Ok I am back and feeling a little overwhelmed. I don't even know what to start with!!!! Any ideas? Do I just do it all? Do I start working out and try to eat better?

That's it exactly..

start where you're comfortable. find something manageable and do it. like cutting out soda. find time to move a little more, go for a 5 minute walk. don't try to make all the changes at once, or you'll feel deprived and miserable which leads to giving up.

small steps in the right direction are better than standing still or going backwards

Why not try changing just one thing rather than try to change it all at once? For example, when I was at my all time heaviest, I started by parking in a spot as far away from wherever I was going (work, groceries, shopping) and just force myself to be moving more. I then added something new each week. Or, you could figure out which weight reduction plan is right for you and start that. No need to overwhelm yourself. Just take one step!! Good luck...you can do it!!

I have this stupid mindset that I have to do a 30 minute workout and if I don't I am a failure. I am trying to get over that and tell myself that any amount of moving is good! I know that in the past when I am working out I tend to eat better because I don't want to waste my workouts.

*Any* movement is good! I got myself a pedometer and worked my way up to getting a minimum of 10,000 steps per day!

Definitely don't think yourself a failure if you miss a workout or only manage 20 minutes. The worst thing I ever did was promising that if I missed a workout, or cut one short, I'd make it up the next day. Well, the minutes just kept piling up until the very thought of working out made me want to crawl under a rock -- or binge. Do what you can each day. If you can't work out today, fine. Just work out tomorrow at your regular rate. Only gradually add more time/intensity.

At least, that's my two cents.

That must do 30 minutes thing can be such a trap. One minute is better than nothing because it is a foundation you can build on. One then two then five...

That all or nothing mindset held me back for a long time, especially when I was trying to recommit after going off track.

You can start by just writing down what you eat now to see where you are starting from. You can make small changes by adding more veggies, eating one less portion, etc. You can't go from point A to point J. Any step in the right direction is a good one.

Me too, Amber P here I am starting again ( who knows how many times this is ) but I think every small change is a step towards being healthier, and the older I get, the more that seems to be a REALLY important goal. I am trying to eat healthier foods, and am going to take the dogs for a slow old walk this afternoon, as much as I can manage - thank goodnes the dogs are getting older too!!!!!!

Amber--How much exercise were you getting last week? If you do more than that this week--1 minute more--that's a good thing and will get you closer to feeling great doing 30 minutes a day. Some days I get an hour in but it took starting at 10 minutes to get here. Feeling stronger feels great, and you can only start where you are. Hang in there and try to enjoy the ride!

Thank you so much everyone for all of the encouraging comments. I started yesterday and did pretty good. I help run a food bank and packed boxes with canned foods and carried things up the stairs for 2 hours so I counted that as my work out. Today I am either going for a walk or riding my stationary bike. As far as eating I feel like I am doing good today. I am just taking things one minute at a time. I will work on one day at a time later!

Hello

My name is Joe. I think everyone is on a long road to weight loss. It may take longer for some rather than others.

I would love to hear some inspiring weight loss tales. Please call me on joe.famousfeatures(@)gmail.com

I look forward to hearing from you

Cheers

Joe

I too am overwhelmed, but committed to succeeding. I am going to start a goal list with a new thing to work on each week. This week I am going to embrace sweating! I need to focus on daily excercise whether it is 2 minutes or twenty. I have not formally excercised in months but have increased activity in the few weeks so this week may be quite a challenge!

Hello

My name is Joe. I think everyone is on a long road to weight loss. It may take longer for some rather than others.

I would love to hear some inspiring weight loss tales. Please call me on joe.famousfeatures(@)gmail.com

I look forward to hearing from you

Cheers

Joe

Just do today- Don't worry about tomorrow- just do today and be accountable!