I've been really busy so not on the forum much. Good to read all your news though. Welcome TooWicky! I totally agree with what everyone has said, particularly HelloNurse.
I cannot believe I am exercising, and the way I feel afterwards - usually for the rest of the day- is amazing. I first of all got a Wii and started playing tennis on that, then decided I wanted to do more so looked up the C25K program and joined a gym. The first session on the treadmill really helped me believe in myself. That must have just been 4 months ago and now I can go for 30 minutes at a slow jogging pace. Also walking outside more has helped. Now when I do things like walk upstairs and don't get out of breath, I get a really great feeling inside!
What sort of stuff do you like doing, or think you would like doing? I started with something simple and went from there I still have a dream of just stepping out the door and running for an hour! That may have to wait until next summer though.
Pleased to say my weight continues to drop steadily and I am enjoying the NSV. I met friends I'd not seen for 9 months and they were astonished. Over a very nice but unhealthy meal out I found I was centre of attention and they wanted to know exactly what I had been doing and for how long. I am not used to this talking about myself at all! I also had the first experience of not being recognised. A great morale boost!
Okay, dipping my toes in here. Monday weigh in has me at 219.6! Hoping to see Onederland by Christmas. My name is Donna and I'm the mom of lots of kids. The oldest is 34 and the youngest is 13. I have type 2 diabetes along with high blood pressure ect. ect. Trying to get healthy so I can see my kids and someday, grandkids grow up!
I am with CrazyCatWoman on the exercising bit TooWicky - maybe you ought to start with something of really low intensity. Like walking? Simple stuff like parking your car at the end of the parking lot and walking towards the store perhaps? Just move more so your body gets used to the idea and doesn't enter a state of shock when you suddenly decide to go for a run or something. Don't surprise your body, you might risk injury! but if you start slow your body will surely surprise you!
I didn't know what to do with myself at 262+ lbs and I decided to start by getting into a swimming suit.. can u imagine?? I would go for a swim at 5 in the morning at our local pool, so that no one could see me get in the water. I could barely finish a lap back then. After about 2 months of random swimming, I decided I had enough stamina to get on a stationary bike. Did 20 mins of that for starters and slowly started building up to using the cross trainer and finally the treadmill. Now I take the stairs to my 6th floor office everyday, run for 20+ mins non stop and it feels great!
You just have to start, it only gets better and better each day good luck!
toowicky and lotsakids, so wonderful to see you both here!
crazycatwoman, what a wonderful NSV. I have no doubt they were all so proud of you!
218 today, which is awesome, but not as awesome as my other news .
Friday I had a horrible day at work (and another one today *sigh*) and wanted to go home and just eat to make myself feel better, but I didn't! It was so empowering!
To continue on with the good news, I was just offered a new job! I'm currently in school, and the job is for what I do right now (assistant) but is in the field in which I am earning my degree! I'm so happy that I've managed to get my foot in the door with my current skill set, but will be able to advance once I get my degree! Plus, working in the field will no doubt make school a bit easier .
Have a fantastic day everyone!
Last edited by PreciousMissy; 10-14-2013 at 02:40 PM.
Congratulations, PreciousMissy on your new job offer
Special thank you to AwShucks, HelloNurse, CrazyCatWoman, and nitrus29 on the encouragement and suggestions you all gave me regarding getting started on working out. I WORKED OUT THIS MORNING!! I have a recumbent bike at home, so I set it to resistance level 3 and made it 10 minutes >< I legit almost gave up after 3 minutes because my legs were burning, lol, so sad! But I persevered. I also had a suggestion on another thread - I would like to acknowledge cleancowgirl, who told me to grab two soup cans and just do an arm workout; use what you have at home rather than delay until you go buy equipment. I continued my workout by using two soup cans to do 10 rep arm exercises in every way I could think of. I'm dismantling all my excuses for not working out.
Weightwise, I am still holding fast at 218 lbs (4 days now.) I have had a very hungry week and have eaten right up to the upper limit of my 1200-1400 daily calorie allotment for days now.
NSV - my friend posted some pics on fb of her children at a fall festival, one that I happened to go to as well. I realized that I am in the way background of one of the pics amg! I am pretty far away and in the background, and I'm walking away, so the back of me is in the pic. The NSV is that I am not shaped like a giant round orb. I am obviously still obese, but there is a suggestion of an indentation at the waist. I'm starting to be shaped like a normal woman!! If you are also an apple shape, you know what a glorious feeling that is, lol.
TooWicky - glad to see you here! 6 months - that's a long time to have committed to counting calories, what an accomplishment! I think its been about 4.5 months for me.
I totally hear you about the working out - I have a hard time with that - especially when I make it something big in my head "working out" sounds so HARD. What I am doing, and maybe it's not the best but it's better than nothing, is: I do very small timeframes of exercise. This way I don't dread it. Basically I have three types of exercise that I do - walking my dog, resistance band floor exercise, and riding my stationary bike. But I seriously don't do it for long. The most I usually walk is 20 mins, or 10 mins on the bike, or 15 with the band. This way I can tell myself it's just a little bit so it isn't a huge bummer to me. Oh, and then there is luge. Not sure if I mentioned this here or not but: On my calorie/exercise app, sexual activity is listed as an exercise. One of my grown daughters and some people from work are friends on my Loseit account. I didn't want them to know each time, so I log that as Luge. haha! I'm waiting for my kid to say "wtf mom, you are luging?" bwahahahaah.
You are totally capable of physical exertion! In fact, I bet you are moving now more than ever since you feel better. You know that shopping is exercise too right? That's one of my favs!
AwShucks, you go girl, getting your sexy!!! The amound of weight you've lost is so inspiring! HelloNurse - you are so right, it's not THE reason but certainly a big perk! I think
Welcome lotsakids!!
CrazyCatWoman - it is so cool when people notice! I do think it's funny when they want to go out for unhealthy food and talk about how I'm losing weight though - ah, the irony! Wow, I can't imagine not being recognized - something to aspire to!
PreciousMissy - Congrats on not eating to make yourself feel better. That is tough, and a major accomplishment! Everytime we do that we are breaking old patterns, yay! Congrats on the job offer!! And in your field of study too - that's awesome!
Tomorrow is my weigh day, so no weight stats for me today - but I was able to buy a cardigan sweater in the normal size section this weekend. I didn't even buy the biggest one - I got the XL (XXL was available too). It was very cool to just buy something off the rack and not have to be in a special store that caters to larger sizes!!
I'm starting to worry about my skin - like what it will look like after I'm done losing. I can picture the Saggy Baggy Elephant. I started using sweet almond oil on my tummy and upped my water. Those things are supposed to help your skin's elasticity. Also last night, I worked some crunches in with the resistance band exercise. I don't want to have a hanging apron of skin But, even if I do, it's still better than when I was heavier.
toowicky, great NSV...on the picture and on working out!
llilth, I'm looking forward to the day when I can buy clothes from regular stores...that aren't in a tiny section of the back corner of the store! Well done!
217 today.
I'm not going to change my ticker though. I have a feeling it's pure dehydration. I celebrated with a few too many liquid donuts (as nitrus calls them, lol) last night, and I'm feeling it today (ooooh, my poor head).
thanks for the welcome!! I think I'm officially here as the scale read 218.6 today. Went for a 6 mile walk, not looking forward to winter- need a plan in place to keep exercising. I love walking because it gets me out of the house and we live out in the country. The colors this year are amazing. It is nice "meeting" you!
I don't know how far you live from the nearest town, but most shopping malls have walker's hours. The mall will open up about an hour before regular store hours, and you can walk around before the stores are required to open. You could also try the track at your local high school; those are sometimes cleared, depending on sport practices in your area. And of course, sled rides and just playing outside in the snow can be awesome exercise.
We live over an hour from the nearest Mall and 40 minutes away from the closest Walmart! I'm going to lay in some Walk away the pounds dvds and walk whenever I can outside. It shouldn't start snowing till at least mid November. Last year we were pretty much snow free till after Christmas. There is a lady close by who also walks. Her husband plows a trail in their woods and she puts on these cleat thingies you can buy at the sporting good store, she manages her walk outside for most of the winter.
lotsakids - a six mile walk? THAT is awesome. I think the story about the neighbor guy plowing the trail for his wife to walk is so sweet! Maybe she needs a walking buddy.
Today is my weekly weigh day - I'm down 1.2 pounds, now 213.2. My loss has slowed down a lot, but I'm still happy to see a lower number. Progress is progress. I so wanted to add another though, maybe next week!
but if you start slow your body will surely surprise you! 
I would go for a swim at 5 in the morning at our local pool, so that no one could see me get in the water. I could barely finish a lap back then. After about 2 months of random swimming, I decided I had enough stamina to get on a stationary bike. Did 20 mins of that for starters and slowly started building up to using the cross trainer and finally the treadmill. Now I take the stairs to my 6th floor office everyday, run for 20+ mins non stop and it feels great!
good luck!
lotsakids 
I started using sweet almond oil on my tummy and upped my water. Those things are supposed to help your skin's elasticity. Also last night, I worked some crunches in with the resistance band exercise. I don't want to have a hanging apron of skin 
though, maybe next week!
