First Name- Beth
Geographical location- Maine USA
Age-40
Marital status-I have been married to a wonderful supportive man for 14 years.
Children- I have a 10 year old son and would have loved to have more. Most likely my weight has interfered with my ability to conceive.
Occupation- I am a homemaker that works seasonally as a farmstand manager for a large commercial farm.
Pets- I have two cats and am looking for a kitten for my son for his birthday.
Hobbies and Interests- I am an avid reader, love to cook, watch tv, and larp (live action role playing).
Height 5,6"
I have reddish brown hair and blue eyes. If I don't conceal it I am going quite grey at my temples.
Starting Date- (9/22)
Starting weight 280
Goal weight-160
Biggest Hurdle- Giving up when it takes too long. I have often lost 20-30 pounds and then I stop and gain it back. I eat more than I think I do if I don't write it all down and I am an emotional eater. I also hate to exercise.
What's different about this time?- I am reaching out for support and I think I have reached rock bottom. I want to be able to be a good role model for my son and model healthy eating. I want to be the fit active Mom he deserves.
What else do I want to tell you? I need this, I have put logging in here daily on my to do list. I need to save my life. My Mother died of complications from diabetes at 62. I have high cholesterol and my body aches all the time. I have plantar fasciitis in my right food and it hurts to walk. This has to change. My sister in law invited me to be part of her wedding party and I almost said no. I don't want to be the fat one in her wedding party and cringe at all of the pictures. I want to support her and feel beautiful. Her wedding is August 2015. So..I would like to have lost at least 50 pounds by then. I am trying to keep my goals realistic. I ordered a pedometer and I am going to track my steps daily.
My name is also Beth. (my full name is "Elizabeth", but nobody calls me that. Well, except my mother when I was a child and in serious trouble. lol. )
I feel like you and I have a lot in common! I think I will do an introduction post too. I am looking for encouragement, support, and accountability here as well. Good luck to you, and I hope you and I can be a part of each other's support networks.
I hope we can support each other too. It's great to just know another person is reading my words and responding. How have you been doing over the last few days. I made my oatmeal for breakfast and was feeling virtuous and then picked up the rest of my sons bagel and cheese and ate it without even noticing until I was done. It's that sort of thing that derails me and in the past I would use it as an excuse to not bother counting calories for the rest of the day because I had already screwed up. Yesterday I just sighed and kept going and resolved to remain mindful of my eating for the rest of the day. I'm not going to weigh in every day but I will a few times a week.
Have a great day and I hope you are doing well!
Hello Underanalysis,
Thanks for the welcome! I used to live fairly close to New Hampshire in Bethel Maine but now I'm more in the middle of the state. Nice to meet a fellow New Englander. I'm starting to settle in and figure out how to use the forums.
So far I've been ok. My dinners have not been perfect choice-wise, (for example, last night was macaroni and cheese with hotdogs and peas. Sounds gross, and it is, but it's my son's favourite dish and I wasn't cooking lol) but portion and calorie-wise it's pretty good. I have a very bad habit of not eating breakfast or lunch. I've been good in that department too, along with small healthy snacks during the day.
I think my biggest hurdle right now is getting enough exercise. I walk the dog every morning and take a bike ride with my son most nights, but I need to figure out how to fit in a little more.
The eating without thinking thing is hard! Habits are hard to break, and paying attention to what you're doing takes a lot more focus than you initially expect. Good for you, in not just giving up the whole day! I think that's a big thing. Move on, don't beat yourself up, but continue with your goals and you'll see improvement. Slow and steady is the way to make a new sustainable lifestyle, right?
I have always been the type who tears up a sheet of a paper and starts over if I make a mistake. I have approached dieting in the same way in the past. So I'm making progress. You make a mistake and keep going.
Bike riding is good exercise, good for you. It's good to do something fun a physically active with kids too. I am trying to get my son into walking with me or swimming but he isn't keen. I'm thinking it might be fun to get a basketball hoop, he enjoyed basketball in previous years. As he has gotten a little overweight himself he has been letting go of soccer and basketball and it breaks my heart. I have to do this for both of us.
I think a basketball hoop is a grand idea. Especially if it was something he liked before. Something you can do together never really seems like 'exercise' i find. My son has been the same way as he has gained a bit of weight. I also have to do this for both of us.
Yesterday I learned that some of the things he hears/learns at school about weight and healthy eating are not just dubious, but altogether *wrong*! I was a little shocked. I think I'm going to have to work harder on the right language to use surrounding a healthy lifestyle, and things like "fat" "diet" and "health food".
Beth1000 Intro- Losing it in Maine
