Hi :) New Here and have a long way to go

Tina81980
Tina81980 Posts: 5
in Introduce Yourself
Hi Everyone!

I just joined and started my journey yesterday. I am still trying to figure all of this out with the exercise and food but you have to start somewhere right?

Anyway I am 33 5'4" and currently weigh around 260. (I don't weigh myself, and most likely never will, this is around the number last time I did and I have not gained or lost since then). My goal is to lose around 100-130 pounds. I am going to judge the loss by how my clothes fit and how I feel. I have tried to lose the weight before and became so consumed by the scale that when I didn't see a number change I gave up. I am determined to not do that this time.

I am also restarting exercise. Yesterday I went for my first walk in a long time. I did 1 mile in 20 minutes, not my best but I can happily say that I didn't stop or slow down one time so I am happy with that for my first go round. Hoping my endurance builds soon and I can go further faster. I hope to get into running soon. I love they way I feel after a run so I am looking forward to getting back to that level, and maybe even try some kickboxing. My 13 year old son likes to tease me and say I couldn't take him and I would love nothing more than to prove to him that yes Mom could :)

I am really looking forward to getting to know everyone and get this journey started.

Tina

Replies

  • MaureenH39
    MaureenH39 Posts: 315 Member
    Welcome! Nice job with the walk! :smile: If you are looking for friends feel free to add me :smile:
  • Team079
    Team079 Posts: 1 Member
    Welcome! I started using this site a week ago today & I am down 6lbs in my first week. It's hard, but worth it. :)
  • radiolove
    radiolove Posts: 4 Member
    I wish you the very best of luck! I'm sure this community will be of great help for us!
  • Tina81980
    Tina81980 Posts: 5
    Thanks everyone for such a nice welcome. I am sure this will be a great place for me.
  • treycee883
    treycee883 Posts: 32 Member
    Hi there welcome to mfp! IVe found this website to be very good for motivation. Im 30 from UK. Im 5ft1 and my starting weight was 174lbs and im currently at 152lbs. I still have around 35lbs to lose. Because my journey is a lifestyle change I dont believe in diets as they dont work. I eat what i want within moderation. I jog 5 times a day and log everyday, my diary is open for mfps to nosey for any inspiration. Please feel free to add me im sure i will give plenty of encouragement and motivation. Good luck on your journey to fitness ????????
  • arguablysamson
    arguablysamson Posts: 1,709 Member
    Hi!
  • nivi72
    nivi72 Posts: 1
    Me too! I signed up a long time ago but I only just started i need to lose 50 pounds :smile:
  • anallydiaz
    anallydiaz Posts: 48 Member
    Welcome! I added you :)
  • EllenTebbits
    EllenTebbits Posts: 37 Member
    Congratulations on joining and your very healthy relationship to weight/numbers. I have found the community on MFP enormously helpful, and I would encourage you to do the following:

    Take the time to congratulate yourself and post/publish (either publicly or in a journal) all of your victories-a .2 loss, an evening when you resisted a food temptation, exercise accomplishments

    Take the time to find a community of users you connect with on some level-doesn't have to be the amount of weight they start at or have to lose, it can be a mindset, a personality type, etc. Once you find them, make sure to spend a little time each day congratulating them on their successes, looking at their diaries (if shared), asking questions, being supportive. You get back what you give!

    Be kind to yourself and remember: It's all about the journey, not the goal. You want to create a lifestyle and changes that you can maintain.

    Best of luck.
  • MyChangeIsComing
    MyChangeIsComing Posts: 11 Member
    Welcome, I just started on here a week ago and am determined to give it my all as well. I had to laugh about the scale thing because that is me totally. Addicted to weighing myself. Anyhow, if you ever need a friend or someone to talk with, feel free to drop a line.

    Treena
  • EllenTebbits
    EllenTebbits Posts: 37 Member
    Oh! One more thing!

    Log each and every single bite you take. It is so helpful not only for accountability, but also so that you can learn about what works best for your body. For example, I increased my daily protein goal and decreased my daily carbohydrate goal and found that this works best for my daily satiety and means that I don't feel hungry late in the day.
  • Reddirtblacktopqueen
    Reddirtblacktopqueen Posts: 79 Member
    Welcome! I believe you have found the perfect place to begin. You will find some of the most encouraging and inspirational people here.

    Friend request sent. :flowerforyou:
  • becciboo91
    becciboo91 Posts: 1
    I've been a bit shy but I've been on mfp for about 3 weeks. I'm 22, female, 5'7 and 154lb. Lost 10lbs so far. Want to get back in to my size 8 jeans and improve my fitness. Really determined this time round and happy to encourage/be encouraged by friendly people! :)
  • 86sarahb
    86sarahb Posts: 84 Member
    Feel free to add me, I log daily and my diary is open. :drinker:
  • Mick63116
    Mick63116 Posts: 47 Member
    Each walks time will be better just stick with it. Welcome
  • idoumbia
    idoumbia Posts: 3
    Keep it up!!! its gonna be awesome in the long run :happy:
  • Meganosborn1988
    Meganosborn1988 Posts: 24 Member
    Hi there! I started with walking every night, and after only 1 month I was jogging, then running! Walking is a great start! Keep up with my fitness pal, along with determination and my fitness pal I have lost about 30 lbs. Good luck!
  • DevSanchez
    DevSanchez Posts: 314 Member
    Always looking for new friends to support and help support me! Looks like we both have long journeys ahead of us! Always looking for new MFP! Add me!
  • Tina81980
    Tina81980 Posts: 5
    Thanks again everyone on such a great welcome. The advice is awesome. I have logged everything I have eaten the past 2 days. I haven't really changed what I eat much so far but I am working on getting healthier foods into my diet. I want to be healthy not just thin. I think it will be a slow transition for me. But some things (like chocolate) I simply cannot give up :) This is my encouragement for exercise. If exercise frees up enough calories for a bit of chocolate I am lacing up the shoes :)
  • scubasuenc
    scubasuenc Posts: 626 Member
    Welcome. MFP provides the tools to help you make informed decisions about your lifestyle. You need to add the motivation. :)

    Walking is wonderful exercise. That is where I started, as I became more fit I added in other types of exercise. I recommend first focusing on the time you want, then work on increasing pace. For example if you want to walk 30 minutes per day, then work your way up to that at your current pace, then work on increasing your pace so you can go further in the same amount of time. I've found Leslie Sansone's Walk At Home DVDs to be great exercise on those days when walking outside is not practical.

    Good luck on your journey.
  • amandaygriffin
    amandaygriffin Posts: 15 Member
    Welcome! I am new to the community, but not MFP. I have used it before and I believe it is a GREAT tool to monitor caloric intake. I also LOVED the way I felt when I was running before, but like you, I gave up when the scale quit changing. I have to be honest and say this: you should weigh yourself so you know exactly how much you weigh. I thought I weighed 10 pounds more than I did before I stepped on the scale and it felt awesome to know exactly how much I weigh now! You can add me as a friend and we can be in this together!

    Also, great job on the walking! I agree, you DO have to start somewhere!
  • Aaron_K123
    Aaron_K123 Posts: 7,122 Member
    Welcome. Seems to me like you have a good practical positive attitude that should do you well in the months and years to come on your journey. Just starting out and where you are at now you can make a big difference in your health and appearance with just small substitutions in your diet, a little portion control and daily walks like the one you described. If you found the scale discouraging I think you were right to put it away and focus just on making just some small changes that can really help you out in the long term.

    Good luck to you.
  • donnellyalynn
    donnellyalynn Posts: 22 Member
    Welcome! Feel free to add me :)
  • ashleyjohnstonn1
    ashleyjohnstonn1 Posts: 359 Member
    Welcome! Feel free to add me :)
    My diary is open and you can browse around!

    My best advice is this: You DON'T need to be perfect. Keep that in mind. Trying to be perfect is what will kill you, and it will prevent you from losing the weight. It is all about moderation. Take things you love, an try to make them healthier. For example I add some carrots in my spaghetti. Or, instead of having a bagel with cream cheese I have half a bagel with one tablespoon of low fat cream cheese and add some fruit in to the meal to replace the other half of the bagel I normally would've eaten. Instead of having chicken and potatoes, I have chicken, a little bit off potatoes, and a huge serving of a veggie I enjoy. Try to cut out the nonessentials. Does that butter really make your bread taste THAT much better? Don't cut out all things you enjoy. It is all about moderation. Even Jillian Michaels says eat healthy foods 80% of the time, and whatever you want 20% of the time. Working out is important, but eating healthy is even more important in my opinion. ALWAYS log ALL your food so you can see what you're really eating. Even if it's 5 tortilla chips - log them! And buy a food scale if possible, so that you can accurately log just how much you're eating.

    The reason why I find that it's better to eat treats in moderation rather than cut them out completely is that this is about a lifestyle change, it's not about losing weight and going back to where you were. That means you need something sustainable that isn't going to be impossible to follow after you lose the weight.

    Congratulations on taking steps toward a more fit lifestyle. :)

    Also, if you don't want to use the scale that's fine. But try to take measurements once a month! And take before pictures, because it'll be really encouraging to see just how much your body changes!
  • odalis_inoa
    odalis_inoa Posts: 1
    Hi, I'm new to this also. Hi everyone! :)
  • IslandSeeker
    IslandSeeker Posts: 17
    Feel free to add me! Sounds like you are making s great start:smile:

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