Heavy my entire life. I am DONE!

Foraanda
Foraanda Posts: 10
in Introduce Yourself
Hello, everyone! I am a 37 year old wife, mom, and superwoman. I have also been a "big girl" my entire life. Though I am only 5'2" I have been over 200 pounds for years. I was always the heaviest child in class, college. etc.

Well, now my once skinny children are beginning to show signs of gaining weight. This is my breaking point. I am done being fat and will be darned if my kids are going to be!

Not sure what I am going to do plan wise. I have started out with just 15 minutes of stretching in the morning, 15 minutes of lite yoga in the evening, and watching what I eat. I obviously need a plan, but am burnt out on WW, Atkins, etc. Tried them all, they all did not work for me.

Eating in moderation, baby steps. That is better than nothing I guess.

Replies

  • jr1985
    jr1985 Posts: 1,033 Member
    Welcome to MFP and making healthy choices! Feel free to add me as a friend if you like! Good for you for getting started... I've found that cutting processed foods WAY down has been the biggest help for me personally. I'd say that I eat about 80% clean unprocessed foods, and only about 20% processed foods and this has helped me loose the most weight that fastest. Good luck! and welcome!
  • mrsjas2000
    mrsjas2000 Posts: 908 Member
    anyone can add me this is a long journey and the more support the better
  • yuckidah
    yuckidah Posts: 290 Member
    There's no secret - just track your calories and you'll get there.
    Don't even over-think the exercise part, just do what you can when you can - you'll still lose weight without it so long as your food intake is under control.
    Good on you for being here both for you & your kids.
    Start today - best of luck :smile:
  • happygerbera
    happygerbera Posts: 14
    Hello, I am also a person who has been the fat kid at school, and wherever I go I am the fat 1....lol. Well I have to do something about it as I have a hiatus hernia and if I get too fat it makes the hernia not good. I also notice that if I am stressed etc I eat, so I need to find a new way to cope.
    I am reading a book called fat chance, you can buy the book online, www.fatchance.co.nz, its not a weightloss program, its a book giving you new ways to cope etc. I am finding it great. Feel free to add me, also I dont really do the online food thing here, I tend to follow the food pyramid, and write what I eat in a notebook at home here.
  • ddky
    ddky Posts: 381 Member
    Welcome!. I hope you can stick to it for your children. My biggest regret as a parent was letting my daughter become overweight as a child. She is now 30 and has been obese all her life. I would give anything to go back in time and keep her from ever getting in that condition. I work at the local Health Department and we have been watching educational videos on weight. They said that autopsies done on overweight children who died for unrelated reasons already show problems with arteries and heart. , MFP is a simple program that works. I used it last year and lost 25 pounds, but then I got lazy and gained it all back. So I am back here again. Just hang in there.
  • pondmermaid
    pondmermaid Posts: 43 Member
    Good choice to start a healthy lifestyle for the whole family! Good Luck!
  • meadow_sage
    meadow_sage Posts: 308 Member
    I feel ya. I was born premature and weighed about a half pound. Well, I have been making up for it, the rest of my life. At my biggest I weighed, probably about 430 lbs (it's hard to find scales that weigh you at that size). I have been some what successful at weight watchers and going to a gym and then lost my momentum. I would get sick, hit a plateau or get stressed over something and throw it all out the window. One of the main things that has helped me keep weight off is eliminating calories in beverages. Permanent change is what keeps it off. I have been swimming for my exercise. The biggest change in my food is eliminating fried foods and eating as much fruits and vegetables as possible.
  • Foraanda
    Foraanda Posts: 10
    Thank you all for the awesome words of encouragement. All of the other times I have attempted to lose weight I had a plan. Perhaps having no plan is the best plan of all?

    All I can do is take it day by day. Cannot overthink it. Just have to make gradual changes.
  • Foraanda
    Foraanda Posts: 10
    Well, 9 pounds down! I cannot believe that I am actually losing weight this time. I am attempting to cut out the crap. I am also be gluten free, which is SO hard for me.

    Thanks for all of the words of encouragement. We can all do this!
  • rocket_ace
    rocket_ace Posts: 380 Member
    great choice!!! here's a post you may find helpful: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/512956-tdee-what-is-it-and-why-you-should-not-eat-below-your-bmr
  • thingal12
    thingal12 Posts: 302 Member
    I will email you a link with a *plan* or strategy that works. Basically it's find your TDEE - 20% & eat back your calories.
  • Mcgrawhaha
    Mcgrawhaha Posts: 1,596 Member
    i think the easiest way for me starting out was just using the simple calorie in vs. out method. then, later, if you want to change things up, try something new, go for it! but to get a good start, i just started making better food choices and eating at a deficit. good luck to you, you can definately reach your goals!!!
  • nancybuss
    nancybuss Posts: 1,461 Member
    Congrats on the 9 pounds. See - You ARE doing it!!!!!

    cut as much 'processed' foods as you can. Add more fresh. it makes a world of difference.

    Move a little bit more. Have the kids doing exercises with you.

    New Life for you and the kids!!!!
  • LouPsych
    LouPsych Posts: 30 Member
    I hear you! Was so disappointed (there's another word I'd like to use, however....) when my mother mentioned something my younger sister said. She thought she was looking more like me - maybe because she is now happy (divorced), content, at peace? Nope, Mom said it because she is getting fat like me. Really? What the heck?!? Hurtful as always, but I've turned the anger into reality. I am done allowing my mother to use my weight as fodder for her anger. I do have high blood pressure and I am morbidly obese; however, I am also so happy with where I am in life - fat and happy. Now I have made the decision to be fit and happy.

    I am no longer powerless over what I chose to put into my body or expend to lose the weight. This is my battle - to heck with what my Mom says or how my sister looks. I have chosen to fight this battle for me!
  • MTjessi_marie
    MTjessi_marie Posts: 14
    Hey there! I'm a 38 year old mom and college student. I started putting on the pounds around age 25. I love food and I just didn't think this was something I could do. But, I'm determined to have a nice body before I get old!! I've lost 7 lbs since I started last week, just from watching my calories and not drinking pop and beer. I am only drinking water and sparkling water now.
    I just tried my Zumba PS3 game for the first time this afternoon and boy am I out of shape!
    I'm a good friend, so add me if you'd like!

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