I am a size 18 and I want to lose weight. I forget what it feels like to be thin. I am tired of wearing baggy sweat pants and oversized t-shirts. I used to love to go shopping,not any more. Every time I go somewhere I pray that I dont see anybody that I have'nt seen in a while because I am so embarrassed of my weight. I dont even look like the same person anymore. I feel like I have wasted the last few years of my life just hiding out and not wanting to go anywhere. I even missed my 10 year class reunion last summer. Not to mention the fact that I don't have any energy. Everyone says that I have such a pretty face. And we all know what that statment means. It means that your fat. At least thats how I take it. I know how to lose the weight (cut calories and exercise)But how do you stay motivated? Please give some advice. Thanks!

It sounds like you are having some problems with self esteem. You need to learn to like yourself again. Set some goals for yourself, and commit to them. I mean more than losing weight. Decide to do something that you have always wanted to do. Accomplishment, and success can be keys for personal growth, and can lead to better self esteem. If none of these things work, and you can truly tell yourself that you tried, then it is time to see a doctor about depression. It is very common, and nothing to be ashamed of. It can be easily treated with little or no side effects. Then you can go back to plan A and set those goals again, and stick to them. Accomplish something, start your diet, then reward yourself by going out dressed to the hilt, knowing you look your best, and feel good about being you. I wish you the best.

I have a great job and a wonderful husband so it's not like I am completly down in the dumps. I just mainly wanted to know what keeps people motivated when they are trying to lose weight. It's really easy to get off track after doing so well for a while. Is there anyone out there that knows how I feel?

Yes, I do...I've been wanting to lose some weight for quite some time. I'm never motivated. I always fall off the wheel. I've tried regular dieting, metaboburn & Prizm. Regular dieting does nothing for me, but I think that is in part because I don't excercise enough. I was on Metaboburn for a few months & saw a bit of a differance but after I started getting severe bruises from taking it, I had to quit.

I don't know if you are familair with the Prizm program but it is hard...I think so anyway. I went with a friend & my mom. It is like a group thing. or Dieting with the help of God. I went to that class for 4 months & saw no results. They start you out by telling you to elimainate things like bread, pasts, potatoes, sugar, chocolate, cheese etc...I found it really hard & after being therefor a few months & seeing no results, I dropped out. (of course going to the class & seeing a lady that was doing the class for a third time to lose weight didn't help either)

You know, maybe this is something we could do together. Maybe if we emailed each other & kinda motivated one another you know? Because I feel it is a bit easier when you have somebody there for you to go through the steps with you. We could um...I can't think of the word at this time oh informed I guess. We could keep each other informed as to how the other is doing. it's worth a shot I guess, right? If it sounds interesting, email me! (it's in my profile.)

The most attractive attribute a person can have is confidence.

I have been larger than you are now and it has never once stood in the way of me getting dates, having fun, and enjoying life. You really ARE wasting your life if a little weight is making you cower in the darkness. Good lord...being overweight doesn't make you hideous! If you feel that it does, then you need to think seriously about what makes a person. Do you think people who have severe physical defects should hide out too? Why should you, when you are a perfectly normal attractively featured woman?

First thing you need to do is get rid of those baggy cloths. There is no rule that says large people have to be dressed ugly. There are lots of stores that sell beautiful, attractive outfits in all sizes. You'll be surprised at how good the right outfit can make you look.

Get a new outfit, get your hair done, do your nails, put on some make-up and GET OUT OF THE HOUSE!!

Once you're out...go and have some fun and STOP worrying about what's in the mirror. Life is so incredibly short. DON'T waste a moment, afraid of living, because of something so trivial as appearances.



Now....that said...

As you've probably heard, the best way to lose weight is diet and exersize...

Yes I understand the difficulty of maintaining a diet...for me, I wanted to lose weight for health reasons...and because I tried to climb a tree one day and realized I could no longer do it (much to my embarrassment)

The only way I have found to keep motivated is to do exersize that I enjoy and eat foods I like.

The strict diets are the worst...dump them. Read the lables, cut the fat as much as you can, drink lots of water...but eat what you like.

exersize...REALLY the most important aspect of losing weight and and being healthy...

Do something you like. Volly ball, rollerblading, bike riding, dancing...don't worry about how many calories you're buring...just move, work up a sweat, and MOST IMPORTANTLY...have fun!!!

[This message was edited by Katanya2000 on 07-18-02 at 08:21 AM.]

I also want to lose weight just to be a healthier person. I am not going to sit around and whine about it anymore. I have already started eating fruit instead of all that candy and started walking in the evenings. Katanya, I'm glad your comfortable with your weight, but I just find it exhausting carrying around all these extra pounds that should'nt be there and I have decided to do something about it. There is nothing good about being overweight. I won't accept it anymore. If other people can lose weight then so can I. And Esencia, you can do it too. Imagine how proud we will be of ourselves after we look and feel better. You go girl!

You know, I've spent the last 3 years fighting myself. I was slowly gaining weight for years, and it peaked after my second child and finishing nursing school.

Finally, Sagus and I talked about it and we decided I could use the income tax return money to focus on a specific weight loss program. I lost about 86 (pounds in about 8 months. I went to a friends wedding who hadn't seen me for quite a while... and I looked and felt GREAT.

I got into some emotional difficulty.. AND I lost my focus on the diet .. so over the next 8 months or so, I gained back about 50 pounds. I finally pulled myself together and lost another 60 pounds by the following July. Well, I went to a family reunion.. all of these people had seen me at my heaviest just after graduating nursing school. They were amazed, and very complimentary. During some bantering, my sister made a little comment (something like "I liked the other outfit on you better than these tight jeans"), which my Psyche took WAY out of proportion and interpreted it to mean "You look fat in those jeans"... so what do you think happened? Yep, it hit me like a blow (another issue being she was always the "Fit athlete" in our family, I was always the "Intellectual" so my subconscious said.. "oops you are stepping out of your family role").

So over the next 6-7 months, actually almost unconsciously.. I didn't realize it.. it seemed like I woke up and had gained 60 pounds... when I "woke" up.. I could have cried.. I DID cry... I finally went to a therapist... got some counseling, identified part of the issues.. I finally realized, it wasn't about counting the calories.. after all, I was SUCCESSFUL ..TWICE.. so there must be more.. and so I realized I had to address the WHOLE package.. what made me gain the weight to start with, my emotional state, my personal perceptions, etc. During the time of self reflection, I slowly gained more weight (eating emotionally to push back the pain).. I am now back on track.. I am only like 5 pounds less than my original starting weight now...

This time, I am trying to use routine and habit as part of my "motivation". I realize that you need to address the whole package, to not whip myself and belittle myself... it is going to be a very long haul, but I WILL do it... I have lost 3 pounds.. and that is just the first step...

That is my sorry story...

Sherasi