Newbie...where to start?????

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tpeyton80
tpeyton80 Posts: 3
in Introduce Yourself
I am new to all this........I really need to find a group thats right for me......I lack motivation as well as Accountability........I am 30 yrs old....married 2 years in june....we have 3 children( his , mine , and ours)......I have been pretty much the soul provider for the past year due to my husband being laid off, and let myself go....Now he has a better job then he lost...so now its time for me......I weigh 230 pounds...this is my highest weight ever.....My first goal is to get under 200 pounds......I will make my second goal after I reach my first......Its just so hard to find the energy to exercise.... after working all day and picking all the kids up from ther various activities....then cooking and cleaning...preparing for the next day and maybe getting in bed before midnight.......Sometimes I just dont know where to start.

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  • LOVEthighSELF
    LOVEthighSELF Posts: 104 Member
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    Start by adding a pic- makes it more personal. Then be sure to track all food that passes your lips- even if its just a bite. If you don't excersize Start! Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred is a good video if you are interested and only about 27mins total if you are pressed for time =)
  • HotSouthernMess
    HotSouthernMess Posts: 474 Member
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    i am in the same situation as you except i am a (now) single mom and yes, it is hard to fit in good eating and exercise habits! i find myself working out at 10pm after the kids are asleep AFTER working all day. BUT, you can see from my progress that is isnt impossible. i would be happy to help keep you motivated and give you some helpful hints if you want. i have about 100 more lbs i want to lose (then go from there or maintain) i sent you a friends request....welcome and good luck!!
  • bjberry
    bjberry Posts: 665 Member
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    I'm 58 with rheumatoid arthritis. My favorite exerces are gentle stretching and speed walking. At work, walk a little faster than you have been, use the stairs, park a little farther from the building.
    Add fruits and veggies and reduce sodas and chips and cookies, and you are off to a good start.
    Finally, drink lots of water (8 cups a day), so your body can flush out the digestive and exercise toxins better.
    You can do this. :drinker: (lots of water).
  • Kminor67
    Kminor67 Posts: 900 Member
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    I started slowly, because I was so new to this.... Begin by tracking your calories, and getting into the habit of logging EVERYTHING you put in your mouth. On those days when you want more than you're alloted, start doing some exercise to "earn" it. If I can do this, anyone can!!! Best of luck to you! Feel free to friend me if you like! :bigsmile:
  • countrymom75
    countrymom75 Posts: 32 Member
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    HI, I AM IN THE SAME BOAT. MARRIED, KIDS, HOME ALL DAY TO TAKE CARE OF EVERYONE AND COOK AND CLEAN.... I AM NOT COMPLAIING BUT IT CAN BE A GOOD EXCUSE NOT TO TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF CAUSE YOU ARE TAKING CARE OF EVERYONE ELSE. I STARTED BY TRYING TO DRINK MORE WATER, WATCHING MY CALORIES, (WRITE IT DOWN!), AND WALKING OR DOING WHAT EVER LITTLE EXERCISE I COULD DO. I HAVE SOME RICHARD SIMMONS VIDEOS, LESLIE SANSONE WALKING VIDEOS ARE GREAT. COUNT YOUR HOUSE CLEANING AND PICKING UP TOYS AS EXERICSE!
    LITTLE STEPS WILL EVENTUALLY TAKE YOU A LONG WAY. YOUR THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN DO THIS FOR YOU. YOU HAVE TO WANT IT, OR IT WON'T HAPPEN. FIND AN OLD PICTURE FROM WHEN YOU WERE THINNER OR A PAIR OF JEANS OR AN OUTFIT THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO WEAR AND HANG IT WHERE YOU AN SEE IT, FOR MOTIVATION.
    GOOD LUCK. IF YOU WANT TO ADD ME AS A FRIEND, PLEASE DO.
    TAKE CARE.
  • Jami22
    Jami22 Posts: 253 Member
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    My situtation is pretty much the same. My husband is a police officer and works 3pm-11pm so that leaves me doing everything around the house and for our 2 kids. I'm exhausted and normally drop into bed as early as I can make it, some nights at 9:30. However, since I have started doing this I have made myself do a 30 minute video workout every night as soon as I put the kids to bed. That way I have my workout done by 9:00 every day. My biggest problem is trying to keep my calories down. We are always on the go and usually eating something quick and easy. I'm at 225 and would love to get down to 165 to start. But even getting under 200 would be wonderful! My tracker says I should take in 1200 calories a day and I have for the most part been able to do it. Now just to keep it up so I can start seeing some results! Once I see results I figure all the extra motivation I need will fall into place!
    Keep your head up!
  • sarahgh
    sarahgh Posts: 10
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    I totally hear you! I think the food is where you have to start. Cleaning up your house (I have three kids too!) and running around will keep you active - throw in a couple of sets of crunches and beginner push-ups to start and you are on your way. I have just started here too, and tracking every single thing I eat is helping A TON!:smile:
  • smithsara7272
    smithsara7272 Posts: 22 Member
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    So many of us here share the same story. We all know what you are going through and live it everyday. I am also new to this site and would love to help motivate you. Add me as a friend if you like.

    Best Wishes,
    Sara
  • SongbirdLandy
    SongbirdLandy Posts: 188 Member
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    I know exactly where you are, dear. My husband is disabled, so I have always had to be the sole provider. Not only that, but he can't drive, so I am stuck doing any and everything that requires going anywhere. We have 2 kids, a preschooler and an infant. I feel like I don't have time to think, much less exercise. I get up around 6am to start getting ready. I wake my son up at 6:30 and get him ready for school, I bring him to school then head to work, I work from 8 to 3 everyday, pick up my son from school, run a couple errands, go home, see my infant son for about 45 minutes, cook, eat, and get the kids ready for and in bed. By the end of it I am exhausted.

    I will be honest, I do not find the time to exercise most days. I am still working on working exercise into my life, but eating healthy is a good start. The main advice I can give you is that you have to commit to making your entire family eat what you eat. It's gets way too expensive and overwhelming to try and make separate meals. Keep track of everything you eat and BE HONEST about it.

    I promise you can do it. I have lost 115 lbs to date and I am not in any way a superwoman or some special kind of person. I am just a normal person like you, living a normal life.
  • mamarundrc
    mamarundrc Posts: 1,577 Member
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    Welcome to this site. I have been using it since Jan and it is been extremely helpful for holding myself accountable. I am 31 years old and a stay at home mom to a 5.5 month old little boy. It is exhausting and hard to find time to for mysely. As a previous poster mentions, Jillian Michaels 30 day shred is a good work out that only takes 27 minutes. I have been doing it off an on for the last few weeks and see a difference and know that if I did it everyday I would see even more. Also Jillian Michaels Yoga Meltdown is only 30 minutes and it is a good work out and great for stretching sore muscles. Both are available at Target for less than 10 bucks.

    I reccomend adding friends, the more people you are connected to the more you want to stay on track. Also, make your food diary public or at least so your friends can see. THat way if you are struggling friends can post suggestions on things to change to help you on your diet. Check out the recipe board, there are some really good healthy ideas on there to change up the routine of eating.

    I sent your a friend request, Good luck!
  • Bonnie1974
    Bonnie1974 Posts: 58
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    I'm new to this site to, started yesterday.. I don't have kids or family, so it is alittle easier for me to do my thing. I use to weight 280 about 10 years ago, and got hurt by a friend who commented on my weight. SO I showed her, and lost 100 lbs in a year. Yes this is alot, but truley all I did was cut out ALL JUNK FOOD. And satrted eating small portions.AND DIDN'T EXERCISE! And Volia it worked..

    I say try to accomplish 1 thing at a time baby steps..Maybe do weights at home, and get the kids involved, aerobic dvd's and have the kids join in.. They will think it is a game..

    I know you can do it, and we can do it together.....

    WE CAN DO IT.......
  • tpeyton80
    tpeyton80 Posts: 3
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    Thank you all for you wonderful advice...........I have started drinking more water and trying to keep my calories under 1200 a day......I do have a vitnman deficency...which adds to me being so tired...I get weekly injection of b12(this is not through a weight loss clinic) and 50,000 units of Vitman D weekly.....I am starting to get some more energy these days....So I wont let myself use that as a excuse anymore.....I would like to add each of you...
  • webdiva1
    webdiva1 Posts: 326 Member
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    Today is my 21st day on MyFitnessPal. When I started, I committed to losing just 1/2 lb a week and zero exercise. (I know myself so well, you see; sticking to something like this has never been my strong suit.)

    Once I started writing everything down, everything fell into place for me SO quickly. You're right: accountability is huge, and this site has made it incredibly easy to be accountable. By day 4, I had lost 2 lbs., and I found myself WANTING to be careful about what I ate because I knew I was going to write it down later, and I only had so many calories to use. I wasn't hungry (I was sure I would be), and I was drinking lots of water for the first time. By the end of week two, I was down 6 lbs. Blew my mind. Decided I'd change my goal to lose 1.5 lbs. a week and start walking (but just a little). Now I'm walking a little more and the results keep coming. I'm still not hungry, and finally -- I'm managing to not snack all evening (always one of my biggest challenges). As of day 21, I'm at minus 11 lbs. I have lots more to lose than you do, but being accountable and seeing steady results has changed everything for me in terms of how I think about eating. For the first time ever, I'm changing my lifestyle -- not dieting.

    Speaking for myself, lots of tiny goals are WAY better than looking at the big number. So every day I drink 8 cups or more of water ... every day I walk (even if it's just for 15 minutes) ... every day I manage to stay under my calorie limit is a big win.

    You have challenges, I know, but you can so do this. You don't have to change every single thing immediately, you know; it's OK to start slow. But when you start seeing results, I bet your enthusiasm and motivation will grow by leaps and bounds. So ... just start. Pick something easy, and go from there. You can do it!
  • LongMom
    LongMom Posts: 408 Member
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    I've been on this journey since Jan 2010 :) I have two small daughters, aged 2 and 4. In the begining I took it day by day and made small changes such as drinking more water and simply writing down what I ate. I then found a 1 hour dance class similar to Zumba and fell in love with it. In my 20's I was a big time clubber and would go out dancing 3-5 times a week! So this form of exercise was MADE for me.

    I found that with the exercise (and with the weight loss) my energy increased! That really helped kick things up a notch :) The new energy also proved to my hubby that I was serious about this and he WAS going to benefit from the "new me". As soon as he came "on board" I started taking the dance class twice a week :) Then I started looking at the foods I was eating and paying more attention to nutriens, salt etc.

    Thoughout it all I have made sure to indulge and not let my life be dictated by "losing weight". That has meant I'm a slower loser than some people who are all "gung ho" with the process, but I feel that this was the best way for me to make it STICK. This is a lifestyle change.

    I wish you all the success! (and will add you - the more support you have the better!)

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