I just went through every thread here

And I just wanted to tell you all what an inspiration you all are. Seeing all of you being healthy really reinforces the idea in me that I must do something about my own health.

I haven't started to diet yet. If you've read my other thread here you'll know that eating right is going to be the toughest part of this for me. I have done a few little things. Like I stopped drinking real pop. I found this new drink by POWERade called Option that only has 40 calories in a quart bottle. It tastes yummy, too. I like the strawberry and the black cherry. And even though I'm still eating out all the time I've cut the quick-burger joints out of the equation.

So far it's been a week and a day since I decided to take control of my life. I've worked out all of those 8 days and I've dropped from 277 to 272.5. I've heard that when heavy people first start to work out and diet that it is not uncommon for them to drop significant weight really fast especially if they are like me and led a sedentary lifestyle up until that point. It would be nice if I could drop weight at that rate until I reach my target, but I doubt that will happen.

And what I mean by taking control of my life is that I have some other issues that I'm dealing with as well as my weight. I quit smoking, drinking, and gambling as well. I think that by giving up the beer alone I will lose some weight. Some weeks I was drinking enough that it equated in calories 2 whole days of food by itself. Smoking so far has been the toughest, but I've been smoke free for 7 days now.

So that's my story so far. I'm glad you all are here with me and are dedicated to becoming healthier. I think this forum is going to be very beneficial to me and I hope that I can make a positive contribution.

you have a handle on things :) There are great folks here with a lot of good insight!

I wish only the best for you as you take yourself under control and hope you enjoy a healthier you!

Salad bars and heartsmart menus in the truckstops!!

get a little cooler or fridge, pack LOTS of fruit and fresh water.

you CAN do it!



kesha.

I guess I'll get better at the food thing as I go along.

This is off topic, but I saw the pictures that you posted here of yourself and you look a lot like a real aunt that I have. You could be sisters.

I'm old enough to be your aunt?? yikes heh ..

I AM 48

:hi:

I meant to say that you could be my aunt's YOUNGER sister. ;)

younger is good.

I hope you're doing well and feeling better as each day passes, you're sure taking on a lot to change your lifestyle. Don't be hard on yourself, do nice things, enjoy a good steak once in a while and DRINK WATER.


:)

What an inspiration you are! Taking care of so many issues at once! I wish I could get a handle on just my weight issue right now. Perhaps success in that area, would give me confidence in handling other areas.

I'm soo glad you joined our forum and can help us too! :hi:

But I was to the point that I felt so bad that I wanted to change with all of my being. I looked at my dad, too, and he is 320 pounds right now. That could easily be me in a couple of years and as much as I love my dad I sure don't want to end up that heavy. He still smokes, too. His dad was the same way and only lived to be 57. My dad is now 55. I'm afraid for him. His doctor has got him on medication to reduce his cholestoral and he is supposed to be following a special diet, but he doesn't do it. I do not want to inherit my dad's attitude towards health, but I had done it for the past 15 years. All I can change is me, though, and I'm going to do my best to do that.

so that he sees it's possible.

you're taking on a lot all at once. Good for you for getting rid of some really bad habits and please let us know how it's going. :hug:

I think I'm going to have to take a break from jogging as my knees are starting to hurt. I hate to do it, but I don't want to hurt myself, either.

I think you're starting off great with the changes in your diet. With everything else going on with you, it isn't necessary -- and often not wise -- to make drastic changes at once. The changes you've already made will make a difference and as they become a way of life, you can then pick something else to work on.

Eating issues are always a bit different than the others. While it can be difficult, you can quit smoking and drinking, etc., but you can't quit eating!

Please let us know how you're doing! We're all ready to support one another and it's also inspiring to share the successes and commiserate about the occasional lapses. Keep up the good work! :hi:

I guess if I can get through the next month without gaining any weight it will be a victory. If you've ever had to quit smoking then you know how those cravings can make you eat everything in sight.

I can't quit one of my addictions.

Best to you & yours.

I still have one addiction left and that is food. I figure I can get to that one later as long as I'm not putting on any weight and working out is helping me with that.

I just got tired of living the lifestyle that I was living a couple of weeks ago. I'd been living that way for a long time and I could see that it was taking a toll on my health. I want to live to be a very old man and it just wasn't going to happen if I continued down the path that I was on. Not to mention all of the money that it takes to be a smoker, drinker, and gambler. Let me put it to you this way. I was thinking of trying to find a better paying job because what I was doing was draining my bank account every month. Now I will be able to stay with the company that I've worked for since 6/2000 because of all the money that I'm saving.

and I do agree, there are so many inspiring stories here! Yours is, too! :-)

I fell today, though. :( Half a pint of Ben and Jerry's New York Super Duper Chocolate Fudge and Chocolate Chunks and Nuts or something like that. But it was an emergency. I had just eaten lunch and I was craving a cigarette so bad that I could smell the cigarettes in the unopened packs from outside of the convenience store where I got the ice cream.

you have really decided to change your life! good for you! you will find wonderful support here.

two years ago, i lost about 35 pounds on atkins. it was a miracle, if you ask me. i have little willpower around food. what drove me was that i was doing heavy physical labor landscaping, and at the end of the season, i was solid muscle but covered with fat. it just never came off.

then of course, i did the roller coaster back to out of shape over the winter. in spring i heard of atkins and hit it hard. i lost most of that that weight in a few months, then the other ten pounds came off in the fall. i felt so proud of myself that i could do it and that i felt and looked SO much better! i was also walking almost two miles every morning, and that helped my outlook on life.

(it just dawned on me you may have read all this in another thread!)

i guess my point is that if you are motivated enough, especially by health reasons, you can change your life. i met a woman yesterday who lost 240 pounds! she was a teacher and could not keep up with the kids. she had the stomach surgery, though, which was a last resort for her. she does not recommend it!

so... good for you. i am behind you 100%. it may be helpful to post your results here weekly, or keep a weight loss journal. i know that writing down what i eat during the day motivates me to do my best, and it is in black and white so you can refer back to it in hard times.

It's been a few days since I wrote the original post. I lost 6 pounds in 11 days and then when I weighed myself on day 13 I had gained 4 pounds back. I didn't do anything different, either. I have a thread about it here in this forum. It's titled "Fat free milk does not equal lactose free milk."

measure yourself, too. did i already say that? it seems i said it to someone! measure your waist, thighs, upper arms and chest just under the armpits. this is more stable than the scale as far as your goal.

also, muscle is heavier than fat, so when we start to exercise and build up muscle, we may gain weight. that's why the scale is a deceptive tool. measuring and noticing how your clothes fit will be more encouraging.