I for one, do not want to have surgery to lose weight. I give everyone out there a A+ if you have or are thinking of having the weight loss surgery. But I can't afford it or weight watchers. But OMG, I'm soooooooo depressed, lonely, angry, mad, PMS'ing all the time - how can I get out of this slump. I know I need to lose weight. I just want to learn to me happier with myself. .... help... How can I change, even just a little?

Me.

For most folks there are four things they must do to lose weight, eat less, eat good food, increase activity and do resistance exercise.
For us there is a fifth step. We MUST take our medication!

Here here susan... yes all four ( or five) of them. I'd like to add
Keeping a journal is a must for me, I log my water, exercise and meals.

I would like to ditto to the above, also you will never feel better if you do not just do it. Exersise releases lots of feel good chemicals in our bodies, also some of the junk food that we eat makes all of the depression worse. These things just have a tendency to stay with us. I really can't afford ww myself, but I got ahold of some material and am doing it on my own. I journal everything exersise, water and food. If you cant get ahold of ww info you can alway just count calories. www.fitday.com is a great free place to be able to put in just about any food and get the calories for it. I am actually glad that you are not doing wls. I think that too many people think it is an easy out. I had a friend get it and was in a coma for 1 1/2 years. He never woke up from the operation. It is not an easy solution it is major surgery. I have also had many other friends get it and a year later are in the same place that they are now, just as heavy or heavier. The important thing is to learn to change your habits. And of course whatever meds your doctor gives you. I have noticed for me I don't need as many meds or them as often when I am getting regular exersise. For me there is something in all that exersise that does me lots of good.

Good luck on your journey and your change in lifestyle. Have a great one and

Trish

Thank you so much for your information about weight loss. I need anything and everything that I can gather to try to step forward and move on. I have been trying to get out of the house and go for a 30 minute walk every other day (I work two jobs so when ever I get a free minute). It seems to help just a bit. But besides excersing - what else can I do to make myself feel better. As you can tell, I have a VERY low self-estem. I just can't get out of this box of doubt. Any ideas ??

I've found that the planning and scheming involved in 'good health' kind of gives me something to think about.

Sweety, there is no magic solution for curing low self-esteem. Believe me, I've been there. My self esteem used to be the lowest of the low. LOWER than low! There are still some days where I am totally down on myself and feel like a fat pig, even though I know I'm not. I'm bipolar and have been where you are. Battling depression, mania, anxiety, and weight. It took me YEARS to motivate myself to lose it.
You keep exercising. Do a little bit every day. It really does help with the depression. Even on days where I'm depressed and crying, I exercise. I exercise even if I'm crying throughout the first 20 minutes of the workout!! (give yourself a mental image of that one!!) Do you know why? Because I always feel SOOO much better afterwards.
Once you start to see that weight melting off, you will not want to turn back. That's motivation in itself. The more weight you lose and the more fit you get, the better you will feel about yourself. I don't know about you, but I was invisible to others for a LONG, LONG time. Or, at least, that's the way I felt. But, once my body and attitude changed, I became the center of attention and I'm loving every minute of it.
Now, your mind will take time to catch up with your body. I reached my first goal of 170 pounds in September of 2005 and my mind pretty much just caught up with the rest of me about 2 months ago. For a long time, I would still see myself in the mirror sometimes as that fat girl. For a long time, I would be frightened to look in the mirror....frightened that the fat girl would be back.
It all changes once you lose the weight. The person I am now is the person that I was always meant to be...she was just hiding for a long, long time. I don't even know that 286 pound girl that I used to be.
Your time will come. You just keep trucking. It's worth every minute of hard work!!

hi im new at this can anybody help me please

hi first time user what im i to do

u know netty30 im in the same boat u r in but i did have surgery 2 lose weight
3 yrs ago oboy did i lose it but then had a problem that i gained all my weight back and now i feel so depressed i need help with both 2 hope 2 hear from u soon bye needhelp35

I think you can find help and support here needhelp35. Read lots of posts and ask questions.

Remember that today can be the start of something new in your health life. We all have tried lots of things to lose weight ... most not very successfully. But we find our way.

Hi needhelp35 - how are you?!?!? I'm hang'n in there. I haven't lost the weight. But just hang'n in there. How r u doing?

Are you in therapy? That's the best place to start!

Therapy and exercise are great ideas! I'd have something to add to it: To raise your self-esteem, also find hobbies and interest that have nothing to do with your body. Sometimes it's hard to remember that you are not your body- you've got a mind in there and it's beautiful and capable of so many great things. Take an art class, join a reading group, pick up something new! I feel so much better when I'm doing something that involves my mind.

Good luck and take care!

Hi,
I myself was very depressed today, even though I did lose weight this week. I was depressed because I allowed myself to gain so much weight. Where was my better judgement when I was buying bigger clothes? Why didnt I stop the weight gain before I got so big? The answer is, I do not know. And I refuse to dwell on the past. Now is the time for me to look forward and work towards the future. Being depressed does not make me feel any better. What makes me feel better is knowing that I am doing something about my weight. I always picture myself the way I will look after the weight loss and it changes my entire mood. I have to remind myself that time will go on and I have two options. 1. Remain the way I am and continue to be fat, the same size and weight next week or 2. Stay on my diet and lose weight every week. Time will go on and each week we will make progress. If we give up, we will go no where and continue to gain weight and feel depressed. I do not want this for myself and neither should you. Dont give up. Just hang in there because as I write this I know exactly how you feel. Trust me. It will get better if we do not give up!