Welcome to the Group

Welcome! We would love get to know you, so please tell us a little bit about yourself. You can choose any format you'd like, but most of us here share some or all of the following details:

1. Share a bit about yourself so we can know you better

2. What is your biggest challeng?

3. When do you find it hardest to stay on track?

4. What is the hardest temptation (food or reason not to exercise)?

And now just go ahead and make that first post!

Here goes....

1. I am 60 years old and live in the deep south. I am a single mother with 3 grown children. I quit smoking 10 years ago and have about 30 pounds that I would like to lose although I would be happy with 20! I quit smoking while going through menopause and thought that was the hardest thing I have done but I now believe that losing weight is tougher. Also, I am currently a senior in college hoping for a degree in Elementary Ed by the end of this year. I am living my life in reverse order I guess, waited until my 3rd child was grown before getting my degree.

2. My biggest challenge is consistency and staying motivated. I also know that sometimes food is my friend just like cigarettes use to be my friend and I am sometimes an emotional eater.

3. The weekends are hardest for me.

4. PEANUT BUTTER is definitely my biggest food challenge. I absolutely love Smuckers Peanut Butter! As for exercise, I cant make myself use weights or follow a exercise progam. My son is a personal trainer and I know what to do, I just dont like to do it. But... I love to be outside... hiking, walking, biking, I am outside when I can. Walked a 5K yesterday with my family. Hope I did ramble too much.

Wow! You have really impressed me with your college goals! That takes alot of willppower and self motivation. You should be our role model!

Thanks for the kind words. I dont know about role model.... I dont seem to have the necessary will power and motivation to lose weight! Seems to be a constant struggle. But in thinking about it, the number on the scale doesnt mean as much to me as being fit. Like so many others, my excess weight seems to settle around the middle!!! I hope and pray that if I can lose the weight and stay active, the shape will take care of itself.

Hi all, I'm a 52 year old divorced mom of one adult son.  I quit smoking about 20 years ago and that really started the slide into my fat world.  I like your questions Miss Ellie so I will just answer those.

What is your biggest challeng?  I think it changes from day to day. It's staying away from foods that I know I shouldn't eat,  overeating even healthy foods, or talking myself out of exercising.

3. When do you find it hardest to stay on track?  When I'm extremely stressed, bored or lonely

4. What is the hardest temptation (food or reason not to exercise)?  For me the hardest thing to resist is chips, any form or style.  I love chips.   And the easiest thing for me to talk myself out of is exercise.  I can find more reasons not to exercise than heinz has pickles.

ckrich,  Wow! I am so impressed!  completing a college education and planning to teach when you are 60!  I never much liked school so got done as quick as I could, did a little bit of technical school and hated every minute of it.  Now I work in a college and could take classes but have absolutely no desire to do so.  That doesn't mean I don't think it is valuable, I tell everyone that they should go to school, and if they have a dream it's never to late to start.  You are proof of that!

Hello All,

1. Share a bit about yourself so we can know you better

I'm 52 yrs old. In June 2007 when I went for my annual check-up my doctor told me if I didn't lose weight I was on the fast track for HBP, high cholesterol, heart attack, and diabetes. Wow. I was always healthy, maybe 30 lbs over weight. But that day I weighed 254lbs. WHAT?? When did I gain 70 lbs??? Somewhere between 40 and 50 yrs old. I've been a yo-yo dieter all me adult life but this was a shocker for me. I started working out and dieting, joined Calorie Count and in one year I dropped 45 lbs. Summer of 2008 the complements were flying, I felt great, so I do what we all do, got cocky, and gained 12 lbs in 6 months. But this time I did something different. I stopped my weight gain there. Why?? Because I had support from friends I met here. No matter what, no one shunned me because I was in gaining mode, no one shunned me because I stopped working out. The people on this site took me for me, unconditionally!!!! Wow. That made a difference. OK, so now I'm back on track. Trying to lose 30-35 lbs. The exact number doesn't matter. What does matter is how I feel.

2. What is your biggest challenge?

My biggest challange is to keep moving. If I'm busy, working and exercising, I'm fine with my food.

3. When do you find it hardest to stay on track?

I'm an interior designer. So my days are either 10 hour-work days or no work. When I'm not working and I have too much idle time then I graze throughout the day.

4. What is the hardest temptation (food or reason not to exercise)?

This is a tough one. But I'm leaning towards 'reason not to exercise'. I can be very creative in my reasoning not to get out there and walk! I do strength training 2 hours per week which I'm faithful to because I have a personal trainer. But my cardio, ugh!!! Especially through the winters here in the Northeast. I strive for 5 times per week. But I'm lucky if I do it 2 times per week...........

So, here I am! Asking you all to nudge me to get moving!!!

OK, now that I got all that stuff about me out of the way....

Ladies, you are all strong. Look behind you, see how far you traveled in life. That's one long, impressive road, filled with accomplishments. So, here we are now, struggling with our weight and just trying to be healthy. We can help each other to stay on track.

Today, it was a balmy (LOL) 40 degrees! It was a beautiful day and I walked 2.5 miles in 40 minutes.  It was one of my better timings.

I hope you all had a chance to 'move' today. I like calling it 'move' as opposed to exercise because it doesn't sound so much like work!!

Be healthy!

Welcome mcs. 

I like that 'move instead of exercise'    It was really nice here in the upper midwest (MN) over the weekend too, I went out snowshoeing, what great fun and 'exercise'.  Of course this morning I awoke to below zero again. . . i just don't understand how we can lose that much heat overnight!  Oh well, it's the fitness center tonight to get rid of those calories I ate yesterday while the game was on. YUCK!  Pizza and chips, who can resist them?

Sue

Thanks, Sue, for the welcome.

I know, Super Bowl is a bad thing as far as food goes. But getting back to the gym is a good thing!

I should never complain about Boston winter to you! MN has some real cold, snowy weather. I just love it when April rols around......

I hav a nephew that just moved here last summer; last night he asked me when the snow would finally go away.  I laughed and told him maybe by April.  He just about fell out of his chair.  When he moved here I thought he really knew what was coming but I guess until you live thru it you just never can understand it.  I didn't have the heart to tell him that April is only when the snow will begin leaving, the piles of it sometimes take untl the end of May to totally disappear.    I love the snow but I hate the cold.   I'm hoping to get out snow shoeing tomorrow, the weather should be almost to warm for it YEAH, I'm so tired of the deep freeze we have been in.

Hello Hello! 

I guess it's my turn!  My name is also Jen).  I'm 36 and live in Virginia and I am an engaged mother of 2.  I have a son that's 15 and will get his learner's permit this weekend, and a daughter that is 11-going-on-20.  I have a Mr. Wonderful in my life... finally... and hope to get married within the next year or so when I get out of school. 

I'm a full-time Instrumentation student and also work part-time when I'm not in class.  My life-plate is full, which equals lots of stress and rushing to get it all done, which turns into a full food-plate.. or 2 or 3... you get the picture. I am 5'4" and weigh 180 lbs, which is the heaviest I've ever been.  I've struggled with my weight since I got out of high school and got my first job at Dairy Queen.  I was able to eat any mistakes I made, and I made lots of mistakes making ice cream cones and sundaes... what?  I was a slow learner! I am having a terrible time finding time for exercise with so much going on.  Two days a week I have class from 8 in the morning until 8:30 at night.  I just can't seem to figure out a time I can get it in!

I have been using CC off and on for a couple of years. I thought I'd join this group because even though I've been on CC for all this time, I've never made an effort to participate in a group or find friends or post on forums.  I haven't used the site to it's fullest potential.

I have noticed lately that I am out of breath just walking to class, and I am tired of being tired all the time.  I'm tired of having to wear "fat-lady" clothes that make me look like I'm older than I am.  And I'm tired of being embarassed of my outer appearance.

I've already mentioned 2 of my children, but I do have a 3rd "child".  Her name is Phoebe and she's a 6-month old Cocker Spaniel.  She's a complete and total handful.  Having her around reminds me why I got fixed so I couldn't have more children!  But the funny thing is, when I thought about getting a dog after so many years of being without pets, I pictured me walking her in the park every day and playing with her and all of those nice things.  I rarely do anything more than walk her right out the back door to use the bathroom!  Arrggghhhh!!!!  Even the dog is suffering because of me!!!!

I'm looking for friends, motivation, accountability.