Greetings!

MercuryBlue

Hi there everyone! Just wanted to take time to introduce myself. My name is Carrie and I'm a mommy of two from Armstrong, BC, Canada. I'm looking to lose 40 pounds. I feel like I've been dieting FOREVER- but nothing has worked. I do believe that a big part of that is because I don't have a lot of support, or anyone to feel accountable to. I think this place will be great for meeting friends and sharing experiences!

Feel free to add me as a friend if you'd like.

dcbauckman

Hey, Carrie! I just recently joined mfp myself, for the same reason - I'm hoping that having the support, and being held accountable will help me to reach my goal. Also, this time I'm not thinking of it as a "diet", but I'm thinking in terms of living a healthier lifestyle - it seems to be helping so far Hopefully we can help each other reach our goals! I wish you luck on your journey towards a healthier you!

God Bless,
Dana

P.S. I like your "tomorrow is today" motto! I'm gonna keep that in mind

epoeraven

Hi Carrie!!! Welcome!!! You came to the right place. Everyone here is sooooo fabulous and supportive. It really helps to have so many people that are in the same boat there to give shout out when you need it - whether it be a "good Job" or a "don't give up" - someone is always there with a kind word.

BrenNew

Hi there everyone! Just wanted to take time to introduce myself. My name is Carrie and I'm a mommy of two from Armstrong, BC, Canada. I'm looking to lose 40 pounds. I feel like I've been dieting FOREVER- but nothing has worked. I do believe that a big part of that is because I don't have a lot of support, or anyone to feel accountable to. I think this place will be great for meeting friends and sharing experiences!

Feel free to add me as a friend if you'd like.

Hi Carrie, and welcome to THE best site on the web! :flowerforyou:
Between the easy to use food counter (which by the way is SUCH an eye opener!) and all the wonderfully supportive members, you WILL be able to lose the weight that you want to, AND, it'll "almost" be easy doing it!
I recommend logging ALL your foods BEFORE you have them, rather than later, as it tends to lead to better food choices. (not to mention you'll know if you've got enough numbers left to have a night time snack, like I ALWAYS try to do!) Some people also like to weigh and measure some things, such as meats, rather than just estimating and possibly being WAY off! :noway:
Don't go making the mistake that if you have LOTS of numbers left at the end of the day that you'll lose even faster, because that DOESN'T happen. Feel free to read any info about the site in the "help" section at the top of the home page. And also, under "all topics", then "general", and check out the first few threads. They'll really help you understand how MFP works.
Before coming here, I had tried just about EVERYTHING out there, including hypnosis, TWICE, and nothing really worked until MFP!
Also, drink LOTS of water, it REALLY DOES help! :drinker:
As far as exercise goes, it doesn't always have to be awful. For my exercise, I walk almost every day, (weather permitting!) I also dance to a fast oldies CD that my husband made up of all my favorite old songs. (Like "Love Shack", Wild, Wild West", "Mony, Mony", "Footloose", and "Gloria")
It's free, (unlike a gym!) fun, and I can even watch tv at the same time, so I never get bored! :happy:
I also have Wii Fit, and jog to that, which is a lot of fun, and easy too!
So, to make a LONG story short, make good food choices, eat in moderation, get some exercise, and you WILL lose the weight that you want to!

FitnessJourney

:flowerforyou:

Dianeb412

Hey Carri,
Welcome and you will enjoy MFP. A co-worker told me about this site and it has helped out greatly. The support that you will receive here is totally awesome. I am not saying that every day will be perfect but logging my food is a complete eye opener. MFP keeps me motivated and the advise I receive here is keeping me focused. Best of luck to you and remember we are all in this together.

MercuryBlue

Thanks everyone for your advice and welcome!

I've been on this perpetual 'dieting cycle' for a long time now. And Dana- I agree with you when you said to not think of it as a 'diet'. I am in the process of trying to scrap my old way of thinking and embrace a new, healthier lifestyle overall. I mean, I've tried a lot of different things in the past. Diet pills & meal replacement shakes, etc. I even tried the Master Cleanse program. Lasted all of about two days and scrapped that! Though, I'm sort of glad because, since then, I've been hearing some not-good things about cleanses in general.

I don't want to try any 'fad approaches' anymore. I just want to eat right and exercise because I know that, at the end of the day, that's what's going to work and what 's going to last. I've been reading and buying Oxygen magazine a lot, and really look up to Tosca Reno. I'd love to embrace total clean eating at some point but to be honest, I'm kind of intimidated by it right now. For the time being, I just want to focus on replacing 'white' foods with whole grains, eating more fruits and veggies, stocking up on lean proteins, etc.

BrenNew- Thank you for all your good tips and advice! From what I can see, this place is going to be a real help to me. Everyone seems so supportive, and it gives me a real boost seeing all the people who have found success. I've tried using other websites in the past to track my weight loss, and I had a 'diet blog' as well... but I've given up on those and come here! It's funny- I totally stumbled here accidentally. But this place has everything that I'm looking for, and then some! I can blog here, track my food and exercise here, talk to other people here- it's amazing! And very user-friendly. Even the colors are bright and happy and fill me with energy.

LittleSister

Hi MercuryBlue! *waving from over here in Calgary, AB*

Man, I know how you feel - I've been struggling with weight for decades. There is a lot of support here. If you want to be held accountable, you should check out the support & motivation section and join one of the threads. And if you just have something on your mind, or are battling with a craving, or a situation that makes you feel like you're not going to be successful, come on in and tell us!

And of course, it's very eye-opening to read everyone else's threads. When you read what they've struggled with and learned how they overcame their struggles, it's very inspirational.

Welcome!