[soontobethin2005]

Hi everybody,

Hopefully, here I will be able to get the support and encouragement I need to stay on track and really lose the weight I need to before our big trip. My spouse and I are going on our yearly vacation in a little over 22 weeks. We live very far from our families, so we make it a point to visit them (2 weeks in Chicago and 2 weeks in New York) toward the end of summer each year.

I am 5'10, and should be around 155 pounds. Unfortunately, I am out of shape and flabby, and weigh 198 right now. I have a really nice treadmill, a fancy polar watch that tracks my heartbeat and calories burned, the knowledge of what to eat in order to lose my excess weight, and the strong desire. What is lacking, however, is the follow-through. I have great difficulty being consistent.

How do you do the "right thing" and eat properly and exercise, when you just don't feel like it? Or even worse, how do you hold yourself back from doing the "wrong thing", when the temptation to do so is threatening to overpower you?

I'm hoping that by writing here to you guys who are going through some of the same challenges and successes, that we will be able to help each other all succeed in losing the weight we need for our big, special occasion.

I need to feel that I am not all alone in my quest to lose the weight. Everything around me seems to be going against me. Let's face it, most people would not be able to lose the 45 pounds I need to lose in 22 weeks; it will take a consistent, almost super-human effort of will power and determination. The easy way out is not to exercise, and the easy way out is not to eat healthy. Without proper preparation starting when I go shopping, the food I'll end up eating will not be good for me. My spouse, although supportive in theory, is not really there for me in this area.

That's why I am coming here to the "boards". I need some support group to make my dream of losing this weight and ugly flab a reality. Please respond and let me know that you are there for me, and that we can be there for each other, and really succeed in looking our best for the "big event". Thank you

p.s. The big joke around work is when I will actually START my diet and exercise program. I have wanted to for some time already, but haven't been able to really kick it into gear. Also, my sister (who is stick thin, and could actually GAIN a few pounds) has taken my picture each year when we come in. She told me that now that she has a "before" picture, she is looking forward to taking the "after" picture this year. I know that she didn't mean to be insensitive, but nevertheless, there is a lot of pressure on me to lose the weight (both at work and at home).

[kykaree]

You'll only do this successfully if you are doing it for yourself for the right reasons. I know, because I have tried and failed and not even started a million times. On the "support" thread there are some great discussions, the two that come to mind are "what areyou doing this for" and "reasons for losing weight".

My husband has seen such a change in me in the last two months, that now he is 100% supportive, yet before he was about 30%. If you do it with positvity, humour and enthusiasm, you'll drag him along with you!!! Don't see it as a chore, see it as a challenge and positive lifestyle change.

For me, the focus is on my health, not appearance, because let's face it, if I really cared THAT much about how I look, I wouldn't be this size. Any change in my appearance is a positve side effect.

Best of luck with your journey, don't put yourself under too much pressure, and find what works for you!