Want to get fit by 40

Dmarten
Dmarten Posts: 19
edited October 7 in Introduce Yourself
Ive been on here a few weeks, but havent introduced myself yet. As everyone else, life has gotten in the way of me taking care of me. Im a single mom of 4 kids, 3 teenage boys. I drive dump truck and own a brokering business, so life is extremely busy for me. I turn 40 in may and do not want to be as overweight then as I am now. I am 5'4" 200 lbs, started at 208. I know this is a slow and steady process, but sometimes the slowness gets to me. I only have a few months that are slow with work, and I really want to get into a good routine before I get busy again. Its so easy to stop working out , when there is work to be done, basically because I need to make money to raise my kids. Its sort of a double edged sword. But I am determined this time. So I hope that MFP will help me in the months and years to come as much as it has already in the last few weeks. Feel free to add me as a friend.

Replies

  • Shel1973
    Shel1973 Posts: 3
    Hello, I am also new to the site. Like you, I have a very busy life raising a teenager and working full time. I have recently lost close to 80 lbs. In July 2011, I had reached over 230 lbs. I was miserable, unhealthy, and very unhappy. Looking back, I now know what it takes to lose weight and keep it off. Please continue and don't give up because your health is so important and being over 200lbs. can put you at risk for many diseases. I will be 40 in 2013 and want to make this major life style change so that I can live 40+ more years.

    YOU CAN DO THIS!:smile:
  • tnorwo
    tnorwo Posts: 5 Member
    Hello, I have been here a couple of times threw out the last year. I also will be turning 40 in 2013 but I have resolved that this year I am going to get in better shape and lose about 40 lbs. I am 4'11 and started out at 170 and two weeks later I am 165. I realized with the extra weight I am carrying, I am just unhappy sometimes, unhealthy and just sometime plan ole mean. Since lossing the first 5lbs i feel like I can really get the weight off and keep it off. I must admit what really got me on the path to lose the weight was also my 17 yr old daughter. she joined her schools basketball team and lost a womping 15 lbs which put her at a good weight for her height(she was slightly overweight herself although I always told her she was perfect) I became a little jealous (because of her youth she was able to drop it just with exercise and didn't change her eating habits which weren't that bad but regular teen habit). oh the joys to be in teens. and also I was found out I have hypothyroidism. Well anyway I saw this topic and thought I really need more supportive ppl around my age and maybe I could be some support to someone else. Feel free to add me as a friend
  • Cin1313
    Cin1313 Posts: 2
    Hi ladies, I just started MFP (again) and saw your posts. I would just like to put in my two cents worth and want to say: DO IT NOW!!! DO NOT WAIT ONE MORE DAY! I am 45 now, and every year after 40 it has been harder and harder (and harder) to lose weight. I have to work twice as hard. to get half as far as I did in my thirties. I kept hearing people whine about how much harder it was after 40 and thought, wow, it just can't be that bad can it? Well, yes, it can. After 40, my body parts started creaking and hurting, I have tendinitis, plantar fasciitis, sore knees, sore feet, sore hips. I have 50-60 pounds to lose now, but at 39, it was only 20-25, and I kept thinking I was gonna get going gonna get around to maybe someday gonna get serious about maybe exercising and losing some weight. And now, ohmygosh, I wish I would have taken eating right and exercise more seriously and changed my habits back then. You all have the right idea... Please please please start now. Today. It doesn't matter if you want to exercise. You have to or your body will start to rebel on you! Three times a week whether you feel like it or not. Sign up for a 5k, and start really really slow (like, my kids would walk with me when I jogged, and my little Maltese outpaced me). Anyway, I hope you all hear my heart and let me give you a big kick in the backside! DO IT NOW!
  • Dmarten
    Dmarten Posts: 19
    Thanks ladies, Cin1313, thank you soooo much, I have always heard losing weight after 40 was harder, now I know its true. I work out 6 days a week now. My biggest fear is that my daughter and her boyfriend will decide to get married, they have been together over 3 years, and I will still look like "this" on their wedding day . So its work hard , change lifestyle and eating habits to become a new healther, HAPPIER (the kids will love this one) me !!!!!
  • chrissymh27
    chrissymh27 Posts: 1 Member
    Good Morning all.... I too am in the same boat. I turn 40 in May 2013 and I want to be like the old cliche "40 and Fabulous". My goal is to start my 40's healthy and in the best shape ever. My 30's started off bad with a divorce that lasted 7 years and are ending in a much better mindset. I've taken up running and training for my first half marathon 3 weeks before my 40th bday. So here's to a much happier decade and chapter in our lives...
  • Cin1313
    Cin1313 Posts: 2
    D - so your exercise is good, it's the food, right? I'll add you as a friend and we can be accountable to each other. I have a couple other friends that post (personal friends on MFP) but they aren't engaged in MFP right now for various reasons, so I need an MFP partner. I, too, am 5'4", and started this year off at 198.6. Last year I started the year at 199.8. So I lost a pound all year! Ewww! Every year my weight "threshold" gets higher; you know, the weight limit where you tell yourself you're really gonna get serious and change your ways. I let myself off the hook cause people (friends/family) say stuff like "but you don't look like you weigh that much", but seriously, when your underwear rolls down in the front because of your belly, thats not a good thing. I finally went and got a physical (I kept putting it off until I lost weight) and my very polite doctor very politely told me I need to be in the 140-150 range. I cant wait to see what my bloodwork says! I can't decide if I'm more afraid that it's bad or if it's good, because if it's good, there's a part of my brain that I know will say, "See? You can eat like crap and it's ok!".

    Cudos to you for setting a good example for your teens. I have two, and all they want to eat is junk. The boy will eat whatever is in front of him, but the girl wants to live on pizza. I just read in the paper that they tested group of normal teens and 70% of them had one of five symptoms: overweight, high blood sugar, high blood pressure, high cholesterol or high triglicerides. 70 percent! Can you believe it?!! I told mine what my doctor said and that I need their help, mainly by not complaining about the healthy food I make, and they agreed and are totally on board. I too was a single mom, but remarried when they were younger. I think there's a special bond between kids and their single-parents. I'm sure they'll be in your corner.

    Keep up the good work. Gotta run... Cin
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