To the ppl that r succeeding...

Is there a Curves near you? You get lots of support there from other women. You just have to make up your mind you are going to do it in spite of those around you!! Increase your exercise!!

Everyone stumbles! Nobody is perfect. You just have to incorporate as much good food as you can, stay close to your calorie goal (even after exercise!) and try to resist bad stuff. I still fall into bad habits and eat junk from time to time....but ya always learn from your mistakes.

Cheer up! You can do it.

oh man...i cant even tell you how many times i've messed up. The key is getting back on here and logging everything...everything else falls into play thereafter. Set small goals with activity and slowly increase over time. Feel free to read my blogs for discussions of when i've messed up before :-)

good luck!

I KNOW how you feel... my family in my life is incredibly UNsupportive. That is why I turn to MFP so frequently. It took me about 4 months to really get into the groove of MFP and working out dilligently. I was on and off for that whole 4 months. I had to really get frustrated enough to start tracking consistently and now that I have, I LOVE IT! There are so many ways to stay motivated here:) I just recently discovered the monthly challenges that you can join. You're on a team of certain amount of members and you all work together at different daily exercise challenges to help motivate and make you consistent. It's really made me more accountable as well! I hope everything works out for you! If you ever need to talk you are more than welcome to Private message me! Good luck!!!

I still fall all the time we are all human and we will fall. It does help to have support and I am thankful that my husband supports me alot. I read someone asking you do you have curves near you if you could get into something like that it may help you alot. A friend of mine is going to a group for food adicts and they are everywhere go to the website and see if you can find one of those groups near you. Im sure you would get a big support from them. Feel free to add me I will do my best to support you.

Every day is a challenge, it just is. Some days you make the concious effort to get up and do it, some days you don't. I never had weeks that I gained, not because I didn't have bad moments, but because I realized it was just a weak moment and I refuse to carry them with me. In time my definition of a weak moment changed, this morning I'm being haunted by the 50 calorie snack in my desk . . . 5 months ago I was haunted by more than a little 50 calorie wafer. I've learned to accomodate and earn my weak moments in the gym, hopefully you will too. There's a reason you lapsed. Ask yourself why, find that answer, and to that answer ask your self why again, no two answers can be the same (I ate an oatmeal cream pie "why?" I like them "why?" they remind me of my childhood "why?" etc), get to the root cause and figure out how to deal with it.

You will get it right. It takes some searching for the right foods and gaining the ambition to get started. The ball is in your court to get yourself on the right track. I quit using salt, drink lots of water to flush yourself clean and maintain your calorie intake. If you get a craving for certain foods, eat a very small portion. My theory..the food that I crave will ALWAYS be there when I reach my goal. You stated that you want to lose 50 lbs by your birthday? Treat yourself to the cravings that you get, ON YOUR BIRTHDAY. This can be done. The hardest part of getting healthy is starting it. Once you're on track....it will be a smooth ride.. I started out with a daily calorie intake is 1200. Use the MFP calorie counter faithfully. It sure helps.
Good luck to you. I hope this post helps you~ :flowerforyou:

How many times did you stumble before you got it right?? Ive been a member of Mfp for about 2 1/2 months & have only lost 4.5 lbs, only to gain it all back. I know where im goin wrong. Not drinking enough water, to much sodium. Had 2 days this weekend that i made bad choices of eating bads things in & bad portions sizes. I have no support at home & no one around. I thank all of my MFP friends for the support, but its just not the same sometimes.

Too much sodium will cause water retention, but it won't prevent you from losing fat. If you're eating similar foods (even if they're high in sodium) you should still see the scale go down.

If you're not losing, you need to eat fewer calories and move more. The sodium thing is more about heart health than weight loss.

But that all takes willpower and sticking to it. When you're ready, you're ready. And sometimes, you're ready and then you're not for a while. It isn't easy, but keep trying. Establish some healthy habits and routines and eventually it will be a little easier, at least.

It is def. hard!!! Support is a huge thing that helps me. MFP is soo supportive and I have made some awesome friends on here. Just remember you have to allow yourself those days to maybe have that donut or cheese burger. I feel your more likely to fail then. Just keep your chin up and remember your weight isnt going to come off over night. It IS going to take time!

I lost 80 lbs in 8 months 5 years ago. However, I didn't make a lifestyle change. I dieted. I didn't starve myself, but I didn't learn how to eat the right way. I gained every pound of that weight plus 5 back within 2 years of losing it after I was in a car accident and "didn't care" any more.

This time, I made a lifestyle change. I did research on what was really healthy. I learned how our society is fooled into "diet" food. I eat right, I exercise, and I'm making choices every day. By no means am I depriving myself this time. In fact, I eat chocolate every day (actually sell it too). But, the key is...dark chocolate and moderation. I've learned moderation with my meals too. I never tell myself no and I eat what I want when I want. But, because I'm filling my body with good food...the bad food doesn't appeal to mea anymore. If it comes in a package, box or mass produced...I don't eat it. I can taste the hydrogenated oil in things now.

With all that being said...I have lost 91 lbs in a year. It hasn't been tough for me because I made gradual changes. I learned what my body needs and after awhile it becomes second nature and everything you use to do becomes..."I can't believe I use to do that."

My one piece of advice that I like to share...it isn't a diet. It is a lifestyle. If you feel as if you are being deprived of life, then you aren't living. But, you don't have to live a life unhealthy to have fun! Enjoy the good food that you have been missing out on. Explore new recipes. Find an exercise you can have fun with (I Zumba 3 x's a week and walk when I'm bored). What ever it is that you can enjoy, do it. It will be a process of trial and error. Some foods will work and some won't. Some exercises will be fun, some won't. Don't diet...make a lifestyle change! Diets come and go, a lifestyle will inspire others.

Good luck to you on your journey.

I made myself a rule back in April when I started for the third time. No cheating. No matter what the occasion, if you stumble a few days a week, your body will not have a clue what to do with itself. If you can, "stumble" once a month.

Also, exercise. I have tried to eat right and for-go the exercise and it doesn't work. You need at least an hour a day, three to four times a week to begin to make progress. I know it sounds like a lot, but you put the weight on over time, you'll have to work hard to take it off - but trust me - you feel a BA-zillion times better when it starts coming off and people begin to notice. That's my favorite part because I've worked hard for where I am.

If you can't run, try biking. That's how I did it.

Good luck!

I couldn't run to start, I walked at a brisk pace of 3.0mph on the treadmill. I also used the stationary bikes and biked at around 14mph. That is great advice that he gave. You don't have to start off running 5k's you just need to start off. I think you have it in you!

I stopped counting the number of times I have stumbled or even failed. It got too depressing. :-) That being said, the successful part was getting back on track. Now I'm down 24 pounds and couldn't be happier with myself. I have never been a very confident or proud person, but I'm proud of the hard work I have put forward in losing that 24 pounds. I busted @$$ to get where I am. No, it wasn't easy, but that's what makes it rewarding. Start by making small changes and when you start seeing results, that will be the motivation to make more changes.

For about 3 years- until you want it intrinsicly, it's impossible to do.

^ this

You have to know that you are going to do (not try) it at all costs. For me it has to be an obsession or there is no way of me succeeding!

When I know I'm going to have a hard time sticking to my calories like for my birthday or some other special occasion, I plan it as a "cheat" day. I still log my calories but instead of eating whatever I want without limits, I allow myself to go up to my maintenance calories. By doing that I still get way more calories than normal, but I don't gain any weight on my cheat day.