Reached the breaking point and decided to get busy!

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Hey there. I'm new to the group but wanted to take a moment to say hi! To start, I was not always overweight. My weight gain started in 6th grade and continued until recently. After high school I gained 10 pounds a year like clock work, without fail. I am talking 20 years of weight gain! I have very little to no memory of being at my ideal weight except from home movies of us as children.
This past summer was the summer of my breaking point. I was not only broken emotionally by being so overweight, but every chair I sat in seemed to break under my weight too! How much clearer could the signs have been? It's ok to laugh because I can laugh about it now too.
What began as a first attempt at food journaling worked out fairly well. I lost 15 pounds in the first month (August) then I got lax in my journaling and the weight just stayed there. Last month, (Jan 18th), I saw my doctor and she scared the heck out of me! Nothing in this world means more to me than my son; therefore, I have to become healthy! There are no other options! It's now or never or I'll die!
So, I started a high protein liquid diet and began walking with my doctor's supervision and have lost 23 pounds since then. The walks began last month at a rate of every other day... I'd walk to the mailbox a couple of times or until my hip or knee started hurting too much then I'd go in. I've slowly increased the length of the walks and am now up to 2 miles each (non-rainy) day and feel like I can walk a half mile or so more. Don't think I am not disappointed when it is gloomy and raining like it was today. I honestly wanted to go to town and get a raincoat or a poncho or something! The desire is there and the energy is returning! How amazing! It's been 7 years since I was this weight and the difference is certainly noticeable!
Upon a friend's urging, I joined this group and hope to use it to chronicle my weight loss through exercise and diet... along with medical interventions. We'll see what happens.
It'll be my pleasure to meet you.
Thanks for listening,
J

Replies

  • teh_geek
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    Hello and welcome! :)

    I am quite new myself, have not been active until now in the forum, because of life, but I am going according to my plan towards my goal ;) I will be posting my progress some day. I think this is the key to losing weight - "The desire is there and the energy is returning! How amazing!". Once I reached that point, I don't see how I can go back to stuffing myself and laying on the coach. You had too and put that sensation and urge to do something into words that I quoted, so you don't even need me wishing you good luck :)
  • Inglebert
    Inglebert Posts: 39 Member
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    Amazing progress in such a short time!
    You've cheered me up with your post.
    Get that raincoat! Or walk in the rain and have a shower when you get back?
  • CajunMomof1
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    Thank you so much for the welcome!
    Now, if I could only go to bed like a normal human being to get adequate sleep, I'd have it made. I know sleep is related to the weigh gaining chemicals in our bodies so my next goal is to finish getting moved into the house by Friday and start going to bed before 11pm. *LOL* I certainly appreciate your kind comments and support. Whether I need the luck or not, it was nice to hear from you! Thanks Teh_geek!
  • CajunMomof1
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    Ingelbert, thank you for your support. You made my morning! While it had been raining the other day and was down in the low 40's, I just couldn't see getting myself sick by walking and freezing. However, if it were about 20 degrees warmer, I'd have done it and had a hot shower afterward!
    Honestly, dieting is not new but getting help online through support and resources is! If you've been overweight long enough, you've probably received advice, some wanted and some unsolicited. For me, the advice fell on deaf ears. It wasn't until I had one chair left at the dinner table that I decided enough was enough! HAHAHA.. how could I have dinner with my boy? That night, he sat in the chair and I sat on the floor at the table. That was the low point!! It was what made up my mind to put the math to work! Calories in have to be lower than the calories burned.
    Well, perhaps I'm on my soapbox and I don't mean to be. I'm just afraid that I will lose my motivation and it's my way of reminding myself of WHY I am doing this.
    THank you so much for your reply! It has certainly helped get me motivated this morning!