Preparing for a Cruise in 2018

Having a family and working full time is a lot. Don't beat yourself up! If you have stairs at work, take the stairs. I did 5 flights instead of the elevator. Park a little further away. I had to park in designated parking so I was forced to walk 4 blocks, but I saw the most wonderful sunrises and gardens! Think of the positive. You have to build up to walk further!!
Dana in Hot Springs, AR

Erica your husband has gave you some great advice. You have to remember that this is a marathon and not a sprint. You want this for life right? Not just a quick fix for your cruise. Take each day as it comes, don't rush the process and by all means trust it. Some days the scale won't move but don't let that discourage you because if you trust the process it will work!! I know how you feel with the exercise. When I first started I only could do 10 minutes. I had worked my way up to 45 minutes, then the holidays hit I fell off and now I am back to working myself back up. I have back issues to so I don't do the treadmill like I was at first either. But you will get there just don't give up!!

Hey Erica...You can do this!! Have faith!. I'm fairly new (Jan 2017) and slow and steady as the others have said. I also have a desk job. I had 4 children (youngest now 17) , the body, expanded with each...LOL. I'm pushing 55 years old and my knees have arthritis but I keep plugging away at it. Some advice for the gym. Many women focus on arms at the gym and although increasing muscle burns fat, women's arms have teeny tiny muscles compared to the lower half. So at the gym focus on those much larger muscles, in the end, increasing them will result in larger muscles burning calories and better yet... help you see bigger size reduction and hopefully that "hourglass figure" return. Weight is not everything. I lost 15 pounds so far since the new year, but everyone thinks it is much more because my volume is decreasing more than the weight. Take it from a former "Scale watcher" Don't let the scale get in your way. As for dieting, make sure you log everything you eat and do not starve yourself, or you will send your body into starvation mode - then it will hang onto every calorie it can get, which makes it more difficult. Just remember calories taken in must be less than calories burned to have a weight loss, but not extremely less - that is bad. I found that taking an exercise class works best and once you form the habit, you will not want to miss. I attend a 6:00 am class before work 3 x per week and it is more of a circuit training class - they call it "AB Lab" Lots of work on the core and focus on building muscle with short bursts (1-2 mins) of running/jogging around the gym between intervals of the strength training. In January, I couldn't even run 1 minute without being winded. I'm getting better with the class and am not discouraged or embarrassed because I cannot do what the younger crowd can do. While they're doing jumping jacks, I am likely marching in place. I can really see the difference more in the clothes than on the scale. My ultimate goal is to do a "real pushup" For now, I'm doing a modified one on my knees. So you see, just by going to the gym or taking that walk, you are already way ahead of those sitting on the couch! Baby Steps Baby Steps Baby Steps and you will keep it off longer! (Oh and one more thing - about the desk job...I walk every day for 30 minutes during my lunch - I found a friend in the same boat so we go together. It is much better with friend to talk to so I encourage you to find a partner) Then twice a day we get a 15 min break so I take a 10 min walk around the building - outside if it is nice and the sunshine is a great pick me up- invest in a pedometer - I have a $30 one by OMRON and I'm obsessed with getting over 10000 steps each day - another habit, I've formed) You need to form good habits (good food/logging into MFP and exercise) and you will never want to break these good habits. You can do this Erica, I have faith in you. Listen to your husband - Baby steps will win this race

Hi Erica. You can do it. I know you can. Don't give up. Walking 20 minutes is great! Be proud of that. It'll get easier each time. One thing that helps me is to always think of my "why" and then I can push just a little further, or harder, or longer, for whatever I'm doing. Also, awesome music helps! I'm going to add you if that's okay!