This ain't going to be easy........

[ponythief]

And I need really good advise from anyone that has it.

Okay, here's my battle.

Yes, I am overweight. I do NOT own a scale. In the past I have used my clothes as my weight loss or gain. I would like to lose 50lbs. OUCH!

I have diverticulitis. Which means no raw veggies and very limited lettuce. No peanuts, no seeds, no popcorn, I have to chew food for a long time to help digest.

And I am also diabetic, no meds, just controlled or try to control through the foods I eat and drink. Which if I lost the weight I prob wouldn't have this problem.

I am also a soda pop freak. I quit all hard sodas for a year but fell off the wagon and I am drinking up to 3 cans a day of Coke. Prior before quitting for a year I drank up to 8 a day sometimes easily a 12 pack if it was a very long day.

I smoke. Yuck, would also love to quit.

I have a bad knee that limits my leg activity. I have a really fancy exercise machine the one that is like stair stepping but after a few minutes my knee is throbbing How do you work in the time to just go walking? I work 11 hours a day and then become super Mom and chore Mom. I really feel like I have No Time for just me. And if I lost the weight My knee would feel better I bet.

I have terrible eating habits! No breakfast other than 2 or 3 cups of coffee (loaded) During the week.
Usually I skip lunch or have a small snack. Always not healthy. (diverticulitis)
I Love to eat out for supper, big mistake as it is always late and usually is pastas, pizza or something fried. I am addicted to bread.
I hate to cook. I hate dishes.

I think it would be easier just to take me out back and shoot me!

Oh, I have no will power But Starting tomorrow(cause before seeing this new board I ate 2 slices of Casey's pizza and a soda
) I will try I will try I will try....................

HEEELLLLLPPPPP!!!!!!

[dede]

YOU CAN DO IT!!! Do it for yourself and for your kids.

I so understand not having time with your busy life but you have to plan time for yourself too. It will make you feel better and make it easier for you to deal with life in general. Just plan on the time and stick to it.

Totally understand the knee issue, I have issues with my knees and hips. I'm OK to walking but running kills me. Try riding a bike if you can, low impact on your knee. Do you have access to a pool? Maybe a "Y" in your area? Swimming would be super for you.

If you can get with your doctor and see if you can get on Chantex or Zyban to help you quit smoking. I quit 8 months ago and I can't even tell you how much better I feel. No, its not easy but I know its worth it. Plus I'm saving a fortune by not burning my money everyday.

Hang in there girl and holler when you need some motivation, kick in the butt, hug....whatever!!! ;D

[windyknollfarm]

I am also addicted to bread (along with having a sugar-monkey on my back)....any kind of bread. Bread, bread, bread, bread. Unfortunately for us, bread contains lots of carbs that turn into sugar as our bodies digest it.

Altho I haven't looked at the # of carbs- I tried those flavored mini rice cakes, and they really aren't too bad. I stick to the serving size, 10- eat five, wait about an hour and eat the other 5. Grazing. The crunchiness is excellent and the texture can fool my tummy into thinking that it is eating bread.

Basically, I am being anal about serving sizes and it seems to be helping. Some items I can just talk myself out of cuz it's not worth measuring out, etc.

I don't cook either so I try to have alot of fresh fruit in the house, cut up and ready to eat....kinda grab and go.

Good luck! Stick with us!

[mass]

I also have a ton of physical problems and finding exercise that won't hurt is a problem. If you can, try a physical therapist, to show you exercises you can do and stick with. Also, every pound of weight equals 4 lbs of pressure on your knees, so the more you lose, the better your knee will feel. I've had 4 surgeries on mine and I know when I gained 75 lbs, I really felt it.
I don't tell myself I can't have a certain food, just that I can have it once a week or every two weeks.
It was not easy for me to lose the 65 lbs that I have lost and took time. I went backwards more than once, but I kept at it. These last pounds are the hardest for me to shed.

[funnypaint]

Do you wear a brace on your knee when you use the machine? My knee throbs when I WALK on a treadmill, but when I put on a jumper's brace (little tube brace that goes under your knee cap), I can run for 30 minutes straight.

But yes, you can do it, and do it for yourself! Why not ask the kids if they want to walk with you? Make it a family thing? Bring the dog (if you have one!)

[ponythief]

Great ideas!!!!!

Went to the grocery store and bought some healthy foods apples, lettuce, pears, and planned a few light meals.

Last night we had taco salad, rice and beans. I cut my portion down by a quarter. Only 2 sodas yesterday and lots of unsweet tea.

Today I am planning only 1 soda. ;D And tonight Beer Butt Chicken on the grill and some weird looking veggies(oriental).

I spent an hour in the house this morning doing cleaning, baseboards, toilets etc....worked up a bit of a sweat. I kept myself continuously moving. Now I hate housework LOL

[jz]

I suck at losing weight. I put more value on strength and stamina. I have those, but I also have WAY more pounds than I'm happy with!

my disadvantages: my JOB! I SIT all day! sometimes for 10 hours. Then when I get home, if it's late, I'm too worn out mentally to want to do anything!

my age...it just gets harder the older you get. that's for sure!

I'm lazy about cooking. I just don't have the motivation to cook 99% of the time. I work at a hospital--there's a cafeteria, so I'm more accustomed to instant gratification.

my advantages: no real physical issues that would prevent me from exercising. Nothing hurts on a regular basis, I have a lot of muscle, so I don't expect to hurt anything by exercising, and I've been hiking more often so my endurance is "ok"

My hubby has very recently, and for the first time in his life, decided that he wants to eat healthy. He's always been a processed-food-chip-eating-monster. Fast food is fine! Now, he's passing all that by and looking for healthy opportunities instead. That's a motivator for me, good timing too!

I finally bought a scale. I hate what it says, but how else will I know I'm really on the right track? I bought some graph paper and hung a piece next to the scale. I didn't put any numbers on the graph, but I weigh in every morning and plot the number on it.

I've been REALLY focusing on eating only good things at work. This is VERY challenging. I think the hospital views its 1200 employees as potential customers, and the best way to get us to the cardiac cath unit is by feeding us junk! It is possible to get around this: there is oatmeal for breakfast, if you can drag yourself away from the bacon and cinnamon rolls; they have decent soups for lunch, usually one or two good vegetables, and an okay salad bar.

my favorite beverage is icewater. I have a very low interest in pop, and I really don't drink except for RARE occasions. then I'm usually good for one, maybe two.

it's bicycle weather and hay season again. We try to bike several times a week now, basically whenever we're not baling hay. Both these things are good exercise.


So here's what happens, at least initially:

I change my diet, increase my activity in a focused way, and I GAIN weight. How long is this going to last? not fair!

[ponythief]

Awww geeze, no support from Hubby, He came home from work last night and wanted to go out for Friday night fish.
So no Chicken on the grill. But I cut my dinner out portions in half. Half of a tenderloin (yes, fried) half of fries, and just a bit of coleslaw (it tears my colon up) Then Hubby decides to go with friends to the bar....crash and burn.....I had 2 sodas.

Today, very busy left the house at 8am to tote kid around half the day, so for breakfast on the run I had 1/2 a biscuit and a sausage patty with egg and cheese.

And for lunch(very late 4pm) I had half of a crossant chicken salad sandwich After we hauled and unlaoded hay. Okay so it was only 36 bales but d**n they weighed about 80lbs a piece. ;D
And lots of barn and yard work. I stink, I sweated, so all is good right. LOL

Just getting in the house, made some unsweet tea.
Dinner tonight will be late, as hubby is working out in the arena until dark. I feel another crash coming on....Pizza.

[dede]

Don't be too hard on yourself - it's a start!! Cutting portions in half is a HUGE step!

The few times I drink now I always order diet coke and rum. I can't stand diet soda but can't tell the difference when there is rum in it! ;D

[mass]

I used to drink regular soda and hated diet, but I started mixing diet in with my reg and slowly increased the diet. I got used to it and now reg soda is too sweet to me.

[willie76]

I was going to second the swimming. Totally low impact, great workout.

Also, walking with your family....when I was younger I would bike while my dad ran and I loved it. I wish I hadn't stopped. Looking back now I wish I had run with him when I turned 16.