Exercise can prevent heart attack, stroke, high  blood pressure, high
cholesterol, osteoporosis, breast cancer, colo-rectal cancer (the 3rd
leading cancer killer), senile dementia including Alzheimer's, diabetes,
insomnia, migraines, and stress reactions.  No complex of drugs can do
that.  

I did the math.  The drugs used to treat these conditions can cost over
US$6000 a year, and that does not include surgery or chemotherapy or
radiation
therapy for cancer or emergency treatment costs for heart problems
or the cost of kidney dialysis for diabetics.

If you will definitely have about US$6,000 per year to spend on health
care later in your life, then stay the way you are.  For as long
as you can.  Because as you can tell, most of the conditions above
if untreated will kill you.

On the other hand, if there is no chance you can afford this, then
buy a pair of trainers and get out there and start walking.  Every
year, the trainers will cost you about US$100.  One hundred.  

I know what I think is more cost-effective.

I am not aware of any poster here who successfully lost weight,
without being motivated, in the sense of feeling that losing weight
was more important for them than pleasing their mouth. The priorities
have to be right.

That said, you have not have to be "psyched out" and "full of
enthusiasm" etc. All you really need is, first, not to put in your
mouth what you should not put there, and second, exercise even if you
do not feel like it.

You are not at all unique in being an emotional eater, mouth pleaser
etc. I used to be one as well, as were many others. At some point I
decided that I lived a life unworthy of living, and decided to change
it. You are about as obese as I was when I started dieting.

Also, if you have an excuse for yourself that you are a naturally fat
person, many naturally fat people (those with screwed up appetites)
lose weight successfully. I hosted my birthday party last week, with
about 15-16 people in attendance (not counting kids), and there were 4
people who all lost substantial amount of fat. All real people and not
TV personalities. I am a naturally fat person also.

Naturally fat people cannot stop dieting ever. They can either be vat
or dieting. You don't drop weight and then live happily thereafter,
eating all you want.

It is quite possible that your destiny is to be obese and die of
diabetes or cancer. It is also quite possible that it is not so.

Many people fail at dieting because they go on crazy or stupid
diets. Think cabbage soup diet, supplements promising weight loss
while eating all ice cream you want, crash diets etc. Try, for once,
to go on a sane, sensible diet of some sort.

It also quite possible that your emotional eating etc, is not as much
a psychological phenomenon, but a metabolic phenomenon. Such as, you
feel lousy unless you get a lot of carbs. It is by far not unusual and
is a bad omen unless you stop it.

i
223/172/180

You know how they say an alcoholic or drug addict can not get better
until they are willing to get better for themselves.    Weight loss is
very similar.

You have to want to lose weight.  The *want* is what motivates you to
stay on track.   If you don't want to lose weight, then you will fall
off the wagon and not get back on and just stay where you are, or
gain.

You have to change your own mindset about food and exercise.  

You may have failed in the past from trying fad diets that are too low
in calorie that your body rebels after a few days and you start eatign
again, falling off the diet.   That is what happens to most people.

Finding a Way of Eating that suits you, and your lifestyle is key.
Finding foods that trigger you to eat more, and finding a way to avoid
them.   Finding situations that trigger you to eat and learning how to
work your way thru them without turning to food.

One good method is to spend 1 to 2 weeks journalling EVERYTHING.  Ever
morsel of food into your mouth, every drop of liquid, And when you do
eat, write down your feelings at that time, and situations that might
have come up.

After a few weeks of this you can start to see patterns and trends.
You are doing this without really "dieting"...  as you are doing this
to find out what triggers you, and how much you really consume.
This can be a real eye opener for many people.    They find little
things, like those 3 cans of regular coke they drink = 450 cals.
Switch to water/tea/diet and you save that many calories in a day.
That coffee with 3 tablesppons of sugar...  same thing...  

Making little changes to your eating habits

For instance, recently I started logging again, and realized that I
was consuming about 10 pieces of chocolate candy per day.   That
amounted to between 500 and 600 extra calories a day - enough to add
about 1lb a week in weight gain.  And guess what - I was gaining
weight!  

My change - I've got sugar free Trident gum.  If I feel like a
munchie, I grab a piece of gum.  

Little things make big differences in the long run.    A brisk 1/2 hr
walk, 3 times a week...  thats a start in exercise.    Parking your
car away from the door and walking, taking stairs instead of
elevators, all these little things add up.

Switching to lean beef instead of regular ground, or switching to
white meat chicken (breasts) instead of dark meat(leg/thigh).  These
little changes may only add up to 100 cals per meal - but in the long
run, it all adds up.

Having your salad dressing on the side, and just dip the salad in it,
and only sticking to the 2 tablespoon portion, and you save yourself
up to 300 or more calories.

See...  little things.

I dislike exercise too.
I'm a lazy kind of person.

That does not stop me from going to the park.
I got a training program from the internet (there are so many).
I joined this group where there are some other people who keeps me
motivated.

I started from walking 100 meters, then run 100 meters, then again.
Now I run continuously for an hour five times a week.
I started about 10 weeks ago.
I do this because I want to be fitter for my job and for my family.

I am still lazy, I just go on all the same.

can you find something you do like? 'exercise' doesn't have to mean
aerobics classes or whatever.  There's loadsa different ways to get a
bit more active.   How 'bout dancing?  Lots of dance classes out
there, or stay home, turn up the stereo and boogie round the living
room for half an hour a few times a week.  

C x

there are simple ways. get a bike and use it to commute. this is a easy form of
exercise and it gives you transportation too. far easier to justify that way.

Claire,

Motivation is different for many of us.  It's a personal thing.  I'm much
older (61) and want to remain healthy so I can enjoy my retirement years.
Think about the things you want to do that are limited by your excess
weight.  If you want something bad enough, you'll do whatever it takes to
obtain it.  I want to be able to continue riding my bicycle for many years
and I need to stay in good physical condition.

Have you failed in the past because you were too strict with the diet?
Cutting the calories too low will often result in failure.  Try taking it
one step at a time.  Nothing says you have to change all your bad eating
habits in one day<g>  Many of us have been successful by using this method.

Hope to see you posting often.  You'll find lots of information and support
in the group.

Beverly

Then what you need is NOT a "diet".  You need a permanent lifelong
change that you can sustain forever.  It could be as simple as not
eating junk food any more.

Sure.  Atkins standard issue after about 5 days.  Doctor Atkins New
Diet Revolution.  Don't let that nasty "diet" word in the title
fool you.  Like ANY plan that allows weight to be kept off forever,
it is a permanent lifelong change.  It's radical for two weeks and
then becomes milder with a systematic process.

Can't help you there.  It's like the joke:

Q) How many psychologists does it take to change a light bulb?

A) Only one, but the light bulb has the WANT to change.