I don't want to die

Wow, that is quite a story, thank you for sharing it with us! And you should give yourself a huge pat on the back for taking this courageous step towards taking control of you life and health. You will get lots of great advice and inspiration from many people who have similar stories to yours. Let me first assure you that healthy food can in fact be very filling, and won't leave you hungry in an hour. A diet rich in protein, vegetables and whole grains will keep you full and if you eat smaller amounts of food at more frequent intervals you will not feel ravenous at mealtime. But I suggest you start by simply counting the number of calories you are already eating during the day. Then, you will learn how to cut down on your portion sizes so that you can still eat the foods you love, just in controlled portions. You MUST weigh/measure everything, for this to work. And it does work. As ofr exercise, don't sweat it! (no pun intended :laugh: ) Start by just taking an after dinner walk around the nieghborhood with your family. Eventually you will find some type of exercise that suits you, but don't worry about trying to get there all at once, start by making small changes first. There are hundreds of sucess stories, in fact you should take a look through them when you have a chance - I guarantee you will become a little more encouraged that you have the power to do this! Good luck!

I can totally understand where you are coming from and not knowing where to start or what to do. I waited for 10 years before I started doing something and now I don't want to stop. You have to get somewhere deep in your heart, brain and soul and decide what you want for your life. I have 2 toddlers now and it seemed very selfish of me to continue the horrible overweight lifestyle I was leading. What I started doing was walking first, then I tried to give myself a very hard challenge and saw results 3 months later. The point is never letting up when you don't see 20 lbs. come off in a week because clearly we all want to see biggest loser numbers and its just not reality when we are only working out 1 or 2 hours a day. I see that you say you want to be a part of your kids' lives in the future well then do something to secure that! Start by walking an hour every day and have them come with you. You will still get winded at first but then you will be getting better and better as your body gets used to the exercise; baby steps. You can't rush yourself and the weight will follow. Just set a plan and stick to it. You CAN do it if you want to :flowerforyou:

Hi,
Welcome to MFP, always great to see new folks wanting to change their lives and get healthier:flowerforyou:
You're very beautiful, I peeked at your photo

Well you've definitely come to the right place to relearn how eat in healthier ways. It all seems overwhelming at first when starting out making huge changes in our lives. Sometimes the best way is baby steps. Tracking your food, yes every bite so you see it down on paper so to speak, it's actually very helpful. Another thought is portion control, simply eat a bit less than you did yesterday etc.

You sound very overwhelmed and very sad but you don't have to do it all today:happy: . You are here, and that in itself proves you do want to live and do want to have a healthy life.

PM me if you need any help, I'd be more than happy to help in any way I can. Lots of very friendly members around here that will help you get started on the journey, just reading the boards helps ALOT. It's true, the best way to start is simply to begin. One change at a time. Chose one thing and do that change for a week, then chose another etc.

Glad you're here :flowerforyou:
Becca

I actually began my journey for that very reason: I knew my health was in terrible shape (my body, too!), and I wanted to be healthy for my kids. Since I have been going at this for a while now, I realize that I want THEM to understand how important eating well and exercise are. I want THEM to see ME doing these things so that they will probably accept the habits as well.

Myfitnesspal is a GREAT place to learn new food ideas and meet people who are struggling just like you are. If you get breathless after one flight of stairs, that's fine. Walk them until you can add a few more steps...and then a few more...and then do it more regularly. Walk around your block with your kids. Walk them to a park if there is one nearby. You don't HAVE to join a gym to lose weight. Walking regularly and increasing your increments is one of THE best exercises you can do. And it is FREEEE!

Good luck on your journey! :flowerforyou: You are doing the BEST thing ever--beginning the process of becoming a healthier, more active you!

You can do this. Remember, small steps. A little walk is better than no walk. What about the kids, would they like to go for a walk after dinner? Including the family allows for a lot of quality time. As for budgeting for a family of four, what is your grocery bill like now? Can you replace some of the less healthy choices with fresh fruit or vegetables? A good place to shop for fresh fruit and vegetables is to find a local farmers market- another great little family trip. If you need a friend, accept my friend request- I will be glad to help any way I can and cheer you on!!

Most of the ideas I have for you have already been said, but they bear repeating!:happy: When I started my journey last August, hubby and I started by controlling our portions. We pulled out the measuring cups and spoons, we asked for a food scale for my birthday, we were fanatical about measuring everything that went on our plates or in our mouths. I dropped quite a bit of weight just by realizing that I was eating to keep up with hubby, and I'm not supposed to be his size. (This was a toughy for me, and I still fight with my inner-voice that says, "Well, if he can have a bed time snack, so can you! Who cares if you're already over for the day.") We kept eating all the stuff we had been eating (chicken nuggets, mac and cheese, spaghetti, Hamburger Helper, etc etc etc), we just stopped eating more than one serving. At first we were always still hungry afterwards. Then we discovered that veggies helped fill us up without adding too many calories to our day. I go for celery, carrots, tomatoes, lettuces, etc. I've been known to chop some of the aforementioned veggies up and put then in the sauce, (shhhh, don't tell my husband!:laugh: ) to help make it more filling, also.

Don't try to change everything in one day! Once I discovered that exercising meant I could eat more, I decided to exercise. Well, I'm busy, and I don't really like exercising (gyms, weights, machines, etc = ICK in my book ). Soooo, I started walking. At first it was just a few blocks each night with the family. Now my kids (3 and 5) and I walk at LEAST 2 miles a day. (Remember, this is NINE months later, work up to it)

A journey of a thousand miles begins with one step. You've made the first and joined MFP. The second step is to understand what you've BEEN eating, and adjust that. I recommend starting with portion control, and then branch out to healthier foods from there. Go for a walk around your block every night for a week. Then go around 2 blocks for a week or two. Add a block every couple weeks. You'll be amazed at how quick the distance adds up! Don't try to start out like an olympic athlete, start with one step, and then add another.

I am more than happy to answer any questions you have, share my own experience, etc. Just send me a message asking anything you want to know!

I am here because my mom never got to meet her grandchildren due to untimely death that was an indirect result of being severely overweight. I was headed down the same path, and it scared me. My aunt told my sister about this site, who told me, which caused me to ask my aunt about it. It is a great site.

It sounds like you have been on the same path I was on. It's never too late to turn around and go back!

How's this for a long rambling post? I hope it helps you, and PLEASE let me know if you have questions!:flowerforyou: Here's to making better choices!:drinker:

Wow, that is quite a story, thank you for sharing it with us! And you should give yourself a huge pat on the back for taking this courageous step towards taking control of you life and health. You will get lots of great advice and inspiration from many people who have similar stories to yours. Let me first assure you that healthy food can in fact be very filling, and won't leave you hungry in an hour. A diet rich in protein, vegetables and whole grains will keep you full and if you eat smaller amounts of food at more frequent intervals you will not feel ravenous at mealtime. But I suggest you start by simply counting the number of calories you are already eating during the day. Then, you will learn how to cut down on your portion sizes so that you can still eat the foods you love, just in controlled portions. You MUST weigh/measure everything, for this to work. And it does work. As ofr exercise, don't sweat it! (no pun intended :laugh: ) Start by just taking an after dinner walk around the nieghborhood with your family. Eventually you will find some type of exercise that suits you, but don't worry about trying to get there all at once, start by making small changes first. There are hundreds of sucess stories, in fact you should take a look through them when you have a chance - I guarantee you will become a little more encouraged that you have the power to do this! Good luck!

I think its great that you want to be healthier for your children instead of sitting back and accepting it as an inevitability as some people do. I have two good tips for helping you.

1.) Get a workout buddy. Find someone who can workout with you, especially when you move to workouts other than walking. A friend working out with you helps keep you motivated.

2.) I've found that a good way to work out is dancing. I ordered a Zumba DVD to help me work out. It's a Latin dance DVD and most of the dances on the beginning DVD are simple enough that you get a good workout and get sweating without being exhausting (I'm just starting out too). Maybe something like that would be a good workout for you.

Hope that helped. Good luck!

Hey there girl! I am so happy that you are here because it means that you have decided to change!!! For that please celebrate!!! I am also starting to lose weight and to change me. Mini changes are key in weight loss, increase in water, change where you used to eat when eating out, increase in movement, increase in sleep. Life is all about change and we are only in charge of ourselves. I wish you all the best!

I cant say anymore than what has already been said.

Welcome to MFP and the start of the rest of your life.

Good luck, we're all here and rooting for you :drinker: :bigsmile: :flowerforyou:

you are already getting such great advice. I thought I would add my 2 cents. I did not exercise at all my first month on here. The thought of changing my food and routine were just too much for me at the time. After a month or so, I decided to buy some of the Biggest Loser DVD's. I am also not in the position to join a gym. Both financially and just a matter of time. Getting away from my 2 kids is hard enough 1 a week, never mind more than that! I figured that a 9 dollar DVD from Walmart was about the same as one guest pass to a gym, so why not. I love the DVD's. I particulary like the shred because it is only 20 minutes long and that is all I can muster on some days after the boys are in bed.

Don't let yourself get overwhelmed... if you do slip, it really is no big deal. It happens to all of us. Just get right back. No need to wait for tomorrow either. Another big downfall for me.... "I screwed up, so will start again tomorrw" Let me tell you, I can do a lot of damage in 10 hours!

I am proud of you. You can do it. And on the days that you don't think that you can, you have a lot of support here!

Welcome!

You can start by walking 10 minutes at lunch, and 10 minutes with your family after dinner. Slowly increast those times until you can do 20 mintes or half hour each time. Buy some 3 pound hand weights and while you are watching TV at night do biceps curls and triceps extensions, shoulder raises etc. That in itself won't burn a lot of calories, but building muscle increases your metabolism, and once you lose the fat you will have pretty, toned muscles to see!

Eat lots of fruits and veggies. I always buy what ever is on sale for veggies. Apples, grapes, bananas, oranges, melons, kiwis, berries etc... Frozen veggies are just as nutritious as fresh (sometimes more so) are usually cheaper, and all you have to do to prepare them is cut open the bag and steam them! I buy store brands. A few cents cheaper than the name brands usually.

I buy generic brown rice in a 3 pound bag for about $2. It lasts a week! Mix in beans and veggies for a healthy lunch. Sometimes I will saute onions, mushrooms, peppers, whatever in a little evoo and mix it with the rice to spice it up a little.

Good luck on your journey. This place is awesome, with lots of nice people to ask advice of. Take care!:flowerforyou:

I really hope she wouldnt mind me posting this, but this woman is an absolute hero for busy people
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/imagymrat
Shes bringing up six kids,working full time and manages ti find time for health. Yeah,she's superfit,but no-one gets there without hard work. You can do it.
My mum works full time, and has lost in excess of 100lbs through sheer determination . You can do anything as long as you beleive it. If you need any advice on budget shopping PM me,I dont have a family,but I shopped for one when my mum broke her back, and there are a few key things which always come in handy.

Oh my you made me want to cry. I know how hard and more to the point scare to start something new. I also know that the only person you can do this for is you. You have to want it more than you fear it. You go online to find a healty foods shopping list. You also dont have to eat the same stuff you family does. I say this because I three boys on of which is 2 so I know that I have to stay here with him as long as I can. I also have an son with autism and I dont trust anyone to raise him but me. I have faith that you will see why you want to do this.

Good Luck

If you decide to look for some beginner workout DVD's check out www.walkathome.com just to get an idea. These are workouts you can do at home in front of your TV and they come in all different lengths. From 1 mile to 5 with all kinds of variations and most (not all) are totally low-impact. I started out with one mile a day and it took 15 - 20 minutes. I am not very coordinated and was totally out of shape when I started. These are the only workouts I've used so far. If you decide you want to try them don't order off the website though, you can get them cheaper at most Wal-marts, Targets, and Best Buys. And even places like amazon may be less expensive. I've even talked to people that rent them from netflix. Your kids might like doing them too when you can't make it outdoors. I know there is a family walk DVD but I've never found it.

Welcome to MFP! It's a great place to be