There is an emotional battle that starts when a person becomes overweight. Our society has become highly focused on perfect appearance and rewards the thin making "Toned and buff" the model for acceptance. It stinks, but there it is. What I want to say today is: Feeling rejected saps all your energy, motivation and willpower. Thus you're paddling against your own thought waves. Getting on the scale makes you want to cry or find comfort where you've always gone...to something that tastes good.
For all the sage advice and guidelines, unless there's a will, there's no way.
I am healthy, average and have lots of family. None of these fix my self esteem problem, as years of disappointing exercise and dieting proved to me. The following factors turned my self esteem around and brought success:
1. Resting in God's love no matter if I don't perform well.
2. Looking the best I can now, before weight loss.
3. Choosing to reward myself on purpose for motivation.
4. Not allowing people to criticize me; refusing to acknowledge their shallowness.
5. Taking the time to explore all avenues to make my exercise and diet FUN!
6. Spending time dreaming about goals with purpose I want to do.
7. Deciding that patiently, month after month, I am making permanent live changes.