New to the program... Already struggling. =[

Will power. Don't think of this as a diet. It's a change in lifestyle. You are changing your eating habits and trying to get into a healthier state.

If diets worked we'd all be skinny!

You have to adopt a healthy lifestyle - choosing the right foods, in the correct amounts, moving your body, and keeping a positive mindset. Slow and steady gets the life long results.

You can do this...MFP gives you all the tools you need!
Good luck!

So I hit a new low today when I went to the doctor for the first time in way too long and found out my true, terribly high weight. Like everyone does, I want this to be a fast and easy process, but I know it won't be. I've been on many diets before, working out every day, eating all the right things, but it only lasts so long. Then I find myself making excuses of why I can't go to the gym and eating whatever I want to eat. So I have a question for all of you out there - How do you keep going? How do you just keep going on that routine without just wanting to throw in the towel? That has been the one thing that I just cannot figure out. I suppose my self control is... nonexistant. Haha. Any ideas? I'm at a loss here.

Sincerely,
Seriously helpless.

Nothing is easy, everything is hard earned. You have to want this for yourself, to be healthy and to basically feel all around good.

I keep going by telling myself that I want to live a long live and to see my boys get married and their children. I also want to be a sexy mama at 50 which is not far away!:blushing: I like to wear clothes that are not potato sacks and I would like to wear a bathing suit on the beach and not feel like a beached whale.

You can do this!!! Don't give up! We all fall of the wagon, the trick is to get back on it again. You have a lot of support on this site and motivation and inspirations.

Well you have to stay focused on your goal. Don't expect results in terms of "i will lose 10lbs a month" You can't control how much you lose, all you can control is what you eat and when you exercise... The key is to start "small" and build from there. Don't go out trying to run 10miles... Maybe .25 of a mile for a month, then a half the next month.. build slowly. This will keep the stress down on your body, when you do things to stressful your body will resist you and can lead to failure. Just "relax" and be "patient"

Do you consider yourself an emotional eater? Such as using food to cope with stressful situations, and not being able to imagine a life without food? I've found that the majority of my struggles are psychological hurdles I have to overcome. Just this morning I said "*kitten* it" and ate ice cream because I was in a crummy mood and I wasn't about to listen to anybody to tell me to put it down. I had to relax and take a bubble bath until I REALLY felt better.

Just relax and take time for yourself. And tell yourself that your ARE worth this. It took a lot of work for me to understand that and stop being resistant to building healthy habits. If you think you might be an emotional eater, I highly recommend the Shrink Yourself online program. There are guided therapy "sessions" that really dig into why we get the uncontrollable urge to eat anything and everything in our path. there's an online self-assessment at www.shrinkyourself.com.

I didn't mean to imply that you might have an eating problem; I just thought that my suggestion would give you a different way of looking at things. You are more than welcome to take it with a grain of salt (or the whole dang shaker)! Best of luck to you! (((hugs)))

There is a thread going on called " What was your wake-up call to lose weight?" The stories are heart breaking. SO many broken people finding themselves at an all time low and trying to dig out. You should look it up.

How do I keep going? Well, many reasons:

278 lbs is not okay with me (now down 19 pounds with 81 more to go before I stop and reassess...yes, if you look at the overall goal, especially when it seems impossible, it is overwhelming, but if you break it down into mini goals, it's plausible. Take it 10 lbs at a time. I'm taking it 25 at a time. I'm almost at my first mini goal and I feel FANTASTIC!!)

My son was learning poor eating habits from me. I don't want him to hurt the way I have my whole life. I don't want him to get made fun of because his diet consists of fattening food and no exercise.

I was an in-home-care provider for a woman and her daughter and I are still very close. She told me that, even on the day her mother died, she was still worried about her weight. I don't want to die with that on my heart. That hurt a lot because her mom was a lovely, spit-fire woman.

My family, on both sides, have health issues. MAJOR health issues. All brought on by obesity. I don't want to have to go through that and put my son through that.

My sister is 18 months older than me and has taken to saying, "Since I turned 30, everything is falling apart." I'M ONLY 31!!!!!! I refuse to fall apart! Just because the cards are stacked against me doesn't mean I won't try, it means I will TRY HARDER!!

Feel free to friend me! I'd love to join you on your journey!

Willpower, dedication, perseverance, determination, patience. It takes TIME but know it's worth it and you have support here. And try skinnytaste.com

I lost 60 pounds once and I am on a mission to lose it once again. It's hard and I have totally felt how you feel. I made excuses for three years as the weight came on and now I have to start all over again. The one thing I tell myself is that if I don't do this, I will only get fatter so even if I don't lose the weight, at least I won't be gaining any more. Take it one step at a time. Make mini goals for yourself. Ones that are within reach in a short time period and every time you reach a goal, it will motivate you to go further to reach the next. It is a long process and it won't come off over night but don't let that discourage you. Little steps can lead to a big change.

There are lots of things that keep me on track. The people here help a lot! Also, I want this more than anything. I am tired of that fat girl in my mirror! I want to live to see my grand children go to college, and they aren't even conceived yet! I want to look better for the Josh Groban concert I am going to in October and I want to sit comfortably in the seat at the Amway. I was told I would not fit in the seat because I am too big. This really hurt my feelings and just made me more determined to get the weight off. I love that I have lost 16 pounds since I joined MFP. I don't go to the gym everyday and when I do I switch up my workout so that I don't get bored doing the same things over and over again. I talk to the trainers about what exercises and machines will help me achieve my goals. I am starting to check out some of the group exercise classes they offer. I love the way I feel after a good workout and I love that people are seeing a change in me, not only physically, but mentally as well. All of this keeps me on track. I have done the yo yo dieting and I'm tired of it! You are the only one who can make the change in your life. Keep your eye on the prize, never look back and never give up. Remember you are not alone. You have everyone here to help you along this journey. You can do this!

For me, it was understanding that if I followed my calorie goals and exercised, I WOULD LOSE WEIGHT! It's like continuing with college when it sucks and you are sick of it. You do it because you know it's the only way to your goal. It simply will not happen if I don't do this.

And once the weight starts coming off, even the first couple pounds, it's highly motivating, at least for me. I know all I have to do is keep on keepin' on, and I'll get to my goal weight. No excuses!

I have a lot of weight to lose, (about 80 lbs total) so I started out with the attitude that this is a marathon, not a sprint. I do everything I can to make my life as normal as possible, meaning that I do not obsess about food or my weight. I have my sights set on next summer, not next week. By then, I'll be a year older and 70 lbs lighter. Slow and steady wins the race.
I have managed to make MFP something sustainable. I can do this forever. It's not a "diet".

Eat all of your calories, even your exercise calories. If you are hungry, exercise more and eat more. Or set your goals to lose half a pound a week if you have it set for one.

Make it comfortable for yourself.