[HadEnough]

I have been on a downhill slide for the last year+ now (regained 50 pounds-stupid, stupid, stupid). I start every day off good, and then wham, everything goes to ****. Then I figure, oh, well, you blew it, there is always tomorrow. It seems I have no control over what I shove in my mouth. And oh, boy, if I have some alcohol, well, then ALL bets are off. I keep thinking that there are some deep rooted issues, as to why I do what I do to myself, but, I can't nail that down either. And exercise, well.......let's just say, I am LAZY! I hate exercise. I would rather plop my fat *** on the couch and watch TV. I HATE going to the gym. If I could just go straight from work, I may go, but I can't because I have dogs, and I have to come home to let them out (no one else is home), and then once I am home, that's it. I am not going anywhere. I want to buy a treadmill to have here, but Hubby says I won't use it so why spend the money (which is always tight anyway). I know what to do to lose the weight, I just can't seem to get my act together. Any advice, oh,, wise ones? Thanks for letting me vent a bit.

[midwife]

Sometimes it can help to set short term goals. How about taking the dogs for a walk TODAY. And eating each meal as planned TODAY. Grasping a little bit of control can give you confidence to keep going.

Also, a rule I have for myself is that any reason beyond a single reason is an excuse. You may have to go home to let the dogs out. That is a legit reason. But everything else just might be an excuse. Print your post out and circle all your excuses. Don't let excuses dictate your life or your health.

Get the eye of the tiger, girl! You can do this!

[kimmieone]

First if you want a treadmill then buy a treadmill. Don't let people, husband or otherwise stop you from fullfilling your dreams.

Second, you might need to see a profession to find out what your issue are. Third you need to get out and exercise, instead of letting the dogs out why not walk the dogs after work. Find the type of program you feel you can stick to for the rest of your life and start living like that.

Get off your butt, stop making excuses and make it happen for yourself. Afterall you have dropped 50 pounds before so you know what it takes. However, I don't think that was a doable way for life since you no longer do it. I believe you can do and other here believe you can do it again but only YOU can get you off the couch.

Post often and come for support and we will help you any way we can.

[rockinrobin]

It's tough. But it IS doable. IF you want it badly enough. You've got to face it though, you just can't have it both ways. You can't drink alcohol, sit on the couch and eat poorly AND expect to be at a healthy weight. Sad, but true. You MUST come to that realization though on your own and DECIDE once and for all which is MORE important to you.

Once you make that decison - to shed the pounds and get healthy, it's best to formulate a PLAN. The decision is all fine and dandy, but you need to set yourself up for success. Rid the house of the junk, ADD in healthy and delicious low cal foods. Do some shopping. Track your calories on Fitday.com. Map out your food scheduele in ADVANCE. Eating healthy most certainly does not happen by accident. It MUST be planned for. Have good foods all ready. Set up an exercise scheduele. Whether it be walking, an exercise DVD or whatever. Stick to it like glue. Before you know it, it WILL become habit to you.

Anything worth having, is worth working for. This is an understatement when it comes to weight loss. You will never, EVER regret making the decision to shed the pounds. That's something you can't say if you DON'T make the decision to do so. Go for it. Make the commitment. Good luck to you!

[mtiger]

I was reading this thread and tried to PM Kimmieone but I can't yet because I'm new. Great job on losing fifty pounds. I myself want to lose around 95. I am looking for support and advice from those who are "doing it."

[jordan]

You've lost 24 lbs already, so great job! I've come to the conclusion that while there are certainly people with deep "issues" that cause them to be the way they are, that is not always the case so don't spend too much time searching for these issues that, once discovered, are supposed to solve everything. My "deep issue" must have been that I liked to eat bad food too much. When I binged, it was becuase the bad food was REALLY good. Not everyone has these profound discoveries they have to make about themselves so don't waste time searching (obviously I could be wrong, just my opinion). On to the real issue, like others have said you have to want it and you have to be willing to do what it takes, and what it takes is a whole lot of dedication and will power and effort. You have to be dedicated to the entire long term loss, the will power for me personally relates primarily to what I eat. The effort is the exercise. You CAN do it if you want to badly enough. I hope that you do as it is so fantastic to be healthy, but it really is something that takes a full commitment.

[JayEll]

Hey HadEnough!

Basically, you have to go beyond saying "I will" every morning.

That means--planning ahead.
- Shopping for the foods that you have used in the past to help you lose weight.
- Getting rid of the foods that don't do you any good to have in the house.
- Making it hard for yourself to go off plan!
- It can also mean not drinking in the evenings every day, if that tends to derail you.

As for exercise, what about exercise videos? There are plenty available; you can sometimes pick them up used on the internet pretty inexpensively. You can get a variety so you're not doing the same workout every day. Lots less expensive than a treadmill, and takes up less space.

Think of what you CAN do, not of what is STOPPING you. Everyone has options that they can choose to make use of--if you really want to reverse the gaining trend.

Good luck!
Jay

[Janie Canuck]

If you hate going to the gym, just ditch that idea altogether. There are a million ways to get exercise - find one that you enjoy, otherwise you'll never stick to it. I have, in the past, cancelled gym memberships due to disuse - I just find it inconvenient to have to go TO the gym. BUT, I have an elliptical trainer in my basement, and have used it religiously for almost 4 years now. Best $$ I ever spent on my fitness, for sure. My point is that just because you don't use your gym membership doesn't mean you wouldn't use a treadmill. The trick for me is, as I said, make it enjoyable.... I have mine set up in front of the basement TV, so I watch TV shows, movies, concert DVD's etc. while I work out.

I find that when I have few bad days and need to get back on track, it's best to not look too far ahead. Just aim to make it through on plan TODAY, and worry about tomorrow tomorrow. THat doesn't mean not to plan your food & exercise - of course that advice is golden, especially in the early stages. But I really just focus on day 1. THen day 2 is a bit easier, day 3 is easier still. After a fairly short time, I start to feel better, and that makes it even easier to stay on track.