Don't beat yourself up cos we've all been there. It might take a few false starts to really get going cos it really has to be your mind doing this and getting in that right frame is really HARD!

You need a ''lightbulb'' moment - mine last time I lost weight was I was ill and when I got tested at the doctors I was on the verge of being diabetic and my cholestral was sky high as was my Blood pressure, that spurred me on and kept me going as I was a bit scared ..... I probably am on the verge again even more yet its not spurring me on this time even though I am now a mother, so I too need a lightbulb moment.

Keep typing and trying ((hugs)) x

This is the thing, I thought I'd had that moment. I went to the doctors a few days before I joined this site, for sleep problems as it happens, which the dr said was weight related (after a certain size I think they say nearly everything is weight related!). I realised i weighed more than I thought I did, and the doctor told me that I am only 20 and weight this much, I might die before I got to 30!!! That was very terrifying to hear, I cried so much and that I decided I had to do something.

So this is the scary thing, I still mess up like this. How is the thought of DYING not even enough???
xxxx

Penatangle/Joselo/ fellow dieters!
The answer is ...there is no answer. We know that being overweight is bad for our health, joints, pockets and relationships it doesn't take a doctor to tell us that! In fact with doctors the "scare you thin" approach is sometimes the worst. I had a doc say that to me when I was pregnant with my little boy who is now 7 and they kept testing me for diabetes. Added to that I was 37 when I had him not only was I morbidly obese I was old!! You then go into the "it's all too late to change" mode. I might as well continue what I enjoy....ie eating because it is all too late!!!
The difference is...we have all decided to make that change.OK there are youngsters like Joselo and old uns like me but we face the same challenge...switching off the voice in our heads that says "eat " and making a habit of exercising a bit more.
I have lasted longer and lost more weight this time than in any other diet I have done and I am pleased with that but the reality of how far I have to go and how long that will take me has hit me round the face like a wet leek........anybody got any advice?????????????
Together we will succeed!!!!!

I would say, treat everyday like its the first day of your diet. Wake up with the mentality that you'll make a difference today and in time I guess it will become second nature.

I should really take own advice. Not been having the best couple of days. Not food wise, im still being really vigilant, but... my weight has crept up a lb and stayed there the last 2 days. and when I say stayed there, i mean to the ounce!! I'm so close to my first mini goal but it feels like my body has decided to take it away from me.

I need a pep talk , a bit of reassurance. I talk to the hubby about it, but bless him, hes trying to gain, so i guess he can only be there for me so much. If he lost anymore weight he'd be in the anorexic category, which his isn't. I swear if he ate any more.... He'd need his own branch of Tesco!!!

Agree with Mountain Walker. There is no answer and that lightbulb moment is different for everyone. Mine was also multiple health scares which are all long resolved now (phew). At the same time, the lightbulb moment is also not the end of any unhealthy habits - they take time to break, but as long as you're making a start, you're on the right road. I'm in my 40's and only now have I got to grips with things after a lifetime of being overweight.

Having said that, look how close I am to target and STILL I have slip-ups! The secret is how you handle them. Rather than being consumed by guilt which leads many people to think "oh what the heck, I've ruined it now anyway I may as well give up", dust yourself down and get straight back on it. We're all allowed to slip - that's human nature and none of us is perfect.

In terms of advice, Mountain Walker, I can only say keep at it!!! There is no quick fix and it IS a long road. The thing that is surprising is that if you stick with it, you'll suddenly look back in 6-12 months and think "WOW, when did I lose so much weight"?? Set yourself small, bite-sized goals and aim for them. That next 2lb for another half stone, 3lb to the next stone marker and so on. That's what I did and before I knew it, I was half way there. Don't dwell on the bigger picture as it can overwhelm you - keep chipping away at those small goals and before you know it, you're over the summit and heading for that finishing line!

But it is enough - it's started you on this journey. It's not like one day you wake up and realise you've become a person who's losing weight consistently and has it all sorted out. It's a process, and it's going to take a long time to complete. But every day you stay out of the takeaway, every day you go swimming, every day you resist the biscuits is a day further away from being killed by your weight.

You've haven't cancelled out the rest of the week's hard work, because if it hadn't been for that hard work, you'd have overeaten even more than you actually did. So you're still getting better. Use the guilt though - it feels unpleasant, so let avoiding it motivate you! I'd also advise shopping lists. Work out what you're going to eat for the next day or two, write a list, and stick to it. If you can get to the shops easily and often enough, don't keep more food in than you need to - if you've got enough in for a whole week then you can slip up far worse than if you've only got enough in for two days.

Food as a treat is an issue too, but I don't know what to suggest, because I have trouble with that myself too.

Lozz - if it's stuck to the ounce, that sounds a bit weird. Could be gremlins living in your scale and messing with you. Don't let the little buggers win!

Elliemar you are so right. I have just got back from a 2.5 mile walk and I really struggled today. Need to focus on the fact that 8 weeks ago I struggled to walk my boy to school( a total of less than 1/2 a mile) and set myself a more realistic exercise goal.
Lozz I know what you mean, my husband eats loads and maintains his weight how much do I want to shout "IT'S NOT FAIR" when he demolishes 3 doughneuts in fron of me!!!!!

Some days you struggle no matter what - I have off days where my legs feel like lead weights. Just do your best and try again the next day. You've already made great strides from half a mile to 2.5! When I started I couldn't do a mile without puffing like a steam train - now I happily march loads without drawing breath. It all helps.

Joselo - Brid is right. it HAS been enough ebcause you're here and you're thinking about your habits. The more you change, the better they will get. Changing a lifetime of bad habits doesn't happen overnight so don't beat yourself up over it

Hi Jose! I have been reading your thread for a few days now (seeing your progress) and saw this message. Don't beat yourself over slipping up once! You are doing great and you are changing a habbit that has been with you for years and years. It won't disappear over night! Nothing is wrong with nor with your willpower, the fact that you decided to take the first step and get healthier is amazing and I commend you on it. Don't forget, your saboture is being hit by healthy eating and is retaliating! I have suffered with mine but I am much stronger now. Overcoming a craving feels better than anything!! It is amazing!!!

My advice for you is try not to skip the 3 main meals of the day even if your not hungry, reduce them to half the portion but you need to eat Breakfast, lunch and dinner. I am not big on snacking but there is nothing wrong with having healthy snacks.

As for craving "episodes", wut I do is go to a quiet place (empty room in the office/ toilet...etc) close my eyes and take deep breaths. I tell myself that I do not need that poison in my body anymore, I want and will be healthy. I even get angry sometimes and say "I WILL BEAT THIS B****H!!!" (the sabotuer in my head is a cute but EVIL girl hehehe). After a few minutes, the cravings pass and I feel this giant weight lifted off me. You would see me smiling for the next week or so cuz I am so proud of beating the beast!

Sorry for the long message, I hope this helps! Bottom line is KEEP ON GOING YOU'RE DOING GREAT!!!!

xx

Yasmin