Hopeless

hang in there - you CAN do this! baby steps... change one thing at a time. its been said a million times before, but it's worth repeating - getting healthy and fit isn't a diet, it's a whole lifestyle change.

figure out why you've "failed" before, and work with that. if you can't deal with food restrictions (ie. no sweets/carbs/whatever AT ALL) then don't do that. allow yourself some indulgences in moderation. budget yourself the brownie you want, or the garlic bread... whatever it is you would feel cheated of.

and really, baby steps. commit to one healthy meal a day for a week. or one lap around you parking lot this week. set yourself up to succeed! then up it the next week... you can do this - but going "balls out" day 1 doesn't work for everyone.

I wish I had better advice, but you truly just have to do it, make it a mindset and a lifestyle! You have to know yourself...some people are going to do better with small, gradual changes and some do better overhauling everything and changing all at once. Maybe open your diary so we can see the foods you're eating and giving us some idea of what you've been trying to we can give you better tips and ideas?

Believe me, everyone on here would probably tell you that this is one of the hardest things we've all ever done...but if I can lose weight, anyone can! It's not hopeless...

I feel like I have been trying to diet for so long, and I can't seem to succeed. I feel like I can succeed at just about anything but this, and it seems like it would be the easiest thing to achieve! I'm at the end of my ropes, and I really hate myself and need some encouragement. How do you start over time and time again and actually stick to your plan? What do you guys do?

First off, you definitely have to change your mind set. Stop with the negativity because that isn't going to get you anywhere. Negative thoughts out, positive thoughts in. Instead of saying things like, "I'm at the end of my ropes, and I really hate myself......" say things that are positive and embed those thoughts into your brain. Tell yourself, "This is the beginning of a wonderful journey. I am strong and I can do this." Yes, there will be hard times and some days where you do want to give up, but that's when you have to push yourself even harder!

YOU CAN DO THIS!! HAVE MORE FAITH IN YOURSELF!!

I have two motivators- one- I'm trying to get down to a better weight.... my other, signing up for a 5K series pack - yep, when you're committed to do 7, it sort of keeps you on the straight and narrow.... Plus, I have to say that I have amazing supporters- lots of girls at work joined this with me, and we also do 5K's together. I think like with anything you want to acheive, you must decide, what is your final goal - is it to be a certain weight, fit into pants you wore x years, ago, complete a triathlon (that's what mine was and at 217, I did my first)?? Then you have decide how you're going to get there.... Take your total amount you want to loose and divide it up into smaller sections so that you have only to reach 5 or 10 pounds.... And work on that, instead of trying to tackle the whole beast at once. And don't deprive yourself of the foods that you want- just eat them in smaller quantitites.... I've found that works best for me... It's a journey, not an overnight practice - no team goes straight to the playoffs just by deciding that they want to.... They have to put in time, effort and a full season of battles just to get to them.... Remember one day at a time, and also remember failing is not bad, it's what you do afterwards that matters. So, here's your hand up, dust yourself off and try it again... You can do it!!!

I wish I had better advice, but you truly just have to do it, make it a mindset and a lifestyle! You have to know yourself...some people are going to do better with small, gradual changes and some do better overhauling everything and changing all at once. Maybe open your diary so we can see the foods you're eating and giving us some idea of what you've been trying to we can give you better tips and ideas?

Believe me, everyone on here would probably tell you that this is one of the hardest things we've all ever done...but if I can lose weight, anyone can! It's not hopeless...

Couldn't have said it any better. I thought having 3 kid was tough, but losing weight and making this a lifestyle change has been a real challenge. I had to stop "dreaming" of how I wanted to look like and just do it! No more dreaming or wishing.

Honestly? I had someone piss me off. I'm very stubborn, and I hate not being able to get what I want, so right now my motivation is to prove this person wrong (such a woman thing, I know :P ). This has been something I've wanted to do for a while, and I've done a lot on my own to get to where I was before joining here this past week, but that was the extra spark that I needed to push myself extra hard to really lose weight.

You've come to the right place, though. Poke around, make some friends, maybe join a group, and you'll find it's much easier to lose when you have that support system in place

Good luck to you!

I decided to change my eating habits when I was an overweight teen. The best thing that helped and still helps me is to consistently track my calories. First, I set a reasonable weight loss goal and make myself write down the calories of everything I eat so I know when to stop. I can find the calories to almost any food if I Google it. It took persistence and determination to change my eating habits. I had to make myself do it and tell others to help me do it. I also do a eating routine that I can be happy with. If I'm miserable with what I'm eating I know will stray. Eating breakfast keeps me from feeling like I'm starving at the end of the day too. It wasn't easy changing my eating habits, but once I did it it became a way of life and I stuck with it. I taught myself to eat better. Then I began an exercise routine, it was a light one at first, then I made it tougher when I was ready to be challenged.

Other things that help me: I eat foods that take more energy to digest like high protein foods complimented with veggies. I avoid sugar as much as possible, but I do eat it in moderation. I stopped considering ice cream and brownies as a meal.

I hope you find what works for you. Don't give up! This site is full of helpful info and people