weight has always been an issue for me. when i was little, i was fed and fed and was taught to eat... alot. especially by my grandparents whom i loved dearly.

when i got older, i remember feeling more and more ashamed of myself as i would get teased by kids at school. i was always the fat girl.

around the age of 15... i started to slim down. i played field hockey, and we ran miles each practice. i didn't necessarily watch what i ate (i do love salad, so that was always part of my diet).

i remember also getting sick with mono, and i remember seeing before and after photos and i had to have dropped 20 lbs in three weeks from not eating anything at all. but at that time i wasn't worried about my weight.

when i graduated high school, i was confident. i was bigger, but not terribly big. but i was confident, and that was the most important thing.

now, mind you, i've never been one to exercise. i used to walk alot when i was younger. but i would never purposely exercise. well, when i graduated high school, i couldn't even tell you how much weight i put on. once i started college i had to have been at least 10 lbs heavier... and it only escalated. i kept gaining weight.

THEN! i started dating my now husband, who had horrible eating habits. (pizza or wings every night). so i joined in. i gained alot. maybe another 30 lbs?

well... THEN... we moved away and his family buys a restaurant. ( a pizza place... no joke.) i have honestly gained about 80 lbs. easily.

i am obese and unhappy. but food makes me happy. it gives me an instant feeling of serenity. i'm not sure how to shake that. i have no motivation to get up and exercise. i barely have enough energy to get up out of bed in the morning. i don't know how to go about starting this journey that i so desperately need.

not to mention, i am getting the overwhelming sensation to start a family, now that we are married and own our own home. but i have come to the conclusion that i must lose a lot of weight to really consider that because i am just plan NOT healthy. i would not be happy carrying another 30 lbs, nor would my body. i am not built for that.

i am torn. i want this so badly, but i have no energy. especially with all this snow fall. i would love to start going for walks, but i just hate the cold, i hate the snow. i hate winter in general anyway.

please someone hold my hand and pull me up and get me going. i really need this. for me, my husband and my future family's sake.

I know that after your first day you will feel better. Just knowing you are on your way. So just do it. Start.

well, you need to make a decision. are you going to make a big life change right now? OR are you going to make small changes at a time?

you can get their either way. but it's up to you. you'll also need to decide what kind of food plan is for you.

i need to just do it now. i'm not sure how to get my eating under control with a husband who eats whatever he wants, not to mention working at a family pizzeria.

You didn't list your age but I'm assuming you're still in your 20's. Take it from a older life long obese person. I am, and always have been, what you would call a "geek". I pretty much loved my life even being fat. Pretty confident. However, in looking back, I missed out on a lot of life because I failed to take my weight in hand when I was younger.

Now that I know how easy the low carb lifestyle can be, I just wish I had known. Back when I thought I was big and was probably only 175 or so, losing 60 lbs (actually 85 lbs since I lost 25 watching calories) would have been nothing in my 20's. In your fifties it is a lot of work.

Don't let another day go by being obese. Make a plan and stick to it. Say I'm going to attempt to get to ____ by ______. This forum will be a lot of help to you.

Good luck.

I am 23 going on 24. I loved playing sports in high school, and I was fully motivated then to run and play whatever, but I just completely lost that motivation. I have no energy. I wish I had stuck with it when I started college so I would not be in this position. Thank you for your advice LastYearOver200.

start by writing down what you ate today. maybe write a few days, get an idea of what you 'normally' eat. this may be a little less than what you really were eating, but you can get an idea of the calories you are used to.

try to think about what you know about your body. what do you crave?
does your body react badly to carbs or other foods?

are there any fruits/veggies, lean protein, you like? focus on these to make the foundation for your plan.

educate yourself. read through the different forums-weight watchers, calorie counters(not as bad as it sounds), south beach, atkins...try to find a plan that may work for you.


for exercise. start now. do anything. march in place. jump, dance. even if you can't get outside, just start now. tonight. you can do this!


also, tonight start some charts, or writing somewhere keeping track of your exercise, measurements, drinking enough water, whatever you want to track. as you track several days in a row, building habits, you'll feel more confident, building momentum. this really works for me too!

i think you'll have more energy when you eat healthier. and maybe you need more sleep? you could have low iron or other vitamin/mineral too. you may need to get a check up.

that's another thing. i have ALWAYS hated going to the doctors because i've always been told how unhealthy i am by being overweight. its just an added blow, so i've been avoiding the doctors for a long time.

in adding to my story, i also deal depression. when i was 14 i was put on some medications. i stopped taking that medication at the age of 17, and started putting on pounds after.

you could take some simple quizes online to see if you might be low on iron or vitamin D or something else. i think i'm currently dealing with low iron anemia myself. i'm feeling fatigued. but if you are dealing with depression, that can be a symptom in itself even without any missing nutrients. i don't have insurance right now, so i won't be going to the dr either.

I feel you. I remember feeling the exact same way....avoiding doctors, being depressed and knowing I had to make a change but not knowing how to start and thinking it was all impossible. I won't lie to you and tell you it's easy, but once I got going, it really wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. And I'm probably a good 10 years older than you. Congratulate yourself for knowing you have to make this change NOW. Don't wait. Don't let even more of your life go by being miserable when you don't have to. That's my second biggest regret, not doing this sooner. (My first biggest regret is letting my weight get so out of control in the first place...but it is what it is!)

I'm personally a calorie counter, but I know that doesn't work for everyone. What I like about it is how I don't have to deprive myself of anything if I really want it, but I DO have to budget for it. I've learned SO much about portion control, and which foods give me the biggest "hunger busting" bang for my calorie buck. But you need to find what works for you. And if one thing doesn't work, try something else, but keep trying. Experimentation is NOT failure!

Exercise is tough at first. Start small and work your way up. Seriously, if you can only walk 10 minutes, walk 10 minutes. But do it every day this week. Next week you can do 12 or 15. You'll be amazed at how much more you'll be able to do in just a couple of months.

You CAN do this. You may mess up sometimes, but it's not about being perfect every day (another big lesson I learned on this journey)...it's about being accountable over the long haul. Not to sound like a Nike commercial, but you just need to DO it. Come here for support and just keep doing it. I know you can!

Edit: I also feel you on the cold and snow! And I totally get if you don't want to join a gym right now. If you can't walk outside, go walk around at the mall or a big box store, whatever. Or try a walking workout video, like walk away the pounds (aka "walk at home" with Leslie Sansone). It's very easy to follow and all low impact. Again, you don't have to do the whole video right away. Just try 10 minutes.

also, exercise REALLY helps me when i'm feeling depressed or emotional eating too much. i've never been diagnosed, though. but there have been lots of studies. particularly, i think cardio exercise would give more endorphins- they make us feel happy! but it's anything you enjoy doing. dancing, marching in place watching your fav. show, anything.

You can start this journey, you CAN DO THIS. Once you start seeing results it will also help modivate you. You deserve it. Start out by clearing all the bad food out of your house. Working were you work is a unfortunite thing, but it will just take resolve to be strong.

To start out don't focus on cutting out the food you are eating currently, focus on actually adding in food. I recommend reading Jacky Warners book: This Is Why Your Fat, and how to get thin forever. She has tought me so much and has helped me understand how to get healthy! She is amazing!

add to your diet:

Whey protien drink, for in the mornings.

Oatmeal, like Quackers origonal, with some added honey or bannanas taste good, or any other fruits. Oatmeal is a good carb and slowly relesses energy over time, plus it keeps you full for a long time. Try a cup a day.

add two eggs in a day, this is great protien and eggs have alot of healthy benifits.

eat lots of veggies and fruits.

take a daily multivitiman/mineral and a fish oil suppliment.

get lemons and put a lemon slice into your water. Drink this threwout the day, lemon water kicks up your metabolism and helps with bloating. Plus it also cuts back on cravings.

drink lots of water, trust me the extra trips to the bathroom is worth it. Don't over do it, just try to drink more and be hydrated.

try eating crabs and protien in combinations.

Fish is great also.

add these foods into your diet for two weeks even without exercise you should start to see some benifites and weight loss.

try to get good sleep and eat before 6/7. Try not to have carbs at night either, since your metabolism is slowed down.

and in general try to eat organic. These foods taste great and make you feel great.

I hope this has helped, and YOU CAN DO IT! Believe in yourself, take it day by day, and reward your self when you do good. And don't beat yourself up if you slip up in the future. A skillful marnier isn't made on a flat sea.

oh, and also make healthy choices. instead of white bread get whole grain/ dark/ and nutty bread. Cut back on milk and don't believe products that say fat free or sugar free they are usually worse then the normal products. Greek yogart is good. Low fat cattage chesse is yummy and good for you also.

Also research different fruits and veggies and see what great benifites you will get from them, it will be a fun experience and get you excited about getting healthy and eating these delisious treats. You don't have to sacrofice taste, and you don't have to strave yourself.