BarbaraJatmfp Member

As I read these posts, I see common factors: 1) Fear of going 2) Going with a friend 3) Sticking with it / going anyway 4) Comfortable with going 5) Success Now go. :)

Try the "Challenges" message board here on MFP. They have a lot of active people posting there.

I think you are at the beginning of the weight-loss process: I want to lose weight but I don't want to put in the effort. I've been there, and it is a tipping point. Either you commit to losing weight or you will gain more. I didn't commit to losing weight and continued gaining until I weighed 328 pounds. Don't do what I…

I felt that way when I started water aerobics. Can you imagine wearing a swimsuit when you weigh 328 pounds? To my surprise, nobody said anything. Nobody pointed at me; nobody laughed; nobody called me names. We were all there for the same thing: water aerobics. I was so out of shape that I couldn't even use the steps to…

I'm in the same boat. Since 1982, I've lived with it and had ups and downs. Since dieting, I've found that eating healthy and exercising do help. Because I am so overweight and have arthritis in one knee, my exercise is limited to swimming laps. Sidestroke really helped me lose inches so that I looked like I had lost more…

You might have better luck going to the "Challenges" message board here on MFP. There are a lot of people posting who are very active. I would expect them to have lots of experience to draw on.

Wow! Is there someone in the family you can call and tell them you felt like your cousin WAS your family? to tell them how much your cousin meant to you when he attended your major life events, sporting events, family dinners, etc. Is there something about his death that families tend to limit attendance, such as drug…

Success comes before work only in the dictionary. We have such a credit card mentality: buy now, pay later. Well, I've maxed out my credit card and now the bill is due. I topped out at 328 pounds and am going for 200. I haven't weighed that since 1975. I have 70 pounds to go, so I'm actually making progress to "pay off"…

The most horrible thing about Halloween candy is that its smell permeates two aisles in each direction. This stuff is encased in plastic bags. How can the smell be so strong? Do you think they spray candy-scented perfume to entice us to buy it? (I don't need any enticement. I need a shock collar to zap me if I even look in…

Remember how bad you feel after you've eaten it so that the next time you are confronted with temptation, you will grit your teeth, say "no thank you", and walk away. We've all fallen off the wagon. But those of us who are successful get right back on. Your next weigh in may be up a little, but exercise a little more this…

I have to keep tracking my food and weighing myself on a regular basis. I know the kinds of food I should eat and the kinds I should avoid. If I eat something different, I will weigh or measure it just to make sure I'm not eating too many calories in one serving. I have been surprised where calories have lurked! I weigh…

I can't count the number of times I've lost weight, quit watching what I ate, and gained it back. Plus more. So . . . how do you get back on track? Call the wedding dress store and tell them you need some time to lose the weight you've gained (you don't have to tell them how much). You aren't the only person who has gained…

I, too, am a meat and potatoes kind of person and ate few, if any, vegetables or fruit. I didn't lose weight until I started eating vegetables and fruit. For vegetables, I eat tomatoes and baby carrots (taste better). And mixed vegetables with dip. I don't like mushy foods so I buy a bag of raw mixed vegetables (carrots,…

You have the right idea: a smaller portion size and not both "extras" in the same day. Cravings are tough. I don't know if they ever go away completely, but I have found that if I resist them, they aren't as strong in the future. I like your plan to exercise and offset the extra calories from your planned non-regular…

Looking like a sausage link wouldn't be bad for a guy, but it's not something a woman would have on her bucket list. Even a sausage patty isn't bad . . . from the side.

Don't give up on what you want most for what you want now.

1.8 is pretty good for 10 days. You could make 15 by New Year's. Maybe even Christmas. Keep doing what you are doing. It's working.

Why do you splurge on the weekends? Are you out with friends? or just two unstructured days? I had trouble getting back on track after gaining a lot back. What has helped me is to weigh every day. If I know I am going to have to look at that scale tomorrow, I sure am careful about what I eat today.

Many people have found that by tracking their food and limiting sweets and fatty foods, their medical conditions improve. This takes several months, but we didn't get into our current mess overnight. There are no quick fixes. It's just one meal at a time and making the better choice every time. That doesn't mean you can't…

Track your food. There is no easy or fast way to lose it.

Thanks for posting. I've gradually gained back 20 pounds and have only recently gotten back on track. I haven't gained it all back - thank goodness! - but it is about darn time I got back on track. Thanks for reminding me how mad I got when I gained the weight.

That happened to me. I looked forward to a family reunion to show off my 38-pound loss. But not one person noticed!!!!! I had to tell them! Their response: "Oh. Really? Well congratulations." What they DID notice was that I skipped the bacon, chips, and garlic bread in favor of fruit and vegetables. What I have noticed in…

I am fairly new to MFP (about 3 months). I have found the free version to be everything I need for right now. Explore what is here for free before you look to upgrade: the reports, the message boards, the food and exercise databases, etc. Good luck. Your future self looks gorgeous!

What is it about losing 60-some-odd pounds and we lose motivation? I can't count the number of people who are in this boat, and I include myself! I didn't handle it properly and have regained 20 pounds. I'm on the way down, but I really wish I had taken "lack of motivation" more seriously and not gained that 20. Would…

I've been where you are. I started at 328 and was ecstatic when I dropped below 300. For the first time in 18 years, I weighed below 300 pounds! Fast forward many months and I was in the 250s. Life changes happen, stress came into m y life, and I have gained 20 pounds. I am still well-below 300, but if I don't stop…

Congratulations on your efforts. Losing a couple of pounds in five days is excellent. You must be working hard. This confidence and feeling pretty is what we call "non-scale victories". Copy this post and put it someplace so you can pull it out when you get discouraged. This is a good thing you are doing for yourself!

Yes, I've been feeling this way for months . . . and 20pounds ago. You have to get back on track or it will all come back. I'm still fighting it and am back on the way down, but don't give in. !0,000 steps is excellent. Have you thought about joining a challenge? MFP has a "Challenges" message board and they have several…

Do you have a Wii? They have Sports and you can burn a lot of calories kayaking, bowling, baseball, etc. If you like dancing, check out YouTube. They have a lot of videos for dancing. You don't have to be good at it. Do it when nobody is home so they won't make fun of your efforts. You can also check out YouTube for…

Glad you are enjoying retirement. It looks like your new job will be to have fun while exercising. And the next time you climb Mt. Evans, You might get another PR. Then it WILL mean something because you beat your previous time. Congratulations on your achievements. Retirement is going to be fun for you.

Have you looked at self-help books? I'm old so I found all my books just by looking on the shelf at the bookstore and comparing them to each other. It is harder for me to do that on Amazon, but you young folks have it figured out by now. lol Part of losing weight is changing how you think of yourself. I am no longer a…