Here's my story . . . I NEED help!

Wow, thanks everyone! You're all definitely very motivating. I'm going to take it one meal at a time and make small changes and not try to change everything overnight. I just hope I can stick with it!

I can tell you from working in a call center the one thing you should never do is tell anyone else you are on a diet. Not even your friends. It seems as soon as someone knows you are on a diet they find reasons to talk about or eat everything you should limit yourself on or stay away from. Also, I find it easier to control myself by going and buying my breakfast and lunch for the week on Monday morning. So when other people run to get fast food I am not tempted. Get some snacks like popcorn and leave it at your desk. When you get urges popcorn is very low in calories and in fat (smart pop) and it is filling. Drink lots of water. People on here have told me you can confuse being thirtsy for being hungry. I drink 2 full cups of water before each meal. It has been helping me a lot. I hope it will help you too! Good luck and stay positive

I worked in a call center too for 3 and a half years and that's where I gained 30+ pounds.

I know how you feel! I battle my ridiculous sweet tooth and love for carbs daily...just gotta keep on trying!

Hey I'm 5'2, and on my way down from 170.
You can do this! Think about eating healthy and cooking as your new personal hobbies. Like when you take on a new interest - throw yourself into it. You'll be surprised at the new you that will emerge.
Add me

You have come to the right place, and today starts a new you...hold your head high, and things will change around for you. I sent you a request, and I wish you nothing but success on your journey:)

You've gotten good advice here, but I particularly agree with poodlelaise. Start by logging everything always. This will help you become informed about your decisions. Close your diary everyday and pay attention to the "if everyday were like this..." message. I think you will start to find yourself wanting to make better choices even if you are making those decisions at McDonald's.

Once you get this down, try cooking a little. Many people find that it is relaxing. You can also prepare things for a few days, then 2 of 3 days, you just have to reheat, which is easier than going through the drive thru.

If you don't want to give up sweets or treats, you could consider using exercise calories exclusively for these treats. Once you see how hard it is to burn off a 240 candy bar, you may start thinking it isn't worth it.

I wish you the best!

I was in your same boat in January, same height as you, except I weighed more. Nothing motivated me to eat better, and every day I'd say "tomorrow I'll exercise, eat better" etc. 6 months later I'm down 38 pounds.

Everybody is different, but for me, this is what has been working:

-Gym 3-5 times a week, and because I don't like going, I either bring a book or watch the tv, and it makes time fly. Days off from the gym I try to do something outside, mow the lawn, rake, go for a walk.. etc.

-If you think in terms of "diet" and cut everything you love out, then you're bound to fail because it sucks, and it's hard to stick to. Instead, I chose to exercise portion control, and buy healthier versions of what I like. For example, skim milk is tasty after you get used to it. I don't drink soda anymore because I find it too sweet, instead I drink flavored seltzer, which is very refreshing. Also I started buying frozen healthy lunches to monitor my calorie intake, and complimented those with lots of fresh fruit. Make sure you eat breakfast!

-Lastly, don't get rid of the sweets completely! For me, I love those little Lindt chocolates. If I go to the gym, I reward myself with ONE Lindt. Satisfying, and it makes me happy .

Buy a scale. Once you can see the results, that is enough motivation to continue. And allow yourself a cheat day. Don't go out and eat everything under the sun, but have the hamburger or steak that you've been craving, and don't feel guilty about it. The next day, go back to your routine . Routine is key.

Good luck

This is a great start! There is more support here than anyone could ask for.

We are all in this together!

You can do this. I am a wife and mother of 4 kids and I work full time and I pack my lunch everyday with healthy food choices. Find yourself books on healthy eating, look on the web for information, just takes a little extra time you worth it you can do it. We give ourself so many excuses why we can not. I started out at 220 in 2006 I have been struggling for 6 yrs to get down to my goal weight of 150. I am at 180 lbs. I only been losing a 1lb a week but am okay with that. Just take little steps. I workout 6 days a week and I keep my calories at 1300 to 1500 calories a day. I give myself 1 cheat day cause I love sweets to, but the more good food you give your body the less you will crave sweets, I can testify to this I use to go threw 5 bags of gummy bears and a bag reese cups and eat it all in 1 day. If you would like you can add me I no how hard it is I fight everyday but its the best fight of your life.

You've done a good first step and a lot of people have already mentioned a lot of good advice. I am in a similar boat as I'm 26, 5'3" and my heaviest was 220. Here are my two cents.

Learn to cook. The quick and easy stuff (both the fast food drive through and frozen meals) tend to be full of crap. I've even noticed that once I stopped eating this stuff and was trying to eat more healthy foods I felt less lethargic and bleh after meals. If your parents are nearby and one of them knows cooking, ask for their help on cooking and making meals. Some things can be expensive at the store but there are plenty of things that are healthy that are within your budget. It might mean that you don't have any fish but tuna in a can, can only buy chicken thighs, and have to be really picky with what red meat you get, but there are plenty of recipes so that you're eating a variety of meals that you won't get tired of after awhile. Ground meat isn't all that bad just try and get the leanest you can afford (don't go before 80% meat) and brown it before putting it with anything so you can drain as much of the fat off as possible. If you have a farmers market go to it. You'll get great food and prices normally aren't that bad. If they are, ask for the "seconds" aka the produce that they have that's slightly damaged. They're still good to cook with, you'll get them at a cheaper price, the only negative is that you'll want to use it that night. As for recipes there are TONS online for both healthy and on a budget just look them up.

Walking is a great exercise and people have lost weight by doing only that. Perhaps make it a new bonding time with your dogs by walking everyday (or every other day or however you want to start) with them?

As for the scale. Weighing yourself can be a good thing, it can also be a bad thing. It only shows one aspect of getting healthy. I've seen people on here getting obsessed with the number on the scale and get to the point of weighing themselves multiple times a day and letting the number they see dictate their mood/mental state etc. I at first weighed myself every day. I stopped this when I noticed I would be getting really upset when I saw the number rise for multiple days in a row even if the total was less than a pound. There is water weight to consider and your body fluctuates a lot. I now weigh myself once a week. Also I suggest measuring yourself and using a mirror so even if the needle doesn't budge, you can notice the difference that is still happening and feel good about yourself.

A lot of text, I know, but don't do everything on here at once. Little slow steps are better than big fast ones in this case. You'll get there! As someone on this site said, "The weight came on because of years of bad habits, it's going to take time to correct it."

Good luck to you! :flowerforyou: