[Trixie14]

I'm in need of some encouragement...I'm feeling really hopeless and frustrated right now. I'm 5'4 and 213lbs...I restarted weight watchers again on Monday and I've been doing OK...I just don't know what my problem is I've tried so many times before and I'm having a hard time getting motivated again and I feel like nothing is ever going to change, it is so hard to change my eating, especially when people around you are eating junk food and things like that and you don't always have healthy options around...

And I'm having such a hard time getting back into exercise, all I've done this week is: 20 minute walk with my BF, 15 minutes bike ride with my brother, and I rearranged and cleaned my room for an hour (if that counts), I could have done SO much more too because I'm not in school right now (I want to go to college I just don't know what for yet), and I'm not working because I'm currently looking for a job but not many places are hiring, so I had time.

I have a gym membership but I never get around to going, I don't like going alone and I have no way there, my mom hired herself a personal trainer so she has been going with her personal trainer & her and I don't have time to go together alot because she works. I don't have any exercise machines at home except an old ski machine my mom bought at a garage sale but it hurts my feet and knees, we have videos but alot of them I can't do because their too high tense for me right now and I feel light headed and alot involve jumping moves which I can't do (I wear a DD bra...) Sooo I only have a couple I can do and doing the same thing everyday gets boring and repetetive and I dont care much for standing infront of a TV watching someone else, I wish I had money for a treadmill but their so darn expensive...I just don't know...

I know that I have things I can do and I'm making up excuses..it just feels hopeless to me. I always come up with things Im going to do, exercise routines I will follow and things I will try to do and not do and it all seems so easy but I can never stick to it, whats WRONG with me? I know WHAT to do and I plan it all out and it just seems I always set myself up for disaster..

[beautifulwannabe]

I just started a new thread all about starting over and getting motivated - it's under Exercise. It's never too late. Join us!! (I'm going to write more later but I've gotta run at the moment)

[cemetarysiren25]

Sweety, you CAN do this!!! I know it's hard to get started and stick with it, but it's definately worth it.

I lost 40-50lbs. before going into high school, but I gained it all back, plus another 70 lbs. I really looked at myself one day, looked at pictures of myself, and I was totally disgusted with what I saw. And then it just hit me, I HAD to do this.

I had no clue what to do when I first started. The first thing I did was buy some "beginner" exercise dvd's. Extreme Makeover Fitness is EXCELLENT. The cardio routines are only 10 minutes each, and they have different routines for each day of the week, Monday through Sunday. There's strength training too. They also show you low-impact moves. All you need is a chair. The second thing I did was join fitday.com (it's free). It lets you enter ALL the foods that you ate in one day, plus all the activities and exercises that you did. Then, depending on your body weight which you enter when you join, it calculates the calories that you took in and the calories that you burned off. It was a great way to start a food journal. I also started a regular journal, writing down my motivations, why I want to lose weight, etc. I looked at this often. I started measuring out serving sizes until I could "eye-ball" it. I eat a big salad before dinner so I don't eat as much. It really becomes habit after a while and now I feel sick and get the "runs" if I eat anything greasy or whatnot.

My first week, I lost 8 pounds and in less than 3 months I've lost 61 pounds. I haven't starved myself, I never did any of the "fad" diets, never joined a gym, etc.

As for exercising, you don't need to go to the gym, you don't need to buy a treadmill or any other exercise equipment. The outdoors is your gym! Start off by walking. Get a pedometer so you can see how far you've walked. Read books on dieting and nutrition...I did a lot of that in the beginning.

Most of all, you HAVE to think of this as a life-style change...NOT a diet. A diet is something that is only temporary, and I hate to think of myself as being on a diet for life. Remember, it is OK if you overeat one day, or don't exercise one day. You just jump right back on the next day. I used to freak out if I ate anything that was even REMOTELY bad for me (fatty or high in calories)...thought that I would automatically gain like 5 pounds back. But, obviously that never happened.

Have faith in yourself. It is attainable!!

[Serafyn]

I just want to tell you the same thing. You CAN do this. I haven't lost as much weight that cemetarysiren has, yet, nor have I been doing this as long (only 3 weeks or so) but I know that I can and will. I've already lost 12 lbs just by watching my portion sizes and calorie intake and by doing 45 minutes of yoga most days. Sometimes I walk too.

Fitday.com is awesome--it's very motivating to see what you actually eat everyday and how many calories each food has. Find your true motivation and do this for yourself. Keep some kind of journal--fitday.com is a great place to start and to learn. Also list fresh fruits and veggies that you love, and plan meals around them. You can branch out from there, but have fun eating healthful foods. Share your food with other people. It feels nice to eat well and to share that beautiful food with people you care about. Sounds like you mom would love this! Try to limit sweets initially, because they can make you want more, but once you get an idea of how much to eat to meet your calorie intake goals, then you can figure those things in, but in reasonable amounts that don't sabotage your effort.

Learn as much as you can about healthful eating and how to lose weight. Go to the library, look around on the internet. Get inspired! There is a wealth of wonderful information out there--this site for instance! Soyouwanna.com has an excellent, simply written article, which basically tells you the mechanics of losing weight and what you need to know in order to lose either 1 or 2 lbs a week. Here's the link. Does a good job of explaining it in simple terms.

Try not to worry about when you might eat too much of the wrong things, or that you might not exercise enough. Take is one step at a time and just recognize the slips when they happen, FORGIVE yourself and then go back to your plan--everytime. Eventually it will stick. Avoid the negativity of dwelling on mistakes and instead know that you can and WILL do this for yourself. Each time you chose the way toward better health and lifelong fitness, you will reinforce much better habits. Habits that will keep you healthy and fit for life! It DOES get easier! You really can do this! Just take it one step at a time and faith in yourself.

[Trixie14]

Thanks so much, your both an inspiration!! I was going to buy the extreme makeover fitness DVD but instead I got a Kathy Smith DVD that was a big mistake b/c I can't do it, it is much too complicated for me and has TONS of jumping moves in it. Maybe I will go out and pick that DVD up now.

Thanks you two, I really needed this, I feel ready and motivated to do this now!!