Welcome

armywife924

Hi, and Welcome!!
I would like to start by introducing myself, and why I started this page. My name is Victoria, I am the mother of two, and I have over 100 pounds to lose. I have 166 to be precise. I started this page, because I noticed that while there are great groups, and there are wonderful message boards here there is not anything geared for those that have so much to lose. I believe that we can band together and help one another in our goal to reach our ideal weight. Please feel free to post your story, I will be posting my soon. But as it is almost midnight my time, I need to sign off and finish this tomorrow. Thank you for your time.

eviebee03

Hi! Im evie. Ive got 32.9 kgs to lose, I started at 107.8kg which is 237.2pounds. Im now at 92.9kgs which is 204.3 pounds... so im getting there! So my 32.9 kgs is 72.38pounds. So I may have less than 100 pounds to lose now, but not when I started. So im hoping thats ok I joined this group. Id love all the support possible, and to support everyone as much as possible! Ummm... so um yeah... this is me any questions or anything ask away im here for u all! And hi victoria thanks for making this group.

armywife924

Hi!! I hope your having a great day so far, and of course you can join. I would never turn anyone away. I just wanted there to be a place for people who feel that they have a lot to lose and are getting discouraged or feel like they could use the support to keep going. I have lost and gained and lost and gained. I have been on so many die plans and have joined at least three gyms, and they all fail for some reason or another. But I want to give people the opportunity to say things out loud (ex. why they stopped working out, why they got to their weight, but also positives like why they have decided to change. How are they doing it? etc.). So welcome, I hope that you are able to find the support you need.

I think that it is awesome that you have lost some weight. How did you do it? Was it working out, do you go to a gym?
Thanks for posting.

ArmyofMom

Hello everyone. I am 47 and have 100 pounds to lose as well. Maybe even 110 pounds. I am glad that this group was started.

3athlt

Hello everyone, I just stumbled on to this website this evening - it looks like a great tool! I've struggled with my weight my whole life, but this time I REALLY let myself go. At my heaviest point, I was 305 lbs and I'm down to 281.5 this week. My end goal is to weigh 147, so I want to lose 134 pounds. This isn't my first rodeo at starting a lifestyle change, but I just have SO much weight to lose this time. At my most active point, I was running marathons and participating in triathlons (I was never a speed demon, but that never stopped me!) and my lowest weight was 150 pounds. I'm an alcoholic (sober since Thanksgiving 2005), and I was also a chain-smoker (I think I quit for good in 2003 or 2004). My plan is to religiously use this online food diary, that's always been a problem for me. Even when I was running marathons and doing triathlons, I ALWAYS over ate - I figured if I burned 2,500 calories in a day I earned the right to eat like a pig! Hopefully the food diary will make me accountable to myself. The next part of my plan is to walk EVERY day, ride my bicycle a few times a week, and commit to strength training 6 days a week. I have never like strength training much, but I know that the combination of strength training and cardio will expedite my weight loss while dropping body fat (so I HAVE to strength train!). Hopefully when my body is ready to start running, I'll have built a good cardio base and the strength training will make me more flexible - and because I'll (hopefully) be stronger I'll be faster, too. I've never been a fast swimmer/cyclist/runner, but hopefully I'll be able to beat my old triathlon buddies in 2-3 years.

If anyone has questions about endurance training, running or cycling (I'm not a very efficient swimmer) I'll be glad to offer my 2 cents worth - I LOVE to help people!

Good luck, everyone!

eviebee03

Hmmm.... what has helped me. Ummm I guess the fact that I track all my food. And looking at this not a diet but my life style. And on days I struggle I dont give up for the day? I stop eating whatever n say its ok, I will go grab a carrot for the rest of my lunch. Exercise wise I been walking or trying to do some strength stuff. And I try to do it every day or 2nd day. Ive found I actually get sad if I dont do something. My biggest help at the mo is youtube for fitness videos. Im trying to work on jillian michaels yoga meltdown. Thats a good one! I think my weightloss has been slow... hut steadyish which has also helped because it takes me so long to get to a goal, once im there is really makes me think about skipping food or eating those chips. But because its a lifestyle not a diet I do allow myself to have treats. Im trying to make them more health conscious thou such as dark chocolate or cacao chocolate not milk or white. Oh? And im on a tight budget so no gym for me. So yeah... dunno if that helps? I still have a long long way to go. But its getting easier.

eviebee03

Oh, and I have just quit smoking! Almost three months. Still on patches but yeah getting there hi to everyone and welcome and well done for taking this next step by joining this group. Ur all stars!

KomadToBe

Hi! My name is Anita. I'm from Croatia, a little country in Europe (north from Italy). My current weight is 122 kg or 270 pounds, so I have about 140 pounds to lose. This is a first time that I've joined any group or write something here. I want to feel good, strong, without pain in my knees and lower back, to be able to do things that I've done when I had 147 pounds. Yeah, that wasn't my ideal weight, I was chubby then (I was always a little chubby), but I felt good, I felt healthy. My problem is that after some time of watching on my meals, exercise regularly... I give up. I get in some very bad mood in which I don't have any more will, patience, motivation, nothing that I've done isn't important any more and then I just quit. Maybe I'm too lazy, don't know. So, I'm hoping that now I've joined this group I could get support (which I don't have, not any) in that moody times and give it to others in my good and inspired times. Thanks on your time for reading this!

KomadToBe

Strikesbeme: Thanks! Good luck to you too!

armywife924

Welcome to our new members! WOW!! Can I just start by saying how proud I am of you guys. Thank you for taking to time to tell us a little bit about yourself, and how you are trying to change your life style. Strikesbeme and eviebee03 congrats on quitting smoking, that is so awesome. That is hard to do, and the fact that you are trying to quit just shows how motivated you are to becoming healthier. Strikesbeme, I have never been able to run in marathons, I always hated running, being so chunky most of my life. I did swim, one of my goals this time is that I want to do marathons, I want to be able to cross that finish line. Like that would be the ultimate price, because then no matter how much I was, whether my goal weight of 140 or a little heavier I knew I would be able to do something I never could before. I also hate the idea of strength training, because I am so afraid of gaining muscle, which I have plenty of already, just some of it is more flabby. So my question for you if you do not mind, is what are you doing with strength training, are you sticking to anything special? Thank you so much for introducing yourself and welcome, and good luck to you. Eviebee03, Thank you so much for sharing what has helped you so far. It can be good to allow yourself treats, it always you to get rid of that craving, so you can go back to being healthy. Growing up in the south I can not seem to kick the sweet tea habit, so I allow myself one-2 glasses with a meal a day. So far this past week I have been able to keep with that. I also have to look at this as a lifestyle instead of a diet. It becomes more bearable to me if I look at it as a life style. Thank you so much, and good luck! KomadToBe, Hi, and welcome, my name is Victoria. I think that it is cool you are from Croatia, Thank you for introducing yourself, and I pray that we are able to be the motivation to help you. I have found it easy to give up before too, I think all of us has at one point (if not more then one point) wanted to give up. You know we are all here for you, and will do anything and everything we can to help keep you on track. The lower back pain I totally understand, it hurts everyday, wakes me up through the night. I would love to have no pain, and through my life style change I hope to accomplish that. Feel free to message me if you ever need to as well. I believe we have a fighting chance through accountability. Good luck,

armywife924

Welcome ArmyofMom, and thank you for introducing yourself. I hope that you are able to get the help here that you need. If you have any questions, concerns, or advice for us, please feel free to share. I hope you have a great Saturday.

3athlt

Armywife - thanks for your response! About my strength training, I guess I'm not going the recommended route - I've designed a program that should work for me. What's recommended is to do a full-body workout 3X a week for 3 months. Here's my strength training plan - hopefully I'll follow it religiously for 1 full month and then I can modify it (it's good to mix it up - not only do you get bored with the same old thing, changing things up is good for your body):

With all my exercises I'm only using light to moderate to moderate-light weight. I'm SO out of shape I'll stop doing this if I kill myself everyday and I'm sore all the time. My main goal while I'm strength training is to: A) Use proper form Get it done - FAST! Again, I'm not a fan of strength training, but I'm going to do it 6 days/week in order to change my body composition. I do 3 sets of every exercise. It's important to me that I get every workout done in under 1 hour because I just don't enjoy strength training - I want it to be over as quickly as possible! Also, I try to do everything I can on a stability ball. This should improve my balance and core strength.

Sunday - rest (I'll still do some walking or cycling, though)

Monday (Back, Biceps) - Warmup (walk 10 mins on treadmill), Ab Crunches, Dumbbell Rows, Incline Dumbbell Rows, Incline Back Shrug, Alternating Bicep Curls (on stability ball), Concentration Curls, Incline Bicep Curls, Ab Crunches

Tuesday (the dreaded Leg Day) - Warmup (walk 10 mins on treadmill), Ab Crunches on stability ball (3 sets of a reasonable number, proper form is more important than the number of reps), Body Weight Squats (proper form is a MUST! due to my weak knees I'm not squatting down very far for now) 3 sets of whatever I can do comfortably, Body Weight Lunges (again, I'm not squatting down very far for now) 3 sets of whatever I can do comfortably, Leg Extensions (I have a old Soloflex machine), Leg Curls, Calf Raises with dumbbells (using light weight), Ab Crunches on stability ball. It's important to me that I work on core strength, thus the 2 cycles of Ab Crunches. After I get stronger abs, I'll introduce more exercises with the stability ball. Hopefully when I get a stronger core, I'll alleviate some back pain (it's hell being old AND overweight!).

Before doing any squats or lunges, make sure you look at a few videos of proper form! You do NOT want to injure yourself!

Wednesday (Chest, Shoulders, Triceps) - Warmup (walk 10 mins on treadmill), Ab Crunches, Dumbbell Bench Press (I can't find a piece to my Soloflex, that prevents me from using the bar. Hopefully I'll find it soon, or else I'll have to buy a replacement for about $35.00), Incline Dumbbell Bench Press, Front Shoulder Raises (on stability ball) 3 sets, Side Shoulder Raises (on stability ball), Shoulder Dumbbell Press (on stability ball), Tricep Press (on stability ball), Tricep Kickback , Ab Crunches.


Thursday (repeat Monday), Friday (repeat Tuesday), Saturday (Repeat Wednesday).

**********
You mentioned that you're afraid of gaining muscle (like a lot of women). I don't know how I can say this, but just don't be afraid. Combining some strength training with cardio should help expedite your journey! I highly recommend doing SOME strength training. You don't have to run out and buy a home gym or anything (although I believe everyone should own a stability ball), doing body weight exercises are just fine. Basic exercises like ab crunches, squats, lunges, are a great way to start. If you don't have weights, you can always use large cans of canned food for some resistance. I highly recommend that everyone do 3 days of strength training a week. You don't have to get all fancy like me, just stick to the basics! :-) People that become "muscle-bound" only become muscle-bound because they want to. Anyone that has 100 or more pounds to lose will definitely benefit from some strength training. Please give it a try, but take it VERY easy! The last thing you want to do is to over-do it, get sore and stop strength training.

You mentioned your interest in a marathon, that's AWESOME! I've completed multiple marathons (MANY, MANY pounds ago!), but I'm telling you ANYONE can do it! Here's some "rules for the road" for running your first marathon:

1) Since we're big people, chafing WILL happen! The best way to fight chafing is prevention. Cornstarch is your friend. Use it like powder anywhere your skin will rub together. Should you get some chafing, I find it best to rest and treat the problem rather than aggravate it by continued exercise. The key is that you don't want to get discouraged. Chafing can and will happen. Prevention is a LOT better than treatment! Besides cornstarch, you can buy a product called Body Glide. It's available at most big sporting goods stores. If you find Body Glide is too pricy, you can always substitute by applying deodorant in the places where you chafe.

2) Buy an inexpensive heart monitor - NOW! There's lots of discussions about HR monitors on this site. Personally, I wouldn't make a huge investment - just buy a dependable product that won't cost a fortune. Buy new, not used - you'll want that factory warranty in case you have a problem. I like the Polar brand, but that's just my preference. A HR monitor will help you to more accurately count the calories that you burn. Just like I need to accurately track the number of calories I take in, I need to accurately track the calories I burn.

2A) Now that you have a HR monitor, do a little reading on HR zones. There are many theories about HR zone training. For me, I train exclusively in zone 1 (50% - 60%) and zone 2 (60% - 70%). People training for an endurance (i.e. marathon) event need to do no less than 75% of their training in zone 2. If you find yourself getting into zone 3, you're working too hard - slow it down! Every now and then you hear stories of people having heart attacks at marathons. That's because a lot of folks basically "train for a heart attack". These people train in zones 3-5 a lot, and that puts WAY too much stress on your heart! Stay in zones 1 and 2 and you'll have a HEALTHY marathon journey!

3) Set some reasonable mini-goals for yourself. Walk at a brisk pace for 30 minutes, then 45, then 60. After you can walk for 60 minutes, add in a little jogging. If all you can do is jog for 15 seconds, that's fine! After you jog 15 seconds, go back to walking. As time goes on, try to increase the frequency of your jogging and the duration. Remember, think BABY STEPS! We didn't get to our current weight overnight, we won't lose it overnight!

3A) After you can jog for 30 minutes, set your sights on a 5K (3.1 miles). For me, nothing motivates me more than signing up for a race - usually race fees are non-refundable. Since I hate to waste money, signing up for a race is a sure-fire way to make me meet my goal!

3B) After the 5K, train for a 10K (6.2 miles). Then, train for a half marathon (13.1 miles) then finally your marathon (26.2 miles).

4) Train smart - don't overdue it! THIS IS IMPORTANT! NEVER, EVER increase your weekly mileage by more than 10 percent! Increasing your mileage too fast is an EASY way to injure yourself! Train smart!

5) Stretch before and after you walk/jog/run. Stretching before you run helps prevent muscle tears. Stretching after you run will help aid recovery.

6) Eat a banana a day. Personally, I can't stand bananas and I refuse to eat them. That's too bad for me because your body needs the potassium that bananas have. Potassium is your way to fight muscle cramps. If you don't like bananas, don't waste your money on potassium supplements. They're overpriced and there's not enough potassium content to make it worth the money. Instead, eat sweet potatoes or kiwi fruit. They don't have the potassium levels of a banana, but at least it's something!

7) Hill training. As you begin your walk to jog to run program, you'll want to encorporate some hills. Starting out, I would only suggest one day of hills a week (they're VERY hard on your body). Stick to flat roads if you can. As you improve your fitness level, add another day of hills until you're ready for whatever race course you'll be on. Most marathons have online elevation charts, become familiar with the course.

7A) Hills, surprise! Believe it or not, it's harder on your body to run down a hill than up! I didn't believe this until I ran my first marathon. After about mile 15, I cursed every time that I had a downhill section. When training, most people focus on going uphill. I'm telling you that you need to focus on the dowhills, too. They're tougher on your body than you think!

8) Protein. After you finish a run, make sure you get some high-quality protein into your body ASAP. This aids recovery and the muscle breakdown that happens.

9) Shoes. I should have put this higher in my list, but oh well... I highly recommend going to a running shoe store and let them find a shoe type for you and your gait (the way you walk - specifically the way your foot moves when it hits and leaves the ground). Running shoe stores prices are always high, but you're paying for their expertise - it's worth it! But after you know what type of shoe to buy (i.e. stability, motion control, cushioning, etc.) you can always buy the same type of shoe online for a discount. Check out http://www.runnersworld.com/shoe-finder/shoe-advisor . In case you can't go to a running shoe store, this guide will help you select the proper shoe type. There's lots of places to buy shoes online, I like roadrunner, zappos, and runningwarehouse.

10) Join a running group. Training with someone is ALWAYS better than training alone. Some of my best memories of my "thin" days are of my training group (of course I can't train with them now - I'm too out of shape, I'm too slow, and I'm too embarrassed about how bad I let myself go).

11) Ask questions. Believe me - I'm NO expert on running, cycling or swimming and I don't pretend to be an expert!!! But I have first hand knowledge of training and participating in marathons and triathlons. I've only mentioned some of the important things here, but writing all of this made me realize how bad I miss those days of serious training. If I can help ANYONE with something, please let me know! Again, I'm no expert - but I've always been a "big guy" and I can give you the "big person's" point of view on things. Why do you think I listed chafing first when I started talking about marathon training? LOL!

Sorry that was so long! Now it's time for me to do my Saturday strength training. Thankfully I'm having good weather today. After I've finished my strength training, I need to do some yardwork. Hopefully I'll have enough energy after the yardwork to take a short bike ride in the early evening.

Stick with it, everyone! :-)

After reading that, I failed to mention one VERY important thing about training for a marathon. Try NOT TO RUN ON CONCRETE - EVER! Concrete is a VERY hard surface and it's really bad for your joints (especially if you're heavy). I know it sucks getting off the sidewalk and onto the street, but it's MUCH better for your body. Run on grass when you can, and even try to run barefoot when you have the opportunity. Just do whatever it takes to get off that concrete - your joints will thank you!

armywife924

Thank you Strikesbeme for allowing all of us in on what you are doing. I agree that it is good for you to mix it up, it helps to work different muscles in the body in order to burn more fat, and to not gain muscle. The muscle that is hard for me to grasp gaining is bulk, I want lean muscle. Yes, most women do not like the idea of gaining muscle. I hope that you were able to get your yard work, and workout done today. Keep it up and good luck.

KomadToBe

Thank you armywife924 for your kind words!

eviebee03

Strikes that was so interesting! So strength is good? Im a girl too... and slightly worried about being bulky I guess which is stupid when im this big but still... however am slowly starting to try work it in. I've been doing cru ches most days, and those leg lifts. What else should I start doing? I cant do any ligmfting just yet still got a shoulder problem to be sorted and dont wanna have one pop eye like arm and one flabby. If im just doing strength training do I need protein too? Or just if im running? I need to learn to run because I want too. But again cant seem to handle with the pain my shoulder is giving me at the mo. Seeing surgeon again on the 21st, please all keep ur fingers crossed for a fixable prob! 2yrs of this shiz aint fun!

3athlt

Eviebee, sounds like you're off to a good start! Yes, strength training is definitely important to changing our bodies. Again, I hate strength training but I know that if I want to really change my life and my body that I need to devote as much as I can to strength training just as much as I'm devoted to cardio and to my diet. And FYI, I seriously laughed out loud at the Popeye arm comment! :laugh:

Again, I'm definitely no expert - but I would like to caution you about crunches and leg lifts. I could be wrong, but I assume you're not using a stability ball (but hopefully you are using one). I'm a big believer in the stability ball. If anything, the stability ball gives your back much needed support while you're doing crunches. If you're doing crunches without a stability ball, I would like to suggest you roll up a bath towel and place it under the small of your back. Believe it or not, just rolling up a towel will give your lower back a little support. Believe me, you do NOT want to injure your back while working out! I would also suggest the towel for your leg lifts (again, extra lower back support).

Protein is also important when you're exercising. I know that protein supplements are big, but for me (I guess I'm too cheap) I like to get my post-workout protein from egg whites, peanut butter (in moderation) and tuna (in moderation) . Years ago when I was athletic, I would always get some protein into my body immediately after a long workout. It's supposed to help your body repair the muscle breakdown that happens, especially during long workouts.

Running is a GREAT thing, but when you're as big as me (we all have 100 or more pounds to lose) I can't stress taking it EASY enough times. I covered a lot in my "rules of the road" (or whatever I called it), but I think the biggest thing is to ease into a running program. I highly recommend that you start walking first, and once you can walk for an hour straight start adding in some jogging during your walk. Even if you can only jog for 10 seconds without getting out of breath, that's 10 seconds of moving faster! But when you get to the point where you're getting out of breath or you can't talk to someone - you're working too hard and it's time to slow down to a nice walk pace until you get your heartrate down to a reasonable level. It's SO important not to push yourself too hard. The biggest thing is not to over-do it!!! So many people try running before they're ready and they end up getting discouraged and quit. Just try to work up to running at a reasonable rate, your body will thank you for it.

As far as your shoulder goes, that SUCKS! My ex-wife had shoulder problems (1 surgery) and I know it can affect a lot of things in your life. It makes everything more challenging, from taking a shower (scrubbing your back) to carrying in groceries, to walking stairs, and to walking and running. Follow your doctor's orders completely and don't do anything that could further injure it. I'll say a prayer for you and your shoulder, good luck!

eviebee03

Hey Strikes
nope. havent been using a stability ball. i will start using a towel! thats a good idea, and hopfully will help in the short term. can i ask why a stability ball is so important?
lol glad i made you laugh! laughing is good im not so sure about a supplement but i have been thinking about it. whats holding me back, is the idea of relying on artifical protein? but i have heard supplements can be a huge help.... not sure yet what im going to do. i am quite restricted $ wise, so have to budget everything.

omg ur so right. shoulders do suck. mines been terrible the last few days. im back in my restricting sling as of today and dont think im going to be able to go for a walk. just been in so much pain. stupid painkillers arnt even working. urgh. sorry.... mini ***** over. im just sick of it.

as for the running, im def going to take it slow when i start. i think with my shoulder being a pain again im just gunna have to wait til i see the surgeon again after this lot of tests and see what he says.

thanks heaps for ur help
evie

3athlt

Eviebee, I try to use the stability ball on every exercise possible. For ab crunches, if anything - it offers back support. Do a Google Image search for "ab crunch on stability ball" and you'll see how your back is supported while you do your crunches. It's SO much better for your back then doing them on the floor! I was going to describe the benefits of stability ball training, but I cheated and Google searched it and found this: http://www.shapefit.com/stability-ball-training.html . No, I don't work for a company that makes stability balls - it's just a piece of equipment that I find essential to my exercise program. If you get one, the size of your ball is VERY important - make sure you get the proper sized ball. I just looked at walmart.com and found them from $9 to $19. I think that's a great price for such a valuable piece of equipment. I find that when I use the stability ball for my strength training, the act of maintaining balance insures that I'll have proper (or at least good) form with whatever exercise I'm doing. Also, there's a gazillion exercises you can do with a stability ball. Sometimes a ball comes with a DVD and it's nice add the workout DVD to your collection.

As far as the protein goes, if I had the money I would probably buy a supplement. But since I'm also on a very limited budget, I stick to egg whites, tuna, peanut butter, cheese and yogurt. If you can drink milk - skim milk has 9g of protein/cup.

Hang in there until your doctor appointment.

Meanwhile, I'll be "killing it" tomorrow! I'm 99.9% I'll get my calorie burn for the day, and I'll knock out my strength training first thing in the morning.

eviebee03

Ooo good advice strikes thanks heaps for all the advice. Im gunna look up that link after writing this and look.online for a stability ball and see their prices.

Hope your "killing it" and keeping safe at the same time! Go your training!

armywife924

Strikes: I had thought about a stability ball, because when I try to do crunches I hurt so bad, on my back. So thank you for explaining that you can use the ball with the crunches. Thank you for all your great advice, you have been a huge help for everyone. I feel like you have been more help then we have for you. But, I hope we are able to encourage you and help you stay on track. I never thought about the rolled up towel so thank you. Good luck and keep smiling

ArmyofMom

Welcome and good luck! I know the diary really helps to keep you accountable. and the phone app makes it super easy.

armywife924

Yes, I love the phone app, I just wish there was more that I could do on my phone app that I seem to only get on the computer. Hope everyone is having a good evening.

3athlt

I just wanted to welcome the newer members of our group. It seems like a lot of us have been obese most of our lives and we know from experience what it's like to need to lose 100+ pounds. Some of us are chatterboxes (like me, lol!) and some of us I guess just read the posts. It doesn't really matter what your style or comfort level is - welcome aboard! Feel free to ask questions, share experiences - whatever you feel like doing, it's all good. We're a very supportive group and we're all in this thing together. If you're struggling and need to vent, go right ahead. You've come to the right place for support. If you've had a great week and want to celebrate, WHOOP it up! It's GREAT to hear success stories!

They say that a 1,000 mile journey begins with the first step. We've all taken the first step, now we just need to keep moving forward so we can all improve our lives and meet our goals.

Once again, welcome newcomers! :happy: