Introductions

AeiriMuse

Hiyaz!

As with any group or team, we cherish getting to know each and every member! So please do not hesitate to tell us a little about yourself. I know I'm a slightly shy person myself so sometimes having questions for guidelines help. Feel free to use any of the following in your intro!

What is your name?
How old are you? (If you're comfortable about that.)
Your starting weight/point?
Your current status?
What are your goals? (They don't even have to be restricted to being fitness goals. Let us in on your dreams!)
What's your jam? (If you have a favorite song or a lyric that empowers you on occasion.)
What's your favorite quote?
What is your method for physical activities?
What is your method for intake?
Do you have a favorite fitness guru or author that work for you or make the most sense to you?
Who are the people who support you the most?
Why did you choose to improve your health?

AeiriMuse

My name is Natalie Rae, but I go by Muse or Nona as well. I just turned 26 on Star Wars Day! (May the fourth be with you!) I'm 4'10 in height.

I first started on MFP back in 2010--but I didn't know enough about nutrition and how to exercise until I pushed myself to seriously pursue losing my weight in 2011, and I started at 191.2lbs.

I'm currently, as of today, 165.8lbs, though my lowest was 149lbs in December 2012--just before I was terminated from my job as a security guard. (It was a very unfair termination, without any warning, and it just so happens that the newly stationed boss hired his daughter's girlfriend in my place immediately after.)

I aim to be 120lbs by my next birthday (05.04.2015). Though I am aiming to lose weight, the drive is not to be skinny. In fact, I like my petite curves and I plan to keep the ones that count. No, my inspiration derives from my will to be healthy. I have found the love of my life and every day I realize more and more how he is the one and that I want to be a mother once we're married. Though, each and every day I hear something about my to be sister-in-laws and how -TERRIBLE- they are at being a responsible mother. I want to be that active mom that can keep up with the energy spurts of the little ones. Due to my boyfriend's career, I'm going to be a stay at home mom. (I can't wait to teach the little ones to chase after their dad like they are little tickle monsters! Muahahaha!) I don't want to depend on a digital device to distract them. No. I want to be the mom that teaches them board games, sports, eating healthy, cooking, tabletop gaming, and crafts! Most of all, I want to be healthy before I even have a child--so that they have a better chance at being healthy right from the get go, too.

Ever since I was a little girl, I have had a story in my mind. It has developed and grown ever since I was four years old and I've just started to draft the beginnings of it into documents. I want to inspire the world to be better. I don't believe that people train and develop their imagination as much as they used to with all of this technology we've come to depend on. As much as I'm totally a gadget geek, I still treasure the ability to imagine full worlds and stories. Without my imagination I don't think I'd ever be able to dish out ideas and solutions for solving problems as much and as well as I do--there's a lot of problems in our world. Skills are valuable, but the imagination to put those skills to inventing and establishing better methods and sequences for the world is the only way we're going to solve them.

I also plan to illustrate for my books. I don't have the largest of portfolios, but you can view mine at natalieraespittell.daportfolio.com (Please don't email or call/text unless you are honestly interested in a commission. Thank you.)

So far, lately, Defying Gravity from the musical Wicked and ****ing Perfect by Pink have been getting me on my feet and shadow boxing back my negative side. Though I love Eye of the Tiger, Timber, and Catch My Breath.

"Always do your best, or it wasn't worth doing it in the first place." ~My Daddy.
"Strong people don't put others down. They lift them up." ~I have no idea where this is from but I ran into it on facebook when a friend of mine posted it to my wall and told me that it reminded them of me.

My fitness plan currently stands as:

I do strength training with a Bowflex and free form calisthenics (all I use is a mat on the floor) in a two day cycle. Though, since I'm still in the recover mode of my knee healing, last week I only did the Day 1 on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday (or so it was originally planned that way.). This upcoming week goes as follows:

Day 1: Shoulder, Back, & Arm

Bowflex: Standing Bicep Curl, Single-Arm Pushdown, Bench Press, Rear Deltoid Row, Shoulder Extension, Seated Lat Row, Reverse Grip Pulldown, Wide Grip Pulldown, Wide Grip Pulldown II

Sets consist of a low to moderate weight with many reps.

Day 2: Calisthenics & Legs

Calisthenics: Jumping Jacks, Side Planks, Prone Plank, Crunches, Pushups, Reverse Crunches, Flutter Kicks, Lunges, Squats, Heel Raises

Bowflex: Standing Hip Extension, Standing Hip Extension II, Standing Hip Flexion, Standing Leg Kickback, Prone Leg Curl, Leg Extension

Monday, Wednesday, Friday: Day 1 routine
Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday: Day 2 routine

I'm doing this for two weeks, and then I will be done with my recovery and be doing Day 1 and Day 2 alternatively without rest days.

Because my neighborhood is not the type for me to go out by myself, I walk my dog, Frosty, when I take him to my to be in-law's neighborhood and listen to Zombies, RUN! while we walk and/or run/jog.

My diet consists of a three day calorie cycle: 1100, 1100, 1600 with 40% Carb, 35% Protein, and 25% Fat intake. I aim for lean proteins and vegetables whenever I can--though my boyfriend does make that slightly difficult with his dislike of green stuff. Most of my vegetable intake are peppers added to just about everything he cooks. lol I do suffer from a sweet tooth, but I'm working on ways to help myself overcome that.

Most of my clearest knowledge comes from Jim Karas' book, The Petite Advantage Diet, but I have also read and incorporated his activities and techniques from The 7-Day Energy Surge.

I have to say my biggest supporters are my boyfriend, Jake, my father and my sister, Lillie, my dog, Frosty, and my best friend, Oni. They aren't the only ones that support me--but they are the ones that show a daily effort to like my MFP posts on facebook, read my food notes, my blogs, and message me personally when they haven't seen an update about me completing my diary log or doing exercise for a while.

Though, my other friends have taken the steps to help me when I still lived nearby them. When we'd have a get together, they would ask me what I wanted that they had at their house, though just at the mention of "I really shouldn't have any of that..." they would change it to, "Then you can't have any of it. We have such and such stores nearby. Which one do you want to make a quick trip to so we can get you something that is good for ya?" I've told them time and time again how important and wonderful that has been for me and I miss having that around me all the time.

Some of the reason I chose to lose weight was that I was sick of being tired all of the time--both from it being too tiring to move around and my sleep disorders (sleep apnea, night terrors, nightmares, insomnia, paranoia). Another major factor was my boyfriend. He had lost quite a bit of weight before we started dating, but had been very much like myself going through school as a heavier set person. The first thing I tried was an app called Cardio Trainer, which was attached to another app that was supposed to help me log the food I was eating; however, Jake pointed out that it wasn't giving me a net amount of calories for the day--it was having me starve myself by not incorporating my exercise into the calculation. That was when I finally ran into MyFitnessPal and I've been a part of it ever since. Eventually, I ran into The Petite Advantage Diet by Jim Karas and it made me realize why doing what everyone else was doing was not working for me. I'm smaller and therefor need to eat less. His research and information was all double checked with my own searches to confirm whether he was truthful or not before I followed some of his process and I'm still 25lbs less than I was before!

Why did I join this group? Well, honestly, I made this group. I have been experiencing some hard times with depression and feeling that I'm not worth the effort I'm putting in. I consciously know the feelings are stupid, yet I'm inflicted with them anyway. Though, sometimes I hear the right song, or I read someone's story that they share, or a quote... and that bursting flare of motivation and determination comes rushing back like a phoenix rebirthing from its ashes. It's the inspiration for this group's mascot--The Phoenix. Hope, Motivation, and Determination are like that mythical creature because, yes, they do die down, but they are never completely gone.

Sometimes it just needs that spark to get it back again. I want this place to be that potential spark.

bookworm_847

Nice to meet you! I loved what you had to say and wish you the best of luck. I struggle with depression too, and even though I know tons of people have it, it's nice to know someone who's going through similar things.

Here's my intro:

My name is Jamie. I'm 33 and living in Washington state with my husband and my two crazy kitties. My starting weight in December 2012 was 183, I'm currently at 156 and aiming for the 140-145 range.

When I started on MFP, I wanted to get to 140 lbs and that was it. The longer I was here and lurking in the forums, the more I learned and discovered who I want to be. I have some MFP heroes, and I'd love to be able to lift like them and look as amazing as they do. I'd love to be able to run 5K & 10K races, and maybe the Boston Marathon (some far, far away day, haha). I want to make my way through some of the Beachbody programs since they've helped me so much so far. I'm about 2 weeks away from finishing Les Mills Combat. Then I want to do Insanity, P90X, Les Mills Pump, and Asylum. While making my way through Combat, I've noticed a huge difference in my depression, so another goal of mine is to be able to reduce my medication by managing my depression (at least in part) with exercise.

As far as non-fitness related goals, I love to write. I have so many ideas, but I'm having trouble getting them on paper. I'd love to be able to have some of my stories published one day. I also want to have a beautiful yard, but I'm a novice gardener.... that'll come in time (hopefully).

My jam is "Roar" by Katy Perry. That song gets me pumped to get up and do stuff. That song, along with Combat, makes me feel like I can do anything.

I have a few quotes I like.
“Strength does not come from winning. Your struggles develop your strengths. When you go through hardships and decide not to surrender, that is strength.” - Arnold Schwarzenegger

“Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain't all sunshine and rainbows. It's a very mean and nasty place and I don't care how tough you are it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain't about how hard ya hit. It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done!”― Sylvester Stallone, Rocky Balboa

“Courage isn't having the strength to go on - it is going on when you don't have strength.”― Napoleon

“There are only two tragedies in life: one is not getting what one wants, and the other is getting it.”― Oscar Wilde


I normally do dvd's at home for my workouts. I was doing C25K and Stronglifts 5x5, but a friend of mine suggested I focus on one thing for now and go from there. I tend to go overboard wanting to get all of my goals RIGHT NOW, and was lamenting my fatigue and lack of progress on my MFP wall... thus the advice from my buddy. It's working okay so far. I'll get back to the strength & running in between BB programs

I'm doing TDEE-15-20%. I had good success with it when I started Insanity last fall, and it's working okay again now.

I don't really have a fitness guru other than my MFP heroes, Shaun T. from Insanity, and Dan & Rach from Combat. I'm still trying to find my way, I guess.

My husband and my sister are my biggest supporters. They try to work with me around my calorie plans, cheer me on with my NSV's and when I crush my workouts, kick me in the rear when I don't want to do my workouts or want to just eat all the ice cream, and console me when I fall & help me get back up.

I chose, initially, to improve my health because I was starting to feel sluggish and unhappy with how I was looking. The more weight I lost and the more I got into the exercise I was doing, I got greedy for that feeling. Now I want to keep going with the workouts and see how high I can fly.

AeiriMuse

It's so nice to meet you, too! Welcome to Ashes to Ashes!

Have you considered participating in NaNoWriMo? (National Novel Writing Month) It takes place during November every year and it challenges you to get down 50,000 words in 30 days. I was having issues getting my stories down until I finally just jumped into it last year--even though I started five days late--and I won! (You win when you reach the word count in time. ) It's an amazing writing event and they even have applications you can get for free on app stores for helping keep track of your word count and how many words per day you need to do to stay on track, catch up, or get ahead.

I have a few quotes I like.
“Strength does not come from winning. Your struggles develop your strengths. When you go through hardships and decide not to surrender, that is strength.” - Arnold Schwarzenegger

“Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain't all sunshine and rainbows. It's a very mean and nasty place and I don't care how tough you are it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain't about how hard ya hit. It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done!”― Sylvester Stallone, Rocky Balboa

“Courage isn't having the strength to go on - it is going on when you don't have strength.”― Napoleon

“There are only two tragedies in life: one is not getting what one wants, and the other is getting it.”― Oscar Wilde

These are brilliant! I hope you wouldn't mind eventually including them within the quote thread at some point!

I haven't heard of some of the programs you mentioned, though my boyfriend has a digital copy of P90X. Let me know if you'd like to "borrow" it. Again, welcome!

bookworm_847

Thanks for the information! I'll have to develop some outlines and see where they take me in November.

And feel free to use the quotes:)

carsonoliviaowens

It's good to meet you both! I love meeting people and hearing about their successes, as well as their struggles that are similar to my own. Makes me feel a little better about my journey.

My name is Carson. I'm 23 years old and I live in South Carolina. I am a full time nanny for two wonderful children, I have been dating the love of my life for 2 years now, and I have 2 dogs that complete my life.

I joined MFP a few years ago and didn't really keep up with it. I just did it because the girls I worked with all wanted to do it together.

Fast forward to December, 2013, I'm 185 lbs, tired, unhappy with myself, and need something to help get myself back on track FAST. I joined a gym with my boyfriend and made a new MFP account, which I swore I would keep up with. Although I've continued to go to the gym at least 4-5 times per week since then (because I signed a year contract), I wasn't keeping a log of my calorie intake like I should. That's why I've joined this group. I need someone else to keep me accountable and make sure i really do it this time! I want to look better and feel better, and I want to do it with a community of friends by my side.

I do have a few goals in mind:
No. 1: Weigh in at 140lbs by the end of 2014. At this point, that's 37 lbs in 7-ish months.
No. 2: I want to be able to RUN a 5k. Not walk/run/barely make it to the finish line. RUN THE WHOLE THING!
No. 3: I just want to feel good. I've recently been diagnosed with a couple chronic illnesses that are not weight related, but I feel that if I shed the excess weight I've been carrying then I'll feel a whole lot better and have one less thing to worry about.

I love to be outside. My boyfriend and I go hiking and camping every chance we get. If it's not raining, we're outside. I also love to read. Anything sci-fi/fantasy is my favorite! (Although I could get sucked into a good love story any day) If either of you ever get published, I'll be the first in line for your book! My absolute passion that I could do every day is sewing. I love to make clothes, quilts, dolls, anything made of fabric. My grandmother taught me how to sew when I was 10 and I've been hooked ever since! I don't get a lot of time to sew anymore because it takes so long, but I could do it all day and night.

Right now, my favorite jams are "Fancy" and "Bounce" by Iggy Azalea, "Magic" by Coldplay, and "Sweet Nothing" by Calvin Harris. Sometimes I think people think I'm crazy driving down the road, but I really don't care because they make me feel good.

"I am determined to be cheerful and happy in whatever situation I may find myself. For I have learned that the greater part of our misery or unhappiness is determined not by our circumstance but by our disposition." - Martha Washington

"Fitness is not about being better than someone else... It's about being better than you used to be."

My work out routine is pretty simple. I try to get in at least 30-45 minutes of cardio every day. I change it up between walking, walking on incline, elliptical, stationary bike, jogging occasionally. I've come to really love doing the classes that my gym offers: cycling classes, tabata, circuit classes, muscle classes. On days that I can't make it to class, I'll use free weights and machines, and rotate arms, core, and legs, often working in two areas in one workout. I've been working towards going to the gym in the mornings instead of after work, but I struggle to wake up early enough. I just have to keep trying.

For my diet, I try to eat out as little as possible. It's a lot easier to control the calories I'm taking in when I'm the one cooking. I try to get a lean protein at every meal, along with some colorful fruits and/or veggies and a complex carb. I don't take any supplements, just my prescriptions from the doctor.

That's about everything for me. It's good to be part of the group!

AeiriMuse

Although I've continued to go to the gym at least 4-5 times per week since then (because I signed a year contract), I wasn't keeping a log of my calorie intake like I should. That's why I've joined this group. I need someone else to keep me accountable and make sure i really do it this time! I want to look better and feel better, and I want to do it with a community of friends by my side.

I'm happy that you joined us and that you added me as a friend. If you like, I can try and check up on ya every few days to make sure you're logging--speak up at you when you don't. Just let me know, and I will make it a habit.

I do have a few goals in mind:
No. 1: Weigh in at 140lbs by the end of 2014. At this point, that's 37 lbs in 7-ish months.
No. 2: I want to be able to RUN a 5k. Not walk/run/barely make it to the finish line. RUN THE WHOLE THING!
No. 3: I just want to feel good. I've recently been diagnosed with a couple chronic illnesses that are not weight related, but I feel that if I shed the excess weight I've been carrying then I'll feel a whole lot better and have one less thing to worry about.

That's awesome! I totally know you can do it, too! Back in 2012, a friend of mine, KravMark, started a group called 30lbs for Christmas. The goal was to lose 30lbs or more by Christmas as a gift to yourself. I lost 35lbs by Christmas, and I only had 12 weeks at the time. You'll have more than twice that if you keep on it starting now! I know you can do it!

I have a similarish side goal to your number 2. I bought Zombies, RUN! 5k for it. I got up to week 4 before I picked up a second job that starved me of sleep. It's a nicely balanced routine to help you build yourself up to 5k. I still plan to do it, just I'm not sure how in a place that doesn't have sidewalks... Though it might help you out.

I love to be outside. My boyfriend and I go hiking and camping every chance we get. If it's not raining, we're outside. I also love to read. Anything sci-fi/fantasy is my favorite! (Although I could get sucked into a good love story any day) If either of you ever get published, I'll be the first in line for your book!

Well, you just highlighted my genre. Hehe. I'm trying to make it semi sci-fi, though the majority of it will be fantasy. There's a lot of stories sorta tangled together. Each character has their own storyline that converge into the others at some point or another. So it's a lot of work. So far I have a rough draft for the childhood of one of them. The surprising part for me was that it wasn't even for my main character. Though, he is one of my favored characters.

Sometimes I think people think I'm crazy driving down the road, but I really don't care because they make me feel good.

Rock on! I do the same thing when I'm driving. Especially at red lights. Sometimes I sing at the other drivers--dancing pointing fingers and holding an invisible microphone and everything.

"I am determined to be cheerful and happy in whatever situation I may find myself. For I have learned that the greater part of our misery or unhappiness is determined not by our circumstance but by our disposition." - Martha Washington

"Fitness is not about being better than someone else... It's about being better than you used to be."

Totally stealing for the quote thread! Thank you so much for sharing!

I want to say thank you to both of you! It's really inspiring to meet you both and I feel we're all going to rock and kick butt these upcoming months!

PS. Look at me! I learned how to do multiple quotes! Now I just need to know how to do images! lol I'm guessing it will be some sort of code similar to HTML, though I'm not sure the rules for it.

Iron_Rose

My name is Tabitha. Yes, I was named after the little girl on the old TV show "Bewitched". I am 33, (Will be 34 this July). When I started to take weight loss seriously, I was 298.8 pounds. I had not been on a scale in years, and had thought I was safely coasting by at 240ish pounds. I always told myself "Yea I maybe overweight but at least I'm not 300 pounds or heavier. I'm in a good place." (Yea I was an ignorant little turd back in the day) Then I saw just how close to that dreaded 300 pounds I was, and it scared the hell out of me.

I'm a role-play loving gaming nerd, who spends waaay too much time on her butt in front of a computer. But it was in that state that I met some very inspirational people. (Couple of guild members from the game i was playing at the time) One of them was also on MFP, and suggested I use it. So I tried it out, did ok for a while, fell off track, then got back on.. then fell off... (you get the idea.) Until about October 2012, when they told me my blood pressure was bad, my cholesterol was bad, and I was at risk of having diabetes (among other things) if I didn't do something about it, now. So.. I did. (Took some time to adjust and get into the swing of things, but there's more info on that in my blog.)

Now, I am 70 pounds lighter and still going. I went bathing suit shopping and for the first time in my life I was -happy- about it. Ok sure I still bought a plus size modesty covering one piece. (I am still over weight after all) But I bought one that was -5- sizes smaller than my old one. The one I wore last summer that I had come to the realization (Quite excitedly that is) was far too big for me! That, was a great feeling.

My goal is to one day be at a healthy weight, to be physically strong, to show myself that I don't have to hide in food and fat. That I am strong enough to protect myself. (huge fear I struggle with every day) I'd love to become a professional Belly Dancer but I feel that I am to ofat/old to even bother. I too love to write, but I always seem to fall short on any of my writing goals, and have a very unforgiving self critic who hates everything I create. I want to be free of my depression, and of the chains I have subconsciously bound myself with. Those are just the dreams I can think of at the moment.

My music tends to change based on my mood. I go from stages of Metal to Pop, to classical to country. Currently what get's me going is "Lift me up" by Five Finger death punch. and "hunter" - by Sharm (only gunna find her on youtube)


I have loads of favorite quotes, though after reading through this thread I have added a few more to my collection. But here are some of my favorites:

"You don't get the body of your dreams by sitting on your butt."
"Sweat is fat crying."
"Do or do not, there is not try" - Yoda
"Revenge... is a particle destabilizer."
And anything that get's my friend Chris to become speechless.... followed by the sound of his hand smacking his forehead.(Which he did after I showed him that.)

I used to go to the local Curves, before it shut down. Used to love the ladies in there, and the zumba classes they had. I go to anothr gym now that I like, but it doesn't have the same warm welcoming feeling that the Curves had. It's a bit more.. impersonal.

As cliche as it sounds, I love Jillian Michaels. People say she's fake, or all about money, or a ***** or whatever. That's fine, that's their opinion, and they are entitled to it. I find her to be very motivating, and that works for me. I don't follow everything she says to the letter, I adjust and adapt things to suit my own needs, but I do take her words into consideration, largely because as I have researched and experimented with my self over the years, I have found her statements to be based in a lot of scientific fact. So I've no reason to doubt what she says, regardless of why she says it.

My biggest support comes from my Cousin, My Aunt (who is starting out on her weight loss journey once again even though she is in her 60s), My roommate, and my two best friends Chris and Tom. They all have loved me no matter my size, and accepted me for just who I was, but when I decided that I wanted to change, they didn't judge me, or ask why. They supported my choice, and remind me of how far I have come when I slip and fall.

I don't want to be tired, or afraid anymore. I was always the fat kid growing up, and I was never pushed or encouraged to be anything besides that. I don't know what my potential is, but I don't want to sit around waiting to find out anymore.

P.S. - I think images are done in the same way as most forums which would be [ img]URL HERE[ /img] You just have to remove the spaces in the IMG brackets. I put them in so the actual code would show. (I think it's called BBCode, but I am not totally for certain)

AeiriMuse

When I started to take weight loss seriously, I was 298.8 pounds.

This I can actually relate to, though it was back in high school. My family had been bouncing around trying to find stable ground after having been homeless for a year (when I was 10). Then, when I got into high school, I was at the 315lbs marker and someone introduced me to Dance Dance Revolution (DDR) and over the course of one summer break with that game dropped me ~150lbs. Of course, this was just in time for my mother to pass away with lung cancer and I stopped caring for the next six years.

I'm a role-play loving gaming nerd, who spends waaay too much time on her butt in front of a computer.

Which one is your affliction? Mine is World of Warcraft and Guild Wars 2.

Now, I am 70 pounds lighter and still going. I went bathing suit shopping and for the first time in my life I was -happy- about it.

Way to go, girl! *cheers and dances* You're brilliant and amazing!

My goal is to one day be at a healthy weight, to be physically strong, to show myself that I don't have to hide in food and fat. That I am strong enough to protect myself. (huge fear I struggle with every day) I'd love to become a professional Belly Dancer but I feel that I am to ofat/old to even bother. I too love to write, but I always seem to fall short on any of my writing goals, and have a very unforgiving self critic who hates everything I create. I want to be free of my depression, and of the chains I have subconsciously bound myself with. Those are just the dreams I can think of at the moment.

These are all wonderful goals! I've been to plenty of ren fairs to tell you that you can't be too old to become a professional belly dancer. The awesome part is that the healthier you become, the better you'll appear--it's been proven by so many people that staying fit and eating healthy into old age preserves appearance and strength in the older ages. There are some old people out there that everyone guesses are at least ten years or more younger than they really are. So, I say screw it. Go for your dream anyway! Some lucky guy or gal that shares your life won't mind it. lol

"Do or do not, there is not try" - Yoda

YES! lol "May the force be with you."

I used to go to the local Curves, before it shut down. Used to love the ladies in there, and the zumba classes they had. I go to anothr gym now that I like, but it doesn't have the same warm welcoming feeling that the Curves had. It's a bit more.. impersonal.

I still see the commercials for these every once in a while and I was curious--but it was mainly during the months where I had nothing to spare. If I see it I might try and go in to talk to someone.

As cliche as it sounds, I love Jillian Michaels. People say she's fake, or all about money, or a ***** or whatever. That's fine, that's their opinion, and they are entitled to it. I find her to be very motivating, and that works for me. I don't follow everything she says to the letter, I adjust and adapt things to suit my own needs, but I do take her words into consideration, largely because as I have researched and experimented with my self over the years, I have found her statements to be based in a lot of scientific fact. So I've no reason to doubt what she says, regardless of why she says it.

Hey, everyone has their idols. There's nothing to worry about here in Ashes to Ashes. We do not judge; we share encouragement with one another.

I don't want to be tired, or afraid anymore. I was always the fat kid growing up, and I was never pushed or encouraged to be anything besides that. I don't know what my potential is, but I don't want to sit around waiting to find out anymore.

Your potential is what you make it. So long as you believe you can do something and you continuously pursue it, you can get there.

Thank you so much for joining us! It was incredibly wonderful to meet you, Tabitha! Keep being fantastic!

Iron_Rose

I play World of Warcraft and Star wars the old republic. I used to play EQ2 before the community... died.

ghr4912

HI everyone! My name is Gwyn. I'm 29 years old. I just started MFP today. I'm looking forward to meeting some positive people who I can vent to and who will also offer a pat on the back when I'm having a good day. I am married to the love of my life and we have a beautiful 7 month old baby boy who we both consider our miracle. It took us 4 long years to get out precious little one. I work as a 911 telecommunicator and my husband is a firefighter. I work crazy night time hours so over the years I have really packed on the pounds. It's hard to get up and move around when the phone lines are ringing non stop for 12 hours.

My goals are to make myself more healthy not only for myself but also for my family. I want to be able to go out and enjoy time with my family and not be left out due to my size. I haven't really mentioned this to anyone but my husband, his sisters, and nephews are always going hiking and trail walking. His sisters plan the day trips and they always seem to plan them on days I have to work. I don't think they do it to hurt my feelings. I think they just figure I don't want to go. The truth is I want to go. I want to be able to go on these trips with my son and husband.

My best friend ( also on MFP) and I just joined a fit camp in our area and tonight was our first night. We both really enjoyed it. We did a mile run/walk and I really pushed myself. My mile time was the best I have had in years!!! I'm really looking forward to seeing the improvments during this camp.

I'm looking forward to reading about you all and working together to reach our goals. Best wishes to you all and thank you for letting me be apart of this group!

AeiriMuse

Welcome Gwyn! It's an absolute pleasure to meet you! I also have to jump out there and say congrats on being a mommy!

My boyfriend is a PO for graveyard so I can totally relate. I can't seem to land a job out here, so I've been working on my book at home and keeping up the house--but I've matched my sleeping schedule to his to help support him. (He's a bit of a work-a-holic and grabs up OT every chance he gets. In return, I help him keep the house clean.

I used to work at a computer lab while I was a college student. There was a lot of time sitting down involved. But for a while I used an app called "Wherever Workout" by S4 Fitness. I have a DROID4, so I've only seen the Google Play store. I'm not sure if it's on Apple's or not. Though you should check it out. It has a bunch of office workouts that you can do while in your chair or a confined office space. It helped me be at least a LITTLE active while at work and doing homework. lol Though I had to overcome being shy since the computer lab was part of a college... Lots of eyes. > > lol

Fitness camp sounds awesome! I wish you the best in it! It sounds like you're being guided by some trained professionals, which is always good.

bookworm_847

I play World of Warcraft and Star wars the old republic. I used to play EQ2 before the community... died.

Fun! I play World of Warcraft, too. Hubby and I also play Rift, Aion, and recently tried Elder Scrolls Online (big Skyrim & Oblivion fans).

AeiriMuse

It's funny, I used to play WoW a lot, but now it's not really something I strive for now that I've rekindled my fitness and have really indulged myself in these forums.

I'm hoping with the name change we might get some more people joining! Can't wait to meet more people!

AeiriMuse

Hello to those who just joined! Please feel free to introduce yourself here and/or reply to some of our other topics!

Keepcalmanddontblink

What is your name? Crystal
How old are you? 39
Your starting weight/point? 233.8lb
Your current status? 195.6lb
What are your goals? I want to be active without having to push myself. I also just want to look and feel better.
What's your jam? Nothings Gonna Stop Us by Starship. (Whitest jam ever, I know. lol)
What's your favorite quote? Losing weight is hard. Maintaining Weight is hard. Being Fat is hard. Choose your hard.
What is your method for physical activities? Mostly walking and some Wii Fit. Would like to get into weight lifting as well.
What is your method for intake? Low calorie so nothing is off limits.
Do you have a favorite fitness guru or author that work for you or make the most sense to you? Not really. Too many opinions out there and a lot of people seem to be for sale, so not sure who you can really trust. Just use common sense and do what works for you. I take that back. I do like Dee Hakala. I read her book "Thin is Just a Four Letter Word" She basically promotes the idea that as long as you are fit, thin isn't important and not a reflection of your fitness level.
Who are the people who support you the most? Pretty much my husband is my biggest cheerleader and supporter. Everyone on my friends list is amazing and active and that helps me stay active in turn.
Why did you choose to improve your health? Because I will be 40 next year. I couldn't breath without the use of an inhaler. I couldn't walk from one end of the room to the other without being winded and tired. The women on my moms side of the family are dropping like flies from weight related issues and my mom is healthy and doing well, so she's on to something. I don't want to die of heart disease.

AeiriMuse

It's so wonderful to get to know you, Crystal! I think it is exceptional that you've got down so many pounds! Way to go! Keep it up!

I really like that quote! Choose your hard! ^ ^

And again, kudos to you and your mother for starting a new trend in the family tradition!

shokuru

Hi everyone, my name is Jimmie. I am in my late 20s. My starting weight was 238 when I started MFP. Ever since I have joined, I have been trying to lose weight to where I am no longer hurting my body. My current weight is around 224. I am still attempting to lose more weight. The days have been hard on me for many things happening (positive and negative) that it was a bit difficult to watch what I eat. Now that I have my membership to workout, I have been swimming quite a bit lately.

My goals are: 1) to lose weight where my body does not hurt when I walk, stretch, run or anything that requires activity. 2) To feel good about myself when it comes to my weight. 3) To eat healthier, especially when I have gout (=( ). 4) Be able to breathe better. 5) Obtain my bachelor's degree (4 classes away). 6) Get accepted into a Counseling in Mental Health Master's Program.

At this time there are many songs that help me lift myself in spirit and positivism is Wings (Have no clue if it is originally by this group) by Cimorelli. There are many people in my life that are supporters to help me lose weight. Some of the major supporters are my parents, Nona, and my significant other. I have been blessed to have as much support from friends and family. My favorite quote that my significant other found for me to stay positive is "When life's tough, remember you are tougher." (Have no clue who said this). This quote has been lifting me up for a while now.

As mentioned earlier, my physical activities that I love to do in losing weight is swimming mainly. Although I like to go on the treadmill and do weights, I love swimming the most. It helps my body soothe in the movements. It also gets me to stretch my stomach in a good way that I can strengthen it. I completely stopped eating chips and drinking any type of soda since it was affecting my weight and acne. Other than that, I have been trying to lay off starches little by little. Although I will always have some sort of starch, I limit my portion. I do not have a famous fitness guru. I think of my friends, family, and significant other that support me all the way as my gurus.

Now the big question. I want to improve my health, because I am really tired of hurting my body from carrying all this weight. I honestly am known to be obese for my height, so it clicked in my mind that I want to lose it. I have been getting sick from the intake, even though it is organic and healthy, due to my weight and little exercise. I have been trying to exercise a majority of the time now that I have a membership at my rec center. During school, I do find it difficult sometimes to work out because I have so much to do in my field. Other than that, I am coming back to track what I eat and lose that weight again.

AeiriMuse

Hiyaz Jimmie! I'm so happy to hear that you're getting back on track and that you've lost 14 lbs since you started! That's incredible and you should be proud of yourself! Also, kudos for working hard towards your degree! You're so close! I'm really proud of you!

Welcome to Motivators and Motivation! I know your schedule is usually pretty busy, but when you feel low on the drive to keep moving and to keep on things, give us a visit here on the group forum! Feel free to even jump into the challenges we post! They are fun and I find them inspiring to get myself up and going every day and each week!

bookworm_847

What's your jam? Nothings Gonna Stop Us by Starship. (Whitest jam ever, I know. lol)

Nothing wrong with Starship. :flowerforyou:

Nice to meet you both, Crystal and Jimmie!

Iron_Rose

Lovely to see all these new faces! Welcome aboard! (I love your picture btw jimmie, I am a huge Sailor Moon fan!) Have a look around and maybe sign up for a challenge or two!!

Iron_Rose

For people who haven't met me yet.. I suppose I should put this up!

What is your name? Tab
How old are you? (If you're comfortable about that.) 34 (Or I will be in July)
Your starting weight/point? 298 pounds
Your current status? 219.8 pounds
What are your goals? (They don't even have to be restricted to being fitness goals. Let us in on your dreams!) I want to find something i am good at, that I enjoy doing, so I can make a career out of it.
What's your jam? (If you have a favorite song or a lyric that empowers you on occasion.) This one's hard as it changes from month to month... Right now it's "We came to Smash!"
What's your favorite quote? "Sweat is fat crying" and "At least I'm not being shot at."
What is your method for physical activities? I dance, lift weights, walk
What is your method for intake? The fork goes in the mouth? Not sure about this one..
Do you have a favorite fitness guru or author that work for you or make the most sense to you? Not presently.
Who are the people who support you the most? Muse, one of my biggest supporters, my friends, some of my family.
Why did you choose to improve your health? I want to stop wondering what it's like to be able to do things, I don't want to be held back by "I'm too fat" any more.

shokuru

Lovely to see all these new faces! Welcome aboard! (I love your picture btw jimmie, I am a huge Sailor Moon fan!) Have a look around and maybe sign up for a challenge or two!!

Thanks. I know it's not really the place to reply, but I couldn't resist. I am also a huge Sailor Moon fan. I am still looking for the DVDs for it.

AeiriMuse

Lovely to see all these new faces! Welcome aboard! (I love your picture btw jimmie, I am a huge Sailor Moon fan!) Have a look around and maybe sign up for a challenge or two!!

Thanks. I know it's not really the place to reply, but I couldn't resist. I am also a huge Sailor Moon fan. I am still looking for the DVDs for it.

It's perfectly fine to reply here! lol