I'm new-ish here, and I have to be honest, I hate the weight but I can't find motivation. Throughout my life I have NEVER been a motivated person and tend to give up when it gets hard, I'm self defeating of the highest order. How do you do it? How do you find motivation?

There is this sense of perpetually feeling *stuck* and I hate it. It's my fault, I put myself in this place and now I need to find a way to want to drag myself out of it. And then drag myself out of it.

So, I guess the point of this is just to ask for some encouragement and advice. Especially advice. Thank you for just reading that, I feel a little silly but I hope that I can find the motivation in other people's motivation.

Motivation is fleeting. You may have it, you may not. There were a lot of days when I started that I did not "want" to do it. But I did it anway. You can read through my blog, I only have a few posts to see how I've been doing/handling things.

The important thing is to make yourself a priority. It is hard at first, but it gets easier. You will still have hard/bad days, no one is perfect. But you have to want this for you and then put in the effort.

This forum and My Fitness Pal have been the biggest reasons I am finally losing weight.

As someone who suffers from depression I can relate. First off, consider seeking out therapy and/or meds. It may be the edge you need to get going, and once you start feeling better about yourself things will come easier.

In the meantime, force yourself against all will to do ONE positive thing each day. When it comes to weight loss, I usually advocate diet over exercise. No amount of exercise can make up for bad eating whereas you can lose weight without exercise. That said, in your case, I'd recommend that one thing being exercise. This is because exercise has the ability to improve your mood - hopefully making the other pieces easier eventually.

So I suggest every day doing one piece of aerobic exercise (the type of exercise most proven to help lift depression). If all you can manage is twenty minutes that is fine. Every day try to do twenty minutes of walking or similar. And be proud of that small accomplishment. After doing that for 2 weeks, congratulate yourself and add another little small change. And in 2 weeks another one. Eventually these small changes will become easier and second nature.

My depression has got much better/gone now I have lost 20 pounds. That's a good motivation for me.

I am on an SSRI but I think it's no longer effective. I should see my psych about that. The advice about forcing myself to do one positive thing each day I really like, but what kind of things? That seems like a silly question to me, but when I try to think of nice things to do I fall short.

Ideas for Positive Things Pertaining to Health:
Walk for 20 minutes
Put on music and
Make yourself a delicious smoothie

Ideas for positive things to feel happier
Think of things you enjoyed before being depressed that you liked doing, and try doing them even if you dont feel like it. So if you used to craft, try crafting, if you used to read, read.
Get a facial mask and give yourself a facial.
Shave your legs and paint your fingernails or toenails.