Sherry, I joined in 2002 also, I see you joined 2 1/2 weeks before me! have I ever gotten to my 'goal' weight? Yes for maybe a week or so! :devil: and I had set my goal weight high, never dipped down into the 130's. But I keep pluggin' along.

I don't know your age, but I have to say at my age 52 and being a consistent exerciser for about 11 years, I have great endurance; my bp is good; my back never hurts; my tum is flat even though it has some extra fluff on and around it; I can carry heavy things :devil: and I rule the road on my motorcycle! :cool: so those are the reasons I keep on keepin' on.

ChickieBoom, your advice always strikes a chord with me, thank you for sharing your wisdom with us! :)

OP, Don't give up on yourself...each day is a new day. I have had many moments of doubting my ability to succeed...practicing "changing" my own mind about myself is a process, but I realize now I'm not alone in these struggles...it's not just "something wrong with me"...it's freakin' HARD to lose weight, and lots of people battle with losing and regaining the same 50lbs...but it's certainly not impossible, as all the beautiful success stories on 3FC provide ample evidence of!

I can tell you that I have been struggling a lot with this too. My history, briefly, is that I had never managed to stick with a plan for more than a couple of weeks or lose more than 15 lbs or so, until 2009 when it suddenly clicked and I was able to lose 110 lbs. I genuinely and honestly believed that there was ZERO chance I'd ever have a regain, and I got rid of all of my fat clothes...

Unfortunately, things didn't go as planned, and I'm back here.

What motivates me is that I DO know that I was a chronic failure until I changed it up and started to succeed. I thought there was something wrong with me that prevented me from staying on a diet, but now I know that there is nothing wrong with me, but that I have bad behaviors around food that I developed over many many years.

I agree most with what is written upthread: it's a process, and the process may require a number of false starts and setbacks along the way.

But I think the absolute most defeating idea is the one that says "it can't be done."

Spending time on 3FC the first time around taught me that ordinary people with serious weight issues CAN succeed if they get enough support and good advice along the way.

Thank you so much! You are all so sweet and supportive. I need to keep re-reading your responses for inspiration and ideas. I may print some out and keep them as reminders. I am just so TIRED of being this weight. It isn't even about vanity (yes, I'd love to look better of course). I want to have more energy and not feel achy/tired from carrying around too much weight any more.

I stuck to healthy eating for two months earlier this year and lost close to twenty pounds. I thought I had finally gotten my head in the right place to do this. I have no idea why, but then I just stopped caring and I've gained half the weight back.

I am restarting Monday. I know that is a total cliche, but I can't get to do grocery shopping until Sunday, and I will plan out healthy meals. I've been battling horrible insomnia and I hope to catch up on sleep over the weekend and get back to exercising as well.

Thank you again for all the support-
Sherry

I totally emerge myself in reading and research. Thin for Life- http://www.amazon.com/Thin-Life-Succ...=thin+for+life

"In this new edition of the acclaimed bestseller, award-winning nutritionist Anne M. Fletcher incorporates exciting recent scientific research to show that permanent weight loss is far easier than is commonly believed. Whether you want to lose 10 pounds or 100, Thin for Life will help you master your weight problem by sharing the techniques of the real experts -- hundreds of women and men who have lost weight for good."

I'm trying to find where it is in the book since I didn't mark it...but it talks about all these people who are now successful...many of them tried dozens and dozens of time before....but then it stuck.

There is a chapter called "Take The Reins"- she says that when people made a choice to diet for the last time, "They stopped looking to others for all the answers and decided to lose weight for no other than themselves."

Also...I think you are going to do great!

Thank you !

I think I actually owned that book at some point. My library may have it.

I have tried losing weight in the past.. and I wasn't really motivated enough so I lost the will to carry on and in exchange my bf of 8 yrs dumped me for being 'lazy' and 'not motivated to make it work' - ouch! I was shattered but I put my ego on and that was the worst thing I could do to myself. I just stopped caring even more!!

Until recently when I figured I have so much to lose if I don't get it done this time! Is there something you fear you'll lose? For me this time around, I am doing it cause my whole life depends on it. I finally know what I want from life and this is my shot at getting it !! It's never too late to realize WHY you want to do this! It's hard, it's frustrating, you want to give up and get back into the comfort zone. It's easier there than here after all ! But find that one reason that made you want to start this journey in the first place and find that one reason that made you choose this and stick with it :) ..you WILL motivate yourself !!

Be like the Johnny Walker guy. Keep Walking....... ;)
You got this !!!!

Thank you!! Good luck with your journey, too.

The odd thing is, I actually like exercising and I like healthy foods. I love fruit, vegetables, whole grains and lean proteins. I don't eat red meat, I like fish, I only eat fast food maybe twice a year, and hardly ever eat fried food. If I weren't a chocoholic and didn't love pizza/pasta so much, I'd be a lot thinner. Even when I"m not "on plan" I'll eat Greek yogurt with fruit, oatmeal, or a whole grain English muffin with lowfat cottage cheese for breakfast because I like it.

Just BELIEVE that you can do it.. and just do it. Don't agonize, Just do it. Don't question your strengths, just do it. Don't think that you will fail because you will fail..... Just do it. Truly.... believing works!

Suzie, have you tried tracking your intake and activity on MyFitnessPal? It takes a day or two to get used to, but it's something I've had success with for the last few months. :)

"I have not failed 10,000 times. I have not failed once. I have succeeded in proving that those 10,000 ways will not work. When I have eliminated the ways that will not work, I will find the way that will work.” - Thomas Edison

Wow, there are so many good posts on this thread --- thank you for starting it, Suzie!

Do you set any kind of shorter term goals, and maybe not goals that are based on numbers? I noticed several people are training for 5ks, which would change "exercising" to "training." Smaller, nearer goals appeal to me because I get intimidated, overwhelmed and depressed whenever I think about how much I have to lose. And I like the idea that I am an athlete training instead of a fatty dieting.

Anyway, the only real way you can fail this is to permanently give up ---- and I just don't think you're going to do that. Why would you give up on such a lovely person?

:hug:

As long as you are willing to try, and I think I'm starting to realize thee is never really an "end" to this. I'm just going to have to keep doing what I'm doing for the rest of my life and hopefully these changes I'm making with help me live an even longer, healthier, and happier life!

first off i want to say HELLO! :)
and second i want to say that u are making the first step into your transformation and seeking help and guidance and that already shows that u are heading in the right direction!...
what i have been doing the past couple months with my weight loss and mindset repair is...

1-reading success stories no here and online and tumblr and youtube and facebook! on here you will find that everyone wants you to succeed but you first have to want it as bad as we want it for you! as soon as u got the right mind set and you are ready for the challenege then NOTHING can stop you! :)
i was ALWAYS on tumblr and youtube watching videos and readig awesome memes on motivation and watching documentaries on netflix and hulu! :) i came across one documentary that now i know word by word cuz ive seen it so many time but i watch it every time i start to get discouraged! :) find that one thing u can go always go back to when u get discouraged! for me its "fat sick and nearly dead"

2- i take pictures every 2 weeks and set them side by side and see the difference in my body and it only makes me feel better to go on and work out and eat healthy!

3- find what works for you! not anyone person is the same so what ever works for you might not work for someone else and vise versa! so find what works for you and stick with it and once u feel like u got used to that then switch up and try something else.... same goes for working out! once u feel like u mastered one thing move onto something else! :) u will feel great and feel like you are challenging urself like u have never done before!

4-begin to learn how to love yourself again! :) but in a more healthy way! i learned that when i achieved something in my life or day i used to go out and get drunk and have a bunch of chicken wings but now i head to the gym... lots a couple hundred calories and wake up the next day and see my # on the scale go down is an amazing feeling!

5-dont think of of the whole progress as a lump sum!.... think of it as 5lbs at a time... or even 1 lbs at a time!
"i cant lose 100 lbs right now, but i can lose 5lbs 20 times!"

6-COME BACK and talk to us and we will always be here to make sure you know that we want to feel better and get to where u want to be!

I GOT YOUR BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
YOU GOT THIS! :)

*hugs*