Hi. I've been weighing myself for the past few weeks, even though I haven't been watching what I ate. I am now at the highest weight I've been for a long time. I'm starting today by writing down everything I eat and drink and how much I have of it. I'm 226.6 today, up by 3.2 lbs. since last week (up by 4.4 lbs. in three weeks). I don't want to gain any more weight!!

I use Fitday (now and then), so I went on there and put in my new weight. These are my goals:

Goal: lose 84.6 lbs. in a year and a half (555 days!), from today 3/26/07 to 10/1/08, averaging a 1.07 lb. loss per week. (Averages -4.7 per month for 18 months.) Goal weight is 142. Yes, I upped my goal weight from 135/138 to 142. Reaching 142 will be wonderful!

I'm hoping this weight gain will motivate me to actually lose the excess weight this time. As I said, I don't want to gain any more weight!

I hope being on this board will help. I know others here have done it, so I can, too, I'm telling myself.

Personal info: I'm 51 (almost 52), a wife, a happy stay-at-home mom of 3 (one grown, married, and living in another state), and a grandma of 2 under 2! Two frozen shoulders in varying states of recovery, plantar fasciitis (*not* plantar warts) in both feet in varying states of recovery, high cholesterol for decades (no, I do not want to take meds), taking thyroid medicine for an underactive thyroid, diagnosed with fibromyalgia, and just twisted my knee falling on icy steps, so exercise right now is quite the concept. Hopefully, as I lose weight, I'll be more able to exercise.

fitchick2be,

Great goals! I'm using FitDay, too, and it is has really been a revelation to me. Be sure that you have your initial settings right--it told me I burned too many calories in a day, and I had to set it to completely sedentary and then add any exercise I did in order to eat the right amount.

Sorry about the plantar fasciitis--I've had that, too, and the main thing is to get good shoes! New good shoes! I wear mostly high-quality running shoes and if they start to wear out, I feel it in my feet.

Hopefully you can find some exercise that doesn't stress your twisted knee. Some people like exercise bikes, some like elliptical trainers.

Good luck! You want to lose weight!
Jay

Thanks for the welcome and the encouragement!

Hey There, FitChick2Be!! I've just started here too, and you can see by my "stage name": FatToFitVirgo , that I've also chosen a transitional name reflecting my own intentions. It's a little tricky trying to find your way around this place, so don't be afraid to ask questions until you get the answer you need. Other members have been very helpful with suggestions for greater ease in getting around here, so don't be afraid to ask for help!

As a matter of fact, that is what this site is all about. As frustrated as I felt my first few times around this site, I could tell I needed assistance in sticking to my goals. That's the major reason I didn't let myself quit. Where learning how to re-educate ourselves to eat properly and exercise daily, that's not a bad motto to adopt: Don't let yourself quit.

I, too, am in my 50's, and found out two years ago that my thyroid had stopped working. I started meds for that & blood pressure at the same time. Other reasons I have for finally admitting to myself I need help to stick to my good intentions: I also have high cholesterol, which I don't want to have to take meds for--and my next doc visit is in early May. For two years now (since hypothyroid discovered), I've been claiming to be trying to eat better & exercise, but have only been snowing myself & the doctor. I've only got about 5-6 weeks till my next appointment, and he and I both agreed that if I hadn't gotten it under better control since November, that it would be the time to start meds. We all know the old expression about "sitting on the pot"--well, it's high time I produced!

My other current motivator is my 40th HS reunion is coming up, 6-23-07! Our school had its Centennial in 1999--so everyone's already seen me in THAT dress. I'm really not a clotheshorse at heart (never have been), but since I'd also worn the dress in '97 for our 30th--even I don't want to be wearing the same dress 3 occasions for the same crowd in 10 years! I'd also like to be at least a little smaller than I was for the "30th" group shot--and in ANOTHER dress!!

Anyway, that's me; seems we both have a few things in common. Let's encourage one another!

Stick to it! and Don't give up! Again,

Hi Fitchick2be!

You can do this! Set small goals and reward yourself with non-food rewards when you meet the goals. I also read in the April Oprah magazine to write encouragements on notecards and read them often every day. I have signs up and notes to myself in my journal, but the notecards sounded like a very good idea because you can even keep them in your pocket or purse and pull them out whenever you need encouragement to STAY STRONG!

As you lose the weight you will no doubt find that many of your medical issues will improve and maybe even disappear! Won't THAT be wonderful?!!!

Find a plan that you can stick to and also a plan for if you go OFF PLAN. Keep a record of your progress on Fitday AND in a journal for that evtra bit of self-therapy that seems to help so many of us. Come here often for encouragement and a friendly hug!

Cheryl

Welcome and Good Luck!

Thanks to you all for the welcome and the encouragement!

I did well yesterday until dinner. I just hadn't eaten enough up 'til then, and I ended up not measuring dinner, just eating! Then after dinner, I ate some more - I was just so hungry! I think eating a 100-calorie snack pack while making dinner might have helped me feel better so I wouldn't have eaten so much more (way more than an extra 100 calories). What do you think?

Hi, fitchick2be! Buy yourself a bag of apples. Something that I find very helpful in that situation is eating an apple before your meal. Its natural sugar helps address blood sugar, while its fiber helps you feel more full so that by the time your meal is ready, you're neither as crazily ravenous, nor are you as likely to stuff yourself. And in the event you still eat a little more than you'd hoped to, the fiber in that apple is "moving things along" your digestive track, so you're less likely to absorb as much fat. And drink water! Follow that apple with a glass of water, or drink it during the time you're eating it/cooking dinner. You'll feel fuller, less likely to overeat, and we all know that water helps flush your system from the cellular level all the way down.
And as JayEll points out, FitDay is an excellent way to keep yourself honest as to true amounts eaten and activities done. I was not telling myself how much I was actually eating till I had to sit down and spell it out. I've only been doing FitDay for a week now, and it's already making a big difference.

Yay, fitchick2be! You can do it!