Getting nowhere

Go to the bodymedia.com site directly and email or call them with your arm measurements and they will let you know what you need. The BMF armbands are fantastic and give you a very clear idea of what you are burning everyday, so you know what you can have to do to create the deficit you need. They are also very motivational in that you can try and beat past "personal bests" I have consistently lost an average of 2lbs a week since buying mine in Feb. I find it every bit as valuable as this website!

Whem I'm bored..or its to hot, heck some times I just can't escape my children.
Youtube has wonderful..short/long/funny workout videos.

Love doing the ones from the 80s just for some Kicks and giggles. :-)

Lots of yoga on there too!

You can lose weight without exercise.

Exercise and weight loss are what are going to heal your pain, though. You are strong enough to save your own life. You have to be - no one else can do it for you.

Don't be discouraged by the fact you're getting nowhere.

You should cut out all white food like bread, rice, etc... Definitely limit your sugar to natural sugars (like fruit only) and reduce fat. Have smaller portions, I find putting food on small plates helps with this and you still feel full!

You can't make excuses for exercise. I'm in my early 20's and I have a bad back/neck and knees from years of horse riding falls and breaks, and I still manage to exercise everyday! Try yoga or pilates (Blogilates is a m a z i n g !) and walking is really good for you. Even if it's really hot, take water with you (even freeze a bottle overnight to take with you) and go out there and do it! The more you exercise, the more you want to to do it, and you'll start seeing results :flowerforyou:

Don't get disheartened and frustrated - you will get there!

You can do this. I'm doing it, and I have nearly 200 pound to lose. I would recommend setting MFP for a 2 pounds per week loss. That's what mine is set on. As I lose weight, MFP reduces my daily calories to keep me at 2 pounds per week. But it's plenty of food for me. If MFP is telling you to eat 2000 or 2200 calories, try it. But make sure you count every morsel that goes into your mouth. Get out the measuring cups and the scale and weigh and measure every serving. I was shocked at portion sizes! I had no idea what a real serving was, but I am learning.

Also, you have to find an exercise you can live with. If you like the pool (which would be easy on your joints), invest in that drive! Who cares how far it is? You are saving your life! Plan to go 3 or 4 times a week. In a few months, your weight will be down and you may feel like walking more, or doing some other exercise. Then you can cut down on the drives. There are lots of "sittercise" workouts, where you do all of the moves from a chair. I've checked some out from my library, and they got me sweating! If you can't hold a dumbbell, try some weighted gloves. They don't have to be gripped. But if you are like me, my arms are so big, they are weights all by themselves!

Most of all, be consistent. Try to hit your calorie goal every day. Try to move more every day. Drink plenty of water. These simple steps will help you see big changes on the scale. I also find it very helpful to read the message boards. The Success Stories is my favorite. It's so motivating! Lots of people have lost large amounts of weight. Lots of people have overcome health problems, or lost weight in spite of them. You can too! Don't give up!

^^^THIS!^^^^ Agree completely with everything she said!!!!

Hello! I work with people who have all varieties of physical limitations in a professional context as I work in skilled nursing facilities and hospitals as a therapist. Arthritis is really painful and my heart goes out to you...however...and here comes the tough love part...there ARE many things you can do. BUT...YOU...are the one who has to do them. I hope you are still reading now that I have been a little blunt. I mean what I said in the kindest of intentions and it can be very hard to come on these boards, ask a questions, and have perfect strangers judge you or scold you or reprimand you or patronize you or whatever....basically...in essence NOT give you the answers you were expecting or hoping to receive. That can be a little hard to swallow. I think what you need to do is change your perception of yourself first, before anything else. YOU CAN DO ANYTHING YOU DARN WELL PLEASE unless you are deathly sick, in a bed, with a terminal illness, or you have lost your cognitive or conscious functions. You are YOUNG and INTELLIGENT and SPUNKY. You are on HERE! You know it's possible somewhere within you, but you may have to admit that some suffering is probably going to have to come to the surface to reach you goals. But the most painful part may be the part where you become honest with yourself about the fact that it's your attitude more than your lifestyle that needs altered. Delve into your spirit and look for strength...it is going to be a bumpy ride. Here is what I suggest, based off professional experience with older people in rehab who have tons of arthritis and based from my personal successes with weight loss and fitness.
1. YOU ARE NOT OLD. Don't make yourself old in your mind if you are not...because I am 30 and I do NOT want to think of myself as old at 52...I don't look at any 52 year old and think, "They're old...." Don't put that negativity on yourself. Push it away. You are middle aged and on your way to meeting your goals.
2. Get active. This may require Tylenols, icy hot, heating pads, ice packs, very light impact workouts...so be it. Do try Leslie Sansone's walking away the pounds. It's an indoor walking program on a video. You don't need much space to do it. Don't even need shoes. You could do it naked. Try seated exercise videos too. Get on amazon.com and find a video or 5 of them that look good and DOABLE to YOU. Buy them. Put them in and do at least an hour daily. 5-7 days a week.
3. Cut your calories. If you want to lose weight, eat less than 1800 cal. If you aren't working out and you want to be 40 lbs lighter like the sis...follow her plan. You may be able to eat a little more as long as you are truly getting an hour of the low impact exercise in, but remember...with the lighter types of exercise, you can't really eat that much extra. You will negate the hour and not lose anything. In 60 min. of the leslie sansone walk workout, you may only burn 300-400 cal. eating 1500 and burning this amount is safe in my mind and COMPLETELY doable.
4. Choose healthy FILLING foods often 80% of your time, but allow some "naughty treats" here and there BUT responsibly so...STAY AT YOUR LIMIT CALORIES WISE.
5. Research arthritis. Get online and find out all you can about this condition. Look for people who have overcome this with diet and exercise. NOT MOVING IS THE BIGGEST MISTAKE you can make with this condition. When you move, your body creates a lubricant for the joints...not moving, the joint become sorer and stiffer over time. Ask any doctor or physical therapist and they will tell you MOVE MOVE MOVE. You don't have to do things that outright cause pain, but for the first months of this, you may simply have to do seated workouts and light weights. I've seen 90 year olds with YEARS of arthritis and broken hips lift 2 lbs weights over and over like it's nothing and pedal arm bikes. Research arthritis. Find supplements and foods that decrease INFLAMMATION. Look into it all. Nutrition can heal your body. Find the foods that will do that and EAT them EVERY day.
6. Buy fitness equipment that fits in your home. An arm bike that convert to a foot pedals that you can adjust resistance on is a great one to start with. It will loosen up all your joints with minimal impact and will increase your heart rate for light cardio. Again, look on amazon.
7. Go for walks in the evening when sun goes down. Even if it's for 15 minutes. Who cares. It is better than nothing.
8. Stay positive and be proud of any small thing you add into your life to rejuvenate and strengthen your soul, your mind and your body. You can do this. You have the power and the intelligence. You have will power. If you find will power a challenge...if you find cutting calories and working out an hour a day TOO MUCH...pray, meditate, read self help books that address your psychological problems...RISE ABOVE THESE MENTAL BARRIERS! Stop allowing yourself to accept mediocrity and stop giving into instant gratification. Prove to yourself you can reach your goals! And then flaunt the same size pants as your sister at the next family gathering in 6 months from now.