[Aprilmar10]

Hi all,
I am looking for some support. I have been overweight for the last 10 years and am ready to get rid of the fat and get healthy. I feel very motivated right now, but need a buddy to help me stay on track. I lost almost 60 pounds after having my first daughter 2 years ago to find out I was pregnant again. My second daughter is now 4 months old and Im ready to start the journey again. Any support would be highly appreciated! By the way, I am 27 and am looking to lose about 75 pounds... this week I have lost 1 so far.


What I have been doing since Sunday-
I eat about 1200 calories a day. (im choosing healthy/balanced calories to eat)
I work out for 30-45 minutes daily (step aerobics or treadmill at home)
Drinking 5-7 bottles of water a day and maybe a glass of diet soda
Trying to be more active in general (cleaning house, walking around the stores)


Favorite treat as of today-

1/4 cup grapenuts (100 calories)
3/4 cup frozen blueberries (80 calories)
1 Dannon light and fit yoghurt (60 calories)

MIX IT UP AND EAT... YUM!

*My MP3 player blasting in my ears helps me stay energized while working out.

[thekains]

wow! it sounds like you are very motivated! Good for you.I have a hi metabolism so far ive been lucky with my weight ,so i dont know much about losing, but i would love to help you out anyway i can.

[Aprilmar10]

Thank you so much as I really need the support.

I had another great day and stuck to my new 'lifestyle'. It is such a struggle to get through the day and 'behave' but when I get through it I feel so proud of myself. It seems silly, but my problem is I love food too much. I can eat all day long even though Im not hungry. Its not stress or boredom because I do it even when Im happy and busy. I just keep telling myself that I should not live to eat, but to eat to live. I have been trying to brainwash myself into thinking of food as fuel. Im trying to eat healthy as to put only good fuel into my body as bad food just puts on fat. Today I had oatmeal for breakfast (150 cals), a turkey wrap for lunch(800 cals), a grapefruit (80 cals)and a carrot for a snack, and its 8:00 at night and I havent eaten dinner yet. I think I will just have a bowl of soup (260 cals) to keep the calories low but to put something warm in my tummy.

I would love some ideas to keep me motivated like names of work out videos that people like or simple low cal recipes or food I can eat. Like pickles . They are about 5 calories a piece so I dont feel guilty snacking on them. I really like the Campbells Select Harvest soups because I can eat the whole can for about 240-260 calories.

Does anyone have the Wii fitness? I would love some opinions about it as Im thinking to perhaps buy it.

Any great sayings that I can write on the fridge that will keep me motivated?

Thank you to everyone that is willing to help me. Just being able to talk about it helps.

[living4fridays]

Bless your heart April! It's a tough journey, but the attitude you've adopted is a great start!
I ended up hiring a trainer last fall and I've stuck w/ her because I'd use every excuse in the world not to exercise .... but gosh, it helps so much and keeps you burning those calories. Check out fitnessmagazine.com - you don't have to be a subscriber (I don't think), and you can get lots of work out tips. Mine would be cardio, cardio, cardio.... you don't have to be a slave to the gym - do stuff like brisk walking, stairs, etc.... I pretty much have resigned that I have to go to the gym, otherwise, I'd be much happier sitting in front of the TV eating Doritos... I have to have that "accountability."

But good for you! You're doing good girl! Feel free to yell if you need a buddy!

[patbruck]

I make a list of goals for the week and keep it on the fridge. It's almost fun to cross them off as I accomplish them (stuff like "take vitamin" and "go to gym") and think twice about eating junk when I can see in print how far I've already come.

I write everything down. Knowing I have to write down every nilla wafer or every extra squirt of Reddi Whip keeps me accountable for my actions. I keep a weekly intake and exercise log in an Excel spreadsheet and save them all on my comp. I can always look back and be proud of what I've accomplished if I'm feeling like giving up.

I exercise just about every day. We belong to a gym and I always do 30-45 minutes of cardio and some weights about 6 times a week. I also started running about 3 months ago. I have a long way to go, but can run almost 1.5 miles without stopping (in the beginning, I could run for 1 minute!) I am running a 5k this spring with a friend and am kicking off the new year with a 3k "fun run".

Eating is the biggest challenge for me. I try to look at my calories as a "budget" - I allow myself 1500 per day. I try to get the most "bang for my calorie" - that said, an apple is just as filling as a couple of cookies (if not more) but contains 1/3 the calories. I not only pay attention to calories, but also fat content, protein, fiber, and sodium. Planning is key for me. If I don't map out a meal plan, I'm likely to overeat on whatever I can find. It's a big help to keep the junk out of the house- I can't snack on chips if I don't buy them. Not only does my body benefit, but my budget as well

Green tea. I love to sip this at night when I'm watching TV and just want to munch. Kind of a way to trick myself, I guess. I get the decaf kind.

I allow myself to indulge - within reason. We allow ourselves to go out to eat once a week and I do splurge on those nights. Just need to remember that it's not an all-out free-for-all, rather a chance to indulge a little.

I'm sure there's more, but I need to make lunch for a lil girl right now. Good luck

[living4fridays]

Good point, Pat, about the "indulgence." I used to focus on dieting alot... I'd always screw up w/ some Girl Scout cookies and then say, well, that's over... but that's because I'm an anal retentive controlling perfectionist. Truth is, when I allowed myself a "free pass" every now and then, it helped me mentally because I wasn't having to give "everything" up.... granted, can't have a piece of cheesecake for breakfast but.. you get my drift. Plus, not only does it alleviate some of those impulses, it compensates for the times that we do fall off the wagon...

I honestly used to hate to exercise, but it helps me keep out of trouble and I love having even the slightest muscle tone.

[simba123]

Good for you April!! What a great start. I hav found Sparkpeople on the web. It is free and has great workouts of all kinds and lots of resources. You can just do workouts right in front of the computer. Wellness 360 is also another site that pays you to do the same thing. It is also free. Kraft.com and BHG I think both have healthy living sections that give you menus made out for the amount of calories/day that you choose. That is enough to keep you going for a while. Keep posting so we can cheer you on!!

[Aprilmar10]

Well, I did really great yesterday.. then I made homemade pizza for the family and I ended up eating 4 pieces. But instead of beating myself up I decided to work out a bit harder and longer last night. Today is a new day and I sent all the leftover pizza out with hubby today.

Thank you to all the suggestions and support. I will definately use all the info.

Has anyone used Hoodia and what are your opinions about it...?

[simba123]

Personally I try to stay away from any weight loss things. You are better off doing it on your own. It really is all about being intentional about what you eat and getting enough exercise. In other words a lifestyle and I don't think I would want supplements/ meds to be a part of my regular routine.

[patbruck]

I have heard of Hoodia, but have never looked into it. Frankly, the name weirds me out too much to make me want to try it

Kudos to you for making food at home. It is surprising how easy it is to make your favorite takeout foods much healthier when preparing them yoruself at home. With the pizza, for instance, you can make the crust really thin, use fat-free cheese, load it with veggies, etc. If the kids don't like it that way, make them the "regular" pizza and make yourself a personal-size one. We also loovve burgers here, and when you order them in a restaurant they are like 1000 calories. I can make way better ones at home using 96% lean beef, using 45 cal bread instead of a bun (my DH won't do this yet, but it doesn't faze me), using half a slice of red. fat cheese, and a little ketchup and some pickles. My home-made burger is just under 300 calories and I would take it anyday over a greasy monster burger from Red Robin.

[morihuel66]

Congratulations on this new adventure!! I lost 35 lbs 14 years ago before getting pregnant. To be honest with you, it is not that hard to lose weight, the difficult part is the maintenance. I love food as well AND as you say, I could be eating all day even if I am not hungry. My weight range now is between 125-27 (5ft 4in). Ok, enough about my experience, allow me now to give you some advice.

First, you don't mention weight training. From what I have learned and experienced this is even more important than cardio.Not that cardio isnt important, but you need to build up muscle as well.

Second, dont use a scale. This will only frustrate you and dissapoint you. The best measure is how your clothes fit. The scale will only dissapoint you because there are times when we retain water, which will be misleading.

Third, erase the word DIET from your vocabulary. This will only stress you. You are just choosing your food wisely and you don't have to starve yourself, there are many things that you can eat and still keep the calorie count that you have set up. Although you dont mention your height and current weight, I am hoping that 1200 calories are the right no. for you. Eat well balanced meals, you can even have desserts, like frozen yogurt with fruit. All is about balance and believe me, if there are days when you overindulge, just get back in track, dont stop until you accomplish your goal. You will get there one day at a time.

All it takes is willingness and motivation and you have tons! So, keep it up. You will get there before you know it.

[ashambmom89]

Do you have a Publix grocery store? If you do go get you some Kefir, located in the coolers near the pharmacy. Kefir is like yogurt but has more cultures and is very good for you and does cause weight loss. It is nasty by itself so you add blueberries, strawberries or any fruit to it and make a smoothie. Also start taking some fish/flax and borage, found at Walmart. Take 2 in the morning and 2 at night for the first week and then go to 1 in the morning and 1 at night after that. Both of the above things I mentioned are extremely good for you and get your digestive track in really good shape and causes you to loose weight. I hope this helps. Also, green tea instead of soda helps you loose. In the morning eat your protein first, (boiled egg) then your carbs and then your fruits. I eat a boiled egg, then a small amout of oatmeal about 1/4 cup and them my smoothie. I lost 25 lbs. without exercise and not really doing anything different except the above.

[Aprilmar10]

Thank you so much for the replies,
I don't have a publix but I have heard of kefir. My mom drinks it and I guess I will have to check it out.

I love the suggestion to ditch the scale. I seem to be hopping on it too often and seeing my weight vary within 5 pounds throughout the day. I am 5'5 and weigh about 205 pounds 1200 calories seem to be working fine for me as long as I choose lower calorie foods. I found a wonderful veggie burger at Costco that Im liking. I use the 45 calorie bread with that and some mayo/mustard and veggies and its very filling. I was in the store for about 2 hours last night just reading the backs on products. There are so many better choices out there then what I have normally bought. I found mayo last night that had 15 calories per serving vs. 50-100! I also found fat free cheese slices that were 30 calories vs 50-60. Even the lunch meat. I bought some Oscar Mayer Deli Fresh shaved turkey breast and it only has 45 calories per serving. I found fat free cream cheese for 30 calories per serving vs. 100! I was most shocked at my tortillas/wraps. I had no clue that the average tortilla was 200 calories! Do you know how many of those I can eat!! I found Don Pancho wraps that has 70 calories each. Much much better. I just cant believe how much more money it costs to eat healthy. Its crazy. I bought almost nothing last night and spent 40 dollars!

Anyways, I am still motivated and still eating healthy. I have stuck to my work out plan also. I feel waaaay better already and have so much more energy! My scale is not showing the way I feel but im sure it will get there eventually.

ps- someone on another thread suggested sugar-free chocolate pudding and make it with water. I did last night and mixed it with a little fat-free cool whip and it was so good my daughter and husband ate almost all of it! So thanks for the tip!

[Aprilmar10]

Oh yah, and about weight training. I follow some of the workout programs on FitTV when they tone the body just using little weights or doing squats etc.. does that have the same benefits? because i cant join a gym right now.

[morihuel66]

WOW! I love your motivation!! You remind me so much of when I was soooo totally determined to lose the extra weight. You are doing absolutely the right thing by reading labels. YES! Tortilla wraps are great! You know that you can put tons of shredded lettuce and cucumbers and tomatoe, to make it look bigger, from a psychological point of view, it will make you believe you are eating a lot, but you are not...you know?? I am so happy for you because you will be a different person once you achieve your goal. Do it little by little. Set goals of 5 lbs in 2 weeks for example...dont look at it in the LOOONG term....see it as in short term goals....you understand?? I cannot emphasize enough the role of weight training. This along with your new eating habits are such great combination! Now that I remember, you should also check on your heart rate. I am no personal trainer, but I like to read and research a lot before I get into new endeavors. I know for a fact that you must be at a certain heart rate so you can burn calories from FAT, which is what you want. There are excelent tools on the web, where you just put in your age, weight and height and it will give you several heart ranges according to what you want to do. In your case I am sure you want o burn fat. Eventually, you may want to get a heart rate monitor, which is easier than stopping your work out to count heart beats. IF you can (and you say you can), I'd join the gym. They have all the equipment that you need. It is commendable that you are doing it on your own at home. But, it;s not the same than using specific equipment to target different group muscles. I'd try spinning classes, although I have to warn you that it is addictive, once you try it you can't stop it. Spinning is the best aerobic exercise and you can burn more than 500 caloires in an hour. I know people who burn 800 calories...so...there you go...I will think of other options, but for now, I am leaving you with new thoughts and recommendations. I hope they are useful to you as theywere for me. Best.

[mpayne]

You're doing awesome!! We're here for you to keep you motivated - and I'm hoping a bit of yours rubs off on me!

Keep up the great work!

[VintageTink]

Can i just say dont weigh yourself. I made that mistake. while my clothes were getting looser, i would weigh and wonder why i wasnt dropping weight but i was just in inches which is WHERE it counts.

Hugs. I need to go back on my diet big time as well

[Aprilmar10]

Patbruck- thank you so much for the idea about the burgers. I didnt even know they had that lean of beef, but I bought some yesterday and made burgers just as you do last night and they were great! I even added one slice of turkey bacon to them. My husband tried mine and said, wow, that tastes good! So now he is eating healthy with me (which makes things so much easier!)

I had another great day yesterday with healthy eating and exercise. YAY! And im off to another great start.

I went to Ross yesterday (if you guys have one) and they have some really good work out dvd's for about 3.99- 5.99 each

[VintageTink]

Ooo if you can find ground turkey omg so so good. thats what i use. I cant eat regular hamburger now. I have to eat ground turkey

[grace.maddie]

we i have a little bit of experiance on this topic . i have lost well over 100 lbs this year thanks to the support of ladies on here. your calorie count sounds great. i actually would vary your calories from day to day a little bit to keep your metabolism guessing. some days i eat 1000 calories others i eat 1500. just keep switching it.
as far as never feeling full. they have found that some ppl jus tlack the hormone that lets them feel full. i am mising it. there is a presctiption drug your dr can give you to help with that, but i personally want to learn to control it myself and not have to count on a drug. its so hard in the beginning, there were nights i was SO HUNGRY that i would get a cup of ice and munch on it so i felt like i was having a snack. but now i have my body trained not to overeat. it takes a long time but is worht is.
what pat said about the budget is totally on target. i can eat three apples or a snickers. hmm... some days it worth the snickers and some days it isn't so i adjust my calories to fit what ever i splurge on.
some one mentioned weight training, do it! a pound of fat burns about 3 calories, but a pound of muscle burns 50! thats like free exercise!
make sure you don't get into a run with your exercise videos, you need to have a fitness plan, so that you are constantly making your workouts harder. i took up running (at almost 300 lbs i could not run for more than 30 seconds when i started). and set goals (for your weight running will burn about 800 calories an hour) my first goal was a 5 mile race and i have been adding since. i did a half marathon this year and am about five weeks into a full maraton training program. i can not wait to run 26 miles without stopping!
you need to see what type of personality you are before you decide how often you weigh yourself. some ppl get discouraged at weighing too often. but for me i need to see the scale every single day to keep on track. remember not to get discouraged if the scale seems off. things like pickles make you retain water, that will come off without work. your weight fluctuates all through out the day so get up in the morning, pee and weigh yourself that way its the same time every day. also some days you may eat foods that weigh more than normal even if they are not high in calories (watermelon). do not get discourged by this, it will leave your system eventually and you will have a big drop at once.
feel free to pm me if you want to do weekly weighins. this is what i am passionate about, and i am in the process of becoming a certified personal trainer, so i may be able to help with work out schedules as well.

[patbruck]

I weigh myself every day and wouldn't have it any other way! It keeps me accountable, I guess. At first I had a hard time with how much I fluctuated, but got used to it (it's normal, after all).

I just read an article in Self magazine today that suggested that, when making meatloaf, instead of using bread crumbs (I personally always used a tube of saltines), to use rolled oats instead. Slightly less calories, but significantly more protein and fiber. I am anxious to see how it turns out. When you cook at home, it's really amazing how much healthier you can make your favorite foods. Healthy stuff usually costs more (like the super lean meat), but I try to think of it as "an investment in my health". Plus, I'm saving money b/c I'm not buying chips

[mpayne]

I'm loving this thread!

grace.maddie - do you have before/after pics anywhere? I would love to see them if you do! Your story is so inspiring.

April, I love the Walk Away the Pounds videos. I have a couple of dvds but usually end up doing one of the free ones on ExerciseTV On-Demand through our cable company. There are a lot of different workouts on that channel if it's available for you. Check your local library for dvds, too - they usually have a pretty good selection of workout dvds.

I joined SparkPeople a few years ago and LOVED it! I was suprised that they put my calories for the day much higher than I'd guessed myself. I would recommend checking out some sites to see what your intake should be every day. You may be eating too little, in which case your body starts holding onto fat (starvation mode - even if you don't feel like you're starving). And YES - food as fuel! That's a good one for the fridge. When I did Body for Life (again, several years ago) that was my motto. There was a recipe for a great protein/oatmeal cookie that I absolutely LOVED on that program. I'll see if I can find it for ya.

[mpayne]

Here it is:

Fool Yourself Cookies

- 1/2 banana
- 1 tbsp. peanut butter
- 1/3 cup oatmeal
- 1 pkg. Swiss Miss No Sugar Added Hot Cocoa
- 1/4 tsp. baking powder (NOT soda)
- 1/2 scoop protein powder

Directions: Mix all ingredients thoroughly and drop by spoonfuls onto baking sheet. Bake at 300 degrees for 10 minutes.

SERVING SIZE:
1 (makes 6 cookies, which equals ONE meal) YES! You can have *these* cookies for dinner! If you can eat them all, that is. I never could - they are so filling!

TOTALS:
315 calories
55g carbs
4g fat
18g protein

[Aprilmar10]

My husband is being sooo supportive I almost can't believe it. He bought me an elliptical machine! I love it so much! It seems to be burning more calories than my treadmill and doesn't feel so hard on my body.

Thank you mpayne- I will have to try those cookies asap, they sound so yummy! Cookies for dinner... you can't beat that.

grace.maddie- when you say to keep your metabolism guessing, is that so your body doesn't adjust to what you are doing?

I too am loving this thread and I think everyone here is so wonderful. We really need to be a source of support to eachother because being healthy no matter what you weigh is the best thing you can do for yourself and your family.

[morihuel66]

In other words, what Grace.maddie means is to Fool your body! That's right. You will eventually fall in what they call a plateau. This means that even though you are still working out and dieting, you will not lose an ounce. Why? because your body is so wise that it adjusted to your routine. What to do? Very simple, change everything. Here comes what grace.maddie said consume either more or less calories than what you are eating. Change the amoutn of weights you are lifting, change your cardio routine, etc. If you are working out every day, then stop for a fewdays and then start again. You have to SHOCK your body, you have to make your body say: HMMMMM what is she doing differently?

So there you go, another tip. Keep up the great work! You'll get there!