Im at my breaking point!!!

Hi,

You sound like you have a very hectic schedule. Pick a realistic calorie goal - mine is 1500 a day, try to get some exercise in - even if it is only walking as any exercise is better than none. Slow and steady wins the race. Every small change you implement will help

Hi,
I was in your situation years ago. It is so hard to find the time and the energy to workout when you are being pulled in so many directions. I would try to work out when my child was sleeping or put her in a stroller and take her along. I think diet is the most important thing. Lately I've been trying to eat less meat and less processed foods. I do eat some, but nowhere near as much as I used to. A food scale and bowls that are used to measure are also helpful to take the guess work out of portion control. Feel free to add me as a friend. I could also use the support.

I find having a child means that the gym isn't an option (you have to work to the gym's schedule rather than your own). I've started doing exercise DVDs after mine goes to bed. Zumba really works for me, and is a lot of fun, but there are plenty of cheaper options out there.

There are a lot of gyms that are 24hours and offer day care. You need to find a better gym sweetheart.

Hi, Im Aiyana. Im 19 and am looking to lose 100 lbs. i have no specific time frame because I want to do it the healthy way and keep it off. Looking for people that can help me with meal ideas, exercises that work, etc. I work, attend school and have a 2-year-old so I dont have much time to join a gym. I cannot continue to live this life of sadness about my weight. I ready to make a change!!

First, take a look at this post here: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819925-the-basics-don-t-complicate-it

I was 150lbs overweight when I started. I lost 117lbs, 87 of them on here. Log consistently, weigh and measure everything and eat at a sustainable deficit. It's great that you want to exercise, that will definitely make the process easier and, BONUS, you will get to eat more. If you can find a gym with childcare, that's great, if not, do it at home. I have done both. Find an exercise you love and keep with it. Be patient and trust the process, it works!

Hi there!

There are lots of good suggestions here from other folks - I am a firm believer in weighing your food (food scales are fairly cheap) and logging it all here on the site. Big note: Don't try to do too much too quickly. Sure, you need to reduce your calories and follow the rules, but don't lowball yourself on calories trying to hurry things along (believe me, it's tempting). Your body will just get frustrated with you and you will have a really hard time of things. Take it easy and remind yourself that the weight came on slowly, and has to come off the same way. It sounds like you have the right attitude about the speed of things.

As for fitness, if the gym ends up not being an option for you because of the kiddo, I really recommend walking. You want to start walking for 30 minutes at a pace that gets your heart rate up, but where you can still talk (no heavy duty huffing and puffing). I can't do it without music, but that's what mp3 players are for, right? You can start walking and build up your endurance, and if you think you might enjoy it, you can work up to jogging. I am using an app on my phone called Couch to 5K, which prepares VERY beginner walker/runners for a 5K walk/run. Working toward an actual event really keeps me motivated, and there are 5K walk/runs in nearly every city multiple times per year. These "races" are not about competition, and you get a chance to meet new people, which I dig.

You can also get inexpensive hand weights or resistance tubing online at Amazon (or wherever you like to shop) which will let you do some strength training from home. Strength training is so important for maintaining good lean muscle mass, which is a calorie burner. If you want ideas on what exercises you can do using these tools or even just your own body weight, the Mayo Clinic has some good demo videos which walk you through each exercise: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/strength-training/MY00033

Just make sure you take a day off between strength training days. Walking can be done every day, but if you add jogging, you need to make sure you only jog on alternate days as well, so your body has a chance to heal. Hope these suggestions were practical and helpful!