Hi, member from Indiana here

I'm originally from Indiana :-D GO COLTS!

Im a 36yr old stay at home mother of 3. I have been working out using EA Sport Active for the last 3 weeks and have lost 8lbs so far! I LOVE myfitnesspal.com for counting my calories, it really holds me accountable for what I am doing to myself. I am happy that since I started counting calories I have been below my goal every day except one (very stressful day - had that extra slice of pizza!).

My eating ideas are simple... eat less. I haven't switched to all cottage cheese and salads, because I love my pasta, breads and junk food. I know that if I stopped eating all of those things, Id get fed up and binge and set myself back. So I still eat the stuff I like, just not as much. When I cook, I use less butter.. 2% milk instead of whole.. fat free or light ingredients when I can. I can still sneak in that small bowl of ice cream or a couple of cookies every few days and I'm happy! :bigsmile:

My goal is to lose at least 10 lbs a month. I know working out 5 times a week and eating less and less will help me achieve that goal. I want to be in better shape for my kids, my husband and most importantly myself. I need to lose 100lbs, If not 125. I set my goal at 100 for now and see how I look after that.. my first MAJOR mini goal is almost accomplished and my second one is to be 40lbs less by June 1st when my step daughter graduates high school so I can go and not feel self conscious around everyone.

Feel free to add me as a friend so we can motivate each other!

Hi, 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 "Community", then "Weight Loss and Healthy Living", then "general diet and weight loss help", and then 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!
Just the word "diet" would make me cringe and set me up for failure. :grumble: It meant depriving myself of all the "good stuff" out there, and as a result, I'd only last just so long, (maybe a few weeks if I was lucky!) and then I'd "cave" and go right back to eating all those "goodies" again! :embarrassed: But, MFP ISN'T a "diet". :noway: It's a "lifestyle change". (When I first read that, I said "Ya, SURE it is!", thinking that it WAS just another diet. :grumble: But, it wasn't! :noway:)
The main reason that I've managed to lose the weight that I wanted to is because I HAVE been able to eat "real/good" foods. :bigsmile: (Not Slim Fast or any other easy, quick, fad "wacko" diets!:noway: ) Through MFP I learned that I just needed to "work for it", through exercise, and watching my numbers (MOST of the time! ) As long as I do that, I CAN occasionally have stuff like Chinese food, a double cheeseburger, pizza, and even homemade ice-cream!
As far as exercise goes, it doesn't always have to be awful. :noway: 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") :happy:
It's free, (unlike a gym!:grumble: ) 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!
MFP REALLY, REALLY, DOES work! :happy: Give it a chance, and it WILL work for you too!

Hi there, I'm in Indiana too! Barely tho, 25 miles and I'd be in Cincinnati! I've used MFP before but let it go for several months. Let everything go actually. I've gained 15 pounds in the last year. Just had a Hysterectomy (I'm 39) and I'm ready to feel healthy again!!! I have 3 kids 14,12,9, work part time and generally am busy, busy, busy. I'll add ya'll on my friends list, maybe we can encourage each other! I love MFP for helping me stay on track and for opening my eyes to how many calories are in the foods I was typically eating. My strategy is to exercise each day, usually with aerobic dvd's in my basement, get some strength training in at the YMCA a couple times a week, and eat smarter.

Have a wonderful day!