im overweight

Read this thread (at least the first 5 pages or so). All you need to know is here:

http://www.able2know.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=35752

I dont remember writing that, but it sounds like me.

Ok first, men dont just go for figures.By this I mean personality.Use it.
Your gal pals may get all the hot guys but if the hot guys just look good but are total planks then you are better off without them.This is how I have coped with the no boyfriend situation over the years.

I sit at home as I dont go out beacuse all my friends have boy/girlfriends so they dont need to go out anymore.
I sit at home and I eat and watch TV.This is the wrong thing to do.

Dont be like me and make excuses for not exercising.Im about 20lbs overweight but Im trying to do more sports and im trying to eat low calorie foods.I could try alot harder at both!
As my motherkeeps saying 'no one can do it for you'.You must do it yuorself..


Eat low calorie food which will stop yuor weight increasing.Exercise which will burn off excess fat.

Somebody posted something like www.sparkpeople.com the other day.It has alot of hints and can encourage you to exercise.

Until you are seriously ready to make a lifestyle change, forget losing weight.

You have to want it and then do it, like material girl said. Excuses are easy. Losing weight is not.

Good point Bella.
In my head Im fine.Yep Im overweight and could look alot better if i lost weight but I dont have the right menatality at the moment.
Maybe my thick skin and total dismissal of things like magazines bombarding us with slogans 'be slim and yuor life will be fantastic' hasnt helped me in this situation.
But again good point.Get your head prepared first coz its gona be a tough ride.

Eventually, you'll get to the point where you just say "I will do whatever it takes to lose this weight" and you will.

It's like quitting smoking. You can't quit smoking if you don't REALLY want to quit.

It's taken me 6 months or more of "Ok, starting diet today....starting working out today..ok, tomorrow...ok, this is the last time I am eating McDonalds...ok, walking the dog tonight...ok maybe tomorrow..." before I got to the place i am now, which is exercise 3x times a week cardio and weight training and being on a strict 1300 calorie diet in which I write down everything I eat all day, with it's caloric value next to it.

I am going to lose the weight. I have made up my mind and I am just going to do it. It's amazing how easy it is to NOT eat that cookie when you've made up your mind ahead of time that you aren't going to do it.

When you are ready, make yourself a mission statement. Choose a short term goal, like I will lose 1-2 lbs a week. Then, lay out your plan of action

1- I will drink x amount of water per day.
2- I will eat 1300 calories per day, 5 small meals a day.
a. breakfast (200 calories) - Breakfast will always be healthy.
b. snack (100 calories) - Snack #1 must always be healthy; fruit or veggie.
c. lunch (300 calories) - Lunch can be anything provided it falls within calorie limitations.
d. snack (100 calories) - Snack #2 can be sweets, provided it falls within calorie limitations.
e. dinner (600 calories) - DInner can be anything provided it falls within calorie limitations.
3- I will get 8 hours of sleep per night.
4 - I will do cardio 3x times a week, on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
5 - I will do strength training 2x times a week on Monday and Friday.
6 - Whatever else you want to do to reach goal....

Then your measurements; I will weight myself once a week. I will also measure progress by fit of clothing.

Finally, what happens if you don't reach your goal. If goal is not reached, food intake and exercise will be re-evaluated.

This will help you focus and refocus on what you want to do and what you need to do.

Or more generally, do whatever works for you... and figure out what that is.

Bella's approach works for Bella, and that's what's most important. It may work for others, too.

For me, I figured out that I needed some sort of specific motivation just to get myself back in the habit of going to the gym. I made myself a 10-week chart, three boxes per week, and two extra weeks for "bye" weeks if necessary. Once completed -- in that 12-week-window -- I get a reward.

I have one week left on this, and it's worked really well for me. (I'll start a new chart when I'm finished since I like the system). I read an article after I started it about how former competitive athletes (like I was) have a really hard time exercising just for health when their competitive career is over. They're used to extrinsic (external) motivation -- the trophies, the thrill of WINNING. I used some extrinsic (reward) motivation to get myself into a place where the intrinsic motivation kicks in.

Anyway, point is -- figure something out that will actually motivate you, then make a plan, and do it.

See? Even Soz has a plan.

I really think that writing out that plan (whatever it be) is a great way to visually see what you want to accomplish and how you can accomplish it.