Good morning! Noob here with 150 lbs to lose

Hello. I've just joined MFP this past Friday (3/10) after my Nautilus app suggested it to use in conjunction with the exercise bike. I was at 322 about 5 weeks ago, but changed my eating habits to eat MORE food (breakfast/snack/lunch/snack/dinner). I didn't really try to eat differently, just be mindful of the portion sizes. As of last Tuesday (3/7), I was at 312 - I forgot to weigh-in this morning.

I was fairly active and in shape through my 20's, but then started gaining weight. At 32, I was a size 24. I got a cross-country ski machine and followed the Atkins eating plan and lost 80 lbs and kept it off for two years by eating a modified Atkins - I did add healthy carbs back into my diet. Then major life changes happened. Over the course of the 16 years, I moved in with my grandmother to care for her in her home until she passed away, I left my home state of Florida and moved across the country to Montana (best decision ever!!), broke my ankle a couple of times and a bone in my foot once and met my husband. During that time, I've slowly put on weight and over the past 5 years (since I met DH), I've probably put on another 50 lbs. Oh, and I went through menopause about 4 years ago! I just turned 51 this year.

I was looking into life insurance for both myself and my husband. He got turned down due to high BP and his weight - I think he's about 375-ish (he's 6'2"). They approved me, but at a rate of almost $200/month due to my weight and the fact I take mediation for depression and high cholesterol. I decided to put off getting the insurance as I really can't afford that payment and will re-assess next year, depending on my progress with my journey to get healthier.

The physical exam that we had for the life insurance is what prompted the purchase of my exercise bike. I don't like gyms and felt that the bike was the best way to go for me. I don't do much outside while there is snow and ice on the ground - the two broken ankles have made me a bit skittish about that...lol. I used to hike quite a bit, but DH has bad knees so I haven't been doing much of that since I met him.

Now that I'm used to eating more often throughout the day, I thought it would be a good idea to log my food so that now I can get into the habit of making healthier food choices. I'm trying to incorporate small changes over time which is why I suspect I'm not losing a ton of weight right now.

I have a 9 y/o German Shepherd/Golden Retriever mix (Bonita) and as a result of me not hiking, she has also put on a few pounds, so I need to get back out there for her health as well. Three weeks ago, we adopted a 9 month-old German Shepherd puppy (Porter). He definitely needs me to take him on walks...lol - the energy he has could power a small city! We start with a trainer this coming weekend for basic house/field manners, so it is my hope that by the time the weather here gets a bit nicer, he'll be trained enough to take on walks with Bonita.

I've told my husband that I'm going to start hiking again this year. He can use the time to do things around the house. Since we actually really enjoy hanging out together, I've been reluctant to go off on my own to do things (ahhh...newlyweds...lol). It is my hope that as I get more active and start to lose more weight, he will be motivated in his own way. He knows he needs to lose weight, I think he's a bit like me - he just doesn't know where to start. In addition, he's a retired mill worker, so he went from being very active at work to being extremely sedentary. He'll find his own way - I can only hope to make it easier for him if I've made my healthy changes into habits that he can adopt.

My goal weight probably sounds high - I want to get to 165-170 lbs - but when I was at my fittest in my 20s, I weighed 147 and my hip bones stuck out - I wore a size 12 then. I'm back up to a size 24 in my clothes. I'm 5'8" and have a large frame - my wrist measures 7.5". It's really not about the weight though - that's just a target for me. It's more about being healthy and feeling better - having more energy.

I look forward to sharing and talking with you during this journey.

Cheers,
Susan