Introductions

sunnydays33

Hey friends! So, I thought this challenge would be a great way for me to get to know all my new MFP peeps. I had no idea (seriously) what my post in the success stories would do to my inbox! I literally went from zero friends to over 100 in less than a week...it's humbling: all the kind words everyone took the time to share with me. Even though I have a ways to go: 35 lbs...I can't help but feel extra motivated by everyone who reached out to me, I want to be a great example for you and believe me, I still need the motivation and encourangement to power thru this.

So, here we go: I'm Heidi aka SunnyDays (I have no idea why I picked that username, haha!) I'm turning 34 tomorrow...on the 1st YAY! I've always been super athletic, playing sports since I was a kid, skiing since I could walk, swimming like a fish, you get the idea. I LOVE playing group sports, it's a great way for my husband and I to hang out: we play co-ed softball, kickball, (which is a BLAST btw) Ultimate frisbee...however these are all things for the summer time. In the winter, I just have to stay active...in years past I have joined group classes at my gym, swam and I love to lift weights.

However, I am short on time (aren't we all) and don't have 2-3 hours/day to hit the gym...so I have been doing DVD's at home. Which are awesome!! I am finishing up a 30 Day Shred Challenge for Dec and am really excited to start another one...I'm thinking the 'Banish Fat, Boost Metabolism' will be my Jan vid. I also swear by walking! It's one of my favorite parts of the day...when I'm home I take my two doggie daughters-who I am obsessed with (Yoshi, my 5 year old Lab mix and Harley, my 2 year old German Sheppard mix). We are all better girls after our walk! ;o)

I have a crazy work schedule, I work for a company based on the East Coast (I'm West Coast) and am on the road 2 weeks/month. It makes it difficult to make the right food choices out of a cooler and hotel fridge and REALLY hard to excercise at the end of the day. However, that was an excuse of the past! Over this last year, I have lost about 86 pounds and over 140 inches. Yes, nutrition is 80% of the battle, however there is no replacement for how excercise makes you feel and it really can change your body composition too!

So, here's my challenge: pick an excercise...ANY excercise and just DO IT! Do it everyday, even when you don't feel like it and wanna take a day off, just DO IT anyway!! Let's face it, one day off usually leads to 2 days off, and so on, ya know. You will be so amazed at your progress in as little as 30 days. Whether you are going to be a walker-note your time and distance and see how that changes over the next month. Or if you are a Jillian fan, start one of her DVD's-she will kick your booty, I promise! If you have another favorite excercise, please post that too. I'll create a weekly challenge just to keep upping the anty, let's take 2012 by the b@11s!! ;o)


Alrighty, so don't feel like you have to write a novel, I clearly have an overly wordy character, ;o) but please do introduce yourself and maybe what you'd like to challenge yourself to accomplish this month.

Cheers~

sd

ginareejoy

Love this! Thanks! This will definitely kickstart the new year!

mebuthalf

My name is Amber. I have been using MFP on my iPhone for 3 months, just logged onto the site this week and found the community. I'm 30 and I want to lose over 100 lbs and run a marathon. I have a busy work schedule and 3 kids, but I'm determined to lose weight and at least 10 lbs by my birthday (Feb 4) loving the support I'm finding on here and excited for January challenges.

CRSE1214

My name is Christina (everyone calls me Chrissy). I'm a 36 year old mother of two young boys, my oldest will be 4 in April my youngest will be 2 end of January. Married to my high school sweetheart 10 years TODAY. I've spent my 20's and most of my 30's overweight...'I'M READY TO CHANGE THAT."

I found MFP quite a while ago signed up but never really did use it, decided to join Planet Fitness in October of this year knowing that I could only commit to 2 days a week because of family scheduling but I'm proud to say I've kept those 2 days (except the week of Thanksgiving and Christmas) and now have incorporated my home treadmill on the days I can't get to the gym and as of this morning have started the C25K program and hope to be able to jog/run for longer periods of time.

Good luck everyone on your goals & Happy New Year!!!

liberella

Hi Heidi and the rest of the challenge team! I'm Libby and have been playing around with this MFP site for quite awhile now without full commitment. Well, that's a-gonna change right now!

I live in the Midwest (blech), manage a marketing office in higher ed, have a baby and am in grad school ... I'm busy, busy - but isn't that what life is? It's never going to get easier and I've got to learn how to make myself healthy and happy because I want to live a long active life and feel good every day.

So - this month no only am I committing to moving me ar$$ at LEAST 30 min/day (even if that means 2 separate walks, or a walk and time on my old exercycle at home, or a real trip to the gym) I'm not going to have any alcohol and am avoiding all refined/processed foods and all high-fat/cholesterol foods. I'm doing a 90-day detox.

I had a complicated child birth last year and have been suffering lingering effects to that and, I'm sure, from the weight loss that came along with that blessed event.

I'm happy to be a part of this group!

Thanks, Heidi!

... and Happy New Birthday Year!

nationalparklover

Thanks for starting this Heidi and congratulations on your weight loss so far. No doubt you will reach your goal weight!

My name is Patti and I'm from southern Ohio. I've been on here religiously since mid-October and have lost 12 pounds so far. I am a really busy mom to 4 boys and just went back to work in August after being a stay at home mom for the past 13 years. We've had a ridiculously stressful 5 years and the weight just kept creeping up. I want to lose a minimum of 50 pounds and am so thrilled to have these first 12 off. I do not lose quickly but adding in the exercise will certainly help.

Glad to be part of this group and 30 minutes a day should be doable. I will plan to do SOMETHING each day for at least 30 minutes.

Thanks for inviting me to be a part of this group!

Renee2GetFit

HI all! My name is Renee, I'm 32. I've been married for almost 13 years and have two wonderful children ages 11 & 12. I work full time and constantly busy with either work or home life. It's really hard to find time to work out but I've learned that I just have to make the time. I've been on this website for a few months but never committed myself as I have now. I've been extremely committed for the past week (logging all my food and exercising daily). I know it's only a week, but it's a start. My 12 year old daughter has been doing all of this with me which has really helped. The support and encouragement that MFP brings is unreal. I absolutely love it.

Good luck to all and remember, work out at least 30 minutes a day and we shall succeed!!

DG_Allen

Hey Everyone,
I'm Dave and I'm lucky to live with my wife in Southern California (it was 80 degrees here today). I'm pretty close to my goal weight and now that all the holiday partying is over I'm going to get there in the next few weeks. I'm looking to get stronger as well. Also, we have a trip to Hawaii coming up so I want to look my best on the beach! Once I'm at my goal, I want to make a smooth transition to a maintenance plan and stay pretty close to it.

I'm going to be doing one of the following each day:

Walking very briskly with my wife
Doing a 2.75 mile run (might be a little faster than 30 minutes)
Golfing

I've never done anything like this so I'm really curious to see the results!

Good luck everyone and feel free to add me as a friend.

Stavakoli

Hey! I'm glad we're doing this, it's great. My name is Shahde, I'm a law student in my last semester of school. I am on Christmas break right now and actually have found it a lot easier to control my diet/exercise over the holidays because I haven't been so on the go. When I go back to school I'm so busy its hard to control my diet. Also, I don't have any friends that have the same fitness goals as me and it's been hard to go at it alone. I joined a kickboxing club last semester and lost around 20 pounds before joining MFP but I feel like I could have done even better if I reduced my daily calories. Since I've joined I've been so motivated by everyone else on here, it has actually made this exciting. I'm definitely ready for a change and I think this is the year!

mwright24skinny

I am Melissa and I am 31 years old. I have 2 kids 11 and 13 years old. I attend college online. I run a homeday care full time. My goal is to be under 200 by the Summer and at my goal by the end of the year. I want to lose around 80 more pounds. I started off at 285 and I am down to 244 this morning .I have had a few up and down days but fully on track.

poes933

Hi Everyone. My name is Porcia and I am 28 years old. I live here in Dallas, Tx with my boyfriend and dog, Pudge. Im pretty new to the community and weight loss in general. In 2011 I lost both my grandmother and 2 months later my grandfather which is when I started really packing on the pounds. I am currently up to my heavirest at 230! Yikes! I am starting my journey with the hope of trimming down to about 160lb. Glad to find this site. The stories and posts I have been reading so far are very encouring and makes me think that this can be done.Looking forward to this challenge!

cansmith80

Hi everyone! My name is Candice, and I am totally excited about this challenge. My goal is to lose 20 lbs. I have been on MFP for a while but I just became very active within the community. I looooove food, especially sugary food. I have two beautiful girls, one of whom is a type one diabetic. I really want to teach both my girls how to have a healthy relationship with food and how to maintain a healthy, active lifestyle. I am looking forward to this challenge! Thanks for the invite.

BlessedMoon

Hello to all of you! :0) My name is Cortney, 29 years old. This is my first challenge, even though I've been on MFP for quite some time now. Unfortunately I've lost and gained and lost and gained, but ultimately I've stayed the same. My biggest issue is portion control, particularly in the evening. I'm looking to break the cycle and change my bad habits for good. I will be turning 30 this year in September and would love to look fabulous for my birthday. Apart from that, I want to be a motivator for my sister to lose weight and pick up good eating and exercise habits as well. We are the same height and weight with a similar body shape, and the same weight loss goal. I'm hoping she'll see the positive changes I'm making and decide to make some of her own.

kmj712004

My name is Kim, I am married, mother of two, nursing student and I work as a Benefits Manager for an insurance company. I had lost about 60 pounds in the past but when I decided to go back to college, the stress of juggling everything and the fact that I'm an emotional eater, all the weight came back. So here I am determined to lose it again plus some! I'm up for the challenge, right now I'm hitting the gym almost daily but I know when the semester starts up again, I may have to rely more on videos due to lack of time. Good luck everyone!

KirstFaye

Hello, my name is Kirsten, a working single mum of one awesome young man. I live in Las Vegas, but I'm originally form the UK, and I am a yoyo dieter. But, my string broke a few years ago and the pounds have been increasing. I had my weight loss epiphany on a family trip in 2011 when on a hiking/zip line tour in the jungle. I had a panic attack thinking they would not have a harness to fit me, they did I had to wear two. At the end of the several hour long, non stop, hiking, climbing, swinging, flying morning, my 10 year old son was congratulated because his overweight mother kept up with the group, and completed the trek. I was then further motivated by two guys in my office in September to a weight loss challenge, which is when I logged onto MFP and kicked their butts.
MFP has been extremely helpful, I may not post a lot, but what other MFP's write is fantastic and should make everyone realize they are not alone.

I'm 25lbs down (maybe a few up from holidays?) and I'd be happy with another 60lbs. I commit to Move My *kitten* for the month of January with all of you. Good luck everyone!

doctor_mike

Ok, I'm in....name is Mike and I am an adjunct professor at a Big 12 university....new to MFP, but have been a fitness nerd for my whole life....was morbidly obese as a child, weighing in at 104 lb in kindergarten....that experience has shaped my "social mirror" and I have dealt with that most of my life...have finally settled into a happy place with myself and for the last several years, my focus has been on being happy with my "healthiness"....

My stats....6-0...175....12% bf....goal...to maintain weight...drop to 8-10% bf....

My current workout plan
Mon -- Giant sets targeting chest, 1-2 sets of tabata exercises for HIT cardio burn
Tues-- Boxing fitness training, 60 min
Wed -- Giant sets targeting back, 1-2 sets of tabata exercises for HIT cardio burn
Thurs -- Boxing fitness training, 60 min
Fri -- Giant sets targeting shoulders,, 1-2 sets of tabata exercises for HIT cardio burn
Sat -- Active rest
Sun -- True rest

I am currently eating for maintenance and not for weight gain; macro breakdown is 180g+ protein, less than 150g carbs; and the rest in good fats...

So, I've borne my fitness soul to this challenge...it should help keep me honest....

balibee146

Hi everyone

Great to read all your stories. I'm Ali, I'm 42 and live in Scotland. I'm a working mum to two young boys (4 and 2) and live with my OH of nearly 14 years (wow didn't realise it was that long ha ha).

I was fit and active in my younger days - a serious ballet dancer in my youth but a little too tall to even attempt to 'make it' as a dancer. I put on weight over a few years, especially with the two close pregnancies and an initially stressful promotion at work, plus a loooong commute there to get tortured!

I had a health crisis in April this year that really made me take stock. i joined MFP, cleaned up my diet and got back into the exercise i used to love. I've not got much more to lose but have been stalled at the same weight for a while - i think maybe I just needed to maintain for a while and survive the start of the winter!

Exercise wise I love DVDs - Step (showing my age lol), Tae Bo, the Davina McCall ones, Jillian Michaels, dynamic yoga, Turbofire - oh and I love kettlebells too. Yes - i like to vary my routine or in other words I'm fickle! I walk a lot too - live on a steep hill and also have a lovely university campus to walk round at work.

On 26th Dec I started Insanity - it is awesome. Bloomin' hard and I think I am a bit rubbish at some of the moves but looking forward to getting better at it!

Outside fitness stuff I love spending time with my kids and reading. I have spent a LOT of time pretending to be The Gruffalo these past couple of weeks and being jumped on!

Can't think of much else to write now, so I won't.....

mcrumpsf

Hello all! I'm currently at my biggest weight which is 172 but I'm bound and determined to lose the weight I packed on last year. I am definitely an emotional eater. I eat when I'm bored, I eat when I'm happy and I eat when I'm sad. But I'm replacing my emotional eating with venting through running and writing. I want to personally thank SunnyDays to reaching out to me and all of us to get us to join a group and encourage one another.

- Monique

gerbies

Hi to everyone! Thanks for sharing your stories!

I'm a 36 year-old woman who has definitely struggled with her weight all of her life. I found myself come to a "low point" this past fall when I felt very out of control with food and hit my highest "non-pregnant" weight of 276.8. Though I've struggled with weight off and on, I have had the toughest time over the past 3 years, since my husband and I lost our daughter. I'm sure having back-to-back pregnancies and getting older doesn't help, but I know I've used food to help grieve this loss.

As shared, something shifted in me this past Fall, and I made a change. I began working out daily and watching what I'm eating. I'm doing my best to eat mindfully and stop eating when I feel satisfied. No matter my size (size 10 up to a size 20), I've always exercised. I've been over 200 lbs since I was 23, but throughout that time, I have taken kickboxing classes, bootcamp classes, etc. I guess you could say I have been on the fitter side of fat .

My ultimate goal is to lose 125 lbs, with the desire to break into "onederland" by June 30. I'm well on my way, after losing 26 lbs so far, so I'm focused and determined to continue on this successful journey.

I'm excited to join this group for the support, motivation and shared goals.

k8bugz

Hey there! I'm Katie, I'm 33 and in my last semester of a phd program. I've been on mfp for almost a year and have lost 30#, but am about 50# below my highest weight ever. I've been on a massive plateau since September so I'm hoping to kick it in to a new gear for the new year. I love running but have been battling injuries for the last 8 weeks, but I was able to do my first "run" since this all went down yesterday! It was 1.25 slow, glorious miles that felt like total crap and pure joy at the same time. I'm hoping to continue to make progress in time for a busy spring racing season (I've already got 4 races planned!). I plan on doing at least 30 minutes of cardio every day, be it running, elliptical, or swimming. I used to go to spin classes quite frequently but I probably won't incorporate those back in until I'm 100% recovered.

Can't wait to get to know yall better!

alangholz

Hello Everyone! My name is Amy and I'm excited to be part of the group. I've struggled with weight most of my life but really packed on the weight during my marriage. Recently divorced I"m reclaiming life and my health!! I am the mother of two fabulous boys and am fortunate enough to have a career I am passionate about teaching children with special needs.

Can't explain why my mindset is so different this time about loosing weight, but there is definitely a difference! There is no doubt in my my mind that I'll make my goal! I look forward to cheering each other on during the process!

sassyshell

Hello folks. My name is Shelli aka Sassyshell. I am 42 year old mother of two amazing teenagers(14 girl and 13 boy). I have been married to an amazing man for 16 years. I have an extremely busy life working full time as a Social worker in a Senior retirement community(nursing home,assisted living..). My husband founded a church a year ago that is an hour from where we currently live so we travel a lot and are very busy with the church. My kids play sports year round through school, and AAU so that's non-stop.
I was diagnosesd with Diabetes about a year and half ago and have been determined to beat it with diet and exercise. My numbers are within normal limits now and I will be off all medication on my next appointment.
Weight has been an up and down issue my entire life but the diabetes diagnosis was the WAKE UP for me.
I never really joined groups or added friends on MFP but this last week of meeting new people has been very inspiring.

trudemeanor

Hello Everyone! My name is Davina (trudemeanor), I live in Cleveland, Ohio. I am a Licensed Professional Counselor currently working as a School Based Therapist. I initially joined MFP in April 2011, but never really committed to using the website. However in December of 2011 I was encouraged by a friend to start using the site again. My initial weight loss goal is to lose 30lbs to get to 160 and then to go from there. I can honestly say that by just actively participating in the MFP community for the past few weeks has been very inspiring. I can’t wait to continue on this journey to better & healthy lifestyle.

JonathanMFP

Will likely post more at a future time, but just wanted to post a short "hello" to everyone. Looking forward to reaching my fitness goals in 2012!

And seeing you all reach yours, too...

JennyAnnLanders

Hi, my name is obviously Jenny. I'm a 54 yr old Mom of 4 grown daughters, married to the same man for almost 38 yrs....and I have gained a whole new me since! I've been asked where the old Jenny is a few times, I just tell them, she's still here, I just ate her!
My ending goal is to be about 130# by our 38th anniversary in September of 2012. I have gained an average of 3.76 pounds per year over the 37.5 years we've been married. With having 4 awesome daughters, we haved 13 tremendous grandchildren! I want to have fun enjoying them and not just be a worn out ole grandma! And I want to enjoy having fun with my husband. I've lost 44.6 pounds since the end of June 2011 with another 60 pounds to go.
I plan to continue walking, doing x-box kinect adventures, just dance 3, and other xbox dance things...and also the JM 6 week 6 pack. I rotate what I do so I don't get bored with them, or if my hubby wants to do certain xbox or just wants to work out with the machines we have here at home, that's what I do so we can spend time together! (we have an eliptical, air walker (like a gazelle), health rider and a treadmill.)
I haven't looked completely through this group yet but I think I'm supposed to log what I've been doing, so I will eventually find it and get it logged! i do plan on 30 + minutes a day of exercise!!
Thanks for the invite!

nonafit

Hi

I am Punita..I wished I had just used that name instead of Nonafit which suddenly sound immature and cheap. Anyway I am with MFP since mid October 2011. The 1st month logging my intake and exercises I lost 5 kilos. Then followed by 2 months of plateau. That was a nightmare as I was working hard but had been slacking on food.

Anyway I got into the game again when I logged another 2 kilos lost last week. So I made some serious desicions...well serious enough for me.

First I made my food diary viewable to be more accountable of my choices just yesterday. Don't judge me though...just advise me. :huh: If you get what I mean....:ohwell:
Second I finally set specific targets for weight loss goals. Ultimate to reach my ideal weight by New Year of 2013. That was something I dreaded to do as I am so worried that I will fail. I need friends whom will motivated me when I am down and kick my *kitten* when I am slacking and gives me thumbs up when I am doing good. I shall return the same favour.

Anyway...blast to past. I had been always slim and sexy :flowerforyou: all my life until I was 28. I had my baby and couple of kilos. Problems with my then husband ...more kilos. Divorce and custody :brokenheart: .....even more and more kilos. Felt like **** and fat. :sad: ...ironically I added even more kilos.

Life was good for me though in many other ways ....so I just decided one day :explode: ......need to stop feeling like crap because I am not one. The only thing in my life that is making me feel like one is the WEIGHT. So addressing it.

I must have lost a few calories typing all the above.

Angela_2_Oh

Hi I'm Angela. I'm a thirty-six year old mom of a five year old daughter, a wife and full time office worker. I was a tall skinny kid who bloomed late. I began gaining weight in college and kept slowly gaining for years. Having always been skinny as a child I never really learned proper eating habits. In May of this year I vowed to change and began running with C25K. I've branched out into other avenues now and am slowly but steadily losing. I am 16 lbs into goal #1, a 20 lb loss. From there who knows?

I look forward to the challenge with you all!