[Arctic Mama]

Inside exercise is your friend in this weather, though it can be lovely to get a brisk, short walk in on a snowy day, too!

[Tesalyn]

Originally Posted by Arctic Mama

Because if you don't give up, you can't fail.

This is so true! I think that's the key to most things, is to just keep trying even when it doesn't seem to make sense...because it generally still does, it's just that perspective gets lost temporarily...I think mistakes are fine, two steps forward, one step back is fine...it's giving up that doesn't work.

I used to think I couldn't lose weight and be happy with my body...but a few years ago I did, and I know I can do it again...I just need to do it in a more sustainable way this time.

You can do it! =-)

[Health Nut]

I feel that way sometimes, too. I spent my whole life being the chubby kid, then the fat teenager, and finally.. the obese 21 year old.
I cannot even IMAGINE what it's like to be the normal-sized person in the room. I've always been the fat one, among friends... family.. everyone.
But I've been feeling incredibly motivated as of late, and it comes not from others telling me I'm fat, it's coming from within. I am just so so so tired of being fat. So tired, that I'm willing to not eat that cake today. Willing to not eat a burger tomorrow. Willing to just stick within my calorie limit.
All of this just to experience being thin ONCE in my life, while I'm still young.

And because I know, for a fact, that if I remain this fat.. I will never be just this fat, I will be MUCH fatter. It's better going down than going up, no matter how slow.

[Radiojane]

I've totally been where you are. I especially relate to losing whole decades of your life to obesity. I feel like my 20's are a complete write off. I've also cried because I was "always" going to be like this. But then I did pretty much what you're doing. I started small. cut out one bad habit. Then counted calories. Then added exercise. Then I got discouraged because even though the weight was coming off according to the scale, I was soooo heavy that you couldn't see any difference after even forty pounds. I came close to giving up.

You know what finally cemented it for me? In January, long before I started dieting, I went to a comedy show at a hockey stadium. I didn't fit in the seats. I was in tears by the end of the night because My hips and thighs were so pinched and everything hurt.

Fast forward to last month, after three months of diet and exercise. I went to a rock concert in the same stadium. I dreaded it, because I remembered the seats, but I really wanted to see the band. Guess what? I fit in the seats! I may not have been able to see progress in the mirror, but that was all the proof I needed.

That was where I found the knowledge that I had a chance. You'll have your eureka moment too. Keep walking!

[Roo2]

I feel if I want to lose the weight bad enough I will.
I can make a long lists of reasons why I can't lose the weight, but in reality there just excuses .
I chose to give in to gluttony and now I paying the price for my unhealthy self indulgent behavior.
I choose to hold myself accountable and believe I will return to normal healthy weight that will prevent damaging my body anymore than I've already done. Roo2

[annieway]

I've had decades and decades of being fat. I'm 61, so it amounts to my entire youth! I had a decade or two of yo-yo dieting ending up weighing more than what I did when I started. At that point I just decided to eat more or less healthy and I really didn't gain much more over about 30 years, but there was no loss. I don't know what got me going this time, I just sort of made up my mind to do it and I've been working at losing weight for the past year or so. Maybe it was just concern about how this weight was going to shorten my life if I didn't do something about it now.

[theox]

Originally Posted by thewalrus0

like it's not going to happen for you?
Or it's not going to happen until you're much older and so your 20's, 30's and 40's will be spent fat/obese?
Or that you might lose it and gain it all back? (My worst fear, as I lost 60 lbs and gained it all back plus some.)

I used to. Then I got a correct medical diagnosis and treatments after years of obviously incorrect diagnoses and inappropriate treatments doled out by lazy or incompetent physicians. It's amazing how much easier it becomes to lose weight (among other things) once those systemic problems are worked on. :\

It sounds like you may have identified a major underlying problem for you and are working on getting that resolved, while still plugging away with the food and activity practices that you know will get you where you want to be. You're doing great!

[owlsteazombies]

Luke: I don't believe it.
Yoda: That is why you fail.

Seriously, you're doing great. Don't let your inner bully get you! Don't let her! Beat her up and give her a swirly! You can do this!