Yay MJ you ARE back! I was just going to post that I was starting to worry about you! :)
fabricnut please don't give up. Just sit down and list all of the reasons you want to lose weight and then list what benifits there are to staying on the course you are on now. I hope that doesn't sound rude, but since you joined this challenge I figure there must be reasons you want to lose weight, wether it is for better health,to look better, or what ever. It really helps to lay things out on paper (even if you burn it later!)And then be brutally honest with your self what it is going to take to do this. I believe you have to be ready to do it and you HAVE to do it for yourself, no one else. I think getting started is the hardest part. I have wanted to lose weight for years but never did because I didn't want to give up all of my comforts(chocolate cake, cookies, m&m's.....)and I now realize because I tried to do it alone. I truely believe having someone else to share with and get support from makes all the difference in the world. Someone who is or has gone through the same thing....like us!:)
I am not sure how much you want to lose or what all your reasons are for wanting to lose weight, but I can tell you a little bit about how I finally got to the point of actually losing some weight. I started on here in January. I didn't lose at all in Jan or Feb. I just couldn't make myself stop eating all the junk. Then I decided if I kept goofing around I would never get my life back, I would never do any of the things I quit doing because of my weight ever again, I would probably not be around to see my girls marry and have children, the list went on and on. Also my best friend in life who I love dearly is only 1 year older than me and she has let her weight and diabetes get to the point that she is now on dyalisis(SP?) twice a week,has neuropathy so bad she broke her toe and didn't even know it, and just spent 5 1/2 months in a nursing home because of a complication from a surgery she had to make sure she is cancer free, so she can be put on a donor list for a kidney transplant. I finally realized how lucky I am to be able to do something about my weight and health while I still can.
I have wanted to lose weight before I turn 50 for along time but kept putting it off. Well in April I had that long talk with myself and finally got serious about losing weight. I have lost over 30 pounds since April and passed my goal of 30 pounds by my birthday. I now have 1 year to lose the rest of my weight before I turn 50. It has not been easy, I have a husband and anywhere from 2 to 4 teenagers in my hair all of the time. They all love all of the junk food and stuff I can't keep eating if I am going to lose weight. And I also live out where there is no good place to walk. So I decided that I would cut my portions in half and not eat junk food most of the time. If I get into a situation where there is dessert or something that I really want I just have a very small amount of it, that way I don't feel deprived of the stuff I want. That way I am not giving up the things I love completely. I keep a few snacks around for the kids and DH but I try to keep store bought things that don't temp me so much. One of the biggest changes I made was I make myself have breakfast everyday! I have a glass of water as soon as I get up and then usually have a bowl of lower sugar oatmeal right away. I used to get caught up in all of the chaos of the kids and not eat till 12:00 or later or grab cookies or cake and then I was so hungry I would eat anything that was calling my name! Now my sugars stay level till lunch and I don't over do it when I have lunch. I try to eat more fruits, veg, and protiens instead of carbs the rest of the day. It seems like if I eat them I start feeling hungry and craving the bad stuff, and when I am tired or it is hectic like it always is I get really tempted to give in. I hope something in this VERY LONG message helps to motivate you. I hope this doesn't sound harsh, I sure didn't mean it that way. I almost didn't post this because it is so long and I am not a good writer but some of the things you mentioned sounded like the same challenges I faced, and I hoped telling you how I got past some of them would help you find a plan that works for you.
Like Missy and others said, come here when you feel challenged. We are all going through the same thing. I never had support before this and I truely believe it makes all the difference in the world!
Sorry for the long post! :oops: