Newbie mom wanting to lose 30 pounds & be stronger!

panthra

Hi, I am a 30-pound overweight, 42-year-old mom of 2 great kids who has put herself last for a long time. Yesterday I was told about the myfitnesspal app for my ipod so I decided to check it out and it looks like something that could really help me be accountable for my food choices and exercising. I really need help with understanding how to really utilize myfitnesspal so that I can benefit from it. Is there is a step by step guide somewhere?

I am not working right now and go to college 2 days a week taking 3 classes each day along with taking care of my family and house, I am finding it hard to exercise but I want to make time for this.

I also know I need to control food portions and make better food choices. I also need food that will give me energy so that I can keep going all day and work in exercise. .

I also want to drink at least 8 cups of water daily.

How do I know how many calories I burn when doing a workout DVD? Is this in the exercise database somewhere?

I appreciate any tips that anyone is willing to give me because I am really serious about dropping 30 pounds and getting healthy and strong!

mom2fabfive

Hi there! I am a SAHM to 5 fabulous kids! I have been on MFP since March and have lost quite a bit of weight by using this site to hold me accountable. I have met some wonderful people who help support, motivate and encourage me. Building a support system is really key. I will send you a friend request. I am on daily and love to offer encouragement.
As far as the calorie burn goes the only accurate way is to invest in a heart rate monitor. Until I got one I just compared the exercise I did to ones i the database and then reduced the calorie burn a little to be safe. Hope that helps!
I only do home workouts by dvd. I am a homebody and can't motivate to go to a gym or even head to a walking trail. Working out at home has been what works best for me. There are some great ones that are a bit shorter if you are crunched for time.
Looking forward to supporting you on your journey to a healthier you!


Tara

panthra

Thanks for the welcome and the support! I am wearing my ipod and have the Pedometer app turned on so I will see how I do today stepwise.

As far as other exercising, I am a DVD person also. I live in the sticks and the closest gym or YMCA is an hour away so thats not an option for me. I don't think I could afford it anyway.

I like to walk outside, but this isn't an option either because my area has a huge problem with ticks in our yards and on trails so I will probably be doing indoor walking. I have a few Leslie Sansone indoor walking DVDs so I will probably dig those out of the closet. I also have some Denise Austin DVDs that I have collected over the years. I also found a post on this board that mentioned finding videos on you tube so I am going to check that out. I'm looking for workouts that I can do 10 to 15 minutes at a time at several times thoughout the day because the kids or pets are constantly interrupting me.

Thanks again for the support and holding me accountable will help alot so don't be scared to nag me : )

shelleycronan

Hi Panthra, congratulations on joining the website. I have been on and off for a few years now and really need someone to help motivate me as well. Friend me and we can work on this together. Oh, BTW, I have been using a line of products on www.shapewaybodychallenge.com/nutritionnation They have several lines; weight loss; relaxation, muscle building, metabolism boosts, energy drinks, etc. Check it out if your interested.