 2) I positively visualise myself on New Year's Eve 2014 having lost 3 stone and imagine how healthy and strong I am.

Every time I want to eat something that would crush my calorie target for the day I visualise future-me and accept I can't self-destruct and still be her.

All the very best of luck to you. x

Big hugs to you. If you can't use your family as a support network, do you have any friends in a similar boat? A club you can join where you can find people who can cheer you on?

It's tough to get motivated but I've found two things really helpful this year. 1) tracking my food every day as I know how easily I could lapse and eat more calories than I should and 2) I positively visualise myself on New Year's Eve 2014 having lost 3 stone and imagine how healthy and strong I am.

Every time I want to eat something that would crush my calorie target for the day I visualise future-me and accept I can't self-destruct and still be her.

All the very best of luck to you. x

Excellent advice! I picture my future self also! I try to think about how good it's going to feel buying smaller clothes for once! Also since I have started exercising I feel 110% better! I have more energy, I feel stronger, I feel capable. It's amazing! Not to mention my blood pressure is better and so is my cholesterol. Losing weight is about so much more than looking good, it's about being healthy, prolonging your life, and I know I'm setting a good example for my daughter. When you think of all of it together you can find the motivation! Good luck!

I too have been having a bit of an issue remaining focused and driven. Something that has worked greatly for me in the past is a "vision board"; take a large poster board or whatever works best for you. You can either find quotes you love and put them on there, you can find pictures of dreams and goals you'd like to attain, etc. Put this somewhere you can see daily/frequently and see if it will help keep you motivated. I am very visual and had seen someone put on pinterest a cool idea of jars with maybe coins or marbles or something in them. One jar would have the number of items you'd like to loose equal to pounds; the other jar would be empty and maybe a motivational quote on the front. For every pound you lose take from the filled jar and put in the "loser" jar. This too can help keep you focused. I also think it cannot be an all or nothing thing as others have stated, baby steps and make lifestyle changes rather than quick changes.

Great advice above. I think this forum is a great source of support. This sounds cheesy but I also subscribed to several facebook pages and the positive messages that pop up on it when I check facebook help me stay focused and keeps it fun.

The bottom line though is you really do have to do it yourself. You alone make the decisions of what to eat or not eat. You do the moving. Ultimately all our motivation comes from inside. We lose weight and/or get in shape because we want it. We really really want it. We want it more than we want to stay the same. We want it more than what we sacrifice to get it. We deserve it.

No one ever lost weight with another persons motivation and work. That isn't meant to be defeatist but to empower you. All the motivation, power, determination and strength you need is right there inside you. You do not have to wait around for someone to bestow it upon you like a gift. You OWN it. It is YOU.

I like visualizations. I visualize two me's. The outside me that often feels hopeless, overwhelmed, unhappy, tired (and weighed down - literally) and the inside me that is determined, motivated, powerful, and vibrant. If those two people are you, what would you feed each? Not just foods but messages and other input. I know what I feed mine - and I also discovered the one I feed is the one that grows - both literally and figuratively. When I am struggling with a choice I literally visualize who I'm feeding. I have a goal weight but my *real* goal is for the inside me to become the outside me - the complete me.

Feel free to add me, I'm here everyday!

I've been faithfully logging since January. The only reason why I haven't 'shown'' it to the world is because my eating habit has not changed much, but I have lost 17.6 pounds and I don't won't to discourage anyone. I honestly eat what I want when I want. I've always been a picky eater. The ''diet'' food (not all, but most) is just plain nasty to me. I've tried every trick to make it taste btter. Read a lot of blogs, nagazines, posts. You name it. It still is gross. If I want pizza. I'll eat it. I'm not a big candy. chocolate eater, but if I want a snickers or reese's or whatever. I'll have one. MOF had 3 on Wednesday. I'm not suggesting anyone do what I do, but it works for me. Probably won't eat anymore until summer. Most days of my diary says you're not eating enough. Geesh. I'm not freakin hungry. On the days I am. I eat whatever whenever I feel like it. I'm sorry to be blunt, but it's the truth and if I can't be honest with myself.....

If anyone has some suggestions of what I can add that tastes wonderful, I'll try if I haven't already. All these so called diets that say eat all the foods you love and as much as you want. None of those have anything I love on it and I don't eat all day.

At any rate, you all chime in and with the help of others I'll work on getting my diet in shape too. BTW- I love potatoes like nobody's business, but I've cut them out for LENT. I'm about to go crazy lol. So far so good though. I started my journey though 1/7/14 so I don't think the potatoe elimination had much to do with it. However, I may see a big difference once these 40 days are up I

Here are a few things I have changed and I'll work harder on getting my food diary in better shape. I'm sure I would have much more weight off if I get that in line.

1. I only drink water and coffee. No juice, soda, milk, alcohol. Plain ole tap, Nestle pure life or sparkling ice. At least 80 ozs a day.

2. On average I workout 5 times a week. A few times I went twice a day. The gym is literally around the corner from my house so I have no excuses. I can walk if I had to.

3. I make my salads in a jar for a week so I'll have at least one decent meal a day. What I use to make them varies on how I'm feeling.

4. I try to eat a banana everyday to keep my BP in tact. I think the doctor is going to take me off my meds soon because of the weight loss and my commitment to exercise. We'll see. I go in a few weeks.

I would say start slow and make changes you can sustain, rather than going on a mad crash diet and working out like Rocky.

Figure out what high calorie foods you like and try to make lower calorie swaps. If you don't do much exercise atm start simple and add an hour of walking to your day; or as much as you can manage. You would be surprised how much weight you can lose slowly and sustainably with just small changes to your diet and more exercise. As you progress and your fitness level increases you can add more challenging workouts in. Personally I only did an hour of walking a day for the first month and lost weight every week.

Most importantly for motivation I think it is useful to focus on the health benefits, not just how you will look if you lose weight. Some days maintaining motivation is hard, but knowing about the increased risks of heart disease, diabetes and strokes with excess weight can be that extra little boost you need to get up and move.

Good luck!