I choose to stay fat!

I think that you want to be ready, but you're not completely there yet. With any form of addiction, you know it's bad but until you hit your rock bottom you will not change your habits. When you decide you're ready, you need support. You will then take it upon yourself to make the moves that are healthier for you. Until then, all of the half a** trying in the world, will only discourage you. When that time comes, you will take it upon yourself to remove the crap food and do what is necessary.

For myself, I thought I was ready, but not completely. It wasn't until I no longer allowed myself to rationalize the harm I was doing to myself, that I knew it was time.

You may also try to exercise 2 days a week for shorter sessions. Then when you get into a good habit, try 3 days. Also, try to just constantly move. This will make it easier to step it up, rather than just jumping right into every day of the week.

When you're ready, we are here for you and here to support you.

You sound liek you're over whelmed by the whole "process" I call it a process because that's what it is. A few other responses mentioned doing one thing at a time. Go with that. That's how I've done it.

From reading your story it sounds like Dr Pepper would be a good place to start. Try switching to diet, or try and reduce your consumption of Dr Pepper for the next 7 days...and see where that goes. Don't worry about anything else. Set some small non-weight related goals and go from there. You'll feel better about yourself when you accomplish them while at the same time not be over-whelmed.

Bviera took the words right out of my mouth. Small goals are less threatening, and you will build confidence and excitement every time you reach a goal. So try drinking all your water for 14 days straight (in addition to soda/juice/coffee you drink). Log all food and exercise for 14 days straight. (that's how long it takes to make a habit, it takes one day to break one!)

The one thing that worked for me? A buddy. If you don't have anyone right now, that's ok, because there might be an awesome buddy here on MFP that could walk the journey with you!

I have come to realize that until i figure out how to change my thinking and take control of my body and mind I CHOOSE TO BE FAT!

True that! Start by getting your mind right. Being healthy doesn't only equate to your body fat percentage. Living a healthy lifestyle means you the make the right choices in diet, fitness and you strive to build and maintain a positive relationship with yourself.

Learn to accept yourself for what you are and recognize where you feel like you have let yourself down, don't be discouraged by those actions but instead learn from them and recognize that those are mental blocks that you are putting in front of your goals. It sounds to me like you've come to recognize the power that our attitudes have on our goals. Use that realization as a tool for improvement not fuel for negativity.

cheers

You are right that it is a choice and we all have to make the right choices everyday. It is easier with support to stay the course. I am fortunate to have a supportive husband , who also jumped on the health track with me.

I recently was a conference with a speaker Dr. Shad Helmstetter. He wrote a few really good books, and has some CD sets out too. I have been using some of his material that I borrowed from a friend and have seen a difference in my thinking already. His website is http://www.shadhelmstetter.com. Self Talk is the CD set that I am getting in a few weeks for myself.

All the Best
xoxo
Gail in NY

ps You Deserve to be Healthy!

I noticed you said that eating what you choose to..is the only thing you have Total control over.

It sounds like there are other things in your life that you dont feel in control of. Perhaps that is something you should look into further?

I know I feel like that myself. I feel pushed around by my boss and job and havent got the confidence or the wits to do anything about it.

And I often feel pressured when "dieting" to deprive myself of food I love and then i go overboard and totally overindulge. Its a weird yoyo mental game I seem to go through. Its almost like Im rebelling because with everything else that sucks in my life...I should be able to have some control and enjoy food.

But...Ive started just watching the calories here and eating what I like til it fills up. Figuring out little strategies and reading Eat this not that books for more ideas. And Working out with my Mom when we both can.

Its a turtles pace but slow and steady wins the race. We just lose sight of the finish line sometimes lol

Awwwws.... I think your post is awesome! It inspires me to continue with my current weigth loss struggles (the dreaded last ten to 15!)...and to take control. We do have the power! Its so amazing to think about that! But I also don't want you hating on yourself.... I think it's so important to love yourself, to know you deserve to be healthy and happy and that you are worth all the work that goes into it!!! (I am talking to myself here, too!!!).... I had my best success with MFP when I was all positive about it. I was happy to log in my lunch and see it was only 200 cals. I went for walks and smelled flowers and would post on FB about the sunshine or the birds. I would go for bike rides and revel in the outdoors. I would rejoice in the yumminess of fruit..... and I would feel good about my life. I would opt for a hike over a movie, I'd take a day to go surfing instead of going out to eat, I'd actually ENJOY CLEANING MY HOUSE BECAUSE I KNEW I WAS KILLING CALORIES and i'd be sure to put on killer music. Even when I drive, I play music and "dance" along. And all those things have added up to life being hella more fun than it was before. *POOF* Almost forty pounds lighter and I had fun doing it!!!

But when I'm hating on myself and being harsh and angry, its not so much fun to do any of those things. I don't want to eat anything until i eat too much bad stuff. I don't sleep well. So I'm just sayin....love yourself and love your life and make every right choice something to really celebrate. Eventually those right choices become habits....and then you're making a huge change!

Oh, and I wanted to state my agreement with folks who say "baby steps".... I focused solely on calorie intake for about four months and that was when I lost the bulk of my weight. I didn't stress the exercise- sure I would exercise so I could eat pizza or sometimes just cuz I wanted to, but my baby step was learning how to live on 1200 cals a day (give or take). Then when I added in exercise again, it didn't seem like that much of a struggle to work out and eat "low calorie" at the same time....

Anyways, I hope that you find your happy place where you are in the posicore spiral of ever increasing awesomeness!!! Because if you find that place and you get in the groove...it don't feel like work. It feels like a party!!!!

I didn't read all the responses. Sometimes you'll fall off for one meal, but don't let that sabotage the entire day.
I know will power is the WORST thing in my life. For example, today I stopped at the store to get snacks for the girls to have after I pick them up at school. Silly me picked up my FAVORITE crackers and ended up eating two individual packages to a whopping tune of 300+ calories.
Feeling so guilty, I jumped on the treadmill for a second round...
Also, you have to make it fun. If you dread it, it just doesn't seem like motivate to keep up with it. Do you have someone to do it with you? I found a coworker who is willing to go walking with me every day at lunch. Its really nice to have the company to talk to.

I have been thinking about this alot. I need to lose alot of weight, about 80 lbs. I will do great for a week or so, exercising and eating under my calories for the day. Then comes the weekend, It is like i completely forget or ignore what i need to do. So i eat everything wrong, dont exercise and usually it lasts about 5 days and i have undone everything i did. I have not exercised in 10 days and i have not watched what i eat. I usually lay in bed at night and think about how i am going to lose weight starting the next day. A couple of nights ago i was doing the same thing and while i was doing that i got to thinking. My weight is the one thing i have total control over. No one else can make me fat, no one else can make me lose weight. It is really very simple, i know how to lose weight. I need to exercise every day and stay under my calories. But instead of doing this i choose to eat the wrong things, drink too much soda, sit on my butt in front of the tv. Even this morning i woke up and immediately opened a can of Dr. Pepper. I have come to realize that until i figure out how to change my thinking and take control of my body and mind I CHOOSE TO BE FAT! I really dislike the person that i am and yet i know that i am the only one who can change it. I dont know how this will all end up, i know that i need to make some major changes. I just dont know how to make myself do it. I dont want anyone to feel sorry for me, i dont feel sorry for myself. I am very angry with myself for my lack of self control. Sorry for the vent..

Getting angry is the 1st step to the change. You are at the beginning of your journey...maybe not as fast pace as you would like but it has started. You might not start your full journey for another 6 months or a year from now and thats ok. This is a process. Alot of us fell off millions of times but eventually we got so fed up that we said no more....no more starting and never seeing it till the end. You will get to that point. Just keep trying...every time you get in your own way just brush it off and start all over again.