Hi, my name is Sandy. I am a divorced mom of 3( 17,14,8) fighting the battle of LB'S. I am at my highest weight ever- and something clicked inside to say ENOUGH. I know what I need to do, but doing it is the problem. I am hoping that my writing here brings me some tools to make this attempt the final one. I have decided I need to make many lifestyle changes. I have been clinging to old habits that have -0- worth. I'm looking for a buddy or two. Its hard to go this alone, and knowing I have accountability to a buddy or two may help motivate me in a different direction. I DO know this is my battle, but support is something I did not have in my married years. I think I finally just gave up. Well, I'm here today, 1 year post divorce, to pick myself up and get healthy.
I appreciate any advise when it comes to motivation.
All the best in 2008.
Sandy
I suggest you check out the "weight loss support" forum - there are a lot of people there who also want weight loss buddies.
If you have any questions about weight loss, feel free to ask me. Before I lost my weight, I harbored a ton of weight loss misconceptions that I slowly learned were incorrect by posting here.
I'm willing to be accountability buddies with you - just because I lost the weight doesn't mean I don't have to be conscious of my choices!
Sandy – Welcome CT neighbor! I totally agree that it has to be a lifestyle change and that you have to spend time to learn what works for you. This is not an overnight process but an (r)/evolution. In regard to motivation, if you can find just one thread of something that intrinsically motivates you – like being there for your kids or feeling your best and hold onto that, it can really help. The other thing is to try and set your life up so that you don’t need motivation. If you can turn certain things into a habit then you don’t need to worry about whether you are motivated to eat a good breakfast or get in your exercise – you just do it. Of course that is easier said than done. The other thing is to not look at it as all or nothing. If you mess up, chalk it up to a learning experience and move on. One of the worst things we can do is say, “well since I ate that one cookie I might as well eat the rest of the box since I have already messed up.”
Welcome aboard fellow CT dweller! though I am new here as well I can say there is a lot of support and information to be had here, the way I am approaching this lifestyle change is that I am treating it as a decision and sort of a hobby, I have Excel sheets, I started blogging my intake and results and joined this forum, when looking at it from that angle it seems easier to me (that and I scared myself when researching a WLS), good luck and welcome.
Thank you guys for your kind words. Probably my biggest problem is I am impatient. Ask me how make Diet pills I have tried, none worked. I own every gimmicky weight loss gadget out there. I think I read somewhere, you aren't ready, til you are willing to work for it. I think, NO, I know it's my time. Can we keep this post going, or do we have to move it somewhere else?
I'm trying not to get overwhelmed, so if you have any idea's on just starting out? Did setting small goals help you? did you keep a journal? Do you count calories? If so, how many calories should I eat daily? I have no idea. What type of exercise do you guys do?
I already feel better knowing you're out there! Thank you!
Sandy
Hi there! I'm also in CT and just joined the forum today. I'm sick of lugging all these extra lbs. around. I need to lose about 30 lbs. I'm out of breath all the time. I discovered this forum quite accidentally. I discovered Robin's thread and I was so moved and so inspired by it ....well here I am.
I've also done every diet out there. I hate Weight Watcher's because it's just too slow going for me. I lost a ton of weight once on Atkins but it's just too restrictive at this point in my life. I've decided to get back to basics and Calorie count - haven't done that in a long while.
I hope I can do it. I'm 55, I have an underactive thyroid and am post menopausal - all the ingredients (no pun intended) to make everythin you eat just stick to you!
I think the idea for this forum is absolutely brilliant - sharing a problem definitely works to reduce the load (LOL - again no pun intended).
Good luck to you skm0005!
HelenMay
Last edited by HelenMay; 01-07-2008 at 04:21 PM.
Reason: typo
I'm trying not to get overwhelmed, so if you have any idea's on just starting out? Did setting small goals help you? did you keep a journal? Do you count calories? If so, how many calories should I eat daily? I have no idea. What type of exercise do you guys do?
skm, take a look at my blog if you like (link is in my sig), it has everything that I have eaten and some of my exercise on there, its only 7 days old so not all bogged down yet I have a link on there for a pretty cool tool that lets you punch in your daily activity along with your weight and it tells you how many calories you are burning in a day and what you should do per week etc.
Thank you Botzz.....
I will check it out. I read some of yours earlier, and saw you upped your calories. How do I know what my caloric intake should be? I should probably see what I have been eating b4 I start. I graze all day. I'll probably scare myself thin....lol. I have been reading carbs/proteins in the am and lunch, but only veggie carbs & protein at dinner. Sounds reasonable. I DO drink a lot of water. YEAH!
I am doing my best to think one day at a time, yet the organized mom in me wants to plan the whole thing out. I have to keep re-grouping my thoughts. It has taken years to pack it on, I cant expect it to fall off in days.
More than that, I need to incorporate a day to day healthy lifestyle. One that includes healthy food choices and exercise. I struggle more with the exercise than the food. Baby steps....
Thanks to all for keeping this discussion alive. My questions/my journey has just begun. Thanks for all your support.
Sandy
I'm also in CT. Sandy, you will love this website. So many smart and encouraging people here. This is my second time on this site. The first time, I lost 100 plus pounds on Atkins. I loved this forum and the people here were a huge incentive in losing weight.
welcome from way too close to the NW corner!!! - i'm in CT too.
Sandy, you will find all the help and support and encouragement you will ever need here at 3fc. I was on atkins for quite some time and lost a good deal of weight, but it wasn't a lifestyle i couldnt sustain at the time. I am currently pursing a lifestyle change that atkins wasn't for me (even though i was a purist and did it by the book) ... whole foods, no processed anything, and reasonable portion sizes. my biggest problem was always knowing when to stop. it works well enough for me ... i finally broke through my over-1-year "plateau" and have lost almost 20lbs in the last 3 months. in addition, i am losing inches like crazy and venturing into clothing sizes that i haven't seen in 10 years, thanks to adding some exercising (but honestly not a ton) to my plan.
seeing the numbers go down on the scale and the inches disappear on the tape measure is the most motivating thing i have ever encountered in my life..
you can do this TOO. we are all here rooting for you!!!!
Sandy! I am from originally from Connecticut as well.
There is such a wealth of information here, I remember when I first started reading the forums I would sit for hours and look through old posts. I still do that from time to time and its very helpful!
I started out religiously counting calories using an online tracker like fitday.com. It is a great way to start to realize how many calories are in different foods. I had no idea when I started how highly caloric some of the things I was eating were, and I was also pleasantly surprised in some instances. I now do it more by "feel" since I tend to eat the same things all the time, but every now and again I will go back to tracking to make sure I am on course.
Exercise wise, when I started I couldn't do very much so I started there and worked forward. I made the promise to myself to do at least 10 minutes a day, even if it was just marching in front of the tv. That gave me zero excuses in trying to put it off until tomorrow, which was something I had always done before. I then joined a gym and started going regularly. The most important thing is to find something you can do and will do. If you aren't a morning person and can find time to exercise at night, don't torture yourself by trying to get up really early. Find ways to play to your own strengths and don't make it so torturous that you won't want to do it. You may not love it, but you shouldn't hate it (hopefully).
Nancy,
I absolutely agree with you. I think I haven't found what works for me to date, get frustrated and quit. I'm now looking into things that aren't necessarily in the news. Back to basics. I'm looking to find out how many calories I need daily. Does anyone know? And walking for my exercise- maybe get some hand weights to work my upper body. Thats my plan for now. SIMPLE! I am trying soooo hard not to complicate things.
I think I am going to attempt to set up my 3FC blog later today. It will keep me accountable to myself, which is what I need most. I have read many of your blogs and they are full of great info, so thanks!
Chat with all of you later. Sandy
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1pm- just set up my blog. What fun! Hope to chat with all of you later. Thanks again for being there.
hello everyone- had a tough day today. Ate a couple of things outside "acceptable". not to worry... I havent thrown in the towel. Just a BAD day. It helps to write about it, and I can forgive and forget. Hope all of you are well, keeping up the good work.
Sandy
Sandy - I try to look at my bad days as learning experiences. After the fact there is nothing you can do to uneat something (ok - there are one or two but we won't go there). I try to see what the circumstances were that caused me to fall off plan and see what I might be able to do in the future to combat it. One of the biggest things I learned doing this is that if I come home from the gym at night hungry then I am way more likely to raid the fridge, so I always make sure to have a snack for the car ride home.
In regard to number of calories, there are a couple of different options. You can try posting in the calorie counting section to ask people who are a similar weight to you. My main 3FC home is the 300+ section and I am much more used to making suggestions for people starting in the 300-350 pound range. You can also find a calculator online. My guess is maybe somewhere around 1600-1700? You don't want to start too low and the lowest women should really go is around 1200. Personally at 350 I started off at around 2000 calories and now in the 250's I am eating around 1800. The other thing is that you can always start out higher and drop back a bit if you aren't losing fast enough.
Hello from Connecticut
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Sandy! I am from originally from Connecticut as well.