I AM going to do this, this time!!!

AllisMartz

My name is Allis. I'm 34 years old and I feel like I'm 60! I'm married to a wonderful man, who loves me just as I am and calls me beautiful every chance he gets, and I have one teenage son, who I home school. I quit working going on 2 years ago to stay at home and home school my son who has severe ADHD and was having difficulty in public school. I went from walking or being on my feet for 8+ hours a day to now, most of my day is sitting on my butt on a computer. I'm not happy with who I've become. I have NEVER been this overweight before. I currently have a little over 100 lbs to lose and am terrified at the thought of exercise. My knees and back always hurt, I just recently was diagnosed with high blood pressure, I have sleep apnea, and I have a heart that doesn't always stay in rhythm. I could really use some friends to help encourage me and hold me accountable. My mind is just a flurry of negativity lately and I could really use some encouragement. Please help me out.

JustSomeEm

You do NOT have to exercise to lose weight. It helps, but you can lose (or start losing) by managing your food intake alone (notice I did not say diet). Just start by committing to logging everything you eat - all of it... every single bite, nibble or sip. Don't try to make any changes just yet - simply log it all. You will be shocked at what you're eating without even realizing it. This is how I started. Once I saw how much I was eating unintentionally, I began (almost subconsciously) making different choices and the weight started falling off. I liked it, and felt so much better in my skin (and joints and bones) that I picked up running again... at this point, I'm several sizes smaller than I was in high school and in the best shape of my life - to include the years I spent in the US Army. And it all started with one small commitment - the commitment to be honest with myself - and sort of just fell into place from there. You CAN do this, honey. :flowerforyou:

sfinsc

Good for you for being here, Allis! It's easier to just put on blinders and refuse to deal with problems, especially when you're terrified. The fact that you're here shows your commitment and desire to get healthy.

I've never been a diehard exerciser, so don't feel like you have to jump into that. Just do what you're comfortable doing right now. If you can get a cheap pedometer and set a small daily goal for yourself (this site talks about how to do that, if you're interested), that might motivate you to walk more than you do now, just around the house. Don't go all out; just start somewhere that doesn't scare you too much. The goal is to keep doing it, so you don't want to burn out early.

I agree with the above poster, though, that the key to weight loss is really getting into the habit of healthy eating and moderate proportions. I highly recommend starting with the food journal on here. MFP will even set a daily caloric goal for you. It has helped me tremendously! Do you cook at home? There are groups here you can join that list healthy (but delicious) recipes if you don't know what to make.

Good luck and welcome!! I'll friend you so that we can keep each other motivated.

AllisMartz

Wow! Thank you everyone for the encouraging words. I've never been as heavy as I am now and it terrifies me. I have to do something. So here I am. I know I can do this with a little help. Thanks.