Hi! Im evie. Ive got 32.9 kgs to lose, I started at 107.8kg which is 237.2pounds. Im now at 92.9kgs which is 204.3 pounds... so im getting there! So my 32.9 kgs is 72.38pounds. So I may have less than 100 pounds to lose now, but not when I started. So im hoping thats ok I joined this group. Id love all the support possible, and to support everyone as much as possible! Ummm... so um yeah... this is me any questions or anything ask away im here for u all! And hi victoria thanks for making this group.

Hello everyone. I am 47 and have 100 pounds to lose as well. Maybe even 110 pounds. I am glad that this group was started.

Hmmm.... what has helped me. Ummm I guess the fact that I track all my food. And looking at this not a diet but my life style. And on days I struggle I dont give up for the day? I stop eating whatever n say its ok, I will go grab a carrot for the rest of my lunch. Exercise wise I been walking or trying to do some strength stuff. And I try to do it every day or 2nd day. Ive found I actually get sad if I dont do something. My biggest help at the mo is youtube for fitness videos. Im trying to work on jillian michaels yoga meltdown. Thats a good one! I think my weightloss has been slow... hut steadyish which has also helped because it takes me so long to get to a goal, once im there is really makes me think about skipping food or eating those chips. But because its a lifestyle not a diet I do allow myself to have treats. Im trying to make them more health conscious thou such as dark chocolate or cacao chocolate not milk or white. Oh? And im on a tight budget so no gym for me. So yeah... dunno if that helps? I still have a long long way to go. But its getting easier.

Hi! My name is Anita. I'm from Croatia, a little country in Europe (north from Italy). My current weight is 122 kg or 270 pounds, so I have about 140 pounds to lose. This is a first time that I've joined any group or write something here. I want to feel good, strong, without pain in my knees and lower back, to be able to do things that I've done when I had 147 pounds. Yeah, that wasn't my ideal weight, I was chubby then (I was always a little chubby), but I felt good, I felt healthy. My problem is that after some time of watching on my meals, exercise regularly... I give up. I get in some very bad mood in which I don't have any more will, patience, motivation, nothing that I've done isn't important any more and then I just quit. Maybe I'm too lazy, don't know. So, I'm hoping that now I've joined this group I could get support (which I don't have, not any) in that moody times and give it to others in my good and inspired times. Thanks on your time for reading this!

Armywife - thanks for your response! About my strength training, I guess I'm not going the recommended route - I've designed a program that should work for me. What's recommended is to do a full-body workout 3X a week for 3 months. Here's my strength training plan - hopefully I'll follow it religiously for 1 full month and then I can modify it (it's good to mix it up - not only do you get bored with the same old thing, changing things up is good for your body):

With all my exercises I'm only using light to moderate to moderate-light weight. I'm SO out of shape I'll stop doing this if I kill myself everyday and I'm sore all the time. My main goal while I'm strength training is to: A) Use proper form Get it done - FAST! Again, I'm not a fan of strength training, but I'm going to do it 6 days/week in order to change my body composition. I do 3 sets of every exercise. It's important to me that I get every workout done in under 1 hour because I just don't enjoy strength training - I want it to be over as quickly as possible! Also, I try to do everything I can on a stability ball. This should improve my balance and core strength.

Sunday - rest (I'll still do some walking or cycling, though)

Monday (Back, Biceps) - Warmup (walk 10 mins on treadmill), Ab Crunches, Dumbbell Rows, Incline Dumbbell Rows, Incline Back Shrug, Alternating Bicep Curls (on stability ball), Concentration Curls, Incline Bicep Curls, Ab Crunches

Tuesday (the dreaded Leg Day) - Warmup (walk 10 mins on treadmill), Ab Crunches on stability ball (3 sets of a reasonable number, proper form is more important than the number of reps), Body Weight Squats (proper form is a MUST! due to my weak knees I'm not squatting down very far for now) 3 sets of whatever I can do comfortably, Body Weight Lunges (again, I'm not squatting down very far for now) 3 sets of whatever I can do comfortably, Leg Extensions (I have a old Soloflex machine), Leg Curls, Calf Raises with dumbbells (using light weight), Ab Crunches on stability ball. It's important to me that I work on core strength, thus the 2 cycles of Ab Crunches. After I get stronger abs, I'll introduce more exercises with the stability ball. Hopefully when I get a stronger core, I'll alleviate some back pain (it's hell being old AND overweight!).

Before doing any squats or lunges, make sure you look at a few videos of proper form! You do NOT want to injure yourself!

Wednesday (Chest, Shoulders, Triceps) - Warmup (walk 10 mins on treadmill), Ab Crunches, Dumbbell Bench Press (I can't find a piece to my Soloflex, that prevents me from using the bar. Hopefully I'll find it soon, or else I'll have to buy a replacement for about $35.00), Incline Dumbbell Bench Press, Front Shoulder Raises (on stability ball) 3 sets, Side Shoulder Raises (on stability ball), Shoulder Dumbbell Press (on stability ball), Tricep Press (on stability ball), Tricep Kickback , Ab Crunches.


Thursday (repeat Monday), Friday (repeat Tuesday), Saturday (Repeat Wednesday).

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You mentioned that you're afraid of gaining muscle (like a lot of women). I don't know how I can say this, but just don't be afraid. Combining some strength training with cardio should help expedite your journey! I highly recommend doing SOME strength training. You don't have to run out and buy a home gym or anything (although I believe everyone should own a stability ball), doing body weight exercises are just fine. Basic exercises like ab crunches, squats, lunges, are a great way to start. If you don't have weights, you can always use large cans of canned food for some resistance. I highly recommend that everyone do 3 days of strength training a week. You don't have to get all fancy like me, just stick to the basics! :-) People that become "muscle-bound" only become muscle-bound because they want to. Anyone that has 100 or more pounds to lose will definitely benefit from some strength training. Please give it a try, but take it VERY easy! The last thing you want to do is to over-do it, get sore and stop strength training.

You mentioned your interest in a marathon, that's AWESOME! I've completed multiple marathons (MANY, MANY pounds ago!), but I'm telling you ANYONE can do it! Here's some "rules for the road" for running your first marathon:

1) Since we're big people, chafing WILL happen! The best way to fight chafing is prevention. Cornstarch is your friend. Use it like powder anywhere your skin will rub together. Should you get some chafing, I find it best to rest and treat the problem rather than aggravate it by continued exercise. The key is that you don't want to get discouraged. Chafing can and will happen. Prevention is a LOT better than treatment! Besides cornstarch, you can buy a product called Body Glide. It's available at most big sporting goods stores. If you find Body Glide is too pricy, you can always substitute by applying deodorant in the places where you chafe.

2) Buy an inexpensive heart monitor - NOW! There's lots of discussions about HR monitors on this site. Personally, I wouldn't make a huge investment - just buy a dependable product that won't cost a fortune. Buy new, not used - you'll want that factory warranty in case you have a problem. I like the Polar brand, but that's just my preference. A HR monitor will help you to more accurately count the calories that you burn. Just like I need to accurately track the number of calories I take in, I need to accurately track the calories I burn.

2A) Now that you have a HR monitor, do a little reading on HR zones. There are many theories about HR zone training. For me, I train exclusively in zone 1 (50% - 60%) and zone 2 (60% - 70%). People training for an endurance (i.e. marathon) event need to do no less than 75% of their training in zone 2. If you find yourself getting into zone 3, you're working too hard - slow it down! Every now and then you hear stories of people having heart attacks at marathons. That's because a lot of folks basically "train for a heart attack". These people train in zones 3-5 a lot, and that puts WAY too much stress on your heart! Stay in zones 1 and 2 and you'll have a HEALTHY marathon journey!

3) Set some reasonable mini-goals for yourself. Walk at a brisk pace for 30 minutes, then 45, then 60. After you can walk for 60 minutes, add in a little jogging. If all you can do is jog for 15 seconds, that's fine! After you jog 15 seconds, go back to walking. As time goes on, try to increase the frequency of your jogging and the duration. Remember, think BABY STEPS! We didn't get to our current weight overnight, we won't lose it overnight!

3A) After you can jog for 30 minutes, set your sights on a 5K (3.1 miles). For me, nothing motivates me more than signing up for a race - usually race fees are non-refundable. Since I hate to waste money, signing up for a race is a sure-fire way to make me meet my goal!

3B) After the 5K, train for a 10K (6.2 miles). Then, train for a half marathon (13.1 miles) then finally your marathon (26.2 miles).

4) Train smart - don't overdue it! THIS IS IMPORTANT! NEVER, EVER increase your weekly mileage by more than 10 percent! Increasing your mileage too fast is an EASY way to injure yourself! Train smart!

5) Stretch before and after you walk/jog/run. Stretching before you run helps prevent muscle tears. Stretching after you run will help aid recovery.

6) Eat a banana a day. Personally, I can't stand bananas and I refuse to eat them. That's too bad for me because your body needs the potassium that bananas have. Potassium is your way to fight muscle cramps. If you don't like bananas, don't waste your money on potassium supplements. They're overpriced and there's not enough potassium content to make it worth the money. Instead, eat sweet potatoes or kiwi fruit. They don't have the potassium levels of a banana, but at least it's something!

7) Hill training. As you begin your walk to jog to run program, you'll want to encorporate some hills. Starting out, I would only suggest one day of hills a week (they're VERY hard on your body). Stick to flat roads if you can. As you improve your fitness level, add another day of hills until you're ready for whatever race course you'll be on. Most marathons have online elevation charts, become familiar with the course.

7A) Hills, surprise! Believe it or not, it's harder on your body to run down a hill than up! I didn't believe this until I ran my first marathon. After about mile 15, I cursed every time that I had a downhill section. When training, most people focus on going uphill. I'm telling you that you need to focus on the dowhills, too. They're tougher on your body than you think!

8) Protein. After you finish a run, make sure you get some high-quality protein into your body ASAP. This aids recovery and the muscle breakdown that happens.

9) Shoes. I should have put this higher in my list, but oh well... I highly recommend going to a running shoe store and let them find a shoe type for you and your gait (the way you walk - specifically the way your foot moves when it hits and leaves the ground). Running shoe stores prices are always high, but you're paying for their expertise - it's worth it! But after you know what type of shoe to buy (i.e. stability, motion control, cushioning, etc.) you can always buy the same type of shoe online for a discount. Check out http://www.runnersworld.com/shoe-finder/shoe-advisor . In case you can't go to a running shoe store, this guide will help you select the proper shoe type. There's lots of places to buy shoes online, I like roadrunner, zappos, and runningwarehouse.

10) Join a running group. Training with someone is ALWAYS better than training alone. Some of my best memories of my "thin" days are of my training group (of course I can't train with them now - I'm too out of shape, I'm too slow, and I'm too embarrassed about how bad I let myself go).

11) Ask questions. Believe me - I'm NO expert on running, cycling or swimming and I don't pretend to be an expert!!! But I have first hand knowledge of training and participating in marathons and triathlons. I've only mentioned some of the important things here, but writing all of this made me realize how bad I miss those days of serious training. If I can help ANYONE with something, please let me know! Again, I'm no expert - but I've always been a "big guy" and I can give you the "big person's" point of view on things. Why do you think I listed chafing first when I started talking about marathon training? LOL!

Sorry that was so long! Now it's time for me to do my Saturday strength training. Thankfully I'm having good weather today. After I've finished my strength training, I need to do some yardwork. Hopefully I'll have enough energy after the yardwork to take a short bike ride in the early evening.

Stick with it, everyone! :-)

After reading that, I failed to mention one VERY important thing about training for a marathon. Try NOT TO RUN ON CONCRETE - EVER! Concrete is a VERY hard surface and it's really bad for your joints (especially if you're heavy). I know it sucks getting off the sidewalk and onto the street, but it's MUCH better for your body. Run on grass when you can, and even try to run barefoot when you have the opportunity. Just do whatever it takes to get off that concrete - your joints will thank you!

Thank you armywife924 for your kind words!

Eviebee, sounds like you're off to a good start! Yes, strength training is definitely important to changing our bodies. Again, I hate strength training but I know that if I want to really change my life and my body that I need to devote as much as I can to strength training just as much as I'm devoted to cardio and to my diet. And FYI, I seriously laughed out loud at the Popeye arm comment! :laugh:

Again, I'm definitely no expert - but I would like to caution you about crunches and leg lifts. I could be wrong, but I assume you're not using a stability ball (but hopefully you are using one). I'm a big believer in the stability ball. If anything, the stability ball gives your back much needed support while you're doing crunches. If you're doing crunches without a stability ball, I would like to suggest you roll up a bath towel and place it under the small of your back. Believe it or not, just rolling up a towel will give your lower back a little support. Believe me, you do NOT want to injure your back while working out! I would also suggest the towel for your leg lifts (again, extra lower back support).

Protein is also important when you're exercising. I know that protein supplements are big, but for me (I guess I'm too cheap) I like to get my post-workout protein from egg whites, peanut butter (in moderation) and tuna (in moderation) . Years ago when I was athletic, I would always get some protein into my body immediately after a long workout. It's supposed to help your body repair the muscle breakdown that happens, especially during long workouts.

Running is a GREAT thing, but when you're as big as me (we all have 100 or more pounds to lose) I can't stress taking it EASY enough times. I covered a lot in my "rules of the road" (or whatever I called it), but I think the biggest thing is to ease into a running program. I highly recommend that you start walking first, and once you can walk for an hour straight start adding in some jogging during your walk. Even if you can only jog for 10 seconds without getting out of breath, that's 10 seconds of moving faster! But when you get to the point where you're getting out of breath or you can't talk to someone - you're working too hard and it's time to slow down to a nice walk pace until you get your heartrate down to a reasonable level. It's SO important not to push yourself too hard. The biggest thing is not to over-do it!!! So many people try running before they're ready and they end up getting discouraged and quit. Just try to work up to running at a reasonable rate, your body will thank you for it.

As far as your shoulder goes, that SUCKS! My ex-wife had shoulder problems (1 surgery) and I know it can affect a lot of things in your life. It makes everything more challenging, from taking a shower (scrubbing your back) to carrying in groceries, to walking stairs, and to walking and running. Follow your doctor's orders completely and don't do anything that could further injure it. I'll say a prayer for you and your shoulder, good luck!

Eviebee, I try to use the stability ball on every exercise possible. For ab crunches, if anything - it offers back support. Do a Google Image search for "ab crunch on stability ball" and you'll see how your back is supported while you do your crunches. It's SO much better for your back then doing them on the floor! I was going to describe the benefits of stability ball training, but I cheated and Google searched it and found this: http://www.shapefit.com/stability-ball-training.html . No, I don't work for a company that makes stability balls - it's just a piece of equipment that I find essential to my exercise program. If you get one, the size of your ball is VERY important - make sure you get the proper sized ball. I just looked at walmart.com and found them from $9 to $19. I think that's a great price for such a valuable piece of equipment. I find that when I use the stability ball for my strength training, the act of maintaining balance insures that I'll have proper (or at least good) form with whatever exercise I'm doing. Also, there's a gazillion exercises you can do with a stability ball. Sometimes a ball comes with a DVD and it's nice add the workout DVD to your collection.

As far as the protein goes, if I had the money I would probably buy a supplement. But since I'm also on a very limited budget, I stick to egg whites, tuna, peanut butter, cheese and yogurt. If you can drink milk - skim milk has 9g of protein/cup.

Hang in there until your doctor appointment.

Meanwhile, I'll be "killing it" tomorrow! I'm 99.9% I'll get my calorie burn for the day, and I'll knock out my strength training first thing in the morning.