Hi im Tonya

I am a 34 yr old married mother of 5. I am trying to lose weight for my family as well as my health.. I am open to any suggestions.. I have high bp and i feel losing weight would help that.. I currently weigh 276 and would like toget down to at least 190..Here i go on the road of healthy living...:flowerforyou:

Hi Tonya, and welcome to THE best site on the web!
5 kids, huh?! And here I thought the ONE I had was WAY more than enough!!! :laugh:
Between the easy to use food counter (which by the way is SUCH an eye opener!) and all the wonderfully supportive members, you WILL be able to lose the weight that you want to, AND, it'll "almost" be easy doing it!
I recommend logging ALL your foods BEFORE you have them, rather than later, as it tends to lead to better food choices. (not to mention you'll know if you've got enough numbers left to have a night time snack, like I ALWAYS try to do!) Some people also like to weigh and measure some things, such as meats, rather than just estimating and possibly being WAY off! :noway:
Also, drink lots of water, that seems to help alot too. :drinker:

Hi Tonya - welcome to MFP!!!

This is a really terrific site, because it is so easy to keep track of how many calories you eat every day. Go slow, don't read too many posts at first- it can get addicting! Just be ruthlessly honest with what and how much you are eating, and each day you'll find yourself modifying your eating habits so that you stay within your calorie goals.

Best advice: Try to walk for 30 minutes everyday, outside or treadmill - it really helps.

Good luck, and get a ticker - cause watching the numbers change on it is really motivating!

Kathryn

Hi I started where you are... and just hit 30 pounds! I've been at it for 3 mos and learned some things along the way, one being yes, drink your water, at least 8 glasses a day! Watch your sodium for water retention (you can add it in the food diary). Measure your stuff because most of us think a cup is much larger than it really is, etc. Eventually you can stop measuring but it's good to start out that way. Get out and exercise! You can do it! I can't believe that I could start interval running at my weight and with my bad knee, but i have, and am having no problems. You will be amazed at what you can do once you get started!