[Big Bama Mom]

I got on the scale this morning at found that my weekend of overindulgences had truly taken their toll. Boy, did they! I now sit at 230 lbs and 42.9% body fat (that's almost 100 lbs of fat). What I need to find out now is what % is ideal for a 6 foot tall female? I know that I won't ever be rail thin again and even when I wore a size 6 as a teenager, I still had a lot of "junk in the trunk". I purchased the Sonoma diet book and after consulting this site, am not going to bother with their website.
I need encouragement (and not from my husband--it just ticks me off when he says anything related to my weight or what I'm eating, etc.). I know he means well and he is very delicate in what he does offer up but I just don't want to hear it from "I can eat anything and never gain a pound".
I have a long road ahead of me. I am going to take it 10 pounds at a time. My goal for the end of January is 6 lbs off. Then 10 lbs per month there after... is that realistic? I need to lose at least 60 lbs if not more to be what the medical community considers a healthy weight.
Any advice is appreciated!

[KarenK]

BB: A healthy loss is 1-2 pounds a week. So going for 10/month may or may not be feasable. At first you may be able to do it, but later it may slow down. Come on up and join us in the "Week of" thread.

[Libby1972]

I lost 10 pounds in the first month. But as Karen says, it was a lot slower after that. I have been eating healthy for almost 4 months and I have lost 21 lbs. There was one month when I only lost 1 lb. Quite a difference.

On December 30th I started working out. In two weeks after working out I did lose 2 inches. Since January 16 I have been encorporating strength training with weights into my work outs. I have lost 9 1/2 inches since then. It really makes a difference. Every one is different though. I doubt I will have any where close to these results in two more weeks. I am hoping to lose another 3 lbs by Feb 14th. I have designated that as my next weigh in. I am weighing in every 3 weeks.

When I first started my goal was to lose 79 lbs. I now have 58 more lbs to lose and I am comfortable with losing it gradually. I just want to be healthy and get my BMI down to a "normal" rate and my body fat down to a healthy percentage. I have a history of diabetes and heart disease in my family. Also, my mother, sister and myself are all obese. I want to beat those odds too. I have changed the way I eat. I crave work outs now. I am sure I will have moments where I don't want to do it, but I'm going to try and push myself as hard as possible to get it done. My doctor told me that my cholesterol is great, but my hdl needs to be raised about 10 points. The only way to change that is with exercise. I am hoping by March it will be up and all of this exercise will be having positive effects on my health as well as my weight.

Just take it slow and if at all possible see your doctor. He or she can give you some good advice as well. I presented everything that I have been doing to him in early December and he said everything sounded reasonable. It was important to me for him to approve everything I am doing. When I last weighed in with him I was 189 and now I'm 183. To me that is progress!

Also, my husband is the same as yours. He gives me a lot of encouragement and I used to resent anything that he or his "waif" family would advise to me. I have a different outlook now. I need a support system and I have that with my family, doctor, friends and the wonderful ladies here. But I know ultimately, I have to be my best supporter. And learn to praise myself for a lot more than weight loss and inches lost. I have eaten better in the past 4 months than I probably have my whole life. I also have boundless energy and can keep up with my 22 month old son! That is progress! I know my overall health is improving and that is also something to be proud of. I am doing this for my health first and everything else is gravy.

Best of luck to you.

[Sue67]

Hey there, I am in the same boat. My husband can eat anything and remain thin. It is incredibly annoying when he tries to offer advise. He has never been there and never will. SO here's my story. Been watching what I eat for three weeks. Started walking every day, at least a mile my most is almost 4 miles. However I didn't do it this past weekend. Shame on me. I just try to make good choices. Think about what I eat before I eat it. I am no expert but I'm trying and I want to applaud you for trying. This site has been a big help. Even just reading other people's post who are trying helps.

So my goals for today is to eat right and exercise. WOW how simple is that. ?

Sue

[Libby1972]

Sounds like a plan to me, Sue!