I need some serious motivation

octoberlightning · March 2011

I have always had a problem with staying motivated when it comes to losing weight. I see the reasons to cut down on certain foods and drinks, start exercising and being more active....but on the other side I see it too as not being able to eat all that you want and limiting yourself. I have always been the kind of person to always eat everything that's on your plate and that always comes into play every time I eat...I hate wasting food. When I don't have any motivation, or someone around to help me stay on track, then I can't stay on a diet more than a week...then I'm back to the same old routine. I feel like I'm starving myself when I don't eat all that I want...I know that's selfish of me in a way but that's how I feel. Most of the time I just give in when I go out to eat, I just say in my mind "screw it, why limit myself? life's too short to eat stuff you don't like or don't want". So I fill up my plate (if we go to a buffet) and have at least 2 plate fulls of food. I normally drink dr. pepper or sweet tea all of the time (and I am a type 2 diabetic) and get whatever I want no matter how many calories or how much fat or sugar it has in it.

So how can I get over this brick wall?

It's particularly hard because no one around me is eating healthy either. My family just eats burgers, take-out and very fattening foods all the time. No one exercises, we all just sit around either on the PC or watching TV all day long...and we always wonder where our next meal is gonna come from (either a local restaurant or another fast food place).

*just f.y.i.* My goal is to lose 60lbs. I currently weigh 255 and I'm 6ft tall and 24 years old. I am also a type 2 diabetic (as I said above) and have PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome).

ChantalD75 · March 2011

I feel your pain. My family either isn't on the healthy boat with me. I just had to say screw it i am worth it and will enjoy the end results!! I make two different suppers... buy different foods for the family then me. It's me time... I work out because it's me time and I get to have that time to myself.... It's hard work. I find myself not thinking just doing.... if I think about it I will give myself 101 excuses not to workout... or not to eat right... if I can do this anyone can!!! You can do it!!!

droberts56 · March 2011

I completely understand how you feel. Trouble is, we can't always have exactly what we want...ever! Once you decide what you REALLY want, you'll be good to go. Right now you're wavering. Never a good place to be, but we've all been there. I am sending you positive energy that hopefully will encourage you to do the right thing for YOU. We all only get one life. I chose to make mine great for me and serve as an example to others. It is hard to make good choices, but it gets easier over time. Take the step. You already know what it is. Let them eat whatever they want. Stay on program for your own well-being. The results will show in self esteem and on the scale. Be encouraged, girlfriend.

freerange · March 2011

It's just anything else, it's not going to work until you DECIDE you want to make it work.

chan0404 · March 2011

You have already taken the first step by even thinking about hte changes you want to make in your life. I would start with small things like cutting down or cutting out the soda. That is something that is not going to be easy but, just that small thing will allow you to see progress. I would also start walking. Take this time to reflect on the changes you want make and how you are going to get to them. I would start with about 30 mnutes a day, simply because you are worth it. It is not easy, and will require support and determination which is what you have all of us here at MFP for. Feel free to friend me and I will try and provide you with inspiration and motivation. Good Luck! You can do this because you are worth it and deserve it!

octoberlightning · March 2011

Thanks y'all

I really do appreciate it. I really do want to, I just have a hard time staying motivated and staying on track since I have so much temptation around me to eat all of the unhealthy foods and drink all of the soft drinks I want. I really am going to try the best I can this next time I work on losing weight. I want to feel healthy self esteem wise and physically too.

brandi1385 · March 2011

Do you have any friends you can rely on to form a support group with? I think that is what clicked for me. I have a wonderful group of friends that struggle with me daily on myfitnesspal. When i say struggle, I mean STRUGGLE!!! We commend each other on a job well done, we encourage each other when we are down and especially when we all want to eat everything in sight. My first step, I joined a gym and starting very slowly I gradually increased my workout times. Secondly, I stuck with my caloric guidelines as suggested by myfitnesspal. Yes, it was HARD at first but after, I'd say, 3 days I was finding that if I did eat over my caloric guidelines it kind of made my stomach hurt.

You can't lose all the weight overnight, it is just not going to happen. As my friends say, "Weight loss is a marathon, not a sprint!!".

Drop the sugery sodas from your diet. Maybe downgrade to a zero sugar, zero carb, zero calorie drink at first then gradually increase the water consumption in your diet. My experience is, if you stop the caffeine intake all at once, it will become a discouragement because you will go through caffeine withdrawal and noboday likes that feeling.

I see that you are diabetic also. I bet your physician would have the perfect diet for you to start with. Just remember, everyone starts somewhere!!!

shayborder · March 2011

Never an easy situation. I know where you are coming from on the family that doesn't eat healthy or exercise. I have that my husband and son were like that when I started to lose weight. The good news is in my case once I started doing things and changing my diet they started following suit. My son has gave up pop and drinks crystal light tea with me. He also is walking and jogging with me. My husband has started noticing what he is eating and being selective. No a huge step but something.

I would love to be able to motivate you to keep dieting but usually you have to find what works for you. The goal can be small or big. Mine is a vacation to Disney in November and being able to fit in all the rides. I had a bad experience at Cedar Point a couple years ago that showed me if I wanted to enjoy Disney I needed to lose weight. So I am shotting to lose 60lbs by the time I go.
For small goals so I have something that helps me feel like I am achieving something if I lose 20lbs I am going to color my hair so I can feel good about myself. Might not be an impressive goal but it works for me

The other good news is if you can start looking at different foods and different ways to change your favorite recipes then you can keep from feeling like your starving. They don't have to be big changes just small works and can have big results. But the truth is you will always have those off days where you get hungry.

I am 5' 9" and started at 305 lbs and 35 years old. I have been doing this for 3 weeks on MFP and have lost 10 lbs.

It does get easier to exercise right now I do 30 min a day. Usually in the morning before the family gets up. I find if I skip a day and don't exercise I feel terrible. So most of the time it gets to be a habit.

Just remember your not alone. There are a lot of people on this site going thru the same thing. If you would like to add me to your friends go ahead and I will help whenever you need a cheering section:happy:

LucieBear · March 2011

Hi, I agree with everyone's advice. No it's not easy, but you have made the first step. I also like a lot of people make two separate meals. I am not the best at workouts but I do push myself at least 3 times a week. The one thing you can count on from this weight loss site is you will have a new family of friends that will be with you, to support you , to give you advice, and answer questions.

I suggest not to go to drastic to quickly, as you might get discouraged, but start logging your food. Stop dropping a few things at each meals or cutting down on portion, and with time you will get results. Also if you really need your soda, cut down on the amount and go diet soda for now.

And as for exercise, start by small walks, or even when you park at the mall or at the store park at the furthest spot so that you walk a bit more... and if there are stairs and elevators, take the stairs even if you only do one flight of stairs out of ten.. ... just a few suggestions...

Most importantly try and drink 8 ounces of water before each meal, and you will see with time you will want that water, your body will be wanting water.

You can request to be friends and I will gladly accept to help you through this weight loss.

You will feel so good.

You can do this, you are strong and it's a matter of changing your way of thinking that you are eating to live and not living to eat. I use to eat just because I knew it was going to be good. Now I know what good tastes like, and it is weight loss.

Wishing you the best.

Sorry for going on.. but I know how you feel, I once weighed 265 at 5'1... I was as round as I was tall... I am now at 208... feeling a lot better.
Take care MFP friend... Lucie

MakingAChoice · March 2011

Thanks y'all I really do appreciate it. I really do want to, I just have a hard time staying motivated and staying on track since I have so much temptation around me to eat all of the unhealthy foods and drink all of the soft drinks I want. I really am going to try the best I can this next time I work on losing weight. I want to feel healthy self esteem wise and physically too.

If you REALLY want to make a change then there is no temptation great enough to change that. If you maintain your current course with type 2 diabetes it WILL kill you. If that is not a strong enough motivation I don't know what is.

NOTHING tastes as good as being fit(healthy) feels!

I cut everything cold turkey, I stopped drinking that 1/2 case of diet soda a day, I stopped all refined sugars AND I stopped my family from asking me 'Do you want some?' I had to tell them point blank, 'no, I do not want some and I will NEVER want some so stop asking!' They got the message after that. My entire family eats crap too, the same crap I used to eat just 7 weeks ago. I am trying to be the inspiration to my family to be healthier. Right now you are on train tracks with a train barreling toward you, choose to jump off the tracks. Food manufacturers (buffets) do not have you best interest at heart, they only want profits.

77LouLou · March 2011

I too am doing this alone! First of all you have to do this for YOU!!! Noone else! Also this is not a diet!!! It's a way of life! There is nothing you can't have!! Moderation is key! You can friend me and I will give you as much encouragement and advice as I can!! I'm determined! I was 250 and now 200! I want to lose 50 more! It's not easy but it can be done!! Best of luck!!

Lakerlady5747 · March 2011

I think you've received some fantastic advice so far!

Could you volunteer to cook a meal at home for your family? That way your family would know where the next meal is coming from and you could control what you are eating a little bit better. You could go grocery shopping and try buying some healthier snacks, like baby carrots, fruits (I LOVE grapes for snacks!), etc. Also, since you really like pop, I would first switch from sugared pop to diet pop. It's still not the best, but it is definitely a start, and you have to start somewhere.

Also, try to get moving a little more if you can. Go outside and play with your nephews (mine always keep me VERY active when we play outside). When you go to a store, park in the back of the lot and walk further. When you start making little changes, it will slowly start to help you feel better and it will motivate you to make larger changes.

Also, is there someone (a friend, one family member maybe?) who would like to lose weight with you? My fiance and I are trying to lose weight/get healthier together, and I have found that it truly does help to have someone who wants to make changes with you. We definitely motivate eachother when one doesn't want to go workout.

Good luck, and remember, your MFP family is here to help!=)

octoberlightning · March 2011

Yeah, I could probably start trying to fix some meals at home. It's hard to keep my parents (especially my mom) from going out to eat but like maybe once or twice a week I can offer to cook supper. I've never really cooked much but I've always wanted to learn how to cook meals instead of popping stuff in the microwave (like tv dinners and popcorn lol).

Sadly no one around me wants to lose weight with me. It makes it harder to stay on track. Like what you mentioned Lakerlady, I can make some small changes like walking farther to go into a store, and when I go out to eat, get like either diet soda (even though I don't like it much) or unsweetened tea and just add artificial sweetener to it.

I work in a grocery store, as of right now, so I can always look out for deals on veggies, fruits and other things like that (since I am pretty much on a very limited budget; $100 a week).

It is a pretty big motivator when it comes to me having diabetes...it was a huge smack in the face when I found out back in June of '09. I know deep down that I need to change my bad habits health wise or I will end up being a fat & lazy person that hates my life. I don't ever want to go back to being that (I have done been down that road).

I need some serious motivation

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