Why are you here? What do you want to do now you are?

TheMrWobbly

What brought you to MFP?

Mistyped muffinspal.com? No, were you just bored one day? No, you came here for one of two reasons;

1. You wanted to change something. You did, so have you? I know I went hell for leather and then skipped recording the odd meal, forgot about the occasional pint, stop recording food at all and didn't use the last 8 months of my gym membership. Now I am heavier than ever and, not unhappy as I have a family I love, let's say uncomfortable. Being clinically obese will, likely as not, cut short whatever life expectations I have. Clearly lost round 1, time for round 2.

So where are you? Changed anything? Are you achieving your goals? They are your goals and you are welcome to move them whenever you want but you put them there for a reason, keep them there, let us help you reach them. Read the message boards, there are so many success stories and they happen with the help of other people on MFP. Be part of someone's success and we can be part of yours.

The second reason - somebody else has told you change, in which case definitely stick with us, we will take you for who you are and should YOU want to change we will help you, if not you should change the person telling you that you are not good enough.

Let everyone know why you joined and if have you made progress?

Now to register muffinspal.com...

BeelzLPL

Joined about a year ago but stayed as a lurker for almost all of that year.

I was advised to have weight loss surgery if I wished to see my 50s (I was 45/6 at the time and super morbidly obese). I guess I stayed hidden as I wasn't sure I wanted to 'come out' as a bariatric patient, seen a few posts on the main boards and they got very little replies and I guess that meant I wasn't comfortable I would get a lot out of being visible.

I should have lost 80% of what it is possible for me to lose but with the year I had, I have missed that goal (Father had a heart attack and wife is still in heart failure awaiting surgery). Of course, that is still an excuse as I should have carried on with my exercise etc. and from MFP and Garmin Connect I can see where I slipped.

January 2016 marks 13mo post surgery and a huge desire to get my butt off the chair and do something more. I have therefore come active on the forums, made the fact I have had surgery public knowledge (if anyone cares lol) and have ensured I am active in the bariatric groups especially as I felt kinda alone when I got here

January is the end of the 1st month 'back'. MFP advises I have done 41 walks this month, walked for 35hours and covered a distance of 190km. Measurements today showed inches have dropped and tomorrows weigh in should show a further small loss (hopefully of about 3lbs) giving me 9-10 for the month.

Why have I joined? Gadgets lol. I am all tech'd out when I leave the house. GPS, heart monitor etc and MFP collates them all tidily for me and shows my health improving (heart rate is lower, average heart rate over 5-10km walks lower) etc. The community helps too as I am visible, or at least my diary is which means no loss is seen, no exercise is seen etc. It's inspiration and a push I need to ensure I keep going and the community here provides me with support.

Finally, having been through weight loss surgery, I can help others in a similar boat and confirm to them its not a 'easy fix'. YOu still have to watch what you eat, have to exercise but as my photos show, the results speak for themselves. I am over 120lbs lighter now and that was with a terrible year. This year I need more of the same and it needs more effort. I therefore need support too and you guys are there as well as my family/friends and the hospital team.

TheMrWobbly

Welcome from the shadows. We are definitely better as a group with all the experiences we can bring.

amethyst_1504

What bought me here .... good question.

I will be 50 in April and I am currently looking after my 18 month old grandson full time so I need all the energy I can muster.

After trying various ways of losing weight and nothing working I finally had a "light bulb" moment that I didn't need to be paying £12 a month online subscription to WeightWatchers and being unhappy when they completely changed the way they do things ~ again ~ and nothing making any sense and the weight wasn't going anywhere.

That and realising it's a case of putting less in and moving around more, but making sure I count everything that goes in!

Since joining i've never cooked as many different meals as I have done before and enjoyed cooking them. I plan my weekly menus ~ sometimes I stick to them, sometimes I don't, but I always make sure I track everything. I go to the gym once a week and we go out for long walks when the weather permits us to.

I have nobody else to blame but me for how I am right now and I have to be accountable for getting myself to where I want to be

I set myself small, realistic goals and it's great to see the lbs slowly going.

Although buying a new set of bathroom scales and finding out I was 3lb heavier than I thought wasn't such a good thing, but, it is what it is!

Slow and steady wins the race as the old saying goes ~ and i'm in it for the long haul.