finally introducing myself

countrygirl4life

Hello everyone! my name is Robyn. i am 26 years old, and i am First nation/indigenous/native from Nova Scotia Canada. i've belonged to this site for a while but only recently have a made a serious commitment to it. i am 5 foot 6 and around 280 lbs. i was always a skinny child, i used to dance ballet up until i was 17. in previous years i made effort to loose weight but i just ended up loosing then gaining it all back plus some. My mum died when i was 17 of a eating disorder (anorexia) from when i was 17 on i've had to resume responsibility of her house and estate. in a day i went from being a child to an adult instantly. i had to quit ballet so i could support the house i now own. everything went on the back burner as i struggled daily with new responsibilities. i am now 26, and some how in the last 9 years i went from weighing 160lbs to a whooping 280lbs. i am totally embarrassed. i forget how limited i am with my weight now, since all my life i had been so physically fit and able.

for the last few years i have begun traditional pow wow dancing again. Dancing pow wow FILLS MY SOUL. and i am so EMBARRASSED at how out of breath i get. and how heavy i am now and i want to become a better dancer. i'm not so focused on the number, or the size of jeans. my MAIN GOAL is to just become physically fit. the image is secondary to me. Usually during spring, summer and fall i am gone dancing at pow wows almost every weekend for at least 5 hours a day. (friday to sunday) not sure how i should track this, the activity level is comparable to jogging in place/dancing vigorously.

Recently i have started eating better (really controlling portions and eating more (before i would just eat 1 meal a day at dinner time) focusing on allowing time to organize my eating habits. i am lucky to have a exercise room in my home, complete with a space to dance, weights, a stationary bike, and a treadmill. i have started biking 15 minutes a day (moderately and with pedal tension) 15 minutes brisk running and walking on treadmill, 10 minutes weight lifting (i have to take it easy, i threw my shoulder out slipping on ice! ouch!) and 20 minutes pow wow dancing. I find the "circuit" routine works for me as i get bored easily and can't stick to a full hour just on the treadmill.

Medically i have asthma (i just developed it when i gained this weight---never had it before in my life---hoping as i loose weight the asthma goes away too) and also for the last year and a half i had a severely swollen leg and foot (side effects from a surgery) the swelling has FINALLY gone away, but now its a battle building up muscle and gaining strength in that leg again!

Am i doing it right? do you think its a good start? i realize weight loss isn't going to change overnight. i just want to be able to dance again!!!

heres some pics (hope it works)

this is one of the last photos of when i used to dance ballet:

http://imageshack.com/a/img22/1343/37hv.jpg

this was me last september

http://imageshack.com/a/img853/8080/lmfe.jpg

this is most recent photo of me

http://imageshack.com/a/img62/3168/nsd9.jpg



i'm thinking loosing 100lbs is realistic for my height and frame....but physical ability matters more to me then size or number on scale. Also i'm looking for friends on this site


Thanks for taking the time to read my post!

Robyn

mockchoc

Happy to have you as a friend. I did a little ballet as a child but would have liked to taken it further. Some elses fault I couldnt get to more advanced lessons but we won't go there. I'm from Queesnsland Australia. I know the site fairly well so let me know if you need help.

vaishnavijayasankar

hey robyn!!!!!!!
first of all welcome hea:)
well its just a month and a week that i have been using MFP and its great so i know if u stick with it you'l loose weight
i would suggest you to start with workouts that dont hurt your joints and as the days pass by increase the intensity of workout
coz you also know weight gained wil not go in a day!!!!!!
eat a balanced diet login daily and workout properly with full dedication...
if you find yourself loosing your motivation, there are loads of people hea who will make you work towards your goal
all the very best for your journey

CharleeCali

Welcome, Robyn!

Wow, you have been through a lot in the past few years. It sounds like you have a good plan and the right attitude. You can do this!

ToogieTuesday

Hi Robyn,

Welcome! I'm a newbie here as well (fr. BC Canada). Sorry to hear of what you've had to endure, but I'm very proud of you and what you've accomplished. Having to deal with the passing of your mum must have been unbearable. It's completely understandable that you had to go into a "survival mode" all these years as a result of that. I commend you on your strength and endurance.

By the way I did read on another site that powwow burns approx. 500 cal per hr. So what you're doing is awesome! Hope you and your health continue on a good path.

Sending you much support.

PS Feel free to add me.

- Rosa

SusanUW83

Robyn, I recommend getting a HRM (Heart rate monitor) to help track your calorie burn during exercise -- especially non-traditional ones or circuits where it's hard to figure out the burn. Biking at high RPM (low tension) is a good alternate to weight bearing exercise such as dancing, walking, jogging. For eating focusing on portion control is great. I also tried to focus on substituting low glycemic index food for the higher starch food I enjoy too much (i.e. sweet potato for white potato, brown rice for white rice, etc.)

Good luck to you.