New to this site and wondering where to start...any advice welcome! :)

J

jenejenn

New member
Hello all! I am new to this site but in no way am i new to dieting. I am a 31 year old mother of 3 who has been overweight all of my adult life. I've tried many different diet plans and have had success with them, I just always tend to fall back into old habits. I've tried some pretty drastic diets and done some pretty crazy things...the one thing that I really haven't tried is a good ole lifestyle change. Well, I guess I've tried many times with no success. THis time I really wanna do it.

It's so overwhelming to think about and stresses me out to think about changing everything I know. I know I need to do it not for myself but for my children as well. I just don't know where to start. I know cutting out soda and junk is a great start and working out more than I am now...which is very seldom. I guess I'm just one of those people that likes to do things all or nothing. I feel like if I just cut out a few things here and there I wont see much results and will be prone to give up easier. And I tend to not hold myself very accountable for things like diets. "oh, this cookie won't hurt" and before you know it I'm back to eating horribly again. I REALLY want to lose this extra 80 or so lbs but I just can't seem to find the motivation and will to actually do it. Whats the trick there? I figured this site may help me get inspired to step it up and actually DO IT!

So here I sit. Researching diet plans and weight loss micacles once again. I was just researching the medifast diet and I had a flashback of past diets I've done. About this same time last year I was starving myself on the HCG diet. Which did work for me. I lost 40 lbs in a matter of a month, but I got so tired of starving and my whole world being consumed by the thought of food I gave in and ate like I was beforehand. I have since gained 30 of the 40 lbs back. AND I'M NOT gaining the other 10 back! I've got to do something now to stop this horrible lifestyle I'm living! I once was a very fit and active person and I would love to have that back! I don't want to just jump on another diet bandwagon..I want to change the way I eat for good!! I want to be healthy and active. I have the desire...just not the drive! How do i get that want and push to do it?? Anyone have any suggestions cause I'm struggling mentally here. :)

Sorry for all my ramblings...hope you can make sense of it all and I hope someone can lend me a hand here. Thanks for reading and sharing any info in advance! :)

Jen
 
Hey there, welcome.

I always found dieting not to work. I finally started losing weight when i went to university, and became in control of my own eating habits. The key for me was simple, and its a tough one to follow - eating less! stopped snacking and ate one course at all meals - partly for weight-loss purposes, but also largely due to being a cash-strapped student! Amazing the money I saved doing that. that could be a motivation for you, certainly was for me.

I'm not all that great on nutrition, but i have plenty of experience in exercise motivation. Definitely the best way to stay motivated for exercise is finding a sport or past time that requires you to be there. I use the example of tennis, badminton and squash a lot, because 1v1 sports mean you have to turn up if you've scheduled it. you could maybe look into sports clubs that offer these sports - a lot will do introductory lessons and then matches that pair you against people of a similar level.

If that isnt your thing, doing classes in gyms I find are more effective than just going to the gym myself. the trainers tend to push you to the limit, but not beyond it, and you can kind of make them as easy or difficult as you want. Nothing like a trainer talking to you to keep you motivated! Im not sure if theres an equivalent in the states, but RPM classes (spin classes) are really good in my experience.

For me to get fit, it was boxing at uni, and the hope of getting in the squad. If i didnt turn up i wouldnt get picked (training 9 times a week took its toll though!), so thats what motivated me. I realise that boxing isn't for everyone, but I hope you find one that's a good fit.

hope that helps.
 
I would suggest starting a diary in the diary section of the forum. They are great for accountability. Having fellow members stopping by your diary, making sure you're on track is a huge daily motivator. As far as the diet part goes, calorie counting is the only thing that has worked for me. It's sometimes tedious and a pain in the butt, but it works. Good luck, and welcome to the forum! :)
 
Hi jenejenn,

I'm new as well and basically hoping for the same thing from the forum - a means for motivation and new ideas. I've been big my whole life and decided this year I was finally going to do it and just get the body I’ve always wanted. It’s only my first week in but I can already see some differences... but like you said it’s the mentality sometimes that gets me down... what did you used to do when you were active? You enjoyed what you did then? Perhaps you could do a class a few days a week with some girlfriends, or just go for a casual walk. I remember reading somewhere it takes 66 days to form a habit... so two months until that treadmill becomes a part of my 'routine' and not my idea of torturing myself :/

But I wish you luck! :D
 
Thank you all for your positive words and encouragement!! I really appreiciate it!

Pirieca~ I used to train in martial arts so I know how boxing and such can really take a toll on the body. I had to take a break cause I broke my foot...probably cause I kick so much a$$!! :) hehe I plan on getting back into it soon, if i can find the time and the funds to support that idea. I was training 6 days a week in hopes to become part of the competitive fight team. I had to realize that was out of the question for me since I'm a mother of 3 and the travelling and commitment was something I just couldnt do. I still trained with the fight team though.

Rayaa~I LOVE the idea of an accountability buddy! I actually had a good friend that trained in martial arts with me and we really pushed each other outside of martial arts too. Sad thing is she moved away! :( Thats when I really stopped working out and stopped trying to hold myself accountable. I have gradually gained 30 lbs back. I NEED to find a new buddy but its so hard with my schedule. I have a certian window of time during the day that I can set aside for working out and most of my friends that would work out with me are at work during that time. My husband works out of town so we only have him home for a week or less out of each month so I don't really have anyone else to keep my kids on a daily basis.

I've been kicking the idea of a gym memebership around. just so I have the structure and push that I really need! I told myself if I work out everyday for a month straight I will get myself a membership. My husband is firm believer that the gym is for people who are in shape already. LOL He says is I won't do it at home why would I do it at the gym. So I think really he is holding me back from getting the membership. BUT i did tell him yesterday that I'm going to work out at home for a month and then get a membership whether he likes it or not. I need to do something for myself! :)

Again thank you all for your positive words and ideas!! I love them all!! Best of luck to you all!! :) Hope to see you more on these threads.
 
Hi Jen. Your post caught my eye because I am a Colorado girl. I haven't lived there in awhile, but I grew up in Denver. I feel your pain - been there, done that. I got fibromyalgia 10 years ago, and I've kind of let myself go. I'm starting on a brand new program - it's not even live until next week - plus I am starting a fibro exercise program. I believe that 2013 will be a good year for me, and it's exciting to be with people who have experienced the same thing.

Leslie
 
Working out at home has been awesome for me (mom of 2 kids, full time worker, contract worker and university student). I highly recommend it. There are so many things you can do! We have slowly invested in some equipment over time and now have a nice home gym for a fraction on what I have spent in the past on gym memberships. Lol! In the very beginning I found going to the gym was good for me because I would easily get distracted at home. Now my priorities have changed and working out at home is great.
I found the diary section here to be quite useful. I love to keep track of my stuff and to get feedback from other people. I am motivated by hearing other people's struggles and triumphs.
I found it works best in the long haul to make small changes that you can maintain and really change your lifestyle on small step at a time.

Good luck. You have come to an awesome forum!
 
Hi everyone, I am new too. Just recently lost 33 lbs and would like to lose 10 more. I want to be healthy and live a long life for my family. My highest weight was 178 but now I am 140. I'm only 5 ft 3 inches so would really like to lose about 10 more. My husband says I don't need to though. So happy to meet you.
 
Hi Amy. Congratulations for losing 33 pounds! That's wonderful. I'm 5'4, so I feel your pain. It's hard to keep the weight off short bodies! It's good to meet you.
 
HI Lesliedenning, thanks for the congrats. Do you have weight to lose too or have you reached your optimum weight?
 
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