Seriously too young to give up, but yet i do...

Try to figure out what made you give up. As others have said, the emotional part of this is more powerful than many would credit. Sometimes, it's subconscious - having lost over 60lb a few years back, I met a guy I really, really liked (not a frequent ocurrence) and promptly stopped all my good habits and put the 60 back on, plus a fair few extra. I'd always assumed that men didn't find me desirable because of my weight, and my subconscious was so afraid (ironically, of both rejection and success/acceptance!) when the weight wasn't such an issue, that I ended up undoing all my progress rather than facing up to my fears.

If you can figure out what caused you to stop last time, you'll have a much better chance of succeeding, and maintaining your new habits this time around.

Good luck!

You won't make the change until you're ready.... You have to be mentally ready, and obviously you're not there yet.... But trust me, it's worth it. I am 29, I started on 1/1/11 - at 303.4 (I'm 5'6'') -- and now I'm at 205.2 (down 98.2lbs).... The weight loss is the ultimate goal for me BUT what keeps me going is how great I feel. I've become a gym rat. If I don't get a work out in, it's like I haven't showered for the day! I'll be 30 in a couple months, and hopefully I can start my 30's under 200lbs. Good luck - don't give up!!

I did the same thing for 20 years. My all time high weight was 353 pounds and I am 5'3" tall. I had high blood pressure and diabetes. I was killing myself. Do something before it gets to that point. I wish I had done something when I was only at 200 pounds. Save yourself a lot of hassle and lose the weight before you end up with health issues. It has taken me a year, gastric bypass, eating right, and lots of exercise to get down from the 353 pounds to 205 pounds. I am no longer diabetic and don't have high blood pressure but why not prevent it from happening.

Hi There,

I agree with everyone that you have to really want it. I have recently gained back 4kg's of the 8kg's I initially lost and I am so so disappointed in myself. I was so close to my goal I was just meters away from the finish line and I gave it all up. Thankfully I have an extremly motivational gym buddy who has done amazing things to her body and thankfully (with my 30th birthday coming up) I am definitely more scared of staying the same than I am of change so I am finally back on the wagon and ready to do it all over again and then some. I don't know if this has been said already but (and it really is a simple suggestion) have you tried gyming in the morning? For me this was key because at the end of each day there is nothing I want to do more than go home to my boyfriend and dogs and a couch and my TV. Gyming in the morning got it out of the way early in the day but an added benefit was that I felt good afterwards so my eating became better. If you put the work in in the morning you really don't want to ruin it with food so you eat better during the day. Ultimately it is the small simple changes that will make all the difference - just start somewhere...anywhere...even if you just reduce half a spoon of sugar in your coffee it is a start...

I just wanted to comment on something I picked up from the OP's last comment...as much as you might want to, you can't change for him. You have to make this about you - your health, your fitness.

Trust me, I went through years of feeling the frustration you're going through right now. I mostly felt ok about myself and my hubby adores me, even at my heaviest, but I always wondered if he was embarrassed to be seen with me and if my friends felt the same way. I tried losing the weight for him or because my doc said I had to or because I wanted to look good in that bridesmaid dress but none of that worked.... Those were all temporary goals and didn't include anything that really inspired me.

When the desire hit me to finally lose the weight once and for all, I didn't just latch on to the latest diet fad or workout 2 hours a day in the gym, I did some major thinking first. Why hadn't I succeeded in the past with weight loss. What changed between when I was psyched up in the beginning and when I gave up? What did I enjoy and what did I hate doing? How could I do it differently this time around to make it work? How could I do this for life?

I knew deprivation didn't work. I knew latching on too hard to a support system didn't work (support is key but you need to be self accountable and self motivating to stick with it). I needed to think of every change I was making in terms of how it worked for me for the rest of my life - could I commit to it for more than a few months. I'm also a big fan of small goals aka baby steps. Pick one goal to work on at a time so you're not overwhelmed. For the next few weeks, track every day. Don't worry so much about staying in your goals (but celebrate when you do), just get used to tracking. Once that's a habit, move on to exercising more then drinking your water, eating your fruits and veggies, etc etc. If it takes a while, that's ok, what's the rush anyway? I've been doing this for 2 years and haven't even reached the 80 pound mark yet but I'm still on the right path and building those good habits and I'm not giving up.

I'm not usually one for self help books but I did read a great running book that I thought had some great inspirational thoughts about life and weight loss and health in general. If interested, check out John Bingham's "The Courage to Start"

I seem to remember you posting a similar plea for help recently so I sincerely hope that you find what works for you!
Best of luck!

Sometimes it's all about tweaking your diet and exercise to fit your needs. When I was 24 I wasn't too much overweight, but then I got lazy, got a desk job, and it lead to a whole lot of health issues. I don't know if you have kids, or if you are planning on kids, but when you gain weight, your chances of getting pregnant decrease. That is what I think about and what I am working towards. You have to find things and motivation that works for you.

I have a few things to look at for motivation.
- My daughter
- My husband
- I want more kids
- For Every 10 pounds I lose, I get a new charm for my charm bracelet.
- For Every pound I lose, I get to put a dollar into the "new me fund" which can go towards exercise equipment, or something for me.
- I set small goals for myself.

Good luck

You will not be able to lose the weight until you are ready, physically and emotionally. Most of us who have successfully lost weight did it after we came to the point of "enough is enough" and couldn't stand being overweight anymore. If you are not ready to fully commit to getting rid of the weight for good, then start making small changes until you are ready to truly lose the weight (honesty with yourself is key here). Small changes could be taking a one mile walk daily, or giving up soda, or even just starting to log your food in MFP to be aware of how many calories you are eating on a daily basis.

No one can lose the weight for you and it is a hell of a journey. Your head *has* to be in the game to succeed.

This.