You mean I can't lose weight by just *thinking* about exercising?

You CAN do it. Many others have, including others who have been depressed and out of control. Work first on logging accurately and getting some activity in daily. You don't have to go to the gym and work out to lose weight.

Remember that, while you'll likely have to control your food intake for a long time, you won't have to be at a deficit forever.

lindzgayle wrote: »

Making such a huge change is overwhelming, no doubt about it! Try to focus on smaller goals, because even 5 lbs lost is less than you weigh today.

Also, just for kicks, check out the thread Confession Time http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10072694/confession-time-absolutely-no-judgement/p1 That will make you feel a whole lot better about things. Know that nobody is perfect, even the hardbodies on here.

ETA: Read the serious sticky posts, too. Like the "sexy pants" one. Full of good info.

quoted for truth.

You can lose 100 lbs. Will it happen quickly no, but it's very possible. Don't make any drastic changes all at once. Reasonable calorie deficit, consistency, lots and lots of patience. Log everything accurately and honestly.

2 years ago I was 285 lbs, I knew I had to lose weight, knew if I didn't do it this time I probably wouldn't, but had my doubts after years and years of yo-yo dieting. But, taking it slow, showing up every day, and giving my best on that given day was my promise to myself. I've lost the weight, and it's been a fun adventure. Was every day great? Not even close, but I showed up and will continue to show up.

Good luck to you

You can do it, if you make small, sustainable changes, changes you can live with for the rest of your life, because that's what you're signing on for. In addition to the great advice stickied at the top of the General and Getting Started forums, I think that Dr. Yoni Freedhoff's book The Diet Fix is a great source of advice, because his guiding principle is that you're not going to sustain a lifestyle change unless you are satisfied while doing it, and he focuses on proven techniques that have worked with his patients, such as keeping a food diary/log, having regular small snacks to avoid ever becoming uncontrollably hungry, and allowing yourself indulgences from time to time.

I lost 65 pounds. It took me nearly 2 years, but that's a good thing: during those 2 years I learned what I need to know to keep from gaining it back again. And by going slowly, and making small changes that weren't too onerous, I was able to lose it without too much stress and without any feelings of deprivation.

Again, take small steps, and make small changes. You might start simply by logging what you eat, trying to be as accurate as possible, for a week or two, just to see where you're at, and then decide where to go from there.

Good luck!

I meant not be untruthful, sorry...

First takes some before pictures. You will be so happy you did! 100lbs is doable and even doable in less time than you think. You have to commit though. You have to say no matter what happens, no matter how many things come up or how badly I want that pizza, I am doing this. I went from 218 to 118 in less than a year and I held to that range for 2+ yrs. I am now 123 because the new goal is muscle building.

1. Recognize your excuses when you try to use them and then stop using them. Believe it or not everyone has obstacles and the difference between those who make it and those who fail is whether we see them as a challenge or a crutch.
2. Start with calorie counting. It might not be the plan you end up with but it is the easiest to understand in the beginning. Just cut back and don't worry about macro nutrition until you manage to get a decent handle on looking at labels. For now you want low cal and filling so lots of fiber veggies and lean meat. It can be overwhelming to look at good fats and bad fats and hitting protein macros. Take a multivitamin a calcium supplement and then just know that your body has 100lbs of storage that it can eat from if it needs anything else.
3. If the gym makes you hungry (like it does me) then hold off until you have control of your diet. You can be active without the gym in smaller burst through out the day. I didn't have a gym membership or a reg exercise routine for any of the 100lbs that I lost. I parked further away, danced with my baby in the living room, took my toddler to the park, read my email standing up, fixed my posture, and made sure I was moving some part of me all the time and that was my gym. It didn't make me hungrier and I still increased my energy and gained stamina.
4. Don't depend on anyone noticing even you. You might not see a change in the mirror for a while. Other people might not see a change for even longer. I saw some people I knew after losing 50lbs and they didn't even notice. I saw them again after 100 and their jaws dropped. If my pant size hadn't been decreasing I wouldn't have noticed I was changing for the first 30lbs. Sometimes the mirror and the scale and even others do not tell you what you want to hear. That cannot alter your resolve if you want to be successful.
5. Get organized. Plan your food, even your snacks, every single day and do not break the plan even for a crumb. If its not on the plan don't put it in your mouth. I don't care what other people say about not being able to live like that forever. You don't have to live like that forever, just until you have lost the weight and learned the difference between a "treat" and food that is meant to fuel you. You have to look at food as just fuel for the next year. It is not filler for when the conversation with a friend gets awkward, it is not comfort when you have had a bad day, it is not a reward for when you did something great, it is fuel that makes your body move. You have to break up with food (no "one last fling" either), it is not your friend, it is an abusive lover who is slowly killing you.

Good Luck! You can do this!

You actually can lose weight without thinking about or doing exercise if you just eat at a deficit. But you'll feel so much better if you exercise and your health will probably improve. And you can eat more every day if you work out.

But at where you are, you don't need to get stressed about running into the gym. Take it easy. If the thought of going to the gym is really getting to you, put the membership on hold for a few months. Most gyms will let you do that for a low monthly rate. I had to do that when I was in physical therapy for a while and they charged me $15 a month. That way, you're not giving up, but you're not putting pressure on yourself.

You'll also probably feel less depressed as you lose weight. If you stick with a reasonable food plan you can lose about a pound or two a week to start without starving yourself.

Good luck and stick with it.

I don't make weight loss my goal.

I make logging my food as a goal, and staying under my calories.

And exercise is a goal for me, 4 times a week.

That way, it is not overwhelming. Otherwise I would just give it up.

I so feel the same way, and am just starting. I don't want to, I'm resentful, I'm fearful, and way too many of the motivations I have are negative instead of positive. But I am going to do this. I will need motivation and help too. Please feel free to add me as a friend--I would appreciate it!

softblondechick wrote: »

I don't make weight loss my goal.

I make logging my food as a goal, and staying under my calories.

And exercise is a goal for me, 4 times a week.

That way, it is not overwhelming. Otherwise I would just give it up.

Yes!!!^^^ This type of mindset is what worked for me as well.

My two cents, and it's not a lot of effort or exercise. It becomes fun, (really, I SWEAR!)

1.) Stop thinking in terms of "I need to lose X amount". That's just a number.
2.) Read the labels at the grocery store. Sometimes, a different brand name right beside your usual has less calories or salt. This starts you into the habit of fully changing your eating habits.
3.) I don't like going to the gym either. And there's nothing more demoralizing than signing up, only to not go. Luckily, the Internet (YouTube) is loaded with a variety of simple exercise. You simply do it before you eat. You can even find a one-minute walk.
4.) While you sign in daily and log food, don't be measuring/weighing yourself all the time. I weigh once a week. If I don't like the scale, I weigh the next week and that's the one I log. Maybe take a measurement or two (hips, waist), but again, I don't measure these things all the time. I can tell what's happening by the way the clothes are fitting.
5.) Don't consider yourself to be dieting. No one goes on a "reverse diet".... like, "I know what I'm going to do today. I'm going to eat junk for the next 2 years and see what happens!". So going on a diet is just as a ridiculous notion. It is a lifestyle change and it's to change habits. And if you bite your nails, or smoke, you will see that it's like any habit. Tough to break. But doable.
6.) Simply do not bring the junk food home. I avoid going in to the gas station because I know I will be tempted for a quick snack (I do pay at the pump though... I don't gas and dash!). I got my husband to do the groceries at first. I knew I would be tempted.
7.) Pay yourself. (Seriously.... I do this with wine during the week.) When you were at the grocery store (but you shouldn't be... remember? Ask someone else to shop!), and you wanted the bag of chips, but you said no, and didn't get them, then pay yourself for the bag of chips. At the end of the week count your money. Use it to buy some really weird healthy food you don't usually eat (I recently used the last few months of "no wine during the week" money to pay the balance on my upcoming cruise.
8.) Slow and steady wins the race. It's not the numbers but the effort that counts. Let your efforts, and small successes boost your self-esteem.