I love what you say, synger, and the diagram. I'm flowing around between contemplation, preparation and action, edging towards action.
It's really helpful, thankyou!

So many great ideas and suggestions, I don't really have much to offer but I wanted to lend my support.

I spent most of my adult life in the "i can't get started mode" or rather, I can't last more than 2 days mode! I think for me what it boiled down to was that I didn't want it enough. Yes, I had lovely thoughts of being slim and running down a grassy hill laughing and singing LOL but it wasn't enought to sustain the hard work that it would take. It was SO MUCH EASIER TO BE FAT! I know that's a highly controversial statement but for me it was! I had no health issues, I could move around ok, I kept my house spotless as i was mobile enough to clean vigorously, I had a great relationship with my DH and he didn't seem to mind that i was so fat - he certain never made me feel bad about it! I've always been funny and outgoing so I had lots of friends and a good job, lots of interests, etc. Being fat certainly didn't hold me back and make me miserable that's for sure.

So it was very very hard to motivate myself to change. "Looking good in pants" was not enough to change my life and my habits. I half-assedly wanted to be thin, and all my efforts to that point were just that - half assed! I'd lose 30 pounds and say "wow my pants fit better, i'm done! yay i'm skinny!" and be about 290 LOL not so much!

But eventually, something did "click" for me. I didn't WAIT for the lightbulb moment mind you, I did the old 'fake it til you make it' trick, and it really did work. I did just what people on here suggested -- I changed ONE thing! For me it was McDonald's -- I'd eaten it for about 4 meals a week for a long time, and then just stopped. My habit was to eat that and then get a DQ Blizzard. I stopped that too. I was a little miffed that 100 pounds didn't melt off IMMEDIATELY after i gave that up, it was such a HUGE deal to me!!! but about 20 pounds came off! And I did some therapy to address why I got so fat in the first place... I had no childhood trauma, no unsupportive family members belittling me when I was growing up, nothing I could pinpoint as the culprit. Turns out I was just a spoiled brat who wanted what she wanted and immediately and plenty of it! Once i tamed that little brat, things improved at a dramatic rate. I realized that what I thought was "getting around OK" was a bit of a stretch. Now I can zip around like nobody's business!!

Wow that was way too long, sorry!!! Basically what I'm getting as is that you don't have to have it all figured out immediately, you can start moving forward and making small changes and see how that works for you, can you LIVE with it forever??? Once you survive one thing, move on to one more thing, and then another etc. Believe me, it CAN be done!!!

A lot of people have touched on this so I just want to ask if you have a job where you can keep food at work? I keep oatmeal in my desk so I can make myself something healthy and easy if I'm running late.

Just wanted to check back in and thank everyone for their ideas/support.
Went to WW last night and after missing a month and I was up only .2 lbs, and I have been eating horribly for that whole month. So I know that if I just start by changing a few things I should actually lose just from that. My goal for the next week is to eat breakfast at home and bring my lunch everyday.

Trayzey34, I am in the same boat as your were. Nothing has caused me to be overweight other than I've always wanted to just eat what I want when I want it. Eating healthy takes a lot more work and planning. I'ts ok though, I know I just need to take one day (or one meal) at a time.