New to Message Boards

rachelm920

Hi everyone,
I've been using myfitness pal for quite some time, but just discovered the message boards!!

My name is Rachel, I'm 37 and I have two beautiful daughters Destiney - 20 and Selena - 10. I also have a 2 year old granddaughter Brooke. We're a houseful of girls!!

I've been on a weight loss journey for years. In 2012 I weighed 250lbs, (I'm 5'1) was extremely unhealthy, could not even walk far without having back pain. I started out by walking the mile trail at my job, and I could only make it halfway before needing to come inside and rest with my back on "fire". I tried at the time many ways to loose weight, and always failed. I'd go to the gym with my husband, and watch the lbs shed off of him and I'd stay the same. It was really frustrating. After him and I split up, in October 2013 I moved into a 3rd floor apartment with my girls and had my IUD removed. The weight flew off of me. I was 240, 230, 220... I wasn't even exercising regularly. I put it off to stress with a divorce, and going up and down two flights of stairs daily. As the weight went away so did the pain. Over the last few years I had maintained the same weight (just under 200) gaining then losing the same 5lbs over and over again.

In January of this year, my doctor did a cholesterol test and was not happy with the results. She referred me to a nutritionist, who I've been seeing every few weeks. I also started exercising at home a few days a week. I lost some weight and in May I returned and my cholesterol levels had improved by 40 points! Due to the summer humidity working out at home became difficult, so I joined a gym a few weeks ago. I've been going 3x a week and as my nutritionist recommended, I've been doing strength training to boost my metabolism since my body wants to go back to that 250. Today I did abs.