I'm Fat !

suziblues2000
suziblues2000 Posts: 515 Member
edited September 20 in Introduce Yourself
Hi, I'm a 54 yr. old gramma, mom, sister, wife, daughter, aunt, friend and I know I'm forgetting a title or two...but I'm fat and I want to get skinny.
This is why I'm here. That, and to make some friends along the way.
I am 5'7" and I weigh about 200 lbs (more or less).
I wear a size 18 blue jeans.
My daughter is getting married in October and I really REALLY want to look nice at her wedding. I hardly ever wear dresses or dress up because I work at home and don't really go out much these days. I would like to fit into at least a size 12 dress by the time her wedding arrives.
I guess you could say I am a retired legal assistant whose career is now taking care of my mother, who is 90 years old (91 March 14th!) and has Alzhiemers disease.
My husband has been a laid off machinist for 2 years now. We live in Michigan....where the economy is very bad right now, especially for machinists and auto workers. :(

Oh yeah, I should add here that I am also a recovering heroin addict. I have been 'clean' for over 2 years!
I am on medication to help me with this, methadone. I've been on it for 2 years and I am positive that within those 2 years the medication has made me gain at least 50 lbs. This is not a very nice side effect of the medication, but I would rather be fat than a heroin addict. But now I need to figure out how to loose the weight. I don't want to become sick from being obese just as I am becoming healthy from being off heroin!

So far I find My Fitness Pal really interesting and fun and I sure hope it can help me get to a more healthy weight !

What I really need to learn about is exercising; like, what kind should I do? I can't really afford a gym membership right now. Is there any free gyms? Is the YWCA free? Walking is good, but there is 2 feet of snow outside right now, what else could I do? Should I do stuff like lifting weights or stuff like sit ups (ugh)? I have very little motivation when it comes to exercising
I haven't a clue.
I guess I have a lot of exploring to do on this site!

Thank you,
Sue

Replies

  • mandijo
    mandijo Posts: 618 Member
    Welcome! I think you will like all the things this site offers. Friendships come easy I have found and it's great to have all the support! Good luck on your journey! We'll be here along the way!
  • panther87
    panther87 Posts: 78 Member
    Congrats for being clean for two years. I have a brother who's an Alcoholic and has been clean for almost two years He has also been diagnosed with a mental illness too. He is doing well and living in a Christian men's half way home.
    well back to the exercise. I have found a few inexpensive videos at garage sales and thrift stores. I understand the snow thing, I live in Iowa! I do belong to a gym and it helps. but understand the economy. I am a nurse and my husband is a full time family farmer. You can begin by walking at a mall. they are climate controlled and open most every day. Also I see people walking around the outside of large stores such as Super Wal-Marts and Super Targets, its like the mall walking thing.
    Good Luck to you and God Bless you and your Family.
  • simona1972
    simona1972 Posts: 355 Member
    Welcome! When I read your stats...5'7" 200lbs, size 18...I didnt think fat at all. Interesting how perception works. You picked the right place to join to help you get healthy and in shape. I started here just in Feb and Ive lost 14lbs so far.

    Congratulations on being clean for so long. That's quite an accomplishment. If you can do that...you can definitely get fit and healthy!

    I dont know about any free gyms. I know that the YMCA/YWCA will drop their rates if you arent working. I work out at home with my DVDs.

    Good luck with your journey.
  • SugarHi
    SugarHi Posts: 452
    Welcome to MFP! I send you well wishes on your journey of weight loss and better health. Do you know what? You are beautiful, and amazing and spectacular in all ways possible. Being a Mom is so rewarding and now you're also a grandmother! You can do this. This is a life style change and with that you do need to be patient and accepting of how your body decides it's going to handle every step you take. Bettering ourselves is an amazing process. You're here, you're motivated; so stay consistent and your will power high, before you know it... you'll start seeing what you're looking for. Congratualtions on your daughters wedding!! :flowerforyou:
  • anirlz
    anirlz Posts: 18 Member
    Welcome to MFP! You will love it here. There is all kinds of great support and advice for pretty much anything you want to know. Eating habits are a big part of weight lose. I am learning that myself. I have always gone to the gym and worked out...but never with any "amazing" results. I like to eat...a lot! So I too have been reading a lot of posts and doing lots of research on the best foods...the best exercise...etc.

    Don't worry...if you look at what other people have done and do a little research, you'll be fine. Working out at home is just as effective as working out in a gym. You just need to right guidance. You'll find it here.

    Good luck in your journey!!
  • smae1980
    smae1980 Posts: 794 Member
    i live in NY and I know that here the YMCA offers subsidized gym memberships for people with low incomes, so you could possibly get a reduced or free membership. Definetly worth looking into. The best of luck to you and congrats on how far you've made it so far
  • Rhonnie2
    Rhonnie2 Posts: 1
    Good luck Sue! I love this site, I do the South Beach plan for eating, low carb-lean proteins, but tracking it all here helps a lot!. Like you I live in the snow and ice this time a year so I stick to my treadmill and workout videos. But you may be able to find some inexpensive classes being taught. A group of women here get together once a week for cardio kickboxing and we just donate a dollar each to the instructor/school gym teacher for her equipment expenses. She just wants to get together and work out like us, so its great! If you go looking you may be surprised what you find!
  • balance9
    balance9 Posts: 160
    First of all, congratulations on your amazing recovery! I can't imagine the challenges that you faced overcoming addiction. You must love your family very much! And you have a lot of challenges right now. I don't think you should try to throw in a heavy-duty high aerobic activity, which would simply set off alarm bells in your body and mind, since you haven't been exercising for awhile. I honestly think the best thing for you to do is...walk.

    I know you said it would be difficult to walk because you have 2 feet of snow outside. Hard for me to appreciate here in Arizona:-) Bundle up and walk at whatever pace you can for 40 minutes or so. Walking in the snow is a great workout; probably better than anything you could get indoors right now. And walking, for me, is just simply therapy. I spend the 40 minutes thinking about how grateful I am for the chance to be here another day and asking for strength not to screw it up (or I solve the problems of the world, like why Brad should just leave Angelina:-)

    Try to remember to just get moving every day...for at least 40 minutes, rain, snow, or heat....hey, it's always something! Don't let that stop you. It will feel really good.

    And lastly, be sure you're supporting all of our effort with good, quality fuel. Exercise is only about 20% of the equation...what we put in our mouths is the other 80%! I always remind myself that I can eat 300 calories a lot faster than I can work them off. Low-sodium vegetable soups might be good with the snow out there! And even though its cold, frozen fruit in a blender with a little bit of juice is a great way to flood your body with nutrition.

    Nice to meet you! Can't wait to see your progress!
  • navamaria
    navamaria Posts: 4
    Fat???? Fat I was when I weighed 200lbs and barely 5ft tall!!!!! and i was also wearing a size 18!!! It has taken me a year and half half to get down to 142!! and I am proud of single drop i sweat i have left in the gym, out on the road while i ran, and at home while i do a work out video. It can be done!!!! walking out in the snow would be great excercise not only will you burn calories but you wikl build muscle and it will make you stronger!!!! Good luck!!!
  • czar1978
    czar1978 Posts: 83
    Welcome to MFP from a fellow Michigander! This is a great resource for information, motivation, and support!

    Do you belong to a library? Some libraries have workout DVDs that you can check out. That gives you the ability to explore different videos to find what you like and don't as far as videos go without paying full price only to find out you don't like what you bought. Also, you can learn new exercises that you can do at home and keep you workout routine varied.

    Good luck with your journey. We will all support you along the way. :flowerforyou:
  • lkharris
    lkharris Posts: 24
    You're doing great. Try the DVD thing for exercise. I highly recommend yoga, power version, and if you can get an intro tape to start that helps. It is at least pretty forgiving - hard work, but even the videos remind you to do it at YOUR pace, not other people's! And the mall walking - I am sure in Michigan there are many people doing that, you may meet some support there too! I guess I felt the way simona1972 felt about your "fatness" - not really that far away from where I am and I guess I don't really consider myself "fat", just a little "soft"! I am 48 so you've got a couple years on me, but I do know that it gets harder to lose anything with a little age. Consider that you are keeping yourself healthy and mobile with some exercise. My mother is 81 and has osteoarthritis pretty bad. Most of it because she did not take care of herself when she could have. I'm trying hard to keep that lesson in mind!

    As for addiction, congratulations and you go girl on keeping clean! I am sure the methadone does make one gain weight - as most therapeutic drugs seem to do! But you're right, better that than the alternative - gotta be coherent and living for your grandaughter! I myself battle cigarettes and while I know that really isn't a valid comparison, all addiction in my mind is the same animal. Gotta conquer it the best we can but no one is perfect. And the old adage of "one day at a time" rings so true.
  • MandyKayFrench
    MandyKayFrench Posts: 69 Member
    One thing you might look into for exercise is Jazzercise. It's a great way to get moving AND meet people who are doing the same thing. The membership is typically far cheaper than a gym - or you can pay by the class if you need to be able to modify when the money is available.

    Either way - good luck!! Congratulations on getting past that first, major, hurdle and know that the same strength that got you through that, will get you through this!

    --mk
  • Brandiroxanne
    Brandiroxanne Posts: 8 Member
    Hi Sue!!!!!

    I found your post very inspirational to say the least. The fact that you have been clean for 2 years is so amazing to me. Congrats on that!!!!! :-D

    I am a beachbody coach for Beachbody.com and if you want I can be your coach!! :) It is free to join... you just have to go to teambeachbody.com and make a profile. Find me at www.Teambeachbody.com/brandiroxanne. There are amazing people on this website, and alot of motivators that will push you to get to your goal!! So much good information can be had when you meet all of these people too. They motivate me daily!!

    Check out my website and if you have any questions let me know!!

    www.beachbodycoach.com/brandiroxanne

    www.myshakeology.com/brandiroxanne

    Hope to hear from you soon Sue!

    -Brandi
  • suziblues2000
    suziblues2000 Posts: 515 Member
    Oh wow! Thank you ALL for your great replies!
    What a lot of good, smart ideas. I will definitely check out the mall walking idea. Why didn't I think of that?! And walking in the snow! Good idea! (I also knit, so I have lots of really warm hats, gloves and socks)
    And my husband said that there is a YWCA close by, but he is not sure if it has a swimming pool, which is fine with me, although I remember I used to love swimming when I was in high school I was on the swim team. I would love to find a place with a pool to see if I still love it.
    Plus my library is just down the street a bit. I will go tomorrow and see what kind of DVD's they have.
    What great ideas!
    Yoga for sure, and I've heard of Jazzercise and what fun that is.
    Thank you SO much again for all the support. And to the person who said something to the effect of quitting cigarettes not being as difficult as quitting heroin, well not in my opinion. Nicotine is just as hard. I know cause I am trying to stop smoking cigarettes. I am using these lozenges called Resolve. Suppose to help. Congratulations to you for quitting this nasty addiction. IT'S HARD!
    Well I'm sure I'll be hanging around for awhile. The more I explore the more I learn. I am so amazed and inspired by the amount of weight people have lost!
    thanx,
    Sue
  • empiremom
    empiremom Posts: 52
    your story is amazing!

    i can't wait til i get to 200. it is really perspective.

    and congrats on the 2 years clean. my brother died last year of a cocaine overdose. so this side of the dirt is a great place to be for you! what an awesome accomplishment.

    i have "walk away the pounds". i bought it at walmart for 9 bucks in the sporting goods section. a really good investment. and you get to stay warm and dry while walking =)
  • chelso1
    chelso1 Posts: 25 Member
    Welcome to MFP!
    Congrats so coming this far as to being here, and being clean. Your post was inspiring, and believe me, we are all here to cheer you on.

    Now as for exercise, I myself have problems with going to the gym and thinking everyone is looking at me, so I usually work out at home. I have all three of the Jillian Michaels DVD's from Target. They are all $9.99 and are definately great buys! Its defiantely hard in the beginning, but once you get the hang of them you feel very accomplished.

    I've been doing MFP very strictly since February, and I've lost a total of 8lbs in about three weeks (I crashed really hard for about 2 weeks, and ended up gaining back everything +, so I had to start over).This website, and the support really help you to get where you want to be, and believe me you WILL reach your goal! I have my sisters wedding in October, and I'm the maid of honor, so I know how you feel!

    Best of luck to you!
  • sonjavon
    sonjavon Posts: 1,019 Member
    Sue,
    Welcome and congratulations! Your story made me cry.... I am SO proud of you! Making changes to better your life is an amazing gift that you can give to yourself. I have never faced an addiction like yours - but I smoke cigarettes and I know what a crazy addiction THAT is!

    As for exercise... there are so many things that you can do, especially right now at the beginning. First thing is find some good music to play all the time. I've found that even just cleaning around the house - if I have good music on - I move faster and move more. My husband thinks it's funny to come in and see me dancing with a plate as a I empty the dishwasher. Add movement anywhere you can... Watching tv? Stand up and walk in place during the commercials, lean your back against a wall and lower yourself to a sitting position and back up several times, do some wall push ups. When I started I was lucky - my mom let me borrow her treadmill... I walked for 10 minutes at a time several times a day. Every time I added some exercise to my day I reminded myself "This is more than I did last week. Every little thing helps". I'm still telling myself that.

    I second the vote for going to the library to borrow dvd's or tapes. I know I'm old-school - but I still really love working out to Richard Simmons Sweating to the Oldies! LOL! Find something that makes you happy. My latest favorite thing is to exercise on our Wii... what a great invention that thing is! It reminds me of being a kid again - when "playing" was what I did -and stayed thin because I was running around the back yard!

    The weather will be getting better soon (I HOPE) and getting out to walk will be easier - but there are plenty of things you can do in your home! Be creative!

    Good luck and I look forward to getting to know you better!
  • xonophone
    xonophone Posts: 474 Member
    Sue, welcome to MFP! It takes amazing strength to make the recent choices you have made to get clean and become healthy and I am very proud of you for that. With weight loss, as with overcoming addiction, you have to remember to just take it one day at a time, and you will get there. There have been some great suggestions made already on how to incorporate some activity into your day at no cost to you. You can also use everyday household items as weights (cans of soup, filled water bottles, etc) as well as your own body weight for doing things like squats, dips, pushups, jumping jacks, etc. I do really like the idea of mall walking to get you started. As for a pool - YMCA memberships can be a little pricey IMO even with the discounted rate for low-income families. Try looking at hotels, or schools (high schools, colleges, etc) that have pools because sometimes they offer even lower rates to the community (I once joined a community college's pool for $90 for the year!) With economics being what they are in Michigan I'm sure some struggling businesses would be happy to work with you on an economical plan. Sometimes even hospitals that have therapy pools offer some sort of community program. (the hospital that I work in has a program where former patients pay $5 per visit - less than a pack of cigarettes!!)

    Start by counting your calories, and that will get you very far. And feel free to add me as a friend if you are looking for motiviational partners :)
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