I'm hoping someone can relate!

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scoobie923
scoobie923 Posts: 1
in Introduce Yourself
Hello!

My name is Kerstin, and I live in the gloomy state of Ohio. I am 24 years old and am very unhappy with my weight. I Have had some ups and downs with my weight throughout my life. As a youngster, I was very thin and tall for my age, as well as very active. And then comes along good old puberty to mess that up! I gained weight pretty quick, but then table topped off from 7th to 12th grade. In my later years in high school, I was happy with my weight, but still felt a little pudgy. A knee injury from soccer stopped me from being active in my sophomore year. After that, and hitting age 18, I began putting on the pounds once again quite quickly, and then again table topped off at where I am today, 6 years later. I have been diagnosed with some medical issues that may have contributed to this, but I am sure my exercise-free lifestyle and poor eating habits have greatly contributed to that.

As for OHIO goes, everyone who lives here knows how miserable the weather can be. We get bipolar weather changes throughout most of the year, a few months of snow, a month of summer/spring mix, and a month of HOT, HOT, HOT! With that being said it can be hard to not only get motivated to get outside and do the "free" exercising, but also hard to get a good schedule down too. I do not drink or party, and live in a city with one of the largest party schools around, so there is not much to do here at all.

I am currently a full-time college student, and work 32 hours a week in a job that requires me to stand on my feet all day long. I live with my fiance in our own home, so cooking, cleaning, yard work, and all that comes with that great achievement makes it very hard to find the time to focus on my health and give myself some "me" time when you mix it with school and work.

I'm working towards a Physical Therapy Assisting degree, so I know all about what to do and how to lose weight and be healthy, but doing it is another thing. If there's anybody out there that has some advice on how to effectively make some changes in my life to help my get to a healthier lifestyle, PLEASE feel free to clue me in!

GOOD LUCK TO ANYONE TRYING TO CHANGE THEIR LIFESTYLES!!!!! And props to those who have already made a start by getting set up on here!

Replies

  • alglenn2013
    alglenn2013 Posts: 97 Member
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    Hi Kerstin! Wow it sounds like your plate is pretty full!

    I live in SE Michigan, so I know all about the wacky weather! I keep watching the news hoping for the temp to come up enough to start walking outside every night. I might sound like a wimp, but 30 degrees is still too cold for me! I'm lucky though, I actually have time between work and dinner to go to the gym.

    You said you live in a college town, does your University have a gym or a pool where you could fit a few short workouts in between classes? Being near Ann Arbor I know a lot of people who ride their bikes to work and school also. Is this a possibility? I know the weather gets in the way, but even if you can do it a couple times a week it's better than nothing. From the sounds of your post you are very busy and finding time for yourself is very important for your physical health, but also your mental well being. Good luck I hope you find something that works for you!
  • Krikkett
    Krikkett Posts: 4
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    Okay, part of this between the lines looks a bit like me. You are reaching out in the forums (Kudos, that is a hard one!) I am not very outgoing online, and owning up to my overweight status to strangers who cannot even see me to know I am porky is a hard thing for me, even on here.... Heck, I cannot bring myself to post a picture. Or even take one...

    Having a support system has been proven time and time again to be effective on taking it off and keeping it off. I think meeting some like minded people to keep you accountable and comfortable is huge. So this post you made here is a great step toward filling in the hole you are missing. Since you know how to eat well and live right, getting people to help get you to do it is a good thing.

    Feel free to add me if you like. I would love to help cheer you on!

    P.S. Some of the harder yard work counts as a workout, I think. (;
  • mdorsett221
    mdorsett221 Posts: 29 Member
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    Hi, I definitely understand a busy schedule and I live in Texas so I know exactly what you're sayinig about the bipolar weather. While it sounds like you get quite a bit of exercise in your daily life, I would try doing some bodyweight exercises first thing in the morning, to build muscle, before you get tired/sore from your daily activities. If you do it circuit style without breaks in between and work the largest muscle groups, you can burn a lot of calories in a short amount of time. The first change I made was quitting sugar. This means anything with added sugar or corn syrup. The first week was admittedly awful, but now I feel better than ever. I have so much more energy to get through my day. Another thing I do to save time, is cook up my meals for the week on Sunday afternoons. This way I never have to worry about cooking during a busy weekday and am not unprepared if I get home late and ravenous. I still have a long way to go, but it is a journey for all of us. I hope this helps.

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