[Jellybean0521]

Hi all! I'm new here today- not sure if this is, at long last, the trick I need to meet my goals but I figured What the Heck, Why Not?!
I've tried it all: WW, Nurtisystem, ear stapling (i know, gross), Atkins, etc with little to no success- can't stick to it.
Simply put- I'm tired of being "the big girl" in my circle of friends and coworkers. I want to feel in control of my body, healthy, and confident. Total goal is to get from 183 down to 140- so I got a long journey and will need all the support I can get.
I love humor and blunt honesty- so I need some online pals with a good sense of humor and some "spit-fire" to help me stay motivated.

[Michi702]

Something that helped me initially was reading the Success Stories on the forum. There are some great ones and the ones that really sort of lit the spart for me are the stories where people have started out heavier than I am now and ended up lighter than where I want to be.

To keep the motivation up, I joined some of the support forums and became a regular poster. It's nice to have a group of friends that sort of know what's going on with you and can offer words of motivation. We have all kinds, ranging from religious to age to amount of weight you want to lose overall.

[MadameZombie]

Wow! We have similar heights and goals! I'll tell you what works for me.

Losing weight isn't magic or willpower (well, you'll need some of that). It's math and science. It's completely possible to lose weight as long as you are eating under your calorie goals (which is easy to do if you pre make your meals). I suggest finding your BMR and eating ~500 calories below that. It's really just a numbers game. Counting calories (and I do it loosely now because you start to know the amount of energy in a certain item of food as well as the potion size). Your heart is doing all the damn work for you, just EXISTING uses energy. Your cells know EXACTLY how to use energy, you just need to give them what they need to keep you up and running. (Actually running does help though!)

Also... it takes time. The best thing to do is keep your mind busy while you are on this path to a healthy weight. You have to stick to it for longer than a month if you want to see the benefits and the results but it WILL happen.

Thirdly... Make sure what you're doing it something you can stick to. If you hate salad, why eat salad? There are tons of other ways to have a filling low calorie meal. If you hate the treadmill, why be on the treadmill? This is also the reason I like calorie counting, I can eat what I want as long as I stay under my BMR. Somedays it's ~500, somedays it's ~100 but it still adds up.

Don't feel like you need to always start off with a clean slate. Some mornings I have a Wendy's breakfast sandwich but I'll still eat a salad for lunch and potion out my dinner. This is fine! It keeps you SANE. Even if you get to the gym ONE day out of the week that is more than no days. Don't throw out an entire week because Monday didn't start off great, you will never lose weight that way.

Lastly, you are not going to always be motivated. Sorry, but that is the truth. Motivation is just an emotion and emotions change, but determination is a mindset. If you're really ready to be a healthy person then just DO what you need to do, there aren't very many good excuses for being unhealthy.

Weight loss can sometimes feel like a job but a job you like. You may not always be into the work, but you show up. You try.

It gets easier as you realize what works for your body. At some point it's just going to be a waiting game while you do your routine. You'll know exactly what to eat and what exercise to do and you'll just do it because results are motivating!

Also, this quote when it comes to exercise:

"I never regret when I do but I always regret when I don't."

Hope that helps!

[xxkaleidoscopic]

Welcome to 3FC, Jellybean!

[Lovely]

Welcome to 3FC =)

I think the first big hurdle we all face is finding a plan of action (or creating a plan of action) that we know we can stick with. It doesn't always happen fast. Some people are able to find a plan and stick to it like glue. Others need to make little changes and build up to making bigger changes.

Some changes that we make, we may never always feel like doing, but the alternative (staying the same) is just NOT an option any more.

For myself, exercise was never something that I enjoyed. I was always the last kid picked in gym class, and I hated huffing and puffing. It was awful. So there are still days when I practically have to DRAG myself up onto my treadmill to get in a walk.

The good news is that there are actually days that I want to exercise. And after my walk, no matter how hard it was to get up there, I am PROUD of the work I've done. That NEVER happened to me when I was younger.

So. Some days are the same, but I fall back on my commitment. Other days I feel like it. Either way, I get it done.

How about making a couple of changes that you know you can stick to for the first couple of weeks? They don't have to be "plan specific"... they can be things that you know are just healthier. Whether it be having some sort of fruit or vegetable with every meal. Or adding in water instead of sugary drinks. Heck, even cutting out the cream and sugar in your coffee. Some active thing that you know is good for your body, that you can stick to, and that will lead you one step closer to your goals.

You can do this. There are many people here who have "tried it all", and they're doing it.... so you can, too!