ok, Hi there. I'm Jenn. Now that the intro is outta the way, maybe I can get some help in this area, because no one was very helpful in others...

I am a poor girl. I have no money for the gym, or to get equipment for home.

I am lucky if I can buy groceries once a month.

It's really cold out, but I guess I have to start walking again. What else can a gal like me do as excersise? I try doing 100 crunches a day, but I can't stay motivated.

I just quit smoking and picked up some weight from that too.

I am so frustrated...I need help from people who know, and COLOR=crimson]WANT[/COLOR] to change.

Jenne,

Come back to the 20's something...okay? And you have to give people time to respond. Sometimes it takes a while...I know that's frustrating...especially when you are looking for a quick answer...but there are no quick answers to weight loss if you truly want to lose it.

I reccomend that we talk...I can help you! Okay? Or at least I can try.

Betty

I am trying to get back in to it. I work nights from 6 to 3am I get up around 11am I find it hard to make the time. I always have a reason for not looking after myself. Does anyone else work nights. I would love to chat to get someone elses routine. I am trying. Have a great day

Walking is obviously the cheapest thing you can do (except for your shoes, and obviously you'll want your feet to be well-supported). In inclement weather you can even walk in place at home, or go to a mall.

I'm a big advocate of weight training, and there are even ways to do that on the cheap. You don't need a machine. As has been said, check out some books at the library. You can start out lifting some things around the house, like jugs of water, food cans ... save some pennies to eventually get yourself some dumbbells - brand new they are not expensive, usually around 50 cents a pound (I got my first set of 3 pairs for under $20) -- and if you keep your eye out, maybe you can find some used ones at a garage sale or thrift shop. There are a lot of moves you can do just using your own body weight (like push-ups). Again, explore the library ...

Oh, here's another idea, if you'd like some exercise tapes ... If you have a friend who has cable (I'm just assuming you don't), there are some 1/2 hour exercise shows on several channels. Perhaps he/she would tape a few for you.

Pen
265/217/150ish

I want to start to exercise, I don't have the money to go to a gym, or buy exercise equipment. I have an exercise tape, but never do anything with it. I want to sart to walking. I live a block away from the ocean and it is so so windy all the time. We just had our first snow storm. I hate the cold. But I have to force myself to go out and do it. Right now I am so busy with school and work I have very little time. I leave my house between 6 and 7am. and come home around 8. When I get home I have so much homework, and housework that I have to do I feel like I don't have any time to exercise. I started taking my exams and the semester is almost over. (December 19 it is over!) Once school is over, I am going to force my self out and start to exercise everyday. As for right now, I am trying to change my diet and quit smoking. This week I am setting a goal for myself, I want to at least two times this week. I don't care if I go 1 mile or 1 block, as long as I get out and do it. I am planning on going for a walk tonight.
I think walking is the best exercise (for me), but if you don't want to, keep doing your crunches, but set smaller goals. Instead of doing 100 do 20, and the next day do 30 and so on. Smaller goal are easier to acheive. Because if you set a goal to high and never achieve it, you lose all your motivation.
Sometimes I do push ups and squats. You may want to try doing them, start out doing just a few. But the best thing you can do is go to the library and see of you can get a book or a video. Set you goals small at first. When you start to reach those small goals, you will start to increase you motivation and will power. Good luck!!!

Hey Jenn, first congrats on quitting smoking! That is a major hurdle and will save you some major money. It also shows that if you can do that you can do ANYTHING!!! Everyone has some great advice for you. Walking is the number one thing and when its cold outside you can go to a mall and walk around in the inside or bundle up and walk outside, I know sometimes when I am freezing outside I tend to walk REALLY fast. If you live in an apartment building or have access to stairs, walk up and down them several times a day. I went to a second hand sports store and found some REALLY cheap weights. I got some every pay day and have a pretty good supply now, some were a dollar or two a piece. The place out here in Seattle is Play it Again Sports. I also found a little cheap tennis racket and my friend and I pretend we can play tennis by going to the courts in the parks out here for free. We get a LOT of exercise just running for the ball and picking them up off the ground. ALSO, every day house work can be a GREAT workout. I have decided to NOT mop anymore, instead I put a pillow down for my knees and get a scrub brush and scrub the floor. I am wringing wet when I finish, and the floor is sparkling. SO I just add a few extra things like that...anyway, those are cheap things that I do. Now the expensive thing I do is Jazzercise but I love it and I am going to try to scrape up enough money to do it because it really is great for me.
good luck, we can do this!!!

Hey Jenn~

You *have* demonstrated that you have motivation and follow-through because you were able to quit smoking. So you go girl! Apply that same determination to changing your eating habits and perhaps you will see some change. Its all up to you...but the great thing is that you can have some support to help you through it all. It sounds like your partner is at least game for working on this with you because she is going shopping with you. The people on this site seem to offer some great ideas and offer some additional support.

Coming up with a plan is always a good way to regain some control over something and in our case, it is our weight. I read that you don't want to journal or anything like that so maybe a more informal way to chart your progress or acheivement would be helpful. For example, I have an issue with drinking too much soda lately. So if I wasn't the obsessive person that I am (LOL!) and had to journal everything, maybe I would write on my calendar when I went a whole day with only drinking one soda instead of 3. That way I would have some kind of record, something tangible even when I still feel awful about the weight to know that I'm making progress. Another important thing is to start with small goals. I want to lose about 90 lbs but I can't fixate on that number because it seems too impossible. So, I've set a smaller goal of losing 25 lbs over the next few months.

You have a great point about needing some immediate form of support. I love the MB but sometimes chatting might be nice. Does anyone know of an chatrooms that are affiliated with this site? I have a chat room on one of my websites so I'm sure we could create one if we wanted to. Or maybe you could add one to your blog? Just throwing out some ideas here

LOL!!!!!! I just read my last entry! Can you tell I'm a therapist?! LOL...I don't mean to sound pretentious or anything like that. I really do mean everything I say. I think it...I say it...it is my way! LOL

Lilly

I have been away for a while but I am back now.

I am going to continue to work on my eating habits. I am also going to buy a yoga set this weekend (got a yoga video and set, but sdidn't liek the set).

I am too stressed out. I stress me out.

And it's not that I can't depend on her but I think I need to work on me and not worry about my partner right now.

I did quit smoking (6+ months now) and I can do this too. Lost 8 lbs. thus far in the 2 months or so.

Come Feb., I am going to gear up. BUt for now, I need to gain some cahones!

Thanks again