Kind of nervous about posting this. But here goes, please be gentle!

Hey, I'm Nikki.

I'm 23, 5'11 and my heaviest (August 4th, 2016) was 328.8 lbs.

I've been officially trying to lose weight as of August 1st, 2016 due to the fact that around this time I discovered that I have extremely high blood pressure (I think it was 160/80, with a BPM of 120). I've always struggled with weight issues, but this put things into perspective and I realized that it isn't acceptable to be so unhealthy at such a young age.

I got married in April of this year and I'm fairly certain I'd like to stick around for a while.

My husband has been nothing but supportive of me and proud that I've lost 12.8 lbs since I've started this journey. My blood pressure has also dropped some too (150/60, 105 BPM).

I've had a few cheat days here and there, due to my birthday and what not but I think I've been doing pretty okay so far.

I try to aim for 30 minutes of the stationary bike every day, to at least burn an additional 120-140 calories.
I have knee problems (dislocated them in high school once upon a time) and the gym honestly makes me feel pretty burnt out. So I figured I'd start off small and gradually increase physical activity along the way.

I also only drink water. That in itself has been a small victory for me. I was addicted to pop/soda for a long while, I slowly transitioned off of it and moved onto Gatorade. Once I stopped having caffeine withdrawals I moved onto water and haven't looked back.

My goal by the end of 2016 is to possibly lose at least 50 pounds. 2017, will be a another 50 lbs or so. (Also to lower my blood pressure overall.)

I'm looking for cool people who are looking to give and get support.
I also wouldn't mind seeing what everyone eats in regards to low sodium meals. (That taste good!)

Anyway, thanks for reading this if you did and I'm looking forward to hear from anyone.

Peace out,

Replies

  • Phoenix4me18
    Phoenix4me18 Posts: 133 Member
    Hi Nikki! I admire your bravery putting out a post. I am always a little shy about doing that myself. Congratulations on your recent marriage. Your husband sounds wonderful. It is great he is so supportive of your goals. It will make things much easier if you are both on the same page. It sounds like you are doing a great job trying to maintain balance between life and your goals. I am not a gym rat either. For some reason, I just don't find it appealing at all. Maybe one day that will change, but, for now I have been able to lose nearly 45 pounds using my treadmill and a growing collection of weights. I too suffer from a knee injury...it's a hilarious story involving wet old flip flops on a garage floor with arms full of pizza of all things. I saved the pizza, but, my right knee paid the price. Gone were my running days. Feel free to add me! It would be great to be able to get some extra support and support you as you begin your journey.
  • Morgaen73
    Morgaen73 Posts: 2,817 Member
    Hey :) AWESOMELY done. It took me 3 years to lose 137lbs so i know where you are coming from. It is going to be hard but with proper support you will get there.

    Best of luck :)
  • 50extra
    50extra Posts: 751 Member
    Hey there, first off don't worry about people not being gentle. This is a site where a large portion of people are trying to lose weight at know the struggles.

    Riding the stationary bike is a great way to assist in losing the weight. The bike was primarily my way of doing cardio although I did mix it up a bit with running and now Beachbody workouts. Unfortunately with bad knees you would be unable to complete the workouts.

    If you are looking for a friend on here I'll throw you an invite. Unfortunately I can't help with the meal department because my diet is pretty boring but I do try to log exercise 6 out of 7 days a week, for six months of the year while I am working. I try to workout at home lots too but it doesn't always workout.

    50 pounds by the end of the year is a steep goal but is very obtainable with diligent food prep, weighing and a bit of exercise when you can. Don't get discouraged if the weight doesn't come off as fast as planned, as long as you keep moving forward and working hard it will all come off over time.
  • RachelElser
    RachelElser Posts: 427 Member
    good job! High blood pressure is such a tricky thing to medicate so if you can lose the weight and not need medication that's awesome!! Keep up the good work!
  • Kristi26
    Kristi26 Posts: 184 Member
    The fact that you have quit drinking soda is a HUGE feat in and of itself!! Great job! So impressed by your willingness to put yourself out there. I haven't done it yet and I've been lurking around here for years. ;)

    I'm actually responding because we are low sodium at my house. My DH has blood pressure problems too if we eat the normal american diet of too much sodium. Some things we do:

    -cut out the frozen food, it's all high sodium
    -reduce the processed food (the stuff in boxes) as much as you can
    - make things from scratch a lot. There are great seasoning recipes that you can use to make things like tacos, fajitas, etc. yourself. Just cut out the sugar completely and half the salt. It still tastes great. I use some from allrecipes.com
    - Always half the salt in every recipe. It works wonders.
    - Eat more fruits and vegetables instead of the processed stuff.
    - Read every label if you're going to buy it boxed and/or pre-prepared. It's depressing and a pain at first, but you get used to it fast and learn which things work for you and which don't.

    I hope those ideas help! Good luck!
  • bigguyreed
    bigguyreed Posts: 64 Member
    Hey adequate
    You can me and your headed in the right direction. I myself don't drink Gatorade because of the sugar. If you can walk that will burn calorie's. I lost most of my beginning weight by walking. I weighed 335lb when I first started walking. I walked as fast as I could until I started breathing hard and would stay at that pace. A few years later I'm at 280 and going to the gym. Make sure your Drs. are O.K. with that kind of physical activity. The one thing is it all in your hands your in control of sticking to your guns. You can do what ever you put your mind to. Sometimes you may get discouraged because you may feel you are not losing like you thought you should. BUT DO NOT GIVE UP ON YOURSELF!! Sometime you may feel like you want to quit, that's when you say to yourself I'm going to feel better after I do this.
  • adequatenikki
    adequatenikki Posts: 7 Member
    I figured since you're all so nice and replied right away, I'm going to reply to you all individually in one post so it won't be so cluttered?! Here goes!

    NewMe9597: Hey there! I think I added you?! Yeah, I was pretty on edge about doing this. Took a few weeks to finally work up the courage and put myself out there! I think it's a good idea for me, so I'll stick to eating right and working out since I made a public post. Thank-you so much for the congratulations. My husband is a pretty cool dude, he is definitely supportive of me and my goals. He is actually in shape himself and I want to catch up with him. Sadly, he has a herniated disc and lost a lot of muscle mass which he doesn't like (I still think he's hot, duh.).. But next year when we can get a lower deductible for our health insurance, we're going to look into fixing his back so he can slowly get back to where he once was over time. So, I guess you could say I'm getting a head start, haha! The gym was a NIGHTMARE for me. I don't have my car with me at the moment, so we have to share a vehicle and he'd make me go at like 6AM and I just couldn't do it anymore. Hahaha. 45 pounds?! That's absolutely amazing and I'm SOO jealous! Congratulations to THAT! In regards to the pizza story, you're really going to have to share. Hahahaha! Looking forward to hearing from you! :)

    Morgaen73: Thank-you that means so much! Oh my, 137 lbs?! That's freaking amazing! You are definitely going to be a role model of mine. I really do appreciate your kind words. :)

    50extra: Haha, thank you so much for your reassurance, it definitely puts me at ease. Especially with so many kind words already. Yeah, right now I'm mainly focusing on cardio. My knees are pretty ridiculous. My husband said the same thing in which you are saying in regards to the 50 pounds being a steep, but obtainable goal. I've been fairly meticulous with the food scale, that it bugs myself at times. I definitely accepted your friend request and look forward to chatting in the future! Thank-you for being so nice! :)

    RachelElser: Thank-you very much! The whole hypertension thing really made me think about my life choices and how I apparently was making some wrong ones. I rather lose weight, eat healthier and simultaneously (hopefully) lower my blood pressure than take medication at 23 years of age!

    Kristi26: Oh gosh, the soda addiction was really bad. Honestly, it was all I would drink and I was disgusted with myself. Thank-you, thank-you, thank-you! I'm going to copy your notes and make sure I follow the tips that you have provided. I've really been trying to cut down on the processed foods. My husband is pretty much on the opposite dietary plan as he wants to gain weight. The amount of frozen pizzas that have been cooked has been hard, but I am really trying to cut that (I guess) emotional tie from food. Once I eat something that's healthier and I'm full, I don't want the pizza anymore and I feel better about myself in the long run. :) I did cheat a little the other day because we were just 100% craving some Chinese food. Kind of embarrassing to say, but I was so proud of myself throwing the rest out because I didn't want to eat it during the week. I use a food scale and I definitely know the whole depression thing. At the beginning I was SO miserable weighing everything/calculating calories but I think I've gotten into the swing of things and now it's just become habit haha! Once again, thank-you for the low sodium advice! :) You're awesome!

    bigguyreed: I certainly will add you! Thank-you for the support! Oh, I no longer drink Gatorade (USUALLY) I've possibly had like maybe 3 this month. 99% of my drink consumption is water. :) I definitely know about the discouraging feeling, I haven't even been doing this for long and some days I'm just like BLAAH! But I've already been sleeping better and I have more energy. It's been so hot out lately, I think I'll stick with the stationary bike for now and when it gets cooler start incorporating both!
  • louise7138
    louise7138 Posts: 41 Member
    Fair play high blood pressure is very hard to control just proves that you don't always need medication I've only joined for a week now
  • yogaski83
    yogaski83 Posts: 17 Member
    Hey there! I'm pretty new on here also, you can add me! I've been recovering from an injury and found there are many low impact aerobic videos available online that offer some nice strength/resistance training. I subscribed to Barre3; it's a pretty good deal, for $10/month you get access to unlimited online workout classes. These aren't big calorie burners, but it's a great way to start moving. Recently I also purchased a few Jillian Michaels videos, but these can be pretty aggressive for beginners. Also, I found a yoga practice that works very well for me and has helped me exponentially. Good luck!
  • adequatenikki
    adequatenikki Posts: 7 Member
    louise7138: Right? I wanted to see if I could lower it on my own without the medication, so here's to hoping that it continues to decrease! I've been on here for a month, lurking! Haha. Thanks for replying to my post! It's nice to hear from yeah!

    yogaski83: Hey thanks! I'll be sure to check those out in the future. Right now we're currently on a tight budget as we're trying to save up for a down payment on a house! Right now we're living with the mother-in-law due to a lot of reasons and I find it really awkward working out in front of people! Haha. Honestly, I am really interested in the idea of yoga. I will definitely add you! Thanks for sharing. :)
  • beccapineapple8756
    beccapineapple8756 Posts: 56 Member
    Congrats with everything :smile:

    I'm Bec I'm 24 and this time last year I was at my heaviest at 275lb I'm only 5'3.
    In the past 12 months I've managed to loose 68lb.

    I've also had multiple knee dislocations so I know the struggle of crappy knees and trying to work out.

    Sounds like you are very lucky to have such a supportive husband it is defiantly easier with a good support group.

    I use to eat a lot of sugar and salt and also drink plenty of bad drinks but have since pretty much cut them out of my life. Have found that all sorts of herbs and spices can make food taste even better :smile:

    Anyone can add me if they want always up for new friends. I don't mind sharing what worked for me and my journey so if you want just send me a message

    The best luck to you :smile:
  • navygrrl
    navygrrl Posts: 517 Member
    Welcome to the site. I'm basically starting over here, but there are a lot of supportive people here. :)
  • pspenny36
    pspenny36 Posts: 64 Member
    Hey, I'm Nikki.

    I'm 23, 5'11 and my heaviest (August 4th, 2016) was 328.8 lbs.

    I've been officially trying to lose weight as of August 1st, 2016 due to the fact that around this time I discovered that I have extremely high blood pressure (I think it was 160/80, with a BPM of 120). I've always struggled with weight issues, but this put things into perspective and I realized that it isn't acceptable to be so unhealthy at such a young age.

    I got married in April of this year and I'm fairly certain I'd like to stick around for a while.

    My husband has been nothing but supportive of me and proud that I've lost 12.8 lbs since I've started this journey. My blood pressure has also dropped some too (150/60, 105 BPM).

    I've had a few cheat days here and there, due to my birthday and what not but I think I've been doing pretty okay so far.

    I try to aim for 30 minutes of the stationary bike every day, to at least burn an additional 120-140 calories.
    I have knee problems (dislocated them in high school once upon a time) and the gym honestly makes me feel pretty burnt out. So I figured I'd start off small and gradually increase physical activity along the way.

    I also only drink water. That in itself has been a small victory for me. I was addicted to pop/soda for a long while, I slowly transitioned off of it and moved onto Gatorade. Once I stopped having caffeine withdrawals I moved onto water and haven't looked back.

    My goal by the end of 2016 is to possibly lose at least 50 pounds. 2017, will be a another 50 lbs or so. (Also to lower my blood pressure overall.)

    I'm looking for cool people who are looking to give and get support.
    I also wouldn't mind seeing what everyone eats in regards to low sodium meals. (That taste good!)

    Anyway, thanks for reading this if you did and I'm looking forward to hear from anyone.

    Peace out,

    I am so glad you posted!
    I was one of the 'exceptions to the rule' or so I thought in my head, whenever I'd go to the DR's I would pass with flying colors (BP normal, LPL's normal, blood sugar normal, etc) EXCEPT for my BMI. That would SCREAM at me from the results of my physicals. I'd shrug it off because , hey everything else is normal, I must be doing something right!

    Then,
    I hit my 40's.
    I had my gall bladder out after what I thought was food poisoning. Never do I ever want to go thru that again.
    Then I quit smoking (yay me)
    With the two of those big events in my life I had gained another 50lbs on top of the already 265 I was carrying!
    Flash forward to a couple of months ago. ....work had this "health seminar" where nurses come in and take your vitals.
    I am pre-diabetic, and borderline HBP, (my own doc confirming) and I am scared poop-less!


    Not that any of this is a good thing, but at least you are catching it now and doing something about it in your 20's rather later in life.

    I am doing 30 minutes a day on the treadmill at work. I want to do baby steps as well as to not get discouraged. So far, it's been almost a month and i have stuck with it.

    I will totally friend you on here, and let's keep it going!
  • adequatenikki
    adequatenikki Posts: 7 Member
    @beccapineapple8756 Thanks so much for the congratulations! 68 lbs is amazing, I hope I can stay determined to reach that amount. My spice of choice as of late has been garlic pepper, it seems to be working for me lately! Salty foods are definitely my weakness (French fries!! MMM :C ) I'll definitely add you! :)

    @navygrrl Thanks for your warm welcome, I certainly do appreciate it!

    @pspenny36 Hey! I totally accepted your request. Food poisoning is awful and I'm sorry to hear that you had to get your gallbladder taken out. However, that's so awesome that you quit smoking!! I gained a lot of my weight because I was in that comfy relationship stage and I'm all, "Oh husband loves me for me." But, I'm doing it for myself initially because I want to be a better version of myself in the long run.

    Yes, yes, yes! Baby steps has been the key for me as well. I think there has only been about 4 days that I haven't gone on the stationary bike (and I totally felt guilty about it), but I did partake in other physical activities. Looking forward to keeping in touch and keep on trucking!
  • feeferb
    feeferb Posts: 16 Member
    We're all in it together....here to encourage and be encouraged. Please add me....can't wait to see your slimmed down pic of 2017!
  • RaptorMommy
    RaptorMommy Posts: 31 Member
    I need to lose just under 100 lbs! I've lost it before, then gained it back, and I'm here doing it the second, and final time! If you're looking for supportive friends, add me! :-) I know you can do this, and remember, you didn't put it all on in a few months...don't try to lose it all in a few months! Slow and steady, add muscle as you go and you will set yourself up for success! You got this!! :-)
  • FitnessFairy7284
    FitnessFairy7284 Posts: 14 Member
    Sounds like you have made a great start- well done. I joined MFP almost 3 weeks ago (been dieting 4 weeks and have lost 12lbs) and it has been a great help- everyone is really friendly and supportive. Feel free to add me :)

    Good luck on your journey!
  • adequatenikki
    adequatenikki Posts: 7 Member
    @feeferb I'll definitely add you! I want to recreate wedding photos when I get to my goal weight (whatever that maybe!) Maybe I should take a before picture, too, that sounds like a good idea!

    @RaptorMommy I'll be more than happy to add you! :) Thank-you for the supportive words, it truly means a lot. I'm aiming for one day at a time for sure, haha.

    @FitnessFairy7284 Definitely added! We started around the same time, so that's exciting! Lets hope we can keep going!! :D
  • fitgirlsteez
    fitgirlsteez Posts: 6 Member
    Keep of the work . We all are here to encourage you . You c an do this !!!!!
  • kally_wph
    kally_wph Posts: 19 Member
    Hi!! I got so inspired by your story! I wish you all the luck in the world and im sure you will manage to lose the weight you want! Im trying to lose some weight as well! since I finished high school 8 years ago I got so much weight, then I lost it and then took it back again!It's so frustrating and unfortunately Im addicted to sweets!
    But I finally want to be healthy and fit without being afraid of food anymore! If you'd like you can add me (i have no idea how to add people here haha!) and we can motivate each other to reach our goals :)
  • ClassyCryssy
    ClassyCryssy Posts: 4 Member
    Congrats on your weight loss and your maintaining your blood pressure. Take it one day at a time. :)