Take it one step at a time. When I started, I couldn't workout more than four minutes without feeling like I was going to pass out. ButI kept trying and gradually I was able to complete a full workout. Every step counts.

Your thread title makes me think of the movie Alice in Wonderland. To quote the Mad Hatter, "Start at the beginning, and when you get to the end stop."

For what it's worth...I didn't even think about excercise until I had a solid food plan in place. One I could do frontwards, backwards and in my sleep. I weighed 333 pounds at the start. Just walking to the bathroom was major exercise and a weightlifting experience. I personally got fat because of my food problems. The sedentary lifestyle came after I became morbidly obese and unable to move about freely. Diet is the MOST important part of a weight reduction plan. People get injured and can't work out all the time, when they don't have a good solid "diet" plan in place they become unable to keep going....you read about it all the time from returning members here at 3FC and other diet sites.

Anyway, no exercise is better than no stable food plan. Pick one you can follow, and worry about excercise when you have a couple months of proper nutrition under your belt. Of course, what works for you is best, but from your intro, it sounds like the "do it all at once approach" hasn't worked out so well.

Good luck and Keep us posted.

Amber...How are you doing? It's been a couple weeks since you have logged in. Are you okay?

Wow, Lori Bell! Congrats on an amazing loss, and looking absolutely fab!!

I was looking to threads, as I am about that start my journey for the 97th time. OK, so it might not be that many, but I've been on a weightacoaster since I was about 10 (I'm 27 now). And, yes, I am fed up. It's not just the appearance factor, it's about being able to catch a plane without worrying about the seat belt fitting or having to buy an extra seat (has not happened to me yet, but you never know!) or walking around without having a ******* asthma attack (and I don't even have asthma.).

Anywho. I am motivated, and at the same time I am very impatient. Have any of you ever been successful at just starting full throttle?

I know impatience combined with lack of planning is at least part of why I've not been successful (and currently fatter than ever before.) in the past.... but I just want to get on with it. Get the show on the road etc... Oh, and I plan to do low cal, btw. I figure it might be easier to do this as a lifestyle? Still be able to have half a sandwich at a party etc? Or is this the wrong way of going about it?

I will be grateful for any advice!!

PS! I'm new! Hi!

Hi Pannie. Don't feel bad no one responded to you yet. Since you posted in a thread that someone (who appears to be not quite ready to git-er done), started and abandoned, people have probably quit viewing her thread and therefore haven't seen your post. You might want to start a new thread under your own name to catch more peoples attention.

Anyway to answer your question...yes, I started full throttle, and got it done as quickly as healthfully possible. I started out with a good solid eating plan. (By counting calories and making those calories clean healthful foods) Followed it 100% every single day with no cheats/slips/splurges. After a few months I started focusing on ways to get in more excercise. I also quit drinking alcohol and smoking at the same time. So, yea...I was an all or none kind of gal. THat is what worked for me, others need months just to get a food plan in place...and that is okay too. Hope to "see" you around the boards.

I completely agree with LoriBell that diet is the thing... I completely changed what, when, and how much I ate. I worked on that for months (and lost around 60lb) before I really even thought about exercise. May not be the same for everyone, but for me exercise doesn't really get rid of the weight. It helps shape the muscles and lose inches, and it sooooo important for health but it's not going to magically shave 100lb off anyone with poor eating habits! So, I recommend working on eating habits first.
Secondly, I was not an all-or-nothing chick. Pretty close, but not completely. It was important to me that this be a complete and permanent lifstlye change. I not on a diet... to me a diet has a set end point, when you reach goal. Instead, I wanted to develop healthy permanent habits. And let's be real, I'm not going to avoid cake for the rest of my life! I wanted to figure how to be someone who can have a small piece of cake or an alcoholic drink on occasion without going overboard. So, I wasn't perfectly on plan all the time, but I was there about 90% of the time! And I enjoy those small indulgences far more now far more than I used to enjoy my overindulgences. Best of luck in finding what works for you!!

A month ago I had acute Cellulitis and couldn't walk my dogs to the end of my driveway. I have been slowly working on adding time to our walking. Last week I missed my walk 5 - 7 hrs a week goal by 17 min because I didn't walk last night in the rain. We were walking a 22 min route most days AM & PM. Yesterday I swapped my morning route for a 1 hr long route. Today was day 2. From the end of the driveway a month ago to 82 min of dog walking today. I think I am doing OK. Dogs are excellent motivators, they know it is time to walk and don't want you to forget.

Food wise I am working on "plating"- covering half my plate (or half my diet with veggies and fruits) I have also taken a lot from the book Hypoglycemia For Dummies. Between the Cellulitis and the Hypoglycemia I just got sick and tired of being sick and tired. I am trying for whole grains and nutritionally dense foods. I am sure I am still eating too much but hey, at least half it is veggies and fruits.

Last time I saw a scale I was 350lbs.