[Breannaj1215]

I feel like no matter what I do, I can never make it. I Iose 30 lbs and go back to my own ways and gain it all back. Im sick of being fat. Im 24 and disgusting. I canr afford a trainer or expensive plans. Helppp

[Changergirl]

Hi! First off good luck.
Secondly, there is no easy way to do this and it's a long journey. I can't afford a trainer or expensive plans either but there are a ton of ways to do this on the cheap. I count calories using Myfitnesspal.com which gives you an ideal number to stick to.
As for exercise I'd recommend starting with just walks. 30 minutes every day does make a difference and then work your way up. For cheap video options I'd recommend searching youtube for complete routines. I've also heard of people downloading workout videos. Walk Away the Pounds is pretty basic, but there are a bunch of different ones for variety. If your up for a challenge I like 30 Day Shred, it's not the easiest but it is something I was able to do at my highest weight, about 220.
Just remember to be patient, it took more than a couple weeks or months to gain the weight and it's going to take just as long to lose it. Good Luck!

[Mozzy]

I understand your frustrations.

You can reach your goals, it takes patience, time and commitment.

Good luck!

[KawaiiCandie]

you can exercise at home, luv! honestly, i'm thinking about quitting my gym because i've started doing some exercise dvds and i do them religiously everyday and i've lost weight and gained muscle, but after i've worked out once i feel too lazy to go to the gym AS WELL, so i'm basically throwing money away... anyways, my point is that you don't NEED to go to the gym. and if you say you don't have money to buy the DVDs then there's lots of stuff available on youtube. i even downloaded one full Jillian workout from there (can't remember which one though) so you can definitely find something for you.

second, you are 24, not 54. you are still young and your life and youth are far from being over. it's up to you to make the decision to try and not quit. you can do this, you just have to not get discouraged. i can understand that it can be disheartening because you got a lot of weight to lose, but just don't give up. it's gonna be slow, but you'll get there if you don't quit. and remember, falling down is not failing. failing is only refusing to get back up!!

good luck!!

[WLGirl1]

I've definitely felt like that (check my latest post). But you're human and remember why you are doing this!!!! How about brisk walking? That's how I. Started, doing 10000 steps a day and I lost weight! Chin up hun. Xxx

[JossFit]

Originally Posted by Breannaj1215

I Iose 30 lbs and go back to my own ways and gain it all back.

Well what does that mean? If you change the way you are eating and get more active and end up losing weight, WHY would you change that and go back to what made you overweight in the first place?

If you think of it as being 'on' an diet, you're no doubt going to gain it back when you go 'off' the diet. I mean, its common sense isn't it?

Make changes to your routine that you can maintain and sustain for life so that you can maintain the results as well.

[ilidawn]

I do the exact same thing. I'll be doing well then cave and wind up back to or close to where I started. I'm working on restarting yet again. It's tough doing it on a low income and high stress level but it's possible. I'm still working on ways to remind myself it's not worth that "oh, I've already screwed up" or "I had a bad day". Motivational signs around the house help a little. Another member here suggested to me using soup cans as weights. It's not a ton of money though to save up and grab some free weights even off of craigslist. Best of luck though, it's hard (I've been struggling for years too).

[sontaikle]

Lose the mindset that you need $$$ to lose weight and get in shape. When I started watching my portions nearly two years ago, I was 23, in the process of finishing my MA, and looking for full time work. I HAD NO MONEY. I had been student teaching and not working much and barely had any savings left. I didn't have money for food replacements, weight watchers, diet plants, etc.

I found something that I could afford for the best price ever—free. Calorie counting, watching how much I ate, etc. all of the information is there on the internet, for free. Learning new exercises, all there on the internet, free. It wasn't the exercises anyway—it's really the eating one has to get under control to lose weight.

Realize that you must change for good. Going back to "old habits" only results in weight gain. I've accepted the fact that I must follow some sort of plan forever and never go back to the way I ate before. My exercises might change, but the eating is the most important thing I must keep under control.

[the shiv]

Well, first off, congratulations on coming back at it and starting again! That's your first success this time, right there.

I also have no money! I lost my job a few months ago and am in the process of a lengthy and stressful employment tribunal. I have £8 left to last me over 3 weeks and if I don't get another casual bar shift, I don't quite know what I'm going to do. I'd love to join a gym, but I can always do that later.

I just got under 200lbs (198) today, which is a stone in 2 months, PERMANENTLY. GONE. Here's what I've found out (and I've spent all the £££s on diet plans and exercise in the past - and it made no difference):

* Get your head in the game. Think about ALL the things you hate about being overweight, and ALL the things you'd love about being smaller. Every single detail of what it'd be like to live - from fitting in smaller restaurant booths, to buying clothes at your favourite store, to being able to run up a flight of stairs, to being able to run for the bus or the train... Anything and everything you can think of.
* NSVs are your friend! Non-scale victories have kept me going. From being able to change my profile pic to say 5lbs lost, to my trousers feeling a little looser around the knees, then the thighs, then the waist, running to catch a green light to cross the road and realising my lungs weren't burning after 4 steps, doing up another button on that slightly-too-small shirt, being able to lug bags of groceries up flights of stairs without feeling light headed... I make a point of looking for a NSV every day. Even if it's the same one as the previous day.
* Maybe you can join a gym one day, but for now, what can you do? Say you're training yourself for the day when you start using the gym, if that helps! Do you have a hilly area you can walk round? An iPod or similar? Taking The IPod For A Walk is my favourite free exercise. I want to change up my routine once I'm fitter, but for now, it works. I echo what others have said about doing strength training in the house. There are ways and means if you need them, and the Internet is a great resource.
* Design your own meal plan! Why pay your money to someone else to do it for you? There are loads of posters on here having great success with eating clean. Not all clean food is cheap, but say you buy the ingredients to make a certain number of portions of spaghetti bolognese. Go online to your nearest supermarket's website. See how much that would cost you. Compare that with buying it in microwaveable packages. I'm a big fan of spaghetti carbonara. I found a great, healthy recipe for making it with whole wheat pasta. I did this comparison and it would have cost me 10X AS MUCH to buy it pre-made!! With added salt, sugars, additives? No thanks. Make it a project. Hunt down recipes. Find the cheapest, tastiest ingredients and work from there, adding more to your repertoire as you go along. It can totally be done! I've found this fun, and I have not cooked a thing in my 31 years until this week. Also, grow herbs in a window box if you don't have a garden. A few plants on a window ledge can go a long way to making a basic thing like an omelette much more interesting.
* Practice portion control. Whether it's a calorie guideline from a recipe, not snacking as much, or eating only as much as you need when you're hungry, this makes everything cheaper, AND helps you lose weight. If you work or are busy part of the week, do your food prep on your day off. Educate yourself about what can be frozen, chilled etc... So that it's all available to you when you need it. Some meals you can cook and then bung in the freezer. Instant healthy, cheap micro-meals! Plus, you get to choose only the foods you find the most tasty.
* Post here! A lot! So you fell off the wagon, so have loads of people and we know how it feels, so you'll always find a supportive ear on these forums. And, it just keeps your head in the game posting a lot.
* If you feel overwhelmed and under pressure and want to chuck in your plan, take a maintenance break! It's been recommended to me, it helped me through my first plateau, and it's great practice for when you're at goal

I know I'm only 1 stone in, but I seriously have never stuck to a plan for more than 5 days. And, aside from preaching about why my plan works for me, because we're all different, these are the things that have kept me going, kept me happy, and made me feel for the past 2 months not just that I CAN do this for life, but that I WANT TO. Treat every single 1lb as a victory, and don't feel guilty if you regain any. I can't berate guilt enough, but do be dispassionately curious, if you can. Work out what made you quit, and what you could change up to make it easier on yourself mentally. Weight loss is hard enough without you doing a number on yourself psychologically as well! Be proud that you want to start again! I've had over a decade of trial and error and finally found something that works. I KNOW you can do the same

:hugs:

[BerkshireGrl]

Why do you self-sabotage? I think this is what you need to understand. I sympathize, because I do the same! Otherwise, I would be at goal by now and maintaining. Think about your actions with kindness, and regards for what these actions are doing for you... and why healthier eating and more movement would make you feel better!

I just got back into doing Weight Watchers at home, and had a great first week - lost 6 pounds - then started to backslide. Why? I think because I have this tendency to think "That was a great week! Now I can mess around some!" Sure, "some", within my Flex Points, but not go crazy! I had a day and a half of not tracking, and got back on program on Saturday. I am up 2.4 pounds from last week, but I know if I stop messing around, it will drop. I lost 52 pounds using WW before, so I know it works

You are worth good health. You can do this. I recommend not holding yourself to strict perfection, but small modifications you can build on. I bet you will like the way you feel so much, that falling back into bad habits will only remind you that you don't want to stay there.

Keep going!