I Beg You......PROVE ME WRONG!!!!

Givemewings

In this case I am asking you to prove me wrong, I have some pretty harsh statements and I need real live facts to help me squash these theories. I want the fat voices in my head to "shut the front door":

2. Anyone who has lost a significant amount of weight (I'm going to say 50lbs or more) cannot be single and have kids.

3. Anyone who has lost a significant amount of weight spends a majority of thier day exercising.

Number 2 is more about having the time, and allowing yourself "me" time. Between getting everybody to the right places at the right times, and ensuring everyone has clean clothes, something to eat, homework done, and is bathed. I find little time, and when I find something that I do enjoy doing it's usually at an inconvenient time, OR even better I'm looked horribly at because I'm making my children spend an extra hour or so at daycare (even though they are being paid an extra fee, that I don't really have in the first place, for it), or my other babysitter sighs that she has to watch them *again* and give them snacks or supper.

Number 3, so am I hearing the majority of the masses correct that in the scale of exercise/diet, diet is much more important?
If this is the case then I can understand why people would set their calories lower and then not exercise if they hate exercise. But for those of us who enjoy eating then we must make up for it with exercise, and learn to like it.

If there are any of you out there that can provide a few more suggestions on #2 I'm absolutely open to them. The hinders are time, and money, and self reflection (meaning how can I get over the negativity for taking 'me' time)

3. I don't think diet is more important than exercise. They are both equally important. I am making much healthier choices now than I ever did before and I feel great. And the improvement in my fitness is making me feel great too. I love my food though, so if I want to eat more food then I try to make sure that I do enough exercise to earn me the calories to do that. But I try not to make bad choices.

2. This is a good choice for your family. For me, joining MFP, eating healthily and exercising more has been one of the best decisions I ever made. And not just for me, for the whole family. We are all getting fitter. We are all eating better. And the boys are reaping the benefits of me being fitter and having more energy to do things. Do this. It will be the best choice you ever made. You need to think of yourself and your health; it's not selfish, and your children will benefit from it and be proud of you.



Lecture over!

Cait_Sidhe

I'm one of the many who have never been at their goal weight, as far as I know.

Also, I'm super short. 1200 is what MFP gave me. I quit smoking and got hungry, so I upped it to 1330 or 1/2 lb/week 2 months ago. I've been on a 2 month plateau since then. I gain and lose the same 4-5 lb. Last week I decided to change it back to 1 lb/week or 1200 calories. I'm not happy about this. I'm hungry. It's certainly not a choice I would've made if eating more allowed me to lose weight.

And FYI, I'm 4' 10 1/2".

Jessamin

1. Never been at my goal weight.
2. I have lost over fifty pounds and I am in fact single and have no children.
3. I spend about an hour exercising 4 - 5 days a week.
4. My calories are set to 1640 - like MFP tells me to, but I do aim for 1200 - 1300 rather than my delegated amount.
5. I dunno.
6. I dunno.

nettie1969

In this case I am asking you to prove me wrong, I have some pretty harsh statements and I need real live facts to help me squash these theories. I want the fat voices in my head to "shut the front door":

2. Anyone who has lost a significant amount of weight (I'm going to say 50lbs or more) cannot be single and have kids.

3. Anyone who has lost a significant amount of weight spends a majority of thier day exercising.

Number 2 is more about having the time, and allowing yourself "me" time. Between getting everybody to the right places at the right times, and ensuring everyone has clean clothes, something to eat, homework done, and is bathed. I find little time, and when I find something that I do enjoy doing it's usually at an inconvenient time, OR even better I'm looked horribly at because I'm making my children spend an extra hour or so at daycare (even though they are being paid an extra fee, that I don't really have in the first place, for it), or my other babysitter sighs that she has to watch them *again* and give them snacks or supper.

Number 3, so am I hearing the majority of the masses correct that in the scale of exercise/diet, diet is much more important?
If this is the case then I can understand why people would set their calories lower and then not exercise if they hate exercise. But for those of us who enjoy eating then we must make up for it with exercise, and learn to like it.

If there are any of you out there that can provide a few more suggestions on #2 I'm absolutely open to them. The hinders are time, and money, and self reflection (meaning how can I get over the negativity for taking 'me' time)

Before I try to help with this let me go back to your original post.

1. Never been my goal weight. Am always really under or really over it.
2. As a single mum to a 4 year old I lost over 50kg (I think that is about 110lbs) - was also studying for a degree and working part time all to pay of a mortgage (note this was 15 years ago and I have over the past 3 or 4 years put 20 kg back on - again from a medical condition)
3. I hate exercise more than housework!! (read my tips below)
4. No idea what my calories are set for ... I really only use MFP for motivation and actually recording what I eat and do. My diet is very protein orientated at the moment and very low carb - I only count those (and yes, i am under a doctors supervision for those of you that are gasping and saying how wrong this is)
5. When I lost all my weight it was over a 4-6 month period ... I lost it so quick mainly due to two things 1. a lot of it was 'new' fat (ie i put that much weight on over about 2 years while i had a back problem) and 2. I didn't stop moving
6. Despite being so big all my other health results were spot on so technically I was relatively healthy.

Now onto the rest ...

How to find the time and not feel guilty .....

I incorporated my daughter into my "exercise" time. While she was watching "the wiggles" i would watch AND DANCE (for emphasis) with her. My theory is that moving muscles uses energy.. so anytime i was moving (instead of sitting still) I was using energy. Coupling that with better eating choices my weight just fell off. For example, when watching tv I would do arm bends with cans of baked beans; while ironing - do lunges; while doing dishes - walk on the spot. It is really easy to add that extra movement into your day - and you would be surprised at how quickly it all adds up, while kid in bath and watching her did squats... the list goes on. You do not need to have a dedicated hour or 1/2 hour each day to 'burn calories' - anything will do. Obviously, you do need proper sessions if you want to 'get fitter' ie build your stamina, etc but for now just focus on movement.

Don't look at it as me time ... look at it as kid time. Time to do something that is going to be an example for them, make you more healthy for them, give you so much more energy to do things with them. Okay - it is just a mind trick - i will admit that. But it was how I got myself motivated at first. Later on came the "me for me" time and that I did deserve it (but that also took a professional psychologist to help me understand).

Another thing I did to incorporate 'me' time with my daughter was to get her involved in the things i liked, for example as a kid she didn't care what book I read to her at night so long as I read her something (as I love reading and find it really relaxing I loved this - we even read my textbooks at night together and she felt so grow up and important - like she was helping mummy). Do you enjoy craft? get them involved. As for your exercise - go and get a dvd from the library (if you don't have one) and get the kids to do it with you - if they are old enough - or just let them run wild (under your observant gaze) while you do it ... they will love it! So many ideas - my fingers just won't keep up.

Hang in there ... hang out in the forums ... add me and others as friends .... message us with any questions or for more information if you see something you like ..... you will be so surprised (and proud) of yourself when you finally nail whatever is holding you back.

angelaclassact

1. This is true for me. 89% of people who have posted pictures on here have been at thier goal weight at one point in time in their adult life, or highschool aged (don't know what to call that) life. So it's kind of like its a do-over. They've been there once, they know they can do it, and they did it again. Big whoop.

2. I don't agree with this! I have a friend who's lost almost 100# and she's married with 2 kids. I also know single people wiht kids and without kids that have lost 50+ pounds. Anyone who has lost a significant amount of weight (I'm going to say 50lbs or more) cannot be single and have kids.

3. In most cases, not true. Anyone who has lost a significant amount of weight spends a majority of thier day exercising.

4. I didn't set mine, they are naturally that. My body burns 1300 calories just living. 75% of women on MFP have their calories set at 1200 intentionally, even if MFP calculated them at 1600-1700 etc.

5. I think it depends on a lot of factors. If someone starts with food, and then adds in exercise their rate of weight loss will be slower. If they start larger and go with food and exercise, their rate of weight loss is going to be faster. The average amount of time to lose weight and keep it off is longer than what is on here. I.e. losing 30lbs in 3 months is one of two things, someone who is very large to start with, or someone who exercises no less than 5 -6 days a week.

6. How so? Define healthy? What is relatively healthy? If you are relatively healthy, but just carry a significant amount (say 30-50lbs) of extra weight, it's harder for you to see results than someone who is not relatively healthy (meaning hdl, ldl, cholesterol, bp all in line)

DrFancyNancy

Don't convinCe yourself with wrong words like those!

luv2ash

I've lost 107 pounds and NO I do not live at the gym. I do love to exercise, mainly walking or 30-45 mins of cardio a day. No bigest loser workouts for me. In fact,I lost my first 40 in 8 weeks with not a lick of exercise. By that time, I felt so friggin healthy and great, that I actually wanted to exercise. So that is when I began to throw in some light exercise. Usually just a DVD.