Introduction: 41yr Mom/Teacher battling 80-100lbs

So glad you joined! Great start, you can do it! A healthy life is an awesome goal.

Hi Mom/Teacher

At 41 I was also about 100 lbs overweight. I'm 49 now and after some ups & downs, have about 40 left to go. That may not sound so encouraging, but what I've taken off, I've mostly kept off and in the meantime I vastly improved all of my health markers & quality of life. You can absolutely do this and have a powerful effect on all of the health issues you mentioned. My recommendation is to take a measured approach. You can support a 2 lb/week weight loss goal at your weight *if you want to*, but if that seems a little overwhelming (it means a 1000 calorie cut in your day), you can aim for 1.5 (a 750 calorie cut). Don't try to completely overhaul your diet, unless you are under specific restrictions from your doctor. Eat a balanced diet that includes foods you enjoy, and pay attention over time how various foods help or hurt your ability to stay within your calorie goal. Get some exercise if you like, but don't force yourself to do things you hate. And lastly, devote yourself to accurate logging. Weigh your food with a food scale (very cheap) if possible (basically because 2 TB of peanut butter isn't really 2 TB of peanut butter). Look for accurate, detailed entries in the database. Avoid generic or "homemade" entries. If you cook, enter your recipes in the recipe builder and work out accurate portion sizes. All of this may sound like a pain, but it's a once-and-done thing- once you've logged a food or entered a recipe once, it's there in your database for you to use again & again. Look through the recommended posts at the top of the Getting Started and General Diet & Weight Loss sections of the forums. It's going to take a while, but try to relax & remember you are basically learning how to live & eat for the rest of your life. Wish you the best

Hi. I have a hundred plus pounds to lose. You can definitely do it if you put your mind to it. However, if you ever want some first-hand knowledge about the surgery I could get you in contact with my friend. She was a nervous wreck about having it done, but with all of her health problems it has changed her world. I know that's not the same motivation you were looking for, but I just wouldn't completely put it off. I've lost a lot of weight just using MyFitnessPal and I know you can do it too.

I just started Keto about a month ago. I don’t feel deprived at all. I’m not freaking out counting calories or feeling hungry. I’m down 10 pound with about 40/50 to go! Good luck to everyone whatever weight loss avenue you choose.