HI all,

Thanks for the invite

I am Carol, 45 and live near Edinburgh in Scotland. I have been married 23 years and have 3 lads aged 19, 20 & 21. I also have 2 cats and a border collie who of course loves walking for miles I am working on my masters research degree which is an extension of my psychology degree dissertation.

I love food and I love exercise and try to squeeze it in where I can as I work part time and family life is very demanding due to additional care needs. - my eating & exercise has been a bit erratic the last few weeks as I am prioritising uni deadlines.

At the moment I am doing the 30 day shred, trying to get back to c25k, I go to kettlebell classes and do loads of walking with the dog and planning to start p90x as soon as the shred is finished. I also love weights so am trying to bump up to a proper weights routine too - my plan for the winter is to cram in the veg with loads of soups and am always trying to get my protein up
I am at 220lbs at the moment and I would love to start the new year in onederland - so that's my focus right now

... go geocaching when we can find a cache on a more difficult trail in the mountains. I am hoping to learn how to snowshoe this winter....I think.

Geocaching is good, active family fun. We did it a lot once upon a time. We thought we'd start again, but it seems that our handheld GPS has gone missing in our last move and we still cannot find it or the other things that had been in the backpack with it. Snowshoeing sounds fun too!

My ame is Krista annd I am 42. Happily married with 4 kids and 1 grandkiddo. My kids at home are 18 and 15. Both have Autism with the older one being Aspergers and the younger one being low functioning autistic. My husband is disabled and unable to work outside the home. I work with developementally disabled adults in a sheltered workshop setting.

I have been working on losing weight for over two years now and found MFP last April. I set my ticker to state how much more I have to go since i had lost about fifty pounds prior to joining and twenty pounds since.

Morning ladies, thank you for the invite.

My name is Tricia I am 52. A friend introduced me to MFP and really I haven't looked back. The articles and threads on here have quite inspired me to not only lose that Christmas weight gain that did not want to come off, those muffin tops that changed my shape completely and that frightening middle age spread, but to take a look at TDee, BMR, BMI, exercise, protein and so much more. I am aiming to go down to my 'ideal weight' or there abouts but to do it with exercise and healthy eating and the occasionally indulgence.

Looking forward to catching up with everyone, have a great day x

Hello... I am Debra..46 yrs,. from Indiana. I am married for almost 22 years now (Dec1). We have 3 children. Oldest is married with 2 sons. SO I am a grandma too! Middle daughter is still at home.. in college... ( well, working right now... heading back in January) She has completed 1 year. Youngest is a son, whom is very fit and active playing all the sports and keeping me very busy running the taxi!
I love to cook.... love to entertain.. love to take my favorite recipes and make a healthier version of them... really get a kick out of fooling the family!
Hormonal issues has had me fighting for every ounce the last 3 years now. I am not sure why I haven't given up yet... guess I am just too much of a fighter! I am fit and pretty strong.. so I try to remember that when I get upset that the scale just isn't moving! I lost and have kept off 42 pounds for those 3 years... but really would like to lose another 40+... need to find the right combo for my aging body!
Looks like I have lots of reading to do to get to know everyone. I look forward to it!
Best of luck with your goals!!

Thank you for the invite!
My name is Jacqueline and I'm 47 or as my friend and I like to put it Thirty seventeen! I've been married almost 25 years and have 4 children, 3 boys and one of those other things, what do you call them? Oh yes a girl!
I live in Reigate, Surrey, but was born in Liverpool. I've travelled a fair bit and moved around because hubby was in the army.
For the last 6 and a half years I've been running a gaming shop with my best friend and business partner, which is hard work in this economic climate but we are still running so we must be doing something right.. (Either that or I've forgotten to pay something important!)
I'm looking forward to getting to know you all and thanks again.
Jacx

Hi Everyone,

My name is Linia and i live in Fort Lauderdale. I have been a member of MFP since July (i think) but didn't even know message boards, email, blogs etc were here until one day when i logged on from my Laptop instead of using the Blackberry--shocking to see so much!!!!

so now, do try to use laptop more often or ipad.

The main problem is have is never staying at Goal weight longer than a month or two, so i lose, regain, lose, regain the same 15 lbs over and over again.....and even worse , i have 4 sizes of clothing, it is a nightmare.

those issues along with having osteoporosis and arthritis make everything a little harder....esp losing motivation is a huge problem.

do i lunch, oh yea.........trying now to make healthier choices. :blushing: :noway: :noway: :blushing:

We had a massive life change three years ago, when we upped sticks and moved 300 miles away from family and friends to run our own business. We don't have a lot of spare cash, but our lifestyle has changed beyond all measure, as we do actually have 'spare' time now. As a result, DH and I joined a gym two years ago, and I finally found myself in the right frame of mind to lose the blubber properly

incredible!!! good luck reaching your goals :laugh: :happy: :laugh:

My son just returned from a cruise and he said you can get anything you want to eat, and all of it you want. This could be bad, but it also means you can get fresh fruit, crisp salads, lean meats, all the really good stuff. As for the treats you savor, you can walk and walk and walk both on ship and at ports, and swim, and dance and all sorts of fun things to work off the calories. Enjoy!

(this is a response to Jthurnall!)

Since I've already commented, I suppose I should introduce myself! My name is Tracie (also go by Rosezilla!), and I'm 51 - well, I'll be 52 the end of this month. I have been married almost 34 years to the most amazing man on the planet. We have three sons and two grandbabies. In 2004 my blood pressure was 250/130, and I was also diagnosed as diabetic. I worked hard and got things under control, but then an elderly relative moved in and in caring for her, I forgot to take care of myself. In Feb. 2011 I was found to have a 99% blockage in the main artery of my heart, and I spent the next year in and out of the hospital with heart procedures and stents and things. I lost 30 pounds pretty quickly, but then couldn't seem to get any traction, until Aug. of this year I began working with a dietician. She was the key to unlock everything! I have gradually refined my eating, substituting fruit for sweets, veggies for meat, physical activity for boredom eating, and calorie and portion control for out of control! The end of Sept. I began going to a hospital-based gym and doing cardio 45 minutes and strength training an hour, three days a week. I also do cardio at home two or three of the other days each week. Through a lot of prayer and discipline, I have battled off 46 pounds, and I still have a good bit to lose. My happiest discovery has been that food is my friend and ally, not my enemy. I've discovered so many healthy, delicious, fresh, satisfying foods to eat and I love the way they make me feel! So much better than all that poison I was eating before. My latest A1C was 5.8, my blood pressure is in the ballpark of 108/61 and my last cholesterol reading was 150 total!

Hello. I received the invitation to join this wonderful group. I am 51 and have been on MFP for six months. I have lost 36 pounds and want to lose another 6--7. I am a busy full time working mom and blogger. I also have type 2 diabetes and hope to be completely off medicine when I have achieved my final weight loss goal!

Introduction-Thanks for inviting me to the group!
My name is Janet and I am from BelAir, Maryland, I am originally from Baltimore and my user name, HairsprayHon is my nod to my hometown, the original (non-musical) movie Hairspray is a good depiction of life when I was growing up. And the music from the musical is my go to motivation music-I’m Big, Blond and Beautiful. I believed that in January 2012 when I weighed 275 and I still believe it today at 211. At 5’10”, I am looking forward to the scale getting to 209 when I will officially be overweight and no longer obese.
It was a major breakthrough for me to be able to acknowledge my weight, even to people I don’t know. I have finally recognized that I am not the number on the scale and that my fitness and health is more important than any one number. I currently am a size 16 and for the first time in years, I enjoy the process of getting dressed for work, because I am not afraid that the outfit I want to wear will not zip up. I have even convinced myself that some of my favorite tops mysteriously shrunk while hanging in the closet!
So many people have the dream where they are late for an exam, my recurring nightmare is that I have an important appointment and I get up in plenty of time, but literally no clothes in my closet fit me and the dream ends wtih me hysterical.
One of the things that I am looking forward to as a member of this group is hearing about the food choices that the group is making. I have a tendency to eat the same food over and over again until one day I am sick of it. My ultimate goal is to eat little processed food and a total of 9 fruits and vegetables per day. I don’t think the secret to weight loss and maintenance is focusing on what I am not eating, but to focus on making healthy food choices that taste good!
To health and joy! Janet

Hi, Thanks for the invite. I'm Marie and I live in Aberdeen, Scotland. I'm 42 years old and have been married for 20 years. I don't have children but have 2 cats and 1 dog.

I am absolutely hopeless at losing weight. I have been trying for 5 years and have lost 0lbs overall. I need to lose around 70lbs. I do well for a couple of weeks and then get bored with it. Come back again a bit later, do well, get bored, put it on again. I'm allergic to chocolate and cheese which really restricts my food choices since they both are favourite foods. I need a good kick and some help.

Well, this blog is right up my alley. I love to eat, to eat out and to cook. But I really love the challenge of doing all of that in a way that will support my efforts to become healthier. I was recently laid up for 6 weeks following foot surgery. I used that opportunity to find all kinds of recipes under 400 calories. I found a great app for my I Pad (RecipeBook) where I recorded them all. Now that I'm back on my feet (literally and figuratively), I'm loving fixing lots of these. I'm excited to participate in this blog!

Since I've already commented, I suppose I should introduce myself! My name is Tracie (also go by Rosezilla!), and I'm 51 - well, I'll be 52 the end of this month. I have been married almost 34 years to the most amazing man on the planet. We have three sons and two grandbabies. In 2004 my blood pressure was 250/130, and I was also diagnosed as diabetic. I worked hard and got things under control, but then an elderly relative moved in and in caring for her, I forgot to take care of myself. In Feb. 2011 I was found to have a 99% blockage in the main artery of my heart, and I spent the next year in and out of the hospital with heart procedures and stents and things. I lost 30 pounds pretty quickly, but then couldn't seem to get any traction, until Aug. of this year I began working with a dietician. She was the key to unlock everything! I have gradually refined my eating, substituting fruit for sweets, veggies for meat, physical activity for boredom eating, and calorie and portion control for out of control! The end of Sept. I began going to a hospital-based gym and doing cardio 45 minutes and strength training an hour, three days a week. I also do cardio at home two or three of the other days each week. Through a lot of prayer and discipline, I have battled off 46 pounds, and I still have a good bit to lose. My happiest discovery has been that food is my friend and ally, not my enemy. I've discovered so many healthy, delicious, fresh, satisfying foods to eat and I love the way they make me feel! So much better than all that poison I was eating before. My latest A1C was 5.8, my blood pressure is in the ballpark of 108/61 and my last cholesterol reading was 150 total!

I'm an RN and I'm so impressed with your A1c!!! I see the effects of obesity in my work every day. I'm so proud when someone takes responsibility for their health! It certainly is my personal motivation. Good luck to you.