New poster: looking for some advice and help

Hello everyone. Well this is my first time posting on this web site. I've been eyeing this site for the past few weeks and it is now time. Lets explain things...

So at the moment i am 165 (i know it seems like nothing to some people on here) but i am only 5'3" and this makes me "overweight". My goal is to loose about 35lbs brining me to 130.

For the past 2.5 weeks i have been going to the gym for 1 hour every weekday and taking weekends off. I've been eating healthier cut ALL soda out of my diet and letting the weekends be a day for me to indulge a bit (but not too much).

Now this is seemingly a goal that can be reached by anyone who works at it. But i feel as if i can't do it. I feel WORSE about myself when i get back from the gym. I get home and look in the mirror and wonder, why do i even bother i'm never gonna loose those 35lbs.

And the worst thing of all is that i have very little support from family and friends. The people i tell pretty much brush me off when i tell them everything i'm doing. i get the "Oh really? *eye roll*" So though all of this i'm basicly alone. The only person who is being positive is my B/F who is in Croatia (im in the US) for school, so i only see him a few times out of the year. Its hard not being able to talk with the only  one who supports you.

Which brings me here. I'm really looking for some friends through this site that could help me (and me help in return) in achieving my goals. I need more support, other wise this weight loss journey will be shortly over.

thank you to all of you! 

Hi!

Welcome to CC!  Sorry to hear about the lack of support from you friends and family, but you have to remember - this is about what you want to do for yourself.  It's not about them! 

And it sounds like you need to work on the inside as much as (if not more so) the outside.  If you don't feel good about yourself, or think that you're worth the effort, then your weight loss journey is going to be much more difficult!  No amount of lost weight is going to make you like yourself any more than you do now, so that would be a good place to start!

Congrats on getting into a regular workout routine, and for tweaking your food choices to coincide with the weight you want to lose!  Those are both difficult steps to take, so you should feel proud of yourself!

Keep doing what you're doing!  You'll get there :)

hello!

congrats for joining and then posting your message.  i dont know about everyone else, but i went through exactly what you did...feeling like you were never going to lose the weight.  youre on a good track, just keep going and dont give up.  might seem redundant, but this is more of a mental challenge than physical.  so dont psych yourself out.  also, if you feel like you're going to fall off track, post on CC, everyone is super helpful and willing to offer advice at anytime.  

best of luck and keep us updated.

i am lifting, and i don't see or even feel a slight difference. I work out my legs and arms every day.

hey, dont worry about it.  sometimes when you lift, the results may not be immediate.  just dont give up.  you may be at a plateau--maybe youre not lifting heavy enough...check out some of the weight loss forums and do a search of the forum.  you can also email melkor -- he's the supervisor of the CC weight lifting forum...

I completely understand where you are coming from...it is tough. I have had a hard time now that I have started taking classes at the gym rather than just working out by myself b/c I compare my body to everyone else's in the class and feel frumpy....but I had to snap myself out of that!

You can and will lose the weight that you want to lose if you just keep doing what you are doing. And this site has done WONDERS to keep me motivated. Use the tools here and talk on the forums when you need to, everyone here is really great!

Are you trying to watch your calories and create a calrie deficit in addition to the weight lifting?  Are you using the calorie and activity tracker tools on the website?

Personally I know I lifted weights for 10 years and never lost a pound until I added in the coloric deficit part.  I was hoping the strengthening and owrking out a lone would make enough difference, but it did not for me.  I had to get serious about what I was eating and then I really started losing the weight.

Welcome to CC!  It's has a lot of great tools and good advice and support.

Original Post by weirdalloser:

i am lifting, and i don't see or even feel a slight difference. I work out my legs and arms every day.

 You said you've been doing this for 2.5 weeks?  First of all, it's going to take a while to see any major differences, mainly because you're a woman.  We don't build muscle as easily as men do, yet even a man working out for 2.5 weeks wouldn't see much difference either.

Also, you need to take a break in between weight lifting days.  Your muscles need time to repair themselves, so working them out every other day will give you better/faster results.  The rest is just as important as the workout.  So, on your "off days", focus on moderate cardio.

A lifestyle change is difficult, and is something that is supposed to last for life - that's why they call it "life-style".  You have to be patient with yourself, and praise yourself for successes each day, instead of waiting until you reach your goal to give yourself a pat on the back.