New to myfitness pal - difficult getting started - Could use

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cwslofarrell
cwslofarrell Posts: 1
in Introduce Yourself
Hi my name is Charles. I am concerned about my health. I am the proud father of an 18 month old, named Grayson. My goal is to live long enough to see my son graduate college and get a job, and have kids of his own. I would treasure living long enough to be a grandfather. I was always very active as a teenager, but have fallen prey to the sedentary lifestyle. I am six feet nine inches tall and currently weigh 380lbs. My ideal weight would be 235lbs. Currently unemployed, the stress of trying to find a job, has left me utterly depressed.:indifferent: I am hoping that getting fit will help build my self esteem. I need to accomplish something positive. Problem is, I am lacking motivation to get started. I would appreciate any support from people that have\had simular challenges ahead\behind them and can offer some good advice. :smile:

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  • markei1
    markei1 Posts: 52 Member
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    Welcome, Charles. I think that many of us on this website have been in your shoes and still struggle with it. However, just acknowledging that you want to change is the most important step. Create a plan for yourself. Make sure that it is realistic and set small goals for yourself. It could be something as simple as drinking 8 glasses of water daily or give yourself a cut off time of eating at night. I do mini challenges for myself to keep me motivated. Right now, I am doing a 12 Days of Xmas Challenge. It consists of me only drinking water and doing at least 30 minutes of activity daily from now until Xmas--the ultimate gift to my body. I also use the Leslie Sansone-Walk Away the Pounds DVDs when I can't make it to the gym so I can try to stay active. I have fallen off the wagon numerous times, but I manage to get back up and try it again. Baby steps are still steps. Good luck!
  • CrystalT
    CrystalT Posts: 862 Member
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    Welcome Charles, you CAN do this!!! If you are anything like me, results are motivating. When I started my journey in Feb, a friend asked me to start walking during our lunch break. I started losing weight and I got more and more motivated as my body started changing. Just take baby steps and everyday it will get easier. Maybe for the rest of the week you could just track your food on the website and not worry about what changes you can make to it. Then you can look at what you ate over those few days and see what you can change to make it healthier next week. If it is warm enough outside where you are, go for a walk. If it isn't warm and you have a gym membership, you could use the treadmill, elliptical, or bike. If you can't go to the gym, you could buy or borrow a work out DVD. I've checked some out from my local library before. Walmart has some good DVDs for less than $10. I'm using The Biggest Loser Boot Camp DVD right now and I really like it. It doesn’t matter so much how you move as long as you’re moving.

    Good luck!!!!
  • rheign
    rheign Posts: 56
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    Hey Charles, I can relate. A few years ago my life seemed to fall apart. I'm not kidding when I say it was like a REALLY bad country western song, lol. Anywho, I got my wake-up call after breaking my ankle last February. I had become so sedentary and out of shape I couldn't even use the crutches! I made a decision right then and there to make some major life changes, and I have. I've lost 70 lbs through changing my eating habits and working out daily.

    I started out by committing to do Wii Fit for 30 minutes a day. I gradually increased the time and graduated to EA Active. I can now ride up to sixty miles on a given day on my road bike. I can jog for a half hour and run for a few minutes at a time. I do cardio workouts daily and weight train every other day. The results, although not as fast as I would like, are amazing. I feel like I'm in my twenties again!

    If I can do this, anyone can. YOU CAN DO THIS, and now is the best time! If you're currently unemployed, you have time to burn! If you feel overwhelmed, start slowly and gradually build up. My first goal was to make a daily commitment of working out so it would become a habit in my life. The Wii Fit was an easy commitment. Chose something you enjoy and commit to doing it daily and gradually increase your efforts. You'll be amazed at how your body, mood and energy will change for the better. Good luck!

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