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amybell68
amybell68 Posts: 275 Member
Hi I am Amy, I started this group to give and get support to home schooling mom's out there, who are also trying to get or stay in shape.

I am a 43 year old mom of an 11 year old daughter who I home school, I am new to home schooling, she was in a private school for 6 years and we decided to take her out and home school her, she is in 6th grade.

I have also, been over weight for most of my adult life and really struggled with food and my weight, I don't want my daughter to have those same issues, I want to be a good example for her. And now that we are together 24/7 she sees everything I do and eat!!! so, I know that this is my time to make some big changes!!! She has been walking with me and she is starting (very slowly) to pay attention to what she is eating, she is 11 and at a perfect weight, so its not something that she needs to change, I just don't want her to have issues with it as she gets into her teen years and adulthood!!

As far as homeschooling goes, I am so glad that we decided to do this!! She loves it!! I really don't know why I was so nervous (and I was) because its going great, we are doing 6th grade and using ACE (Accelerated Christian Education) its a great program!!

Anyway, that is my story, I can't wait to hear your stories!!

my goals:

Starting Weight 10-31-2011 **212** (my highest weight ever!!)

Current Weight 11-9-11 **206**

Christmas Goal 12-25-11 **180**

Valentines Goal 2-14-12 **165**

Easter Goal 4-8-12 **150**

Independence Day 7-4-12 **125** ( My FAVORITE HOLIDAY always spent at the beach, this time I WILL be at my goal weight!!!)

Calories 1250

Exercise: Right now I am walking/Jogging I'm going to try and do 5 miles a day.
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Replies

  • jhmomofmany
    jhmomofmany Posts: 571 Member
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    Hi, Amy! I'm Jennifer, been homeschooling since 2001 and getting in shape since 2006. :smile: We have seven kids ranging in age from 1 to 16... five of them school age, but we homeschool with a very relaxed unschooling/eclectic approach.

    Right now my goal is to get back down to and below my first goal weight of 170 (I'm 6' tall). I love working out, hate dieting. I really think I must be addicted to sugar- was doing well for a long time but recently fell of the wagon, and gained about five pounds in two months. Darn! I run, lift weights, and do a variety of things...
  • amybell68
    amybell68 Posts: 275 Member
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    Hi Jennifer, nice to meet you!! we are also relaxed in our homeschooling and we love it!!! so glad you joined the group!!!
  • DeeDeeLHF
    DeeDeeLHF Posts: 2,301 Member
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    Hi!

    This will not be a lengthy introduction as I need to be out the door very soon but I wanted to at least jump in.

    My real name is Donna.
    I am 47
    Current weight is 128
    Lowest weight on mfp is 121
    Highest weight is 183

    Married 26 years.
    5 children. Two have already graduated from college, one is in college, and currently homeschooling the other two, 9th grade and 7th grade.

    I have always homeschooled and do it for high school as well. Best decision ever!

    I was doing really well with maintaining until I decided that I wanted to go down another 5#'s . I am not sure how it has happened but instead of losing I have gained those 5 pounds. Blast!

    So, I am back on track trying to lose 10 pounds! I hope I don't gain another 10 in the process!

    Hubby just walked in the door which is my cue to leave.

    Be back later!

    D
  • amybell68
    amybell68 Posts: 275 Member
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    Nice to meet you Donna, thanks for joining the group!!!
  • HisBeachgirl
    HisBeachgirl Posts: 51 Member
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    Hello ladies!
    I was so glad to see a group created for homeschooling moms!
    I'm Denise, I have four kids from age 7-13. With the exception of one year, they've always been homeschooled. For me the decision was a spiritual one, but being a military family homeschooling has even more benefits! People around me always say "I don't know how you do it.", but I can't imagine life any other way!

    I was a skinny teen, had my first child shortly after I turned 21. Baby #2 joined us 18months later, and I never got back to my pre-baby weight. After #3 I weighed over 180lbs. I determined to get back in shape and eventually did get to a healthy weight. Then came baby #4 and serious trials in my life and I found myself back up around 170. Since then (7 years ago now... yikes!) I've struggled to get my weight back down. I'd do good for a month or so, then hit a plateau and give up. After more re-starts than I can count, I'm trying once again.

    I think part of my problem is I always take on this journey alone. My husband is so skinny, he's 5'11 and weighs 130lbs when dripping wet. All my kids are thin and eat more than me. So I'm hoping I can make some friends on here to encourage and be encouraged through this challenge.

    Last week when I started I weighed in at 156. I would love to get down to 130, but I've been 135 before and was happy. I'm waiting to see what my reflection is. My ultimate goal is to come out from underneath all those winter sweaters slimmer and in better shape come summer!

    I look forward to getting to know you guys!
  • cirka2002
    cirka2002 Posts: 134 Member
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    HI! I'm Jennifer, 37, from Colorado. We JUST made the decision to homeschool our daughter, almost 9. She seems to have gotten lost in school this year and I'm not happy with how it is going, so we will be pulling her out at the end of the semester and homeschooling starting in January. I'm lucky to have an excellent support system in my local friends...the majority of whom homeschool.

    As for me, I am a SAHM and a professional crochet designer. It's wonderful working from home doing something I love, but sitting on the couch all day is not good for my butt!! I started getting healthy about 2 years ago and lost over 35 lbs. I'm happy at my current weight of 155, but REALLY want to loose body fat and tone up! I am so close to size 8/10 jeans it is sad....but my hips will not budge an inch! LITERALLY!!! I try to eat healthy and limit my portions, but like one of the others here said....my husband is 120lbs soaking wet and can eat ANYTHING! And my daughter is skinny too and takes after her dad. For workouts, I do mixed martial arts including kickboxing, Muy Thai and Jiu-Jitsu. I enjoy walking my Greyhound too.

    It's going to be a big adventure in the next few months, I just hope I can keep my diet/exercise in check while adjusting to all the changes. :-)
  • vang0474
    vang0474 Posts: 5 Member
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    Hello! My name is Amy, and I am a homeschooling mom to 4 boys - ages 7 down to infant. I have a difficult time eating healthy -- why is junk food always so much quicker and easier?? I also have had low energy and no desire/time to exercise since my little guy has been born. I am hoping it will get better! I was at my highest weight - 193 lbs. when I delivered him 10 months ago. I am down to 145 and would love to get down into the 120s (pre-babies weight range). I am not sure if I can do it. But I thought getting on here would help!
  • evanstm
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    Hello,

    I'm not homeschooling, yet, so I wasn't sure if you wanted me to wait to join the group. We are planning to start next school year. I will have a second grader and preschooler. Let me know your thoughts!
  • jennifero469
    jennifero469 Posts: 67 Member
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    Hi! I'm Jennifer, a 41 year-old mom of 6 great kids ages 17, 8, 7, 5, and 1. We have been homeschooling for 10 years and love it. My oldest takes 2 dual credit classes at the community college and does some subjects for me. The others are doing a mixture of Sonlight, Abeka Math, 100 Easy Lessons, and whatever else looks interesting that I can throw in.

    I started trying to lose weight this time at 171 pounds. I never lost much weight after my last baby was born. This last year has been very stressful with my husband losing his job due to uncontrolled epilepsy, my parents both having health issues and us remodeling and moving in to their house to help take care of them. With 10 of us in the house things are always crazy. My mom eats a steady diet of junk food and it was so easy just to eat what she had out instead of what I knew I needed to eat. I realized that I was miserable and the junk was only making me feel good for a few minutes, but the weight was bothering me all the time.

    I am working on eating healthy and getting back to running. I have started running 3 mornings a week. We also ride our bikes any time we can - to soccer, church, the store, etc. My next goal is to add aerobics in on the mornings I don't run. For some reason I have not been able to convince myself to get up those days. My goal is 140 pounds.

    My husband is as supportive as someone who doesn't need to work to maintain their weight can be. I am really looking forward to the support of a group of people who understand what it is like to lose weight while schooling and maintaining a house.
  • jennifero469
    jennifero469 Posts: 67 Member
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    Hi! I'm Jennifer, a 41 year-old mom of 6 great kids ages 17, 8, 7, 5, and 1. We have been homeschooling for 10 years and love it. My oldest takes 2 dual credit classes at the community college and does some subjects for me. The others are doing a mixture of Sonlight, Abeka Math, 100 Easy Lessons, and whatever else looks interesting that I can throw in.

    I started trying to lose weight this time at 171 pounds. I never lost much weight after my last baby was born. This last year has been very stressful with my husband losing his job due to uncontrolled epilepsy, my parents both having health issues and us remodeling and moving in to their house to help take care of them. With 10 of us in the house things are always crazy. My mom eats a steady diet of junk food and it was so easy just to eat what she had out instead of what I knew I needed to eat. I realized that I was miserable and the junk was only making me feel good for a few minutes, but the weight was bothering me all the time.

    I am working on eating healthy and getting back to running. I have started running 3 mornings a week. We also ride our bikes any time we can - to soccer, church, the store, etc. My next goal is to add aerobics in on the mornings I don't run. For some reason I have not been able to convince myself to get up those days. My goal is 140 pounds.

    My husband is as supportive as someone who doesn't need to work to maintain their weight can be. I am really looking forward to the support of a group of people who understand what it is like to lose weight while schooling and maintaining a house.
  • MrsJones98
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    I'm Heather, new to MFP, but not new to weight loss, exercise or homeschooling.

    I'm almost 37 (so is my husband :) ), my son is almost 8 and my daughter is 9. We are in our 3rd year of homeschooling and tend to be quite eclectic in our approach - it seems to change about every 3 weeks! We enjoyed our time in public school, but the school was not able (and became unwilling in 3rd grade) to challenge my daughter - and my son seemed to be headed down the same path of utter boredom - so we brought them home. I was reluctant and rather terrified when we made the decision (partly since it meant I would continue to stay at home!) but it has been the best decision for us as a family! We are all so much more relaxed and satisfied since we can live life at our own pace.

    I am challenged by PCOS, some form of Crohn's (I refuse to agree that's what my gut issues are because my gut issues are highly influenced by my dietary choices!), controlled high blood pressure, and an ever-changing motivation level. Some days I'm Pollyanna, others more like Eeyore. It's on my Eeyore days I need the most support and am the worst at asking for it :) I am hoping that MFP will help make me more accountable toward my food journaling and exercise journaling.

    Weight loss right now is more about being healthy and fit - and the smaller numbers on the tape measure, scale and in my closet are bonuses! I am 209 and striving to simply get back below 200 at the moment - that is such a wall for me, mentally and physically. I want to lose "only" about 50 pounds at the moment. While that is still technically "overweight" (I'm only 5'3") I am a very solid person - large bones, lots of muscle mass. It's a weight I have been before, and I was very happy and felt attractive and healthy at that weight. So it's what I'm aiming for!

    I like to run and I LOVE yoga. I am also enjoying spending time at the gym strength training - which is a surprise to me. Then again, being able to say I like running after spending 30 years saying I hate running is also a surprise!

    I struggle with keeping the kids active. We live in our heads a lot, so we prefer to read or play computer games - yet when we make the effort to get out and get moving, we really enjoy it! I strive to "remember" to get up and moving with them. We do enjoy long walks in the neighborhood, as well as playing at the park (well, they play - I sit!) and will sometimes kick a soccer ball around, but it does not come naturally to us. Thankfully, we have always talked about nutrition, and the kids often make much better choices about food than I do - so I am learning to eat the way they eat!

    I am excited to see a homeschooling group on here because it is often a little different trying to find the time to exercise and eat healthy when your kids are "always" with you!
  • amybell68
    amybell68 Posts: 275 Member
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    Heather, Hi welcome so glad you are in our group! I enjoyed your story, and I can relate on a few things, mostly your last statement about having time to yourself to exercise, eat healthy, breath, etc....lol I love my daughter and I love that we have so much time together, but I know I need to have time for myself!! its really a hard balancing act!!! And a good "New Topic"!!
  • Hi everyone. Just joined this group and think its awesome to have a homeschool group on here, we moms that homeschool know that support helps us keep going. Im looking forward to being a part of this group. If anyone would like to be friends, just send me a request. Id love to have other homschool moms as friends on MFP. God Bless!!! Marcia
  • push
    push Posts: 9
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    Hi Amy,

    Thank you for starting this group! I actually gained weight since starting homeschooling back in 2008-2009. Might be with having the fridge so close and low will power. I stopped logging my meals and got so busy with school, I'm ready to take control of my weight once again.
  • doriekaye
    doriekaye Posts: 55 Member
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    Hi Everyone,

    My name is Dawn, My husband and I have been home schooling our girls ages 11 and 8 since the beginning. We really enjoy the flexibility and individualization that homeschooling gives us. My girls love it!

    I've been overweight since I was a teen and have tried just about everything. I lost 40 lbs on my own 4 years ago and kept it off. I found MFP this spring and have lost another 18 lbs...so 58 lbs lost total. I have another 42 lbs to go.

    I'm so glad to find a homeschool group. If anyone would like to friend me, please do.
  • Kimmer2011
    Kimmer2011 Posts: 569 Member
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    Thanks to Dawn for suggesting this group!
    I'm Kim, 45 year old mom to two girls, 12 and 9. We're currently working on their math, and they need tons of help today, so I can't write much. We've homeschooled right from the start.
  • quietlywinning
    quietlywinning Posts: 889 Member
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    Thank you for inviting me, Dawn! I am Sharon. I'm 5'2" and 48 years old. Joining MFP in May has been my first weight loss experience, but I am not at all new to homeschooling. I homeschooled my three children from K-12. They are now 28, 25 and 24. Four and a half years ago I adopted a 2.5 year old as a now-single mom, and am homeschooling her. She is in first grade. I expect I'll probably homeschool her all the way through, too.

    I've lost 25 pounds with MFP and have another 15-20 pounds to go.

    I've settled into a rather eclectic homeschooling lifestyle. I LOVE the ability to meet the individual child, capitalize on the strengths and spend all the time we need on weaknesses. My approach to reading and math are rather classical, but the rest of the subjects I am much more relaxed with. Literature based is my personal favorite, but right now my daughter loves worksheets, so I give her lots of worksheets. Snuggling on the couch to read about the mysteries of science is just good. Putting things to music (or finding what has already been put to music) is incredibly helpful, and makes school so much fun!
  • Rachelbluegirl
    Rachelbluegirl Posts: 16 Member
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    Thanks to Dawn for inviting me to this group!

    My name is Sarah, I have two boys ages 8 and 11. We have homeschooled from the beginning, using an eclectic mix of curriculum.

    Growing up I was always just a little bit overweight. In highschool and college I struggled with my weight, but after I got married it really got out of hand. I have been up and down, but mostly up, up up for the last 12 years. Last January, my husband and I got new smartphones and on my phone was an app for MFP. I was curious about it and thought I'd give it a shot. I started tracking my calories. Soon I was shoveling snow for the calorie burn and then added in working out on my stationary bike. In April my husband, kids and I started walking in the evenings. Almost 12 months later I have dropped 137 pounds (23 lbs to goal) and am working towards running a half-marathon this coming May.

    So, this is a little of my story and how I came to be here on MFP. I am looking forward to getting to know you ladies - it's so good to find other homeschooling moms out there who I can relate to.
  • chrissifreeman
    chrissifreeman Posts: 48 Member
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    Hi! I'm Christina. Homeschooling mom of 2 girls, 8 and10.

    Our family loves homeschooling. Interesting considering when my oldest was 2 and I first mentioned it my husband said, "my children will never be homeschooled." Now he's our biggest support and gets in on the learning whenever he can. We use My Father's World for our core with Abeka math.

    I'm new to MFP (it's my first week), but I feel like I've been on a diet my whole life. I've gained and lost the same 20 pounds over and over again. I'm hoping that the ease, flexibility, and support of MFP will help me lose and maintain this time.
  • Jessiejla80
    Jessiejla80 Posts: 64 Member
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    Hi Everyone! I was so excited to find this group!

    My name is Jessica and I've been homeschooling four years now. Our children are 9, almost 8, almost 4, almost 3 and our youngest was born 10/19/11! I'm excited to share with all of you!