I am afraid to even post this...

Wishing you the very best of luck Tom

Susan

You can do it, Tom! Sending you positive and encouraging thoughts! Feel free to friend me if you like!

Some time ago, I noticed a man walking past my house who had a considerable amount of weight to lose. At first, he would move quite slowly and he would only walk up to the next block and back. We'd always exchange hellos if I happened to be outside when he walked by.

He was amazing to watch! He'd be out there every day and you could set your clock by his walking. As time went by, it was obvious that he was losing weight...he began to walk faster and increase the distance day by day.

He's still out there, walking every day, although a lot of the time now, he jogs and runs. If I were to venture a guess, I would say he has gone from about a 56 inch waist to possibly a 32 inch waist...he is half the size he used to be and he looks fabulous! I recently told him how great he looks and I asked him what else he does.

He said the biggest change was not stopping at McDonald's..or if he does, he buys a Happy Meal instead of two Big Macs...he no longer "supersizes." He also told me he bought some weights one day while passing a garage sale on his walk and he works out with them regularly. Most importantly, he said he changed his lifestyle, and like you, he said he did it for his family as well as for himself, but he started with that one small change...a daily walk.

He is downright impressive and a perfect example of proof that it CAN be done without expensive equipment, gym memberships, or radical diets. He's a true inspiration!

And you can do it too! You've already taken that first step by making the decision to change your life. Kudos to you!!

Dear Tom,

First off, Good Luck!!! You can do this.

You have so much encouragement and advice flooding in....perhaps this thread will be a long term treasured resource for you to return to?

So I just thought I'd add one thing. S.M.A.R.T goals

I've copied this from a webspace called 'Flourish' by Alisha Gratehouse.

I share this element of the journey with you because it has been very important to me. I have broken down my journey into 4 phases of about 10-14lbs each. I've done 2, and am beginning the third. Each phase has needed something new from me. I have noted that you set a goal of a loss of 160 by Chirstmas 2013. Just for comparison I have lost 27 in 9 months!....But I'm very happy with that, although it is slow....because I'm trying to make a lifestyle change for life. For me, this isn't a 'diet' but a change in lifestyle. First of all, healthier food...and now for my last two phases it is also going to be much more about the type of exercise I incorporate into my life. (The first two phases were all about walking more). So I'm wishing you very good luck with your goal setting. MFP is brilliant as they work it all out for you. Tap in the right numbers...then they will tell you how many calories to eat. Tom the important thing is to move in the right direction, not so much the speed at which you do so! Good Luck!
Best wishes
Anna

Here are Alisha's words!

When setting any goal, whether it’s a career, financial or physical goal, there are a few important principles to keep in mind. Let’s look at how to apply these principles to your fitness goals:

S – Specific

M – Measurable

A – Attainable

R – Realistic

T – Time Sensitive

#1: SPECIFIC

A specific goal has a much greater chance of being accomplished than a general one. So, instead of making a general statement such as, “I want to lose weight & get in shape,” be specific. How many pounds do you want to lose? What do you believe is your ideal weight? When you think of being in shape, is there a specific dress or pants size that you have in mind? Be specific.

#2: MEASURABLE

It’s pretty easy to set a measurable fitness goal. Just step on the scales. What do you weigh? What do you want to weigh? What is your clothing size? What size do you want to be? Use a measuring tape to measure your waist, hips, arms, thighs, etc. Write down your measurements, then each week (or month) take new measurements to see if you’re on track with your goal.

#3: ATTAINABLE

If you will take the time to plan and establish a time frame, then almost any goal is attainable. Wise planning allows you to carry out the steps you need to achieve the goal you’ve set for yourself. Think about what steps you’ll need to take and write them down. What is the amount of calories your body burns each day? How many more calories will you need to burn everyday in order to lose one pound? Start replacing your fried, fatty foods with healthy, grilled alternatives. Cut out your soft drinks and learn to drink water instead. Exercise daily and find other ways to move your body more. Little steps like these will help you attain your fitness goal.

#4: REALISTIC

To be realistic, a goal must represent an objective toward which you are both *willing* and *able* to accomplish. You can have a high goal that is also realistic, but make sure to evaluate all your goals to know if they are right for you and your situation. Be realistic about what your ultimate weight loss and clothing size should be. Don’t be pressured by our society to look like a supermodel. Most ladies are not 5’11” and the size of a stick. In fact, that’s usually sickly looking. Seek the Lord about what size He created you to be, then allow Him to strengthen you to reach that weight and size.

#5: TIME SENSITIVE

Set a date for when you want to fully accomplish your weight loss goal. This is a highly motivating step! Perhaps you have a wedding or a class reunion to attend this spring, or maybe you simply want to feel comfortable in a swimsuit this summer. Pick a deadline for shedding those extra pounds, then figure out how many pounds per week you will need to lose in order to ultimately achieve your goal weight. Then get busy!

By keeping these S.M.A.R.T. goal-setting principles in mind (and with the help of the Lord), you will definitely achieve the fitness level you desire!

Hello Tom, and to anyone else reading this and who is pretty new to MFP!

Support, encouragement and understanding is what every needs and your introduction to us here will surely garner all of those from those who become your friends on this lifestyle change you have chosen to make.

Unlike you Tom, I as a teen never had problems with weight, but the eating habits I picked up then didn't help me in my adult life. Up until I was 17 I swam competitively at a national level and when you training at the intensity I was whatever I ate was burnt up.

It took until my 50th birthday last fall to make the decision and take the steps necessary to get back my life. I was getting extremely tired of getting short of breath just trying to tie my shoes. By changing the types of food choices I was making and starting to get regular exercise I have lost 46.2 lbs and I'm down to 254.1 lbs. That loss has made a world of a difference about how I feel about myself and simply wanting to be more active. Those who are are my friends here are extremely encouraging, I try to be supportive as well.

So anyone who wants to add me as a friend please do so. I just ate a bit more than a third of my calories for the day, but now that I am more active that doesn't matter. I will probably be going out for a 23 mile bike ride this morning, last year at this time of the year I had a hard time getting on my bike so didn't. Things have changed though it has taken commitment, discipline, and a lot of support and encouragement from the people I have met here on MFP.

Tom and others set small short term goals for yourselves, if you walked around the block five times yesterday, walk around the block six times next Monday. We are all here because we want to improve our lives, our overall well being and our health. Last year I would sit in front of the idiot box a lot, now I watch less than four or five hours a week.

All has to be done step by step and be consistent and honest with yourself. Remember the words of Chinese philosopher Laozi (c 604 bc - c 531 bc) - "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." I think everyone here has taken that first step. Some of us have taken one hundred steps and others have taken one hundred thousand, but we are all on a journey. Tom and others who want to be my friend place add me, I will walk steps with you, I will encourage you and help you on your journeys.

Have a great Tuesday everyone. If you are down under, then it is probably already Wednesday, so have one of those instead!

Hey Tom,

You found the right place to be for this journey. The folks on MFP are awesome and will help you get through this. I have been overweight my entire life and still haven't found the right recipe for success but the last few months have been great with MFP. I am starting to get more active and realize that there is more to life than eating. I was reading a post this morning and found this link, http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/, you should check it out, it has some very interesting and informative information.

The things I have been doing are smaller portions (trying anyway), more water and walking. If you can get those three under control you can do anything.

Feel free to add me to your support group.

Best of luck
Kim :happy:

Tom, congratulations on making this step towards a healthier you! I wish you all the best in your endeavors!!

FR sent!

I'm so glad you're here! If you'd like a friend I'd like to be one for you. I see this site and all it's great people making such a difference for so many. With these tools and the encouragement you'll find here I believe they can help you change your lifestyle. Welcome Tom.

I admire and applaud your courage to take this step. You can do this. Please feel free to add me and I will be happy to be part of your support system.

You are making the first step which is difficult! Believe me!!! My mom and sister would go on diets and ask if I wanted to join or if I wanted to exercise with them and I would yell and scream and say "No!" Years ago, I wasn't ready to lose weight and taking that first step and admitting you need to change is a hard one! Awesome job! I sent you a friend request!

Emily

Why are you afraid to post this? You are doing a great step by reaching out and seeking help. It's okay to admit you need support. We all have to start from somewhere, right? Forget fad diets and know you can lose weight! Believe in yourself, you can do it!

Hi Tom,
I'll send you a friend request as soon as I finish this message.
You can do this.
In the short term, concentrate on moving more. Make exercise a part of your daily routine.
Make walking your friend. Start small and gradually increase. If you do this in conjunction with calorie counting - you'll begin to see some real changes in your health, fitness and how you're feeling.
Then at some stage I recommend that you also look at your diet. Personally, I think looking at weight loss in isolation from other lifestyle factors may not be the best strategy for many people.
All the very best!
kind regards,

Ben

Hi Tom!
Congrats on deciding on the new life style. It is awesome
FR sent!!

Welcome! No need to be afraid. I'm very new as well and I will say this is generally a super friendly, supportive, helpful group of people!

The 'trick' for me (someone else who has failed overa nd over and over and OVER at lifestyle changes in the past) is the basic simplicity of tracking how much of everything I'm eating and not getting seconds/cutting portion sizes. Add that to walking (not trying to do exercise that my body isn't ready for; just walking is enough to jump-start you!) and I've started to actually see a difference.

Vegetables are a life-saver. You can eat so many without drowning in calories if you cook them right and it made the transition into smaller portion sizes easier, since for a while I just let myself eat my usual portions of vegetables and only then started trimming things down.

You can do it! MFP is here to help

There are people that do this all the time. I have two good friends on here that did it. (Both whom I met at races)

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/jhardenbergh

and

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/bigmech

You can do this if you are willing to change your life. If not, you stay on the roller coaster of dieting until you die.

Good luck.