Improving Me~

colvic

Hi - Well... I started to lose weight mid May. I had weighed in at 280lbs. Surprisingly not my highest weight. Of the 60 lbs that I had lost in 2006/07 I had gained almost 50 back. I was sluggish and just over-all didn't feel well. I got married last year and my husband is extremely active in his job as well as he continues to pursue his love of track and field so it frustrates me that I cannot be as active as he. So far since May I have lost over 30 lbs, which is good, but I notice that the weight is not coming off as fast and I REALLY have to work at it much more than in the past. Especially my abdomen area. I know I need to be doing sit-ups/crunches - but just can't get motivated. Right now I use an Elliptical Machine every day - but need to interject some other things into my routine. I used to get HEALTH magazine and it seemed every issue would have an article about trimming belly fat etc. - so I know this is an issue with so many - especially as we age. Anyway...I heard about this site and thought it might give me some accountabiity with tracking my food and excercise. I love the lay-out and sure hope I can commit to using this tool.

krex

Welcome and congratulations on your weight loss! Keep it up!

DanOhh

Welcome to MFP! Great job on the 30 lbs. lost so far. Good luck on the rest of your goal!

oOLiveYourLifeOo

Welcome to MPF! I understand how you feel, I lost 90 lbs in 2008 and gained 50 lbs back. Don't worry about if you have an off day or if you know you went over your calories. My trainer always tell me not to have the "Tomorrow is a new day" mentality but to have "I can do it right with my next meal" mentality.

Here are some tips that have helped me:
- Always, always, always, ALWAYS have breakfast (it boosts your metabolism) - but you want something healthy. If you aren't into breakfast (like me), try a Boost shake (they actually taste REALLY good).
- If you want to do sit-ups, but can't get yourself fully off the floor, try using a chair or invest in an AbMat (they're around $30 on Amazon and work wonders - I use one in CrossFit).
- Kettle bells are awesome and are great for dead lifts, swings (it works out your arms), and even curls. You can find some exercises in this months Prevention magazine - start out small, like 5 lbs, if you don't have a lot of upper body strength and then work your way up.
- Squats are amazing for your legs - if you have problems getting into a full squat, use the side of your bathtub as assistance and in no time you will be doing it on your own (that is what I did)

colvic

As you can see I have been away from this for quite a while. I thought I started out ok, but then in 2011 I fell and had to have rotator cuff surgery and then within the next year I had a knee replacement. What tends to complicate all this is I my hormones are out of whack and I now have sleep apnea. I am making progress with my knee and have now gotten on a CPAP machine. I do not like it - but it does seem to help me sleep solidly and I feel like I have more energy in the morning. So there are group of co-workers that have been motivating me to join in their pursuit to lose weight and feel better. So come next Tuesday - this is our weigh in date. I decided that I should try and prepare and go this route to have more accountability. I hope that I don't get discouraged and I can stay committed. My husband is still extremely active. We just got back from a short trip to FL and I told him that I would love to be able to join him in more activities and get to that point where I feel comfortable doing so. I have a computer job so - my job is sitting so much of the day. So I am going to make a commitment to get moving 2 times a day at least and take breaks to go up and down the stairs and walk the halls until the weather breaks. Additionally, I still have my elliptical machine and will need to force myself to get up and at least do that every day and work up to more time. All I know is I can't continue on in the same pattern that I have been doing and going. I am just tired and achy all the time and I want to enjoy life.