Turning 40, time for a change (just starting)

ME TOO!!

I'm also turning 40 in November. I need to lose 53 more lbs
but I'm really motivated and this site has helped me so much!
Another motivation is that for my 40th, I'm going to see all of
my family & friends in CA! Oh boy, do I want to surprise them
by looking HOT! :bigsmile:
Stick with it - we can do this!! Hey- you have a lot less weight
to lose than I do! Did that cheer you up a little? :laugh:

Progress & Success is comin' right up!
Just think how good we'll feel in November!!! Woohoo!!!!!!

:flowerforyou:

How have you been losing weight so far? Another 53lbs, that does sound like me. I would love to be down 53 lbs by November. Ideally I would like to be down 90 lbs by November.

Well, besides a lot of prayer, I've been very focused on
counting my calories and exercise. I really need to drink my
64oz of water a day and that has been difficult for some reason.
I work 10 hours a day and make sure that I walk up and down
the stairs (we have a stairwell in the back that nobody uses).
It's helped a lot! At home, I force myself to get on the stationary
bike every single night. It's been tough! Last night, I didn't
want to do it but after I did, I felt so good. I knew that if I
didn't, I would feel like a failure (pretty harsh but I'm one of
those "first born perfectionists". It doesn't take much for me
to fall off of the wagon so I try to do well on my eating and
exercise every day because if I cheat a couple of days, I'll most
likely spiral downward. It's sad to say but true.

Trying to conceive for over a year and this has really kept
my mind off of baby and more on looking and feeling great!
(I'm told over and over again that we'll get pregnant if I stop
"thinking about it". Ugh... easy for them to say - they are in
their 20's!!). :grumble:

Anyhoo-
I lost 7lbs my first week and this week (my second week), I
haven't lost any! I don't know what's up. My husband
reminded me of the Biggest Loser. Usually they will lose
quite a bit on their first week and then the scale doesn't
move the second week. Maybe it's because your body has
to adjust to a new lifestyle? Fewer calories more exercise?
I dunno but I keep pressing on.

Not sure if that helped any but that's kinda my story for now.
I keep thinking of "40 IN NOVEMBER" so I'm *very* glad
you joined and started this topic! Good timing - thanks!

PS: 53 lbs by November is do-able!

I don't mean this to be discouraging but from all that I've read/heard, healthy weight loss is 1-2 lbs a week on your own. You've got 24 weeks until Nov. so unless you see a nutritionalist and and/or a certified trainer 50 lbs is much more realistic than 90 lbs. As far as motivation, I have pictures of what I want all over the place to remind me what I'm working for. The pictures are on the fridge, my desktop, my nightstand so I'd suggest finding what motivates you to lose the weight and find ways to remind yourself as often as possible.

Hi megty2 - Welcome to MFP. Stick with this site and you'll find lots of encouragement and motivation. Kelligirl is right, you start by wanting to change for you, then set your goals at acheivable levels. Celebrating many small victories will keep you motivated. I started my journey 2 months ago and joined this site a few weeks ago. I was 208 and when I joined MFP I was 200. My first goal was to lose 10 pounds. I'm only 2 lbs away and already feel like a new person.

I have 2 teeenage daughters that are very athletic, a husband that is a pro inline skater and a teenage step-son that has recently moved in with us and is over weight also. My family is very supportive and my step-son has been motivated by me. Whoohoo!!! My oldest daughter comes home from college today and she told me yesterday we are hitting the trails together when she gets home.

Eat healthy and remember you have to eat. I never would have believed it but eating is a huge part of this journey. Food is the fuel our bodies need every day and if we restrict our intake to drop weight our body will take over and store more. :grumble: I actually gained 3 lbs last weekend and was very upset. But when I looked at my food diary I realized I wasn't taking in enough carbs and my body obviously didn't trust me to feed it right so it held on to the weight. I adjusted my carb intake Monday, dropped the 3 lbs + 1 by this morning. Now that's success. There's another topic post you might want to check out called the 40+ Club. We're a bunch of 40+'rs and a very supportive group.

And yes, 1-2 pounds is recommended and a healthy approach. There will be weeks you can lose 5 lbs and weeks you lose 1, it's all about your body adjusting to the changes.

Icandoallthings - I'd like to invite you to check out the 40+ Club postings also. There are a few moms there that have little ones that you'll relate with. And don't get discouraged by the scale. Like I mentioned above, our bodies have to adjust to the change, some weeks quicker than others.

You can do this ladies. I'm proud of your first steps and can't wait to see your progress.

Many Blessings,
Nita

Hi Erika - You're close enough to fourty so feel free to join the thread.

And you're right, all things good come in God's timing if we'll just get out of His way.

Many Blessings,
Nita

Hello and welcome to MFP the best website ever. I it here and I think you will too. This site is so supportive, motivational, helpful and is so easy to use. I just wanted to tell you good luck on your weight loss journey. You can do this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: