[hstevens1]

Hey everyone- Im having a lot of trouble initiating my new healthier lifestyle. I eat unhealthy foods when I know they are bad and I dont go to the gym even though I know I should. I want to lose weight and become healthy but I just can't seem to motivate myself to keep going. It seems so much easier to just eat the unhealthy food and sit around and not go to the gym and 98% of the time that's what I end up doing even though it is wrong. Like right now I should go to the gym but Im not, Im really good at coming up with all kinds of excuses to tell myself and I end up not doing anything and at the end of the day I am still unhappy with myself because I have accomplished nothing. I think I am the least motivated person I have ever met. All I think about is being skinny and healthy and feeling normal again but for some reason I can't make myself get off my *** and take it to the gym even though it is what I want most more then anything else. Ive tried to talk to my friends about it or even my parents but nobody else I know needs to loose as much weight as I do or doesnt have a problem with it so they try and help but they don't really know what to say because they have never been there. I feel like the only way that I will ever be successful is if Im in an environment where everything is controled kind of like biggest loser where they do not have chips and microwave pizza staring them in the face all the time tempting them to eat it. I really need some help to get me going and probably keep me going because I have alot to loose and Im not sure that I will be able to do it by myself.

[howie6267]

Well you have come to the right place. We have all been right where you are now. I know how hard it can be to get motivated but you have to take it one day at a time. You can't continue to look at the big picture. Tell yourself you are going to lose 10% of the total you want to lose and focus on doing that. Each day it will get easier. The more days you eat healthy the stronger you get. You can do this and we are here to help you. Your right other don't know the things you deal with being so heavy. However we do and are here anytime you need support.

You have to do this for your body and minds health. It is easier to just sit and do nothing but it's a lot more fun to get out and do it and live life the way you want to live. Be good to yourself and do this for you, your worth it.

[Crescendo]

I feel the same way you do -- it is a CONSTANT struggle for me to get up and do something. Some days are good and some days are REALLY not good. I constantly think about being the "healthy" me. I think that something that has helped me is doing an activity that you like -- like join a team or something like that -- instead of just "going to the gym." Also, make whatever you are doing "digestible." And take it one day at a time rather than plan ahead -- I still stuggle with that myself. I just started running; and it was one of the most difficult things because I am SO SELF CONSCIOUS. I mix it into intervals of 2 minutes running and 5 minutes walking -- thus for me it is more digestible. And understand that there will be set backs but not to let those minor cheat days turn into a week or more of cheating.

Like I said before I still struggle with it but I try to take it one day or hour at a time. Hope this helps.

[freeda]

Hun, you have to CREATE your "controlled environment". Get the bad stuff out of your house! Mass-cook healthy meals on weekends and freeze appropriate portion sizes so that you can't use "no time to cook" as an excuse! Move the candy dish to someone else's desk at work!!

I even take my kids' snacks they put in their school lunches, and put them in an inconvenient place.

You can do it!!

[Sakai]

I know JUST how you feel. I was and still am just like that.

Just like my signature below says. "The Hardest part about working out is the first step out the door."
Try it.. get in your gym clothes and take one step out the door. ... well you may as well walk to the car. now that you're in the car you may as well drive. Ta-da... you are at the gym. I do this every dang day.
Everytime I go.."Oh I don't feel like going to the gym today" I get up and take just one step out the door... then it seems like smooth sailing from there.

I know you WANT to be fit... I know you are TRYING.. but in the end you have to FORCE yourself. No one is going to follow you around and whip you as you jog or run, you have to push yourself. It's hard, I know, I really hate the trainer that lives inside me because she makes me work hard even though I don't want to.

About the food. The best thing you can do is get in control...no bad food in the house...ever. Now... I know this is nearly impossible if you have family. (unless the whole family needs to be fit). Anyways, my point being, you can't eat what isn't there.

And if it gets hard and you want to drive down to McDonalds, you are already in the car so you may as well go to the gym not to the bad food. See where I'm going here... you have to make the choice.

If you have a family and it's hard to keep bad food away, I find that different meal plans work. but you have to stick with it. I know it's hard to make two different dinners, but things like this isn't easy at first.
But soon it will be habit.

but the #1 thing to do it never give up. NEVER GIVE UP.. I've tried and failed way too many times to count, but I've never given up. Never give up... don't set goals so high... say.." i'm going to try to lose 10 pound in 2 months." or "I'm going to go to the gym 15 times this month and stay at least 45 minutes." things have to be slow and steady at first. set low goals that won't be so hard to reach or do.

I can go on forever @_@ hehe, but I'll stop here ^_^ I hope you never give up and keep trying. Stick around, we like to support.

[jtammy]

A lot of weight loss is being in the right frame of mind. If you keep telling yourself that you're not sure if you'll be able to do it, you probably won't be. No one else can give you the motivation that you need to actually do it. You're going to have to pull down inside yourself and find that. You say that you want this more than anything else, then it's time to make a commitment to yourself to do it. Make a commitment to start eating healthier right now. Create that controlled environment for yourself. Get rid of the chips and microwave pizza. Go grocery shopping for healthy foods to take their place. Use your free time to prepare snacks, meals for times when you're too busy to cook. Start today. And if you slip, like we all do at some point, pick yourself right up and keep going. Don't let one bad meal or snack turn into a day or week of bad choices. You CAN do this, and you are worth making the commitment for.

I have heard others say and I have said in the past "I would do anything to lose weight". And the simple reply is "Would you watch what you eat and exercise?" It seems so simple, and it is really. You just have to start by getting past all of the negative thoughts in your head and know that if you commit to doing it, you CAN do it.

[melsfolly]

You've been given some great advise by the others. And unfortunately the sad truth is if you're not ready to commit to both the food and the exercise you're going to have trouble. But that doesn't mean you should give up. Build up to the ultimate goals of good food and exercise decisions. If nothing else, give up one of your trigger foods today (example: sodas). And even if you're not going to the gym or exercising per se, next time you go to the mall, doctors office, work or ______ (insert a place here) don't park up front - park waaaayyyyy on back there to get in a little exercise. Then as you go along delete more trigger and/or bad foods and add a little more exercise.

I was watching tapes of Oprah last week and the doctor she has on there all the time said that if you just cut out 100 calories a day you will lose weight. It might not come off as fast as it would if you really, really tried but it will come off.

Looking forward to seeing more posts from you!!

Melissa