Help myself, help my mom

suuta

Hello all, I'm new here. I've had MyFitnessPal on my phone for a while but have only recently starting using it seriously. My overall goal is to loose 50 lbs by August 10th (my birthday). I was only putting in half the effort before, but now I'm determined. My mother is so overweight that she has trouble walking. I turned 30 this summer and weighed 204 lbs though I've managed to lose 10 lbs. I'm only 5'1" and I got really scared. Heart disease and diabetes run in both sides of my family so I'm worried about my future. Even my sister who is really active (tennis 3 times a week, horseback riding, hiking, etc) has been having trouble staying slim since our mother's been having more and more health problems. The issue is that she doesn't seem to want to loose weight and is doing nothing about it. My father lost weight after his hernia surgery too but since my mom is working fewer hours at her job, she won't stop cooking. Today she made 3 pies, 2 banana breads and a tray of brownies. It's so hard to say NO to her when she lays that guilt trip on us too.

So I'm trying to replace some of her recipes with healthier alternatives. Eg Jonny Bowden's Healthiest Meals series of books. You can make amazing brownies with dates and chick peas. I've never reached out to people in a message board like this. I went on a hike with my sister today and a bike ride with my dad yesterday. We're planning an intervention. My mom has to stop eating and sitting and relying on medication to keep her from getting sick. She's already sick. She has to start thinking of food as her medication, put down the Twizzlers and pick up the kale salad. Forget the cherry pie and make a sugar free cherry smoothie. If we are what we eat, why do you want to be junk? I made a deal with my mom a few years ago that if she quit smoking I would stop biting my nails and I did it. Now I want her to loose weight too. So I'll start it off. If I can show her it can be done then maybe she'll be more willing to try.

I'm very determined and I'm making my word law. I do not WANT to loose 50 lbs. I WILL loose 50 lbs.

I'm using Fitbit, MyFitnessPal and Jonny Bowden's book: Shape Up (which has some great info and is full of encouragement when I'm feeling weak-willed) I'm a bit of a hermit so I don't have many friends to help support me and it's hard when my family (or certain members of it) are trying to sabotage all the work I'm doing. If anyone else is on Fitbit and wants to friend me, please let me know. I believe that we can only expect to get what we give so if there is anything I can do to encourage someone else or help them in anyway, I'm here for them. Let's persevere together!

Myhaloslipped

My mom has diabetes, and I did the same thing. I didn't really need to lose that much. Of course I got all wrapped up in it, but I initially started to lead by example for her. And now she has lost 15 pounds over the summer and is exercising more and making healthier choices because she wants to without even realizing it! Do not give up on your mom. Leading by example is the best thing you can do. Good luck!

labney84

I'm 5'1" and I want to lose 50 or more pounds this year. I know I've got to do both diet and exercise, but I have found that to be very hard. I'm on day 5 with no sugared soft drinks, which has been a real battle to start and stick with. I have not been exercising and I need to get going. I have back issues that flare up now and again with a MRI this year showing a narrowing of my spine and s lack of disk. I use the pain as an excuse and the fear of new pain not to do anything too strenuous. I eat way to much between 5-9 p.m. ruining the good dieting done until then. Ugh. Could we help encourage each other?