What a great picture, such a beautiful wedding gown. Kristy, I have done all the programs, too and have been successful but usually just get tired of that particular program at the time. I have found that calorie counting works best for me and keeps me maintaining my loss.
Well you've already did the first step which is saying you WANT to feel better right? A little about me.
I'm mommy to a beautiful 4 year old little boy. He's my world. I'm engaged. I work full time cleaning houses. Sometimes it's overwhelming. I take care of Ethan (my son) for the most part by myself. I've did this his whole life. I kept telling myself that with work and taking care of my little boy I just didn't have time to exercise. It wasn't that I didn't *want* to lose weight. I've always struggled with my weight. I've been overweight since the 1st grade! Fluctuating from 175-255 lbs (my adult life). But it was a time issue. And I've always been an emotional eater. When something's upset me or I'm sad, I turn to food. Ice cream & cookies were really my best friends. Or that's how I felt. Anyway, I've tried everything over the years. Just about every diet, pill, program you could imagine. But I always had that mind set of "omg I have to lose all this RIGHT NOW" if I didn't see results in the first week or two I was ready to throw in the towel. Ideally I'm supposed to be between 140-160 lbs. And it seems like it's going to take me so long to get there. But on the other hand I have a choice. Either I can try to eat a little better (my downfall has always been sodas, I was consuming a really ridiculous amount per day! No water, just cokes all day long) and do a little exercising and hopefully the weight will come off. Or I can continue my routine, be tired ALL the time and never have any energy. I don't know if what I'm doing will cause a huge dramatic weight loss. I've cut way back on my sodas (I drink 1, sometimes 2 a day, the rest is either water or tea) and I've started drinking water. I exercise 20 minutes on the treadmill every day or at least 6 times a week. It is hard to make the time but I try. If something comes up and I can't do it that day I find other things to do for at least 20 minutes that will get my heart rate up a bit. 20 minutes a day might not be much but for me it is a HUGE step. You have to start where you feel comfortable. Maybe when you get home from work you could say "Okay I'm doing this. Here's 10 minutes I'm just going to walk around or I'm going to do some type of exercise."
Before I started exercising I stayed so tired all the time. My job is pretty physical (we clean houses) but in the afternoons it was just such a strain to get the things done I needed to get done (cook, play with my little boy, etc.). Now I'm feeling tons better. I don't have that mid afternoon crash where I really, really just want to take a nap or lie on the couch for 45 minutes. The key is not to think of it as you're doing something really hard. You just have to tell yourself that it's not about the losing weight (even if it is to start with!) it's about feeling better and having more energy. You're going to be beautiful whether you're 500 lbs or 140 lbs. But you need to feel better before you'll feel beautiful. Okay so I've rambled way too much here! I'm new to this forum and really wanted to reply to this post. We are all here to support you because we know that you CAN do this!
I would say the best thing you can do for yourself is start moving. Simply adding some form of exercise into your daily routine will increase your metabolism and actually give you more energy. Start slow. Take a 5 or 10 minute walk around town or take a morning and afternoon walk break at work. I can say from experience that you will be physically tired for the first few days, but I promise you that the more you move around, the better you'll feel. Those aches and pains will slowly subside, you'll sleep like a rock, and your body will start to crave the physical activity.
The sleepiness in the afternoon could be a direct link to the type of lunch you're eating. If it's heavy in carbs, I'd try to focus more on eating lean proteins like chicken, turkey, or fish and staying away from things like pasta and bread.
I applaud you for taking that first step toward becoming a healthier woman. Remember to be kind to your body by giving it the right fuel and proper exercise and you'll do fine. Be healthy for a lifetime, not just for a few days or weeks.
Welcome and what a beautiful wedding photo! When I started losing weight, my goal wasn't even to lose, just not to gain any more. I started out by walking from my car to a transit point instead of taking the shuttle bus which ran between the 2. And I limited fast/take out food to no more than once a week. That helped get things started and it does get easier. Here are few suggestions I've found helpful in getting motivated/making time for exercise:
1) put together a playlist on a mp3 or cd of music you really like & which really motivates you.
2) do you watch tv to unwind? If so and you don't already have TIVO or DVR through cable, consider getting that. I found it cut down on my aimless channel surfing and even if I do surf & see something good, I hit record so I don't stay up late watching something I get engrossed in. Which in turn makes it easier to get to bed early so I can get up early for the gym (pre-work's the only time I can fit it in). Also, you save time by fast forwarding through commercials. I know I've watched 1 hour shows in 40-45 mins on DVR. That may not seem like a big deal, but since I generally would watch 2-3 hours after work, watching it on DVR can save me anywhere from 30/45 mins-40-60 minutes. Which is enough time for a workout.
3) combine the exercise with something you really like. For me, it's music/tv. This way, if it's something you'd do anyway, it doesn't feel like such a chore. And doing something enjoyable (music, tv, movie, audio books) makes the time pass much more quickly.
Also, if you don't like plain water, consider sparkling water with flavor (just check for calories & artificial sweeteners because some brands do add that stuff for flavoring). Poland Springs has some pretty good ones (lemon, lime, mandarain orange & a raspberry-lime one) which don't have any calories/artificial sweetener.
As for exercise equipment in a small apartment, a ropeless jump rope, a mini stair step and exercise dvds are some ideas, plus good old walking/jogging. Did you see the Today show today, the woman featured was over 300 lbs and she was down to like 180, it was an amazing story. Read through the stories on this site, it'll blow you away, this is a great place to learn from others, especially those that have lost. If you want to lose weight - study those that have is my opinion... that's what I love it here, so many GREAT ideas and encouragement.
That is a really neat picture, Kristy. Beautiful you and beautiful dress.
My favorite out of all the suggestions, is to pick one thing and do it.
Here is how this worked for me: I started out by banning granola bars, peanut butter and regular butter. These foods seemed to trigger me to eat more and more....Somehow, giving up three things seemed pretty easy. Turns out, I didn't drink as much milk or eat as much bread without my favorite toppings. Not too much later I read that changing my milk preference from high fat to low or no fat would make a difference. I NEVER thought I could drink skim milk. Turns out I can drink reconstituted non-fat dry milk just fine! Who'd a thunk!!! So....I could eat all the potato chips I wanted to eat - just no peanut butter, butter, or granola bars. Well, I felt so virtuous about giving up the granola bars etc, that I didn't want to eat all those potato chips. Then I read in a book about how to stock my pantry for healthy eating. The book also inclued a few recipes and a sort of frame-work, if you will, for a healthy diet. You can see that one thing lead to another....
Hi Kristy,
I'm happy that you reached out for help. I'm new to the site and I'm finding a lot of support.. I am not trying to be a doctor, give medical advice, or alarm you...but have you been evaluated for diabetes ? When I was diagnosed at 35, I was falling asleep during the day, had absolutely no energy, absolutely starving all the time, thirsty, headache... I felt gross... Just a thought.. because although I am still heavy, at least I feel better because my blood sugars are lower... Good Luck
I totally sympathize with you, I am so super tired and exhausted at the end of the day, it is easier to sit and watch tv or surf the web than to get up and try something.
The key is to start small and work your way up.
Here are some things that I did when I was starting small:
Whenever you go somewhere, park far away and walk the rest of the way in, instead of opting for a closer space.
Take the stairs instead of the elevator.
Go into the bank instead of going through the drivethrough of the bank.
Go to the mall and walk around as you window shop.
Basically it's just a matter of doing more things to get your body used to exercise.
Also, if you exercise you eventually feel less tired overall.
