hi everyone, i am so discouraged about this weight loss thing. I have stretch marks everywhere and back fat and knee fat and anyother kinda fat you can think of. I only weigh 163ish and i'm 5'9" but i have a small frame and I have lumps EVERYWHERE. I am so undiciplined and an emotional eater so when i feel like i can never lose weight I just want to eat the fattiest things ever. It's truely rediculous and I know i'm being pessimistic(sp? whatever). I just needed to get my frustration out. Any motivational thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

Dear Ashpash,

Just keep your head up! You actually are not overweight - looking at the ration of your height and weight you would be in a range of a normal person's weights. I really understand how you feel (don't we all) and what makes me feel better about myself is exercising.It is like a dose of happiness hormone directly in my veines. I love it. And you can see he changes quite fast if you exercise hard enough. Don't be discouraged ! Take a deap breath, look at yourself in the mirror and appreciate the beauty you posses. Because you are a beautiful and unique person.

And let me know how you're doing,ok?

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Hi Ashpash,
My best friend is pregnant and absolutely dreads getting stretch marks. Her doctor told her to apply body lotion or moisturizer all over her body once or twice a day. The weight loss has the same effect on the skin (in the opposite direction) so you should do the same thing if you want to minimize the stretch marks.

I know what you mean about the knee fat. Nobody wants to have grandma’s knees lurking from underneath a short skirt or a pair of shorts. Fortunately, if you exercise, the knee fat disappears pretty quickly. Don’t get discouraged!

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Undisciplined, emotional eater, poor body image....been down that same road and it's not a happy place. At my heaviest weight I remember sitting in my car in tears because I'd just tried on a pair of size 16 jeans that were too tight...and then driving to a sub shop to buy something delicious and super fattening that made me feel even worse about myself with every bite.

There are obviously some very specific things we all have to do to change our bodies/lose weight (i.e. calorie restriction/exercise) but the first, most important change has to take place in our heads. The best thing I can tell you is to change the tape in your head...the one that keeps repeating the negative, self-destructive messages. You are tall and have a small frame, look in the mirror and envison how awesome your body is going to look when without excess fat...get excited about your potential...excited enough to work on it...make a couple of small goals in the right direction that you can stick to - as you find yourself meeting them it'll motivate you to move on to greater challenges.

Make a list of all the reasons you want to lose weight and get in shape. Keep it handy. When you find yourself thinking "I can never lose weight" and wanting to reach for the candy bar/bag of chips/whatever - remind yourself
of why you want to make better choices. Celebrate your decisions everytime you make a single good choice..no matter how small it's moving you in the direction of your goals.

I'm saying from personal experience that, even if you have to "fake it til' you make it" in the beginning, once you start filling your head with positive thoughts about yourself and your body, the barriers to weight loss start to fall away.

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eat/lift/run/rest

Hi...I think we all have been where you are, too, and it's a constant struggle to feel good about ourselves when we are over weight!
If you could maybe choose one or two little things that you would have success in, it probably would make you feel good. I'm trying to get 8 glasses of water. It is a challenge for me, and I feel good when I make it.
Another goal is one fruit and one vegetable a day. I'm not too good at accomplishing that, either, but I do think about it more when it's a decided goal.
Baby steps to getting healthier!!
Here's to small successes!!
Cheryl

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You can do it. I have been through the ups and dones of weight loss programs and lost and gainned but I finally got on the right track. It helps to have someone there to talk to (like this community) I really liked having a personal trainer mabye you should get one. Good luck with everything.