Here for the moral support

[kath68]

Haven't posted here before, but boy do I need some support. I am officially crying "uncle" and admitting I need to change my ways. It is time to reclaim my body (and my wardrobe, which I can't fit into anymore)!

Any suggestions on how I should start? I have started walking in the mornings before work, maybe twice a week. I want to get to the gym a couple times a week, and do something significant work-out wise on the weekends.

My biggest problem really is eating healthily. Getting the shopping done and meal planning is hard for DH and me both. WW is not really an option for several reasons, but I am willing to do just about anything else.

How do people tend to use this board? I see the weekly check-ins. That seems good. Any other advice?

TIA -- I really appreciate the support. Really really really.

[psophia17]

Kathy - first off, congratulations for making this decision. It's not an easy one to make, but it's so worth it :)

As far as this board, I have used it as support when I needed it, as a place to get ideas when I needed them, and as a place where I can share my excitement about milestones met. It's the same as the rest of the BBB board, but with fitness as the focus instead of babies, KWIM?

With that said - definitely join the weekly check-ins. For me, they have been a good place to keep track of myself. I want to post stuff I'm proud of there, but if I'm not proud I post that, too. It's like a system of checks and balances. Also, post with specific questions you have - exercise, menu-planning, aches and pains, whatever it is, go ahead and ask.

For ideas to start, when WW (which is what I've been doing) isn't an option (any reason why?), the best advice I can give is to 1) put 1/2 veggies on your plate at all times, and eat them first, and 2) drink as much water as you can, no matter if you're thirsty or not.

I'm trying to follow my own advice these days - it's not easy, but it'll work, and it's worth it :)

[kath68]

Thanks for the advice!

Re: WW -- mostly convenience stops me -- getting away from my job is hard during the day, and after work, well, if I have the time, I would rather be exercising than at a weigh-in. That it is another expense is an issue (admittedly it isn't a huge one, but finances are tight these days), and honestly, I am not really a joiner type, and those kinds of meetings drive me mad. I know people who WW works really well for, so I am not knocking it at all. I just know from prior experiences that it is not a good match for me.

Part of my problem is dinner -- DH is usually in charge (if anyone is) of figuring out dinner, since I don't get home until 6-6:30. For some reason (despite my attempts to remind him), veggies aren't a major player in his meals. I guess there is nothing stopping me from nuking some frozen broccoli or something, but I haven't been good about it thus far.

I will definitely partake in the check-ins. I respond well to accountability!

[Kidrepair]

Hi I noticed your post, I too am looking for ways to get in shape and lose weight. We are financially not in a good place right now, so starting any program that costs money is probably not an option considering we are trying to figure out how Santa is getting 2 girls any gifts this year. I do daycare out of my home so it is so hard not to eat what they eat, not that they eat totally unhealthy but not the stuff I should be eating. How much is WW by the way and how does it work? I went on to LA Weightloss online and filled out a bunch of question and answers and the result was not pretty. It said I need to lose about 19 pds. of fat. Makes you feel real good right? sorry so long but where do you go for the weekly check ins?

[psophia17]

I don't actually do the weekly check-in - I've been doing WW on my own since Christmas. I did it before at work - for Kathy, that might work. If you work for a large company, can you approach HR about setting it up? It was really easy to go during lunch on Wednesday. Even if you only go a few times, to figure out how the program works, I'd recommend it - WW is not as much about dieting as it is about changing your lifestyle, and I think that when it works, it's because the people it works for really do change their lifestyles.

Now to the nitty-gritty. I do the plan where you count points, not the core plan where you can eat as much as you want of the core foods, and have to count the stuff that isn't core, so maybe someone will chime in with that.

In any case, the basic way WW works is that based on your current weight, you get a certain number of points per day. Each point is worth roughly 50 calories, but depending on the fiber and fat content of the food, it could be more or less (high fiber = less pts, more fat = more pts). At the end of a week, if you have stayed in your pts range for every single day, there is no way you won't have lost weight. Since veggies are either no pts at all or 1 pt for a cup (carrots, peas, beans, etc.), you can make your pts worth more by eating them and saving your pts for splurges, which is what I try to do.

And when I actually do it, it works. See my ticker for proof below :)